In April 2023, Red Rose Figure Skating Club held its first session of classes at Regency Ice Rink, 2155 Ambassador Drive, Lancaster, via a partnership with Learn To Skate USA. The program offered anyone from recreational skaters to aspiring professional hockey players an opportunity to learn fundamental ice skating skills, and it was met with an overwhelmingly positive response from the community. After a year and a half, Red Rose Figure Skating Club has expanded the series to include additional classes and events to meet its growing popularity, and the club is gearing up for the start of its first 2025 Learn To Skate session on Monday, Jan. 6.

Each six-week session is structured around a curriculum provided by Learn To Skate USA, and the material is designed to serve as a foundation for students who wish to pursue careers as figure skaters or hockey players. The sessions' weekly meetings at Regency Ice Rink involve lessons on basic techniques and guided instructions on advanced skills. Students are coached by veteran skaters such as competitive skater Cara Scudner, a board member of Red Rose Figure Skating Club and co-director of the Learn To Skate program. "We have a really high retention rate, which tells me that skaters are happy with the program," Scudner said. "We have people who enrolled in the first session who are still skating with us, and they've participated in every session since."

The first Learn To Skate session had 31 participants, a number that has more than doubled and continues to increase after a year and a half. Although the program is open to both adults and children age 3 and up, Red Rose Figure Skating Club introduced a new program called Ice Explorers that is open to 2- and 3-year-olds. The first half of Ice Explorers' session familiarizes children with ice skating equipment and foundational skills to prepare them to take on the ice for the remainder of the course. Scudner said the club decided to add the program after noticing how many younger siblings of skaters would often sit in to watch the class.

In addition to equipping children with the basic skills needed to skate on the ice, the Ice Explorers program incorporates games and activities such as making snow angels and drawing pictures. "A lot of ice rinks don't offer classes for children this young, but we've had a great turnout. The series is a way to gently ease them onto the ice," Scudner said. "It's never too early and never too late to start skating. Ice Explorers is all about making it fun and making skaters comfortable on the ice." Red Rose Figure Skating Club also added the Snowplow Sam series for children ages 3 to 6.

The Learn To Skate series has also continued to expand its programming for high-level skaters, adding advanced courses and creating a synchronized skating team in addition to recitals and skating competitions.

"Skating is fun, and we want it to be available to everyone," Scudner said. "We've seen people from our club go on to play on professional hockey teams or perform in Disney on Ice. Whatever you want to do, there's opportunities for you - and it all starts at Learn To Skate."

For more information or to register for a session, visit http://www.rrfsc.org/learn-to-skate.