Parent Info
What to wear on ice?
Skating attire changes depending on the age and skill level of your skater. Those just learning to skate need to wear snow pants and warm jackets, as well as mittens and hats, and a CSA approved helmet with faceguard. As they progress, children learn to dress in layers, taking off their heavier garments as they get faster and build up more heat. Skaters in the CanPower Skating program should wear full hockey gear and hockey sticks.
If a skater chooses to progress into the STARSkate program, many coaches and skaters prefer to wear skating tights, practice pants, dresses or skirts. Practice dresses tend to have long sleeves and are not as fancy as competition dresses. Light jackets and mittens are also worn by most skaters.
What to wear
Test Days
As skaters progress through the STARSkate program, they take tests sanctioned by and judged by Skate Canada (high tests). Test days are set-up by the clubs within each Test Group so that skaters have numerous opportunities throughout the season to try tests.
High Tests: Jr. Silver, Sr. Silver, Gold and ALL Interpretive tests
Test Days
Skates
In the Pre-CanSkate and CanSkate program, children wear an assortment of different types and styles of skates, from hockey skates to traded-in figure skates, to more expensive jr. level figure skates. Children who definitely know they will be moving into Power Skating or hockey after learning to skate well should wear hockey skates for both Pre-Can and CanSkate. Children who are interested in working up into the STARSkate figure skating test stream are strongly encouraged to move into better supported figure skates. Figure skates are built to have strong ankle support and have picks on the front of the blade. The lowest pick is an important part of the skate and should never be ground off. If you need more information about what kind of skates your child should be wearing, talk to any of our coaches or executive members. We will also generally try to have a skate exchange each fall, so that children can move up into good quality, gently used skates that older skaters have outgrown.
Skates
Preparing for Competition
Your skater should look their best for competition. She should wear a skating dress or skirt and sweater, with beige tights. Longer hair should be done up in a pony tail or bun and a bit of make-up could be applied. But the most important part of the "look" for competition is a confident smile!
A schedule will be handed out before each competition by your coach so you know where to go and what time to be at the arena. Generally you should be at the arena one hour before your child’s first event. Your coaches and other parents experienced with attending competitions will gladly help guide everyone through the day!
The general rule for skate sharpening is the skater needs at least three skates on freshly sharpened blades prior to competition. Skates should be clean and the laces neatly tucked in for safety and tidiness.
If your skater is doing a freeskate, you need to bring their music with you to the competition. You will need two CDs or tapes of the program. One is a backup in case the first copy fails to play. You must hand in the music when your skater registers for their events upon arrival at the arena, at least one hour before the event. Make sure to pick the music back up again before leaving the competition as well and return it to the music room for the next practice session.
Also, make sure you pack healthy snacks for your skater, especially if there is a long drive, or a long wait between events. And don't forget to bring a camera. Many competitions provide opportunities to buy professionally taken stills or video of your skater's event, but it is also good to bring your own camera for candid shots and maybe even shots of your skater on the medal podium! But no matter how the competition turns out, try to make it a fun, learning experience. The life experiences gained by competing at every level make skating a truly exception sport.
Competition
