Oshawa Skating Club celebrates 70 years

OSHAWA -- If you were a skater or figure skating coach in Oshawa/Whitby or Clarington last month, you wanted to be at the Campus Ice Centre to help the Oshawa Skating Club celebrate their 70th anniversary.

As part of the festivities, they hosted a seminar with course conductors Douglas Leigh, Michelle Leigh, Robert Tebby and demonstrator Christopher Maybee.

Leigh is clearly recognized as Canada's premier skating coach, and is internationally acclaimed as a leader in the field. He has coached World Champions and Olympic Medalists Brian Orser and Elvis Stojko and two time World Bronze Medalist Takeshi Honda

Tebby has been an international coach for over 10 years which includes 14 Canadian Championships, 12 World Championships and three Olympic Games. He specializes in the technical aspects of singles skating and athlete management for the new judging system.

Michelle Leigh has been a seminar presenter for over 22 years and has coached Stojko, Honda and six-time Canadian champion Jennifer Robinson. Her seminars include mental training - steps to success, attitude as the edge and her positive energy can only be described as contagious.

The event began with registration of the 125 skaters and coaches as they were split into three groups to lower the conductor/skater ratio. The groups went through sessions on proper spin jump and warm up technique. The groups also went through a video analysis of their skating and coaches were motivated by a private session just for them conducted by Doug Leigh.

Christopher Maybee, an accomplished skater who recently placed fifth at the 2008 BMO Skate Canada Championships, led skaters through a proper off ice warm up session as well as demonstrated perfect execution of many jumps and spins.

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