“In the Loop” is a column by Valerie Fang dedicated to the sport of figure skating.
Happy Friday the 13th! I hope everyone did awesome in their midterms and is enjoying the Fall Break. Skate America will be kicking off the much anticipated Grand Prix series next weekend in Allen, Texas. Before the season gets in full gear (once the Grand Prix starts, we will have major competitions taking place almost every weekend), I thought I could write another fun piece to chat about something this column has not yet covered — volunteering.
This article will use my personal experience at the 2023 Four Continents Championships (4CC) to discuss how to find volunteer opportunities at figure skating competitions, what to expect during your shifts and some hopefully helpful notes.
Where to locate volunteer opportunities
Before every season starts, the International Skating Union (ISU), which governs figure skating, synchronized skating, speed skating and short track speed skating, announces the host cities for each of its competitions. The host cities are responsible for organizing the assigned events, including recruiting all the local volunteers. So, the first step would be to check out the season schedule online and find out which competitions are being hosted by U.S. Figure Skating, the national governing body for this sport.
You are welcome to look for opportunities in other countries as well! For example, I’m on the look out for volunteer postings from Shanghai, because the city is hosting this season’s 4CC. It is also especially fun to volunteer in countries where figure skating is one of the more popular sports — namely Japan, which hosts the annual NHK Trophy.
Back to the United States. The next step would be to create an account in U.S. Figure Skating Event Management System (EMS). While the ISU makes the final call on assignments, it is tradition for the U.S. to host at least one competition, Skate America, which is usually the first Grand Prix stop. Once you are in the system, you should be able to see all the competitions that are available to volunteer at. You can start the application process by clicking on the ones that interest you, and the rest is self explanatory. The application will ask for your previous volunteer experience and then require you to fill out some standard paperwork, such as Assumption of Risk, Consent to Emergency Care and Media Release.
What to expect before and during my shifts
Once your volunteer request has been approved, U.S. Figure Skating will send out an email specifying the window for shift selection. In the case of the 2023 4CC, the window opened roughly one month prior to the competition. During the selection process, I was able to see the types, hours and required skills of all the shifts. This really helped me figure out my travel itinerary in advance, as I had to fly from Los Angeles to Colorado Springs for the event.
You can also expect to receive invites to an online EMS introduction and a Know Before You Go webinar. The former trains the volunteers on selecting shifts in the system, while the latter gives a rundown of what will happen during the Championships. The federation usually also sends out a volunteer handbook for our information.
Depending on the shifts selected, you could be contacted by the volunteer coordinators (from either the ISU or U.S. Figure Skating) before the competition about what to expect during your shifts. For instance, I received a briefing from the media team detailing the goals, general workflow, day-of procedures, some team documents and how to navigate the Mixed Zone. Once the Championships started, I received daily email reminders of my next-day shift schedule from U.S. Figure Skating. Those emails do matter and you should read them promptly, as they have to modify the competition schedule sometimes and switch our shifts around.
Some useful (I hope) notes!
Fear not if you haven’t volunteered at a figure skating event before! Some of my shifts involved working as the ice monitor for both practice and competition sessions. I had zero experience with it and was pretty nervous going into my first shift. But the staff at the venue was there to help go over things and support all of us. With this being said, it is still important to stay attentive and be proactive. Like all sporting events, things happen quickly and sometimes unexpectedly at figure skating competitions, which makes it a great opportunity to train someone in adapting to changing circumstances, thinking fast and seizing the moment.
Another tip on how to find the shifts at your preferred events. Note that the events I’m referring to here are competitions within individual disciplines such as Men’s Short Programs and Women’s Free Skate. While selecting shifts, I pulled up the event schedule side by side with the selection window so that I could find those shifts that matched the starting time of my favorite events. It took some strategizing but, hey, I ended up attending all my favorite events right next to the hockey boards.
It also goes without saying that it’s a wonderful opportunity to make friends (and maybe even professional connections depending on your career goals). Everyone is there because they are passionate about this sport, making it easier for you to find kindred spirits. And who knows, if you volunteer often enough, the skaters could recognize you, too!
For me, so many memories at the 2023 4CC are worth treasuring forever. I was so close to the rink. I could feel the icy breeze on my cheeks, reminding me of how blood rushed into them because I was just so thrilled. I will never forget how wonderstruck I felt when I turned around and found out that six top skaters in the world were lining up behind me, ready to take the ice. When I noticed that the legendary coach, Tracy Wilson, was standing next to me during one practice session, I told her I was very excited and honored to be there.
And she said: “Yeah! You really get to be a part of this.”
“In the Loop” runs every other Friday.