Valentine Breakfast for the Teams

Dad's and Grandpa's Valentine breakfast  on Feb 11th
Need food for 5 teams  starting @ 7am cleanup @ 11:30 am

If possible  food and drinks needs to arrive by 7:30 to be available for 1st teams!!
If your dish will be later please let me know!! So I can plan accordingly!


Contact Mark   @ markdirs@yahoo.com       314-6504455

(Dad's if you can't make it you can always send a special dish wih your skater!!)

Lets make it the biggest and best ever!!!!!

e.g  casseroles , bakery good , fruit salad , milk, Juice Waffles , Sausage , Bacon , ect....
Please let me know what you can whip up !!!

St. Louis Synergy Bowling in Michigan

St. Louis Synergy Juvenile has their best skate of the year!

The Juvies place 9th out of 15th at Midwestern Sectionals. We are so proud!

The Intermediate is heading to Nationals!

The Intermediate team wins 1st place at Pacific Midwestern Sectionals! They are headed to Nationsls.

Novice is heading to Nationals!

First Place Medals

St. Louis Synergy Prelim take 1st at Sectionals!

Just like our St. Louis Cardinals, our Prelim team hit a grand slam with their baseball themed program at The Pacific and Midwestern Sectionals in Plymouth, Michigan!

WANTED: SPRING SHOW IDEAS!!!!

We need theme ideas for a fabulous Spring Show!  Themes must be age appropriate for skaters from 4 to 18 and should allow individuals and groups to work on numbers independently.  Our spring shows are typically not productions that have specific characters and sets needed to tell a full story but rather a general theme.  Themes that have been used in the past few years are:  Oscars on Ice, Best of Disney and Gleeks on Ice.  Please e-mail or text your theme ideas to karenr@metroedgefsc.org or 314-409-9986 by January 31st.
We will put a poll up on the website on Feb. 1st that includes the best ideas received for the membership to vote on.  The skater that submits the winning theme will recieve a FREE entry into the show and first choice of music to perform to!
The spring show is scheduled for Friday, April 27th.  The time is still being determined.

Congratulations to Madison Havel

On December 9th Madison Havel became Metro Edge's first freestyle Gold Medalist to test and pass her senior free skate test as a MEFSC home club member.  Congratulations to Madison on this achievement!  Madison is a senior at Triad High School in Illinois and has been skating since age 5.  She skates on the Synergy Intermediate team and appeared as the Sugar Plum Fairy in this year's production of the Nutcracker on Ice.  Madison is coached by Gina Oesterlei and Tina Randazzo.

Great Night at the St. Louis Blues Game!

St. Louis Synergy's Juvenile Team performed at last nights St. Louis Blues game in between the first and second period!

Baby LaMear Has Arrived!

Announcing

Brayden Emmett LaMear

Born 12-14-11 at 9:48am
8lb 8oz.   20.5 inches long.

It's Still Not Too Late!

Several people have inquired about getting additional Synergy soft good items from the backpack order form that was used at the start of the season. The t-shirts and sweatshirt are practice approved.  These items are different than the items available on a regular basis from Julie Latta.  The order form is attached and is also posted on the website under the synchro tab and there are hard copies at the rink on the bulletin board.   Due to the interest that has been expressed, an additional order will be placed with hopes of arriving by December 21st for those interested in the items for gifts.  

If you have an interest in these Synergy t-shirts, sweatshirt or polo shirts, please complete and return an order form with payment (checks should be made out to MEFSC) NO LATER THAN THURS, DEC 8.  NO LATE ORDERS WILL BE ACCEPTED.  Orders may be handed to Cindy Grigg or placed in the wooden box. 

Measuring Ourselves Against The Best

Over the past few months, I have spent some time talking with Board Presidents and Vice-Presidents at several different clubs across the country that have elite synchronized skating prograsms. The goal was to find out how these clubs established and maintain their consistent success. I asked questions about team and organizational structure, Board oversight, coaching compensation, and aspects of their programs that they believe contribute to their consistent success. At the last MEFSC Board meeting, I shared my findings with the MEFSC Board. I wanted to share some of what I learned with our Synchro families.

During the course of these conversations, I learned, not surprisingly, that we are doing many things that are consistent with these clubs. Our ice time is consistent with these clubs. The incorporation of training and ballet were considered vital by almost all of these clubs. We are fielding a range of teams consistent with the top clubs. Perhaps most gratifying, the leadership of these clubs are familiar with us and recognize how far we have come over the last several years.

There are some things that need our attention as well. I’d like to mention two that are particularly pressing. The first concern is recruitment of skaters. The most successful clubs field fully rostered teams and use alternates from the Juvenile level on up. While we have large teams at some levels, we still need to recruit skaters, especially at the younger levels. This provides a continual supply of skaters and allows clubs to develop skaters from an early age. Secondly, I learned from these conversations and a USFS study of synchro programs that we pay our coaches between 25-35% less than the Midwestern average and significantly less than the national average. What many of our families do not know is that our coaches are only compensated for the on-ice time for their two primary teams. Any time they spend in off-ice, working with a third team, on administrative functions or communicating with parents is essentially volunteer time. This is a significant concern for all of us as we seek to retain quality coaches.

The MEFSC Board has begun a review of the administrative structure of our synchro teams and how we compensate our coaches. We want to find a way to continue on the successful path we are now travelling while also finding a way to organize ourselves efficiently and compensate our coaches in a way that demonstrates respect for their skill, commitment, and performance. We are well aware of the cost of skating and the need to keep skating affordable. That is also a priority for our organization.

Thank you to all of you for your commitment to our skaters and their success.

Save the Date!

Show-Me State Games
Figure Skating Competition

SAVE THE DATE
and Go for the Gold!
Friday, Saturday & Sunday
February 24, 25 & 26, 2012


Hosted by: The Metro Edge FSC
Webster Groves Ice Arena

Application Packets will be available on-line and emailed to you by October 30th.

Change of Dates for the Resale

The dates have changed for the resale to Monday November 7th - Saturday November 12th. It will be open at all LTS, Club ice and Synchro Practices.
If you want to see your things please have them hung on a hangar if necessary, clearly marked with your initials and the price of the item. 
Also include an "inventory" list of all item with the cost of each item as well. All items need to be brought to the rink to me on Thursday November 3rd.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE! IF your willing to help, please let me know! Email me! nichole0617@yahoo.com

Juv Team to Perform at St. Louis Blues Game

The juvenile team has an incredible opportunity to showcase their program between the first and second period of a Blues Game!  The game will take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday, December 15th at the Scottrade Center as the Blues take on the NY Rangers.  Crowds for Blues games typically average around 30,000 people so we should have a great audience for which to perform.  We will be purchasing tickets as a group for a discounted rate, so if you are interested in joining some MEFCS families and cheering the team on, please contact Kim Oliver (tkoliver@charter.net) and let her know how many tickets you would like to order.  Tickets would make a great Thanksgiving or early holiday gift, too!

Contest for Sample Synchro

DON"T FORGET!!!!

The one who brings the most guest skaters to Sample Synchro (determined by the invitations with their name on it) will win:

1st Place - a $30 West County Mall Gift Card and a Shopping Excursion with Allie Rosemann and Kameryn Truman
2nd Place - a $20 West County Mall Gift Card
3rd Place - a $10 West County Mall Gift Card

Dad and Grandpa's Club Info!

We would like a quick get together Friday Sept 23 6:30 @ the sports zone Watson.  Please contact Mark 314-6504455 or markdirs@yahoo.com to let me know if this day works!! If you cannot this date send me your E-mail I will send notes of the meeting.

Topics to cover
1) Next dad's breakfast
2) Real men of Genius planning
3) Requests from coaches etc... help needed  e.g portable dance mirror needs ideas on how it can be raised up ?? also dads at the end of practice to put chairs and benchesback
4) Always need music players during practice
5) Info on the up and coming season and dad's concerns
6) Nutcracker help or skate in performance?

Thanks Mark and Brendan

Be a Part of Junior Board!

Junior Board is having a meeting on Friday night at Karen Rosemann's house.  The board will be decorating cookies for Sample Synchro on Sunday!  Come and help.  The meeting starts at 5:30.  Please contact Kameryn Truman or Allie Rosemann if you have any quesitons!

Sample Synchro this Sunday!

Ok, Synchro Skaters we need you to give our your invites to our Sample Synchro Skating Event this Saturday, September 24th from 12:15 - 2:00!  Check out our website to download additional copies of the invitation.