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NGB News USA Hockey & U.S. Figure Skating , Host site registration is officially open for February 22, 2020, Try Hockey For Free Day! Try Hockey events are a great opportunity to introduce new families to your rink and transition them into Spring Learn-To-Skate and Learn-To- Play programming. This year's event falls on the Saturday of Hockey Week Across America (Feb. 21). Each day of Hockey Week Across America will include a theme, including individual days to salute players (Monday), coaches (Tuesday), officials (Wednesday) and local rinks (Thursday), as well as the traditional themes of Wear Your Favorite Hockey Jersey Day (Friday), Try Hockey Day (Saturday) and Celebrate Local Hockey Heroes (Sunday). Kicking off the weeklong celebration will be Hockey Day in America on Sunday, Feb. 16. To serve as a Try Hockey host site, each rink must provide at least one hour of ice for the event, an adequate volunteer staff, and loaner equipment. Each participant must be outfitted with a minimum of helmet, skates, and gloves. Successful Try Hockey events oftentimes see collaboration between hockey coaches, Learn-To-Skate instructors, and rink staff. The first 350 rinks that register to serve as a Try Hockey host site on February 22 will receive a variety of promotional resources that can be used to bolster marketing efforts and maximize the impact of your event. These rinks will also receive event support in the form of an online registration portal, event sanctioning, and giveaways. To learn more, please visit usahockeyprogramservices.com! 18 / JANUARY.FEBRUARY.2020 USICERINKS.COM Host a Try Hockey for Free in February , The Skating Director Program is designed for skating directors, club board members, rink managers and coaches looking for the opportunity to strengthen their skills as program administrators in order to take their program to the next level. The Skating Director Program offers attendees a toolkit that allows for effective leadership and business strategies for program growth and success. This program is fast paced, full of vital programming information, and will inspire, motivate, and educate attendees on how to use the full array of U.S. Figure Skating and Learn to Skate USA programs to create a successful and financially viable skating program. Topics will include: • Learn to Skate USA: programming from the grassroots up • U.S. Figure Skating: How it works and what we offer to assist our programs and clubs • Marketing, communications, and creating your digital presence • The how, what, when, where and why of programming • Increasing retention through specialty and bridge programs • Building a strategic, business, and financial plan • Managing the crazy—parents and customers • SafeSport Program: resources, awareness, necessary policies and procedures to implement, reporting procedures • Building your off-ice training program • Real Programs that work • Ask a manager—answers from across the country • Individual program consultations • Program and fee structure comparison • Networking and roundtable discussions For more information please contact Susi Wehrli McLaughlin at swehrli@usfigureskating.org. Skating Director Program Back at NARCE