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D NATIONAL SKATING MONTH IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR RINKS, clubs and programs to celebrate skating and invite new families to the ice by of- fering free lessons and skating demonstrations, and by pro- moting skating through local media outlets. During National Skating Month, through a series of activities, everyone can have the opportunity to enjoy a fun- filled day at the rink. Every Olympic year, there's an up-tick in skating member- ships because of the excite- ment surrounding the Games. This year promises to be no different, with programs across the country reaping the re- wards. National Skating Month brings that excitement to your facility, and registration is easy. Just go to usfigureskating.org/ NationalSkatingMonth. You can even pay $40 to receive a Na- tional Skating Month kit, which includes everything you'll need to host a successful event. New this year, each National Skating Month kit will include instructions for hosting a Destination PyeongChang Skate-A-Thon as an alternative to hosting a traditional Open House. Skate-A-Thons can be a fun event for skaters of all ages and abilities, a way to generate excitement and tie your event directly to Team USA and the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea. The ice is calling open house 22 / NOVEMBER.DECEMBER.2017 USICERINKS.COM PHOTOS: U.S. FIGURE SKATING NATIONAL SKATING MONTH HOW TO HOST A Block out time to host at least three separate free-skating events before, during and after the Winter Olympics. Use this easy formula: Set aside at least one hour of ice during a weekend afternoon. Promote the event to the public for free skating lessons—nothing captures people's attention more than the word free. When peo- ple register, ask them what their skating experience/skill level is by using these questions: Have you ever skated before? Can you skate forward and backward? Can you stop comfortably? Have you learned crossovers and turns? Give them a colored nametag based on their answers. SKILL LEVEL GROUPINGS: • Never skated and public skated only, no formal instruction = GREEN group • Forward skating, backward skating and stops = RED group • Crossovers and turns = BLUE group • Advanced skaters = GOLD group Instructors will meet the participants in the lobby or rink-side with a colored piece of paper to match the skill groups on their nametags. All GREEN groups must go through a quick off-ice orientation about proper fit and lacing of skates, attire, falling and getting up, marching/walking off ice in their skates, balance on blades, one-foot balance, proper posture on ice, and penguin walks (rock or a waddle motion with feet in a V position). This begins their free half-hour introductory lesson. Within the kit, programs will receive a sample outline for the day, and are encouraged to improvise and scale the curriculum up 2018 NATIONAL SKATING MONTH: