Skating Coaches Say ‘Thank You’

Skating Coaches Say ‘Thank You’
July 15, 2011
The Post-Journal

To the Readers' Forum:

Due to recent, quickly developing opportunities, we have decided to relocate our program to Buffalo. Because of our deep and long-standing involvement with the area, our decision was not lightly made, nor was it without a fair amount of sadness.

The Skating Academy has had a great run here in Jamestown. We are extremely proud of our skaters and their accomplishments Skaters have represented Jamestown on the national and international level in competitions throughout the United States, Canada and Europe.

We have produced over 100 skaters who have passed the "gold" test. The "gold" test is a rigorous set of standards, representing the highest level of achievement and skill, and is sanctioned by the U.S. Figure Skating.

Working together with Mary Handley and the Jamestown Skating Club, we have hosted the U.S. Junior Nationals, three regional championships, as well as 15 Skate Chautauquas and 12 Winter Games competitions. The crown jewel of the program, "Excellence on Ice," sparked professional performing careers for many of our skaters who have toured the world with such programs as Disney on Ice and the Ice Capades.

We are extremely proud of our accomplishments here, especially considering our humble beginnings at Allen Park. We are also grateful and humbled by the tremendous support that we have always received from the community and our "skating family."

A special thanks is in order to the Gebbie Foundation, for creating the world's finest skating arena; to the arena management, which was instrumental in creating an unparalleled work environment; and to the local businesses and sponsors who generously supported us throughout the years.

Lenel van den Berg

Kirk Wyse

Co-directors

Jamestown Skating Academy

JSB Arena Continues Skating Program

JSB Arena Continues Skating Program
Marzec, Junior Coaches Will Work With Jamestown Athletes

July 15, 2011
By Jason Rodriguez (jrodriguez@post-journal.com) , The Post-Journal

A leaner skating club is taking to the ice this summer at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena.

One week after the departure of the Wyse and van den Berg Skating Academy to an ice rink to North Buffalo, officials at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena announced they had forged a new agreement with the local Jamestown Skating Club.

"The skating club remains intact in Jamestown," Kurt Silcott, arena CEO, said Monday. "We are working with them to set up dates and try to continue all programming we have had in the past with the skating club."

Following the planned negotiation with the club in the middle of the week, the arena stated it had created a schedule that would "provide Jamestown and Jamestown-area residents with top-notch programs for young figure skaters and hockey skaters."

The skating club confirmed that one of its leading coaches would remain available at the local arena for instruction. It stated Lindsay Marzec, along with a number of junior coaches, will work with the JSC skaters. The club expects to add to its coaching staff in the very near future and build upon the great program that has been established here in Jamestown.

The arena said its new agreement offers local skaters ice time on Tuesdays and Wednesday from 3:30 pm until 6:30 pm.

Stated Silcott: "We anticipate that they will take more hours in due time. At this point, the club is going to survey the skaters and coaches and see what times will work best. We will do our best to accommodate them once we know the times and number of hours they want."

On Thursday, Mrs. Marzec said she would be coaching for two evenings, but that she was also rendering her services with the departed academy in Buffalo.

With respect to the loss of the expertise of Kirk Wyse and Lenel van den Berg, Silcott said: "They made a business decision to take their business to Buffalo. A lot of their skaters come from Buffalo, Rochester and Syracuse."

He noted the academy was a for-profit operation, whereas the skating club remains a nonprofit entity that hosts educational tutelage and hosts a number of year-round competitions at the arena.

Mary Handley, chairperson for Skate Chautauqua, confirmed the annual U.S. Figure Skating- and Skate Canada-sanctioned event will occur in August as planned.

Looking ahead to the fall, the arena stated it has recruited Dan Daikawa, Jamestown Ironmen head coach, to coordinate a "Learn to Skate" class that emphasizes ice hockey.

"It's great to see a tenant of the building take this type of ownership in the community," said Silcott. "Coach Daikawa has volunteered himself, as well as his players to help the program grow. We're all looking forward to having him as a part of The Skating Club's activities."

Wyse and van den Berg, whose offices were found empty last week at the local arena, stated their decision to leave "was not lightly made, nor was it without a fair amount of sadness."

They added an expression of gratitude and humbleness from the "tremendous support" they have always received from their "skating family" in Jamestown.

New Skating Schedule for July in Jamestown

Tuesday, July 12th - 3:30 - 6:30
Wednesday July 13th - 3:30 - 6:30

Tuesday July 19th - 3:30 - 6:30
Wednesday July 20th - 3:30 - 6:30

Tuesday July 26th - 4:30 - 6:30
Wednesday July 27th - 4:30 - 6:30

Lindsay M. will be available to give lessons beginning Wednesday, July 13th.
Junior coach will also be avalible. Please contact your preferred coach.

Junior Coaches: Deanna B. Megan J.
Alexis D. Jaylyn O.
Madelaine G. Christina W.

Skating Club Leaves - the Post Journal

July 8, 2011
By Jason Rodriguez (jrodriguez@post-journal.com)

After a pair of recent statements from those running the show, a curtain is closing on a signature figure skating program in the city of Jamestown.

According to a letter released to a local athlete's website, the last day of the 25-year-old Jamestown Skating Academy was Wednesday.

On Thursday, its office at the Jamestown Savings Bank Arena was empty. Program co-directors Kirk Wyse and Lenel van den Berg stated the classes will continue at the North Buffalo Ice Arena, located off upper Delaware Avenue at 156 Tacoma Ave.

''This move was made necessary as a new contract was presented to us by the new CEO of the arena upon direction of the arena's board which is predominantly made up of hockey enthusiasts,'' Wyse and van den Berg said in a letter to skaters and parents. ''Suffice to say, the agreement was so outrageously priced that very few of you would be able to afford to skate. It left us no option but to move the program.''

Calling Wednesday's departure from the arena "bittersweet,'' the letter from Wyse and van den Berg said the new agreement in Buffalo is simple and allows them to return to their passion of coaching.

The statement anticipated questions from the Jamestown Skating Club board of directors as well as participants who regularly descend on the arena for instruction by its affiliated coaches.

"We also know that some of you may not be able to make the trip to Buffalo and we understand that and we want you to keep skating. ... We will work with the Jamestown Skating Club and the coaches to secure ice in Jamestown for those that the trip to Buffalo will not be viable," the statement reads.

SKATING CLUB LIMBO

A second letter posted by the Jamestown Skating Club board of directors said the directors of the club, which hosts an annual slate of amateur skating competitions, "will be meeting with Kirk and Lenel to try to determine if it is viable to keep figure skating in Jamestown at some capacity. We want to explore all our options, as a club.''

It added that all prospective members of the local club whose submissions were processed by July 1 will still be eligible for the arena's Skate Chautauqua in August and other U.S. Figure Skating events.

Kurt Silcott, new CEO of the Jamestown arena, said negotiations were not completed with the Skating Academy, including upcoming changes to the price of ice time.

"Our position is that we were going to sit down with them and negotiate new ice times and rates,'' he said, adding that they had not yet received any formal indication that Wyse and van den Berg were leaving for another location.

But Silcott added their empty office is a strong indication that they have decided to move their program. Meanwhile, Silcott said there was a discussion with the skating club on Wednesday to ensure their events will go forward, including Skate Chautauqua which takes place Aug. 12-13. He indicated the departure of the pair of longtime instructors does not mean the skating club could not recruit a coaching team of its own.

"Once it is all settled, we will maintain a level of figure skating that the residents of Jamestown will enjoy," he said.

Calls to Wyse, van den Berg as well as the skating club board of directors were not returned.

In a June 26 article in The Post-Journal that heralded 25 years of the local skating academy, van den Berg said Jamestown offered a place of permanence for the successful school. During his tenure, the academy has evolved from humble beginnings in the Allen Park Ice Rink to a renowned institution that attracts athletes from throughout the Northeast and as far away as Mexico.

Said van den Berg: "It's never been about that other stuff, no fighting between skaters and coaches, a very rare situation. We have had several offers to move to bigger markets over the last few years, but we have given them no consideration. We have an awesome arena, a wonderful office in the arena, great skaters, and tremendous support from the local community. Unless that were to change, we would never consider moving the program elsewhere.''

Google directions to North Buffalo Ice Arena

I-190 North (exit 53/Downtown Buffalo/Canada). Proceed north on I-190 approx. 9 miles to Scajaquada Exwy./Humboldt Pkwy./Rt-198 (exit 11). Proceed east on Scajaquada Exwy./Humboldt Pkwy. (Rt-198) approx. 2 miles to Delaware Ave. (Rt-384) North. Proceed north on Delaware Ave. approx. 1.25 miles to Tacoma Avenue. Turn right on Tacoma Ave. and proceed approx. 1 block east to arena on the left.

Van Den Berg Celebrates 25th Year With JSA

‘I’m Very Blessed’
Van Den Berg Celebrates 25th Year With JSA

June 26, 2011
By Scott Kindberg (skindberg@post-journal.com) , The Post-Journal

ASHVILLE - Almost every night, weather permitting, Lenel van den Berg hops in his 20-foot pontoon party boat and takes a 30-minute cruise on Chautauqua Lake.

Accompanied by his dog and his cat, van den Berg enjoys the scenery and the accompanying relaxation at the end of another 10-12 hour work day.

"I've always admired the water,'' he said.

Van den Berg has been a big fan of water in the frozen form as well. In fact, life on the ice has carried the native of Port Elizabeth, South Africa to stops all over the globe in the last three decades.

Fortunately for figure skaters on the East Coast, and in Western New York in particular, he ultimately decided to make southern Chautauqua County his home.

"It's been a long journey,'' he said. "It's been a very good journey, a great journey, actually, because I think we've achieved things beyond what we really expected.''

- - -

Encouraged by his mother, Mavis, van den Berg started skating when he was 9 years old and ultimately reached the pinnacle of the sport, becoming a seven-time national champion, competing internationally for South Africa and, later, enjoying a nine-year career with Holiday On Ice.

"After that,'' he said, "I came to the United States.''

And when the Jamestown Skating Academy needed someone to run the program in the mid-1980s, van den Berg, who just happened to be visiting in Buffalo, took the job, "because nobody wanted it.''

"I remember the first day I walked into Allen Park (Ice Rink) and somebody said to me, 'I hope you have another job apart from this job because you're not going to make a lot of money, there's not a lot of ice time and there's not a lot of (skaters).'''

Fast forward more than two decades. From those humble beginnings, van den Berg and fellow co-director Kirk Wyse have built the JSA into one of the best schools in the country. Beginning Monday, van den Berg will celebrate the 25th year of his summer school, which will attract upwards of 50 skaters (ages 7-25) from throughout the northeast and even as far away as Mexico.

"The beauty of this school has always been that it's all about training and getting better and improving,'' van den Berg said. "It's never been about that other stuff, no fighting between skaters and coaches, a very rare situation. We have had several offers to move to bigger markets over the last few years, but we have given them no consideration. We have an awesome arena, a wonderful office in the arena, great skaters, and tremendous support from the local community. Unless that were to change, we would never consider moving the program elsewhere.''

And what a resume van den Berg and Wyse, who joined the JSA in 1995, have put together.

Along the way, the men have had 104 students pass gold-medal tests, a remarkable number considering that one in 5,000 skaters successfully do so; 15 skaters have won national medals; and three - Robbie Dierking, Hilary Glovak and Janelle Cogley - were national champions. Dierking did it three times.

"The biggest charge for me is helping young people to succeed in life,'' said van den Berg, who by virtue of his students' success is a U.S. international coach. "This sport is a tough sport to be in. It teaches you a lot mentally and it teaches you how to deal with failure a lot. I think it's a wonderful sport for people to learn what is ahead in the future. It's more than medals and championships.''

It's about the notes, cards, text messages and e-mails that van den Berg and Wyse routinely receive from virtually all their current and former students thanking the men for what their guidance has meant not only on the ice, but off it as well. In other words, the JSA, which moved from Allen Park to the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena 10 years ago, is by virtually any measure one big happy family.

Occasionally, though, even van den Berg is caught off guard, even overwhelmed by "one of the nicest things that has ever happened to me.''

That came earlier this spring when he was asked by Kristen Treni, a former area resident, former JSA student and currently a Disney On Ice star, to walk her down the aisle at her wedding in Tampa, Fla.

"That was a highlight,'' van den Berg said.

- - -

Van den Berg, Wyse and 13 of their students have been in Lake Placid this week for the first competition of the figure skating season.

"You go there to tweak their programs, see what's needed in each aspect of the kids' skating and if we're doing the right things with the programs,'' van den Berg said.

The "program,'' - aka the JSA - housed at the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena, seems to indicate that van den Berg, Wyse and their coaching staff are doing the "right things,'' too.

"It's always nice to keep achieving things,'' van den Berg said, "but I've just been really lucky with what I've been able to achieve. I'm very thankful for what I've done with my life. I'm very blessed and I really realize that.

"Sometimes people say to you if you could do it again, would you do it differently. I can honestly say, 'No, I wouldn't. I'd do it exactly the same.'''

Mei Wen as Disney's Jasmine - Excellence on Ice 2011