Teamwork, Friendship, and Competition: Insights From Synchronized Skaters

Participating in sports, and particular team sports, provides so much more than just physical benefits. It fosters time management skills, collaboration, a sense of community, and lifelong memories. To explore these advantages further, I interviewed four current synchronized skaters, Elia Hsieh and Belle Fowler on the Junior level team and Sydney Brannick and Ellah Vaverek on the novice level Northernettes team. 

What made you get into synchro and how was it introduced to you?

Elia- “I got into synchro at a young age, when I was around 6 or so. It was introduced to me through my neighbor who also skated. I started to take lessons and involve myself in skate school, where I grew my basic skills and freestyle and eventually the coach recruited me to start off on their Beginner 1 Team.”

Belle- “I found synchro because some of the girls at my rink invited me to an open house and ended up really liking it so I tried out.”

Sydney- “I got into synchro because all the people I grew up with and my best friends went to join! My coach’s daughter also did synchro and told me about it.”

What do you enjoy most about synchronized figure skating?

Elia- “With many different teams and divisions, I enjoy the way that I have met so many amazing people and my best friends through the sport and also have simultaneously been able to grow my skill set in numerous ways.”

Sydney- “I love being able to be with my best friends all the time and being introduced to new challenges.”

What does it mean to be on a synchro team to you?

Elia- “Bring on a synchro team means to be able to know how to work with others, matching your levels of hard work, and lifting each other up when times get difficult. The work you put in affects more than just yourself and being on a team helps you realize the importance and necessity of trust and reliability.”

Belle- “To me skating on a synchro team means working together with your best friends and overcoming challenges together.”

Ellah- “Synchro is very unique and not many people get to experience the environment so being able to be a part of it is very special to me.”

What is your favorite opportunity you get from being on a synchro team?

Elia- “My favorite opportunity has definitely been being able to represent Team USA this season. It has brought me to places I never thought I’d be able to compete at and allowed me to challenge myself in ways I have never been before.” 

Sydney- “My favorite opportunity is being with my friends who I consider my family and knowing everyone around me will push me to become the best I possibly can with all the support I need.”

Ellah- “Being able to travel with my best friends is an opportunity I’m endlessly grateful for and I can’t imagine not having those memories with my favorite people.”

Their Golden Moment

         The team faces away from the ice against the boards in anticipation. This is their moment. Cold air flows against them, barely noticeable from the adrenaline rushing into their bodies. Some shake out the nerves, others close their eyes, mentally running through every step, every turn, every breath. Muffled cheers from the audience play in the back of the skater’s minds while staying present and focused. They keep their legs bending knowing that months of training, early mornings, late nights, and endless repetition has led to this moment. “You got this,” and, “Let’s do this,” is spoken as the announcer finally calls their team to step on the ice, “Now on the ice, representing Team USA, here are the Northernettes!” Their hearts beat in sync, faster as they move onto the ice and the crowd roars louder.

          Days before, they arrived at Gdansk Poland where they now won’t only be representing their team, but their whole country. Wearing Team USA apparel, they walk around the beautiful town in pride and it’s nothing like what they’ve seen before. They continue to explore this land to shop and try new things without any worry because they are spending time with their best friends.

          As the week continues, they have last-minute training time. The focus and determination during practices are beneficial as it will be the last time on the ice before competing. The consistency this team has is remarkable because everyone knows that they practice like they compete. They keep in mind that they are skating to represent the USA but without pressured thoughts. Their ability to contain their nerves and have courage is what makes this team so special. 

          Then comes the day that matters the most, competition day. The hours of getting ready for this competition

are exciting while getting dressed, sowing hair, and putting on makeup. They board the bus with music blasting and they do one of the most special traditions as a team, they hold hands and sing, “We’re All in This Together,” from High School Musical before going into the rink. As they sing the lyrics, “We make each other strong,” they know that everyone has each other’s back. They walk down the steps, off the bus and walk into the rink with pride, confidence, and with heads up high. 

          They get into the locker room, stressed without showing it, and get dressed. Pump-up music blasts in their ears, laces are tied, dresses are being clipped. Before going out to the rink, they mentally prepare, envisioning every step and movement in their program. The preparation for this very moment is over and it’s their time to take everything they’ve practiced onto the ice. Doing nothing less and nothing more. This comes back to their moment. Stepping onto the ice, the Northernettes present themselves and they see the hundreds of people in the audience chanting, “USA, USA, USA!” Making energy and adrenaline soak into their bodies as they get to their starting position. 

          After one last breath, the start of the music plays. Still in their positions, legs shaking, music starts, nervous, but they have each other. The song, “My Way” by Frank Sinatra fills the rink as this team does it their way. They encourage each other through the whole three minutes, performing a clean, sharp and emotional program. The final beat hits with the last element, lifts go up, and the crowd jumps out of their seats. Not only did the audience know how well they did, but the team knew too. The tears of joy stream down their faces while they hug in the middle of the ice. It was their moment, their hard work, their way. They pushed through and kept their calm because of each other. Holding each other’s hands in the kiss and cry, they hope for the best outcome. The announcer says, “And the scores for the Northernettes…” They put their heads down, hearts beating in sync, “176.68, and are currently in first place,” and they scream with excitement. 

          But to this team, it didn’t matter the score, it didn’t matter the placement, what mattered was they were in it together, creating special moments they will cherish forever. The Poland champions stand on the podium taking it in, as the American flag raises and the national anthem plays, their gold medals reflect not just the light, but the spirit of the team that found their accomplishment not only in winning but also in the journey itself. 

The Public’s Perception of Synchronized Skating

          As someone who actively participates in synchronized skating, I know the immense skill and teamwork required for this sport. This led me to wonder, what does the general public know about this sport?  To find out, I constructed a survey to gather people’s thoughts on this sport. The majority of respondents were women older than fifty who are a demographic that, in my opinion, may not have much knowledge in or experience with the sport since its popularity has only grown in the last couple of years. 

          The survey results confirm this because over half of the respondents were, “Not very familiar,” or, “Not familiar at all,” with this sport. From these results, This made me question whether they were mixing up synchronized skating with Olympic figure skating. While most had watched synchro on television or video, a lot of their one word descriptions were, “Olympics,” and, “Doubles,” which don’t associate with synchronized skating. This highlights the fact that the general public knows about figure skating in general, but not synchronized skating. 

          One major factor contributing to this lack of awareness is the sports absence from the Olympics, along with a limited number of teams in Minnesota. When asked, “Are you interested in learning more about synchronized skating?” The majority of the results were, “Maybe, if it was more accessible,” which concludes that since the public can’t see much of it, they don’t know if they are interested or not. If it was streamed on common television, there would be more publicity, making it likelier to be in the Olympics. If it finally was accepted in the Olympics, everyone would know about this sport and may be interested in joining or learning more about it, making this unknown sport greatly known.