Why Join the Louisville Skating Academy?

Access to Competitions and Tests

Figure skating as a sport in the U.S. is organized around home clubs at the local level that are recognized by and affiliated with the national organization, U. S. Figure Skating. In order to compete or test in U.S. Figure Skating events, every skater must have a USFS ID number and normally be registered with a home club where they practice and work with a coach.

Founded in 2000, the Louisville Skating Academy, Inc. (LSA) has consistently provided a well-run organization that more than meets the requirements of a USFS home club for its members. Member registration with LSA automatically includes a USFS membership and ID number, which LSA processes for its members.

Access to Coaches and Rink Time

Whether you're interested in competing and testing in figure skating, or gaining skills in ice dance, recreation, or entertainment and performance opportunities in skating, membership in LSA is the best way in Louisville to access private lessons with great coaches on ice rink time reserved for figure skating. Louisville has only one ice rink open year-round, Iceland Sports Complex on UPS Drive, so there are many groups using ice time. Every ice hockey team in Louisville, including UofL's, practices and plays their games at Iceland. The rink also offers public skate hours for the general public to skate recreationally. Trying to practice figure skating skills like jumps and spins on ice crowded with other users doing something else is dangerous as well as difficult. Like most rinks, Iceland doesn't allow private figure skating lessons during public skate hours, and obviously not during hockey games or practices.

In order to reserve figure skating time, LSA acts as a kind of co-op, purchasing yearlong contracts from Iceland, and then letting members purchase (contract) from the club for the time slots they need for private lessons and practice at a discounted rate. LSA uses fundraising events like our annual Nutcracker On Ice show, the Learn To Skate program, sponsorships and other sources of revenue to offset roughly 20% of the cost of the ice time members purchase from the club, compared to what a non-member would pay to walk on to the same amount of ice time. As a 501c3 nonprofit organization, all income LSA generates is used to benefit its members and promote figure skating.

LSA is a longstanding, solid organization with a dedicated board of directors and governing policies to ensure continued service to its members across the years. Although the board of directors is composed of member volunteers, LSA employs several coaches to act as Skating Director, Learn To Skate Director, and Artistic Director to develop and run programs and events that support skater training and enjoyment. The club also recruits and supports highly skilled coaches as independent contractors to ensure that members always have good coaches in different specialties who can work together to train a skater. Only an LSA-approved coach can use LSA ice time to offer private lessons, and only with LSA members or guests.

Supportive Fellow Skaters and Parents

LSA members include adult skaters and people who love and support the sport in official roles, but the majority of members are youth skaters and their parents. The club forms a welcoming and friendly community of people with common interests, questions, and learning curves, so there are always other members who can help guide someone new to the sport through the new terms and decisions. Figure skating provides a wonderful opportunity for individual achievement and success. LSA's supportive community means that individual never feels like alone.