Jayne Meyer Throckmorton

It is with great pleasure, and some small measure of pride, that I congratulate defenseman Briggs Orr of the Capital Thunder Youth Hockey League on being the 34th overall selection in the Western Hockey League U.S. Prospect draft. The WHL is an ice hockey league based in Western Canada and the Northwestern U.S., and one of three leagues that constitute the Canadian Hockey League as the highest level of junior hockey in Canada, so this is a truly prestigious honor!! It may sur...prise some of you that hockey coaches occasionally refer players to me for lessonsnot to teach them to play hockey, of course, but to help them improve and advance their fundamental skating technique. Briggs first came to me in 2017, and continued to take lessons through last year. He never once balked at taking lessons from a figure skater, but rather listened and applied himself every day. He has a great work ethic and is just a truly great young man. When Briggs' father texted me the news last night and I asked him if I could post here, he said Of course!!! You are part of this and now the real work begins. He also told me that Briggs missed his lessons and was hoping to be able to do more when things open up again. Let's hope that happens soon! Congratulations, Briggs!!!!

Ice Skating in the Age of COVID-19.

Hi everyone! First, I want to say how much I appreciate all the kind thoughts and concerns that people have shared. This is obviously a difficult time for everyone, but we can and will get through this. Please stay home, stay isolated, and keep yourself and those around you safe and well. I know how anxious you all are to get back on the ice. Me too! Until that’s possible, I strongly encourage you to exercise. Cardio, resistance training, and stretching are all key to stay...ing in shape and being prepared for that great day when we can return to the ice. Trust me, I am following my own advice in this regard with a daily workout regimen. Check your email for some specific recommendations in this regard. Also, when you’re bored, turn off the TV, put down the video games, and move! Walk through your choreography, practice your movements in front of a mirror, study programs and jumps online, and search online for the perfect music for your next routine. You can still learn without stepping onto the ice! While I have had several inquiries about the possibility of off-ice training while the rink is closed, as yet this is not possible due to governmental restrictions. While online video training might be a possibility, there are SafeSport and other issues to work through and unless there’s significant interest I’m not considering it just yet. Finally, to the best of my knowledge, Gold Rush and Skate at the Lake are still hoping to go forward as scheduled in late May and early June. Of course, we most likely will not know anything definitive for a while. I miss you all so very much. Please stay in touch. Love, Jayne

I just received confirmation that Skatetown will be closing at the end of business today, March 16, due to the COVID-19 outbreak. It will remain closed through at least March 30. I will be in touch with my students individually as needed and will do my best to keep you posted. Everybody please stay safe and well.

I was wholly unprepared yesterday when I opened up the latest issue of IceSkating Magazine and saw my own face staring back at me--not just once, but five times. And then as I read the kind words that were said about me, I felt a bit overwhelmed. I am so grateful to have a job I love, with so many kind, loving, and gracious students. Thank you to all who contributed. What a wonderful gesture.

My newest little skater!! My granddaughter's first steps on the ice.

While I usually try keep this page focused on skating, I've had several people ask me if I was going to post something from my trip over the Thanksgiving break. So here it is. For those of you who aren't aware, my husband and I took an extended break this year in order to travel to Egypt, where we spent a little over two days touring Cairo before scooting down the coast to Hurghada to join the Red Sea Aggressor II for six days of scuba diving. Egypt and the Red Sea are destinations that have long been on our list. We've only begun to sort thru the hundreds of photos and videos from the trip, but I think these tell the story well enough. Thanks to my husband for all the travel planning and technical support in getting this posted.

Wow, a lot of great test news to report! The past couple of days have been busy, and I have couple of previous tests to catch up on as well. First, congratulations to our new US Figure Skating Gold Medalists. In August, Ashley Yung passed her Senior Moves in the Field. And in September, Kathy Liu passed her Senior Solo Free Dance. This past weekend, Daniel Wendell and Katie Piacentini also passed their Senior Moves in the Field. Congratulations also to Linh Dan, Hannah ...Ereso, and Hailey Jordan, all of whom passed their Juvenile Moves in the Field this past weekend. They are joined by Kaylee Lazaro, Emily Keltgen, and Lauren Perry all of whom passed their Preliminary Moves in the Field. Emily Keltgen, Lauren Perry, Hannah Nicolici, and Lily Tan all passed their Pre-Preliminary Moves in the Field. If that’s not enough, more congratulations go out to Anh Dan, who passed her Pre-Juvenile Free Skating test, Yasna Mukundan, who passed her Preliminary Free Skating Test, and both Hannah Kishinami and Kaylee Lazaro, who both passed their Pre-Preliminary Free Skating Test. The effort and enthusiasm put forth by all is really terrific. Let’s keep up the 100% passing rate of late!!

Four generations

My oldest daughter and I flew into South Florida this morning along with this little monster so that my mother could meet her great-granddaughter for the very first time! My mother, who (along with my father) was always so supportive of my passion for skating and crucial to my success, still lives independently along the beach at age 90. It should be a great weekend. I've been busy though and haven't had time to check, how's the weather forecast look?

The competition at the U.S. Figure Skating National Showcase in Wenatchee has been intense, but I have to congratulate each and every one of my students for their effort and enthusiasm. Although not all have been rewarded, there have been many great performances. I am especially proud to note that, despite the tough competition, four of my skaters have advanced to the final rounds on Sunday, two in multiple categories, for a total of six events! Kylie Fenske has advanced in b...oth Pre-Juvenile Light Entertainment and Pre-Juvenile Dramatic, Sophia Young in Teen Light Entertainment, Anh-Dan Pham in Preliminary Light Entertainment, and Dasha Kovalenko in both Senior Light Entertainment and Senior Dramatic. They will all be vying to participate in the coveted Parade of Champions at the end of Sunday’s competition. It will be a challenge, but no matter what happens, they’ve already made a terrific showing against the best of the best! My personal thanks to all my skaters for their hard work. You truly make my job a pleasure!