HANDBOOK

WELCOME!

Welcome to the Vancouver Velocity Speed Skating Club! You are now part of a fantastic sport and an exceptional community group focused on skating fast and having a whole lot of fun. This handbook should give you all you need to get started at the club and sport – it is intended to be an easy on-ramp to getting involved with this incredibly exciting sport that many skaters and families participate in throughout their entire lives. The Vancouver Speed Skating Club is truly a special place in our city, where folks from all walks of life have come together in the name of sport and have found a kind and generous community of friends and neighbours. We delight in seeing our members achieve their personal bests on and off the ice, and we are excited to have you as part of our group. Let’s see what you can achieve with us too! 

— Jhenifer Pabillano, VVSSC President, 2023-2025

We hope this handbook showcases our commitment to short-track speed skating and your role in this vibrant community. Please view all links to our website in this document for in-depth information. Reach out if you have any questions or thoughts; we value your feedback!

This handbook is divided into sections.

1. Who we are
2. What we offer
3. How we do it
4. What you need

WHO WE ARE

COMMUNITY

Our club is proud to have offered an accessible and inclusive community for short-track speed skating for over 40 years. We celebrate, support and enjoy our members and welcome new skaters from 5 years old onwards. It is never too late to try speed skating!

COACHES

We’re lucky to have a group of dedicated coaches who bring a wide variety of skills and experience to our club. VVSSC welcomes everyone interested in speed skating, whether you’re a recreational skater or focused on competitive racing. Regardless of your skill level, we meet you where you’re at and help you get where you want to go.

Our coaching philosophy and training program objectives are;

Collaborate, Accelerate, Elevate!

• Speed skating is primarily an individual sport, but you can’t do it on your own. As a team, we encourage and support one another — to get stronger, faster, better. When we work together, we improve together.
• In speed skating, there is always something to work on. We want our athletes to develop a growth-oriented mindset and know that results will come with patience and disciplined effort. Part of success is simply appreciating how far we’ve come.
• We provide an enjoyable and inclusive environment where the opportunity for learning and development is open to everyone, regardless of age, ability, or reasons for being in the sport.

You can easily recognize the VVSSC coaches at meets or practices via their bright orange baseball caps.

There are lots of opportunities to help the coaching team and we encourage parent/guardian assistance during dryland and on-ice practices. Any help to keep our beginner skaters focused and on task is especially appreciated. Let us know if you are interested in assisting or training to become a coach, and check out these resources to find out more:  Speed Skating Canada (coaches)  and Speed Skating BC (coaches)

COORDINATORS

All lead coordinators are volunteers, and parents/guardians or skaters like you. We are grateful for their time, effort and knowledge. Please send your questions or suggestions to the relevant coordinator, they will be happy to help.

WHAT WE OFFER

PROGRAMS

We welcome full-time beginner/intermediate and full-time or drop-in for advanced/masters speed skaters . Find your level and choose your commitment and fee. Fees include skate rental and mandatory membership to Speed Skating Canada and Speed Skating BC. Our programs include:

• Beginner: New skaters learn the basics. Open to all ages from 5yrs.
• Intermediate: Skaters who’ve mastered basics and are looking to improve.
• Advanced: Training for experienced skaters. Training on a 111m track.
• Masters: Experienced skaters, 30+ who wish to stay active and/or compete.
• Special Olympics: Tailored programming for athletes with intellectual disabilities.

When you join the club, we’ll assess your skills and ensure you’re placed in the right group. If you’re new to speed skating, the Beginner group is probably the best place to start.

TRAINING

The official speed skating season runs from September to March. During the season, there are three weekly training sessions: one 1-hour dryland session and two on-ice, 45-60 min practices at Kits Rink. The Special Olympics group has one dryland session and one on-ice session per week. During the off-season (April to August), the club offers outdoor dryland training once per week for all training groups.

DRYLAND

Dryland provides cardiovascular, strength and conditioning training. Skaters train in their levels and may be invited to join a higher group’s workout as their technical skills, maturity and capacity for greater training load develop. Dryland training is an important component of speed skating development as certain physical capabilities, such as strength and endurance, are difficult to develop on ice.

ICE TIME

The Beginner group focuses on skill development through games, technical drills, and introductory racing activities on the 100m speed skating track. Participants train primarily on the ABCS: agility, balance, coordination, and speed!

The Intermediate (100m track) and Advanced/Masters (111m track) groups focus on technical development and racing skills with a greater physical training load. At these levels, more personalized training is available for athletes, in consultation with the coaching team.

The Special Olympics group trains with the Advanced/Masters group on Sundays. If your Special Olympics athlete is under 14, we recommend signing up with the Beginner group so your skater can be with age-appropriate peers.

Each on-ice practice includes a 30-minute dryland training session with cardio, dynamic stretching, and agility/mobility exercises either before or after ice time.

PROGRESS

Beginners of all ages are grouped together to learn the basics. The coaching team constantly reviews each skater’s performance and attitude. Based on available space and demonstration of the necessary skills and behaviour, coaches may invite skaters to move up in levels during the season..

COMPETITIONS

Competitions, commonly referred to as Meets, are a fun addition to a skater’s season. Club members can compete in local, provincial, regional, and national competitions. All competition is self-driven and not mandatory. However, many skaters find competing positively enhances training, as racing motivates practice and focus on key skills. Although our training program is grouped by ability, local interclub meets are generally coordinated by age groupings in the following four divisions based on a skaters age as of June 30 of the current year:

• active start (5)
• child / pre-youth / club skater (6-10)
• youth (11-13)
• neo junior (14-15) , junior (16-18), neo-senior (19-22), senior (23+), and masters (30+)

Races are then grouped by speed within these age divisions, meaning a neo-junior and senior skater may race together if their speeds are similar.

Meets all require the same high standards for safety and code of conduct as regular training sessions. Please ensure you read all the information on the competitions page to best prepare you/your skater.

Volunteers run each meet and there are many positions available. You can start by assisting with the front desk, mats or guard runner and move up to, heat box, safety check and, after some training, lap counter and timer.

It’s exciting to see athletes of all levels racing their best. The racing community is welcoming, and cheering is essential! We encourage all skaters to try racing; it’s a long, but fun day out.

Still have questions? That’s okay – speak to club members, coaches or email coaching@vancouverspeedskating.com 

EVENTS

Our Team Calendar will highlight upcoming training sessions as well as fun skate events for seasonal holidays and the end-of-year celebration. These events generally involve a potluck and are a great way to connect with our skating community.

HOW WE DO IT

VOLUNTEERS!

We need you! A diverse volunteer team of board members and coordinators runs the VVSSC and we need help from every member to keep the club running.

Each family must provide a $400 post-dated cheque (April 1st) as a volunteer commitment guarantee. Once each family completes 16 hours of volunteering time their cheque will be returned/destroyed. Alternatively, you may choose not to volunteer and pay the additional $400 fee in advance.

Please print and record your volunteer tasks/time in this Volunteer Hours Tracking Sheet. A member of the board or a designated supervisor will need to sign each entry. Volunteering at a meet can account for a maximum of 4 hrs toward your volunteer quota.

We have a host of volunteer opportunities you can sign up for. Don’t be shy! Chat to any board member about the available positions, there is something for everyone. Your participation helps create a supportive environment and allows the club to offer a wide range of programs and events. We simply can’t do it without you.

AGM

Each Spring we close the skating season with our Annual General Meeting (AGM). We invite all members to attend, celebrate the year’s successes, discuss our budget, goals, and elect new members to the Board. Most importantly, we will present the skater awards. We also provide pizza and games, so bring the whole family and participate in this important gathering.

COMMUNICATION

WhatsApp is our primary venue for regular club communication. We share important time-sensitive updates, events, and tips, and coordinate on Meet days through our WhatsApp channels. Please sign up for WhatsApp so you can become part of our supportive and kind online community.

Newsletters also provide updates and celebrate our athletes’ achievements. Please sign up for our newsletter.

WHAT YOU NEED

EQUIPMENT

Speed skating is fast and fun, but requires some important safety equipment to keep our skaters safe. Skaters will be checked before each training session or competition, and will not be allowed on the ice if any safety equipment is missing.

Beginner one-month trials include the rental of skates. Trial skaters are then asked to bring all other safety equipment. We may supplement any missing safety items from the clubhouse if possible.

If you stay with the club, you can continue to rent skates and borrow helmets from VVSSC; but please purchase your remaining safety equipment from I Love Speed Skating, Calgary Olympic Oval store, Amazon or elsewhere within the skating community. A $500 cheque (post-dated to April 1st) is required as a security deposit for each boot+blade rental. Additional rentals will require additional security deposits. The rental cheque will be returned/destroyed upon the complete return of your well-maintained skates..

Sharp blades = better skating! Skate sharpening and care are integral parts of the sport. In-person tutorials at the start of the season will teach you how to sharpen blades for the best performance. Speed skates are expensive, so treat your skates with care and report any issues to equipment@vancouverspeedskating.com

GREAT ATTITUDE

Our sport thrives when everyone has a great attitude. We ask that each athlete, parent or guardian follow our code of conduct guidelines. Failure to do so will result in warnings, removal or suspension. Please show up to each training or event as follows:

• Follow all club rules and Speed Skating Canada regulations.
• Abide by the True Sport Principles
• Ready to listen and learn.
• Show respect to coaches, teammates, competitors, officials, and spectators.
• Exhibit fair play at all times, both on and off the ice.
• Use appropriate language and behavior.
• Represent the club positively in all interactions.
• Encourage all athletes to strive for their goals.

REGISTRATION

Please read all the information on our registration page.

• Minimum registration requirements:
• independently skate length of the rink
• glide on one foot
• forward scull with both feet
• snowplow stop with both feet
• Select your training level and fees
• Email registrar@vancouverspeedskating.com to request a registration code
• Register pay, sign waivers, skate rental and volunteer commitment agreements on Ice Reg website.
• Sign up for a boot fitting appointment and bring your $500 skate and $400 volunteer security deposits
• Sign up for our WhatsApp group and newsletter
• Select and sign up for volunteer work
• Complete the 1-month trial. Either return all rentals or hopefully continue with us and pay the remaining season fees.

Still have questions? That’s okay, email them to registrar@vancouverspeedskating.com

On behalf of the Board, coaching team, and our speed skating community, we hope you have an amazing season! See you at the rink!