Patrick Chan is the 2014 Olympic Silver Medalist. He earned 275.62 points to place second overall. Congratulations, Patrick!

Full results can be found on the ISU website.

Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir are the 2014 Olympic Silver Medalists! They earned a personal best 190.99 points with two magical performances.

Also competing in the dance event were Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje, who finished 7th with 169.11 points. Alexandra Paul and Mitch Islam earned 138.70 points to place 18th.

Congratulations to all teams!

Full results are available on the ISU website.

Gabrielle Daleman finished 17th in the ladies event at the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. She earned a total of 148.44 points. This was 16-year-old Gabrielle’s first Olympics and she was the youngest member of the Canadian Olympic Team. Congratulations!

Nam Nguyen is the new Junior Men’s World Champion! He earned a personal best 217.06 points to take first place at the event in Sofia, Bulgaria.

Roman Sadovsky also earned a personal best at Junior Worlds. His score of 178.44 points put him in 13th position.

In the Junior Pairs event, Mary Orr & Phelan Simpson finished 6th with a personal best 132.02 points.

In Junior Dance, Mackenzie Bent & Garrett MacKeen earned 117.81 points, finishing in 12th position.

Congratulations to all Ontario athletes for their amazing accomplishments!

The finalists for the 2013 Ontario Sport Awards were announced yesterday by the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport. There are finalists representing skating in six categories:

• Male Athlete of the Year – Patrick Chan: In 2013, Patrick won his sixth Canadian National Figure Skating Championship. He also won both the Skate Canada and the Trophée Eric Bompard Grand Prix events, and finished second at the International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix Final. Patrick also helped Team Canada win silver at the ISU Team Trophy event in Japan. Lastly, he won his third consecutive ISU World Figure Skating Championship.
• Female Athlete of the Year – Gabrielle Daleman: Gabrielle won the Skate Canada – Central Ontario sectional championships and finished second at the Canadian National Championships and Skate Canada Challenge in 2013. She placed sixth at the 2013 World Junior Championships and third at the ISU Junior Grand Baltic Cup 2013. She also helped Canada to a silver medal at the World Team trophy event in Japan in 2013.
• Male Athlete with a Disability of the Year – Tim Goodacre: Tim competed in the 2013 Special Olympics World Games in Pyeongchang placing first in both the Men’s singles and pairs figure skating competitions. At the Special Olympics Western/Central Ontario Invitational, Tim placed first in singles and pairs. Tim was named the 2013 Special Olympics Canada, Male Athlete of the Year.
• Female Athlete with a Disability of the Year – Sara McKelvie: Sara had great results in 2013 in Women’s Figure Skating.  She won both the ladies singles and ice dance events at the Special Olympics Eastern Ontario Invitational.  Internationally, she picked up gold medals in the ladies singles and ice dance events at the Special Olympics World Games.
• Team of the Year – Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir: Tessa and Scott started strong in 2013, retaining their Canadian National title in ice dance.  Tessa and Scott then finished second at the ISU  Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and second again at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.  Later in 2013, the ice dance team finished first or second in every event they entered at the international level.
• Female Coach of the Year – Kristy Sargeant-Wirtz: Kristy coached Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch to silver at the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships, in addition to coaching three other teams to top five finishes in their categories. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch finished in the top five at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, while Brittany Jones and Ian Beharry also finished in the top ten in the junior competition.

Skate Ontario congratulates all nominees and finalists. Winners will be announced at a gala on April 10th, 2014 in Toronto.

For more information, read the full news release.

Congratulations to the 2014 Promotional Contest Winners!

Representing Canada as Team Canada 1, NEXXICE Senior, from Burlington, Ontario, brought home the silver medal from the World Synchronized Skating Championships in Courmayeur, Italy, April 4-5, 2014.

NEXXICE moved up from 3rd place after their short program, “Midnight” (Prokofiev’s Cinderalla Waltz), to capture the silver medal with their free program skated to Leonard Bernstein’s symphonic dances from “West Side Story”.

This was NEXXICE’s third consecutive World silver medal.  They have previously won a gold medal in 2009, and bronze medals in 2007 and 2008.

Next year’s World Championships will take place April 10-11 in Hamilton, Ontario.  Canada has previously hosted the World Championships in 2007 (London, ON), and 2003 (Ottawa, ON).

NEXXICE is coached by Shelley Simonton Barnett and Anne Schelter.

Thirteen Ontario skaters were named last week to represent Canada at the six ISU Grand Prix events scheduled in October and November 2014:

Men’s

Nam NGUYEN
- Skate America, Chicago, IL, USA October 24-26, 2014
- Cup of China, Shanghai, China, November 7-9, 2014

Ladies

Gabrielle DALEMAN
- Cup of China, Shanghai, China, November 7-9, 2014
- NHK Trophy, Osaka, Japan, November 28-30

Alaine CHARTRAND
- Rostelecom Cup, Moscow, Russia, November 14-16, 2014

Ice Dance

Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE
- Skate Canada International, Kelowna, BC, October 31-November 2, 2014
- NHK Trophy, Osaka, Japan, November 28-30

Alexandra PAUL / Mitchell ISLAM
- Cup of China, Shanghai, China, November 7-9, 2014
- Trophee Eric Bompard – Bordeaux, France – November 21-23, 2014

Piper GILLES / Paul POIRER
- Skate Canada International, Kelowna, BC, October 31-November 2, 2014
- Trophee Eric Bompard – Bordeaux, France – November 21-23, 2014

Pair

Kirsten MOORE-TOWERS / Michael MARINARO
- Skate Canada International, Kelowna, BC, October 31-November 2, 2014
- Trophee Eric Bompard – Bordeaux, France – November 21-23, 2014

Britney JONES / Joshua REAGAN
- Skate Canada International, Kelowna, BC, October 31-November 2, 2014

For more information please visit:
- Canadian Assignments for the 2014 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series
- ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series 2014 Selections Announced

Front page photo courtesy of Danielle Earl.

Skate Ontario is proud to announce the 2nd annual

Hot Shot Seminar 2014!

Who: Girls 7-10 and boys 8-12 years of age (as of July 1, 2014) who are competing in one of the 2014 summer competitions (Summer Sizzle, Minto Summer Skate or Summer Skate).

What: Skate Ontario has engaged experts in stroking, turning, jumping (on and off ice), spinning, ballet, and movement to music to assess each skater.  The skaters will be scored in each area and a Hot Shot team will be selected.

When: Sunday, August 24th, 2014

Where: Angus Glen Community Arena, Markham, Ontario

Cost: $50 – Skate Ontario would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for their continued support.  This subsidized registration fee is made possible due to the generous support of the Sport Priority Excellence Grant.

Deadline to register: Friday August 1st, 2014, or when we reach 100 applications.  We expect registrations to fill up quickly, so if you’d like to attend, please register today!

For more detail: Skate Ontario 2014 Hot Shot announcement

To register now: Click here to register online!

Got Questions?  Please email Tracey McCague-McElrae, Excecutive Director, Skate Ontario at tracey@skateontario.org

Figure Skating has been included as one of 18 sports accepted into the Ontario High Performance Sport Initiative and the Ontario National Centre Strategy for 2014-2015 by the Canadian Sport Institute of Ontario.

“The OHPSI program was designed in an effort to develop a comprehensive provincial high performance sport system which will allow for future sustained success of athletes and coaches at the very highest levels of international sport. The goal of the OHPSI program is to identify and support Ontario athletes who are best capable of achieving future international success on senior national teams in targeted winter and summer Olympic/Paralympic and Pan/Para Pan Am Games sports.” – CSIO Web Site

Read the full story here: 18 Sports Accepted Into CSIO’s High Performance Programs

Coaches and parents of 2014 Challenge Skaters take note! If your skater represented Ontario at the 2014 Skate Canada Challenge event in Regina they should have received an invitation to SOPEC.

Why: SOPEC is a Skate Ontario skating development initiative whose goal, in combination with the Skate Ontario Super Series, is to assist Ontario skaters to be ‘competition ready’ for Sectionals. SOPEC is fully endorsed and supported by the four Ontario sections.

When: Saturday, August 23th, 2014

Where: Angus Glen Community Arena, Markham, Ontario

What: Skaters will perform one program, which will be monitored by a judge and a technical specialist. You will then receive feedback on your performance, and be given time to “Show & Tell” various elements in front of experts and receive feedback on levels of difficulty and grades of execution. Your coach and a parent are also encouraged to attend, as there are several sessions for parents during the day.

Cost: $100.00 – Skate Ontario would like to thank the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport for their continued support. This subsidized registration fee is made possible due to the generous support of the Sport Priority Excellence Grant.

For more detail: Skate Ontario 2014 SOPEC announcement

To register now: Click here to register online!

If your skater qualifies to attend, please register by Friday August 1st. Once registered, you will receive an information package via email the week of July 28th.

Got Questions? Please email Tracey McCague-McElrae, Excecutive Director, Skate Ontario at tracey@skateontario.org

Skate Ontario is looking forward to an exciting fall!

We are excited to let you know that the CanSkate kits are in production and will be distributed to you this fall!.

This flyer illustrates all the great items that will be included in your kit. In addition, each kit will also include 4 poster boards that you can stand on the ice or hang from the rink boards for each of the activity zones. We hope that all of the items in this kit will enhance your ability to deliver great learn to skate techniques and will be an exciting new part of your local CanSkate programs. The details regarding the distribution of these kits will be coming soon.

Skate Ontario would like to extend a very special thanks to our partners on this project:

• Skate Canada
• Ontario Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport
• Canadian Tire

For more detail: CanSkate Flyer

Skate Ontario is proud to announce the

2015 SKATE ONTARIO CHAMPIONSHIPS

The Board of Directors of Skate Ontario approved a motion to rename and reformat the Skate Ontario Provincial STARSkate and Cup Championships to be held on March 13 – 15, 2015 in Brampton, Ontario. The new competition will be known as the Skate Ontario Championships.

Key changes effective March 2015:

• Skate Ontario will not offer Pre Novice and Novice events at the Skate Ontario Championships starting in 2015. This follows discussion regarding the relevance of those events in terms of LTAD and the timing of the event.

• Single events will include STAR 5 and Senior Bronze to Gold categories. Junior Bronze will not be offered.

• For single events excluding STAR 5, each Section will qualify four (4) entries in each category. Any unfilled spots will be filled up to a maximum of eighteen (18) singles, fifteen (15) dance and twelve (12) pair with wildcard entries based on total scores at Sectional STARSkate Championships.

• For Triathlon and STAR 5 events, each Section will qualify three (3) entries per category. Any unfilled spots can be filled to the maximum twelve (12) if required by wildcard entries based on the total scores at the Sections’ STARSkate Championships.

The announcement will be posted on this website as soon as possible.

Fresh off an ISU Junior Grand Prix gold medal in Ostrava, the good news continued for Roman Sadovsky and coach Tracey Wainman who were named today as recipients of Petro-Canada “Fuelling Athletes and Coaching Excellence” (FACE) funding.

FACE funding is awarded annually by Suncor (owner of Petro-Canada) to 50 athlete/coach pairs selected from all sports, as part of their Olympic and Paralympic legacy to help fuel sport dreams.

Congratulations to Roman and Tracey!

See the full story at Skate Canada.

For a complete list of recipients, please visit Fuelling the Dream.

Thank you to all of the skaters, parents and coaches who participated in the Skate Ontario 2014 Hot Shot program. We have received wonderful feedback about the day from many of you.

Team Announcement

We are pleased to announce that we have selected ten skaters for the Hot Shot Team. In alpha order, here are the skaters who are invited to join the 2014 Hot Shot team:

• Katrine Attwood
• Jonathan Guo
• Kiara Hartnell
• Katherine Karon
• Michelle Kuperman
• Hannah Lim
• Alexa Matveev
• Annika McKenzie
• Liam McKenzie
• Keaghan Ruiter

Congratulations!

Skate Ontario has immediate openings for a Technical Director and an Administrative Assistant. Both positions offer full-time contracts through March 31st, 2015 with an opportunity for renewal.

Candidates are asked to send a cover letter and resume to tracey@skateontario.org by Friday, October 10th, 2014. We thank all applicants for their interest, however, only those selected for an interview will be contacted.

Skate Ontario Technical Director

Reporting to the Executive Director of Skate Ontario, the Technical Director will manage the strategic direction and day to day execution of the Ontario talent identification program and high performance skaters. This position will be located at the National Performance Centre in Toronto, Ontario.

For more information, please see the Skate Ontario Technical Director job description

Skate Ontario Administrative Assistant

Reporting to the Executive Director of Skate Ontario, the Administrative Assistant will ensure the efficient day-to-day operation of the office, and support the work of management and key volunteers. This position will be located in Toronto, Ontario.

For more information, please see the Skate Ontario Administrative Assistant job description

Skate Ontario
Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2014-2015
ATHLETE SELECTION CRITERIA

Quest for Gold – Ontario Athlete Assistance Program 2014-2015 (OAAP) is funded by the Government of Ontario, through the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport (MTCS), and operated through the Sport, Recreation & Community Programs Division. The overarching goal of the Quest for Gold – OAAP is directly related to the High Performance Sport goal of the Canadian Sport Policy – that Canadians are systematically achieving world-class results at the highest levels of international competition – by improving the performance and number of Ontario athletes performing at the national and international level, thereby contributing to the improved performance of Canada at international competitions.
Specific objectives of the program are:

• To help athletes continue their pursuit of athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition;
• To encourage athletes to stay in Ontario to live and train;
• To compensate athletes for earnings lost while training;
• To enable athletes to successfully pursue excellence in sport while fulfilling their educational goals;
• To increase athlete access to improved high performance coaching; and
• To enhance training and competitive opportunities available to athletes.

The intent of the OAAP is to provide funding to individual athletes in the sport’s Train to Train and Train to Win categories based on their demonstrated commitment to high performance sport, allowing them to continue to pursue athletic excellence at the highest levels of national and international competition. Ideally an athlete will first receive a Quest for Gold “Ontario Card” for 1 to 3 years, which will allow them to train towards the goal of a national team position in subsequent years. Once an Ontario athlete reaches the national level and becomes a recipient of Sport Canada’s carding program, they become eligible for the Quest for Gold “Canada Card”.

How does it work?

In accordance with the OAAP guidelines, Skate Ontario develops sport-specific selection criteria and forms a Selection Committee that will apply these criteria. The top-ranked athletes, based on the criteria, will be awarded Ontario Card status in 2014-2015. This Selection Criteria has been approved by the Board of Directors and reviewed by MTCS staff. Nominated athletes will be required to sign and comply with an Athlete Agreement between the athlete and Skate Ontario. Carding status will be for one year starting April 1, 2014 ending March 31, 2015.

For 2014-2015, the MTCS has allocated a certain amount of OAAP Ontario Cards to each eligible Provincial Sport / Multi-Sport Organization (PSO/MSO). Skate Ontario has been allotted a total of 20 Ontario cards (split evenly as 10 male and 10 female Cards).

Skate Ontario is not obligated to assign all Ontario Cards if there are an insufficient number of athletes who have demonstrated potential to be considered for future National Teams.

The Selection Committee, as approved by the Skate Ontario Board of Directors is comprised of the following members:

Wendy St. Denis, President, Skate Ontario
Paul Cotter, Skate Ontario Board of Directors
Patricia Chafe, Chief Sport Officer, Skate Canada
Darlene Joseph, Technical Advisor, Skate Ontario
Tracey McCague-McElrea, Executive Director, Skate Ontario

How much funding is available?

The exact level of funding for the 2014-2015 carding year will be determined by the MTCS after the total number of athletes nominated for Ontario Card status has been determined. Funding will be released prior to March 31, 2015.

How will the Skate Ontario Selection Committee decide who receives funding?

The Skate Ontario Selection Committee will use the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eligibility Criteria and the Sport Specific Selection Criteria detailed below to determine which athletes will be nominated for Ontario Card status in 2014-2015:

A. Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport Eligibility Criteria:

All athletes must meet the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and Sport’s minimum athlete eligibility criteria:

• Athlete must be a Canadian citizen or permanent resident (previously known as a Landed Immigrant).
• Athlete must be a permanent resident of Ontario for one year prior to his/her nomination for carding status, (and continue to be a permanent resident throughout the term of the agreement).
• Athletes who have achieved Canada Card status (carded by Sport Canada) are not eligible for Ontario Cards.
• Athletes must be living in and continuing to train in Ontario.

Residency Exceptions:

Exceptions to these criteria, known as a “Residency Exception” will be considered on a case specific basis by the Skate Ontario Selection Committee provided that the athlete can substantiate in writing that:

(a) He/She cannot receive the required level of training in Ontario and is out of the province temporarily during the year (i.e. due to lack of facilities, coaching, competitions);

(b) He/She must attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province either because the course of study is not offered by an Ontario institution; or

(c) It is more financially feasible to attend a post-secondary institution out-of-province, or other extenuating circumstances that require the athlete to be out of the province.

The onus is on the athlete to demonstrate that he/she needs to be out-of-province for one of the above reasons. The athlete must submit written documentation to Skate Ontario by no later than October 20th, 2014 clearly indicating how they meet a residency exception(s).

Athlete’s applying for a Residency Exception related to exception (a) above, who are training at an NSO-approved National Training Centre MUST include a letter from the NSO outlining their support for the athlete, the progress the athlete is making and the athlete’s potential to make the national team level. Additional documentation may include, but shall not be limited to an explanation of why the athlete is training out of province, whether or not the athlete was formally invited by the NSO, what additional opportunities are being made available beyond those provided in Ontario; and any other information that will illustrate that the athlete is receiving enhanced training while still meeting all obligations of Skate Ontario.

Length of time living outside Ontario:

Athletes living outside Ontario for more than 30 consecutive days within the ministry fiscal year 2014-2015 for athletic or academic purposes must demonstrate, to the satisfaction of the PSO/MSO Selection Committee that appropriate training programs are in place and are being monitored by the PSO/MSO. The onus is on the athlete to:

1. Provide a written plan outlining their training and competition plans to the PSO/MSO prior to their departure from Ontario, as part of their Residency Exception request.
2. Adhere to the PSO/MSO-approved competition and training plan throughout the carding cycle. At a minimum, this requires regular bi-monthly email contact by the athlete with the Skate Ontario Executive Director).
3. Submit regular monthly training logs to Skate Ontario to track progress against the Skate Ontario-approved competition and training plan.

***Athletes who were formally invited to and are currently participating in their NSO’s national team training program are exempt from this requirement.***

Ministry criteria continued:

• Athlete must be a member in good standing with PSO/MSO and NSO where applicable;
• Athlete must have entered into a Sports Organization – Athlete Agreement with his or her PSO/MSO and must be in full compliance with the terms and conditions of that agreement;
• Athlete must have met all terms and conditions of any previous Quest for Gold Sports Organization – Athlete Agreements to the satisfaction of the PSO/MSO in order to be eligible for consideration in 2014-2015;
• Athlete must demonstrate a commitment and dedication to a proper training and competitive program, the goal of which is to continue to train towards a national team position and Sport Canada carding;
• Athlete’s coach should be minimum Level 2 NCCP certified or trained status Competition Stream or the sport’s equivalent in the Instruction Stream, or be engaged in completing this training, as determined by the PSO;
• Athlete must not be under a sanction that prohibits competition as per the Canadian Anti-Doping Policy;
• Athlete must be attending an educational institution full-time (i.e. elementary and secondary schools):
  • Exceptions will be made provided that the athlete can substantiate that his/her training will not allow for full-time attendance or if an athlete requires special needs that preclude full or part-time attendance (e.g. Athlete with a disability (AWAD) athlete);
• Athletes who have completed their area of study at the secondary level (i.e. high school) and who continue to train towards participation in major national or international competitions will also be considered;
• If eligible, the athlete must compete, and continue to compete solely for Ontario and/or Canada for one year from the date of the Minister’s letter informing the athlete of acceptance into OAAP program, at Canada Games and other national competitions involving provincial team competitions;
• Athlete must not receive financial support from any other provincial/territorial athlete assistance program. This does not include academic scholarships, bursaries, student grants, student loans, social assistance, disability pensions, and other forms of financial assistance that have nothing to do with competitive sport.
• Eligibility will be limited to Ontario junior-aged athletes, ages 11-22 (“junior-aged” refers to chronological age, not a sport’s specific age category – only exception is for PSO/MSOs using 30% of Ontario Card allotment for athletes older than 22 years of age who have been identified as a potential next generation national team athlete by the PSO/MSO’s selection process.

Residency Exemption for Military Families: The one-year Ontario residency requirement is waived for any Ontario Card or Canada Card applicant who is a spouse or dependant of a: Regular Force member of the Canadian Forces; or Reservist currently deployed by the Canadian Forces into active service and who takes up residence in Ontario during the fiscal year. This means that eligible military family members now qualify for OAAP funding immediately upon becoming residents of Ontario. Please contact Skate Ontario for more information if you are applying for this exemption.

• To be deemed a potential next generation national team athlete, the athlete must be age-eligible to compete on the national team in the year following receipt of Ontario Card funding.
• All athletes under the age of 18 must have their parent or legal guardian sign their OAAP application form. Cheques will be processed in the name of the eligible athlete.
• An athlete can only be nominated to receive Quest for Gold funding in one sport.

Athletes funded through the Sport Canada AAP:

Ontario athletes who have been nominated and accepted for funding through Sport Canada’s AAP within the government of Ontario’s fiscal year (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015) and who continue to meet AAP and OAAP eligibility requirements will automatically be considered for a Quest for Gold ‘Canada Card’. MTCS will contact those athletes directly at the mailing and email addresses the athlete provided to Sport Canada. Athletes are solely responsible for ensuring that their contact information is kept accurate and up to date at all times.

An athlete who received Sport Canada AAP carding during any part of MTCS’ fiscal year April 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 and/or any part of fiscal year April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015 and is no longer in receipt of Sport Canada Athlete Assistance shall not be eligible to receive Quest for Gold funding during fiscal year 2014-2015 (April 1, 2014 to March 31, 2015.)
The intent of this rule is to prevent athletes whose performance levels and rankings no longer qualify them for Sport Canada carding from taking an Ontario Card from a future national-level athlete.

Canada Card Exception (CCE)

Exceptions may apply to this rule (known as a Canada Card Exception (CCE)) and will be considered by the Ministry on a case-by-case basis. Exceptions may include, but may not be limited to logistical or administrative changes (e.g. reduction in Sport Canada carding allocation), injuries, etc.

It is the sole responsibility of the athlete to contact Skate Ontario Selection Committee prior to October 20, 2014 to request a CCE. The athlete must submit, in writing, an explanation of why they have not been, or do not expect to be re-carded by their NSO. The submission must include a statement from the NSO confirming that the athlete still has potential to return to the NSO’s carding program in the future.

Skate Ontario will then contact MTCS in writing prior to the submission of the Athlete Nomination Form to seek individual Canada Card Exceptions. Skate Ontario is not responsible for seeking a CCE for any athlete unless requested to do so by the athlete as detailed above.

National College Athletic Association (NCAA):

Effective August 1, 2013, the NCAA has revised their policies related to an athlete receiving funding from a government program (new language is bolded):

By-law 12.1.2.4.9 Exception for Training Expenses: An individual (prospective or enrolled student-athlete) may receive actual and necessary expenses [including grants, but not prize money, whereby the recipient has qualified for the grant based on his or her performance in a specific event(s)] to cover developmental training, coaching, facility usage, equipment, apparel, supplies, comprehensive health insurance, travel, room and board without jeopardizing the individual’s eligibility for intercollegiate athletics, provided such expenses are approved and provided directly by the U.S. Olympic Committee (USOC), the appropriate national governing body in the sport (or, for international student-athletes, the equivalent organization of that nation) or a governmental entity.

The effective date for this piece of legislation as it relates to prospective student-athletes who have not started college will apply differently than it will for current student-athletes:

Current student-athletes: The effective date for current student-athletes is August 1, 2013, meaning they cannot accept funds from a governmental entity until after August 1, 2013.

Prospective student-athletes: Individuals enrolling full time at a collegiate institution on or after August 1, 2013 are currently being certified under the new rule. In other words, a prospective student-athlete who has accepted these funds from a governmental entity or who will accept these funds prior to the August 1 date from a governmental entity will get the benefit of the new rule (e.g. will not be required to return the funds).

Any athlete considering an application to an NCAA institution is strongly encouraged to contact the NCAA Eligibility Center if they have any additional questions.

The onus is entirely on the athlete to determine the impact of accepting OAAP funding on current or future NCAA eligibility and to decide whether or not to accept OAAP funding. The athlete will be required to acknowledge this onus and responsibility when signing the OAAP Ontario Card application form and agreeing to the related terms and conditions of the program. Athletes are strongly encouraged to contact the NCAA Eligibility Center to determine the impact of Quest for Gold – OAAP funding on current or future eligibility for a NCAA scholarship or on eligibility to compete in a non-scholarship NCAA sport.

National Collegiate Athletic Association         www.ncaa.org

NCAA Eligibility Center mailing address:
NCAA Eligibility Center P.O. Box 7136, Indianapolis, IN 46207 Toll-free phone number (U.S. callers) – Customer service line – 877-262-1492 Phone number (international callers) – Customer service line – 317-223-0700 Fax number – 317-968-5100

B. Skate Ontario – Athlete Selection Criteria:

The following sport specific athlete selection criteria will be utilized in the identification, ranking and selection of athletes for Ontario Cards:

The allocation of the 20 Skate Ontario Quest for Gold cards will be based on the following:

1. 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championship results – as outlined below.
2. Ontario skaters named to the 2014 Skate Canada Development Squad – Tier 3.
3. Ontario skaters named to the 2014-15 OHPSI program.

Note: skaters can only receive one Quest for Gold card.

1. 2014 Canadian Tire National Skating Championship results – as outlined below:

Note:

Junior Age Eligibility

In order to receive Quest for Gold funding as a Junior competitor, skaters must meet the ISU Junior age eligibility according to rule 108 #2.

1. FIGURE SKATING/ICE DANCING (ISU Rule 108.2)

a. In International Junior Competitions and ISU Junior Championships a Junior is a skater who has met the following requirements before July 1st preceding these events:

i. has reached at least the age of thirteen (13);
ii. has not reached the age of nineteen (19) for ladies and men in singles competition; and
iii. has not reached the age of nineteen (19) for ladies and the age of twenty-one (21) for men in Pair Skating and Ice Dancing competition. (Note that this rule has been deleted for domestic events for Pairs).

Partnerships

If following the 2013-2014 season, partnerships that would have qualified for Quest for Gold funding have split, only the skater(s) who have formed new partnerships, and are representing Ontario with their new partner, in the same discipline for 2014-2015, will qualify for a half card.

A. Cards for Single Athletes:

1. Junior competitors – medal winners and not nationally carded in order of placement.
2. Senior competitors placing 4th to 5th and not nationally carded, by order of placement,
3. Junior competitors placing 4th – 7th by order of placement.
4. Senior competitors placing 6th to 8th by order of placement.
5. Novice competitors placing 1st to 5th by order of placement.

B. Cards for Pair and Dance Teams:

1. Junior competitors – medal winners and not nationally carded in order of placement.
2. Senior competitors – placing 4th and 5th and not nationally carded in order of placement.
3. Junior competitors – placing 4th – 7th in order of placement.
4. Senior competitors – placing 6th – 8th in order of placement.
5. Novice competitors – placing 1st – 5th in order of placement.

2. Ontario skaters named to the 2014 Skate Canada Development Squad – Tier 3

3. Ontario skaters named to the 2014-15 OHPSI program.

Skate Ontario has no criteria for ranking an athlete who is unable to meet these requirements as detailed above due to illness, injury or pregnancy.

All eligible skaters are automatically considered and ranked by the Selection Committee. Skaters will be informed by Skate Ontario that they meet the criteria.

For the first time, the National Skating Championships are coming to Kingston, Ontario, January 19-25, 2015 at the Rogers K-Rock Centre.

Athletes from the Senior, Junior and Novice ranks advance towards the championships through sectional events, and then move on to the Skate Canada Challenge (December 3-7, in Pierrefonds Quebec) where 18 men, 18 women, 12 pair teams, and 15 ice dance teams will qualify for the National Championships.

Tickets for the event are already on sale and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1.855.985.5000 or in person at the Rogers K-Rock Centre box office.

Click here for information on how to apply to become a volunteer at a Skate Canada event.

Last year’s Canadian Champions were:

Senior

• Patrick Chan – Men’s
• Kaetlyn Osmond – Women’s
• Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford – Pairs
• Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir – Ice Dance

Junior

• Denis Margalik – Men’s
• Kim DeGuise Léveillée – Women’s
• Vanessa Grenier & Maxime Deschamps – Pairs
• Mackenzie Bent & Garrett MacKeen – Ice Dance

Novice

• Joseph Phan – Men’s
• Sarah Tamura – Women’s
• Keelee Gingrich & Davin Portz – Pairs
• Valérie Taillefer & Jason Chan – Ice Dance

Ontario Pre-Novice figure skater, Natalie D’Alessandro, 10, was paired with Olympian, Mark Overshaw, a bronze medal winner in Canoeing at the 2012 London Olympic Games for a CBC Kids segment promoting National Sports Day that aired this morning at 8:25am!

RBC Sports Day in Canada, presented by ParticipACTION, CBC and True Sport, is a national celebration of the power of sport to build community and get Canadians moving.

The CBC Kids segments promoting the event will be pairing young athletes with Olympians who have never tried the sport before. The “fish-out-of-water” pairings allow the young athletes to teach an Olympian something new, and encourage everyone to get out and try something they’ve never done before.

Natalie, a 10-year old grade 5 student, taught Mark how to do a two-foot spin, a spiral, and a waltz jump. Mark was a good sport and tried everything with enthusiasm!

Natalie was the Skate Ontario Super Series Pre-Novice Ladies Champion and trains out of the Toronto Cricket club under coaches Lee Barkell and Astrid Shrubb. She will also be competing at the Skate Canada Challenge in Quebec in December.

If you’d like to see the CBC Kids segment featuring Natalie and Mark, it will air again this week:

Thursday, Nov 6 – 8:25am
Saturday, Nov 8 – 7:24am
Sunday, Nov 9 – 7:24am

Congratulations, Natalie! Great job!