Troy Skating Club glides through 65th year

‘We cultivate friendships and team spirit.’

Sixty-five years after its founding, members of the Troy Skating Club continue to take to the ice of the organization’s first and only home at the city’s Hobart Arena.

The Troy Skating Club is a nonprofit organization that encourages people of all ages to pursue skating in all forms.

›› RELATED: Local ninja competes

“We cultivate friendships and team spirit as well as teach a technical sport that provides physical fitness and valuable character building life lessons,” said Leah Hartzell, skating director for the Troy Skating Club.

The club and arena serve skaters from Miami County and the Dayton area on a daily basis as well as regulars who consider Hobart their home rink, traveling from Springfield, Centerville and other communities, Hartzell said.

Skating instruction is offered by the club to those ages 3 and up and all skill levels, including adult skating and hockey classes. The club operates year-round and will have a new session of skating classes starting in September.

Each year the club serves more than 300 skaters through a Learn to Skate USA and hockey classes. The club has about 30 active skating members who train, skate and compete throughout the year. Hartzell is the club coach.

The club has hosted a summer competition for 42 years with 180 skaters from across the country, primarily Ohio, Indiana and Michigan competing this year.

The recent $10 million in expansion and renovations at Hobart Arena was “a huge hit” during the recent summer competition, Hartzell said.

“We got so many positive words from people who have been coming to this competition for years, and from newcomers alike. Everyone really enjoyed the improvements,” she said.

Skaters from across the country have competed with famous skaters such as Scott Hamilton, Peggy Fleming and others performing at the arena, she said. Among local skating contributors mentioned by Hartzell were former president of U.S. Figure Skating Frederick C. Lefevre, former U.S. Figure Skating executive director John Lefevre, world and international judge Virginia Lefevre and former U.S. Figure Skating president James Disbrow.

Club member Kathy Slack is a national level judge and traveled to the 2014 Sochi Olympics with the U.S. Figure Skating Team as a team leader.

Contact this contributing writer at nancykburr@aol.com.


Learn more

Online: For more information on the Troy Skating Club, go online to www.troyskatingclub.org, see the Facebook page at www.facebook.com/troyskatingclub and on Twitter (TroyOHSC).

About the Author