Tryout Details for 2008-2009 Skating Year
(Jan 2008) Tryouts for the Colonials Synchronized Skating teams will be held on April 13, 16, 17 and 27. More details, including information about the experience of being a Colonial, is available on our Tryouts page.
Associate/Assistant Synchronized Skating Coach - The Colonials
(Mar 2008) The Colonials, a world-ranked, elite synchronized skating organization, are looking to expand their coaching staff under the direction of Merita Mullen, Director of Synchronized Skating. Please review the job description for more information.
Applicants must submit professional references and include their coaching experience and long-term goals in their cover letter to: Jeff Sokolov, The Colonials, P.O. Box 517, West Acton, MA or via email at ColonialCoaching@gmail.com.
Colonial Teams Deliver a Command Performance as Hosts at the 2008 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships
(Feb 2008) The Dunkin Donuts Center in downtown Providence was abuzz with over 1,800 skaters last weekend as the Colonial Figure Skating Club of West Acton, Mass. brought together 92 teams from around the country to compete in the 2008 United States Synchronized Skating Championships. The three day competition covering eight levels of synchronized skating showcased some of the most talented teams in the U.S. A select number of teams will go on to compete internationally. 2008 marks the 25th Anniversary of the event which dates back to the very first U.S. Precision Team Skating Championships held in Bowling Green, Ohio.
Nationals provided a great deal of excitement and team spirit. The Colonials Junior team earned a silver medal for their outstanding performance in a field of fourteen teams. On the heels of Nationals, they leave for Rouen, France to compete in the World Challenge Cup for Juniors to be held on March 6-8, 2008. The Colonials earned the right to compete at the prestigious Junior World Challenge Cup at a qualifying competition held January 11th and 12th in Fraser, MI; they had a second place finish at the qualifier amid a field of nine teams. Their performance last week at Nationals in Providence earned them the honor of representing the United States with an international assignment during the 2008-2009 season.
The Colonials Juvenile team skating to a "Good Day/Bad Day" theme including the music of "Hannah Montana," earned a bronze medal with their memorable, energetic performance.
The Colonials Intermediate team delivered an outstanding performance, earning its best marks of the season under the new International Judging System and placing 5th out of 12 teams; they missed the podium by a razor-slim 1.44 points. During the 2007-2008 season, the Intermediate team skated to an exciting, fast-paced medley of vintage Michael Jackson songs including all-time favorites, "Thriller" and "Beat It." 2008 marks the 25th Anniversary of the Thriller album.
The Colonials Senior Team skated their short and long program at Nationals, delivering a personal team best with their short program. The Colonials Senior short program is set to the upbeat music of "High School Musical 2" and is a real crowd-pleaser. Their long program was skated to Motown music from "Remember the Titans."
Colonial Juniors Take Fourth at 2008 French Cup
(Feb 2008) Unofficial results
| Team Mystique (Finland) | 61.56 | 98.43 | 159.99 |
| Ice Fusion (Finland) | 60.93 | 93.30 | 154.23 |
| Stella Polaris (Finland) | 55.27 | 93.63 | 148.90 |
| Colonials (United States) | 56.42 | 88.77 | 145.19 |
| Black Diam (France) | 40.47 | 59.63 | 100.10 |
| Hot Dreams (Switzerland) | 36.69 | 60.95 | 97.64 |
| Les Zazous (France) | 31.67 | 48.76 | 80.43 |
| Team Rainbow (South Africa) | 30.27 | 40.60 | 70.87 |
Colonials Teams Deliver Medal-Winning Synchronized Skating Performances and Qualify for Spots at 2008 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships
(Jan 2008) The spirit of The Colonials Synchronized Skating Teams was alive and well in historic Richmond, Virginia this past weekend. The Richmond Coliseum was the venue for the 2008 Eastern Synchronized Team Skating Sectional Championships where Colonials Juvenile, Intermediate, Senior and Adult Masters teams all competed. Eastern Sectionals was the qualifying competition for garnering the right to compete at U.S. Nationals which will take place on February 20-23, 2008 in Providence, Rhode Island. The Juvenile, Intermediate, Junior and Senior teams all qualified for the U.S. Championships. Read the press release »
The 2008 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships will take place in Providence, Rhode Island on February 20 - 23, 2008 at the Dunkin' Donuts Center. The host club is the Colonial Figure Skating Club of Boxborough, MA. More information about Nationals can be found at www.synchronationals2008.org. Tickets will be available through Ticketmaster at www.TicketMaster.com and will be available at the box office on the day of the events. All seating is general admission.
The Colonial Juniors Qualify for the Junior World Challenge Cup
Record Number of Synchronized Skating Teams from the United States and Canada Compete at the 2008 Colonial Classic
(Jan, 2008) The 2008 Colonial Classic Synchronized Skating Competition was held on January 4 – 6th, 2008 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA. Sponsored by the Colonial Figure Skating Club of Boxborough, Massachusetts, the event drew a record 97 skating teams and 1360 skaters. All of The Colonial teams competed at the event including the Senior, Junior, Intermediate, and Juvenile teams along with the Masters team.
Under the new International Judging System (IJS), The Colonials Junior team commanded a strong, gold-medal winning performance with their long program, set to 80s rock music. The Junior short program, choreographed to "Colors of the Wind" from the Disney classic, Pocahontas, was characterized by beautiful edges and captured second place by a razor-slim .05 point differential to the first- place team. The Colonials Senior team also skated demanding short and long programs in a highly competitive field long-dominated by the well-established Haydenettes. The Senior long program was skated to Motown music from “Remember the Titans” and the Senior Short, set to “High School Musical 2,” was a real crowd pleaser. Their Senior Long program scoring (IJS) improved over 11 points since the Dr. Porter competition, demonstrating the tremendous dedication and commitment of these athletes.
The Intermediate division, one of the largest and most competitive qualifying divisions this year, fielded eleven teams from Virginia, Maryland, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New York, Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. The Colonials delivered a fast-paced, strong, pewter-medal performance, skating to a medley of Michael Jackson selections including all-time favorites, Thriller and Beat It. The Intermediates placed fourth at the Dr. Porter competition held in December in Ann Arbor, MI, amid a large and highly competitive Intermediate field; they earned a silver medal at the Thanksgiving Classic.
The Colonials Juvenile team delivered a strong gold-medal winning performance at this year's Colonial Classic amid a field of six teams from Virginia, New York, New Jersey, and Massachusetts. The Juvenile lines skates to a "Good Day/Bad Day" theme including the music of "Hannah Montana." The Juvies won a silver medal at the Thanksgiving Classic and a pewter medal at the Cape Cod Synchronized Skating Competition.
Merita Mullen, the Director of Synchronized Skating, has choreographed the programs for each line, combining in every case fast-moving elements, intricate transitions and complicated footwork sequences. The end results are dynamic routines, both graceful and technically demanding. Merita is joined by Nancy Schricker, Assistant Synchronized Skating Coach, Jane Gruber, Physical Therapist and Fitness Coach, and Kara DeFreitas, Guest Coach.
For the athletes on The Colonials synchronized skating teams, success is based upon sustained hard work, dedication to achieving their full potential as a team, determination, a healthy dose of fun, and the firm belief that anything is possible. The Colonials Juvenile, Intermediate, and Senior teams will next be competing at the 2008 Eastern Synchronized Team Skating Sectional Championships, held January 24-26, 2008 in Richmond, Virginia. The Juniors have a bye for Easterns; they will next be competing in the highly competitive Junior World Team Selection Competition held in Fraser, Michigan on January 11 and 12th, 2008.
Our Competition Dress Inventory is For Sale
(Oct, 2007) The Colonials are selling four different styles of competition dresses. We have a full set of dresses for each style. If interested, please contact Pam Bohen.
The Colonial Experience Direct from our Graduating Seniors
(Updated Apr 11, 2007) This year, we begin what we hope will become an annual tradition. We are asking our graduating seniors – those skaters that are graduating from high school this year – to reminisce about their experiences as a skater for the Colonial Synchronized Skating teams. Read their words »
Special Topic: A World Roundtable Discussion on Building a Strong, Successful Team
(Reprinted with permission from Synchronized Skating Magazine, 2006 Season, Issue 4) Eight international coaches to tell us what it takes to build a successful high-level synchronized skating team, and what it takes to keep the team at the top, season after season. The ISU judging system (IJS) threw everyone a brand new curve last year, but these coaches haven't let a new set of rules and requirements stand in the way of doing what they do best; creating competitive, on-ice magic. What is the secret formula? The special ingredient? The magic mojo? How do these coaches attract skilled skaters, construct breath-taking programs and build the kind of teams that repeatedly medal at Nationals and at Worlds? Read the article»
