DETROIT – Figure Skating in Detroit aims to teach young girls of Detroit how to figure skate, and to see the potential and possibilities for themselves in all aspects of their lives.
Figure Skating in Detroit will teach figure skating, education, and leadership to girls ages 6 through 15 in the city of Detroit. It’s modeled off of Figure Skating in Harlem, a program established 20 years ago.
Figure Skating in Detroit is the first national expansion of the program and it’s “the only organization for girls of color that combines the power of education with access to the artistic discipline of figure skating to build champions in life.”
READ MORE: Gold medal figure skater Meryl Davis teaches next generation of girls in Detroit
“You can build a foundation on ice if you also bring girls in to help with their academics, to tutor, to coach, to provide entrepreneurship opportunities,” said Geneva Williams, Detroit director of Figure Skating in Detroit.
“I think for the girls in this city to understand that when you do fall down, whether it’s falling down on the ice or falling down in life, making mistakes, facing challenges; understanding the value and being able to pick yourself back up and see your own strength and possibility is invaluable,” said Olympian Meryl Davis.
Davis, a founding co-chair for Figure Skating in Detroit, hopes to play a hands-on role in the program sharing her experiences and life lessons as life-long figure skater and Olympian. Davis and her ice dance partner Charlie White became the first American team to win Olympic gold during the 2014 Sochi Games. It is just one of many awards and accomplishments to mark Davis’ figure skating career.
“Skating has really served as a way for me to understand my own power, my own possibility, and what I can do to pick myself back up when I might face any sort of challenges, and sort of keep moving forward,” said Davis.
Figure Skating in Detroit is holding its last introductory workshop Saturday April 29 at Jack Adams Ice Arena. It runs 1 p.m. until 4:30 p.m. and participants must register online to attend.
Kevin Hudson brought his two daughters, Kennedi, 8, and Layla, 14, to the first workshop in February because he wants them to have strong female influences in their lives.
“For my daughters to see other women, Olympians that come in and teach them, that would help them tremendously,” said Kevin Hudson, father of two girls in the program. “I want to bring them around positive women. That’s going to help them in the future learn leadership skills.”
“I can ice skate like her and win trophies like her,” said Kennedi Hudson.
Kennedi is one of several girls who checked out the program during its first workshop at Jack Adams Arena in Detroit. She is learning leadership skills, STEM, entrepreneurship, health and wellness and how to figure skate.
“We actually work with girls on life skills, and friendship, and speaking, and all those kinds of things that help them face world life challenges,” said Williams.
Figure Skating in Detroit hopes to serve 300 girls this year with its summer camps and after school program that will start in September.
“I think it is the perfect way to encourage these girls to be leaders, not just in the community, not just in Detroit, not just in the United States, but leaders in their own lives and making their dreams a reality for themselves,” said Davis.
“I think it’s really cool to be in leadership,” said 8-year-old Kerrington Brown. “This one lady asked me ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ I said ‘I wanted to be the first African American female to be the president.’”
Figure Skating in Detroit aims to empower girls to achieve their goals while also creating a sisterhood.
“And that’s what it is,” said Williams. “It’s really about skating and being healthy and fit and getting all of that, and growing to be a leader. It’s both and it can happen because its girl power.”
Figure skater Alissandra Aronow, Denise Ilitch are co-chairs of the Champions committee for the program along with Davis. The Michigan Woman’s Foundation is a strategic leadership and education partner. The program welcomes donations and volunteers to help