Discussion:
The Shakopee Ice Arena is highly regarded at the state and national level. This Summer, we hosted the first sanctioned post-COVID US Figure Skating event which attracted world class athletes from across the country. The preparation plan and it's protocols were seamlessly effective as we hosted seven hockey tournaments - several bringing teams from across North America. The Shakopee Ice Arena's reputation as a world class facility continues to grow in the skating community.
In the past year, we have intentionally entered long-term partnerships to further build that reputation: we added MPH as another AAA Developmental Hockey Program to compliment the successful Top Dog AAA Program; we turned Pro Shop responsibilities over to Edgetek which has seen an incredibly successful opening - despite COVID; and now it's time to add Shakopee Skate School as the developmental skating program for the entire community.
Go4Gold had been very successful in offering developmental skating opportunities at other ice arenas. This partnership opportunity enables us to offer Shakopee residents critical beginner skills training and so much more. Shakopee Skate School will also attract the attention of those wishing to enhance their skating skills to the Intermediate and/or Elite levels. And through this partnership we will be able to offer brand new opportunities for: adaptive programs; homeschoolers needing PE credit; young parents wanting to try something new with their toddler; and ensless other possibilities as the format offers flexibility to develop innovative solutions to respond to emerging interests and needs.
Shakopee Skate School is a City of Shakopee Program which will occur on Rink 2, with offices and a classroom in a coaches room and the former locker room 9 (spaces Go4Gold rents). All registrations go through Parks and Recreation software, and inquiries go through an onsite City phone or through City email (shakopeeskateschool@shakopeemn.gov). No City Staff will be involved in the delivery of Shakopee Skate School - a strategy which mirrors other Parks and Recreation programs offered through partnerships: i.e. waterskiing through partnership with Shakopee Prior Lake Water Ski Association, and children’s programs leveraging partnerships to deliver gymnastics, etc...). This particular partnership will be broader in scope, longer in commitment duration, and higher in value than any of those other current partnerships.
Shakopee Skate School replaces the previous strategy - whereby we had tried to organically develop a "skating program" through informal partnerships, some staff and volunteers, and large chunks of dedicated freestyle ice. We discovered that we attracted a lot of opportunists who were less interested in investing in the Shakopee Ice Arena and developing the skating skills of Shakopee residents - instead, the focus was on developing their stable of talented outsiders for tremendous recognition and profit (neither of true benefit to the City of Shakopee).
Shakopee Skate School is the avenue for residents of all ages and abilities to come to learn the basics of skating or to enhance their skating skills to the degree that their commitment and talent allow. This Shakopee Skate School partnership proposal has been endorsed by the Shakopee Youth Hockey Association, the Top Dog and MPH AAA programs, and the Shakopee High School Hockey Coaches.
The Shakopee Community will benefit from the Shakopee Skate School, and this partnership with Go4Gold is the best way to deliver this quality City program.