Figure skating has been a part of Janice Grochalski鈥檚 life since she was seven years old, first as a competitor, then as a coach, and also the mother of a talented young skater.
But most of her time in the sport has been spent as the head coach of the Estevan Skating Club. This season marks her 30th year with the club.
鈥淓stevan is recognized as one of the strongest clubs in the province at every single level,鈥� Grochalski told the Mercury. 鈥淚鈥檓 really proud to tell people that I coach in Estevan, and I鈥檓 so fortunate to have great parents who work so hard at running the club, and have helped make it so great.鈥�
When she was growing up in Yorkton, Grochalski鈥檚 family lived about two blocks from the arena. She and her sister were entered in every sport that was available at that time. Grochalski stuck with figure skating and fell in love with it.
鈥淚 did a lot of different sports, and this is the one that stuck with me,鈥� said Grochalski.
After graduating high school, she started coaching professionally right away, beginning with a stint in Langham, coaching part-time while she went to university.
After she moved to Estevan with her husband Ken in 1989, Janice Grochalski coached in Midale and Oxbow for a year until a position opened in Estevan.
鈥淚鈥檝e been coaching in Estevan here for 30 years, but a total of 38 professionally, and I鈥檝e basically been on the ice right since I was seven years old.鈥�
There have been so many rewarding moments during her time in Estevan. She achieved her national coaching status, which is a source of pride.
Eight skaters have qualified for Western Canadians, and many qualified several years in a row.
Her daughter, Kristen, qualified for the Western Canada Winter Games in Whitehorse, B.C. Only four kids from the province make it to the event, which is held every four years.
Figure skating is a wonderful sport, except for the cold, Grochalski said. She loves kids, thanks to their creativity, energy, honesty and happiness, and they鈥檙e fun to be around.
鈥淓very time I go to the rink, it鈥檚 a fun environment,鈥� said Grochalski. 鈥淜ids are always happy. They鈥檙e always smiling, and it鈥檚 just a great place to be.
鈥淚 also love going to all of the competitions and stuff, and I鈥檝e met a lot of coaching friends along the way. There is probably only a handful of us who have been in it this long, so we鈥檝e gotten to be pretty good friends. We only see each other a couple of times every year, so it鈥檚 always nice to see them.鈥�
And she has found herself coaching the children of kids that she taught many years ago. Some of those second-generation skaters are already 12 years old.
鈥淭hey always come to me and say 鈥榊ou used to coach my mom,鈥� and sometimes the little ones like to guess how old I am, knowing that I taught their parents. The consensus, when they ask me that, they always think I鈥檓 24, and that always makes me laugh.鈥�
Ten years ago, the club made the move from the Civic Auditorium to Affinity Place, which was also a step forward for the club.
鈥淚 spent so many hours and early mornings in the Civic, and it was sad to see it go, but we鈥檙e so fortunate to have a new, beautiful facility in our city,鈥� said Grochalski. 鈥淲e are the envy of every skating club across the province.鈥�
When she first started, the club offered figure skating and ice dance. They skated at 6 a.m. just to get all of the disciplines enough time to practice. Now the sport has shifted more to the free skate, and the on-ice dance component has disappeared because partners might not be available.
The judging system has also changed.
鈥淥ur sport and our activity on the ice here in Estevan has evolved along with all those changes,鈥� said Grochalski.
Her tenure hasn鈥檛 always been easy. She suffered a broken arm early on in her career, and a broken femur sidelined her for part of a season. But at the first possible opportunity, she was back coaching from the players鈥� box.
And this year has been unquestionably unique. She praised the skaters for wearing masks while practising, and for coping with having just eight kids on the ice at a time. There haven鈥檛 been any competitions, but they get to focus on skills rather than competitions.
鈥淲e鈥檙e still fortunate to still be on the ice, actually, when so many activities for kids have been cancelled. But figure skating is mostly a practice sport. We spend very little time doing events, so our year, basically, hasn鈥檛 really changed.鈥�
The toughest part has been saying no to the CanSkate program.
Based on enrolments during the season, and time spent coaching during the summer months, Grochalski believes she has coached about 3,000 different skaters over the years.
Grochalski expects she will be coaching for a while yet. It doesn鈥檛 feel like work, and she still loves working with the kids and seeing their improvements. Each day she goes to rink it鈥檚 still different from the last.
And there鈥檚 one more incentive to keep coaching: Grochalski鈥檚 daughter Kristen had a baby six months ago, and so it would be wonderful to coach another generation of skaters in the family. Kids can join the CanSkate program at age three.聽
鈥淚t would be a whole cycle, another generation, as 鈥� the fall I started, I was actually pregnant with her (my granddaughter鈥檚) mother,鈥� said Grochalski.
Grochalski is grateful for the support of the parents over the last 30 years who have allowed her to 鈥渟hare in the skating experience鈥� with all of these kids, and it鈥檚 been a privilege and an honour for her to have met so many young people and their parents along the way.
