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LIIDLII KUE/FORT SIMPSON
Three months ago Cassidy Barry couldn't skate.

Madison Pilling, right, gives Lucas Tate some pointers during an exercise designed to practise speed skating crossovers on Jan. 3. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Now, the seven-year-old is getting progressively steadier on her speedskates as she loops around the ice in the Fort Simpson arena. Barry is one of the newest members of the Fort Simpson Speed Skating Club.

In its thirteenth year, the club – which has 25 members – is well into its current season.

"The kids like it," said Val Gendron, the club's longtime coach.

Skating backwards

The skaters practise three times a week on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Divided into two groups by age, the six- to 10-year-olds spend three hours a week on the ice while the skaters who are 11 and older get 3.5 hours.

Some of the skills that Barry has learned since joining include getting into the basic speed skating position, crossovers and skating backwards. Skating backwards is pretty hard, said Barry.

Barry said she decided to join the club because she thought it would be fun and provide an opportunity to cross-train.

"I thought it might be a good exercise for cross country and basketball," she said.

Skills such as crossovers, a technique speedskaters use on corners, are one of the club's main focuses.

"It's all about technique for us," said Gendron.

Her goal for the season is to have every skater in the club using crossovers in the corners at the NWT Speed Skating Championships scheduled March 8 to 10 in Yellowknife.

Gendron said it's neat to see the young athletes transition to become fluid skaters who use proper technique as they propel themselves around the track.

At every practice Gendron and Judy Reath, who began coaching last season, use drills and games to work on basic technique with the skaters including crossovers and body position. They also work on starts, relays, endurance, speed and track patterns.

The club also brought back the Learn to Skate program on Jan. 7. The program has a long history in the village, although it wasn't offered last year.

Designed for three- to six-year-olds, Learn to Skate is offered for eight weeks and held every Monday and Wednesday from 5:15 to 5:45 p.m.

The program, as well as the larger speedskating club, is all about teaching basic skating skills that can be transferred across ice-based sports, said Gendron. Members of the club will get an additional boost this week. Debbie Fisher, a speedskating instructor, will be working with speedskaters as well as students at Bompas Elementary School from Jan. 11 to 13.

This year the club has approximately four new members.

"The key to it is consistency," Gendron said. "If you are there every time the kids are going to come."

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