Contact: Jim Flanagan
Press Release
HAYDEN SYNCHRO ANNOUNCE HAYDENETTES
RECRUITING STIPEND
Stipend to
Support Haydenettes Recruiting and College Ambitions
Lexington, MA, March 17, 2010 –The Hayden Synchronized Skating Teams (HSST) today announced a new Haydenettes Recruiting Stipend for skaters who want to continue their competitive skating at the highest level with the 18-Time U.S. Champion Haydenettes team and potentially attend college at one of the more than one hundred colleges and universities in the metro-Boston and New England area.
HSST’s Board approved multiple Stipends awards for the 2010-11 skating season of up to $5,000 per skater. The Stipends will go directly to defray costs of skating with the Haydenettes and are intended to provide an incentive for elite skaters to continue their competitive skating and if they choose, to work on their college education at the same time. HSST announced the new Stipend just prior to the team’s tryouts on March 20-21st and in conjunction with adding an additional Haydenettes tryout date on Sunday April 18th.
Details of the Haydenettes Recruiting Stipend application process are still being finalized. However, virtually any skater is eligible. Acceptance or enrollment in a college program is not required but preference will be given to skaters who are undertaking college course work. The Stipends will not be strictly ‘needs-based’ and there are no financial disclosure forms to fill out. This program is to support the best skater-athletes and student-athletes. Selection and awards will be determined by Director of Skating Saga Krantz in conjunction with the HSST Board based upon the skaters that will make the best Haydenettes team. Skating skills, technique, experience, presentation skills, skater potential and athletic intangibles are the factors that will make a difference to join the Haydenettes and receive a Stipend.
“In recent years we’ve been excited to see more skaters wanting to continue their competitive careers at a high level by moving here and joining the Haydenettes,” said Mary Jane Hanlon, general manager of the Hayden teams. “The Haydenettes have for decades embraced skaters from across the country including skaters from Michigan, Illinois, Minnesota, Colorado and Delaware to name a few. We recognized the financial challenge of a college education combined with the costs of synchronized skating and decided we need to help these skaters if at all possible. This is an important start to this program and the significant dollar amounts are an indication that we are serious about recruiting the best skaters from across the country to consider a skating career with the Haydenettes,” noted Hanlon.
In addition to the Haydenettes Recruiting Stipend, the Board is forming a committee to undertake an evaluation on how to provide more focused resources for skater support. In the past, this has been an informal process of a few host families and supporters. “As the Haydenettes have become so much more than a local team, with only five of the current team from Lexington, it is imperative that we look for ways to make joining the team and the transitions easier,” noted GM Hanlon. “While we don’t have all the answers yet, the areas for potential action will include: information and resources available for the many college options; temporary housing alternatives during tryouts and for the summer programs; permanent housing for skaters not enrolled in a full-time college program; relocation, transportation and logistical assistance and job placement will be evaluated with a goal to find better solutions and resources. This is an obvious challenge but with more than a quarter million of similar aged students in the Boston area, resources are available and need to be identified. The possibility to create a host family program through parents, our alumnae and our local civic and church groups will be evaluated. The goal in formalizing these activities is to help make it easier for skaters, and comforting for parents, to consider the Hayden teams as their synchronized skating destination.”
“We want skaters and their families to include a trip to Boston on their collegiate visits and to meet with our coaches, team officials, families, skaters and former skaters as part of that trip. We’ve always had host families and the support of employers in the area to provide full and part-time work,” noted GM Hanlon. “Part of our job is to make this known to a wider audience of potential skaters and their families. Our Haydenettes Alumnae have offered to help, many who have moved here or attended college in the area and can be another resource for skaters and parents.”
Saga Krantz, director of synchronized skating for the Hayden teams said, “When I look at the top World podium teams from Finland, Sweden and Canada, I see older average ages, more mature skaters and skaters within their systems for longer periods and that benefits these teams. They can do this because they have funding systems to help these skaters continue in the sport. As synchronized skating continues its growth on our college campuses, we have to provide direct support to these skaters until the sport matures and the collegiate, institutional and commercial funding kicks in at higher levels. I believe in time the funds will come into synchro because the sport is simply that exciting. Now that the 2010 Winter Olympics are over, sponsors and advertisers are looking for the next “BIG THING”. In competitive figure skating, we believe synchronized team skating is it. And the sports’ female athletes, fans and audience demographics are an advertisers dream,” noted Krantz.