Synchro

About Us

• Winter Club Crystal History
  • Indian Hill Winter Club’s synchronized skating program began from a grass roots skating skills class the Winter Club offered when it opened in 2006. Figure skaters were divided into three groups and worked on basic edge work, turns, spins, jumps and many other areas of skating. The class would attempt various synchro elements for fun like circles, wheels and intersections.

• That fun morphed into forming basic synchro teams, where we began practicing the fundamentals of synchronized skating without having an actual competitive team. Our groups then began to officially prepare synchro routines and competed at various competitions to try it out. The Winter Club skaters fell in love with the synchronized skating experience and were hooked!

In 2014 we named our teams the Winter Club Crystals and formally began a competitive program that also included social events for our teams.

It began to provide opportunities that the figure skaters didn’t always have in single skating: big competitions, friendships, shared goals, as well as learning the value of teamwork and camaraderie. Synchro team combined the athleticism and artistry of singles, pairs and ice dancing all into one ice discipline.

Synchronized skating offered all the benefits of team unity, built confidence, taught good sportsmanship and created new lifelong friendships while improving skating skills at a competitive level. It also helped enhance our skater’s abilities as a figure skater in freestyle, moves in the field and ice dance.

Many figure skaters and USFS gold medalists participate in synchronized skating. Team skating provides conditioning and additional skills not taught in normal figure skating sessions. Skaters will improve their technique, speed, posture, presentation and style.

The Winter Club Crystals have become a highlight in our rink and we are so happy to offer such a wonderful option within our programming at the Indian Hill Winter Club!

Our Coaches

Paige Osterwisch – Head Coach

Paige Osterwisch grew up skating in the Cincinnati area. During that time she became a double gold medalist in Moves in the Field and Dance. Paige was a National medalist at the National Solo Dance Series and she was also a member of the Oxford Ice Crystals team while she was in high school. She attended Miami University and competed on the Varsity Synchronized Skating Team. She was a member of the Junior and Collegiate teams during her time at Miami as well. After graduating from Miami with a degree in education, Paige began teaching 7th grade math in the Cincinnati along with being the head coach of the Indian Hill Synchronized Skating teams: “Winter Club Crystals”.

Dorothi Cassini – IHWC Director of Skating

Dorothi was a National and International Ice Dance competitor. She has her U.S. Figure Skating gold medal in Figures, Dance and Free dance, as well as International dances and has been coaching since 1989. She also skated in professional ice shows performing as a principal adagio (pair) skater.

She is very involved in the PSA (Professional Skaters Association) and has served as 2^nd and 3^rd Vice President on their Board of Governors as well as served on many committees to help strengthen the coaching community within the U.S.

Dorothi has her PSA Master level ratings in Moves in the Field, Dance, Free Dance, Group Instructor and Program Director. These ratings are coaching exams that are administered by a panel of highly recognized coaches and directors in the sport that judge proficiency within the discipline an individual is testing. It’s the best way within our sport to be able to judge and approve competency and credibility of a coach.

Dorothi began the synchro program at Indian Hill many years ago because she feels that Synchronized Skating is an amazing path for skaters to be a part of a team sport, build camaraderie, strengthen their skating skills and compete within a discipline that is exciting and fun. Our team skaters build bonds with each other and love the team atmosphere aside from their individual skating.

Schedule for the 2022-2023 Season

Practice times: Sunday at Indian Hill Winter Club starting 9/11/2022  & ending 3/5/2023

*Please Note there will be no practice on 12/25/2022 & 1/1/2023

Aspire Beginner – Glimmer : 8:00-8:50am

Aspire Preliminary – Glitter : 9:00-9:50am

Pre-Juvenile – Sparkle : 10:00-10:50am

Competitions:

Dr. Porter (Ann Arbor, MI) – December 2022

Tri States (location TBA) – February 2023

Additional Performances:

Indian Hill Winter Club Ice show – February 2023

Cyclones Hockey Intermission – February or March 2023

Team Fees

Info TBA

Team Q & A

Is Synchronized skating experience required to be part of the Winter Club Crystals?  No! We welcome skaters from all skating disciplines. Successful synchronized skaters come from all figure skating backgrounds.

Does my skater have to be a member of the Indian Hill Winter Club to participate in the Winter Club Crystals Synchro Skating team? No, non-members are welcome to join our synchro team however, there is an additional $250 nonmember fee for the season. If the skater’s family decides to join the Indian Hill Winter Club, that $250 will be applied to the initial fees. Please see the Team Fees tab for more detailed information about fees & what they cover.

Do I have to give up my private coaches or individual skating? Definitely not! We encourage our skaters to continue in other disciplines of skating and to continue pursuing higher test levels with their current coaches.

Where do the Winter Club Crystals practice & when? We practice at the Indian Hill Winter Club on Sunday mornings. Each group gets 45 minutes of ice time. When we get closer to competitions, we add a 30 minute off ice practice either right before or after the on-ice practice. Off ice practices are held in the IHWC gym.

How long is the Winter Club Crystal season? We start on ice practices 9/11/2021 and end 3/5/2022. We have a team banquet in March.

How many competitions do the Winter Club Crystals participate in? We participate in 2 out of town competitions. The USFS Dr. Porter Classic (Ann Arbor, MI) in December, and the Tri States Competition (Evansville, IN) in February.

Teams

• USFS Synchro Levels

USFS Synchro Levels:

*Ages as of July 1^st, 2022

*Tests as of competition entry deadline

Snowplow Sam Synchro – 5-20 skater, 13 years and younger, may have passes pre-pre moves but no higher

Aspire Beginner – 5-20 skaters, 16 years and younger, may have passes pre-pre moves but no higher

Aspire Pre-preliminary – 5-20 skaters, 17 years and younger, may have passed pre-pre moves but no higher

Aspire preliminary – 5-20 skaters, 17 years and younger, may have passed preliminary moves but no higher

Preliminary – 8-20 skaters, 13 years and younger, pre-preliminary moves required this season (preliminary required for next season – 2023)

Pre-Juvenile – 8-20 skaters, 17 years and younger, pre-preliminary moves required this season (preliminary required for next season 2023, pre-juvenile required the following season 2024)

Open-Juvenile – 8-20 skaters, 19 years and younger, no move requirements