Message from the President
Message from the President
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I had hoped this month’s message would begin with a bold, celebratory announcement: “We have an opening date for Memorial City!” Instead, we find ourselves at 50 days without ice at our home rink. It was exciting to hear the ice build began on Friday. Unfortunately, I understand one of the compressor motors broke during the process. This was not related to the refrigeration repairs that were completed, which makes it even more frustrating. The motor had been refurbished and installed just this past October—so this was truly unexpected and, yes, maddening. The operations team was able to lay down seven layers of ice; however, they were unable to achieve a solid bond base layer. Ice building has now been suspended until the motor is replaced (hopefully on Wednesday). Until that replacement is complete and systems are fully operational, we are not expecting ice.
I know this delay is difficult. We miss our home. We miss our routine. We miss seeing familiar faces in the lobby, hearing blades on fresh ice, and feeling that unmistakable energy that our rink brings.
On a lighter note, I absolutely loved every minute of the 2026 Winter Olympics daily coverage. Watching Team USA compete on the world stage reminded me why we love this sport so much. My personal top three skating highlights: 1) Watching Alysa Liu skate with pure joy—it was truly inspiring and a beautiful reminder of why we lace up our skates. 2) Seeing the family of Emily Chan and Spencer Howe beam with pride after an incredible performance. Those moments of shared accomplishment are what sport is all about. 3) Following Danny O'Shea on social media throughout the Games—I’m fairly certain he’s traveling by cloud these days. Over those 18 days, we saw resilience, preparation meeting opportunity, composure under pressure, and—most importantly—joy. There were lessons there for all of us.
As we wait for our ice to return, I hold onto that same optimism. Our skaters have continued training across the city, bundling up at colder rinks, adjusting schedules, and showing remarkable flexibility. When Memorial City reopens, the energy in that building will be electric.
Until then, thank you for your patience, your perseverance, and your unwavering club spirit.
Warmly,
Wendy Barnard
President, Memorial Figure Skating Club of Houston
đź‘‹ Meet the Board Spotlight: Ada Deng
đź‘‹ Meet the Board Spotlight: Ada Deng
Ada is the Secretary of MFSCH. She has a governance role, focusing on record-keeping, meeting management, and facilitating communication among board members. Ada's love for figure skating began with the 1998 Winter Olympics in Nagano, where she was captivated by Michelle Kwan's performance. When her daughter was skating in Canada, she was selected by a coach to join a children's training team, marking the start of her own figure skating journey. Now her daughter is the biggest figure skating fan in the family. She loves spinning and jumping, defying gravity on the ice. Â
Ada can be reached at Secretary.MFSCH@MemorialFSCH.org
🏆2026 Memorial Trophy - May 7th-10thÂ
🏆2026 Memorial Trophy - May 7th-10thÂ
Thursday p.m., May 7th - Setup & Practice Ice through Sunday, May 10th - Takedown
The MFSCH Website includes a Memorial Trophy page for information: Memorial Trophy | Memorial FSCHÂ
The Announcement Reference Document is on the Website and EMS--see the upper corner on the registration page to download from EMS
Registration is open in EMS! Planning is underway to host a successful event this Spring.  Please mark your calendars to help--we welcome members to volunteer in many ways.  Upcoming dates to keep in mind:
4/2/2026 Registration Deadline for 2026 Memorial Trophy
4/2/2026 Request Deeadline for Critiques offered for TOI and Solo Free Dance events. Please email MemorialTrophyChair@gmail.comÂ
4/16/2026 We have a host hotel this year! Book a room at the special rate of $169 per night at the Westin before 4/16 using this reservation link: Book your group rate for Memorial Trophy Competition Room Block
Event Co-Chairs: Wendy Barnard & Annabelle Helin MemorialTrophyChair@gmail.com
Practice Ice Coordinators: Courtney Nicholas & Karen Rust  MTPracticeIce@gmail.com
We will use the Sign-up Genius tool to coordinate Volunteer and donations. If you enjoy certain roles over others, please be sure to sign up early. We will have job descriptions and can provide onsite training to get you comfortable performing the role. Â
The link will go out to club members when the competition schedule becomes available. In the meantime, consider the following roles, mark your calendar, and consider completing your SafeSport training if you're not currently up to date.
Setup and Takedown (Building platform for the judges' tables)
Setup and Takedown (General set-up)
Check-in desk coverage
Ice Monitor
Runners
Hospitality team
AwardsÂ
Music (Relief role)
Donations (drinks, snacks, gift cards, Amazon cards)
Photos/Videos during the event for club social media
🏆Collegiate Skating
🏆Collegiate Skating
Figure skating doesn’t have to end after high school. In fact, thousands of dedicated figure skaters across the country represent their colleges and universities as they continue to progress through their personal skating journeys - some even going on to promising post-graduate careers with Team USA. Â
Congratulations to Autumn Kirk, Valeria Rodriguez, and Juliet Abraham for great skates at Lone Star Skate, February 20-22, 2026Â Â
Esteban Catano is headed to the 2026 North East Intercollegiate Classic hosted by SC Of Utica - Utica, NY from March 13-15, 2026.Â
Juliet Abraham will be at Skate On Wisconsin hosted by University of Wisconsin Madison in Madison, WI from March 13-15, 2026Â
đź“° Community Connection
đź“° Community Connection
Have you ever considered becoming an official? US Figure Skating is hosting a webinar series to share information about different roles to consider. It is recommended you register in advance and submit any questions. Join Tuesday, March 10 from 7-8:15 p.m. CST for a conversation about what it looks like to stay involved in skating through the pathway of becoming an official. The panel will discuss:
The different types of officials and what each role entails
How to get started on the officiating pathway
The strong sense of community that develops among officials
How officials uphold integrity in the sport
Ongoing efforts to evolve and improve the culture of officiating
Questions? Email officialsmanagement@usfigureskating.org.
đź‘•Looking for Spirit Wear?Â
đź‘•Looking for Spirit Wear?Â
Shop MFSCH branded merchandise at our website. Personaliteez is the vendor included under Membership and Club.Â
ℹ️ Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
ℹ️ Frequently Asked Questions - FAQs
Q: Â Where do I find the 2026-2027 competition program requirements that go into effect after March 2nd?
A: Well-Balanced Free Skate and Short Program requirements go into effect March 3, 20206.Â
Check out the link here: Competition Program Requirements - U.S. Figure SkatingÂ
Short Program (Juvenile - Senior):
2026-27 [March 3, 2026-March 1, 2027]Well-Balanced Free Skate (Pre-Preliminary - Senior):
2026-27 [March 3, 2026-March 1, 2027]
Q: How do I earn test credit in my IJS free skate event during a competition?
A: In accordance with Rules 4100 and 4200-4202, athletes may receive credit for certain tests by meeting minimum scores at a competition held under the International Judge System (IJS). The athlete must “skate-up” to the event for which they are seeking test credit, in addition to having already passed any prerequisites prior to the competition event.Â
1. The candidate must achieve at least the minimum in all three scores;Â
2. Each executed element must have a panel score greater than 0.00; andÂ
3. There must not be more than two falls in a singles free skate. Â The scores are documented in Technical Notification 303 for Singles.
ℹ️ Volunteer at the Club Info Table!
ℹ️ Volunteer at the Club Info Table!
Proud of MFSCH skaters? Volunteer at the Club Info Table to tell others about club membership. Â All ages are welcome to volunteer at the table (volunteers under 14 need a parent/guardian present).
đź“… Thursdays: 4:30–6:30 PM Â
📅 Saturdays: 11:30 AM–1:30 PM
âś… Meet fellow skaters
âś… Learn more about the club when people ask questions!
âś… Help make our community fun & welcoming
Contact: Courtney NicholasÂ
📸 Showcase your skater!
📸 Showcase your skater!
Got great skating pics or videos?  Share them with us and you might see them on our club Instagram  or Facebook! We love it all—fun on-ice clips, learning a new skill, practicing a program, milestone moments, and more!
Questions? Contact Catherine Ridley at socials.mfsch@gmail.com
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
Upcoming Events & Important Dates
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