WELCOME TO THE KW SERTOMA SPEED SKATING CLUB!
Join us today!
About Us
We are a fun and dynamic community where everyone can realize personal goals in a safe, structured sporting environment while experiencing the love of skating fast.
The K-W Sertoma Speed Skating Club was formed in 1963 by a group of interested families with a love for the sport. Our team of dedicated volunteer coaches are NCCP certified and develop programs tailored to a range of ages and abilities.
Our competitive skaters, the KW Cobras, participate in short track speed skating competitions run by local clubs across Ontario. Some competitive skaters qualify to go to Provincial and National Championships, as well as the Ontario and Canada Winter Games.
Whether you are interested in our competitive stream, or you simply want the fitness and social aspects of the sport, we have a program for you! Young children, youth and adults of all ages are welcome.
Come out and see what our club is all about. Remember: skate hard and go left!
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Coaching Team
COACH PATTI
FUNDAMENTALS, D-SQUAD & MASTERS PROGRAMS
Patti has been speed skating for over 30 years. She started with her family, but as a lifelong learner and educator, it was natural that she found her way into the coaching world of speed skating. She is also an NCCP Coach Developer/Facilitator /Evaluator. Her coaching philosophy in all sports has always been: “Did you try your best? Did you learn something new? Did you have fun? Then we are all winners!”
“Skating is the most wonderful feeling in the world. The feel of the ice and the power of the glide is amazing. Sharing that feeling and the comraderies of the speed skating family across all of Canada and beyond is something that brings me great joy.”
COACH TERESA
FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
Teresa has always known speed skating to be a great family sport, given the over 30 year involvement of her sister’s (Coach Patti!) family. She had loved being on the ice as a figure skater, and so in 1995 found the great opportunity to continue with skating as well as spend time with her nieces and nephews, including a young Coach Julie! She enjoys watching kids learn skills and improve over the weeks and months, and likes to do what she can to help the club reach more young skaters. As we like to say, practice makes performance!
“I love being on ice, the speed of it, the sport’s gracefulness. I like trying to improve and remember all the lessons I’ve had.”
COACH ELENA
FUNDAMENTALS & MASTERS PROGRAMS
Elena came to speed skating as an adult, not knowing much but just enough to get herself around the ice and experience the thrill of speed and the rush of the wind. What attracted her was that feeling; what made her hooked is the precision and science that go into a great stride. Having her own young child start speed skating too, she is always re-evaluating how to explain different concepts to kids and trying out different approaches with her.
“I believe that because of those ‘aha’ moments of figuring out the right technique are still fresh in my mind, I am in a great position to guide beginner skaters and skaters who want to refine their technique.”
COACH SYDNEY
FUNDAMENTALS, D-SQUAD & MASTERS PROGRAMS
Sydney joined KWSSSC with her mom as a young teenager looking for a sport that spoke to her. Now, many years later, she tries her best to pass on her enthusiasm for the sport in her coaching. She loves how speed skating brings people together, and offers opportunity for sport and community to all ages, interests and abilities.
“When I coach I want to be as inclusive as possible, so that hopefully everyone can find the sense of belonging in the skating community that I did.”
COACH BRITTNEY
FUNDAMENTALS & MASTERS PROGRAMS
Brittney got involved with KWSSSC as an adult in one of the Learn to Speed Skate sessions. It was a sport she had always been interested in but never had the opportunity to try until finding KWSSSC. Brittney became a coach with KWSSSC because, despite the unprecedented times we have faced in the past two years, Speed Skating remained a way for her to find some normalcy and balance. This is a direct result of the hard work and dedication the volunteers with KWSSSC have put in so that our seasons were as safe and uninterrupted as possible. Having benefited from this dedication, Brittney wanted to step up and help out in any way needed to support the growth and stability of our club for years to come. When not doing KWSSSC things, Brittney loves to spend her spare time at the horse barn.
“KWSSSC is full of so many welcoming and caring individuals. From the very first LTSS sessions, to my first session in our Master’s group KWSSSC has felt like such a wonderful and supportive community.”
COACH DEREK
ADVANCED PROGRAM
Bio coming soon
COACH JIE SOO
ADVANCED & D-SQUAD PROGRAMS
Jie Soo started speed skating in Grade 1 and never stopped! She coaches because speed skating was such an important part of her life that she wants to make sure others in the next generation can also experience the sport. She feels that recreational sport is incredibly important to the community and wants to do what she can to support it.
“When we are doing a difficult drill I always remind the skaters ‘it’s good for your athletic development!'”
COACH JULIE
ADVANCED PROGRAM
Julie has been a member of the KW Speed Skating Club since she was 2 years old! Julie’s older sister and brother skated, her mom coached and her dad was the equipment manager. Every week, they carted her along to the rink for practice – sometimes with her skates and helmet already on! Julie started coaching as a teenager while she was still racing competitively.
Julie’s coaching lens has been shaped by her experience as a skater, a dedicated supporter of the Canadian sport landscape and a mother. Her coaching vision is to increase the physical and mental health literacy of the athletes in her program to allow them to establish confidence, competence, connection and character. She does this by leading with her values of accountability, resilience and curiosity.
Julie aims to create a daily training environment that focuses on development and safe skill progressions where skaters can experiment to learn a movement solution for the task at hand.
“With the right support, resources and encouragement, skaters can find their own version of success in speed skating and life beyond sport.”
COACH JERRY
FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
Bio coming soon
COACH WILLIAM
ADVANCED PROGRAM
William started speed skating at the tender age of 2 years old! His whole family has been involved in the KWSSSC, including his father Doug Gibbons who coached for more than 20 years, and still supports the KWSSSC via Bingo fundraising every Sunday with the Sertoma Club. William competed nationally in the Short Track Canada Cup Juniors in 2018 before stepping back from racing during COVID-19. Now, William coaches as a way to stay involved in the sport and give back to the speed skating community. He uses his technical knowledge and competitive experience to help young athletes just like him improve their skating and keep enjoying their time on the ice.
“I don’t want the athletes I coach to win all the time – then what is the point of coaching! Focussing on winning is a distraction from improvement. I want everyone to continue to learn every time they come to practice or compete in a meet. It’s all about getting experience”
COACH DIANNE
FUNDAMENTALS PROGRAM
Bio coming soon
All of our coaches are NCCP Certified and CAC Safe Sport Trained!
