2025 - 2026 SRA ICE SEASON

Welcome to the Southampton 2025-2026 Ice Season!

The SRA Ice season is fast approaching and the excitement is building! The long, hot summer pool days are behind us, evenings are arriving earlier each day, there are fresh crisp hints of autumn in the air – and the SRA Ice Team is busy getting our ice rink ready for our members to enjoy. We look forward to sharing more time together with our Southampton friends and families with the opening of our rink!

Spending time at SRA's own private ice rink is the perfect activity to bring smiles to the whole family.  We are planning our two used equipment sale days at the club. The first will coincide with SRA’s Halloween event on the afternoon/evening of Saturday, October 25th.  The second used equipment sale will be held on the Sunday afternoon of the rink opening weekend November 2nd. Also on Sunday afternoon of our opening weekend we are planning additional activities on the ice, a meet and greet for new members (or new to the Ice) as well as fun games with prizes.  Ice skating lessons will start on Saturday, November 8th, with our youth hockey programs beginning on Sunday, November 9th.

Your annual membership includes full use of the ice rink, you simply sign a Passcode Agreement and are given an access code for rink entry. The agreement can be signed in person at one of our used equipment sale events, in the SRA office or online on the SRA website. We are planning all of our usual activities this season, including our youth ice hockey clinics and figure  skating lessons for all ages, our popular adult hockey night and plenty of open skating times for everyone to enjoy. We are again looking to expand our youth hockey program and are currently evaluating member interest for the format to offer.   We look forward to seeing even more of you participating during the upcoming season.

This year we will again have online capability on our website to sign up and pay for classes/clinics and electronically sign the passcode waiver to get access to the ice rink.  Save your energy for the ice, signing up is easy and you will not even have to leave your couch, just visit our website.

Our rink is almost entirely volunteer run. Ice making, ice maintenance, social events and fundraisers are all run by our members. We always have room for more help, for more information on how you can volunteer contact the SRA office (sra2office@gmail.com).

Meet the Coaches
Allison Ezzi returns for her 18th year coaching figure skating at Southampton. She is from
Massachusetts and loves everything skating. She competed throughout her childhood, including on a synchronized team at Michigan State University. Her coaching reflects her ice career as she teaches with love, precision and creativity. We also welcome back our own fabulous Kinga Bality. 

We’re excited to welcome both John Horton and John Chukayne back to coach our youth ice hockey again this year.  John Horton first put skates on at age 2, skated on his very own backyard rink in Ontario, started playing organized hockey at age 5, joined a travel team at age 7 and has been playing as an adult from college through today.  John Chukayne is originally from Ohio and has been in organized hockey for over 30 years now. John has played from a young age all the way through Junior hockey, he has coached various youth levels, High School and is currently the head coach for the University of Richmond club team. John has a wealth of coaching experience and is excited to offer this to SRA.

Holiday Wreath Fundraiser
It takes a lot to support the rink but luckily, we’ve found fun ways to help offset some of our costs. Please support SRA Ice Skating through purchasing a festive holiday wreath. This is a great way to get or give your holiday wreaths, while supporting our unique ice program. We are asking our Southampton community to please join-in and offer our wreaths to family, friends, church groups, other sports teammates, teachers, neighbors, etc. These are beautiful, fresh 22-inch wreaths that look great, smell amazing and make perfect gifts for all!  To purchase just visit our website, stop by the office or place your order during the sign-up/used equipment sales events. Wreaths will arrive at SRA during the first week of December. We will email the exact information on pick-up dates and times around the end of November. *All orders must be placed by November 16th.*

Ice Socials
Our ice socials are a great time to show off your skills with all of your SRA friends or make new friends sharing time at the rink with other families. We are planning an active season of family skating socials again this year beginning with the start of the season. We will have more on this soon so keep an eye out and we will make announcements shortly.

Used Equipment Sale (Skate Swap)
Bring your used or outgrown skates, skating apparel and hockey equipment to the SRA clubhouse to be sold during our two upcoming used Equipment Sales. Give your skating equipment a second life! You can donate your used skating and hockey equipment to the club so we can make it available for the next generation to enjoy. We are accepting all of this equipment now, just drop it off at the SRA clubhouse. 

For those that have not joined in this tradition previously, it is a great way to gear up for the skating season. With the increased interest in ice skating at SRA, our inventory may not be as robust as it has been in years past. If you have a skater still in need of skates after our swap, please consider looking for skates at Play It Again Sports, Richmond Ice Zone, or Facebook Marketplace. Having quality figure skates is vital for success – even for beginners. As a beginner-level skater, opting to choose ill-fitting skates may deter you from pursuing the sport.  It is important to choose boots and blades to match a skater’s skill level, a boot that is too big or too small can be uncomfortable and a blade that isn’t built for sustaining higher-level jumps and spins can limit a skater’s ability to progress.

Lessons and Lesson Sign-Ups
We will have sign ups available in-person, but to be sure not to miss out on a coveted spot, you can also sign up using the SRA website  anytime. Skating lessons are an important component of our ice program. Children as young as three years of age can safely learn how to skate, fall and stop on the ice. Skating can be a fun, family activity! We offer a wide variety of classes to fit everyone.

For kids of all ages interested in hockey, we will again be offering our very popular hockey clinics on Sundays. We will be evaluating this year's crop of young SRA hockey enthusiasts with potential for additional scrimmages/games, more to come as we start the season. We do ask that all participants can skate first before participating in our hockey program, we do have skating lessons for all levels available.

In Person Lesson Sign-up/Used Equipment Sale Saturdays (Skate Swap)
Saturday, October 25th from 5:00-7:00 pm
Sunday, November 2nd from 2:00-4:00 pm

Ice Rink Clean-Up
We need your help to prepare the rink for the season. Keep a lookout for announcements for our clean-up days, we always need help with a little organizing or cleaning. Community service hours can be documented for students.

Ice Revue
We know the excitement of our skaters for the Ice Revue, and we are looking forward to highlighting all of our shining stars again as the finale to our skate lessons. The annual Ice Revue is a fun filled event that allows our skaters to show off their skills and talents gained in lessons during the season. Families, guests, and all SRA members are invited to attend. It’s a wonderful night of SRA entertainment that’s sure to warm your heart!  Save the following dates we are targeting for the Ice Revue Dress Rehearsal on the evening of Friday, February 27th, with the Ice Revue taking place on Saturday, February 28th. We plan to hold separate practices for the Ice Revue – February 7, 14 and 21. We will have lots of projects to prepare costumes and backdrops, this is a really fun way for everyone to be involved making the Revue even more exciting for all participants. More to come on this, stay tuned.

Ice Calendar
Before heading to the rink, visit the ice calendar on the website for the latest updates to open skate and open hockey times.

Passcode Agreement

Anyone wishing to use the rink MUST sign the passcode agreement. Once signed, members will be provided the passcode to the rink door. These can be filled out at the lesson sign-ups, in the office or online. The passcode cannot be shared with non-members for any reason and should not be given to anyone.

Guests
Members are welcome to bring guests when spending time at the ice rink. All guests must sign a waiver and pay the $5 guest fee, the waiver forms are available on the podium in the rink and can be left in the cash box together with the fee. Guests are NOT to be given the passcode! We rely on the honor system for the collection of the guest fees, it is only a fraction of what commercial rinks charge.

Lesson Offerings

Sign up early, all classes are available on the SRA website. Please note: There is a minimum and maximum enrollment for each class. Please sign up early to secure your skater a spot and to ensure that the class you are interested in is not canceled.

Figure Skating Lessons
Saturday Lesson Dates: November: 8, 15, 22; December: 6, 13; January: 3, 12, 17, 24; January 31 will be held as a placeholder for a make-up class if necessitated by any cancellation or an additional Revue practice.

The previously separate cost for participation in the Ice Revue has been incorporated into the lesson amount to keep it simple for families and allow for costume planning, set design and preparations to begin earlier.

** All lesson times are subject to change as we build classes around participation levels

Tots
Saturdays, 9:00-9:25 am, Cost $110
Skills – sit, stand-up, march in place, march forward, march and glide on two feet. This class is perfect for preschoolers (age 3-5). Students are strongly encouraged to wear gloves, bike helmets, and snow pants.

Pre-Alpha
Saturdays, 9:30-10:00 am, Cost $110
Skills – one and two-foot glides, backwards wiggles, forward and backward swizzles, forward stroking, forward crossovers, bunny hop, snowplow stop. This class is for skaters 5+ who are new to skating. The class will cover basic skating skills. Students may wear helmets and ski pants for comfort and protection.

Alpha
Saturdays, 10:15-10:45 am, Cost $120
Skills – one and two-foot glides, backward wiggles, forward stroking and crossovers, bunny hop, snowplow and T-stops, letter D’s and pump stroking. This class is designed for skaters with some experience who need to review and solidify their beginner skills before moving on to the next level. Students may wear helmets or ski pants for comfort and protection.

Beta
Saturdays, 11:00-11:30 am, Cost $120
Skills – forward and backward stroking, crossovers and swizzle pumps on a circle, forward edges, open Mohawk, T-stops, and moving 2-foot turns on a curve. This class builds on solid beginner skating skills. These skaters will be introduced to more advanced and challenging moves.

Gamma/Delta
Saturdays, 11:45 am-12:30 pm, Cost $140
Skills – forward 3-turn inside, forward and backward inside and outside edges, shoot the duck, forward inside pivot, one and two-foot spins, spiral, waltz jump, ballet jump, lunge, forward spiral. This class builds upon solid intermediate skating skills. This class will challenge experienced skaters to higher levels of skill and form in their skating.

Freestyle
Saturdays, 12:45-1:30 pm, Cost $140
Skills – 1-foot spin, forward and backward spirals, lunges, forward and backward crossovers, forward and backward edges, 3-turns, waltz jumps, ½ jumps, dance sequences and combination moves. 

Beginner Teen and Adult
Sundays 5:00 pm – 5:45 pm, Cost $140
New to SRA or been on swim team all these years and never tried the rink? And now you’re too old to join the tots for beginner lessons? This class is for you. Or maybe you’re a parent who’s tired of standing on the sidelines and wants in on the action. This all-age class will teach you the basic skating skills that will allow you to participate with your children comfortably and confidently on the ice. Take on a new challenge this winter, get some exercise and have fun doing it in this mixed age learning opportunity.
(Bike helmets and kneepads are encouraged until you are comfortable and secure with your balance and skill on the ice.)
Private lessons are offered through our instructors, days/times are based on availability and scheduled directly with them. To register for private figure skating lessons, contact Allison Ezzi (sra.allisone@gmail.com).

Hockey Clinic
Sundays, Level 1 - 2:00-3:00 pm, Cost $100
Sundays, Level 2 - 2:30-3:30 pm, Cost $100
November 9th through  March 1st. This is a Foundations of Hockey program for boys and girls of all ages that want to learn to play, stick handling and the rules of hockey. Skating skills are the basis for good hockey playing, so there will be an emphasis on learning skills, but participants should have basic skating ability to join. We plan to separate into groups based upon skill level with some overlap to allow opportunities for scrimmaging. As we progress through the season, we hope to introduce more competition this year and will meet with interested parents to discuss ideas. Please note: We strive to keep our clinic costs low each year because we recognize that there are additional equipment purchases necessary to participate (i.e., helmet, pads, stick, tape, etc.). Be sure to check the used equipment sales first for equipment and drop off your outgrown equipment for other members!

Important Season Reminders
Please look before you skate! You must check the thermometer beside the rink entry gate before skating. The ice temperature should read below 25°F for safe skating. If you arrive and find the ice temperature higher or detect that anything else is problematic at the rink, please call Dylan Greenbaum at (804) 337-7739.

Ice Maintenance
We have a team of wonderful volunteers who maintain the ice daily using the ice wizard (our mini-Zamboni). Our ice wizard is not for general use by members, it is only to be used by our ice maintenance crew at scheduled times throughout the week. Ice equipment and maintenance are for our trained members only. We are always looking for additional members to join our team!

Volunteer Opportunities
This rink is a unique and special place that is run almost entirely by volunteers. We’d love your help! Opportunities include rink clean-up and maintenance, ice making team, ice maintenance/wizard team, Ice Revue team and a support crew for lessons. If you have a more experienced skater over the age of 13 who’d like to be an assistant coach for service hours, we could use their help! Please call the SRA office at (804) 272-7401 or email sra2office@gmail.com to volunteer and help keep the rink running and growing.

Ice-Only Memberships
Know any non-SRA members who may want to use the rink all season? Let them know that a winter-only family membership can be purchased. Call the SRA office at (804) 272-7401 or email sra2office@gmail.com.