Two years ago, Skate VIDA began with a vision: to create a place where skaters could grow, challenge themselves, find their confidence, and discover everything that makes figure skating such a special sport.
On November 1, 2026, Skate VIDA celebrated its second anniversary. And as we look back on these first two years, we find ourselves feeling incredibly grateful—not just for how much VIDA has grown, but for the people, partnerships, and community that have made it what it is today.
What started as a vision has become something much bigger than a place to train. It has become a community of athletes, coaches, families, friends, and partners who believe in supporting one another and creating opportunities for skaters at every stage of their journey.
As we begin a month centered on gratitude, we want to recognize some of the people and organizations who have helped make that possible.
A Home for Skating: Thank You To The Pond
We are especially grateful to The Pond Hockey Club for supporting Skate VIDA over these past two years and helping make our training environment possible.
Having a dedicated place where figure skaters can come together to learn, train, and pursue their goals has been foundational to what we are building. We appreciate the support, flexibility, and collaboration that have helped us continue growing and serving our skating community.
We are proud of what has developed here—and thankful to call The Pond our home.
The Heart of VIDA: Our Coaches and Collaborative Team
Of course, none of what Skate VIDA has become would be possible without our incredible coaching team.
We are fortunate to have coaches who bring different specialties, experiences, perspectives, and strengths to the ice—and who share a common commitment to helping each skater reach their potential.
One of the things that makes Skate VIDA unique is our collaborative approach to coaching. Rather than relying on a single coach to provide every piece of an athlete's development, our skaters benefit from a team of professionals working together, each contributing their own expertise. From jumps, spins, and skating skills to choreography, dance, performance, and off-ice development, our team approach allows us to look at the whole athlete and support the many dimensions of their skating journey.
Just as importantly, collaboration means communication, shared goals, and a willingness to learn from one another. It means celebrating a skater's progress as a team and recognizing that the best outcomes happen when everyone is working together in the athlete's best interest.
To our coaches: thank you for the knowledge, dedication, creativity, patience, and passion you bring to VIDA every day. Thank you for investing in your skaters, supporting one another, and helping create an environment where athletes feel encouraged, challenged, and valued.
We are proud of the team we have built—and even prouder of the culture we are building together.
More Than a Club: Growing Together With Heart of Texas FSC
Our relationship with Heart of Texas Figure Skating Club has helped make the skating experience richer in so many ways.
Through the club, our skaters have access to valuable resources and opportunities that extend beyond their regular training. Recent gym upgrades have expanded the resources available to support athlete development, while club activities create opportunities for skaters and families to connect outside their time on the ice.
From the Halloween party and exhibitions to the annual holiday show, Snowball Party, Olympic celebrations, and so many other gatherings, these experiences remind us that figure skating is about more than individual goals and competition results.
It is about friendships, shared experiences, encouragement, and belonging to something bigger than yourself.
We are grateful for the people who work behind the scenes to make these opportunities possible and for the community that shows up to make them special.
Opening the Door: Our Partnership With Edge Up Skating Foundation
One of the most meaningful parts of building this community has been finding ways to share the sport we love with people who might otherwise never have the opportunity to experience it.
That is why our partnership with Edge Up Skating Foundation means so much to us.
Edge Up works to break down barriers to entry and create opportunities for young people to discover figure skating, regardless of the financial circumstances that might otherwise keep them away from the ice.
We believe every child deserves the chance to experience the confidence, discipline, joy, and sense of accomplishment that skating can bring. Through this partnership, we get to help open that door for future skaters and make our skating community a little more accessible and inclusive.
We are proud to stand alongside Edge Up in that mission and excited about the possibilities still ahead.
Giving Back: The Partnerships for Children Giving Tree
As we celebrate everything our community has helped us build, we also want to remember the importance of giving back.
This November, we are excited to support Partnerships for Children through a Giving Tree at The Pond. The tree will feature holiday wish-list tags for local children in the care of Child Protective Services.
The idea is simple: choose a tag, purchase the requested gift, and return it unwrapped, with the tag attached, to the collection bin by the tree.
The gifts will help fulfill children's holiday wish lists and bring a little extra joy and brightness to their holiday season.
We invite our skaters, families, coaches, and everyone in the wider skating community to participate. Whether you take one tag or encourage someone else to join in, every contribution helps make a difference.
It is one small way we can extend the kindness and generosity we experience within our own community to children and families who could use a little extra support this season.
Two Years In, and Just Getting Started
When we think about what makes Skate VIDA special, it isn't simply the number of skaters who have come through our doors, the skills they've learned, or the goals they've achieved.
It is the coaches who collaborate, share their expertise, and invest so much of themselves in their athletes. The skaters who encourage one another, celebrate each other's progress, and keep showing up. The families who trust us with their children's journeys. The partners who share our vision and help create opportunities we could never build alone.
It is the friendships, the laughter, the hard work, the celebrations, and even the challenges that bring us together.
We are incredibly proud of what this community is—and even more excited about what it continues to become.
As we enter our third year, we do so with full hearts and deep gratitude for everyone who has been part of the journey so far.
Thank you for believing in this vision, for growing with us, and for helping make Skate VIDA what it is today.
And as we celebrate two years of skating, we hope you'll join us in finding ways to share that joy with others this holiday season.
Skating is Life. And community makes it even more meaningful.