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Last updated:
23-apr-08
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Deena Beacom, Club Coach
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Deena Beacom has been going
the extra kilometre as director of the club for the past
four years. She could boast a wealth of talent, experience,
and credentials if she were that sort of person. As her
husband, I am happy to do so, and to attest to Deena’s extraordinary
temporal and spiritual commitment to the club and its skaters.
After a very rewarding and successful competitive
career highlighted by a win at the senior level for Western
Canada, Deena merited principle roles for several years
as a touring professional with Ice Capades. This background
has given her the confidence to exercise leadership as a
competitive coach and as the driving force behind the biennial
sell-out ice shows at the Esquimalt Archie Browning Sports
Centre.
After ten years as a competitive figure skating
coach and seven years leading skaters to the national championships,
she has continued to expand her knowledge of the sport by
embarking on level IV national coaching certification after
passing level III with distinction. Deena has also recently
become a Technical Specialist under the New Judging System
and thus stays on top of new developments in the way elements
are assessed for difficulty in competitions. This is a very
important asset in preparing skaters for these competitions.
I am very proud of Deena for her initiatives
in the club as a whole and with individual skaters. She
has the resolve and integrity to realize her vision. She
has the wisdom and heart to bring the best out of her skaters
and to help them make skating a rewarding part of their
lives.
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Gary Beacom, Club Coach
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Hi. my name is Gary Beacom, and I have been
coaching on and off for the past fifteen years or so. As
you can see from my web site, http://www.garybeacom.com/,
I also keep my own skating in shape, and I am continuing
to experiment, create, and think deeply about the sport,
art, and entertainment medium known as figure skating.
I am immersed in skating in more ways than one,
as a performance artist, as a coach, as a national level
Technical Specialist, as a skate sharpener, and as the author
of a how-to book about figure skating that is scheduled
for publication in early 2006. Regular daily skating and
training keeps technical concepts so important for good
technique fresh in my mind. It also allows me to develop
movement and choreographic innovations that I share with
the athletes.
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Marla Donaldson, Club Coach
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Marla is a NCCP Level 3 Certified coach and has been coaching StarSkate and competitive athletes in singles, pairs and dance for 27 years. She has coached skaters at the national level in singles, pairs and dance. Marla has also had experience as a Senior competitive pairs and singles skater and was a Junior National competitor in pairs.
Marla brings a wealth of knowledge to the Racquet Club and specializes in choreography, singles, pairs and dance. She is also a Certified Dance Teacher, Certified Family Mediator, and a Certified CanPower CoachCoach.
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Gail Turgeon, Club Coach
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Gail brings 27 years of coaching experience throughout various clubs in British Columbia to the Racquet Club. Teaching all levels, from beginner through competitive, toddlers to adults, she enjoys all aspects of coaching, choreography and performance.
As a competitive skater in singles, pairs and Junior dance, with a Western Canadian win in Novice Pairs, Gail has a well rounded understanding of the sport of figure skating.
Over her career she has produced and directed countless ice shows and conducted and assisted at many Field training skaters seminars on the island. Gail also was involved in the planning of and performances created for The Butchart Gardens new outdoor skating rink. Volunteering continues to be special to her and she has, and continues to, develop and organize programs and special events for different volunteer school, charity and workplace organizations.
With her youngest daughter as an actively competitive skater at Racquet Club she is extremely happy to be a part of the continuing generations of young skaters who make her home club such a special place to be and be proud of.
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Matt Willis, Club Coach
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The Racquet Club of Victoria is pleased to welcome Matt Willis as club coach!
Matt comes to us with 3 years of coaching experience as well as invaluable experience as a national and international competitor in ice dance.
Matt was a 5 time provincial champion in different pairs and ice dance levels, 3 time western challenge champion in Novice ice dance plus won the silver medal in pre-novice pairs and won the Bronze medal at two North American Challenge Skates in Novice Ice dance (San Jose, California and Burnaby, BC). He has trained at some of the top Elite Athlete training centres in Canada including the BC Centre of Excellence, Centre Elite de Boucherville in Montreal and the Glencoe Club in Calgary.
Matt’s interests in coaching focus on artistry/choreography, edge and stroking development, ice dance, and freeskate. Matt has a keen interest in composing and arranging music which aids in music selection and choreography as well as costume design.
His goal is to attain his NCCP level 3 status within the next 2 years.
Matt coaches all levels of skaters including competitive dance teams.
Welcome, Matt!
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