UNITED STATES FIGURE SKATING ASSOCIATION (USFSA)
Membership
Membership for USFSA goes through one of the local figure skating clubs. I am outlining the differences between the clubs below. The choice of a club may depend on many factors including: price, volunteering requirements, club ice schedules, and whether or not the skater wishes to join a synchronized skating team. Memberships run July 1st -June 30th and fees aren’t prorated if a skater joins in the middle of a season.
Once a club has been joined, the skater can utilize club ice and test/compete representing that club. Club ice is ice that is bought from the rink directly by the figure skating club and is only open to club members. They are often during more prime time hours (evenings and weekends) so they can be a great chance for skaters to get more ice time.
The local figure skating clubs offer home and associate memberships. A skater has to have a home club membership to test and compete. Associate memberships are optional and may be purchased as a way to utilize club ice sessions at non-home clubs but cannot take the place of a home club membership.
Clubs will often require their members to put in a certain number of volunteer hours every year to help the club function. Much of the USFSA membership fee goes directly to USFSA so the clubs heavily rely on volunteering efforts to make test sessions and competitions happen. These hours may include monitoring club ice or helping to set up or facilitate a test session, competition, or show.
Figure Skating Clubs
In the St. Louis area the main figure skating clubs are Creve Coeur Figure Skating Club (CCFSC), Metro Edge Figure Skating Club (MEFSC), St. Louis Skating Club (SLSC), and St. Peters Figure Skating Association (SPFSA). Centene ice rink is also in the process of creating a USFSA club program. When that is finalized, it will be reflected in the chart below. I am not affiliated with SPFSA so I cannot coach on club ice and am therefore not listing it in the table below.
Home Rink Location
Membership Fee
Typical Club Ice Schedule
Club Ice Cost
Volunteer Hours
Notes
CCFSC
Creve Coeur Ice Arena - Creve Coeur, MO
Home Club - 1 skater = $135
Add’l family member = $55
Introductory Home Club - 1 Skater = $60 (must be 1st year USFSA member)
Associate = $75
Add’l Associate = $40
More options for collegiate, professional, and senior skaters on their website.
Mondays 5:10p - 6:10p
Wednesdays 5:10p - 6:40p
~$8.50 per ½ hour ($88 per punchcard - good for 5 hours)
No required hours
CCFSC has several club ice sessions each week and is oftentimes the least busy.
MEFSC
Webster Groves Ice Arena - Webster Groves, MO
Home Club - 1 skater = $175 ($65 per skater and $110 for family membership)
Introductory Home Club - 1 skater = $95 ($40 per skater and $55 for family membership) - must be 1st year USFSA member
Associate - 1 skater = $120 ($55 per skater and $65 for family membership)
Adult Home Club = $110
Adult Associate = $55
More options for collegiate, professional, and senior skaters on their website.
Mondays 4:30p - 6p
Wednesdays 5:45p - 6:45p
$10 per ½ hour
10 hours per year
MEFSC has a very successful synchronized skating community. If a skater is interested in joining a synchro team you may consider getting your club membership here.
SLSC
Brentwood Ice Rink - Brentwood, MO
Home Club - 1 skater = $125 + $40 volunteer fee*
Add’l home club family member = $50
Introductory Home Club - 1 skater = $65 + $20 volunteer fee* (must be 1st year USFSA member)
Add’l introductory family member = $40
Associate = $90 + $40 volunteer fee*
More options for collegiate, LTS, and professional skaters on their website.
Tuesdays 4:30 - 6p, 6:15 - 7:15p
Thursdays 4:30 - 6p, 6:15 - 7:15p
Saturdays 12:15 - 1:15p
Sundays 2:30p - 4p
$10 per ½ hour
*5 hours per year to be refunded volunteer fee
SLSC has the most club ice times so if you anticipate wanting to utilize club ice as much as possible, this may be the best option.
PLEASE NOTE: Any of the above information can change as the clubs see fit. I will do my best to keep this table up to date but always double check this information by visiting the club’s website before making any decisions.
Testing
Skaters testing through USFSA will begin by testing the ‘Skating Skills’ discipline. This track builds a solid foundation for skating that is then built upon in the other disciplines like singles, pairs, and ice dance.
For Skating Skills, Singles, and Pairs there are 8 tests: Pre-Preliminary, Preliminary, Pre-Bronze, Bronze, Pre-Silver, Silver, Pre-Gold, and Gold. Skaters must pass the Skating Skills test for each level before completing the Singles or Pairs test of the same level. When a skater passes the Gold test in any discipline they receive the designation of USFS Gold Medalist in that discipline.
Once a skater is ready to test, they will sign up for an in-person test session and complete the test in front of a panel of judges that will then mark “Pass” or “Retry.” It is not uncommon to receive a “Retry,” especially at higher levels, so skaters should not be discouraged if this is the case.
In more recent years, USFSA has created the option to submit a virtual recording of a test to a judging panel that will “Pass” or “Retry” the skater. The decision to test in person vs virtually may depend on a variety of factors including deadlines for competitions, test anxiety, and scheduling conflicts.
Competing
For more information visit the United States Figure Skating Association’s website here: