Speed Skating Competitions and Meets

Speed Skating competitions are often called "Meets." Over the course of the season, Club members will go to as many as 8-10 competitions in short track and long track. The types of competitions vary and rarely does every skater go to all of them. Short track meets are skated on an indoor 100m oval track for younger skaters (Ages 13 and under) and a 111 m oval track for older skaters (ages 14+). Long track meets are skated on a 400m oval track, often outdoors as there is only one indoor Oval in Alberta. 

Although a skater may become involved with the sport of speed skating just for the fun of it or to improve skating skills, often he or she will eventually want to put those skills to the test in a competition. As a parent suddenly confronted with the situation of entering your child in his or her first competition, what do you have to do? 

Registration

Registration for Meets in Alberta is done through the Speed Skating Canada registration system, Ice Reg. All Speed Skaters register with the Club as a Member in Ice Reg and so do their parents as Adult Volunteers. When the Meet Registration is sent to the Club, this will include a link to register in Ice Reg and pay online. Almost all Meets in Alberta are Ability Meets which means that Skaters are placed in groups with a mix of ages and male and female skaters based on their times. Meet Registration may ask for a time. If you are unsure, as your Coach. 

Our Club meet in November is the perfect first meet for new skaters!

Athlete Funding: If you qualify to compete at national championships and/or at national ranking meets, RDCLSSC will endeavour to support your efforts to attend. A Bursary in the amount of $300.00 is offered to skaters who qualify for and attend a National Level Meet (e.g. CYST or CYLT). 

Overview of Meets

Most of the meets run in Alberta are Short Track or Long Track Ability Meets, so much of this information is specifically related to these forms of competitions, but the basics apply regardless of which discipline is being skated. If a Meet is a Qualifier for a National Competition, this will be clear in the Meet Announcement. If you have questions, ask the Coach! 

An Ability meet format means that skaters of equal ability (as determined by submitted best times or time trials), regardless of age and gender, skate in the same races. It is critical that you submit accurate times so that your child can have a fun yet challenging group within which to race. Depending on the Meet, your skater may not be in the same numbered division at different meets -- they could be in Division 4 at one Meet and in Division 6 or Division 2 at another Meet. The names of Divisions are not standard and your skater will be placed in the right Division based on their Seed Time throughout the season. 

Race Day

On race day, arrive early so that your child can register with the hosting club (if required), check in with the coach, find the correct dressing room, do stretching exercises and be ready to be on the ice in time for warm-up (if your child is skating early in the program). The coach will typically advise each skater when he or she will be racing, but as a parent, you can help by finding the schedule (which is usually posted on the wall or emailed in advance) and by making sure that your skater is aware of the time when he or she should begin to prepare for their next race. Race results are usually posted on a wall in a place accessible to everyone. At first glance, especially for a parent new to the sport, the results don’t seem to make a lot of sense. While times are taken, it is the finish place that is important in a short track meet.

In an Ability meet, skaters are put into several heats with 5 or 6 skaters in each heat. Meets typically consist of a heat and final at each distance the skater is racing. The Meet Recorder will assign skaters to a heat based on their seed times or randomly. The method used to distribute the skaters is designed to ensure that all the top skaters do not end up in the same heat. All skaters then will race in a final at each distance determined by how they placed in their heat. 

Advancement: Ability Meets allow all skaters to race in both Heats and Finals. Skaters who come in first in their Heat are automatically placed in the "A Final" with position and times determining placement in the remaining heats (e.g. fastest 2nd place skater). If there are 5 Heats and the race has 5 skaters on the start line, the advancement will be 1+0 (the winner of each Heat will advance to the A Final and the other skaters will skate in the B, C, or D finals depending on their times and places). If there were 4 Heats and 5 Skaters on the start line, the advancement would be 1+1 (the four Heat Winners + 1 skater -- the fasted 2nd place finisher from the heats). If there were 3 Heats and 8 Skaters on the start line, it would be a 2+2 Advancement, the 1st and 2nd Place skaters in all Heats would advance to the A Final and so would the next 2 fastest 3rd place finishers; even if the 4th place finisher in one Heat was faster than one of the 3rd place finishers from another Heat, the 4th place skater would not advance to the A Final based on their time. The 3rd place skaters would advance based on position. As Short Track involves speed, technique, and strategy, the position is used for advancement. 

Results and Points

In the finals each skater is awarded points based upon his or her final position at each distance skated. The important thing to remember is that the skater finishing last in the “A” final will earn more points than the winner of the “B” final and so on through the finals. The aggregate point total for all final races determines the overall meet results for each skater.

Time and points will generally be posted but sometimes only place and points will be shown. While the volunteers do their best to be accurate, occasionally an error will occur. If you find an error or have any other concerns talk to your coach. Do not take your problem or questions to the referees or other officials, and do not enter the Results or Meet Office. Office volunteers, including the Meet Recorder, are trying very hard to record all information as quickly and as correctly as they can. Interruptions just increase their chance of making an error or causing a delay in the meet because they have been delayed in preparing the new heat cards. Your Coach is your contact at the Meet -- ask them and they will take your concern forward. 

Goal Setting and Mindset for Meets

Remember that not every skater can finish first. Before getting to a meet, you should discuss with your child (and his or her Coach) what goals he or she has set for the races. It can be anything from staying on his or her feet through all the races, to shaving specific time off personal bests in a given distance, to doing at least one inside pass in a competition situation. As a parent, you should understand what skills your child wants to improve and then you can provide appropriate encouragement and support throughout the meet. Often, winning is not the goal -- a personal best and improved technique is a great reason to celebrate at a Meet! 

Finally, encourage your skater to maintain his or her area in the dressing room in a tidy condition. All skating equipment should be stored in a single spot – preferably in his or her equipment bag. Remember, everyone has similar equipment, so your child’s equipment should be labeled with his or her name. Garbage should be thrown into the appropriate containers and the room should be left in good condition. It is everyone’s responsibility at the end of the meet to ensure the there is no garbage lying on the floor and nothing is left behind.

Volunteer! Many clubs are small and do not always have enough volunteers to run a meet smoothly. If you, as a parent, are asked to lend a hand, don’t worry if you don’t know much about the sport. There are others who will willingly teach you the basics and your help will be greatly appreciated. So, go ahead….volunteer. It’s Fun!