At the Rink
A helpful guide for Saint John Skating Club skaters and families
Whether you’re new to skating or have been part of the Saint John Skating Club for years, we want everyone to feel comfortable, prepared and welcome at the rink. Here’s what you need to know before, during and after your skating session.
Before You Arrive
Arrival
We encourage skaters to arrive 10–15 minutes before their scheduled session. This allows plenty of time to find your dressing room, get skates and helmets on, and be ready to step onto the ice when the session begins.
Please note that the Saint John Skating Club is only granted access to the dressing rooms 30 minutes before and 30 minutes after our booked ice time.
If you arrive earlier than 30 minutes before our scheduled ice time, please wait outside the dressing rooms until access is available.
Dressing Rooms
Dressing room assignments will be posted at the rink. Please only use the dressing rooms assigned to the Saint John Skating Club.
Dressing room assignments may change from day to day, so please check the posted signs when you arrive.
Before leaving, please:
- Take all of your belongings with you.
- Dispose of any garbage.
- Clean up any spills or messes.
- Leave the dressing room ready for the next group.
The Saint John Skating Club is not responsible for lost or forgotten belongings. Rink staff do their best to collect items left behind and place them in the rink’s Lost and Found, but items cannot always be located or recovered in time.
Getting Ready to Skate
Before heading to the rink, make sure your skater has everything they need for their session, including:
- Skates
- A CSA-certified hockey helmet
- Comfortable, warm clothing
- Mittens or gloves
- A water bottle
- Any other required personal equipment
For more information about choosing the right skates, helmets and other skating equipment, visit our Skating Equipment page.
On the Ice
Who Can Access the Ice?
Only registered skaters and authorized coaches and Program Assistants may access the ice surface.
For safety and insurance reasons, parents, guardians and other spectators are not permitted onto the ice. Our coaches and Program Assistants are there to help your child during their session, so please get the attention of one of them if your child needs assistance.
Rink Doors
For everyone’s safety, please keep the ice surface doors closed at all times.
If your child needs to leave the ice, please wait until they have reached the door and then allow them to exit quickly. Please close the door behind them.
For safety reasons, please only assist your own child when they are leaving the ice. If another child is waiting at the door, please wait for their parent or guardian to arrive.
Staying on the Ice
We encourage skaters to remain on the ice for as much of their session as possible. We understand that there will be times when a skater needs to come off the ice — they may be upset, need a drink or bathroom break, or have an equipment issue that needs attention.
Whenever possible, please make sure your skater has everything they need before the session begins. This helps minimize trips on and off the ice and allows coaches to keep the session moving smoothly.
And if your child does need to come off the ice, that’s okay! Our goal is simply to keep interruptions to a minimum so that everyone gets the most out of their skating time.
New to Skating?
It’s completely normal for a new skater to feel nervous, need extra encouragement or even have a few tears during their first sessions. Learning to skate takes time, and every skater progresses at their own pace.
Our coaches and Program Assistants are experienced in helping skaters become comfortable on the ice. Parents can help by offering encouragement from the stands and allowing our coaches to guide their skater during the session.
Some skaters may spend their first few sessions simply getting comfortable with their skates and the ice before they’re ready to participate fully.
That’s okay — every skater starts somewhere!
Skater Progress
Badges & Ribbons
Badges and ribbons are handed out by our coaches at various times throughout the season.
Every skater progresses at their own pace, so skaters will earn badges and ribbons at different times. When badges or ribbons are handed out, not every skater will receive one at that time.
We understand that this can sometimes be disappointing, especially for younger skaters. Please remind them that they are making progress and that their turn is coming.
Our coaches are always working with each skater to help them develop their skills and reach their next milestone.
Report Cards
Report cards are provided twice during the season:
- Before the Christmas break
- At the end of the season
If your skater joined the Club only a few weeks before the Christmas break, they may not receive a report card at that time simply because there has not yet been enough time to assess their progress on a sufficient number of skills.
If you believe you should have received a report card and did not, please let us know and we’ll be happy to look into it.
Rink Etiquette & Expectations
We want the rink to be a positive, encouraging and respectful environment for everyone. Skaters, parents, guardians, coaches, volunteers and rink staff all play a part in making that happen.
For Skaters
Skaters are expected to:
- Listen to and follow the instructions provided by their coaches.
- Treat coaches, Program Assistants and fellow skaters with kindness and respect.
- Be respectful of the rink and its facilities.
- Try their best and challenge themselves.
- Get back up and try again after a fall.
Falling is part of learning — and it happens to every skater!
We encourage our skaters to believe in themselves, celebrate their progress and remember that everyone learns at their own pace. We believe in them, and we want them to believe in themselves too!
For Parents & Guardians
We love seeing parents and guardians cheer their skaters on from the stands. Your encouragement means a lot!
Parents and guardians are welcome to:
- Cheer and encourage their skater from the spectator area.
- Take photos and videos from the designated viewing areas.
- Celebrate their skater’s progress and accomplishments.
To help our coaches and skaters stay focused during sessions, we kindly ask that parents and guardians do not knock on the glass or call out to their skater. While it may seem like a small gesture, it can be distracting to both the skater and the coaches working with the group.
Communicating with Coaches
We understand that parents and guardians may have questions for our coaches, and we’re always happy to help.
Unless there is a medical concern or urgent issue, please avoid interrupting a session by calling a coach over to the rink doors.
Our coaches are responsible for maintaining appropriate coach-to-skater ratios on the ice for safety purposes. Having a coach leave the group to speak with a parent can take their attention away from the skaters.
If you have a question or something you’d like to discuss with a coach, please:
- Speak with a Saint John Skating Club board member at the rink and ask them to follow up with a coach; or
- Email our coaching team at coaches@sjsc.ca.
This allows our coaches to remain focused on providing a safe and productive session for all of our skaters.
Respectful Behaviour
We ask all parents, guardians and spectators to conduct themselves in a manner that is respectful and appropriate around our skaters, coaches, volunteers, rink staff and other families.
We are committed to providing a welcoming and positive environment for children and families. Behaviour that is disrespectful, disruptive or inappropriate may result in the Saint John Skating Club asking an individual to leave the rink.
Photos & Videos
We love seeing families capture those special skating moments!
Parents and guardians may take photos and videos of their own skater from designated spectator areas, provided that doing so does not interfere with the session or the safety of others.
Please be mindful of other skaters and families when taking photos or recording video, and never enter the ice surface or restricted areas to capture a photo or video.
After Your Session
When your skating session is finished, please help us leave the rink ready for the next group.
Before you leave:
- Take all personal belongings with you.
- Check the dressing room for forgotten items.
- Dispose of garbage.
- Clean up any spills or messes.
- Leave the dressing room tidy.
Remember that we only have access to the dressing rooms for 30 minutes after our booked ice time, so please gather your belongings and leave the dressing room promptly after your session.
Thank You!
Thank you for helping us create a skating environment that is safe, welcoming, encouraging and fun for everyone.
We’re proud to have you as part of the Saint John Skating Club community, and we’re excited to see our skaters learn, grow and build confidence on the ice!