Students learn to skate with Olympian, Thunderbirds

Thunderbirds mascot Boomer skates alongside a Square One pre-school student.
Reminder Publishing photos by Peter Tuohy

WEST SPRINGFIELD — Springfield Square One pre-school students were treated to an Olympic sized ice-skating lesson during a field trip to the Olympia Ice Center in West Springfield on March 12.

The students hit the ice alongside U.S. Olympic figure skater Tiffany Scott Pryor, who competed in the 2002 Winter Olympics, members of the Springfield Thunderbirds organization with their mascot, Boomer, the Hampden County Sheriff’s Department and staff from the American Hockey League.

In addition to skating in the Winter Olympics, Pryor won the 2003 USA Championship, skated four times at the World Championship and even served as Amy Poehler’s stunt double in the 2007 film, “Blades of Glory.”

She said that it’s really exciting to have as many kids as possible learn about ice-skating and that this is a “fun zone where they can be themselves and try it out.”

“I think that living in New England, it’s very important that we have some kind of activity in the wintertime,” Pryor said. “Maybe the kids will go home and ask their parents if they can do ice-skating and, you know, any activity is good activity.”

Square One is a private, nonprofit organization that provides early learning services to over 500 infants, toddlers and school-age children each day and supports 1,500 families a year to overcome challenges in their lives.

Square One Vice President of Development and Communication Kristine Allard said the field trip is a beautiful collaboration with all the organizations involved, all in the name of introducing the kids to the sport of skating.

“Our pre-schoolers are ages 3-5,” Allard said. “This is the perfect opportunity for them to try something new and see what they like, to see what they’re naturally skilled at, to see where their interests are. It’s a great opportunity for some of these kids.”

Allard said that the organization is really grateful for the friends in the community who step up to make it a magical experience. She said it gets bigger and better every year.

Olympia Ice donates the time for the students every year, the skates are on loan from the city of Springfield and West Springfield’s Bob “The Bike Man” Charland donates helmets every year, with 75 for this field trip.

“It’s great to see the kids out on the ice,” Charland said. “It’s also nice to see them working with other deputies from the [Hampden County] Sheriff’s Department, showing the positive side of law enforcement with kids.”

Western Massachusetts Regional Women’s Correctional Center Assistant Superintendent Colleen Stocks said the Sheriff’s Department and Square One have had a nice, long-standing relationship, and that she loves to see all the staff come and interact with the students.

“They feel like little kids again and the kids have so much fun,” Stocks said. “There’s something about being in the room with people who are all so invested and take their time and their care, they love what they do. We can’t get enough of this, it just fills you up.”

She added that whether the students skate or don’t speak as much, they’re putting themselves out there by trying and doing something different, and hopefully they learn how to take a chance and be fearless.

Thunderbirds President Nathan Costa said it’s a great event that gives kids the chance to get out there and skate when they might not have the opportunity otherwise.

“It’s not just the Thunderbirds here, it’s a collaboration of other local organizations,” Costa said. “It’s just so cool to come down, take part and see the kids have some fun.”