Determination Has Paid Off For JSA Co-Director

By Scott Kindberg

10/7/2007 - van den Berg To Make 20th Trip To Regionals

Lenel van den Berg and 20 of his students will be heading to the Pepsi Center in Amherst this week to participate in the North Atlantic Regional Figure Skating Championships.

Fitting number, I suppose.

For when the competition kicks off Wednesday, it will mark the 20th regional that van den Berg, co-director of the Jamestown Skating Academy, has had skaters participate in, a testament not only to the caliber of students through the years, but also to van den Berg’s teaching talents and staying power.

‘‘It was just determination and wanting to succeed,’’ said van den Berg, who first came to Jamestown in 1986 from his native South Africa after spending years as a professional skater. ‘‘Those are the main keys, and putting in the hard work.’’

And, in the early years of the skating school, the emphasis was on the latter.

‘‘I was very green and didn’t know where I was going and what it was all about,’’ van den Berg said. ‘‘But, of course, like everything you do that is new, you learn from the experience.’’

So when he and his first regional-qualifying student, Martha Kiddoo, left for Lake Placid in 1987 to compete , they did so in van den Berg’s beat-up Chevette and stayed at a rather spartan hotel to keep expenses down. With only one student, he had no choice.

‘‘Wally Carlson, the rink manager (at Allen Park), asked me if I was going to get another job because he didn’t know how I was going to make a living,’’ van den Berg said.

Let’s just say he — along with the Kirk Wyse, the JSA’s other co-director who will be in Finland with U.S. Figures Skating team member Taylor Firth and will not be attending regionals — has survived quite well, thank you. The beneficiaries, of course, have been hundreds of students over the last two decades as well as the community as a whole.

From the success at Allen Park for the first 15 years, followed by the construction of the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena on Third Street, the JSA is as healthy as ever, and so, too, is the quality of the skating.

The 20 students who will compete from Wednesday through Saturday — which equates to one of the largest contingents from one training center anywhere in the Northeast — will be able to draw on van den Berg’s experience and expertise as they shoot for the highest possible placing. Based on past experience, don’t bet against the kids who call the JSA home.

For proof, consider the time — about 10 years ago — when the club had three Intermediate Girls — Kristen Columbare, Lindsey Moore and Lindsey Erickson — finish first, second and third.

‘‘That was one of the most exciting moments,’’ van den Berg said. ‘‘I always recall that one.’’

A few years before that, van den Berg accompanied Kristen Treni and Rob Schupp to senior nationals in Detroit, the same event that Tonya Harding and her cohorts executed the famous ‘‘whack on the knee’’ of Nancy Kerrigan. It was the first time that van den Berg had coached skaters to that level.

‘‘You learn what it takes to be at the top when you go to nationals,’’ he said. ‘‘You see the best and you realize, ‘OK, that’s what you need to do to get there.’ ... It’s not easy getting skaters to nationals. It’s a very difficult process in this country, so, for me, it was very exciting.’’

Of course, there have been some definite learning experiences along the way for van den Berg and Wyse.

Like the time that Treni, on the day of her short program at nationals, decided to cut her hair.

‘‘That was definitely not a good idea,’’ van den Berg recalled. ‘‘We learned back then not to make any changes.’’

That philosophy has served the JSA well as van den Berg has sent skaters to the nationals 11 times, an average of better than .500.

‘‘To be in the company of the best skaters, that in itself is great,’’ van den Berg said. ‘‘That was the goal every year to be at senior nationals, to get better and learn more.’’

The support of the community and the Jamestown Skating Club has also played a role in the success.

‘‘Part of the fundraising efforts of the club goes to supporting all skaters through a scholarship program,’’ van den Berg said. ‘‘Every year the club is able to provide skaters who are competing at the regional, sectional and national levels with scholarships of several hundred dollars apiece. These funds are earned through extensive fundraising efforts and the support of many businesses and organizations in the area. These funds help to support the substantial financial commitment required for figure skating. Equipment, including the skates and costumes, as well as the entrance fees, travel and training expenses are significant. While the scholarships are a nominal portion of the expenses, every bit helps, and the community support for these skaters is tremendous and greatly appreciated. The support that we get for the skating program is another of many reasons why Kirk and I love living and teaching in Jamestown.’’

It’s a long way from the days of a beat-up Chevette.

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