Changing Lives One Figure Eight at a Time

Figure Skating in Harlem is a program for girls between the ages of 6 and 18 from a minority background. This program reaches beyond the ice rink by providing girls with the skills to succeed in life.    

Sharon Cohen, the founder of Figure Skating in Harlem, loves watching the transformation that occurs within these young girls. “I mean most often you see shy young girls come into the program. And the skating just opens them up and they really blossom. And it’s that confidence that allows them to what I would say take risks in other areas. To try things maybe they would have never tried before.”

Kayla Baker, an 8th grader and a member of Figure Skating in Harlem, is a testament to the positive impact the program has had on these young girls. Baker states, "It's (the program) helped me a lot. My grades have improved very much."

Lakesha Baker, the mother of Kayla Baker, says that she's noticed big differences within her daughter. She says, "Academically, I felt like she became a stronger with just communicating. Her teamwork, frienship building. Like all-around."   

People of color have historically been underrepresented within the figure skating community. Figure Skating in Harlem is working to change that. This fact hits particularly close to home for Dennis Norris, Manger of Educational Opportunities, who used to be a competitive skater.  

Norris describes his experience at his first ice show, "(There were) Girls struggling with their costumes figuring out all those little skating tricks we have to fix everything like taking clear nail polish to your stocking if there’s a problem, just doing different things, skaterly things that everyone in skating does. And to see this whole group of black and brown girls doing that my heart just burst because it made me so happy. And so to know these girls have access to something that has the power to really change their lives in such an amazing way was just like everything."