Colorado Springs Skaters Prepare for National Championships

This is part of my final assignment for class - it is a broadcast version of another story I wrote.

(Shot of skaters practicing in rink) Reporter VO:

Nine teams of skaters from Colorado Springs will be heading for Cleveland this January for the 2009 US Figure Skating Championships. And, it’s one person’s job to prepare them for the competition.

 (Shot of Dalilah coaching) All eighteen skaters train at the World Arena Ice Hall where they are under the watchful eye of coach Dalilah Sappenfield.

 

Interview with Sappenfield in front of rink:

“My job is to push my skaters so that their programs just become routine.  By the time we get to Nationals my kids know what they are doing.  If they don’t then I’m not doing my job.”

 

(Video clip of McLaughlin and Brubaker from 2008 Nationals) Reporter VO:

Evidence suggests that Sappenfield knows exactly how to do her job.  At last year’s US Figure Skating Championships she had the winner in the novice, junior and senior pairs divisions.  Senior pairs champions Keauna (Key aw na) McLaughlin (Mc Law flin) and Rockne (Rock knee) Brubaker (Brew bake er) are among the teams headed to Cleveland with Sappenfield in January.

 

Reporter VO:

Practice shot of skaters as mentioned:

Novice Champions Brynn Carman and Chris Knierim (k neer rim), and Junior Champion Jessica Rose Paetsch (Pay she) and her new partner Drew Meekins are also returning to the championships after winning medals last year. Both teams are now competing at the next level.

Brittany Chase and Andrew Speroff, who placed second at the novice level, have also moved up this year.  Chase says having so many teammate around at nationals takes some of the pressure off.

 

Interview in lobby with Brittany Chase:

“We’re there for each other. We can watch each other and cheer for each other just like practice.”

 

Live shot of reporter in front of World Arena

And keeping things just like practice is exactly what Sappenfield wants to accomplish.  She says she wants her kids to think of nationals as just another day at the rink.