Staff members coach in community as well
SD83 has many staff members who give back to their communities in many different ways and we want to celebrate them!
One example of this is three staff members at Len Wood Middle School who all also coach figure skating in their spare time!
Cora-Lee Baker (a learning resource teacher) and Tannis Crerar (a certified education assistant) are coaches with the Armstrong Enderby Skating Club while Schelley McRae (an Indigenous education worker) is a coach with Vernon and Lumby Figure Skating Clubs.
“Coaching actually even helped me pay my way through university and is what led me to wanting to be a teacher,” comments Baker.
“Figure skating has been my passion since I was five years old,” she adds. “I skated until graduation and then got into coaching in the Vernon and Armstrong skating clubs, with a little persuasion from Tannis who needed someone to help her!”
Fast forward many years and into a well established teaching career, Baker says Crerar contacted her again, about coaching in Armstrong. “Since my daughter was keen to skate, I decided to get back into coaching and have enjoyed every minute of the last six years there.”
“Seeing the joy the skaters experience as I help them improve their skating skills has brought me as much joy as I get from my own skating.”
Baker skates on a competitive adult synchronized skating team, which has won the BC Section Championship and Mountain Regionals many times over the past 20 years.
“On the ice coaching five days a week is exhausting but it is always the one time in my day when I am completely living in the moment, nothing else matters when I’m coaching my students. I am now coaching some of the children of my former skating students from when I first coached in Armstrong years ago and several students from Len Wood Middle School and it’s always exciting when skaters transition from grade 5 to middle school. We are like a big skating family!”
“It is pretty amazing that we all work at the same school,” says McRae about the co-incidence of Baker and Crerar working with her at Len Wood.
She said she got started skating when she was 2 1/2 years old as her mother thought she was too active for ballet! She skated competitively until she was in my early 20s. “I loved it and still do.”
McCrae said during the skating season her days are long, usually another four to five hours after she leaves school. “But when I get to the rink and see all the kids and how much they want to be there and just skate, it makes me happy,” she adds.
Crerar has been coaching since 1985 and has loved every second. “It truly is my passion.” She started skating when she was six and continued until she graduated and then immediately got into coaching. “The majority of my years coaching have been spent here in Armstrong but I have also taught skating in Hilton AB, Lumby, and Vernon.”
“Six years ago I gave up my second job in retail and it was Cora Lee Baker who suggested I take the CEA course. Since I had already spent 30 years teaching skating she thought it would be a perfect fit for me. I have thoroughly enjoyed working with the students at Len Wood and it’s such a treat to see some of my current students at school.”
She also commented it’s great to be at Len Wood for the upcoming grade 5’s who are in her skating club as it helps makes their transition a bit easier knowing their skating coach will be there to welcome them. “I’m on the ice five days a week and go directly from school to the rink. I’m blessed to be part of the Armstrong community.”
The skating program, which wraps up in April, includes figure skating, and also learn-to-skate for the community. Figure skaters give back by volunteering as program assistants and leading skill and fun stations for the beginner skaters.