Testimonials

I started skating here, then the volunteering became a part of it, because the school is based on it. There's a huge skate community that reaches beyond SJ. It's propelled me to go to Paris to skate in the Slalom World Championships, I've gone to skate in Nebraska at the US championships. I've skated all around the planet now with all kinds of folks who are connected in degrees of separation from this place.

9 years ago, my love for Roller Skating began❤️. From going to Skate King (everyone’s favorite skate rink then) every weekend, to the beginning of my journey with Skate Journeys all through my summers. Skating has become a huge part of my life. I have met and made lifelong friends and learned numerous life skills. Patience in learning skate moves, physical and mental pain while hoping to progress in your level, and so many more. 5 years ago, though, skating became more than a sport. It became a community. I was officially a level one certified skate instructor! I have learned an incredible amount from every student I have taught, and each counselor I have worked with. I’m so excited to be continuing my teaching journey as I am now Level Two certified through SkateIA! I can’t wait to learn a dozen new things and meet just as many amazing people. A special thank you to Trish Alexander for your youth certification program, and truly your encouragement and support all these years. I look up to you and everything you have done, you’re really a role model for all of us.

SJ has been a place where I have found so much joy: from the flow of skating, to learning the technique of skating, as well as from the community of skaters. As a trans person, SJ has really provided me a safe space to be myself, have fun, develop new skills, and just enjoy the community and the art of skating.

I started skating at 36 years old. My older son had gone to a friend's birthday party at Skate King and enjoyed it and wanted to do it again, but he wasn't very good. That's how we got acquainted with Skate Journey's. At first it was only my 2 kids taking lessons. My younger son was about 6 years old when he started. He stomped and cried his first lesson and wouldn't go out on the skating floor. One of the patient instructors there stayed with him and the next week my son went out on the skating floor, and it was like a totally different child. He enjoyed it! About a month in I started taking lessons and I loved it! It's like flying and still keeping my feet on the ground. I'd go to the Friday afternoon skates with my kids and Dan T. would be there practicing. He would give me tips as I duck walked around the rink and later it would be on how to do transitions. Within 2 years I became a skate instructor. Our family hit some hard times, we went through our only bread earner losing his job and went on a fee waiver. Without that fee waiver my kids would never have taken lessons as it was too expensive at the time. Later when I became a single mom, I again was granted a fee waiver. Additionally, because I taught as an instructor having that on my resume and using the Executive Director of Skate Journey's as a refence, when I returned to the work force helped immensely when talking to prospective employers. Today, I give back by showing up to teach as much as I can and making a donation during the month of November in thanks. This year, my younger son has become an instructor and it has increased his self-confidence and ability to lead. He has learned so much about responsibility and integrity as a camp counselor. My older son has ADHD and is on the autism spectrum. Skate Journey's has worked with him and allowed him to help, where he can, by being an ambassador during skate camps. Even though he does not have the skills of the other skate counsellors he was included with them. There's are so few youth development programs that would work with my son like that and care enough to make him feel important at the same time. Skate Journey's is an undiscovered gem in all ways. There are so many instructors that have made a difference in my life, Cathy (was my first teacher) and still comes to classes and teaches, Mason, Simona, Dan T., Doug, Judith, Naomi, Chao-Ching, John, Scott, Nelly, Harry, Ed, Irene, Tom VV, and most of all Trish, the rock that holds all of us together.

Your staff are all amazing and I’m learning easier and faster with the beginning skate steps being broken down and practicing them in a huge great space until I land them. I look forward to moving through the phases with skate journey!

Toby got an all-expenses paid trip to visit MIT and Harvard this spring break! I would say a big part of the reason he's going is because in his application he wrote about skating, learning to teach, and what a big impact it's made in his life. Here's just another prime example of the skating youth development pathway, you created, that has opened pathways we never in a million year's thought was possible! I'm ever so thankful for you Trish!!

SJ has definitely brought me closer together with the community of skating, and it's also giving me [community] service hours for my high school. My favorite moment is probably when in summer camps when doing the Talent Show and all the kids show off their moves.

So here's my story: Last year I trashed my meniscuses skiing, and I'm a doctor. I was embarrassed, mostly, so I looked for ways to repair them, and it boiled down to skate skiing, ice skating, or roller skating. Since I skated as a kid, not knowing much more than going forward and crossovers, I figured I'd try it again. I found Skate Journeys and Trish, not knowing she is a superstar of skating in the PNW and bought an entry level skate to try. Then I started learning to skate in my garage on Zoom. My knees haven't hurt again since I started, and now I'm doing lessons once a week, and skate in a rink once a week. It's pretty amazing, and now I'm working on transitions, and doing the grapevine, even. My game is definitely elevated, and I'm actually meeting people at the rink. It's almost as much fun as the crazy skiing I used to do, and cheaper, more accessible, and now because of Skate Journeys, way more interesting. There's no way I'll finish learning all they have to teach, and it's fun being a beginner at something again! Thanks Trish, Naomi, and Mason! (Testimonial from Google Review)

My skating story begins when I was 4 years old. I was going through my grandma's garage, and I found an old pair of In-line skates. I was fascinated by the idea of wheels on my feet. I jumped into this old k2 skate that had the softest foam I have ever felt to this day and started skating circles around the garage. When I say skating, I don’t mean rolling in a pretty circle, I mean stumbling around like a deer on ice because I had never done something like this before and the skates were 3 sizes too big. I believe this defiantly helped form my love because I was a completive kid and growing up my family was very competitive and determined so I knew I had to be, so every time I went to my grandmas, after playing a few games of Skipbo and phase 10 I would be in the garage skating, holding on to anything in sight and trying to find my balance. After about a month I was skating around with no help of the walls skating back and forth till I had to go back home. Now that I could skate with what felt like soft giant clown shoes, I took my skating to the next level and started skating outside. This is where my love for skating was born. One thing growing up that I loved was that my grandma had a dog named brady and he was my best friend. I would take him for walks every time I came over and as my skating skills got better, I started putting my skates on and taking him for walks. This was defiantly one of the highlights of my childhood I felt so cool skating down the street with a yellow lab. June 2022, I joined Skate Journeys. This was one of the biggest decisions that has changed my life. When I decided to join Skate Journeys, I had a very packed schedule I worked full time at a pizza restaurant as well as working at shop task an inline skate shop and on top of that going to Everett community college. I quickly realized I had too much on my plate so I decided to take a chance on Skate Journey's and quit my other jobs so I could skate full time and go to school. When I joined, I came in as the gear handler as well as an instructor. At first teaching was a struggle for me because I taught myself how to skate and learning the fundamentals that I didn’t have was rough. But the kids the staff and the whole skate community that Skate Journeys has created has been amazing to be a part of. Now working with skate journeys, I skate about 5-6 days a week and I couldn't be happier.

My favorite part of being a volunteer here is meeting new people, especially people I wouldn't meet normally.

I've learned a lot about myself, how I learn, and how other people learn as well. There are different types of learners, and how can I accommodate all of them when they're all in one class. I've also learned how to deal with conflict, especially conflict with little kids and how to problem solve, when I myself, wouldn't have to deal with a problem like that. It feels nice when parents come up to me and say, "my kid talks about you at home," or "they're really excited to come to SJ every time."

When I was a stay-at-home mom and got back into the workforce, I could use SJ as a reference, and that really helped me get my first job after being at home.

I love getting up and coming in and having a community here in Seattle to chit chat with and just play on skates with. Mostly I enjoy the social side of volunteering.

I think I get more out of teaching than I get out of taking lessons. For one, it teaches me how to skate, teaching teaches you. I just get lots of warm fuzzies out of seeing people grow in their skating and learning how to have the fun that I'm having.