WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — Last year, the Christmas Brook Figure Skating Club's Blitz spent the winter sharpening its skills and supporting women's hockey in North County.

 

This year, they've decided to help some men, as well.

 

The Blitz, an 11-member company of skaters aged 7 through 16, have been invited to perform during intermission of a Springfield Thunderbirds minor league men's hockey game at the Mass Mutual Center.

 

The Dec. 30 performance will come during a season that again will include shows at women's college hockey games at the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts in North Adams and Williams College.

 

The club's production team was a staple of the Bay State Figure Skating Show at the annual Bay State Games and the local club's own year-end show but took a hiatus after the COVID-19 pandemic, Michela Juras said.

 

"Coach Nikki [Benson] and I brought it back with a twist: hockey games," Juras said.

 

"I skated on a team when I was younger, and we practiced weekly. I just wanted to provide more opportunities to build their confidence. It helps build leadership, teamwork, sportsmanship, you name it."

 

The Blitz started practicing together in mid-September and will continue through the end of March, but individual members put in a lot of time outside of its weekly practices.

 

"These skaters have been practicing moves since June 15," Juras said.

 

"They only practice as a team on Sundays for an hour, but they skate [individually] three to five nights a week, Monday through Friday. And some skate on Sunday afternoon and then later on with the team."

 

The club has a minimum ability requirement to join but no maximum. That, along with the physical size difference of the different-aged skaters, has to be factored in when planning programs, Juras said.

 

"It gets a little tricky with the height," she said. "A 6-year-old last year can't do certain things because they're drastically shorter.

 

"One thing we try hard to do is put little spotlights out there so they can take their best moves that we know they're confident doing and perform them to get the limelight."

 

Everyone returns from last year's relaunch of the performance team, enjoying the camaraderie they built in Year One, Juras said.

 

"They thoroughly enjoyed being with one another," she said. "The kids are more than a team that practices weekly. They all share a special bond with one another where age goes out the door.

 

"They have a lot of patience and grace for one another. It's amazing to see the older kids act as role models on and off the ice."

 

And, through their involvement with the Trailblazers, the members of the Blitz have a whole other set of people to look up to.

 

"The MCLA women's hockey team — I can't say enough about them," Juras said. "They're great role models for us. They cheer for our club during regular practice sessions. And, vice versa, our club skates after them. When we lace up, we watch the end of their practices.

 

"Coach Julia [Dessart] has a connection with our team. It's awesome to collaborate with her, specifically."

 

The Blitz has four performances scheduled this winter at MCLA games at the Peter W. Foote Vietnam Veterans Memorial Rink and one performance, so far, scheduled during Williams College games at Lansing Chapman Rink.

 

The figure skaters support the teams by helping with their 50/50, chuck-a-puck and teddy bear toss fund-raisers. And the Blitz does a major fund-raiser of its own, a homemade wreath sale with greenery gathered on Juras' property in Cheshire.

 

"This year, we got a little creative, and we're sponsored by NTB Bank and the Stationery Factory," Juras said.

 

Juras said the decision to collaborate with the women's teams at MCLA and Williams was intentional as a way to support women's sports for a team that includes "10 young women and one young man." But she recognized an opportunity to allow the Blitz skaters to perform on a different stage this December.

 

"When I did the production team years ago, I got the opportunity to skate at an Albany River Rats game," she said, referring to the former AHL franchise that used to play in what is now the MVP Arena in New York State. "I thought, 'What do we have these days that's similar to that?"

 

She reached out to the Thunderbirds, an affiliate of the NHL's St. Louis Blues and heard back the same day from the Springfield club.

 

"They were very interested," Juras said. "They said they get mostly dance groups and cheerleaders. They haven't had a skating group perform.

 

"I'll never forget [skating at the Albany AHL game] because it was a fun experience. Even being an older skater at the time. Skating at the Bay State Games skating show was also magical. It's just a huge memory for these guys.

 

"I really wanted to bring that back and provide that for these guys."

 

Anyone interested in supporting the Christmas Brook Figure Skating Club Blitz's trip to Springfield to perform at a Thunderbirds game can go here.