Ice is Nice.

That’s what the smiling participants, tots to seniors, seem to be saying as they happily skate around on one of the twin ice sheets at Capitol Skating School, LLC. Capitol Skating School opened its welcoming doors to the public in the spring of 2000. Its initial classes were on Saturday AM and hosted 25 very beginning skaters ranging in age from 3 to 33 and six enthusiastic instructors. From these meager beginnings Capitol Skating School now offers 5 days /week of year round instruction in recreational skating, hockey power skating and competitive figure skating. Power skating clinics are offered by Capitol Skating School’s experienced hockey specialists, Doug Johnson, Cesca Supple, Tricia Ballweg and long term power skating coach, Alice Wentworth. Capitol Skating School offers group and private instruction to all area youth hockey programs as well as “team instruction” for various area youth and adult hockey teams.

“The philosophy of Capitol Skating School is unique in many senses” states Tricia Ballweg, co-owner/Administrator of Capitol Skating School, LLC. “We hire qualified gold medal coaches who sincerely enjoy working with children. They have to be able to teach both at the grass roots as well as the advanced levels. Whether a person is a beginner or advanced skater, our skaters are “special” to us and to our coaches. We are here to serve their skating needs whatever they may be, and we want the best experiences for them. We keep a low student to teacher ratio that ultimately results in the skaters and their families become part of our family.

Most skaters start taking lessons in order to enjoy the fun of flying down the ice with the air blowing through their hair. They also want to become comfortable manipulating themselves on the ice, and be especially proficient skating with their friends outdoors, or at the popular Friday night skates at Capitol Ice. Of these beginning skaters, some develop a true passion for the sport and can’t seem to get enough of it. For these skaters we have avenues that can follow in order to pursue skating to as high a level as their desire and potential will take them”.

Several of the CSS “year 2000 beginners” are now experienced competitive figure skaters. Bright and early before school, these skaters are seen happily working on perfecting their techniques. They demonstrate the qualities of sincere interaction, encouragement and praise for one another as they each strive to move up the United States Figure Skating Association ladders of achievement. Reflecting on the development of her skaters of 6-7 years, co-owner and Director of Capitol Skating School,LLC , Senior Level PSA rated coach, Cesca Supple, finds that helping her skaters reach their own potential is “one of the most enjoyable and rewarding experiences of life”. “ We believe in being ‘double goal coaches’, another part of our uniqueness. That is (Goal 1) to develop skaters to the technically best of their and our ability; and (Goal 2) to help students prepare for and experience life’s lessons with confidence and self-respect. Competitive figure skating is a demanding sport that requires almost daily attention over a span of several years. During these years skaters will compete at various competitions. Winning is important, but our second goal, helping students learn “life lessons” is more important. Our coaches/teachers encourage all our students, beginner through advanced to have the attitude that being a winner is through “mastery” rather than placement. Our focus is on effort rather than outcome”.

Cesca reflected quietly, “Our students don’t fear making mistakes. They understand that mistakes are an important and inevitable part of learning. In this respect, our skaters are a joy to watch. Sure, they are strong skaters, have beautiful spins and jumps that are well executed. But our inner joy is even greater when we see our skater make a mistake and come immediately to us with an inquisitive look saying ‘tell me again how do I fix that? Then it’s go back and try, and try… again…and again. They are determined individuals who are confident that “mastery” will come with continued effort as it had always come in the past. They realize that “winners” are individuals who makes maximum effort, continue to learn, improve, and do not let mistakes (or fear of mistakes) stop them”.

Cesca Supple and Tricia Ballweg are local co-owners of Capitol Skating School, LLC, a year-round ice skating program that is located in Capitol Ice, 2616 Pleasant View Rd., Middleton, WI. For information on classes, Capitol Skating School’s famous annual December“Camp Chill”, the young “over 55” Senior Citizens Day, Home School skating opportunities, Open Houses and hockey clinics or other skating opportunities, see the Capitol Skating School website at the address below, or call Tricia Ballweg at 608-833-3922 or Alice Wentworth, 833-5451. For information on the Competitive Figure Skating Program or specific hockey skating group or private lessons contact Cesca Supple 608-244-5593.

capitolskatingschool.com 

BounceU is Madison’s newest (and coolest!) place for active family fun and to celebrate special occasions!

Our giant inflatables offer the perfect way to burn off some energy and get some great exercise, particularly now that the weather is getting colder. You can climb to the top of Spider Mountain, slide down our gigantic slide, challenge your friends to a game of dodge ball or tug of war in Dodge City, bounce in the Bouncy Boxing ring and blast nerf balls at your friends in Air Cannon Alley.

We specialize in birthday parties, making it memorable for kids and simple and stress-free for parents. We do all the work, while parents and children play together in a safe and spotlessly-clean environment. We have private party rooms to accommodate your celebration and a dedicated staff who works hard so you don’t have to!

Whether you’re coming to one of our seven Open Bounce times each week or celebrating a birthday with us, you’re guaranteed to have fun. We hold three Preschool Playdates each week, along with several All-Ages Open Bounces and Family Night on Tuesday evenings. If you are looking for a unique way to celebrate your next birthday, we can host a private event for you and your friends and customize it with food, drinks, balloons, cake and goodie bags.

BounceU opened late this summer on Madison’s East side and already thousands of kids have discovered how much fun a visit to BounceU is. Locally owned by a young family who wanted something fun and different to do together, we know how busy life gets and that planning a party can be an overwhelming experience. Our mission is to take the stress out of party planning…we do all the work while you show up with your children and guests and play, enjoy and relax! Our commitment to service even extends to the parking lot….after your event, we’ll take the gifts to your car and load them up for you!

For more information about the BounceU experience, call us at (608) 244-4FUN (4386) or visit our website at www.bounceu.com.

Having a baby, as we all well know, is a life-changing event. When I had my first child, Alex, 16 years ago, I thought I was ready. We had hoped, planned and prayed for a little bundle of love to come into our lives. We even made the tough economic decision for me to leave the workforce and stay home full time.

It didn’t take long for me to realize that stay-at-home mommyhood is a tough calling. While I was certain there wasn’t anyone else who could better care for my child, I was also going a little stir crazy reading Richard Scarry books, rocking out to Raffi and reassembling Lego towers. We needed to get OUT!

And so began my mission to find meaningful, fun activities for me and my child … and eventually children, as we added two more babies, Brett and Mattie, to our family. I found some options and took full advantage of them: playgroups at church and in the neighborhood; story hours; swim lessons; kid-friendly restaurants; and even some tumbling classes. But I really wanted a space that was welcoming to both me and my child that had a purpose and reason for us to be there. It wasn’t until my youngest child was 18 months that I found what I had been seeking for over 10 years! THE LITTLE GYM!

My sister lives in Naperville Illinois and she called and told me about this great new gym in her neighborhood that I HAD to come and see! So I packed up little Mattie and headed down to attend a class that literally changed my life. I loved it! I loved it so much, I called The Little Gym corporate headquarters to ask if I could open one in Middleton. “Yes!” they said, “We’ve been wanting to get into Wisconsin.” Convincing my husband to quit his job and join me in this adventure was another story.

I admit that I can sometimes get a little over-excited about new ideas … like wanting to redecorate a room and then getting no further than buying the paint and wallpaper! But this was different. I could envision my husband and me working together. Over the course of staying at home, I had dabbled in various part-time venues like freelance marketing; sporadic in-home daycare for desperate friends; even considering several home-based “party” businesses. But the bottom line was that I really needed to believe in something to become completely committed to it. The Little Gym fit the bill! After some hard-core research and intense soul-searching, Bob came on board with my thinking and has been integral in the overall success of the business, in addition to some pretty incredible, talented team members we’ve had the pleasure to work with.

Fast forward four years and we are now opening our second location in Fitchburg and we couldn’t be more excited about bringing The Little Gym to another dynamic, thriving community. As I look back at the four years we’ve been open in Middleton, I struggle to find words to express the satisfaction of seeing children and parents in the gym with huge smiles on their faces. It’s a dream come true.

We feel fortunate to have found a business that we both enjoy immensely, that also enhances a community and families. Many times we have had parents tell us what a difference The Little Gym has made for their child as they see not only their physical abilities expand, but their social and emotional development are also positively impacted. And then there are the parents who find new friends and meet before or after classes … It’s what I totally envisioned having when my first child was born and it really is an honor to be able to offer that to families now! Mission accomplished!