LEADERSHIP MESSAGE
Rob McBride ISI President
ISIU Certified Arena Executive (CAE) FMC Ice Sports President
ISI: Dedicated to Facilitating Industry Growth … for Another 60+ Years!
A
NNIVERSARIES ARE AN opportunity to look back and take stock of the past, but even
more importantly to anticipate what the future may hold. It is in that spirit that we approach the 60th
anniversary of the
founding of ISI. The conception of ISI (then to
be known as the ISIA — Ice Skating Institute of America) came about almost spontaneously at a conference of the National Recreation Association (NRA) in the spring of 1959 in Chicago. During a panel discussion on the emerging U.S. artificial ice industry, attendees expressed the need for a new organization to provide information, education and guidance to the growing ice-skating and ice arena industry.
From that impetus, a team of industry
pioneers developed what we now know as ISI. You will learn more about this remarkable founding group over the course of our anniversary year — suffice it to say they were leaders in every facet of the industry (ice arena owners and operators, builders and suppliers, programmers and instructors), all joining together for a common purpose: to grow, professionalize and support the ice arena industry and skating.
ISI RECREATIONAL SKATER PROGRAM
Te first priority of this new organization was to find ways to turn the impulse or casual skater into a loyal participant. Tey knew that for the industry to be successful and the sport to grow in the United States, they needed a way to bridge the gap between first time-skaters and competitive participation. Tat was the genesis for the ISI recreational skater program, the first nationally organized introductory and recreational skating program — a progressive skill development curriculum paired with incremental evaluation
6 SPRING 2019
and recognition that would promote continued participation and play a critical role in proliferating skating involvement across the country.
Not long after that, an inclusive and
fun team competition program was created to encourage continued and lifelong participation as well as foster the development of a “skating community” as an alternative to highly competitive individual skating. Contrary to what some may believe, the ISI skating program was never intended to take away from competitive skating. Quite the contrary, it has always been a successful feeder system for competitive skaters while providing a fun and inclusive alternative to highly competitive skating. Simply put, the purpose was and is to grow and retain participation to support the industry and competitive skating.
OTHER ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Over the years, ISI has positively impacted our industry in many ways aside from the skating program. It is credited with developing the ice rink insurance program in cooperation with Frank B. Hall, changing forever how our ice arenas are insured; creating the ISI University formal education and certification program to advance the knowledge and proficiency of thousands of industry professionals; organizing the longest-running national conference and trade show in the industry to promote information sharing and knowledge; publishing trade journals, manuals, surveys and other critical information to inform and support the industry; and advocating on behalf of the industry to legislative and regulatory bodies. Tis is but a sampling of the many accomplishments of ISI over the years in pursuit of its founding purpose.
The first priority of this new organization was to find ways to turn the impulse or casual skater into a loyal participant. They knew that for the industry to be successful and the sport to grow in the United States, they needed a way to bridge the gap between first time- skaters and competitive participation. That was the genesis for the ISI recreational skater program …
But as I wrote in my introduction,
this anniversary is an occasion for us to look to the future every bit as much as to take pride in ISI’s momentous history. Six decades after that fateful conference in Chicago, ISI is heading back to its birthplace for its 60th
annual national
conference and trade show, poised to continue playing a pivotal role in the future of the arena industry and ice sports.
Today, the organization is growing in membership, financially sound, headquartered in its own national office and managed by a dedicated and passionate team. We are expanding the ISI certification program and working toward delivering it digitally to every industry professional. We are also developing online tools and platforms to increase communication and real-time support for our members, as well as running enormously popular national recreational competitions across the country that promote participation and fun for our members as well as their friends and family. In addition, the ISIAsia affiliate is growing dramatically as China experiences a massive ice arena building boom, spreading the ISI philosophy across the globe.
While I don’t possess the powers to
predict the future with any degree of specificity, I can say unequivocally that ISI will continue to adapt to the challenges our industry faces with new programs and services designed to meet our members’ needs. Te dynamic workforce norms, explosion of non-athletic entertainment options, everchanging environmental/ safety regulations and the ongoing push for sustainable environmentally-friendly design and operation will all pose significant challenges for our industry in the near future. ISI stands ready to lead the industry to overcome those challenges and continue advancing our founding purpose: to educate, inform, grow and support the ice sports industry.
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