Coach Celebrates 40 Years with ISI ISI member Shelly Bressler shares her 40-year history as an ISI coach. I
n the mid 70s when I was 16, I took my first private ice skating lesson. I was fortunate to have an ice arena
not too far from my home in New Jersey (Menon Sports Arena). Arrangements were made for me to meet with figure skating coach Brenda Farmer, who was in her prime as a U.S. national competitor. Menon did both ISIA and USFS and so
from the beginning of my skating career I have been engaged in both systems. After training like it was my job, I auditioned and was hired to skate and travel with Holiday On Ice — one of the best parts of my life I might add. While traveling the
Bressler on tour with Holiday on Ice
United States, Canada and Mexico, my white horse story began — only difference was that my prince was a rock drummer, so my show days came to a bittersweet end. From there, I was invited by a friend
of Larry LaBorde’s to take over an ISIA novelty rink in Memphis, Tenn. Once settled in Memphis, I picked up where the former coach left off, coaching ISIA, testing, competing, performing, producing and directing shows. Ten one day, all of the local skaters caught wind that an old friend was coming to town and were very excited for his visit. Come to find out it was the one and only Ted Wilson. Ted watched me coach and skate, and before he left he asked me if I would come to Dubai and perform in his up and coming ice show. “Not without my boyfriend,” I said. Shortly after, two round-trip plane tickets arrived in the mail and off I went.
ISIA Goes International
Our trip was so awesome that we were invited back — this time to live there. Tis was in the early 80s. I introduced ISIA to Ted and we used this system for our 30-plus nationalities taking lessons. Almost immediately we started to gather skaters to travel to the United States for the Summer ISIA World competitions; this was the beginning stages of ISIA becoming international and realizing the ISIA was no longer just for America.
I After this seven-year experience, we
ventured back to the United States, settling in Bowling Green, Ohio, where the ISI skating program was not very popular. However, south of Bowling Green some parents and skaters caught wind that there was an ISI coach in Bowling Green, so they contacted me. From there I was in my element, coaching ISI again, testing and going to competitions, many of which were in Michigan. It was at this time when this amazing
set of 2-year-old twins, Amber and Alissa Czisny, walked into the doors of the Bowling Green Ice Arena and low and behold landed in my life. I introduced ISI to this family and by age 3, the twins were competing in Beta, age 4 Gamma and Delta. From there, the drummer and I
received an invitation to move overseas again. Still connected to Ted Wilson, of course, we moved to Hong Kong and then on to Macau, China. Tere, we all did ISI full steam ahead, so of course again I was in my glory. It was at this time I had my one and only child — in Asia! Te mid 90s brought me back to
Bowling Green and still ISI was rather unpopular! I picked up where I left off with the twins and several other well accomplished U.S. Figure Skating skaters. Also, because the arena was still an ISI member, I was able to test ISI skaters and go to ISI competitions representing Bowling Green State University in ISI.
Bressler with Amber and Alissa Czisny
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essler with mber and
“ISI, as you can see, has been very good to me personally, as well as to the hundreds of skaters across the world that I have been affiliated with.”
ISI EDGE WINTER 2016
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