Who am I, and why does this matter to me?

My name is Ma’ayan Horwitz, I am 13 years old, and I have been doing Synchronized skating for almost 6 years. As a child, I was encouraged to do a sport, as most children were. I tried out soccer, gymnastics, tennis, ballet, running, and so many more, but I ended up quitting them all out of a lack of enjoyment. When I was 6 years old, I decided to try figure skating. I took group lessons every week, and I loved it. However, when anyone brought up the subject of competing by myself, I got nervous. When I got to the basic 6 level, I met a friend who told me she did a sport called synchronized skating. She told me it was a group of skaters that skated a program. She said it was just like figure skating except with other girls. After some convincing, my parents were open to letting me try it. I tried out for a team, made it to the second lowest level (go figure, I was 6!), and began the season with my new team. And six years later, I’m still at it. This sport has given me so much happiness and so many friends. It has taught me how to work as a team, build thick skin, how to manage my time, and so much more. Synchro has helped me through my lowest lows, made me happier during my happy moments, and always cheers me up. I have built amazing friendships that I hope to never lose. These friends are always there for me, whether I am going through hard times, passed a test, or when I just want to talk. One of my personal goals is to be in the Olympics, but obviously not competing alone. The only problem is that Synchronized skating is not an Olympic sport, and that’s exactly why I am writing this petition.

What is Synchronized skating?

Synchronized skating is when a group of 8-20 skaters perform formations and hard step sequences together. This is such a beautiful sport where teammates work together year-round to become so synchronized to the point where they are like one body breathing together on the ice. This sport is breathtaking to watch but requires a ton of work behind the scenes. Most teams practice on and off the ice once or twice a week for about four hours. It requires the skaters to be focused and present for the whole practice. This may seem easy, but some teams (like mine) can only get ice time at certain times of the day. This could be at a reasonable hour, such as 4:00 pm - but it could also be at crazy times, like 5:30 am or 10:00 pm. There are different levels that dictate how difficult the program is. For more information, feel free to look at this link.

Why is it Currently not an Olympic Sport?

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) claims that Synchronized skating is not an Olympic sport because the number of people poses logistic and monetary problems. The idea of having fewer people on the ice at a time has been suggested, and the IOC has taken interest in this. When I first heard about this, the first question that came to my mind was: what logistical and monetary problems are they talking about? After much research, I couldn’t find an answer to my question, which made me question if the problems existed in the first place, or if it was all just a big lie. I thought about the suggestion of having fewer people on the ice and thought about my team right now, and how if there would be fewer people skating, it wouldn’t be the same. A team without all of its players is a whole different team. “The strength of the team is each individual member. The strength of each member is the team” -Phil Jackson. Why should we have to get rid of skaters when no other sports are being put in this position? It seems rather unfair.

Why should it be an Olympic sport?

There are many other team sports in the Olympics, such as hockey, and they have never had a problem with that quantity of people. So why should it be any different for Synchro? Wouldn’t it be nicer for the Olympics to have an inclusive attitude towards all sports as opposed to an exclusive one? Synchronized skating is a sport like any other, so one would think it would be given the same attention and respect.

Who would this impact?

If Synchro were sent to the Olympics, it would open many opportunities for thousands of synchronized skating athletes out there to fulfill their dreams. For most, synchro ends when they go to college. For some, they enter a college that has a team, and very few end up skating on an adult or senior team after they graduate. The Olympics has given many teams and individual athletes a ton of publicity and allowed them to make a life for themselves out of the sport they love. To make a life out of most sports, you need the visibility of the sport so that people get excited about it. Once people are excited about it, they want to see it more during times that are not the Olympics - eventually, the skaters can start charging admission to watch them and make a living off of it. Synchro in the Olympics would allow so many of its skaters to make a life out of their sport.  So I ask, why strip these skaters of a chance to live their dream?

Why should I sign?

I hope you understand how special it would be for all the synchronized skaters out there to be able to skate on Olympic ice. The Olympics have three core values: excellence, respect, and friendship. Synchronized skating represents all three of these values. The sport is of utmost excellence and takes practice, determination, and gracefulness. Synchro teaches respect. When competing in a Synchro competition, you learn to respect the other teams and the judges, even if you don’t love them. And finally, friendship. If any sport represents friendship, it’s this one. One learns to get to know their teammates and love them as siblings. You spend a lot of time with the same people and create bonds that don’t break easily. Consider signing this petition so that thousands of athletes like me can fulfill their dreams of skating with their team in the Olympics.