Since its inaugural year in 2014, the Adrian College Varsity Senior synchronized skating team has made the climb to become a consistent member of Team USA.
But if you ask head coach and skating director Ashley Carlson how she built a successful collegiate program, she'll tell you the secret boils down to her proudest achievement — developing a loving team culture.
"It's person first, skater second," Carlson, 34, said. "When skaters know you genuinely care about them, you develop rewarding relationships. It's interesting, though, because the skating gets better, too. Athletes will learn more, grow more, if they're working with someone they trust."
When Carlson was hired at Adrian College in 2011, however, skaters' relationships and athletic mentalities couldn't be the program's sole purpose.
"It was like Maslow's hierarchy of needs," she explained. "I had to get the program off the ground and recruit skaters to come to Adrian, Michigan, before I could even think about developing team culture."
When author and performance psychologist Joshua Medcalf spoke at Coaches College in 2016, Carlson realized mental toughness was more than "tricks to compete well." Now, all four of Adrian College's skating teams regularly practice bonding and mental training exercises focused on gratitude and self-compassion.
"We've had professionals come to campus and work with us on mental training," junior Jocelyn Kalkman, 21, said. "But we've also learned to talk and rely on each other, which helps us through individual struggles and communicate better on the ice."
The skaters are taught to embrace togetherness from the moment they step on campus as prospective Bulldogs. The athletes hang out, study and live together outside of practice, and observing the team's closeness during recruitment is why many high school seniors decide to enroll at Adrian College.
"We don't have a recruitment selling point," said Nikki Czuhajewski, who is a DREAM skater on the senior team as well as the head coach of Adrian's varsity figure skating team. "When prospective athletes visit, they meet the other skaters, skate on our ice and can envision themselves here because they experience the atmosphere."
Senior Tara Tahil, 22, said she decided to attend Adrian College when another skater told her joining a team that felt like family was "the best decision she ever made." In her four years as a Bulldog, she's gained confidence in the classroom, on the ice and in the gym.
To improve their strength and endurance on the ice, the team started Crossfit training in 2016 after Carlson's husband and volunteer assistant coach, Ryan Carlson, realized the workouts' psychological benefits. Ultimately, the time spent at the Black Horse Gym in Adrian also brought the athletes closer together.
"It's huge for skaters to get stronger off the ice because it makes them more confident and capable on the ice," Ryan said. "But the lifelong mental and emotional gains from pushing yourself to the limits alongside your best friends is by far the most beneficial."
While the intense weight-lifting was initially intimidating to Kalkman, Tahil and sophomore Emily German, they all relied on the support from teammates to gradually build muscle and confidence. They said this progress contributed to a newfound fearlessness in their own personalities.
"I used to look like a deer in the headlights when thinking about putting a barbel, or a person, above my head," German, 19, said. "Now, I know how to power clean and execute a group lift like the back of my hand. When I struggled, I could count on my teammates to say, 'Take a deep breath and try again.'"
German observed how the team culture contributed to its mental toughness last spring when they competed in the Britannia Cup. Several skaters fell during the official practice, and the athletes felt out of synch before the free skate.
"That practice should have felt like a setback because it was the first time coach had to tell us to refocus," German said. "So, we upped our energy during hair and makeup, then competed our best program to date. I attribute that to being a tough team because what could have ruined our day was motivation to be better than we had ever been."
The team placed second with one of their highest scores to date. They beat their record again weeks later in Zagreb, Croatia, with 184.24 points.
But for the skaters, the most rewarding part of being a Bulldog is learning to trust one another, themselves and the journey toward achievements.
"I've learned I can't lose anything from pushing myself, I can only get stronger," Tahil said. "Even now as I apply for jobs, I'm less hard on myself and more grateful for the hard work I've put into applications. I'm not fazed by rejections because skating has trained me resilient."
This season, Adrian's coaching staff — which includes both Carlsons, Brandon Forsyth and former Haydenette Alexandra Finn — has supported the team while navigating the consequences of a worldwide pandemic. Despite the emotions that follow canceled events, the team has continued their intensive training, even when socially distanced.
"The last year has been incredibly difficult for everyone, but I do think we have been able to rely on our strengths as a team to navigate the unpredictability," Carlson said. "Every season, there are unforeseen challenges, but we're used to coming together and talking things out. Because of that foundation we've built, there's a source of comfort for us and our athletes."
Skaters on Adrian's senior team have never had a typical college experience. In addition to their athletic regimen, every member is a full-time student. But, in a testament to their intentional, and effective, mental training, the athletes are well-rounded people, too. Several skaters are involved in other on campus organizations and the team's average grade point average is 3.71.
This isn't to say Adrian's skaters are more mentally equip to endure emotional turmoil. Instead, their cultivated confidence in one another and themselves gives them hope of a promising future — both for the organizations and for themselves.
