Teams Elite set a standard for the 2019-20 season: to qualify for the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships in Nottingham, England.
"We don't talk about our goals with room to question them," head coach Danielle Ostrower, 33, said. "The team declares what it wants, plots how it's going to accomplish it, then achieves it."Â
So far, the unflinchingly direct mentality has been effective. In 2019, the 20 skaters from Northbrook, Illinois, became the first junior level team from the organization to represent the United States internationally in its debut season. Everything seemed on track when they qualified for the World Junior Championships the following year — until the pandemic sent the skaters and coaches home the morning before they were slotted to compete their short program.
"We didn't know Nationals [U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships] was going to be our last time competing," said high school senior Ellie Lam, who has skated within the Teams Elite program for the last 10 years. "That really hit me hard because I didn't realize I'd never get to skate with our graduating teammates again."
DREAM skater Gia Swanson, also a senior in high school, said another reason the team was devastated about the conclusion of their season is because they weren't able to perform their "Sounds of Silence" free skate. To them, the program represented their perseverance and connection to one another.
When Ostrower realized the 2020-21 synchronized skating season was likely going virtual, she told the girls it was time to reclaim their season. This detour, she said, could not distract the team from its greater goals and giving their seniors the closure they deserved.
"At first, I encouraged everyone to look toward next season," Ostrower said. "Then I realized how unfair that was to our seniors. That doesn't give them an end to their story. So, we dedicated the season to taking control of our ending."
But as many athletes — and people — around the world know, it takes time to heal the wounds of abruptly disrupted opportunities. The girls combatted the uncertainty by hosting off ice Zoom sessions and continuing their work with their team psychologist. Statewide restrictions eased in late spring, and the skaters were permitted to practice disconnected at the Northbrook Sports Center.
"I was not in a good mental state for weeks after coming back from the World Championships," Swanson said. "But when we were finally able to take the ice, it was a new, different feeling. We don't take anything for granted after having everything stripped away."
Teams Elite worked toward giving their seniors and "Sounds of Silence" free skate closure through the summer, training skills and the previous year's programs distanced on the ice. The skaters held one another accountable for the energy at practice by reenforcing leadership roles. Every team member was responsible for an element of every practice, whether it was DJing warmup, or giving the pep talks before they stepped on the ice.
"The responsibilities are a great way to make everyone feel like they're contributing to the team," Lim said. "This season, it translated onto the ice. Because it was a part of our daily routine to get outside of our comfort zones, everyone bonded together through shared experiences."
Building that confidence in one another is pivotal to success, Ostrower said, and why the coaching staff is so committed to fostering a close team culture — especially this year.
"All of our success comes from our team culture," she said. "It doesn't matter if they're the best skater in the world. If they have the drive our athletes have, they're going to be successful. If they have the communication capabilities, they're going to be successful."
The team practiced disconnected until the fall, when rinks were consequently shut down during the second wave of COVID-19 in Illinois.
Restrictions rolled back again in December, and the athletes were able to skate in lines, blocks and circles again for the first time since they left the World Junior Championships.
"A couple of weeks ago when we were discussing highlights of the season, a lot of people said what stood out to them was the first time we were able to connect again," Lim said. "For a lot of us, synchro gives us an outlet and a sense of normalcy."
The last push to give the seniors a happy ending to what might be the rest of their skating careers, the team participated in virtual experiences and performed their "Sounds of Silence" free skate in a small exhibition that honored the seniors and their five teammates who graduated the year before.
"One of the main reasons why I first came to Teams Elite was the competitiveness of the team, but over the years what has made me stay is watching the development on this team," Swanson said. "The connection we have to each other and all of our coaches is what has led us to internationals."
Lim agreed.
"Going under the red, white and blue as Team USA, that's something you don't go through with your school friends," she said.
In testament to the value the team places on their physical and emotion connection to one other, both Lim and Swanson are considering skating in Teams Elite next season. The program, which also contains novice, intermediate and juvenile teams, is planning to add a senior team in the 2022-23 season. All four teams reached the podium at the 2020 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
Whatever the futures hold for Lim, Swanson and rest of the Teams Elite, Ostrower is confident that this season enforced a consistent standard within the organization: that being successful relies on individuals coming together.
"What's unique about synchronized skating is you get to be a part of a greater community," Ostrower said. "If we want our skaters to be the best they can be, they need to feel the best they can be, and without that bond to each other, I just don't see how any organization could thrive. Because we are a family, I know our skaters will continue to be successful from the inside out."
