By Rebecca Lawson
As a member of the Michigan Synchronized Skating Team (who is headed to Nationals!) and a freshmen at the School of Engineering, Lizzie Bertan is making moves on and off the ice. Her Campus had the pleasure of chatting with her about how her first year at Michigan has been so far.
Her Campus: When did you start skating and what teams have you been a part of? How does skating for these teams compare to skating for Michigan?
Lizzie Bertan: I started skating when I was four, and started synchronized ice skating when I was 11. I skated on a few different teams over the years, but most recently I skated for Team Image based in Yonkers, New York. Skating at home is different than skating at school in the sense that your parents and other adults are more involved in the sport at home – such as organizing coaching, hotels for travel, planning practice schedules, etc. However, here at Michigan the girls on the team plan everything with almost no outside assistance. Other than that, the actual sport is basically the same, just in college we are competing against other collegiate teams. Also, at home it is hard to balance skating with other activities and family events because practices are always pretty far away. Here, the rink is on campus (we practice at Yost) and everyone on the team understands that while skating is important and we all want to work hard and do well, schoolwork is still the most important priority.
HC: Have you competed in singles before?
LB: At home I also competed individually. I competed at regionals twice when I was in 9th and 10th grade. My first competition was when I was 6, and my junior year of high school I stopped competing individually and focused on synchronized skating.
HC: Did you always know you wanted to be a college athlete? What was the process of becoming one like?
LB: I wasn’t always sure that I wanted to continue skating in college. I knew that I wasn’t ready to quit but I thought it would be too much of a time commitment. As I was applying to colleges, I realized that I wanted it as an option, so I applied to Michigan knowing that they had a great skating program. Once I got in and decided to go, I looked for more information on the skating team. Every year they host a recruitment weekend that all prospective skaters are invited to attend. It involves a skating clinic with the team and the coach, a tour of the school, and team dinners. I went last spring and it was so much fun that I decided to tryout when I got to school in the fall.
HC: What are you studying at Michigan? How is it balancing classes with practice and competitions?
LB: I am in the College of Engineering, but undecided about my major. It was a little difficult in the beginning balancing schoolwork with practices, but competition season didn’t start until the end of November so I had a lot of time to figure it out. It all comes down to planning – if you can get your work done early and plan around practice times it is not hard at all to get it all done.
HC: What has been the highlight of your first season so far?
LB: The highlight of my season so far has been getting second place at the Midwestern Sectional Championships and qualifying for nationals. I can’t wait to compete at nationals and represent Michigan!
HC: Do you hope to continue with skating after college? If so, what will that process be like?
LB: I probably won’t continue to compete after college. However, skating will always be a part of my life. At home I coach and I plan on continuing that past college if time permits. Some people choose to keep skating – many teams have adult teams to skate on. If you’re really serious about competing, Senior is the highest level to compete and there is no age limit.