| 'Piedmont Practice' |
'Piedmont Practice' by Michael Cheek
One of the things I’ve always loved doing is going to different clubs practices. I have always loved visiting different teams and seeing how they practiced. It’s never really been about what they do at practice, as much as how they do things at practice. I love seeing different teams attitudes, and just interacting with people. So, when I got the opportunity to write for Luigino, one of the first things I said I wanted to do was to write about different practices I go to. I’m really not sure how many different clubs I’ll get to visit, but hopefully I will get lots of opportunities.
The easiest place for me to start is the place that it all started for me. The Piedmont Speed Team is located in Greensboro, North Carolina, and is where it all began for me. Most of Piedmonts practices are skated at Skateland USA, also where the Gate City Thanksgiving Classic is held. Currently, coached by Tony Smith, the club has been one of the top teams in the country for a long time. This year Piedmont was 2nd overall in national points, with an amazing 17pts per entry. Piedmont is a team filled with national champions of all ages, world team members, and also a large group of beginners.
Since I go to almost every practice at Piedmont, I’ll talk about the one that I think is most important. Piedmont is one of the few teams, and maybe the only team, with a Friday night practice after session. One of the things my former coach, Scott Hiatt, always told me was that it’s easy to practice on the days when you’re really motivated and want to be there. But if you want to be your best you have to work hard on the days when you’re might not be driven to work as hard. Friday night from 10 to midnight is an easy time to not be motivated, especially for teenagers. It’s the end of the week, and there are lots of things they could be out doing with their friends. These are the practices that make champions.
Usually their practices consist of a pace line, a few relays, and what they call a “race pace” (the first person leads as fast as they can for a set number of laps. After which they drop back and try to hang on as the next person leads. This goes through the whole pack). Usually there are two groups, one for the elementary and under, and one group for everyone else. Like a lot of bigger teams they have to make up for lack of floor time with intensity. Every drill/race is run with the same intensity as in competition. So, if you’re in the Greensboro area and want somewhere to practice, get in touch with someone form the Piedmont Speed Team.
Sincerely, your friend in speed skating,
Michael Cheek
Click here to read Michael's last installment in this series.