Young Figure Skaters Demand Equal Ice Time At Harlem Park
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Some young figure skaters say they are shortchanging of ice time by hockey players at a skating rink in Harlem's Riverbank State Park.
Members of Figure Skating In Harlem gathered at Riverbank State Park yesterday to demand equal ice time.
The girls' figure skating league gets 4.5 hours of ice time each week, but the bulk of the ice time goes to private school hockey teams and the Riverbank Hockey Program, which are mostly made up of boys.
"Everybody is welcome in this park, but what we want is equal time on the ice. Right now, hockey, whether it be boys or girls, takes up 85 percent of the time on the ice," said Tamara Tunie of Figure Skating In Harlem.
"This program has taught me to believe in myself and it's taught me courage and I can always do anything that I put my mind to," said one young skater.
"If we couldn't skate I think we would be out on the street and, like, on the corner, instead of doing something that would make us better," said another.
In a letter, Riverbank Park Director Reggie Magwood tells the director of Figure Skating In Harlem that her group has more than 30 percent of the time available to permit holders.
Magwood says the girls were offered more ice time before school hours, but the group rejected the offer.