Above: Georgia students watch videos of Jacob Sanchez competing at the Junior Grand Prix Final.
By Courtney Fecske
Scott Jarrett, an avid figure skating fan, switched careers three years ago to become a para-educator in special education.
Jarrett was with his students on an unusually cold day in Georgia and mentioned to them that the ice outside was “like an ice rink,” and realized then they didn’t know anything about ice skating.
He started to share his passion for figure skating, and his students’ curiosity was piqued.
They watched a YouTube video of 2024 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champion Jacob Sanchez.
“The students were excited and clapped while watching Jacob skate,” Jarrett said.
He knew he was onto something.
Jarrett took the initiative to do some sleuthing on Instagram and reached out to the skater’s mom, who also happens to be a teacher.
Johanna Sanchez was thrilled to connect with Jarrett. He came up with several lesson plans to teach his students about ice skating and support Jacob, who would soon compete at the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Wichita, Kansas.
Lesson plans included taking his pupils to the store to assemble a care package filled with some of Jacob’s favorite snacks. Next, the students worked on writing questions and drawing posters for the skater.
Jarrett met Jacob and Johanna in Wichita before the skater's important competition to deliver the care package and take some photos.
Jacob was touched by the variety of items in the care package. Questions they submitted included “Is skating hard?” “Is skating like dancing?” and “Does it hurt when you fall?”
After the U.S. Championships, Jarrett and Johanna continued to communicate and followed up by having Jacob call into Jarrett’s classroom and meet the students. He visited via Zoom and answered all of their questions in real time.
Because this was the first Zoom guest speaker at the school, even the principal stopped in to be part of the excitement.
“The students were shy at first, but after the first student asked a question and broke the ice, then it was a great time for everyone,” Jacob said. “It was “awesome being able to organize the Zoom meeting and interact with and connect with my fan base.”
He added that the gift basket was amazing and the letters motivating. Jacob spoke to two classrooms of around 15 students, who are about the same age.
After visiting with Jacob, Jarrett did more research and reached out to an Adaptive skating program nearby in Duluth, Georgia. The Duluth Georgia Skating Academy turned out to have an amazing adaptative program, Jarrett said. He took his students to the venue and they had a memorable experience on the ice.
Johanna thinks the relationship will continue. Next year, with the U.S. Championships in St. Louis, Jacob would like to meet up with Jarrett again and make it an annual event.
Courtney Fecske, PhD, CTRS, is the recreation manager at Keshet and adaptive skating national vice chair.
