The rest of the country and even parts of the world have taken notice of what the Connaught Skating has accomplished of late.
That was evident at the Richmond club's recent training camp that officially launched the 2013-14 competitive season. The sessions not only featured some of Connaught's top homegrown talent who have gone on to win national titles and represent Canada, but skaters from as far away as Estonia and China. In fact, two others from Prince Edward Island and Saskatchewan have relocated to Richmond just to work with the Connaught coaching staff in the months ahead.
It's a huge endorsement of the work the club has been doing to produce some of the country's finest up-and-coming talent.
"We work hard here in Richmond and are proud to have this type of elite training," explained Connaught Director of Programs Keegan Murphy. "It's a testament of the hard, hard work we are doing. This type of production doesn't happen by accident. It comes with a team of staff that is working together with athletes who are in love with the sport."
It was Mitchell Gordon who produced the club's first rumblings at the national level, winning the Canadian junior novice and junior men's titles in consecutive years. He jumped up to senior men's last season and finished a more than respectable seventh thanks to a splendid free skate at nationals which earned him a spot in the World Junior Championships.
Clubmate Larkyn Austman also made noise a year ago by winning the Canadian junior women's title in her debut. The accomplishments means the bar needs to be pushed higher as these young skaters move forward with greater expectations. That's where the week-long training camp is critical in the big picture.
The first challenge for the Connaught staff is bringing these skaters into a frigid rink on beautiful summer day and ensuring they are focused on the task at hand.
"For skaters at this (elite) level, the real development and improvement happens in the summer," continued Murphy. "It's quite rare to acquire a new skill in November during competition time. This is the time of the year where the skaters really have the psychological, physical and emotion energy to give everything they can in training.
"It is really quite amazing they have come to a place in their life where they are willing to be in this training environment from 9-4 five straight days and give up their summer season. Those are the life skills we talk about that will make them stronger adults down the road."
When the skaters weren't on the ice, there were plenty of dryland training sessions - working with a personal trainer or a ballet teacher.
The competitive schedule kicked off at the recent Glacier Falls Classic in Anaheim and will continue for the many at the upcoming B.C. Summer Skate in Burnaby - Aug. 15-18.
