On Sept. 28, the Lexettes, a synchronized figure skating team based in Lexington, participated in a monitoring session in Minnesota to receive feedback from judges, marking the start of their season.

  “[The monitoring session] is where we first show our programs to the judges, and they can give us feedback and kind of tell us what we should be working on,” Irene Sohn, a senior and member of the Lexettes, said.

Teams that have represented Team USA in the past and scored well in the previous season gathered in Minnesota to showcase their programs, allowing the judges to evaluate areas of strength and weakness.

Samantha Shick, a member of the Lexettes and a senior at Lexington High School, spoke about the monitoring session’s impact.

“Our monitoring experience in Minnesota was a lot earlier than our monitoring experience last year, so we have more time to implement feedback,” Shick said.

Implementing the judge’s feedback, the Lexettes train consistently to improve their performance.

“We always get there 30 minutes early—at least 30 minutes early to warm up. We get there an hour early to do [off-ice training]. And we have a routine set as well as off-ice leaders. There are also people who run our practice debriefs where we can talk about what things went well,” Sohn said.

In addition to refining their routines, the Lexettes focus on strengthening team connections, which are essential in a synchronized sport.

“We spend a lot of time together, so we’re a very connected team. It’s easy to talk to one another, and we always know that we have. We’re always there for each other. Literally,” Sohn said.

Teammates can also support each other off the ice and in the classroom, helping balance academics and skating.

“Being on the team since freshman year has allowed me to gain experience in balancing it all. Our practices often end at 10 p.m. I don’t get home until 11. With international competitions, I’m often not at school for an entire month, so communicating with my teachers and relying on [my] teammates is crucial. [LHS] is a challenging school, so effective communication is key,” Shick said.

As the Lexettes prepare for the upcoming season, they focus on daily efforts rather than long-term goals.

“It’s really easy to get caught up in the big goals and look too far in the future and not realize what’s in front of you. So showing up every day and giving it your all is the most I could ask for of me, my teammates, and my coach,” Shick said.