Meet Our Learn to Skate
Coaching Staff

Welcome to The Rink at Lehigh Valley’s Learn to Skate Program. We are proud to provide the highest quality of instruction in the Lehigh Valley. Our mission is to provide a fun, safe environment for all ages, levels, abilities and skating disciplines with the opportunity for positive physical, mental, physiological, and social development. All of our instructors are members in good standing with the Professional Skaters Association and US Figure Skating. The Rink’s Learn to Skate staff consist of the following accomplished instructors.

Learn to Skate Coordinator: Becca Mattes Becca is a member in good standing with the Professional Skaters Association and has been an instructor with The Rink at Lehigh Valley since 2003. She has five years of competition experience, and has been skating for over 10 years. Becca enjoys teaching Basic Skills and Freestyle to kids and adults of all ages. She is currently attending Northampton Community College, and plans on transferring to a local college to major in Elementary Education. Contact Info: Becca Mattes

Janene Chidiac Janene has been an instructor with The Rink since 1991 and has performed with Walt Disney on Ice. She is a member and rated coach of the Professional Skaters Association. Janene enjoys teaching children and adults of all ages including hockey clinics. She also has a nursing background including first aid and CPR/AED certification. Contact Info: Janene Chidiac

Suzannah Nolt Suzannah is a Gold Medalist in pair figure skating, and she is also a Silver Medalist. She has competed in the World Professional Figure Skating Championship and she is also a two-time national competitor. Suzannah was also a principal performer for the Ice Capades; she is member and rated coach of the Professional Skaters Association. Suzannah teaches Freestyle, Moves In The Field, off-ice classes, and choreography. She is a graduate of Albright College and has been coaching since 1987. Suzannah also has two daughters, Savannah and Lacey. Contact Info: Suzannah Nolt

Group vs. Private Lessons?

Our staff has found that a skater’s progression is accelerated through a combination of group and private lessons. The group lessons provide a fun, social, and economical avenue for learning. In combination with privates the group lessons can function as a supervised practice session that can introduce new moves as well as the opportunity to perform repetition of a maneuver with the supervision of a qualified instructor. If you decide on private lessons, our staff still encourages continued participation in the group instruction. Private lessons are considered for many reasons:

• as an occasional booster lesson to help a skater get over a maneuver they are having difficulty with
• on a regular basis to accelerate the learning process
• to polish up and develop a higher level of technique
• to learn a routine for competition or shows