Roller skating club inspires South Side students to express themselves
CHICAGO - Sydney Blaylock first discovered roller skating at 4 years old. She said her mom used to take her to The Rink on 87th Street every Wednesday and Friday.
The Rink has been a staple in Chicago’s Chatham neighborhood for five decades. Those shiny hardwood floors are where Blaylock’s dream of performing started.
"I remember wanting to be better than the older kids," Blaylock said. "Learning how to skate backwards and doing all the tricks fast. Not taking my time and just having fun."
Earlier this year, she got the opportunity of a lifetime, performing at the Super Bowl halftime show with Usher.
"I randomly got a direct message and I thought it was fraud," Blaylock said. "I almost ignored it. Then I ended up calling and we spoke about the audition the following week."
Blaylock had to keep the news of performing at the Super Bowl a big secret. But outside of her family, the only people that knew were her students at Kenwood High School, where she is the coach of their Roller-skating Club.
"A lot of them couldn’t stand on skates," Blaylock said. "They were literally holding on to the walls. Now they’re doing spins. They’re skating backwards."
Blaylock is a Kenwood alum and wanted to use this opportunity to show that if she can achieve her dreams, they can as well.
"This builds their character," Blaylock said. "It helps them be consistent and dedicated to something. A lot of kids don’t have something to do after school, especially if you’re not in sports, you’re not a cheerleader or basketball player. So, this is something for them to do. A good recreational sport."
The members of the club range in levels of skating experience.
"When I first got here, I couldn’t skate forward, let alone backwards," Melody Baty said. "It makes you more determined to learn new things and to get back up again physically and emotionally. Sometimes you’ll try to do a trick and you can’t get it. It could take 50-plus tries and you’re falling. But at the end of the day, it’s your choice to get back up, or to stay on the ground."
Corey McHenry is one of the more experienced skaters in the club. He also produces the music they skate too.
McHenry is one of the many seniors in the skate club. He said he wants to eventually come back to Kenwood and be the coach just like Blaylock has been for them.
The Kenwood Skate club has a performance at Kenwood High School on Friday at 5:30 p.m.
Right now, the students in the program pay for their own skates. More kids are interested but can’t afford skates, so they’re hoping to raise money to keep this program going. Click here for more information on how to donate.