ION International Training Center in Leesburg has announced that it will be shifting from a skating arena to a performing arts and events center. This transition has aroused conflicting views. While some view this move as a much awaited improvement, many see it as a detrimental loss.
Mitra Setayesh, one of the owners of ION, has said that ‘change is never easy, but it is often necessary for growth.’” While it will be a loss for many, this will also be an opportunity to support local nonprofits and other organizations by providing a venue for various events, fundraisers, and performances. It will be a valuable addition to the entertainment scene in Loudoun, which currently does not have a true performing arts center. Furthermore, it will also attract more tourism to the area and bring economic growth. It will “provide a much-needed gathering space for corporate events, trade shows, conventions, sporting events, weddings, banquets, and more.” Many view this announcement as an exciting opportunity to foster creativity and culture.
However, this change is not without some drawbacks. Approximately 800 youth skate at ION, and it is one of the largest facilities in the mid-Atlantic region. Therefore, for many families of the ice sports community, this will mean losing a home as every one of these figures and hockey skaters will be forced to find a new location or team to skate. Juliet Johns, a sophomore at Heritage High School, has been skating at ION for six years. For her the rink has been like a “second home” where she dedicates hours out of every day “doing homework in the cafe, training on the ice, or doing ice training in the gym.” Previously, ION would host shows in their arena where “skaters from all over would perform.” Johns emphasized how these events would be “so much fun” and “people from in town would come watch us perform as well.” Johns says that the worst part of ION’s abrupt closing will be “that our community will have to split up into many different rinks, and a lot of us will probably not be able to see each other again.” These are connections that have been fostered over many years, and it will not be easy for these skaters to lose touch with what has become a family for them. Furthermore, the closure will have an impact on the skating abilities of the skaters as it is difficult “to keep up your hard work without being discouraged or distracted by the fact that the rink is closing.” This change poses an emotional toll to the skating community, for it is challenging “to keep coming back to a place that you know will not be around forever.”
