A closer look at Skate Collective

By Sierra Smith, Communications Specialist

USN's High School boasts 27 active clubs and 17 organizations covering a wide array of interests and subject areas. The entry point to cocurricular life in the High School, these groups offer students a way to explore new interests, build and strengthen bonds with classmates, and develop valuable leadership skills. 

Hear from Skate Collective founder and student leader Gidgie Bass '24 with a look into one of High School's sickest (in the good way) clubs.

In a sentence or two, what is Skate Collective? 

United Skaters of Nashville (USN) Skate Collective is a group of High School students and faculty who meet roughly once a week to skateboard — on boards, blades, or skates — on USN's campus. 

Why did you start the club? 

I started the Skate Collective because I enjoy skateboarding, but didn't know anyone else at USN who did. I thought starting a skate club would be a good way to find the people who skated, but also teach others to skate. I know a lot of people who don't know how to skateboard but have wanted to learn, and I wanted to teach them. 

Skating with a group of people is really fun, and a good way to build community. Although skateboarding sometimes has a bad rap, a group of skaters can be the most supportive, determined, focused, and worthwhile group to be a part of, and I wanted to bring that to USN. 

Starting the club took a lot of work, but it has definitely paid off. It required the usual club logistics of an application process, finding a sponsor, having a table at the Club Fair, and recruiting members, but I had to write legal waivers for safety reasons, talk to Operations to find places to skate, find ways to get boards to school, and a lot more small things like that which took lots of thought and effort too. 

How many members are in the club?

Skate Collective has just under 50 people on its email list, but we have yet to get that many people to come to the meetings. I would say somewhere around 15 people come to meetings at this point. 

Are you accepting new members? 

Not only are we accepting new members, we are looking for them. 

Our faculty sponsor is HS Spanish Teacher Waldir Sepulveda. He rollerblades or skateboards with us at all the skate sessions. I wouldn't have been able to do any of this without him, and having him alongside has made things a lot more fun. It also makes people come to meetings because everybody wants to skate with Profe. 

What's your favorite memory from the club? 

My favorite memory from Skate Collective has to be the first time we met. I was super nervous because I didn't know if anyone would show up, and if people would enjoy it. I really had no idea what to expect. It turned out to be so much fun, and I'll remember the feeling I had then for a long time. I was really proud of all the work I had put into creating the club, and how it was paying off. But even more so, I was just super excited to be skating with all my friends, sharing something so close to my heart.

Skateboarding is the way I destress or process. If I feel overwhelmed, have had a rough day, or need to be alone, skating always makes me feel so much better. I found skateboarding at a time in my life I really needed it, and I think others could too. 

The other thing skating does is always push you; it's pushing you to work harder, get better, stay focused, be determined, etc. Getting the chance to give others the opportunity to find skateboarding as a way to relax, motivate, or escape is an opportunity I feel grateful to have. 

Anything else? 

We recently received a donation of seven skateboard decks from a local organization called Ladies Skate Nashville. I applied for a student grant and got enough money to buy wheels and trucks to complete four or five decks, which will all belong to Skate Collective. We will be hosting sales very soon to raise more money for skate parts.