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By DONALD MOTTERN | Staff Writer

PELHAM – Christian Newberry, director of skating at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena, was recently appointed as a United States Figure Skating Technical Specialist.

The appointment to the position of technical specialist is one that is extremely significant in the skating world and is seen as a sought-after career accomplishment.

Technical Specialists are the officials during events that are specifically trained and experienced in identifying the wide variety of jumps, spins and steps that are contained within a skater’s program. It also falls upon the Tech Specialist to make official determinations as to whether such movements are executed correctly during competition.

Rather than take any time away from his efforts as director of skating in Pelham, Newberry’s latest appointment will actually serve to buffer his current position and bring the entire program in Pelham forward.

“It will have no (negative) impact on his duties with the Pelham Civic Complex,” said Seth Greenberg, executive director of the Pelham Civic Complex. “(In fact) it enhances his abilities and positions the complex to become more competitive on a national scale.”

Following the appointment, Newberry is now one of only 148 Technical Specialists practicing in the United States and is currently the sole one based in the state of Alabama. His appointment to the position also allows Newberry to officiate at any open event and at all national qualifying events for the USFSA.

This accomplishment is but the latest in Newberry’s career and long presence in the world of skating. He currently holds the distinctions of having been the 1989 Men’s Champion in the British Figure Skating Championships and was a competitor in the 1989 European Championship and the 1989 World Championship. Newberry has personally been a national competitor in the sport seven times and has previously spent a total of four years as a Team Great Britain team member.

After retiring from competition, Newberry first moved to the United States and began coaching in Pennsylvania.

Coaching in the sport since 1990, Newberry has coached at the World and European Championships as well as at the Jr. World Championship, International Skating Union Jr. Grand Prix and the Youth Olympics. Other spotlights from his coaching career include more than 75 ISU International events—with more than 15 gold wins and other medals—and having coached skaters to 12 British Championship titles.

Newberry first became director of skating at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena in January following his return to the United States in October of 2023 after nearly a decade spent living in London coaching at the Lee Valley Ice Centre.

Now at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena, Newberry coaches and trains alongside his son, Graham Newberry, who has also had an extensive career in figure skating.