Benjamin Miller Reisman, a University of St. Thomas alum and former international competitive figure skater, is the Skating Director at the historic St. Paul Figure Skating Club.
The club was founded in 1936, making it one of the oldest in the state of Minnesota, and it has produced over 200 qualifying skaters for the United States Championships in its history. The club’s home in Pleasant Arena hosts more than 60 hours of ice time each week, and its coaching staff including five U.S. National Competitors and two Team USA International Competitors. Reisman is among this decorated group.
Leading this well-known club is no easy feat, especially as it is a 501c3 nonprofit, but Reisman said his Bachelor of Arts in Business attained at St. Thomas has helped him run the club efficiently.
“The education that I received at St. Thomas was essential in my ability to view and manage our organization as a business,” Reisman said. “I am especially thankful for my accounting and economics classes as what I learned in those classes really helps me make sound executive decisions.”
Before running the St. Paul Figure Skating Club and coaching, Reisman was a student of the sport. He began at the club at the age of seven and competed nationally and internationally in singles figure skating. He was a three-time junior medalist at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships between 2000 and 2002. His training brought him around the world before he returned to the St. Paul FSC, where he began coaching full time while studying at St. Thomas.
“During that period of time I just coached very minimally in the early mornings and later evenings because I could make more money coaching than waiting tables or any other similar job,” Reisman said.
When the 2008 recession hit after two years of being in school, Reisman realized that coaching was serving him well and helped him realize his passion for coaching as a career.
“My career was starting to take off a little bit and I loved it. After a few family meetings, I decided to for at least the next five years put my career in coaching first,” Reisman said.
Since 2008, Reisman has coached 51 Minnesota State Champions and continues to stay connected with the St. Thomas community. One of his former students, Abbie Symanietz, graduated from St. Thomas in 2024 and is now a graduate student at the university. She began skating at the St. Paul FSC when she was 12 and said Reisman was more than just a coach to her.
“He taught me invaluable life lessons that I’ve carried with me through my undergraduate years at St. Thomas,” Symanietz said.
Symanietz skated at the club through her freshman year at St. Thomas and then became a coach alongside Reisman.
“It was incredibly rewarding to help shape the next generation of skaters within our St. Thomas Summit Hill community,” Symanietz said. “Ben … really influenced my decision to attend St. Thomas, highlighting the close-knit, supportive environment that is much like the St. Paul Figure Skating Club itself.”
This Holiday season, the St. Paul Figure Skating Club is sharing its work with the public through its annual Holiday Ice Show and Snowflake Skate. This show will feature ice dances to holiday selections performed by club skaters and is a way for the St. Paul FSC to connect with the community.
Reisman said he wants other St. Thomas students to know that the St. Paul FSC is a place for everyone to improve.
“We have training ice at Pleasant Arena all day Monday through Friday during the school year available to your students who wish to continue their training and many skilled coaches available to help them achieve their goals,” Reisman said.
Anna Brennan can be reached at bren7501@stthomas.edu.