Press Release
From: PCEP Figure Skating Team
Date: September 21, 2025
Contact: Julie O’Connor
Cell: 734-748-4207
Email: julie.oconnor@gmail.com
PCEP Figure Skating team announces new season, coaches,
and home rink
Canton – The Plymouth Canton Educational Park (PCEP) Figure Skating team is
pleased to announce it has begun recruiting figure skaters for the upcoming 2025/2026
season. New and returning figure skaters interested in joining this year’s team are
encouraged to attend a team meeting on Wednesday, September 24, 2025 from 5:30 to
7:00 p.m. in Plymouth High School’s media center.
The team has had many very successful years under the guidance of Coach Barb Miller
who has coached the team since its inception. After 26 years of coaching the PCEP
Figure Skating team, Miller has announced her retirement. Barb led the team to
compete at the Michigan High School Figure Skating state finals nearly every year
during her PCEP coaching career, and had individual skaters compete and medal every
year at the state competition, hosted by Michigan High School Figure Skating.
Miller carefully selected new coaches that she felt confident would carry on the
traditions of the team that she built and guided over the last 26 years. The new
coaching team will include Canton residents, Julie O’Connor, Kayleigh O’Connor (Salem
’19) and Shannon O’Connor (Salem ’21). Kayleigh and Shannon, alumnae of Salem
High School, skated on and were former captains of the PCEP Figure Skating team. In
addition, they were members of the PCEP Marching Band and Winter Guard. Julie was
an active volunteer for both the PCEP figure skating team and PCEP band programs
during her daughters’ high school years.
“Barb Miller was an amazing coach for the PCEP Figure Skating team,” said Julie
O’Connor. “She worked hard to make sure that all levels of figure skaters had an
opportunity to skate on the team, and she was respected by every single one of her
skaters. Kayleigh, Shannon and I have very big skates to fill, and we will work hard to
continue guiding all PCEP figure skaters to be great team members and carry on the
traditions she created.”
Julie is the director of research communications at Wayne State University and is a
Learn to Skate coach and director of shows for Skate Company Skating Club.

Kayleigh received Bachelor of Science degrees in biological sciences and neuroscience
with a minor in music from Eastern Michigan University and is currently in Wayne State
University’s BSN Second Career/Degree program working on a Bachelor of Science
degree in nursing. She is employed by Trinity Health as a cardiac monitor technician.
Shannon received her Bachelor of Fine Arts degree with a concentration in painting
from Wayne State University. She is currently working at St. Andrew Catholic School in
Saline as a K-8 art teacher.
Both Shannon and Kayleigh have remained active figure skaters during college, both
having competed nationally at U.S. Figure Skating’s Collegiate Championships.
Shannon recently passed the Gold-level Skating Skills test, the highest-level test
evaluated by judges that signifies mastery of advanced skating techniques. Kayleigh is
preparing for her Pre-Gold Skating Skills test. Both Kayleigh and Shannon are Learn to
Skate and private coaches for Skate Company Skating Club.
For numerous years, the PCEP Figure Skating team practiced out of the Farmington
Hills Ice Arena. This year, the team will have a new home arena and will practice at the
Plymouth Cultural Center.
“Farmington Hills has been very, very good to the PCEP Figure Skating team,” said
Julie. “But with practices being held on Friday’s at 3 p.m. and the amount of
construction on various roads between the Park and Farmington Hills, we decided a
closer rink was important for the safety of our skaters. We are excited to bring our figure
skaters to their new home arena in November!”