Right of way: Astro Skate speed skaters charge to national championships

Six Astro Skate speed skaters, including coach Julie Glass, will compete at the USA Roller Sports Speed National Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, in July.

  • By Michele Meyers
  • | 10:31 p.m. June 19, 2026
  • Ormond Beach Observer
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Seven-year-old Isabella Quintero is headed to the USA Roller Sports Speed National Championships in Lincoln, Nebraska, July 7-15. She will be competing with teammates, seven-year-old Zayvian Herbert, nine-year-old Rylan Jones, and ten-year-olds Violet Glass and Myla DeHaven, and her coach, Julie Glass.

“I am so proud of myself,” Quintero said after Glass introduced her during the fundraiser held for the skaters at Astro Skate in Ormond Beach on Friday, June 19. All proceeds from the event, including entry fees to the skating facility, a 50/50 raffle, the sales of themed baskets, and baked goods, will go toward the speed teams’ trip to the national championships.

Two years ago, Isabella and her brother Noah went to a birthday party at Astro Skate. Somebody handed them a card that offered speed skating lessons. Initially, Noah declined the offer, but Isabella jumped at the chance to learn something new and exciting.

“I knew that it was going to be fun,” she said. “Every time people ask me (to do) something that sounds fun, then I say yes, but if it doesn’t sound fun, then I say no.”

At her first lesson, Glass introduced Isabella to speed skating. Isabella said it was “awesome and cool.”

This is where the Olympics start. This is the bare bones. These are future Olympians you’re looking at. There’s so much potential, and that’s what I love about it. - KAYLA JONES, speed skater Rylan Jones’ mother

Roberta Brandau said she always saw something of herself in her granddaughter, Isabella. Brandau was a sprinter as a teenager and recognized that competitive drive in her granddaughter.

“She was five years old when she started skating and absolutely loved it,” Brandau said. “She has a wonderful coach, and she said she wants to grow up to be just like Julie and bring home all the golds. She’s (Isabella) very determined. At seven years old and top in the elite primary girls division, she has a chance of bringing home the gold.”

Glass is a 16-time inline speed skating world champion. Born and raised in Grand Rapids, Michigan, she started speed skating at 10 years old when a local rink owner offered her free lessons. Glass was on the United States world speed skating team from 1995 to 2004. She claimed her first world title at 16 in Perth, Australia, in 1995. 

“I was a very disciplined athlete,” Glass said. “I probably didn’t have that much of a childhood. I don’t have any regrets looking back, but as I see life now … I definitely missed out on quite a bit. But it was okay for me, because everything was about winning a world title at the beginning of my career. At 16, I had to stay on top of my game and focus to continue winning world titles.”

Her husband, Doug Glass, won the quad speed skating world championships in 1986 and 1991. He was one of the pioneers in making the transition from quad to inline speed skating.

When their youngest daughter, Violet, decided she was interested in skating, they contacted their friend Chris Manganias, who owns seven Astro Skates in Florida. Within a month, the family of five moved from Texas to Ormond Beach, where Julie and Doug accepted positions as co-managers of the rink.

Managing the facility gave Julie her first opportunity to coach.

“I’ve been involved in this my whole life, but now I’m in a different situation,” she said. “Even though this job is very stressful and demanding, I feel like I have an obligation to the community and to the team and to the kids. I’m tearing up just talking about it.”

Kayla Jones has been taking her son Rylan to skate for the past couple of years. She said he has played baseball, basketball, flag football, soccer, and many other sports. After his first speed skating lesson, she said he had found his niche. In less than one year, he qualified for nationals.

“He’s found his passion, he’s incredibly dedicated, he’s worked really hard and has made incredible accomplishments just to be able to go to a national level within his first year,” she said. “Very impressive. I’m very proud of him, very excited for the opportunity, and can’t wait to see where the future takes him.”

Doug and Julie’s skating careers started when they were kids. When they arrived in Ormond Beach, he said there was no competitive team. He said it was more like a club where people could gather and have fun skating.

“We took it to the next level and brought kids who were at the beginner level to the national level in a very short time,” he said. “The structure that we’ve created doesn’t happen normally this quickly. It takes their hard work, it takes the parents’ support, and it takes the rink’s support. Chris, the owner, is a fanatic about speed skating, so he gives us the time, the place, and does everything he can to support it.”

Inline speed skating is not an official Olympic sport, but Jones is excited about the sport’s future.

“This is where the Olympics start,” she said. “This is the bare bones. These are future Olympians you’re looking at. There’s so much potential, and that’s what I love about it.”















 

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