If one is looking to catch a piece of Olympic excitement, a trip to Japan is not necessary. Simply visiting the Kent State Ice Arena this week will deliver the same effect.

Entering the arena, it is hard not to see that the games in Nagano have caused a drastic increase in public interest.

This Sunday, the arena was packed with students and people from the community wanting to try their hands at the art of skating.

Bill Switaj, general manager of the ice arena, mentioned the obvious increase in business.

He pointed out that kids between the ages of 9 and 15 seem to be influenced the most by the Olympic Games.

With the Olympic Games, Switaj noticed a steady increase in the general use of the arena. The interest level slowly decreases, and then picks up again near the next Olympic Games.

Programs offered at the arena also experience the affects of the games.

"It will be interesting to see the increase in interest of girls hockey," Switaj said.

The Kent Youth Hockey Club has a couple of female participants, but Switaj said she thinks that the number will most likely increase because of the recent success of the U.S. women's hockey team.

Figure skating also gains a large following during the games.

People of all ages skate in the Kent Skating Club.

The club is comprised of skaters and individually -contracted coaches from the area.

Chris Martin, a Kent graduate from Akron, has been coaching for 10 years, and he notices a slight change during the Olympics.

Martin is a team coach with three other coaches, and he said during the Olympics, or any other time, his students always work hard.

Even though he doesn't notice a major change in his skaters' work attitudes, he does admit seeing an increase in new students after the Olympics.

"Promotion is key," Martin said.

He said he thinks the popularity of the sport is increasing. With advertisements and extended television coverage, people are able to become more familiar with the sport.

Jessica Drayer, a 19-year-old journalism major, has been skating since she was 12 and is coached by Martin.

The Clarion, Penn. native practices five days a week at the arena.

Although she has an interest in the Olympics, she admitted she has no dreams of competing in the Games.

Drayer used to skate competitively when she was in high school, but she focused mainly on the enjoyment of the sport.

"I like to skate just for the sport of it." Drayer said.

In order to skate at a high level of competition, Drayer said she may have started skating a little late.

Among the youth skaters at the arena is Sara Uhl, 12, from Akron.

Uhl travels 20 minutes, four nights a week, to practice the sport she loves.

Sara said she found her inspiration from the 1992 Olympic Games. While watching the games on television, she expressed an interest in skating to her mother.

Sara started skating when she was 6 in the Learn to Skate program, which is offered at the ice arena. She has a great interest in competition and dreams of one day competing in the Olympics.

Unlike the majority of the skaters at the ice arena, Sara said she thinks Tara Lipinski will win the gold this week. Drayer and Martin agree that Michelle Kwan will prevail in Nagano.