AUBURN - Many kids play outdoor sports, especially as the weather gets nicer.

Locally, however, several athletes are getting involved in rollerskating. Reva Rollerdome hosted the World Skating Championships for the first time on Saturday - which is something that the dome's owner hope will continue.

“I hooked up with a group of people from the WSA,” said Michael Ferro, owner of Reva Rollerdome. “All they do is a jam quest for the type of skating and were looking for a place in New York. From there, it just took right off.”

Ferro and his staff at Reva had two months to put together the competition.

That included the help of his daughter, Margot Ferro, who has skated since she was three.

The WSA provided Reva with minimal information to get the competition started.

“They just sent us all the flyers,” Ferro said. “We had to go out and promote and that was all they gave us. Nothing else but just the flyers.” The WSA, which wrapped up on Saturday, is broken up by age groups, with many levels - such as individual, team and pairs.

Awards are handed out to those that placed first and second in each group and those names are sent to the WSA, which qualifies them for the national competition in May.

Michael Ferro was understandably proud that his rink had been chosen to host such a big event.

“I like to do things like this for skating,” Ferro said.

“It gets skating out there and one thing people don't know about skating is it's something that everyone in your family can do. Few sports are like that and that's what makes skating so special.”

Several local athletes were in the competition, but Michael Ferro said he had people expressing interest in competing from New York City and Schenectady.

“I'm expecting about 120 to 150 people (for the WSA championship),” Ferro said.

“Normally on a Saturday night we get about 100. If it was up to me, I would have about 300 people come to this but, legitimately, 150 would be a good turnout.”

There is an age group for everyone participating. In the “Elite” 16 and over group, one of the teams that will be competing is the Reva Freestyle Crew, which consists of Jermaine Heleir, Matt McIntosh and Cody Cottrell - all of Auburn.

Cottrell and Heleir were the most experienced, having skated two years each, while McIntosh just got into the sport about four months ago.

The three of them have been preparing for two months for the competition, which included three practices a week, watching videos of moves, working together and talking and sharing ideas with one another.

“We just want people to know skating is still around,” Cottrell said. “A lot of people think it just died out and we want people to know it didn't.”

Although he would like to begin other forms of competition at Reva Rollerdome, Ferro and those closest involved believe that the WSA will be back again next year.

“I am looking so forward to next year; I'm really excited,” Margot Ferro said.