5 Steps to Maximize Your Training When the Rinks are Closed

Listen to the audio version: here

It’s been 6 weeks (including spring break) off the ice for our part of the world.

6 weeks without training.

What about you? How long has it been since you’ve been on the ice, training your “old normal” way?

Is skating still a priority? Is it still important?

Whatever your situation, it’s been long enough for virtual and online options to start appearing.

If you are lucky, you are able to see your coach for dryland technique classes, maybe conditioning classes as well.

But what if you are still trying to piece together a temporary training program on your own?

Or what if you want to do more than what you are offered?

Here’s a process that will help guide you closer to your right choice.

*Remember that you can and should do anything you want for fun, just follow your heart for those things. This article is about how you can take action to prioritize skating.

Step 1: Find Clarity

Is skating still a priority?

If it is, then do you treat it as a priority?

If your answer to the second question is no, then it’s time to get busy.

These questions to help you get move forward:

• What classes/coaching to take that will support your ultimate goals in skating.
• What types of things to avoid that in the end will not bring you closer to your goals.

Set your timer for 5 minutes to thoughtfully write down your answers to the following questions.

1. Before the rinks closed, what did your child (and you) want to accomplish in skating?
2. When the rinks open again, what do your child (and you) want to accomplish in skating?
3. Is there any difference between the answers to question 1 and 2?
4. Is skating still a priority for you (and your child)?

If skating is not a priority, it’s okay, you can stop reading here.

If you choose to continue to make skating a priority, then it’s time to get back to work.

Step 2: Make Smart Choices for You

A full schedule is not the same as training purposefully.

Be picky. If you are taking a class, make sure it takes you closer to the skills you need to skate better.

Even better, hire an expert to customize a program to address your specific needs. You will improve faster and be sure that what you are doing will be exactly what you need.

After a long period of inactivity, you might be tempted to fill your schedule up. Don’t do it!

“Doing nothing is better than being busy doing nothing.”
― Lao Tzu

Be selfish. Choose things that will address your specific needs.

What do you need to work on?

If you want to improve your jump or spin technique, ask your coach if they can see you online.

If they can’t see you, ask them how you can practice.

If you don’t have that support, and want to take an online class, make sure to look for one that will help you. It’s okay not to sign up for a class that is too high above your level or too basic.

If you work with a coach, please remember to keep in mind your technique. You have spent a lot of time and effort learning and practicing your coach’s technique. Make sure that you check with them before you sign up for jump or spin classes.

Step 3: Be Smart, Think Out of the Box

Mental Skills Training

Since you are reading this, you know you want to improve your mental game for competition or for practice. Reading is great, but doing is the only way to make a change.

This is the perfect time to start changing yourself.

Yes, I know that it’s easy to forget how much you hate being nervous going into a competition when it’s not in your face.

It’s hard to remember how frustrated you are in practice when you can’t consistently jump 3 “good” jumps in a row.

But when you are not jumping and training on the ice, you can choose to make mental skills a priority, and make a lot of progress because you don’t have as much to balance.

If you had low confidence before all of this happened, your confidence will not magically increase with time away from training without help.

If popping and circling was a problem before, you can start to put routines in place to change this.

As an expert, I see this as a huge opportunity for skaters to address a part of their training that is neglected. It often comes last, as a last resort.

Actually, skaters and their parents can save themselves frustration, time and money if they get mental skills training on board before negative thoughts and actions become ingrained habits. Mental skills are essential to doing your best even under normal training conditions.

Step 4: Expert Teaching Makes Sense

Even the best skater in the world can’t skate up to their potential if their brain isn’t in the game. Read about the Three Sides to Skating Success: Technical, Physical and Mental

That’s why the same reasons that you had to hire your technical coach are valid for hiring a mental game coach or trainer (see next section below).

Experts can quickly and efficiently guide you towards the outcome you want without the trial and error and wasted time of a do-it-yourself approach. You have already seen the results with jump, spin and choreography coaches.

So whether it’s me, another mental game coach, or a sports psychologist, now is the best time to find that resource.

If you are not ready to hire an expert, another option is to take a course to see the value. I designed this one specifically as a place for figure skaters to start training their mental skills. Champion Mindset Online Course

Off Ice Conditioning

A conditioning app or class meant for recreational athletes or people who want to lose weight will just waste your time.

Look for skating specific classes, or at least a general conditioning class for athletes at your level. Make sure that the curriculum doesn’t clash with your physical needs.

For example, don’t take a conditioning class for marathon runners or for football players.

The expert option:

Hire a physical therapist (physio) who can do a general assessment as well as customize a program to stabilize, balance and strengthen your body for skating specific movements.

This is a great time to address your specific weaknesses. Some trainers are able to do this too. You are looking for someone who can go beyond strengthening the large muscle groups, to facilitate the stabilizers and the community of muscles that are needed to execute these high level movements.

Step 5: Take Action Now

None of the four steps above will get you anywhere if you fail to take action on your choices.

These 5 words have helped me get unstuck and take action. I hope they can help you: If not now, then when?

A champion mindset is one that looks for opportunities to learn and grow despite adversity.
It is easy to complain and dwell in the past and all that is keeping us back (no ice, no training)

I challenge you to exercise your mindset muscle.

Accept whatever the situation is, and look at the opportunities for learning and growing. You can continue to train, even maximize your training, and become a better skater.

Action Plan

1. Answer the question “Is skating still a priority?
2. Maximize smart choices for you and what you want to accomplish
3. Be smart. Think out of the box
4. Find an expert to shortcut your learning and save you time and money.
5. Take action now.

If you still don’t know what to do, hit reply. I’m here to help.