Return to the Ice: What if I Have to Wear a Mask?

Recently, members of the ICE community shared their concerns about returning to the ice in a Return to the ICE Survey.

There were more than a few athletes and parents who reported being apprehensive about what training will be like with the changes due to the pandemic.

This quick tip is specifically about wearing masks during training. 
One athlete had concerns about not being physically able to run programs while wearing a mask.

Continue reading “Return to the Ice: What if I Have to Wear a Mask?”

Skaters Nail New Skills in Off Season Practice

The “Off Season” in skating is a misnomer.
After the last competition of the season, a new season starts.  What “Off Season” really means for skaters is that it is time to “Work Smarter and Harder” to prepare for the next competition season.

When we think about the concept of off season, we probably relate it to familiar concepts.  In this case we are most familiar with sports like soccer, football or baseball. Continue reading “Skaters Nail New Skills in Off Season Practice”

5 Steps to a Practice Plan That Works

For the things we have to learn before we can do them, we learn by doing them.Do you have a plan for your daily on-ice practice time?
If you have a plan, is it an effective practice plan, one that will take you towards reaching your goal?

Here are some symptoms that you either don’t have your goal in mind or that your practice plan is not one that will focus your energies towards your goal:

Your coach often talks to you about not working hard enough, that they, “Don’t want to see you standing on the ice doing nothing, so get busy and work”.

You think, “I am working, I already did everything on my list, what do I do now?” Continue reading “5 Steps to a Practice Plan That Works”