subject: Private Figure Skating Lessons In Toronto Canada In The Summer [print this page] Parents and skaters should not expect to achieve the same results if attending the group class and the skater does not practice between classes. Four days of practice between lessons will result in maximum skill development.
The acquisition of properly fitted skating equipment boots and blades also contribute to maximizing the achievement of skaters at all skill levels when compared to other skaters who also participate in the same level of lessons and prac-tice sessions, but who have poor or improperly fitted skates.
Skaters who participate in off-ice training, such as strengthening, flexibility/stretching, warm-up, and cool down exercises, improve more quickly because they benefit from off-ice activities that are especially designed and coordinated with the on-ice skating training.
This natural progression of physical skills can be compared to the need for every school child to continue to expand their oral and written vocabulary as they move from grade to grade and eventually become employed after graduation from high school and college.
The timeline to acquire the necessary skills proficiency before transferring to hockey or figure skating depends on the amount of time and energy expended by the skater and parents. Coaches in both sports expect skaters to be well prepared when they enter the hockey or figure skating programs.
I encourage skaters in a Learn to Skate program not to not rush to exclusively concentrate on playing hockey or becoming free skaters until they have acquired the essential basic skills to be successful in these respective sports.
Acquiring the necessary skills should be fun. The basic skills drills and exercises are not punishment that is inflicted on the skater. The following skills are the essential foundation to develop hockey and figure skaters:
Balance, coordination, agility, and core body posture
Skating on 8 basic edges
Left forward outside and inside, right forward outside and inside
Left backward outside and inside, right backward outside and inside
Turns Forward to backward and backward to forward
Crossovers in clockwise and counter clock-wise direction
Forward
Backward
Stops Forward and Backward on one and two feet
Turning to CW direction
Turning to CCW direction
These skills are an essential part of every skater continuing to develop their skating abilities in hockey and figure skating.
Natural progression of Skills
This natural progression of physical skills can be compared to the need for every school child to continue to expand their oral and written vocabulary as they move from grade to grade and eventually become employed after graduation from high school and college.
The timeline to acquire the necessary skills proficiency before transferring to hockey or figure skating depends on the amount of time and energy expended by the skater and parents. Coaches in both sports expect skaters to be well prepared when they enter the hockey or figure skating programs.
I encourage skaters in a Learn to Skate program not to not rush to exclusively concentrate on playing hockey or becoming free skaters until they have acquired the essential basic skills to be successful in these respective sports.
