Structuring a Practice Session for Your Skaters

[Love2Coach]

For those coaches who do so, I was wondering how you structure your practice sessions for your skaters?

I'm finding that many of my skaters, especially the younger and less experienced ones, just do not know how to practice--or rather, how to use their ice time effectively. Too often I hear them complaining that they don't know what to work on, but I know that they've got plenty of stuff to practice, from free skating to moves in the field to dance.

I am currently putting together updated folders for my students for this season that contain things like a list of free skating elements to work on; diagrams of moves in the field patterns that they're working on; warm-up/stroking drills; an on-ice training time chart (competition vs. test/recreational skater); skating goals and tips for goal setting; a practice log; challenges, fun, and games; private lesson policies.

I'd also like to include a section of how to structure your practice session, for instance, how long to spend warming up, how much time to devote to practicing certain elements, what to start with after warming up/stroking drills (spins? Moves in the field?), and so on. I'm hoping that this will help them use their time efficiently and pace their session.

So, what I'd like to know from my fellow coaches are suggestions for how long you tell your skaters to spend per session practicing jumping, spinning, moves in the field, programs, etc. For instance, 20 minutes on programs, 15 minutes on moves in the field, 15 minutes spinning, etc. Our sessions are usually 50-60 minutes long.

[jjane45]

Welcome aboard Not a coach, just a skater. I think you have an excellent plan in place. What about some general rules like no more than X attempts of a certain new jump or type of skill.

Or an alternate, more flexible plan on the "off" days?

[hopskipjump]

Not a coach but my daughter has had 2 coaches. 

It is expected that the student warm up prior to lessons.  Arrive early, jump rope, stretch, then stroke and meet the coach.  Lessons are mitf, jump warm ups, jumps, then spins and a routine twice (no music then music) and then 2 fast laps.  Before a comp, lessons change to no mitf.  When there is no comp, routines may be skipped and more focus on an element.

At the end of a lesson the coach meets with me for a VERY quick - We are working on ___.  She needs to___.  and the skater usually walks off with a little piece of paper with those same instructions.  Sometimes a video is emailed right then as well from the coach to my skater's email of her weekly task.

[VAsk8r]

I'll join the "not a coach" chorus here, but I think your folder idea is great. I wish my coach would do that! When I first began skating as an adult and was taking group lessons, I really wasn't sure what or how to practice either.

[karne]

Also not a coach.

I think the folder idea is a good idea because I know there are elements I hate and won't practice on my own. Spirals? Once in a blue moon. Edges? Forget it.

I have a very dynamic practice layout. Ever since I bunged my knee back in January there have been days where it is sore or tender. So on those days I don't jump. I spin, I practice turns and mohawks. But usually its - stroking, spins (work all at least twice with emphasis on a specific spin), jumps (work all at least three times with emphasis on specific jump), program choreo/runthrough/adjustment, cooldown/stamina laps.

[turnip]

My friend is a coach, and she does this for all her skaters, as do several other coaches at her rink. She arrives 30 mins early to open up to rink so the kids can warm up, and has been known to refuse to teach them if they haven't warmed up on and off ice before their lesson.

My advice is to do a general template which you can then adjust for each skater. Some skaters may love a rigid structure of x minutes on this, or x attempts on that. Others may prefer something more flexible, like you have to do all these things over the week, but you can focus on mitf one day and jumps the next if you like.

Some skaters will just need to be told 15 mins warming up stroking and basic skills (for example), some will need you to spell it out, like 2 laps fw skating, 2 laps backward, fw slalom for a lap, bw slalom for a lap, crossovers figure of eight etc etc etc.

Get some of your skaters and parents to a session to see what they would like out of this. It's for their benefit that you're giving up your time to do this, it'd be nice if they can give up half an hour to help, and it should get them to buy into it more. Make sure you make it clear of the benefits of warming out and working through all their elements, footwork etc every session

Be prepared to make it a work in progress, if something isn't working, try and find out why and what you and/or the skater can do about it.

[Purple Sparkly]

I make folders for my skaters with lists of skills they should be working on and a list of the elements from the test they are working on (whether moves in the field or basic skills free skate).  I wouldn't give them diagrams because they are confusing to read, but you could draw a diagram together during a lesson and keep it in the folder.  That would help them remember as they watched/helped it get drawn.  I tried making a goals list, but they never look at it.  My biggest problem is getting them to bring their folder to the ice with them so they can look at it during practice.  For most skaters, I would keep the words to a minimum because they are probably not going to read it ever and the parents never see them.  Sometimes you just have to tell them 235987238 times.

[SkateToronto]

The younger ones simply need more supervision and direction than youth and adult skaters.

[AgnesNitt]

I swear my dance coach just steps on the ice and makes it up as he goes along. He swears he has a plan.