Get Coached S&C for Figure Skating w/c 20/7/2015

Hello and welcome to my second blog post from the Toronto Cricket & Curling Club, Toronto, Canada! Our month at camp is nearly over and there has been some great leaps made during this time, and not just their jumps on the ice!
The skaters here have all worked hard and really moved forward in their skating. New friends from across the world have been made and new experiences gained through working with the team of coaches here. I can say that the two Scots girls have really enjoyed their first camp at the TCC and I am sure they will make every effort to get back here as soon as they can!

This post is going to look at what I consider to be one of the most beneficial exercises that a young skater can do off the ice to improve strength, balance and core control; the single leg or pistol squat!
It is a well documented exercise with some excellent video demonstrations on You Tube. What I would like to do is highlight the benefits to skaters and show a couple of regressions to help progress the exercise.

To perform a single leg squat well full ankle and hip range of motion is needed as is good flexibility through the hamstrings, hip flexors, gluts and lower back to ensure good posture through out the movement. It is important to ensure that the back is kept extended with minimal tuck under of the hips or butt wink as it is also known. The supporting leg knee should track over the toes, not rotate inwards thus pushing the hip out. It is also important to try and keep the pelvis level i.e. don't hitch up or drop down either hip. This will challenge the core musculature including the gluts in a way that will transfer directly to the ice.
The single leg squat can be seen in many different forms on the ice including Tea Pots for the beginner skaters, Hydra Blades, Sit Spins and for leg strength to land the jumps!
Many of the skaters I work with can already perform moderately good single leg squats or have achieved this with a little coaching and hard work. Getting it technically correct, deep and well balanced may take a little longer but it is definitely worth persevering with.
If a deep and well balanced squat can't be achieved initially then it may be worth regressing the exercise to then move forward again.

This can be done in several ways, two of which I will cover here. The following video shows wall mounted TRX straps being used to assist with balance and returning to an upright position. This I find has helped the skaters to gain the strength and confidence to squat deep. I emphasise that the straps should be used as little as possible to ensure the most benefit can be gained from the movement.
The elevated foot can also be put on a box behind the athlete to load the front leg whilst still assisting in the movement as seen here. Again emphasis is put on the need for good posture and control throughout the movement.
This is an easy exercise to perform anywhere, beside the rink, at home etc and the benefits for skaters young and older are great. They can even be done on the ice in the form of repeated Tea Pots too! So if you as a skater or the skaters you coach are not already doing single leg squats in one form or another then get it added to the sessions.
If you have any questions or comments on this or any other exercises I have covered please do not hesitate to get in touch here, on my FB Page Get Coached or by email tsilvester@getcoached.net

Get Coached S&C for Figure Skating w/c 13/7/2015

This latest Blog post is coming from the Summer Training Camp at the Toronto Cricket, Skating & Curling Club where one Senior Get Coached and two Gain the Edge/Get Coached skaters are getting put through their paces by a fantastic team of coaches. Without going into any specific detail I would like to give my thoughts and observations on the coaches and the camp.
Firstly, I must say that Toronto has made us feel very welcome. We are lucky enough to be staying with friends for the month of the camp which has enabled a relaxed and comfortable stay.
Getting about is relatively easy once the transport systems and roads have been figured out and everyone we have so far met have been friendly and helpful.
The Toronto Cricket club (TCC) as it is known in short is an excellent venue with superb facilities and a lot happening. There are tennis, cricket, curling and figure skating activities as well as various kids summer camps too.
The rink is good although our skaters found the low boarder a little unusual at first they soon got used to hooping on and off the ice wherever they needed to. The atmosphere here is a very positive one where hard work is the norm! One early impression I had was that there is very little if any idle chatter around the edge of the rink that is sometimes evident at home, even when there are no coaches present. The work ethic of the regular camp attendees is definitely infectious and the skaters are in constant motion.
The coaches work as a team on the ice under a Head Coach with each having their own specialist area of expertise. This allows them to really understand their discipline and deliver it to the skaters in a way that each individual benefits. This also includes and Off-ice coach and physiologist which I was interested to learn, although the physiologist is for elite skaters only.
Whilst each coach works independently on the ice it is clear that there is a team focus and any crossover of skills is coached the same way by each coach. This is very good as there is no ambiguity about coaching the technical elements to the skaters, same song, same hymn sheet and all that!
A multi disciplinary coaching team is in my opinion most definitely the way to go where possible. This approach is used by quite a few elite level sports coaches and their teams in Britain and beyond and instigating this at club level with a sport such as skating that has very limited funds can only have a positive impact.
Strong leadership, mutual respect and a willingness to make it work are a must and the skaters should really benefit if what I see here is put into practice. It goes without saying that resources, venue availability and a positive attitude by all involved including skaters, coaches and parents will be deciding factors too.
We still have a week and a half left and I will endeavour to write again before returning to Scotland.
If you have read this far thank you and I hope you have enjoyed my Blog. Any relevant feedback and comments are always welcome here and on the Get Coached Facebook Page.

Get Coached S&C for Figure Skating w/c 29/6/2015

It's been a while  since the last blog post so I thought I had better get writing!
We have recently bought a new house which we are decorating and extending. This project has taken up a lot of time but will be worth the effort once completed.

Anyway, I thought I would write about Speed, Agility and Quickness (SAQ). These are just some of my opinions, thoughts and experiences gained over the years.

First I must clarify that I do not agree with ladder drills if you want to run fast on the track or on the field and I am not going discuss any specific ladder or plyometric drills or exercises  either. 

However, ladder drills are excellent if you need quick, accurate and  coordinated footwork during the execution  of your sport, such as the step sequence of  a skating programme.
Quickness as in accelerating the body in an explosive type movement can be improved by increasing strength i.e. squats, power via Olympic  lifts, or various jump type exercises and plyometrics.

Quickness can also be the ability to move our limbs or body quickly in any given pattern or direction.  For example, when executing a Figure Skating jump the arms need to be brought in close to the body on leaving the ice to facilitate quick rotation and snapped out again on landing. Timing and whole body coordination are essential for a successful  landing.
As an S&C coach I would not look to replicate a technical sporting movement in the gym but rather to enhance the athletes physical  ability to move quickly in an accurate and defined manner so that the Sports Coach can then work on the technical aspects more effectively. Ladder drills can be a specific stand alone session to develop quickness and coordination, a fun addition to a session for younger athletes or part of a complex during a lifting session in the gym. Learning complex footwork patterns for the ladder and executing them accurately is a skill in itself and will enhance the athletes ability to learn new drills as well as moving more effectively in their sport.
In a sport where young athletes already perform a lot of jumps it is important to monitor the volume of any additional high impact work done in the gym or during Off-ice or Dry Land Jump sessions. It is very easy to quickly exceed an appropriate volume of jumps in any given session or day if discussion between coaches or prior planning is not done!
Being able to move  quickly and accurately  in any sport is an advantage especially in a  such a technical sport as Figure Skating. As such I will use any tools I feel that will enhance my athletes  abilities from ladders and hurdles to barbells for the Olympic lifts and their variations.
Speed of movement is not just about physical  effort but also about the mental drive to make the body move fast, the specific application of that effort.
Thanks again for reading this far, I hope you have enjoyed the blog and maybe even gained a little food for thought here? Please feel free to post any relevant  comments  or feedback here or on the Get Coached FB page.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 5/1/2015

Welcome to my first Blog post of 2015 and a  Happy New Year to you all!
Although the festive season now feels as if it was more than just a month ago!
We are now deep into the winter/off season training and it is going well overall. An injury and school exams have had an impact on attendance for some whilst there have been some good personal best lifts for my senior skaters and some very good progress with my junior, advanced and basic novice level skaters.

We have covered the back squat in a previous blog http://getcoached1.blogspot and as such I am only going to discuss it's variations and benefits.

It is common knowledge that a squat done well along with it's appropriate warm up exercises can improve hip, knee and ankle range of movement as well as strength and this has certainly been the case for some of the skaters I work with. This includes body weight squats, BB front and back squats, overhead and overhead split squats, kettlebell goblet squats and single leg or pistol squats.
This is in no way all the squats covered as there are many more variations to be found. However, the above squats are ones that I regularly use for my skaters and clients. These exercises will also build a foundation of whole body strength that will transfer well into the competitive arena as well as improving functional movement for everyday life.
Any and every athlete competing at any and every level will benefit from good coaching of these exercises in their training regime.
Once again thank you for reading this far, all relevant suggestions and comments are welcome here and on my Get Coached FB page.

Get Coached S&C for Figure Skating - w/c 8/12/2014

Well that's the season over with for most of my skaters and that can only mean one thing; winter training or off season training depending on your terminology! This means different things to different skaters within the training group.
The senior skaters will be looking to increase strength and stamina with a shift to power development later in this cycle whilst the younger athletes will be consolidating existing exercise techniques and learning new exercises, improving coordination and increasing stamina.

For one of my seniors the first half of this cycle is about regeneration and hypertrophy followed by a strength phase then power and competition preparation. The key lifts for the first 3 cycles will revolve around squats: back, front, overhead and split whilst continuing to develop the clean from both the hang and floor positions.
Right now I'm not too popular due to the high reps and sets but the targets are in place and the goals to aim for!

Other seniors are looking to improve their overall conditioning levels and as such are currently following more of a HIIT style programme that varies between higher load and lower load workouts aimed at improving strength and stamina.

The younger skaters will be working on improving their strength and stamina too but with an emphasis on correct movement patterns, exercise technique and coordination. We will also be developing strength in key muscle to reduce injury risk in the coming season, in particular core, gluts and hamstrings.

Physical development is not possible all year round for most athletes due to competitions and training specific to their sport, in this instance Figure Skating which also requires the skater to pass skill based technical tests to move up the levels. Therefore all windows of opportunity must be used for maximum gains. This means it is vital to understand what key elements of physical development should be focused on for each athlete specific to their chronological age, training age, stage of physical development/maturation and where they are at with regards to their peak height velocity.
So lets get the hard work done now and look forward to the new season with confidence.

Thanks for reading this far, I hope you have found this blog informative and thought provoking. All relevant comments and suggestions welcome here on Blogger or on the Get Coached FB page.

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 17/11/2014

It's the final week of preparation for the NISA British Figure Skating Championships 2014 and the excitement is growing! The coaches and athletes I am working with are each beginning to go into their own special places to focus and motivate themselves for the competition.
This got me thinking about how we each plan and prepare for competition, what our thought processes are and how we each motivate ourselves or respond to motivation and advice from others.

Having been a sprinter and a rugby player at a reasonable standard for both sports I can say that my approach to each sport was quite different, and also that the approach by my rugby team mates and other sprinters was also very individual. We are all individuals with different life experiences, opinions and thought processes and this can lead to very different pre-competition plans.

Positive mental attitude, self belief, high intrinsic motivation and a love of competition are all qualities that can be associated with a confident and successful athlete. However, anyone who has worked in high performance sport knows that athletes come with a whole host of different mind sets and baggage which can lead to all manner of issues come competition time!

Even with any negative thoughts put aside we as coaches still need to accept and understand that some athletes will either want company and communication or will want to be alone and undisturbed. The headphones will go on and the whole world ignored, or maybe the opposite in that they will talk and be sociable. Either way we as coaches need to respect this while at the same time ensuring that the athlete is best prepared mentally and physically. 

As a parent this can be particularly challenging as we naturally want to protect our children and make sure they are OK. However, this can sometimes come across as fussing and irritate or upset the athlete, the emotional connection being too close. As hard as it may seem we parents sometimes just need to back off and trust the athlete and the coach.

Thanks again for reading this far and I hope you found it informative? All relevant feedback or comments are appreciated. If you have any suggestions for future blog topics then please let me know here or on my Get Coached Facebook page. 

Get Coached - S&C for Figure Skating w/c 10/11/2014

Over the last few weeks the tension has been building and the detail has been scrutinised as the build up for the NISA British Championships in Sheffield gets closer. It is only a week and a bit away now, starting on Wednesday 26th November.
I am currently working with thirteen skaters from four different coaching groups/clubs and I can't wait to see how they all do. Quite a few are skating against each other but have been training very well on and off the ice together, there is a real sense of camaraderie here which is great to see.
Yes there have been some challenges and upsets but this is competitive sport and feelings will get a little out of control at times.

A coach has a lot of contact time with their athletes and as an S&C coach supporting the Lead Coaches I also get a lot of contact time as well, especially in a sport where strength, power, coordination and flexibility all play a major role in performance.
With this in mind it is vitally important that we coaches communicate regularly and send out the same messages to the athletes. As I have said before I am very lucky to be working with a great group of coaches. We are all learning from each other, respect each others opinions and experiences and are able to have open and honest discussions about the athletes, our ideas for athlete development and they even put up with some of my daft questions that really show my lack of Figure Skating terminology but highlight their patience and understanding!

Off-ice training (S&C) has been going well over the last few weeks across the groups. One senior skater had their taper start early to reduce fatigue and enable higher quality sessions on ice in terms of programme practice, this is going well and whilst the volume of the S&C programme has dropped the overall intensity remains quite high.

High intensity interval training has been programmed in for a few of the skaters over the last few weeks to get them to know what it feels like to push themselves and keep going as much as improving their fitness; a mental gain as much as physical. It is great to see such a mature, committed and dedicated approach to their S&C training from a young group of mostly female athletes, one of which is only twelve years old! I am excited to see what this bunch of enthusiastic skaters can achieve over the years!

As always, thanks for reading if you have got this far! All relevant comments welcome here and on my Get Coached FB page.