Skating Coach Wendy

Off-Ice training is a great way to help your on-ice skating. Start small and build up as you start to accomplish your goals. Remember, we all start at the beginning and mistakes are beautiful discoveries. Welcome the portal of discovery. ⛸❤

How do you incorporate your off-ice training into your ice-skating routine?

When you wake up in the morning? Study or homework break? Work break? At the arena before and after practice?

Is there a SPIN or JUMP you are practicing now?
Let's say you are working on a sit spin; do you do dips and shoot the ducks on the ice? These can be started multiple times in a row, while skating around the arena. Getting down, holding the glide and coming up to build your glute muscles. As you get stronger, increase your time.

Do you do walking alternating lunges off the ice?
Target the hips and take longer strides.

Are you adding wall squats or pistols?
Wall squats are a nice isometric exercise that strengthens the glutes. Pistols build significant strength, balance, and flexibility in the glutes, quads, hamstrings, and core.

These can all be individually when you wake up in the morning, have a few minutes of free time anywhere, dedicated time to train or off-ice training.

Find what works best for you so you can keep your training routine to reach your on- ice skating goals.

Give these skater's a hand for passing their USFS Test in: Pre-Preliminary SS and Preliminary SS and Adult Pre-Bronze Swing Dance 21+.

Wish it. Plan it. Do it.

The earth has music for those who listen. ~ William Shakespeare

Love a good sunrise or sunset and before or after teaching. It's like a good hug, wonderful ⛸❤.

I have already started watching the Olympics, have you? Let's go USA.

Let the games begin... tune in to Team USA Figure Skating at the ! 🤩

This smart goal chart is cuter then mine so sharing;)

Have you set your season's ice skating goals yet?

Remember you can set monthly goals towards a 3 month goal to start with. Belief in oneself is is the confidence in your own abilities, skills, and worth to achieve goals and handle the challenges, going beyond mere optimism to a deep-seated trust in your potential to learn and adapt.

You have this⛸️;)

What is Muscle Memory?

Muscle memory is an automatic movement that you don’t have to think about doing. It could include playing an instrument, dancing or scrolling on your phone. Your muscles do a lot of the work, but your brain stores the memory. Research is ongoing to understand more about how long these memories last.

Muscle memory is your ability to move in a particular way without thinking about it. You develop this type of memory through repetition and practice — doing the same task over and over again.

Your brain and skeletal muscles work together to learn movements that eventually become automatic.

You train your muscles to do a task. As your muscles don’t have the capacity to retain memories like your brain does, they increase the amount of muscle fiber nuclei (myonuclei) within the trained muscle cells. Think of these as the skater’s practice on the ice that they do before taking a test or learning a new jump, spin or footwork move. The more the skaters practice their moves, jump, spin or footwork the better they will perform it. As myonuclei increases, so does your muscle mass. This helps you build strength so you can perform the task with ease. Practice brings confidence.

There are 3 phases of muscle memory: Cognitive, Associative and Autonomous.

Muscle memory is different for everyone. Research is ongoing to learn more about how long you can retain it.

Muscle memory is stored in your brain and not your muscles.

Want to read and learn more, check out the research at the Cleveland Clinic.

Want to help US Figure Skating and Leave Your Mark? Here is your chance by designing a new costume for beloved mascot: Snow Plow Sam.

https://www.leaveyourmark2026.com/ once on the page, scroll down and you will see: Snow Plow Sam Needs a New Look—And We Want YOUR Help!

Follow the directions to submit. Happy creating.⛸🫶

Happy New Year's Eve everyone. Cheers to 2026, new goals, new adventures and peace.

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Nothing like a cup of coco with marshmallows in your favorite holiday snoopy mug. Give's you the warm fuzzies. Hope you are having a wonderful holiday season.

Hi All,

This is fun and easy to do. ​Whether you’ve made your mark on or off the ice — or know someone who’s left a lasting impression on your journey — share your story with US Figure Skating Leave Your Mark Campaign at: https://www.leaveyourmark2026.com/form

Fill out the form at https://www.leaveyourmark2026.com/form and submit your story or another persons story and photo.

Then, visit LeaveYourMark2026.com at: https://www.leaveyourmark2026.com/blank-1 on the Member Spotlight page to see the featured story and join the celebration of those making a difference!

Congratulations to this skater on passing your 1st Skating Skills Test with all the hard work put in. So proud of this skater. On the the next moves test 😍⛸