Why Elite Coaches Prioritize Summer Training
U.S. Figure Skating consistently emphasizes the importance of consistent training habits, physical conditioning, and skill development during off-season months.
During the school year, skaters are balancing school schedules, homework, extracurricular activities, and more. During the summer, the foundation for the next competitive season is built.
Summer is the time to focus.
That extra time allows skaters to:
Strengthen muscle memory
Improve flexibility and conditioning
Build confidence through repetition
Develop stronger skating habits
Elite coaches argue that ice skating is built on consistency. Skills like jumps, spins, edges, and turns improve faster when practiced multiple days in a row instead of once or twice per week. When skaters spend several days surrounded by positive coaching & motivated peers, improvement accelerates naturally.
Tom Zakrajsek’s coaching resources focus heavily on “periodization, goal setting, agility, speed, coordination and timing drills” as part of long-term athlete development. His “Aspire Higher” Training camps emphasize the same principles many elite coaches believe are critical for athlete development: consistent daily training, strong skating skills, conditioning, goal setting, and repetition through concentrated summer practice environments.
For many skaters, summer is when:
New jumps are landed
Spins become more centered
Confidence increases
Tests are passed
Performance quality improves
Skaters who stay consistent through summer often return in the fall stronger, more prepared, and ahead of the curve.
To learn more about helping your skater grow both on and off the ice, visit Edge Up Ice
