Video 2 For Parents

As a skating parent, you need to keep up with the latest information in figure skating. I think this video might shock and possibly scare you. By watching it, you’ll get a sense of how good/poor typical figure skating jump instruction is today. I invite you to leave a comment after you’ve seen the video. I hope this information is useful to you!

37 thoughts on “Video 2 For Parents

  1. Kathy Beavers

    I love the fact you have video taped and studied frame by frame the jumps. I had a great tennis coach that really taught the mechanics and movement of each stoke and the footwork. You could pick out his players on any court just by the way they hit the ball and moved. I began taping the pros and watch frame by frame how the different players would hit the ball. I would watch for hours, I could not get enough. The best thing was if I ever had a question on what I was seeing, I could call my coach and ask him to explain what was going on. He had a tremendous knowledge of the sport.He was NEVER wrong! I also became a tennis coach and enjoyed teaching the sport the same way my coach had taught me, with good sound mechanics. It truly made all the difference.
    I have started to watch skating the same way I started watching tennis. The only problem has been I have not found anyone who I can listen to that explains the jumps, etc. Im really looking forward to your videos. Thank you for sharing your work.
    K. Beavers

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  2. Michelle

    I am interested why there have not been more comments if this is true. As a skating parent I am skeptial though…. Of course I think there is no way that the numbers you are showing are correct!!!!! That would mean that we are all being deceived! That is a feeling that every begining skating parent feels almost everyday!!!

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  3. Donna

    I think your information is great. As a skating parent I’m always working to learn as much about the sport as possible. We non-skating parents just don’t know what we don’t know. Thanks for helping us sort through all this.

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  4. Pete Wiessner

    Being a parent I don’t know very much about the judging and coaching. I am interested in finding what her coach thinks.

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  5. Les

    Thanks, I watch all the videos I can about jumping. We are very limited at our rink and have no upper level coaching opportunities. Some of the students travel to other cities to get higher level coaching. This creates a strain and most our our coaches are not really open to anything parents have to say about our new found ideas, because they feel they are the experts. It will be very exciting to be working with your videos and our own.

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  6. Barb

    I look forward to your information. I have gained additional knowledge enabling me to better evaluate my skater.

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  7. Sharon

    As a parent of a young skater I appreciate and applaude your efforts to get accurate information out to coaches, skaters and parents.

    One thing I have learned over the years is that coaches “credentials” are “embellished” drastically more times than I care to even think about. Coaching in any sport is “ego” driven, and figure skating is no different.

    It has never ceased to amaze me in watching any comptition that the “marks” from one judge to the next can differ sometimes drastically. This, like coaching techniques becomes mind numbing at times. I have seen skaters work with ‘primary” coaches that send their skaters to work with “specialist” coaches (i.e. jump specialist, spin specialist, footwoork/edge specialist, etc.) as well as coaches who teach it all themselves. Does that make one way better than the other? NO!

    The bottom line is that coaching as well as “judging” comes down to a matter of that individuals “opinion” of what is correct technique and what they temselves were taught.

    This sport as in any sport needs to have a standard that is both agreed upon and taught by everyone. Most importantly AGREED upon. Until there is an agreed upon standard and a willingness by ALL to learn what that standard is and put it into practice we are always going to have survey result like you have shown in your video.

    As parents we have, in my opinion, the responsibility to learn about and understand the sport we are paying “big bucks” for our children to pursue. Does that mean that we learn what we can then proceed to act like we know better than the coach we hired? NO! Do we all need to be on the same page? YES! Are coaches willing to let us pursue active roles in our childrens skating? Some are, some are not. Here again we see the ever present “ego”! Until the “ego” is removed from the equation and the fine line of “balance” is established issues will arise.

    I hope that you are able to accomplish the goals you are attempting to obtain with this series. Your intentions are honorable and commendable! I look forward to learning more!

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  8. Robin

    As the parent of 2 skaters, I found it obvious that Trevor’s technique’s are spot on. My youngest is landing clean double jumps after only 3 weeks. It is such a joy to see her new confidence and ability. My eldest has been sidelined with an 11 week injury. Watching her younger sister’s progress via Trevor’s techniques has given her the determination and self assurance to get back on the ice. The most difficult thing to do is correct an incorrect technique and assure the injured to believe they can compete again. We are very excited for the future! Bravo!

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  9. AJ

    Parents in Japan are encouraged to participate supporting kids during the practice session so some parents would even skate together. Then, about this loop jump, we fully understand this is the right way of taking off and how much rotation you need to complete the double jump. I believe most of Japanese parants understand this otherwise we won’t be able to support our kids.

    It’s not mean that I understand all the jump skill so I’m really looking forward to recieve next one.

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  10. Leeana Koznesoff

    Thank you for this wonderful video and your obvious passion for the sport of figure skating. A skaters mom for thirteen years, I learned early that there are many coaches, that do not understand proper technique for all aspects of figure skating moves. When my child was six years old and performed poorly at a competition because of a missed element, I became interested in the various requirements and techniques needed for a skater to succeed. I became intrigued with the many books and videos available to the spectator. My daughter and I became experts at freezing our TV screens to observe the various jumps. It help to a large degree, but only with maintenance of the various jumps. No book or tape could replace a good coach. We learned early to seek after the coaches that are producing winners. I must state, that knowledgeable parents are looked down upon by many coaches. My daughter and I were chastised regularly because of our knowledge and in many instances were denied coaching. My daughter is fifteen and has maintained her jumps for six years. She has all of her doubles and lands them consistently. She battled with a growth spurt last year and struggled with her jumps, but has regained her consistency back this season. After thirteen years of participating in this sport, I refused to settle for sublevel coaching and chose to wait it out for good coaching. While doing that, coaches at a particular rink saw my daughter go from a struggling jumper last year (due to the growth spurt) to a consistent jumper this year and resented my involvement (however discreet). What they didn’t know was that the child had been a skater for thirteen years and had worked with some of the best coaches in the area. I know good coaching when I see it and there were no high level coaches with experience at this particular rink. In fact, my daughter an intermediate level skater was more qualified to teach the beginners than 50% of the instructors there. A brilliant student in high school and her desire to continue to compete at figure skating, prevents her from coaching right now. To make a long story short, in a nastingly way and with input from insecure coaches, my daughter and I were asked to leave a skating rink for no apparent reason. It was very humiliating for me and hurtful to an innocent child. We have sought after ice and coaching at a reputable facility and hopefully my daughter will get the training she needs. For now thank you for this website and I hope that it acts as an educational tool to inform parents,skaters and coaches the techniques needed to advance the sport of figure skating in our country. Thanking you in advance for your assistance.

    Sincerely yours,
    Lee

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  11. melissa

    The info on the double loop was interesting. I just hope skaters and parents don’t confuse the difference between turning forward WHILE lifting off (although not completely off the ice) with turning forward PRIOR to the initiaition of the take off. A very slight difference, but important in a proper jump. Question, when does the four page jump info arrive etc? It is an installment kind of deal with one item being sent at a time? Thanks!

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  12. kelly

    Skating is a difficult sport and finding out what exactly is wrong with how a skater is executing a jump / spin is really hard. The play by play video with the anaylsis is so helpful. I can’t wait to tell our daughter’s coach about the site and to help my girl try these things. (I used to be a skater and all of this was new to me!!) Looking for more from skating jump secrets.

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  13. e.j.( jake) hammill

    MY GRAND DAUGHTER IS 15, AND A VERY TALENTED SKATER,BUT IS HAVING A VERY DIFFUCALT TIME WITH HER AXEL. I AM LOOK FOR A VEDIO THAT WOULD HELP HER OUT. CAN YOU GIVE ME ANY HELP? E.J.HAMMILL

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  14. vermon

    I have twin daughters age 7 and will be finishing basic 8 next month. I am looking for info to learn and understand all about skating so I can lead them in the right direction. So far all the info from your video are excellent.
    Could you help and guide me to get excellent videos and anything you might think could help them, they are very fast learner and only starter skating last year. Thanks in advance for everything.

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  15. alison schwartz

    Hi Trevor !

    thank you so so much for this video!!
    This is indeed an ego driven business, and there appear to be so many variations in approach, it can get difficult to figure out how to help your kid the most.
    I believe in choosing a good technique coach as early as possible, because bad habits are hard (if not impossible) to break.

    My question to you is whether you would consider doing video analysis for parents that found you on this website?

    Anyway, you are doing a great service for skaters and parents alike. Thank you again!

    Alison

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  16. Maryanna

    Thanks!!! I learn a lot from your website. Hope all the coaches have the right techniques and open mind like you. In our rink, the coaches even don’t talked about skating’s techniques or lesson plan with parents(because they feel they are the experts). Wish more qualified and smart coaches coming to our rink. I’m very appreciate and applaude your efforts for the sport. Thanks again! Keeping up your super job!

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  17. Kathy Mothers

    This information is fantastic and I know it will help my daughter. Unfortunately, any mention of this to her coaches will cause huge problems. Even when my daughter requests to work on specific skills, she is denied. Coaches control everything here where we live. Information like this might be threatening to them. It is refreshing to see a coach openly discuss technique and try help skaters. Thanks.

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  18. Quentin

    Thank you for this information on the jumps.
    My daughter at age 9, has a consistent Axel and is almost there with all the others in the double mode, they just need the tidy up and consistent to backwards,with the check. Her coach has a good technique and explains the mechanics to us as well , this aids in that ever present question ” how was that” mun or dad.
    the coach is also Dartfish friendly, he has the required equipment and will be using this from next week once the latest info is loaded in to the system.

    Than you again and look fwd. to more info to help me with the never ending questions when you don’t have blade to ice.

    Quentin

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  19. Deidre Brand

    Hi Trevor,

    I was so excited to find your website as I’m a firm believer in research. Our 8yr old daughter has been skating for almost three yrs and has won her first competiton in Feb this year. But I have a concern, which you put into words so well – she has “taught herself how to fall”! She has been working on her axel but doesn’t seem to get the hang of it – except for the falling part. I am currently struggling to watch the whole of Video 2 as it only gets to the quiz part on the loop jump and then goes back to the start again. Any ideas why it could be doing this? Hope to hear from you soon. Thanks D.

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  20. Christina

    It´s very very interesting information! If its possible – Please!!! post more videos and instructions. Im interested in all jumps, – right now especially double lutz and double flip.
    Thanks
    Christina

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  21. Maria Johansson

    Very interesting information and I am greatly impressed by Your dedication and enthusiasm in teaching and sharing Your information with others.
    Figureskating is such a difficult and demanding sport anyway – so to find ways to improve and facilitate the practise of jumps is really necessary!
    I´m looking forward to the next video/information.
    / figure skating mum

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  22. Bob Ross

    Thanks for your efforts and information. My daughter has been skating for 7 years. I have always made it my policy to never become her coach. That does not mean that I have any less interest in her success. I rely on her coach and her coach’s ability. She has been with the same coach for 6 years along with supplement coaches. I hope that your information will be of benefit to her coach and my daughter. Again, thanks for your efforts. look forward to the results.

    I found your site some what by accident. I added my daughter’s coach to your site not knowing she needed to fill out the test request. Hope I did not confuse your system.

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  23. Joe

    This is great information that parents need to know. While I’m confident in my coach, I do see a huge discrepancy in coaching techniques everywhere we go and it’s valuable to ask why that is and also how things can be improved.

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  24. Chengqun Sun

    It’s very nice. I let my daughter watched it. She was so excited. She told me she knew about the secretes. It will be helpful for her confidence. I also got new idea about loop jump. Thank you!

    Reply

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