ALYSSA FORT TO PRESENT AT ISI CONFERENCE

Alyssa Fort will present two sessions at the 2018 ISI Conference & Trade Show:

“Nutrition for Athletes” 8-9 a.m. Wednesday, June 6

“ Injury Prevention & More

Productive Training” 11-11:45 a.m. Thursday, June 7

Teach Skaters the Importance of Proper Warm Up

by Alyssa Fort

As an off-ice coach and personal trainer, my job is to ensure skaters know how to properly warm up before getting on the ice. A dynamic warm up should be done at all levels, from beginner tots to more advanced freestyle.

Many coaches are not teaching their skaters how to properly warm up, and this is a definite disadvantage to the skater and their performance.

Proper Warm Up

A coach should always stress a proper dynamic warm up. A dynamic warm up promotes circulation, elevates the body’s temperature, helps the brain’s neuro- receptors start firing so that the skater has a better sense of body awareness, and helps the body to rehearse the proper moves for the upcoming workout. A correct warm up should entail moving the body in all directions and involve many muscles and joints in order to prevent injury. It should start off with a light movement, such as a light jog or jump roping, and progress to more challenging

movements. To be effective, the warm up should last for at least 10 minutes.

Teaching skaters to warm up should begin at the tots level. A routine should be established from day one in order for it to be become a habit. Asking a director to incorporate an off-ice warm up (even for just five minutes) into their programs will make certain that skaters are taught correctly from the beginning. If that is not feasible, perhaps talking to the skaters and parents on the first day of class about the benefits of warming up will be helpful. Following the discussion, distribute an example sheet that they can reference. Many skaters do not do a warm up simply

because they have no idea how to! Giving them something tangible to hold and look at is beneficial.

Coaches should always let the parents know that the skater is expected to arrive at least 15 to 20 minutes prior to class to assure a proper warm up. Giving a specific schedule to the parents and skater helps them to better plan their time at the rink. Teach your skater that the warm-up does not have to be boring. Incorporate a jump rope into the warm up routine — it is cheap and easy to store in a skate bag — or suggest your skaters pair up with a friend to warm-up. Partnering with a friend will hold skaters accountable, make the time pass a little more quickly and double the fun!

Warm-Up Class

Another great idea is to offer an off-ice warm-up class at the rink. Gear it toward the level of the skater, such as a balance class for beginners or a core and stretch class for the higher level skater. Many

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