giving skaters the
edge

skaters’ kitbag
Lockdown! Staying resilient when you can’t be on ice
This may have been one of the hardest training years of your life. Nobody could have foreseen a situation where rinks would be shut, schoolwork would be carried out almost entirely from home, and socialising with friends would pose a risk to you, your family and loved...
Unlocking the Ice Rinks – back to training post lockdown
It’s been a long time and the waiting is nearly over – rinks will be starting to open up soon and that means all the hard work you’ve been doing off-ice will pay dividends when you step back on to that lovely smooth cold sheet of ice… or will it? Everyone’s been in...
A Rocky Road to the Olympics
Injuries are the constant bugbear of skaters and it is always hard to cope with being off ice for any length of time, undergoing physio and taking things much more slowly than you would like. And the return to training can be fraught with self-doubt and anxiety that...
coaches’ couch
Relating Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs to Your Athletes
This came up in one of my groups this week in a fun way (the spoof version where WiFi is deemed a basic need before all else!) and it occurred to me that not everyone will have come across Maslow's hierarchy of needs. It's a psychological theory put forward by Abraham...
Practice Positivity and Make it a Habit
Are you a Positive Peter or a Negative Nellie? Are you a Pooh bear type of person, who sees wonder in every little thing or a Tigger, bouncing around spreading joy wherever you go? Or are you more of an Eeyore? Human beings tend to default towards an Eeyore-like...
One Step at a Time – Learning to Trust
I may have watched ‘that puppy video’ a few too many times this week. But it was just so similar to what I see when I watch skaters trying out something new! At the beginning he takes one look at that high staircase and his little face just says “Nope” and heads off...
parents’ tips
Unlocking the Ice Rinks – back to training post lockdown
It’s been a long time and the waiting is nearly over – rinks will be starting to open up soon and that means all the hard work you’ve been doing off-ice will pay dividends when you step back on to that lovely smooth cold sheet of ice… or will it? Everyone’s been in...
Back to School – tears and fears or miles of smiles?
As I write this it’s that time of year when the obligatory picture of smiling happy children in pristine uniforms are standing by their front doors on the first day of school. Whether it’s a brand new educational venture for them, or a step up to “Big School”, social...
Don’t let it get to you!
When someone or something upsets you... Do you find yourself getting stressed and upset when you’d rather be cool, calm and composed? Sometimes when things aren't going so well and it's hard to find something to be cheerful about it's because we are feeling 'done to'....