Arkansas, prevented the Califor- nia sweep. More about the 9-year- old will appear in an upcoming S.T.A.R.S. feature. Gambill, whose senior-lev- el skaters include 2011 U.S. silver medalist Ricky Dornbush, answered questions from SKATING maga- zine regarding the latest S.T.A.R.S. combine season and overall pro- gram.
Q: Tammy, this was the second
year your athletes have finished at the top of the S.T.A.R.S. testing. To what do you attribute your students’ athletic abilities and sustained per- formance? I understand you have gone through some changes with your off-ice trainer. A: Tey had Tyronne Bennett, and then just before the S.T.A.R.S. testing in 2011, Tyronne had to change his schedule and we had to use a different trainer tempo- rarily. Training has been great with Tyronne. He stays on top of their competitions and knows when to lighten up on the skaters and when to push harder. Q: What is the role of off-ice
training and how important is it in your coaching methods? How does
Coach Tammy Gambill credited trainer Tyronne Bennett for her skaters’ continued success at the S.T.A.R.S. combine. Amy Lin, Vincent Zhou and Philip Warren finished on top in 2012.
it help you as the coach accomplish your goals with your athletes on the ice?
A: I think the off-ice training
is important for a skater. We are asking a lot of the skaters now and the body has to be prepared to han- dle it. Te more I know about their strengths and weaknesses, the more I know what they can handle. Q: What is your advice for
parents and athletes who are reluc- tant to participate in off-ice training (perhaps because they feel it is too expensive or time consuming)?
A: I try to encourage my skaters
and parents to have the skaters do their off-ice workouts with a trainer at least one to two times a week. Te skaters have to know the proper way to work out or they might do more harm than good. Tis is an invest- ment in their training and educa- tion.
Q: You have been supportive
of getting your athletes to partici- pate in the S.T.A.R.S. program for the past two years. Why do you like the S.T.A.R.S. program? Is it par- ticularly motivating to the athletes
because of its competitive nature? A: Yes, a lot of the skaters wanted to do it again so they could try and better their [previous year’s] scores. Tey are competitive with each other in our own rink and they think it’s a lot of fun. Q: Do you think that over- all fitness is important for keeping your students resistant to injury? A: Te key to keeping them
fit is to help prevent injuries. In my experience, the off-ice training has been helpful for recovery. Competi- tive skaters are going to push them- selves — sometimes too much — so there has to be a time for recovery. Again, the more knowledgeable they are about their own fitness, the better they can train without over- doing it. Each month, SKATING will
feature an athlete story along with a training or injury prevention tip. Keep your eyes peeled for upcoming registration contests including the opportunity to have a “celebrity” skat- er-athlete come to your area to host a 2013 S.T.A.R.S. Combine!
Peter Zapalo is the sports science and medicine Skating.