balance between strength and “length,” i.e., the long, slim body lines expected from a dancer. It wasn’t until late into my career that I realized the benefit of adding muscle to my frame. This transformation began as a mental one, however, whereas I’d once spent a lot of energy controlling my diet and limiting my weight training in order to stay lean, I could now take a proactive approach to building strength and fueling my body appropriately. Shifting my focus from sacrificing for success to empowering myself for success, was what allowed me to approach my off-ice training with a healthier mentality.


The international judging system (IJS)


emphasizes the need for athletes to be strong athletically across the board; they must be agile, strong and flexible to do the skills need- ed to score well. How do you monitor and fos- ter the development of these athletic skills?


We recently caught up with Tanith and


Rockne in Canton, Mich., to ask them about their involvement in S.T.A.R.S. this year.


Tanith Belbin Tell us about what you have been doing


and your ongoing professional involvement. This February marks three years since I


retired from competitive skating [after the 2010 Vancouver Olympics]. During that time, I’ve transitioned through several new roles including professional skater, television pre- senter, university student, and coach and choreographer. More recently, my focus has been on my coaching career, as well as pur- suing a degree in communications. I’ve found immeasurable joy in working with younger skaters from all disciplines and hope to con- tinue to do so in some capacity for as long as I can. Between coaching and providing ice dance commentary for figure skating broad- casts, the skating world has once again given me great purpose and support.


Having a high fitness level and excellent


athletic skills are important to being a great skater — particularly in ice dance and pairs. Can you tell us about your off-ice routine when you were competing?


Off-ice conditioning was as integrated


and valuable to my training as my on-ice rou- tine. Although the content and intensity of the workouts varied depending on where we were in our season, we trained strength and conditioning three times a week, and ballet twice a week, year-round.


In ice dance particularly, athletes are


expected not only to perform difficult skills and have excellent stamina, but make it look good. Do you have any advice on balancing the “look” with excellent athleticism? What was toughest for you in your career?


I faced challenges in finding the right


As a coach, the biggest challenge I see is simply finding the time to develop all the qualities mentioned above. Thankfully, there are programs like S.T.A.R.S. to help athletes develop a custom off-ice program that focus- es on all these areas. There are certain periods in each skater’s season when a particular fo- cus on one area or another is more effective, so it’s critical that the off- and on-ice training is coordinated and monitored as a unit.


Given that S.T.A.R.S. is the same tests


from year to year that start at a young age (6 and up), how do you see S.T.A.R.S. as helping our athletes develop?


Monitoring and tracking development


from a young age can significantly help skat- ers develop well-rounded skills and strengths throughout their skating careers. I can’t tell you how challenging it is for skaters who, for example, never worked on flexibility as a child, to then develop this skill later in life. Having all relevant categories of their ath- leticism identified and cultivated from one year to the next allows skaters to enter the IJS without limitations, and with the greatest chance for success.


Rockne Brubaker


What have you been doing? How is your part- ner search going?


I have relocated back closer to home


[Chicago area] and I’m taking steps to ad- dress aspects of my skating that are going to make me a better skater and pairs partner. I am still looking for a partner and have some tryouts scheduled after U.S. Championships. I finished my college course work and I’m also pursuing my NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist certification. It is still my goal to represent the U.S. at the Olympics.


You’re known for having a rigorous


off-ice training routine that includes what would be considered “cross-training” in other sports. Can you tell us about what you do in


SKATING 19


your off-ice training and how you think it has helped you with your skating?


Pairs is different in that there are so many


types of skills you have to learn versus singles skating; to me that is challenging to be good at using my body in so many different ways. Growing up I played all kinds of sports and lately I’ve been into cycling (road and moun- tain biking) and swimming. For me swim- ming has been a big part of keeping my back and shoulders healthy. I try to keep my body guessing and getting stronger, and when I start to feel my body adapting, I either step it up or change what I am doing.


S.T.A.R.S. PROGRAM ADDITIONS FOR 2013:


• All S.T.A.R.S. combines will have an interactive seminar in addition to the off-ice testing.


• This year’s seminar topic: “Training, Overtraining and Recovery”


• Previous S.T.A.R.S. participants will re- ceive a discount code to save $5 off of 2013 registration — watch your email in February.


• An updated S.T.A.R.S. exercise guide will be available online starting March 1, 2013, to help athletes and their coaches and trainers prepare for the combines.


• The 2013 combine season will begin slightly earlier than in previous years, spanning mid-April to the end of July. (dates TBD)


• The first “Adult” combine will be fea- tured at the 2013 U.S. Adult Figure Skating Championships in Scottsdale, Ariz. (tentative date: Thursday, April 11)


• Registration opens March 1, 2013. More information is available at www.STARScombine.org.


• Space will be limited and is available on a first-come, first-served basis. Register today!


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