LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
U.S. FIGURE SKATING Partners
S.T.A.R.S., camps provide excellent opportunities for growth
Opportunities abound this spring for
young athletes who wish to jump higher, spin faster, skate more eff ortlessly and put on a show. U.S. Figure Skating is again sponsoring three programs that give promising competi- tive skaters the tools and knowledge they need to become the best they can be. It’s a golden opportunity for them to be
exposed to the best coaches, trainers and in- formation in a fun and low-stress setting with their peers. S.T.A.R.S. is back for a seventh year. Reg-
istration opens on March 1, with about 25 cit- ies scheduled to host off -ice combines (camps included). For those new to S.T.A.R.S., partic- ipants complete a series of off -ice assessments. Measurements are conducted in the areas of agility, balance and coordination; strength and power; and fl exibility. T e goals of S.T.A.R.S. are to promote the athletic development of ath- letes and keep them safe and injury resistant by training their bodies ahead of the on-ice skills curve.
S.T.A.R.S. also includes athlete educa-
tion. T is year’s theme is “Changing Nutrition T roughout the Season.” Also new to the ed- ucational segment is a movement class for all athletes focusing on dynamic warm-up for mo- bility and stability. For those who have participated in
S.T.A.R.S., there are some exciting additions to the program, according to Peter Zapalo, di- rector of sports science and medicine at U.S. Figure Skating. “We are adding more specifi c video feed-
back to our athletes from trainers who will detail what their needs are in off -ice training. So athletes are going to get a video exercise prescription to help them address some of the areas that they might be having concerns with. “Additionally, we are launching the new
High Performance Movement Screen (HPMS) as a sister program to S.T.A.R.S. Whereas S.T.A.R.S. is a performance evaluation, the HPMS focuses on an athlete’s ability to move his or her body, especially in the areas of stabil- ity, mobility and symmetry. It’s going to im- prove their performance in ways specifi c to on- ice skills, and it’s going to reinforce an athlete’s resistance to injury.” T e HPMS will be rolled out on a limited
basis throughout the S.T.A.R.S. combine season. (See S.T.A.R.S./HPMS ads on pages 14-15.)
4 FEBRUARY 2017 T e second edition of the Jump on It!
Camp is scheduled for May 18–20 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Last year’s camp was a huge success, with 103 participants, and it’s expected to fi ll up again quickly. (See the Jump on It! Camp ad on page 42.) T e Jump on It! Camp will feature many
of the top coaches in the world, according to Justin Dillon, director of high-performance de- velopment at U.S. Figure Skating. “It’s an opportunity to be exposed to jump
technique across the country and what the cur- rent trends are, so that athletes will be given tools that they can apply to their home envi- ronment and their daily training. It will give them the ability to learn and master new jump- ing elements. “So if they are doing doubles, hopefully we
give them the platform to get those triples go- ing, and if they are doing triples, to make them consistent.” Again, an off -ice educational component to
the camp will be off ered for coaches and parents. Now in its seventh year, the Program
Components Camp is slated for April 21–23 in Strongsville, Ohio. Campers learn how to improve in the fi ve component areas of skating skills, interpretation of music, composition, transitions and performance. (See the Program Components Camp ad on age 39.) T e focus of this year’s Program Compo-
nents Camp is skating quality, which, accord- ing to Dillon, aff ects every aspect of a skater’s performance. “We want to improve the skating quality at
the lower levels,” he said. “We want to promote speed, control and fl ow, so as they progress, they are able to become more powerful, polished skaters by the time they get to the senior level. “So we are not just focusing on the com-
ponent of skating skills, but really the quality of skating. It will add to every part of a skater’s performance, from the GOE on jumps to spins to enhanced choreography. It’s all relative. T e better a skater you are, the better all of those things will fall into place.” In addition to eight hours of on-ice in-
struction, a coaches’ forum and parents’ educa- tion are off ered. To learn even more about each of these op-
portunities, go to
STARScombine.org or con- tact Sarah Arnold at sarnold@usfi gureskating.
U.S. FIGURE SKATING Suppliers
U.S. FIGURE SKATING Licensees
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