Take off!
JUMP CAMP LIFTS ATHLETES, COACHES TO NEW HEIGHTS
More than 100 of U.S. Figure Skating’s most promising athletes worked on
their jump technique and other technical elements with an elite roster of coaches at the first “Jump on It!” camp in Colorado Springs, Colorado, May 13–15. Te camp sold out within four hours of being posted online. At the World Arena Ice Hall — designated as an Olympic Training Center
— athletes were divided into 10 groups of between eight and 10 skaters based on several criteria. Each member of the faculty, which included Olympic- and World-level coaches Frank Carroll, Rafael Arutunian, Tammy Gambill, Tom Zakrajsek, Peter Johansson and Alexey Letov, taught the fundamental tech- niques of a specific jump. “Across the board, we received positive feedback from athletes and their
Two of the more than 100 camp attend- ees practice their jump technique.
The 100-plus attendees at the Jump on It! camp included an all-men’s group.
coaches, the faculty and parents,” Justin Dillon, director of high performance development at U.S. Figure Skating, said. “Tere was great energy and everyone felt they got so much out of it. Tey left feeling inspired to go home and begin working on their jumps.” Having athletes who are beginning to make their competitive marks learn
proper jump technique is invaluable for their future success as skaters, Dillon said.
“If we can build technically strong athletes at an early age, we can improve
our percentage of consistency at the higher levels of competition,” Dillon said. “Tat starts with a good foundation, so with the implementation of the bonus scoring system (for juvenile, intermediate and novice athletes), we are encourag- ing skaters to try harder jumps earlier instead of later on for the first time, when their success rate may be not as great. If we can get these skaters doing these jumps at an early age and keep their bodies healthy, the percentage of skaters actually executing their jumps in competition will grow.” In addition to the jumping segment, classes were conducted on spins, skat-
ing skills and power, sports science and understanding the technical score. An extensive coaching education program, hosted in partnership with the Profes- sional Skaters Association, also was offered. “It was a memorable experience in which I was able to build new friend-
ships with other skaters while learning new techniques from top coaches in the country,” attendee Pooja Kalyan said. A parents’ education seminar, which included a Q&A with Jody Flatt,
mother of 2010 U.S. champion and Olympian Rachael Flatt, and Mindy Aar- on, mother of 2013 U.S. champion and World competitor Max Aaron, drew positive reviews. Tey answered a range of questions that included topics such as school structure and the sacrifices required of an elite athlete. Assisting the faculty of coaches on the ice were standouts Vivian Le, Karen
Chen, Scott Dyer, Vincent Zhou, Megan Wessenberg and Tessa Hong. High-profile team leaders added to the experience of the athletes. Tey in-
cluded Alex Johnson, Nathan Chen, Tim Dolensky, Max Settlage and Madeline Aaron. “To have that kind of caliber around these other budding athletes learning triple jumps added to the inspiring aspect of this event,” Dillon said. Max Aaron delivered the opening keynote address, emphasizing that
knowledge is power. “Act as if you’re a sponge,” Aaron told the athletes. “Absorb the information
these coaches are are willing to share with you and you’ll walk away with a great understanding for jump technique to catapult you to success for the next skating season.”
“Te interest in the camp was so great that we will be offering it in the future,” Dillon said. SKATING 17
PHOTOS BY SARAH ARNOLD
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