Scheduling
For the most part, we are always trying to plan ahead as far as possible. Sometimes, we are simply slowed down by the ice schedule (particularly during hockey season Nov-Feb) but for the most part, we have things established well enough at the VMCC that we all should know what to expect. We want to figure out the year plan as much as possible in our season planning meeting.
In your contract and season planning meeting, you will select a time slot and day(s). All days below are listed for Mon-Friday.
The slots are:
Time of Day
Morning 6:00-9:30 am
Midday 12:30-2:50/3:20 pm
Evening 3:20-6:40 pm
Schedule
This will vary on skater’s school start time and how the skates’ times overlap.
12:30-12:50 pm- Off Ice, 1:00-2:30 pm On Ice Training & Practice, 2:30-2:50 pm Off Ice
**This time slot may extend to 2:50-3:20 pm if Melissa has to teach classes at 1:30 pm.
Number of Skaters Accepted in that Time Slot
3:20 pm Group
*This group will vary a little bit for now, but 3:20-5:00 pm is On Ice Training, 5:00-6:00 pm is on ice practice and/or off ice class or additional training time, 6:10-6:40 pm Off Ice Class
3:50-6:40 pm
On Ice Training, 5:30-6:00 pm On Ice Practice, 6:10-6:40 pm Off Ice Class
4:30-6:40 pm
On Ice Training, 6:10-6:40 pm Off Ice Class
5:00-6:40 pm
On Ice Training, 6:10-6:40 pm Off Ice Class
Re-Scheduling
Last Minute Changes
How Much Am I Supposed to Be Skating?
5
3
*May go up to 5 if there is a day off of school
3
4
4
5
For the evening skaters, the schedule will change for Nov-Feb due to hockey though you still need to maintain how many days a week you are skating. You may need to increase your off ice in the winter months.
Summer~ Summer 2025 is going to be different. You will each have a training plan with your on ice coaching, off ice coaching, workouts and on ice practice times. This will be given to you in Nov 2024 or around the time when the NQS schedule for 2025 is released. Plan to follow the training schedule. We will not be making adjustments for skaters due to other activities, poor family communication, etc. This isn’t to be difficult~ summer is simply a big project, and athletes have the opportunity to use summer to really move ahead with their skating. With some skaters taking their goals very seriously, it is only fair to them to do this.
All students in Tier 1 and Tier 2 have the option to re-schedule.
All re-scheduling requests must be received by the 25th of the month prior. I will get back to you about your re-scheduling requests between the 25th through the last day of the month.
You must use the re-scheduling button on the mainpage of the Tier 1 and Tier 2 page to re-schedule. Asking me in person, via email or text is not honored.
You can only re-schedule four time slots per month.
Re-scheduling requests will be honored by first come, first served and also if the re-scheduling request fits with other skaters already skating at that time slot.
Each timeslot only has so many spots available. If a time slot is full on that particular day, skaters will be asked to find a different time to re-schedule to.
This allows me to take care of all of the re-scheduling in an efficient manner. I appreciate families respecting my time.
If something happens last minute with a skater, i.e. they get sick, flat tire, etc. and you can’t make it to a skating time, please still text me to let me know so I can a.) know that the family is okay b.) make any changes to that day’s schedule.
Consider that day a day to re-schedule for the next month.
This is going to vary per athlete, their goals and how committed the family is to making those goals happen.
No matter how much you are on the ice, it has to be balanced with everything else, and as skaters become more proficient in skating they will find the sweet spot for how much skating works best for them.
Here is the answer to the big question; skaters achieving elite results are generally skating 3-4 hrs per day.
For skaters Aspire 1 through learning all of their single jumps, you should be skating 3 days per week. The length of time will vary upon the age of the skater. 90 minutes of coaching time 3 times a week is preferred for development.
Skaters learning axels, double salchows, double toe loops and double loops should be skating minimum four days a week for 90 minutes each time of coaching time.
Skaters working on double flip, double lutz and double axels will need to be skating five days a week, starting with 90 minutes and working their way up to two hours, especially if they are trying to compete with a double axel. How much coaching time they need will depend upon the skater, but 90 minutes per days is in the middle of the spectrum.
The reason for this time is not just for jumps; it’s also for skating skills, tests, programs, spins, choreography and jumps. That is a lot to get done in only 90 minutes. The times above are also just on-ice coaching time. They are excluding skater’s practicing on their own.
For skaters working on triples and/or who have a long and short program, plan on 2-3 hrs on ice per day depending upon where the skater is at~ this is definitely something we would have to discuss in a season planning meeting.
Skaters who skate less than the recommended amounts~ just make sure your amount of skating matches your goals.
Practicing
As skaters become older or more advanced athletes, they will need to practice more on their own.
Practicing on your own allows you to work things out on your own, drill skills that your simply need to be ingrained into your muscle memory and helps skaters become more self-driven.
Practice time is work time~ it isn’t for messing around, talking to your friends or standing by the wall. You are in control of your own destiny.
You should know what to work on in your practice time. If you don’t know what you should be doing, you need to talk to me during your coaching time.
Practice time will be in your contract with me. It is required. You cannot skip out on it just because you aren’t with a coach. Parents also need to be supportive of their skater practicing and not pull their skater out of practicing.
Attendance
The more consistently you skate, the better your skating will be. We have planned off seasons and in seasons so skater’s know when to expect more skating, when to focus on choreography, when to get tests done, etc. So even though we are a sport that skates all year round, we are not doing the same training loads all year long.
Your attendance at skating impacts your goals. Families who do not come to all of your scheduled skating times are choosing to change the goal and are undermining our season planning. If your skater is skating less than agreed upon, you cannot expect the same goals. Illness and injury happen, and that is why there is re-scheduling available.