LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT - Skate Canada

The first stage in Skate Canada’s LTADM, Learn to Skate,
consists of two phases of development – Active Start
and FUNdamentals. This stage lays the groundwork
for future development both within our sport and in
other ice sports as well. As an early specialization sport,
participants will likely be coming to skating clubs with
minimal to no physical literacy. As such, there are many
basic movement skills that must be introduced and
acquired in this stage. Participants should also acquire an
enjoyment of movement on the ice.
The chronological ages of participants in this stage are:
Learn To Skate Female Male
Active Start 3 – 5 3 – 5
FUNdamentals 5 – 8 5 – 9
Ideally athletes are ready to progress to the next stage of
development when they reach the upper age. Also note
that athletes using Learn to Skate as a way to develop
skills for other ice sports might be older than these ages
indicate.
Photo: Stephan Potopnyk
L o n g - Te r m A t h l e t e D e v e l o p m e n t
L E A R N T O S K A T E
( A C T I V E S T A R T A N D F U N D A M E N T A L S )
865 Sheord Road, Ottawa, Ontario K1J 1H9
Phone 613.747.1007 I Toll Free 1.888.747.2372 I Fax 613.748.5718 I Toll Free Fax 1.877.211.2372
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Philosophy
The philosophy of Learn to Skate is to provide
opportunities for all Canadians to learn to skate in fun,
safe, and engaging environments and to evoke interest
for life long participation.
General Objectives
• To create a fun and active learning environment
that engages skaters’ interest and challenges
athletic and personal development appropriate
to this particular stage
• To acquire/develop basic sport-specific skills
• To develop fundamental movement skills
on-ice (go, stop, turn, jump, spin)
• To introduce motor skills (agility, balance,
coordination, speed, rhythm, time/space
orientation, dexterity, hand-eye coordination)
• To introduce simple rules and ethics of the sport
• To develop self-confidence, focus and positive
attitude
• To instill a love of figure skating.
Windows of Optimal Trainability
The following physiological factors must be introduced
and developed through specific programming and
coaching and in accordance with age and gender:
3 Speed (female: 6-8; male: 7-9)
3 Suppleness (Flexibility) (female/male: 6-10)
3 Quality basic skating skills (“golden age” 8-12)
L E A R N T O S K A T E