Active Start: CanSkate
FUNdamentals: CanSkate
Learn to Train: STARSkate
Skating is considered an integral part of Canadian sport culture, and can act as a source of national pride when athletes excel at the international, world and Olympic levels. Yet skating also provides the opportunity for Canadians to achieve better health and well-being, to learn sport-specific skills, to develop or enhance life skills, and to build and foster relationships with others.
Along with teamwork, figure skating teaches participants fundamental movement skills, fundamental sport skills and the ABCs – agility, balance, coordination and speed – of physical literacy.
Figure skating’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model consists of six stages.
- Learn to Skate (M 3-9, F 3-8) – Covers Active Start and FUNdamentals by providing opportunities for all Canadians to learn to skate in fun, safe and engaging environments.
- Learn to Train (M 8-12, F 7-11) – Builds a skill set that will allow children to reach the highest level of proficiency that their unique talent and commitment will allow.
- Learn to Compete (M 10-14, F 9-13) – Exposes athletes to greater performance and competition opportunities, with the competition focused on performance and not solely on results.
- Train to Compete (M 11-17, F 10-16) – Emphasizes the pursuit of excellence at the national level through refinement and consolidation of skills.
- Learn/Live to Win (M 14-21, F 13-19 – 15+) – Ensures athletes are fully prepared (physically, mentally, technically and strategically) with the confidence and attitude that they can win at the highest levels of international competition.
- Active for Life (M, F any age) – Provides the opportunity for lifelong participation in skating, in either a competitive or recreational capacity.
In Pursuit of Personal Excellence: Skate Canada’s Guide to LTAD
This model defines the optimal training, competition and recovery programs necessary to succeed in the sport of figure skating.
CanSkate is Skate Canada’s flagship Learn to Skate program. It addresses the Active Start, FUNdamentals and Active for Life stages, and is designed for beginners of all ages. CanSkate programs focus on fun, participation and basic skill development.
CanPowerSkate, focusing on the Learn to Skate stage, is an action-packed, high energy instructional power skating program geared toward hockey and ringette skaters. It focuses on balance, power, agility, speed and endurance.
STARSkate consists of Skills, Tests, Achievement and Recognition, and centers on the Learn to Train stage. It offers opportunities for skaters of all ages to develop fundamental figure skating skills in the areas of ice dance, skating skills, free skate and interpretive skating.
The CompetitiveSkate Test Program addresses the Learn to Compete, Train to Compete and Learn/Live to Win stages. It is a testing program for skaters in singles, pairs and dance who wish to compete in qualifying events within Skate Canada.
CollegiateSkate centers on Active for Life. Schools are getting into the competitive spirit through the CollegiateSkate program, which brings together skaters from different test and/or competitive backgrounds to skate together as a team representing their school.
AdultSkate covers Active for Life. Adult skating is growing in popularity and more clubs are offering recreational, test and competitive opportunities to this segment of the population.
Skate Canada – skatecanada.ca
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