Step 4: Use Your Time Efficiently

First, warm up before you get on the ice. We covered warming up in the first tip so go back and read it if you missed it. Next, have a checklist of what you need to do in each practice. Your checklist might contain things like: the Moves in the Field that you are working on, spins, jumps, and the programs that you have. List each move, spin and jump separately. Discuss with your coach how many times to practice each element. This helps make sure that you practice everything that you should and also keeps you from getting stuck on one thing for long periods of time.

For each section of your checklist, beside it write down the number of minutes you have to spend on those items. For example, if your practice time is one hour, pick out the items that are most important and decide how much time it will take to get those done. Let’s say that you must do your long program two times and you must do your Intermediate moves. Your program is 2 1/2 minutes long and your moves take 8 minutes. Put 10 minutes beside your moves, you may need to do one more than once, and 5 min. beside your program. Since you probable will not do your programs back to back, decide where in your hour you will do them and insert a star or note to stop whatever you are doing and do your program. Now you have 45 minutes left to work with. Maybe you need more time to do your jumps than spins so you put 30 minutes beside jumps and 15 beside spins. Now you have your practice time maped out! Remember that this is just to help you organize your practice, it’s not set in stone. This takes a little bit of planning, but can save you hours over the course of a year.

• Marta Nilsen helps answer the Ask The Pros questions here at IceSkatingWorld.com. She is a master-rated coach teaching at the Lexington Ice and Recreation Center in Kentucky.