More Info in Vimeo on demand

What is your specialization?

Figure skating.

Tell us more about your history in this sport…

I started with figure skating from early age at amateur/competition level. From the age of 19 I joined the professional skating world, I was part of world famous " Holiday on Ice". I worked there for 10 years.

When did you start with coaching?

Also from the age of 19. While I was touring with “Holiday on Ice” I often had a few months off, this gave me time to coach. At that time I only had a few competitors who wanted to be part of my skating team. Every time I left back on tour competitors were under guidance of my mother with my instructions and it worked well as a team. At present I have a small group of children which I work intensively with.

Which club are you part of?

Kraso Trenčín in Slovakia.

What kind of results have you achieved as a coach?

My competitors are regularly taking the highest placements in Slovak and also international competitions.

At what age should kids start with figure skating?

Between 3 and 4 years of age.

What requires this type sport?

A sense of hard work, time, money, patience, a willingness to make sacrifices,…It is hard to find people with the important values…

Such a sentence might discourage people…

Everyone :-). But every sport needs this. Figure skating is not an exception. That is why there are not many elite figure skating children, because parents are not disciplined and committed and children just follow what they see…

Sport takes a lot but it gives you way more than it takes.

In what sense?

Skating requires skills sets found in kind of sports e.g. ballet, gymnastics, athletics,…Children are learning how to run, jump the rope, dance, they evolve the sense for music and rhythm, develop one’s muscles…There are many skills included… Nowadays there are so many children with different motor and musculo-skeletal problems, e.g. with spine and other issues. Regular sporting activities can prevent this.

Then figure skaters travel and participate in many events and competitions, during skating season there are competitions and out of season they attend summer camps which last for weeks where they are getting ready for upcoming season. They are with other children and their whole summer is filled with purposeful activities instead of sitting at a computer, tablet or with a mobile phone…

Do you think that kids who are performing some kind of sport have different attitude towards life?

Sure. Many times I hear from parents of these children how disciplined they are at school, how they listen and in general they behave differently. You can always see the difference between children who are taking part in any kind of sport and those who don’t have any sporting activities.

Why do you think it is so?

These children have some routine and regime in their lives. Maybe for some people it might sound like a planned life but it’s not like that. I would rather say their free time is busy, they have something to pay their attention to – physically and mentally…They have somewhere to beat out their energy and that is big plus because nowadays everyone thinks they have a hyperactive child but it is easy to think a child has too much energy if they have no physical sporting outlet to get rid of this energy.

Do you teach also kids which are interested let’s say in only learning how to skate?

Yes, every Tuesday there is a practice at the MG Rink from 15:15 – 16:15 for all age categories and with my team we work with them. Here you can find also hockey players which are part of my group. I teach them how to skate properly.

Hockey players? Isn’t it a different way method of skating?

Yes, hockey players. It’s very interesting I’m getting this question very often. I don’t understand why it is difficult. Hockey players need to know how to skate; figure skaters need to know how to skate. What difference does it make? People see toe picks at the end of blade and think that ice skaters do something differently. But we don’t use toe picks for skating but for other elements such as jumps, spins,…

Did you teach any hockey player for a longer time?

I have one pupil. I taught him to skate from the age of 5. And our coaching relationship is still ongoing.

This is our 6th year of working together. I train him individually and sometimes I put him into my group with ice skaters and we work on his speed and stronger pushes.

6 years is a long time…

I don’t think so. I did coach a few hockey players whose parents thought once you learn how to skate that is where it ends. But skating skills need to be developed at every age and constantly. Children are continually growing, their weight is changing, coordination,… For example with my pupils I skate every time I get the chance during practice – sometimes we work on developing smooth gliding skills, and other practices we work on speed. I work the same way with hockey players.

How often does he work with your guidance?

Twice per week.

Why there not more hockey players in your team?

It is like that here in Slovakia. People are sceptical towards this idea. Even if people decide to come to me I can tell how "serious" the coaching relationship will be. I know of many countries where figure skating coaches are helping hockey players with skating skills from early age.

You have created a video for hockey players…

Originally it was created for hockey players because every exercise is performed by a hockey player but this video can be used by everyone who wants to learn some basics of skating technique.

What does this video you have created involve?

First of all there is an assumption that you have at least tried to skate for a few hours or as I call it you have learned how to walk on the ice. Basically that you had some contact with ice and you can glide in it a bit.

In this video you can find a detailed description of different exercises during every single skating step.

How many exercises are there in video?

Almost 80.

Why someone should buy your video?

On many public channels and internet you can find many videos and instructions how to teach how to skate. They are for free but who is going to show you the results of their work? Mostly there are coaches who are showing themselves off. I'm showing my many years' precise and detailed work and final product on a specific athlete. There are hours and years of hard work behind the scenes.

You call your video "Skating technique", but many people name it power skating…

Power skating is only a modern name I would say and from my point of view very inappropriate for skating. Under power skating I imagine that I have to give away a lot of energy and effort to be able to skate. That is why I don't agree with this head-line and I call my video "Skating technique". I teach my pupils to skate in a way that it doesn't look like they trundle but the opposite. The final effect should feel like they don't strive almost at all. And that's what this video is about, to learn how to technically accurately skate and use every push at its maximum and with ease.

Nowadays many figure skaters are including other sports in their physical and mental preparation which help them to progress their skating. It is very common to use other sports to improve and develop physical strength, flexibility, coordination, speed and the many skills an athlete needs for his/her primary sport.
For figure skaters there are a few additional sports that they can use to improve their physical abilities. Here are some…

Ballet

One of the most important sports for a figure skater is a ballet. This is can help skaters from a very early age. It helps with a good and strong posture of a body and it develops muscle strength of the whole body. It teaches the right way to to warm up every single part of the body, especially the muscles, in the most effective way, and also how to stretch the body to its maximum but strengthen it at the same time.

Dance

Ballroom dancing, Latin dancing, hip hop dance, contemporary dance and other dancing styles are another great addition for skaters, especially because of the rhythm and flowing movements. Also, a knowledge of different styles of music and the process of working out the kind of music a skater prefers will help them develop their skating programmes in the future.

Gymnastics

It is possible to choose from two areas - artistic gymnastics and rhythmic gymnastics. A rhythmic gymnast requires extreme flexibility and it is not a very good option for a skater in the long term. Artistic gymnastics is a better alternative. Figure skating is an acrobatic sport so artistic gymnastics helps by strengthening the body in the air which a skater needs when performing, for example, a jump. Gymnastics also involves many exercises which improves a skater's coordination.

Athletics

An important part of every athlete’s knowledge is correct running technique. Running is usually one of the first exercises an athlete performs in warm up, right before stretching his/her body. It helps to warm up and increase blood flow and oxygen to the whole body and working muscles. It is beneficial in warming up the legs which are key in figure skating. A long run is a good way to develop endurance and a sprint is great for muscle speed and explosive movements. Athletics has many exercises which are good for coordination, speed and stamina.

Flowin?

Flowin is a great fitness training method using an athlete’s own body weight which develops the whole body. This kind of sport requires some tools: a main board and pads for hands and legs. There are many dynamic exercises an athlete can perform for a good quality workout similar to figure skating movements on the ice. This sport is also used as an effective recovery after injuries..

Pilates, Yoga

One of the most significantly beneficial additions to a figure skaters training programme is Pilates or yoga. They teach how to breathe deeply in different kind of positions. It helps a skater to develop their abilities to keep their balance in various body positions and the most considerable benefit of yoga and Pilates is calming the mind. This attribute is vital in any skater's competitive career as it makes him/her able to deal with competitive situations more easily on a psychological level.

There are a wide range of sports for a skater to choose from and some different selections to those above may benefit individuals. It is very important carefully select the sports and it is always better to discuss this with an experienced specialist or your coach to avoid undesirable effects, such as too much muscular developments which is not required in figure skating, and other issues which might cause difficulties for the skater’s primary sport.