How to Make Your Practice More Efficient

Make a Plan Ahead of Time Detailing What You Want to Practice

I have found that having a list of skills and drills that I want to practice each time I skate has helped give me a sense of direction. Having this list not only makes sure that I accomplish all the things that I want to practice, but also holds me responsible for getting to all the things that I said I would practice. You can make this list in a notebook designated for skating or even the notes app of your phone, which is my personal preference.

1. Take Videos of Your Skating and Do Video Review

Many skaters often experience a disparity between how their skating feels versus how it actually looks. Something that has helped me with closing this gap is taking videos of my skating. I will often make a note on my list about what I want to get a video of. To maximize my ice time, I watch the videos at home or while a parent drives me home from the rink. These videos are genuinely so helpful in allowing me to visualize my skating and see what I am doing wrong, but also are so fun to refer back to in the future to see just how much I have improved. 

2. Make Note of Your Coach’s Corrections

Your coach is one of the best resources that you have available to you. Take note (whether it's mentally or physically) of their corrections and refer back to them when planning out your next practice session. My favorite way to do this is to create a note in my notes app and write down all the corrections I remember from my lesson, organized by each drill I did that day, after I get done with my ice time. 

3. Remember to Fuel Your Body Correctly

In order to have a good practice session you must fuel your body correctly. This means staying hydrated as well as eating properly. In terms of hydration, some of my favorites include water, Propel, and Liquid IV. For food, I’m very big on snacking before and after I skate. Some of my favorite snacks include nugo protein bars, yogurt, gummies, and goldfish. It is SO important to make sure that you are eating properly. Your body needs fuel to function properly - just like how you can't drive a car on an empty gas tank. 

4. Remember to Rest!

With all of the above having been said, there are a lot of tools that you can utilize to improve the productivity of each of your practice sessions. However, remembering to rest is also incredibly important. Skating multiple hours a day without break days is only going to hurt you in the long run.