US Junior Nationals

I returned home yesterday from a two day trip to Lake Placid for the US Junior Nationals. As ususal, Lake Placid puts on a great, organized competition. It has also been my favorite place for skating since I competed in my younger days! I had the opportunity to spend time sharing a table with David Lipetz, a physical therapist and creator of "The Off-Ice Edge Trainer." While promoting Sk8Strong DVDs and my site, I was able to test out the Off-Ice Edge with my own skates on. It is a great product! For those of you who are not familiar with it (as it has only been available for two months), it consists of an angled platform and two poles. A skater stands on the various angled surfaces with his/her skates on and uses the poles to balance. From there, a skater can perform various exercises in the skates while simulating each edge (FO, FI, BO, BI). I was able to mimic jump takeoffs, stroking, landing positions, and spin positions while receiving immediate feedback from David regarding my body alignment. Although this tool is expensive, it is worth the return you will get with improved jump, spin, and overall skating performance. I plan to use the Off-Ice Edge with my students and incorporate it into my off-ice training routines. My Lake Placid trip was a success, as I was able to meet a lot of great people in the skating community and share my philosphies about off-ice training. Thanks to all of the coaches who take the time to educate themselves about correct exercise training in order to improve their students' skating. Check out the icenetwork.com for pictures and comments in the US Juniors diary Thursday gallery. Last but not least, congrats to all of the wonderful skaters who worked very hard to make it to Lake Placid. And congrats to Ainsley McGill, Juvenile girls silver medalist, from my home rink in Connecticut!

Sk8Strong on YouTube!/ Visit Steve Conca's Blog

You can now view demo videos of Sk8Strong DVDs on YouTube. You can visit the Sk8Strong channel at www.youtube.com/Sk8StrongLD to view two different demos. The first demo includes clips from "The Ultimate Dynamic Warmup," and the second demo includes a mix of clips from the other three DVDs. We wanted to provide you with a preview of our DVDs so you know that are receiving quality information! Enjoy!
Also new is Steve Conca's blog, www.attainsportsperformance.blogspot.com. Please visit to receive the latest information about sports conditioning.

Sk8Strong welcomes Kim McCullough as an affiliate!

Kim McCullough, MS, YCS, has become a Sk8Strong affiliate. Why should you get to know Kim? She has developed a top-notch training program for hockey players, both on and off the ice, that you should definately check out. As an expert in her field, as a youth conditioning specialist, Kim has revolutioninzed off-ice training for hockey players, and specializes in programs for females as well as males. Sport specific training is important for every sport to prevent injury, and build power and strength, and Kim offers a comprehensive program to develop hockey players into well-conditioned athletes. Click on the "Best Hockey Season Ever" icon to visit her site and experience the best there is to offer in off-ice training for hockey players.....

Video Downloads/ Congratulations!

Sk8Strong has begun to create video downloads that you may purchase and watch right on your computer. Our first video is "The Ultimate Foam Roll Warmup," which covers nine exercises with a foam roll to help increase mobility and flexibility of joints and muscle. The foam roll has been gaining in popularity among the strength and conditioning world, and many people have found it as a good alternative to massage or stretching. For more info, go to www.sk8strong.com/videodownloads.html.
Congratulations to the following Sk8Strong clients: Christina Perfetto, Senior Ladies silver medalist at the New England Regional Championships, Kaitlyn Marunda and Sena Spinella, Juvenile girls finalists at New Englands!!! Great job!!

What Does a Physical Therapist Do?

Licensed physical therapists have many roles in the healthcare field. PTs can be involved in orthopedics, sports medicine, cardiac rehab, neurological rehab, acute hospital care, pediatrics, home care, and geriatrics. Many physical therapists currently practicing have either a bachelors or masters degree, and most schools are now transitioned into doctorate programs. I am involved in sports medicine and outpatient orthopedics at Performance Rehabilitation in East Longmeadow, Massachusetts. I am lucky that we see a large degree of athletes, post-operative patients, and a wide variety of injuries. Our practice employs many experienced therapists with various specialties, and we frequently learn from and feed off of each other. PTs are always learning through continuing education and through their peers to help patients receive the best possible care. We typically see patients 2-3 times a week for 4-10 weeks depending on their injury, and patients goals range from 'returning to sports' to 'walking without pain,' and we do our best to help patients accomplish their goals. Treatment usually consists of manual therapy techniques, stretching, function based exercises, modalities, and sports-specific drills, with the goal of having the patient complete a home exercise program on their own.

What Would You Like to See on Sk8Strong.com?/ Trainer Database

We've been analyzing which services people are interested in, and the skill analysis and the video analysis seem to be very popular with our visitors. Please let us know what you might like to see on our site, as we are open to suggestions. As our newsletter subscriber list continues to grow, we will include more information about the DVDs, further training tips, and comprehensive articles. Thanks to all of our subscribers! New to the site this week is the beginning of an off-ice trainer database. We are starting a database of qualified health professionals who are involved with off-ice training for figure skaters, to help parents and coaches find a qualified, credentialed professional. If you know a credentialed trainer, please encourage them to apply. There is a yellow box on our homepage, or visit www.sk8strong.com/trainers.html for more info.

Welcome

Hi everyone. Thanks for visiting http://www.sk8strong.com/ ! We are very excited by the tremendous response to our website (over 7000 visits in one month!), and hope to produce the best information about strength and conditioning and off-ice training for figure skaters and the figure skating community. Figure skating, off-ice training, and the development of athletes are my passions, and I hope to share them with you for the years to come. Steve and I are excited to produce off-ice training DVDs for the figure skating world, and they will be available in the next few months. I hope you enjoy Sk8Strong's newsletter and articles, as well as the skill analysis and injury reports. Thanks to all of the members who have joined so far. I'm glad you have been satisfied, from the positive feedback we have received. I hope to add to the blog every week, so please check back to read about training tips, the progress of the DVDs and manual, and more!