1. Keywords
Young figure skater; foundational strength; postural control; Biellmann spin; highly competitive training environment; online coaching; long-term athlete development.
2. Case at a Glance
Beginning at age 8, the athlete completed 16 months of online off-ice coaching consisting of one 40-minute session per week together with regular home training. The program was designed not only to improve the stability of flexibility-based skating positions and jumping ability, but also to progressively develop single-leg support, postural control, strength, use of the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC), movement awareness, and training habits.
3. Background
The athlete was an 8-year-old second-grade figure skater training at a club in the Kansai region of Japan. The club was affiliated with a highly competitive training team, and the athlete had a longer-term goal of progressing to that team.
In addition to on-ice practice, the athlete participated in club-based off-ice group training twice per week, consisting primarily of bodyweight-based foundational strength work. Information about club practices and off-ice training was shared through the parent and was used as contextual information for the online program.
The training environment placed high demands on athletes even at younger ages. The athlete was highly competitive, tolerated long training sessions well, and set ambitious goals. Skating speed and spin rotation speed were notably high relative to same-age peers.
During approximately the first six months of online coaching, the parent remained present throughout sessions to support communication and exercise setup while the athlete became accustomed to the format.
4. Initial Assessment
Physical
Flexibility did not appear to be a primary limitation, and general strength was relatively well developed for the athlete’s age. However, use of the stretch-shortening cycle during jumping appeared limited, and jump height was modest.
Performance
During Biellmann and I-spin positions, the athlete directed most attention toward lifting the leg. As a result, postural alignment was difficult to maintain and the position tended to break down quickly.
Communication and Training Environment
During the first few sessions, the athlete was not yet comfortable communicating directly through the online format, and conversation often took place through the parent. Over time, the athlete became able to communicate directly, including expressing preferences and describing physical condition.
Equipment
The family was willing to prepare the same types of training equipment used in the studio. A stability ball, resistance band, and Pilates ball were introduced at the beginning, with additional equipment added as needed over time.
5. Goals
The initial goals were to improve the stability of the Biellmann spin and I-spin while first strengthening the athlete’s broader physical foundation. After approximately two to three months, once the athlete had become more comfortable with online coaching, home-based rotation practice, fundamental jump drills, strength exercises, and other training tasks were progressively added with the aim of improving jumping ability.
At that time, the athlete’s own competitive goal was to include either a double Axel or a triple Salchow in competition by the summer of the following school year.
6. Role Boundaries and Communication
The athlete’s on-ice training status was reviewed through information shared by the parent, including recorded skating footage and issues or priorities that the skating coach had communicated to the parent. This information was used to adjust the content and emphasis of the off-ice program.
7. Training Intervention
Online sessions were conducted once per week for 40 minutes. The home-training program was updated approximately every two weeks, usually with two to three assigned exercises or tasks. Home training was intended to be performed on most days.
For exercises that needed to be practiced between sessions, demonstration videos were recorded separately and sent to the parent so that the athlete could follow the movements at home.
Training categories
- Basic movement skills
- Balance and single-leg control
- Jumping and landing fundamentals
- Strength and trunk control
- Flexibility with stability
- Home-training routines
- Progression as skating demands increased
8. Timeline
Phase 1: Adaptation to Online Coaching
At the start of online coaching, communication was supported by the parent. Training began with postural control for the Biellmann position and active leg-holding strength so that the raised leg could be maintained with less reliance on the hands.
Phase 2: Building Physical Foundations
As the athlete became more accustomed to the online format, basic strength, jumping and landing fundamentals, use of the SSC, and postural control were introduced progressively.
Phase 3: More Structured Home Training
Home training became more structured. Shoulder flexibility and strength, single-leg support, and low-load movement-awareness tasks were continued, with the content varied over time.
Phase 4: Progression with Increasing Skating Demands – During the First Six Months
As the Biellmann position became more stable, training for the I-spin was added. Abdominal, back, and lower-body strength continued to be developed.
Phase 5: In-Person Reassessment and Program Adjustment – Around One Year After Coaching Began
One in-person training session was conducted during the online coaching period when the trainer traveled to meet the athlete. Direct observation provided additional movement information that was used to refine subsequent online coaching.
Phase 6: Managing Higher Training Demands
As the volume of higher-difficulty jump practice increased, the athlete experienced episodes of pain, including at the ankle. Off-ice training was continued by emphasizing body regions and exercises that did not aggravate symptoms.
9. Results
Directly observed during the intervention
- Postural control in the Biellmann position became more stable.
- Support strength and postural control required for the I-spin improved.
- The athlete developed a clearer understanding of concepts such as use of the SSC and “lifting through the abdomen” as a postural cue.
- The athlete became able to communicate directly with the trainer without relying on the parent as an intermediary.
- The home-training routine was maintained throughout the intervention.
Near-term outcomes
- Approximately one year after coaching began, the athlete introduced the Biellmann spin in competition and received positive GOE.
- Three months after the online coaching period ended, the athlete landed a double Axel.
Longer-term Competitive Outcomes
- Podium finishes became more frequent in subsequent competitions.
- Three years after the online intervention ended, the athlete won a national novice title.
- The athlete later moved to the highly competitive team that had been a long-term goal at the start of the case.
These longer-term competitive outcomes provide follow-up context but cannot be attributed to the online off-ice intervention alone.
10. Evidence Available
Evidence records
- Publicly available video showing part of an online coaching session
- Session records
- Home-training programs updated approximately every two weeks
- Exercise demonstration videos sent to the parent
- Parent-recorded on-ice footage
- Communication records with the parent
- Observations from the in-person reassessment
- Competition results
- Scoring records showing positive GOE for the Biellmann spin
- Records documenting the double Axel landing
Example of age-appropriate explanation
During this session, a simple spring was used as a visual analogy to help the athlete understand why the timing of the stretch-shortening action matters during jumping.
Public session video: https://youtu.be/6yOhRyFKbbo
— see 0:15–1:20 for an example of using a spring analogy to explain jumping mechanics.
11. Discussion
1) Online coaching may be feasible even for younger athletes
This case suggests that online off-ice coaching can be workable with a young athlete, but it did not function independently from the beginning. During approximately the first six months, parental support was important for communication, preparing equivalent training equipment, checking the athlete’s understanding, and providing simple physical support when an exercise required it. Short repetitions and separate demonstration videos also helped make the online format more manageable.
2) Foundational development includes more than physical capacity
Over the course of the intervention, development was observed not only in physical qualities but also in the athlete’s ability to describe physical condition, understand training tasks, repeat assigned work at home, respond to instructions through a screen, and communicate personal preferences. These behaviors formed part of the athlete’s longer-term development within the training process.
3) Relationship with a high training load
The athlete’s club environment and substantial on-ice practice likely contributed meaningfully to competitive development. At the same time, the high demands associated with difficult jump practice were accompanied by episodes of pain. In this context, the role of off-ice coaching was not limited to increasing physical capacity; it also included modifying exercise selection and training load according to the athlete’s current condition.
12. Practical Takeaways
Necessary explanations should not be omitted simply because an athlete is young. A young athlete may not fully understand every technical concept, but can still begin to understand why consistent practice matters and why attention should be directed toward how the body moves rather than only toward completing an exercise. In this case, repeatedly directing attention to movement quality over time appeared to contribute to the development of a broader training foundation.
For long-term online support of a young athlete, an occasional in-person session may be valuable when feasible. In this case, direct observation provided additional physical information and also appeared to improve the precision of later communication and support motivation.
13. Limitations
Most movement assessments were conducted online using two fixed camera angles. Although this setup allowed frontal and lateral observation, it did not replace direct three-dimensional observation or hands-on in-person assessment. On-ice performance was reviewed primarily through footage recorded by the athlete’s parent rather than through direct rink-side observation.
The athlete also participated in frequent on-ice training and twice-weekly club-based off-ice sessions. Physical maturation, technical coaching, parental support, and the athlete’s high motivation may all have contributed to the observed development. Their effects could not be separated from those of the online intervention.
Changes in jump height, strength, postural control, and use of the stretch-shortening cycle were not assessed using standardized quantitative measurements. Evaluation was based mainly on session observations, video records, training adherence, and competition outcomes.
This was a single case involving a highly motivated young athlete in a demanding training environment. The findings should therefore not be generalized to all young figure skaters. Competitive outcomes observed several years after the intervention provide longer-term context but cannot be attributed to the online coaching alone.
