These articles were originally written in Japanese and are available through note’s AI-generated English translation.
Automated translation may not fully preserve nuances related to movement, physical sensation, coaching communication, or the author’s original intent. For carefully edited English case studies, please visit the Case Studies section.
Figure Skating: Off-Ice Training and Performance
The G-R.I.D. Model: Visualizing the Process from Insight to Performance
A practice-based model that organizes the process from an initial trigger to understanding, repeatable practice, and performance. It explains why a single successful attempt is not necessarily the same as a skill that can be reproduced consistently.
Why Jump Drills Should Start with the Basics: Calibrating the Body Each Day
This article explains why jump drills begin at the lowest intensity during each session. The aim is not simply to repeat basic exercises, but to calibrate timing, ground contact, rebound, and the athlete’s physical condition before progressing.
Building the Confidence to Attempt Planned Jumps in Competition
Competition confidence is built through preparation rather than last-minute encouragement alone. A figure skating case shows how the training process, from regular practice through the day before competition, supported an athlete in attempting the planned Double Axel.
Figure Skating I-Spin: Balancing Stability and Acceleration
An analysis of the I-spin from physical and biomechanical perspectives, including the skating leg, pelvis, core, flexibility, and rotational speed. It is intended to supplement, rather than replace, the technical guidance provided by a skating coach.
Periodization and Off-Ice Training for Figure Skaters Living Abroad
This article shows how an annual plan can organize off-ice priorities around competitions, camps, school, travel, fatigue, and physical growth. It presents a flexible approach to periodization developed while supporting figure skaters living overseas.
Growth and Long-Term Athlete Development
Readjustment During Growth Spurts in Male Figure Skaters
Male skaters may experience periods of readjustment around ages 12–13 and again at approximately 16 as their bodies change. The article considers not only increases in size and strength, but also temporary changes in coordination, control, and movement reproducibility.
When Does Performance Improvement Become Visible?
Performance change is considered across several time horizons: small early changes after two to three weeks, more reproducible improvement after several months, and more durable development over approximately one year. The article also helps distinguish short-term responses from long-term adaptation.
Injury and Return to Training
Training During Injury: Preventing Physical Capacity from Returning to Zero
A general approach to off-ice training during injury: follow medical instructions, distinguish protected areas from areas that can still be trained, and preserve physical capacities where it is safe to do so. Recovery training is treated as a planned process rather than complete inactivity.
Return from a Left Thigh Muscle Injury: An Online Coaching Case
An online case involving a 14-year-old male figure skater returning from a left thigh muscle injury. It covers modified training during the no-jump period, gradual reintroduction of takeoff and landing work, and the athlete’s role in monitoring condition and workload.
Return from a Right Ankle Sprain: An Online Coaching Case
An online case involving a 12-year-old figure skater recovering from a right ankle sprain. The article follows the progression from rest and upper-body training to balance work, bilateral jump drills, ballet basics, and a gradual return to skating.
Habit Formation and Support Systems
Why Is Consistency Difficult Even When the Basics Produce Results?
This article explores why athletes may stop even when they understand the importance of basic practice. Overthinking, perfectionism, and the feeling of being evaluated can inhibit action, while consistent behavior often depends on supportive systems rather than willpower alone.
Why Some Young Athletes Continue and Others Stop
Observational records are used to compare patterns among athletes who maintain routines and those whose actions gradually stop. The article emphasizes communication, feedback, shared records, and relationships rather than treating consistency as a fixed personality trait.
Supporting a Difficult Habit Through a Collaborative Approach
A case in which a demanding training habit was approached collaboratively rather than assigned to the athlete alone. Shared action and regular communication were used to reduce the psychological barrier to starting and to help establish the first stage of consistency.
Cross-Sport Case Studies
Competitive Swimming and Differences in Physical Maturation: An n=1 Case Study
An introduction to an individualized physical-training case involving a young competitive swimmer. The article considers how training can be designed around the athlete’s current stage of growth rather than relying primarily on comparisons with more physically mature competitors.
Developing the Swimming Start: An n=1 Case Study
This continuation focuses on the swimming start and the physical qualities involved in producing and transferring force effectively. The observations are presented as one athlete’s case rather than as a general training prescription.
