One of my students, 14-year-old Jayne Kim, whom I have coached for over seven years, says: “The zoom video lessons have helped me see the small details and see myself objectively. more important.” Her mother Mia adds, “This gave her a different perspective on her skating. Plus, we like that there’s flexibility in scheduling. ” It is true: We are not limited by the tight session schedule and bound by Zamboni holidays.
I’ve been using video analytics with my phone inside the field for years, along with my fellow coaches. (In fact, my own coaches incorporated video analysis long ago when I was training, by having a video camera operator stand next to the rink. Back then, we would carry VHS tapes. go home and watch them on our TV.) But look at the footage together from home, undistracted by the music of other skaters, the voices of other coaches, and the pressure having to iterate more times, we can focus on editing more centrally.
This is not only possible in the world of figure skating. Former triathlete Mackenzie Madison is also leveraging video to help her athletes from afar. She lives in Oregon but coaches triathletes around the world. She does much of her work through social media and messaging, and enhances her video analytics for running and swimming with apps like Dartfish. A self-described data expert, she also uses Garmin, GPS, and Training Peaks to track the progress of her athletes remotely.
What she feels is the biggest and most surprising benefit of distance coaching is something I’ve also experienced: strengthening people-to-people connections. She says she’s more open to contact with her distance athletes than ever before.
“You can’t be too formal with this, otherwise there’s no connection at all,” she said. “To fill the gap, I am making this a more collaborative relationship. I want people to feel heard.”
While she of course still values face-to-face coaching, she finds that she can provide more personal attention to her athletes in this format and she notes the details. about each athlete. “It’s all about being creative, changing things up as a coach and encouraging your athletes to make the change.”
With my skater, I’m still combining off-ice exercises with video analytics. Daniela Senitta, mother of 12-year-old Charlotte, is delighted to see how her daughter is getting stronger after our sessions. Senitta, also a former figure skater, said, “I can see that this is translating into the way she performs on the ice.”
Lauren Cozza’s 9-year-old son, Joey aka “Kid Boogie,” started his breakout competition during the pandemic. Kids Breaking League, located in the Bronx, in New York City. Breakdancing aka “break” (yes, the same dance has been popular since the 1970s), is now a rapidly growing sport that will make its debut at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Joey still trains via zoom on Thursday night, even though his mom also drives him 30 miles from upstate NY for practice and live competitions, known as Battles, on the weekends. Due to her work schedule, Cozza cannot go to work more than once per week. Plus, she loves that, on Zoom, her son isn’t distracted by other kids. “It’s just him and his own space.”
