SCSC Skating Programs

Canskate

CANSKATE IS THE LEARN TO SKATE PROGRAM WHICH ALL OTHERS ARE MEASURED AGAINST.

CanSkate offers the best curriculum in Canada. Our flagship learn-to-skate program has taught millions of Canadians to reach their recreational and competitive goals on the ice.

The CanSkate program is geared to beginners of all ages…children, adults, newcomers to Canada and athletes with a disability (AWAD). Whether you are looking to improve basic skating skills for figure skating,  hockey, ringette or speed skating, or  wish to skate for recreation, fitness or fun, CanSkate will get you there.

Conducted in a fun, friendly environment, the CanSkate program showcases a comprehensive series of balance, control and agility skills, using a nationally-tested and proven curriculum that supports skater success in developing stronger basic skills on the ice.

Millions of Canadians, including World and Olympic figure skating champions and National Hockey League stars, have taken their first steps on the ice with the CanSkate program. Offered at clubs and skating schools across Canada and delivered by NCCP coaches, CanSkate will help you realize your skating goals.

Why Sign Up For CanSkate?

What is CanSkate?

CanSkate is a dynamic learn-to-skate program that focuses on fun, participation and basic skill development. Based on Sports Canada’s long term athlete development (LTAD) principles, CanSkate centers on physical literacy and the fundamental skills needed to take part in any ice sport or to skate as a recreational activity.

Who’s it for?

For beginners of all ages, children or adults, as well as for those wishing to improve their basic skills whether their focus is for figure skating, hockey, speed skating or just skating for fun.

Who teaches it?

NCCP-trained professional coaches, assisted by trained program assistants.

What will you learn?

A complete series of balance, control, and agility skills taught in six stages of learning that pertain to hockey, ringette, speed skating and figure skating as well as general recreational skating. CanSkate uses nationally-tested and proven curriculum and delivery methods that guarantee skater success in developing stronger basic skills and developing them faster.

What can you expect?

Action, movement, and fun! Lessons are given in a group format with a coach-to-student ratio of a maximum 1:10. Skaters progress at their own rate and coaches make sessions active using teaching aids, upbeat music and a wide variety of activities that create a motivational environment and promote learning. Badges, ribbons and other incentives are used to benchmark skaters’ progress and reward effort and participation.

NOTE: All CanSkate Participants Must Wear a CSA Approved Hockey Helmet (Skate Canada Helmet Use Policy)

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CanPowerSkate

CanPower Skate is an action-packed, high-energy instructional power skating program geared to hockey and ringette skaters that focus on balance, power, agility, speed, and endurance. Skills, techniques and conditioning drills are taught in a progressive format that emphasizes how the skills apply to game situations.CanPower provides an alternative to figure skating and is an excellent complement for those athletes playing on hockey or ringette teams. Its unique skill award program provides incentives and motivation for skaters to continue to achieve.

CanPower Skate is geared to skaters aged approximately six or older who already have basic forward and backward skating skills (they must be able to skate the length of the rink using alternate strides) and are able to stop on command without the use of the boards. For safety reasons, participants should wear full hockey/ringette equipment that is CSA approved. The coach to skater ratio is 1:10.

CanPower Junior is designed for young hockey players who can skate forward and some backward, want to improve their fundamental, basic skating skills and whom may not be ready for CanPower Intermediate. CanPower Junior helps develop basic skating abilities in a power skating-specific environment, including balance skills, forward and backward skating, stopping, turning and agility skills. (For skaters that have little to no skating abilities please see CanSkate instead)

CanPower Intermediate is designed for more advanced skaters than the Junior program. These skaters will have some good basic skills and are ready to work on some fun and challenging end-to-end drills and stick handling. CanPower Intermediate will also contain many balance skills, more forward & backward skating, quick stops, turns, and agility skills in a format that applies to the game situations.

NOTE: All CanPowerSkate Participants Must Wear Full Gear including a CSA Approved Hockey Helmet

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STAR: Jr Academy

The Sunshine Coast Skating Club is excited to include the Junior Academy program. It is a bridging program to ease the transition between CanSkate and Skate Canada's STAR (formerly known as STARSkate) program.

Junior Academy is for skaters who have completed CanSkate Stage 5 and/or 6. While taught in the group format for the majority of the time skaters are now given the opportunity to book onto a STAR session to work on skills independently and are encouraged to obtain private or semi-private lessons from one of our available coaches. Special ice times are available for skaters to take private lessons, ‘open’ sessions (in the mornings) and Jr. Academy/STAR combined sessions. Skaters should be skating two sessions per week along with a third session for optimal skill progression.

Parents need to become aware of budgeting and other related costs involved beyond the CanSkate level. Costs can include Club ice fees, coaching fees, test fees, competition entry fees and expenses, choreography, skates and off-ice fees.

Moving from Junior Academy to the STAR program, skaters must be able to do a waltz jump, salchow, toe loop jump, loop jump, forward 1-foot spin, backward 1-foot spin and a spiral.

This prepares them for half of the elements for the Preliminary Freeskate test.

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STAR (STARSkate)

STAR - Skills, Tests, Achievement, Recognition – this is what STAR is all about!

STAR offers opportunities for skaters of all ages to develop fundamental figure skating skills in the areas of ice dance, skating skills, free skate and interpretive skating. Unique in Canada, this program teaches figure skating skills in a group and/or private lesson format in a progressive and sequential manner and includes specifically designed awards and incentives. Skaters have the opportunity to take Skate Canada Tests through a nationally standardized testing system. Skaters who have mastered figure skating skills in STAR may also choose to pursue synchronized skating or pairs skating.

The STAR Legacy

STAR has been the mainstay of figure skating in Canada for more than four decades.

When you/your child registers for a STAR program at your local Skate Canada club, you also become a member of Skate Canada and will have access to:

• opportunities to be recognized through a nationally standardized testing system for achieving specific figure skating skills
• complimentary Gold Test pins
• invitational and interclub competitions, including the STAR championship stream
• specifically designed awards and incentives such as badges, tattoos, and stickers
• STAR Skater of the Year awards program
• Progress updates and report cards
• Special STAR events and club functions
• Opportunity to be talent-scouted
• Opportunity for personal growth and the development of important life skills such as goal-setting, self-discipline, confidence, time management, healthy lifestyle and coping strategies to deal with success and failure.

These are some of the awards and incentives that have been developed to encourage athletes in the STAR Program.

How STAR Works

The STAR program consists of figure skating skills in four areas – Skating Skills, Ice Dance, Free Skate and Interpretive. Each area is divided into the following levels:

Primary Level Tests

• • Skating Skills: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
  • Free Skating: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
  • Dance: Preliminary, Junior Bronze
  • Interpretive: Introductory

Intermediate Level Tests

• • Skating Skills: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
  • Free Skating: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
  • Dance: Senior Bronze, Junior Silver
  • Interpretive: Bronze

Senior Level Tests

• • Skating Skills: Senior Silver, Gold
  • Free Skating: Senior Silver, Gold
  • Dance: Senior Silver, Gold, Diamond
  • Interpretive: Silver, Gold

What Options do I have as a STAR Athlete?

Once a skater is in the Skate Canada STAR Program, there are several of options. Skaters may choose to remain in the STAR Program, taking tests (although not mandatory) at organized test sessions and honing learned skills. Skaters may also choose to enter competitions, while still trying Skate Canada tests. Other skaters may feel that they have progressed to a point where they may wish to enter the Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program or become involved in synchronized skating, evaluating or judging, or participate as an adult or varsity member.

Skating Skills

Skating Skills are a combination of fundamental skating movements, executed on a pattern and skated solo. The basic components of all disciplines of figure skating are incorporated into the program. The movements are derived from former compulsory figures, free skating and ice dancing. The objective of the Skating Skills program is mastery of the basic fundamentals of skating – edge quality, control, power and speed.

There are 6 Skating Skills tests in the STAR program:

• • Preliminary
  • Junior Bronze
  • Senior Bronze
  • Junior Silver
  • Senior Silver
  • Gold

Ice Dance

Consisting of seven levels of tests, the Dance Test program teaches timing, musicality, rhythm interpretation, structure as well as basic skating skills such as edges, flow, control and unison.

The dances in the STAR Program can be tried in any order but a candidate must pass the required number of dances in a dance test before proceeding to the next level. In addition to the traditional compulsory dances, there are also Creative Dances to challenge skaters’ creativity, artistry and originality.

The Dance Tests are as follows:

• • Preliminary
  • Junior Bronze
  • Senior Bronze
  • Junior Silver
  • Senior Silver
  • Gold
  • Diamond

Free Skate

Free skating consists of the execution of jumps, spins, footwork, field movements and stroking, either in isolation or performed in sequence to music.

There are six Free Skating tests in the STAR Program:

• • Preliminary
  • Junior Bronze
  • Senior Bronze
  • Junior Silver
  • Senior Silver
  • Gold

Each test consists of 2 parts – Elements in Isolation and a Free Program.

Interpretive

The objective of the Interpretive program is to encourage and develop skaters’ creativity, expression, musicality, movement, interpretation of music, as well as the use of space, rhythm, line and style. The program provides skaters with the opportunity to explore the performance aspect of skating without focusing on technical elements.

The Interpretive tests consist of skating to and interpreting a piece of music 2.0 to 3.0 minutes (+/- 10 seconds) in length. Skaters can take Interpretive tests as individuals and/or as a couple (male/female, female/female or male/male) at four levels:

• • Introductory
  • Bronze
  • Silver
  • Gold

Competitions for STAR Athletes

STAR participants love to compete! Our feedback indicates that even though a skater may choose not to participate in the Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program, they still want the opportunity to test their skill in a competition situation. Skate Canada offers several opportunities to do this.

CompetitiveSkate

Skaters who wish to challenge their figure skating skills and who show potential as competitive skaters can participate in the CompetitiveSkate program.

What is CompetitiveSkate?

CompetitiveSkate is a program for skaters in singles, pair and ice dance wishing to compete in qualifying events within Skate Canada.

It’s more than just skating!

Skaters enrolled in CompetitiveSkate learn a variety of life skills as they progress up the competitive ladder. These include goal setting, focus, ability to deal with success/failure, time management and principles of fair play and sportsmanship. In addition to the life skill benefits, skaters in this program receive:

• access to provincial and national funding programs (as applicable)
• the opportunity to be selected to Skate Canada’s National Team
• the opportunity to compete at Skate Canada Sectionals, Skate Canada Challenge, and/or the Canadian Figure Skating Championships
• opportunity and potential to be selected to represent Canada internationally
• access to sport science services

If I Participate in the Competitive Program, is that All I Can Do?

No! Many skaters who compete in the qualifying event structure also take tests in Skate Canada’s STAR Program or participate on synchronized skating teams. The only events that you may not be able to compete in are club, and STAR events, some which restrict entry of skaters who have competed in the qualifying event system.

The Qualifying Event structure

There are several opportunities throughout the season for skaters to participate in competitive events.

The Skate Canada CompetitiveSkate Program offers nationally standardized competitions to competitive skaters. These events are the stepping stones to things such as the National Team and the World and Olympic teams. Skaters competing in the qualifying event structure can do so at the Juvenile (optional category), Pre-Novice, Novice, Junior and Senior levels in singles, pair and ice dance.

Skate Canada Sectionals

The Skate Canada Sectionals are the first of the Skate Canada qualifying competitions. Skaters can compete in events from Pre-Novice to Senior (Juvenile is optional). Those who finish in the top four places (8 places in Quebec) in the Pre-Novice, Novice, Junior and Senior events are eligible to compete at the Canadian Qualifying Event (Challenge). Each of the 13 Sectional events takes place in November.

Skate Canada Challenge

The Skate Canada Challenge is an elimination event for the Canadian Figure Skating Championships (Novice, Junior and Senior skaters). Pre-Novice National Champions will be declared at a combined Challenge event in each discipline. These events are held in December.

Senior skaters qualify through these events for the Canadian Figure Skating Championships.

Canadian Figure Skating Championships

The Canadian Figure Skating Championships are held every January in a different city. Competition is offered in singles, pair and ice dancing at the Novice, Junior and Senior level.

The top four Senior entries from the Qualifying Events (Challenge) are eligible to compete. Skaters will compete at Challenge other than those receiving a bye.

After completion of the Championships, the Skate Canada Board of Directors selects the teams that will represent Canada at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships, ISU Junior World Championships as well as the ISU Four Continents team. Results from this event are also used to help determine what skaters will be on the National teams.

Where Do I Go From Here?

There are a number of options once a skater decides that the Competitive Program may not be the Program for them. Skaters may choose to enter Skate Canada’s STAR Program or participate on a Synchronized Skating team. Others who are leaving the Competitive Program to pursue other interests may be interested in becoming coaches, evaluators, judges, technical specialist, technical controller or data specialists. Others may choose to participate on a varsity skating team (if offered), or continue to skate and compete as an adult member of the Association.