Sheila Thelen has been a coach at the Figure Skating Club of Bloomington in Minnesota for the past 32 years. However, teaching skating is just part of her busy life dedicated to improving skaters’ training.
Thelen created several products skaters use on and off ice to help their skating techniques. She also hosts numerous seminars and is part of an online coaching staff.
“I’m thrilled to have met Trevor Laak, the founder of iCoachSkating.com, before he founded it,” Thelen said.
After meeting at Grassroots to Champions seminars, Thelen joined his company as a consultant and helps with their online marketing.
“iCoachSkating is truly a revolution in how coaches all over can improve their knowledge and improve their skaters,” Thelen said. “Every problem a coach has ever had, Trevor has a video to fix that problem. It’s fun to see skaters and coaches learning new techniques and skills on iCoachSkating, and it’s fantastic that skaters and coaches can join the website.”
iCoach, however, is just the beginning. She’s also a very successful entrepreneur, creating several products skaters use to improve various elements.
“My first big product I created was the ‘Jump Ease Skating Harness,’” Thelen said. “I learned a lot about business and how to make a company fun.”
Her second product, Champion Cords, taught her to embrace something new at the time: a business website.
“I really learned how to create a website, and to work with patrents, skate shops, seminars, packaging, staff and manufacturing,” Thelen said. “Champion Cords are fantastic for teaching a skater to feel alignment position, muscle memory awareness and technique.”
Thelen since added the Champion Skating Harness and Champion Electric Spinner.
“Both of these products help the skater learn vestibular balance and air position,” Thelen said. “Truly how you train modern day rotation. It’s actually fun to see people installing this gear in their homes. They are also great for seminars. We haul in a harness, install it and train coaches how to use it.”
Her Champion Developmental Seminars keep this busy coach traveling to clubs with many top coaches.
“Each seminar can be custom designed to feature a guest coach,” Thelen said. “We bring in tons of gear and help the coaches develop skaters at all levels. We are absolutely honored to have an amazing staff of coaches to help.”
Thelen even created a fun jewelry piece with her Champion Achievement Charm bracelet. The charms include all the jumps and spins, a perfect and fun way for skaters to keep track of their progression.
“As your skater progresses through the sport, add a charm to the bracelet,” Thelen said.
Thelen will host a booth featuring all her products at the upcoming May PSA and CFSA conferences in Chicago and Moncton NB, Canada. A two day seminar with World Coach Ravi Walia is scheduled for June at the Bloomington FSC.
Her skating harness and electric spinner also recently became part of physical therapy research and development work with autistic children, something Thelen is extremely proud of.
“This work is so important to me,” Thelen said. “Improving children’s, skaters and families’ lives.”
