The U.S. Figure Skating Athlete Acceleration Summit last year proved to be a significant stepping stone for many to qualify for postseason assignments and competitions.
Of the athletes who took part in the 2019 AAS, 21 percent were named to the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating High Performance National Development Team, assigned to a Team USA competition, qualified for the 2020 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships or the 2020 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships.
The AAS is a camp dedicated to helping athletes improve their performance, personality and poise on ice. All four disciplines (singles, pairs, ice dance and synchronized) are invited to participate in this two-day camp.
“The Athlete Acceleration Summit was a fun experience,” Aubrey Ignacio said. “I learned how to perform to different styles of music, and I got to work with so many amazing coaches which helped improve my overall skating.”
A total of 18 of 168 participants at the 2019 AAS qualified for the 2020 U.S. Figure Skating High Performance National Development Team.
“My experience at the Athlete Acceleration Summit was filled with fun memories and new experiences,” Ellen Slavicek said. “It was nice to interact with new people and make new friends, and the camp also provided me with the skills to build on my component side of my skating.”
A total of 14 participants competed at the U.S. Championships.
Coach Christi Wenger and her daughter, Athena, enjoyed the opportunity to explore skating skills and storytelling.
“The emphasis on component marks gave us many more tools in our toolbox, especially for performance and interpretation,” Christi said. “There were so many out-of-the-box skills session like the crazy Russian jumps! It was a fun experience and it was great to skate with skaters from every discipline.”
Christi was one of many coaches who took part in the coaching track of the AAS. Erin Donovan, coach of the Hockettes synchronized skating team and the gold-medal winning University of Michigan collegiate team, said the summit helped her think outside the “synchro box” in terms of techniques for her athletes.
“Incorporating new drills and skills during spring and summer training helped the skaters gain speed/power and improve balance on the blade,” Donovan said. “Working with coaches from all disciplines gave me insight into training the overall athlete both mentally and physically.”
Registration for the 2020 Athlete Acceleration Summit and 2020 Athlete Acceleration Summit Coaches Track, slated for April 16-18 in Irvine, California, at the Great Park and FivePoint Ice Arena, closes Friday, March 13. Spots are filling up fast.
To register, go to www.usfigureskating.org and click on “Skate” and “Prepare and Train” and “Training Camps.”
