Coach Integration into U.S. Figure Skating

By Heidi Thibert, U.S. Figure Skating Director of Coaching Development and Education

Prompted by a survey of athlete members for the development of U.S. Figure Skating’s Strategic Plan 2022-26 where athletes ranked their coaches as the #1 influence in their success, U.S. Figure Skating and PSA took the first steps forward seeking to grow our sport in the U.S. by moving coach education development and certification to U.S. Figure Skating. The United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) encourages and supports the move for the National Governing Bodies (NGBs), such as U.S. Figure Skating, to house their coaching development and education programs and certify their coaches. At the 2023 Governing Council, the vote for a coach-specific membership was 983 in favor to 9 opposed. The message was truly clear— coaches are important!

As coaches are the only constituency that has regular interactions with athletes, parents, officials, clubs and rink management, a critical component to growing our sport is an integrated coaching program included in strategic decision-making to ensure a common strategy for growth and success.

The coach integration plan includes empowering the coaching members by implementing:

1. U.S. Figure Skating Coach Membership: through a club or individual member/Background check/ SafeSport Training/Liability insurance/Core Certification/Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

2. Verification/ Validation (online, searchable directory with a coach digital “business card” verifying aspects of their coaching business)

3. Governance and Voting Rights (Coaches Council with voting privileges at Governing Council)

4. System of Coach Development (Team at headquarters to deliver coach certification, development, and education maximizing USOPC resources for all U.S. Figure Skating coaches)

5. Rules and Athlete Programs more coach-driven (coach influence and connection to athlete development and athlete experiences)

U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Council

The U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Council was approved by the 2023 Governing Council as part of the coach integration project, and the U.S. Figure Skating Board of Directors has appointed the inaugural Coaches Council that will serve as an Interim Council to sunset when an elected Council takes its place in May 2025.

The Council is led by a Chair, Tim Covington, and a leadership team of six vice-chairs. The Council includes at least one-third athletes, which may be 10 year or 10 year+ athletes; however, members are not allowed to serve simultaneously on the Athletes Advisory Committee. An “athlete” is defined as anyone who has represented TEAM USA at an international competition at the senior level, or World junior or junior Grand Prix at any point in their skating career.

The twenty-seven members that make up the Council reflect the broad experiences of the coaching community. Backgrounds that were considered include coaching at various levels from Learn to Skate USA to national and international, as well as all disciplines and programs offered in U.S. Figure Skating.

The Coaches Council reports to the U.S. Figure Skating Board of Directors and communicates regularly with other committees, especially those in the Athlete Services Section.

The Council fulfills the following responsibilities:

• Functions as a space to share ideas and knowledge and input from coach members of U.S. Figure Skating.

• Serves as an advisory group and partners on strategies with appropriate U.S. Figure Skating staff departments delivering coach certification, development, and education.

• Provides input into athlete development strategies and major decisions impacting athletes (i.e., NQS, qualifying pipeline, etc.)

• Serves as delegates to the Governing Council, representing coaches (2025).

• Supports working groups for areas supporting coaches – i.e., mentoring, events, parents’ education, education topics, written materials, professional standards, and awards programs.

• Advises and facilitates coach representation on all U.S. Figure Skating Committees

U.S. Figure Skating Coach Core Certification

For the 2024-25 Season, in lieu of completing CERs as done in the past, all current coaches will complete the Coach Core Certification as a requirement for Coach Compliance. All coaches will take this ONE time in our careers, and when we complete the certification assessment we will be recognized as an official U.S. Figure Skating Certified Coach.

The “U.S. Figure Skating Coach Core Certification” was built using the USOPC Quality Coaching Framework, the USOPC Coaching Principles, and the National Standards for Sport Coaches as a blueprint. These standards describe the core responsibilities coaches should possess along with supporting competencies that provide insight into the knowledge, skills, and behaviors needed to support a quality sport experience.

Key Pillars of Integration

• U.S. Figure Skating required Coach Membership with certification and continuing education (Coach I.C.E)

• An online system within Members Only to verify and validate all coaches' requirements and accomplishments, available to members

• Governance and Voting Rights (approved at GC)

• A team at headquarters that delivers coach certification, development, and education

• Influence and connection to athlete development and athlete experiences

The Coach Core Certification will be an interactive, engaging online course with multiple sections that are aligned to the U.S. Figure Skating values of: Excellence, Integrity, Respect, Resilience, and Community. These are incorporated into the content and included in the five parts: 1) Pathways and Opportunities, 2) Coach and Athlete Well-Being, 3) Coaching Best Practices, 4) Coaching Essentials Fundamentals, and 5) General Technique Concepts.

A Coach Core Certification Guidebook will accompany the course and be available for review before, during or after taking the assessment along with some handouts for deeper reading. The assessment will not be timed, can be taken as many times needed to reach a score of 80% correct, and does not have to be finished in one sitting.

The content is not comprised of how to teach complicated skills such as triple Axels or Group 4 pair lifts, but rather brings together aspects of coaching that all coaches should be knowledgeable about. Things like communication, feedback, athletecentered coaching, and coach self-care. Also, included are the basic axioms of figure skating including body alignment, balance on the blade, body lean, acceleration, flow, and the skills that lead an athlete to quality edges and power. The content is an aggregate of the foundational concepts that underpin technique —no matter the discipline.

The Coach Core Certification ensures to members that U.S. Figure Skating has the highest level of commitment to coaching best practices and serves as an external validation of a quality and systemsapproach to coaching. It will add to the recognition of coaching as a profession in skating and enhance prestige and value. Set to open in February 2024.

PSA Ratings

Recognizing coaches’ past accomplishments earned through PSA is important to the development of this program. After earning the Core certification, coaches will have the opportunity to earn advanced accreditations based on the levels and disciplines currently offered through PSA Ratings. Since we started circulating this concept, we have continually had questions on how the PSA ratings transfer over to USFS. PSA Ratings must be active or “activated,” and the important thing to know is that the PSA ratings transfer level is automatic when the Core Certification is completed.

For those coaches with a Basic Accreditation, the Coach Core Certification replaces the BA on the U.S. Figure Skating system. The BA and the Coach Core Certification are quite different in their goals, composition, and scope and are not interchangeable. All coaches (even those that are rated at higher levels) will take the Core Certification, and U.S. Figure Skating will be able to declare to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) that 5000+ U.S. Figure Skating coaches are certified by their national governing body (NGB). And every coach will be able to say they are officially certified.

Get Ready for Coach I.C.E

Starting February 2024 – members login to Members Only and click U.S. Figure Skating Coach to complete the U.S. Figure Skating Core Coach Certification course. (complete by June 30, 2024)

Starting June 2024 – after you have complete Step 1 and join USFS via a club or individual, purchase U.S. Figure Skating Coach I.C.E.

By July 1, 2024 – complete any remaining coach compliance requirements in your Coach I.C.E. profile

After July 1, 2024 – from within your Coach I.C.E. profile, participate in any learning activites that will count toward your CEUs that keep your certification/ accreditation active

Step onto “Coach I.C.E” (Inspiring Coaching Excellence)

Not only does the Core Certification open a pathway to support all coaches and guide them towards their goals, but for those who have coaching experience, it opens the coaching membership portal, “Coach I.C.E.”. This is the space to find information, content to support coaching, access compliance components, and a space to establish a network all in one place. Coach I.C.E. will, in essence, replace a PSA membership and bring together all compliance requirements, certification/accreditation, continuing education, and professional development opportunities.

Continuing Education Units (CEUs)

To keep an active certification and accreditation, coaches will participate annually in their choice of continuing education units (CEUs) within Coach I.C.E. This will give coaches more control over what they feel the need to learn or review for their coaching journey.

After completing the Core Certification, joining Coach I.C.E., (and potentially transferring a higherlevel accreditation), all coaches must complete Continuing Education Units (CEUs) of their choice annually to maintain their active certification or accreditation. All CEU opportunities will be delivered through Coach I.C.E., as part of the member benefits or added opportunities. There will always be enough CEU options included to maintain activity at no additional cost and with no travel required. (Note: CEUs will replace CERs.)

Generally, in-person workshops/seminars/events will have an additional charge and digital options will be included. Additional requirements including background check, SafeSport, insurance, waivers, etc., will be accessed and managed through the Coach I.C.E. portal on Members Only

Examples of CEU Opportunities and Options

• Attend an in-person U.S. Figure Skating Coach conference, seminar, or workshop

• Attend a “CoachConnect Live!” program at a major event (U.S. Championships, Skate America, U.S. SyS Champs, etc.)

• Complete continuing education online eLearning modules via the U.S. Figure Skating Coach platform

• Attend online webinars or seminars

• Attend an online workshop, such as Coaches College Plus

• Earn a new appointment as a technical specialist or test judge

• Participate in an official mentor program

• Complete a higher-level accreditation

Concept: Coaches must be regularly, and actively engaged in learning and continuing education, but they choose the experience that best supports them in their coaching career and journey. CEUs replace CERs, but as a more flexible option. CEUs will not be restricted to specific online courses, coaches can use any of our education offerings to fulfill the annual CEUs.

Coach Profile and Coach Directory

Coaches will manage their coach profile via Members Only, and input and select items to display on the U.S. Figure Skating Coach Directory. The Coach Directory will be available to U.S. Figure Skating members and will output current, compliant, certified/accredited members of Coach I.C.E. Examples of Items Under Development (Subject to Change)

• Name, email, coaching website, home club, affiliated rink(s)

• Coaching Philosophy and Coaching Background

• Certification/accreditation level(s)

• Competitive Coaching Experience*

• Disciplines/specialties

• Additional relevant degree/certification

• Personal test and qualifying competition history

• Continuing education

* This replaces the content of the PSA Rankings, which recognize the highest levels of competition a coach has coached a skater in. Currently, rankings are obtained by submitting a form and paying a fee and are not recognizable publicly. This will be included for all coaches, along with a standardized sheet of definitions.

The collective coaches’ passion and expertise are vital to the sustainable development of figure skating in the U.S., and athlete success is dependent on the number and quality of coaches within the sport. Coaches provide expertise to improve and maintain the performance of athletes of all levels and all disciplines, and they also motivate, inspire, and develop athletes as healthy individuals with a life-long love for skating.

Coaches are key to the growth, development, and continued success of our sport and need a voice.

After almost 15 years on the staff at PSA, on June 1, 2023, I started as the U.S. Figure Skating Director of Coaching Development and Education. I have cherished being a part of PSA and the work we have all done together. I am proud and honored to have been a part of the broad and deep impact that has occurred since 2009 when I joined the PSA staff. I am extremely grateful to the PSA staff and Board of Governors for all the professional and personal relationships forged throughout that time.

The scope of work is to design, create, deliver, and evaluate a coaching development pathway for long-term coach development and implement a coach certification system for the first time in the history of U.S. Figure Skating. As I begin this journey, I welcome your feedback, ideas, questions, and concerns always.

Contact

My email is: hthibert@usfigureskating.org, and I can be reached at 719-559-5535 ext. 914. I will respond or call you back as soon as I am able.

Additional resources — 719.635.5200 memberservices@usfigureskating.org coaching@usfigureskating.org