From Edge Changes to Line Changes —

Considering Hockey Coaching Opportunities

By Jordan Mann, PSA Hockey Skating Committee Chair

In early 2020, I had some pretty good luck. I was the head coach for a 10U AA hockey team based outside of Chicago in the Central States Developmental Hockey League, and we were on a late-season roll. We had won eleven of our last twelve games, squeaked out a couple of overtime victories against higher-seeded opponents, and somehow made it to the state finals. Then for about an hour and a half, the luck ran dry. But hey, second place in state is decent. A few hours later our 16U AA team stepped into the same arena, flipped the script, and were crowned state champions for the second time in three years. I had been an assistant and/or skating skills coach for that team for seven seasons at that point. Two state finals games! Another trip to nationals on the horizon! Life was good!

Donna Helgenberg and Tara Lane

PSA

Behind the bench in the finals was an odd place to find a figure skater. I had grown up on 6am patch sessions, triple jumps, and pretending that I was running my long program way more than I actually was (shhhh…). For me, hockey was reserved for pickup games when the ice was open at midnight on a Friday. Or on the blacktop of a friend’s cul-de-sac on a Sunday. I had good friends that played on elite teams, but I did not grow up immersed in the game.

My professional life began as a figure skating coach, and for a while I did primarily that. So how did my coaching career veer off in such an unexpected direction? How did I end up coaching against former NHLers instead of former Grand Prix skaters? Well, at one point I was asked, as most of you certainly have been, the six words that changed everything: “Can you make my kid skate faster?”

Well, yes, I guess.

I started working with some local players on their skating mechanics, and it snowballed from there. I immediately found a passion for the game, immersed myself in the sport, and found every opportunity to learn. I was beyond fortunate to have some phenomenal mentors and some people who took chances on me. But the bottom line was simple: I knew skating in an environment where too many did not. That gave me a niche, which opened up doors to do more. Skating is skating. It is the different application of the same principles that separate Connor McDavid from Nathan Chen.

As a PSA member I had attended Hockey sessions at conferences, and I had my Hockey 1, 2, and 3 certifications. So, when I was asked to join the Hockey Skating Committee I jumped at the chance.

Our committee is made up of some top-notch hockey skating coaches, all with a background in figure skating and decades of hockey experience:

• Paul Paprocki (Rochester, Minnesota)

• Tara Lane (Vail, Colorado)

• Donna Helgenberg (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)

For a few years we were quite busy. We revised the Hockey 3 Manual. We developed the Hockey Skating 4 curriculum, presented at conferences, and really started to spread the gospel about how the Hockey Skating program can help PSA coaches expand their business and serve a different demographic of skaters. We held an in-person hockey-only seminar in Chicago that was a huge success, with close to twenty PSA coaches earning educational credits for spending the day with us talking about hockey skating.

Then came COVID.

Just four days after those state finals games, the pandemic hit Illinois. Our rink closed early on a Thursday evening and would not reopen in any capacity for two and a half months. USA Hockey made the tough call to cancel nationals. Life was altered in a way that had no reference point, no way to predict what the next day would bring. Hockey is about pattern recognition and anticipation. Anticipate and win, react and lose. But there was no way to anticipate COVID. All we could do was react — and quickly.

PSA did an unbelievable job of pulling together so much in so little time. Summit 2020 was an incredible achievement, and it seems like our leadership hasn’t taken a day off since. It is time for our committee to adapt and react so we can continue to provide opportunities for PSA coaches who work with (or want to work with) hockey players. In light of the current educational trends, the PSA Hockey Skating Committee currently has three major initiatives in the works:

Hockey Skating 3 Certification Online

This certification, traditionally offered in-person at conferences, will now be joining Hockey Skating 1 and Hockey Skating 2 as a course that can be done any time, from anywhere. With the new Summit format staying virtual, this provides a great opportunity to further your education and dive a little deeper into the sport. The Hockey Skating 3 course sheds light on more details of the game and more advanced skating concepts than Hockey 1 and 2.

Paul Paprocki

PSA

Mini-Modules

The Hockey Skating Committee will roll out a series of “minimodules” devoted to specific skills and situations. These short video presentations will each have a narrow focus. Examples include “Skating for Defensemen” and “Quick Start Mechanics”. These will be quick, inexpensive, and exceptionally useful for coaches who want to get more information about certain topics.

Virtual Hockey Skating 4

We are looking to offer virtual Hockey Skating 4 courses by early 2022. This program will consist of both webinars and an exam for certification. For coaches interested in the content but not the certification, you will be able to purchase the webinars only at a discounted rate. Hockey Skating 4 addresses the elite level player, long-term coaching, as well as the business side of building a brand.

I could not be more excited for the future of PSA Hockey. Every day more PSA coaches are teaching hockey players, and as we pull ourselves out of the COVID quagmire, it is in everyone’s best interest to stay open minded about expanding professional opportunities. My story is not unique, and I am simply one example of hundreds of skating-centric coaches who have had positive experiences in the hockey community. We would love to hear from all of you and begin a dialogue about how the PSA Hockey Skating program can best serve our membership, and the sports community as a whole. Please feel free to reach out to myself or any of the committee members if you’d like to discuss the power skating business. If you have not started working with players in your area, consider the PSA Hockey Skating program as a great starting point to build your brand and attract new clientele.

Stay safe, stay healthy, and keep your head up through the neutral zone!