How to Track Your Skating Progress
Measure improvement and stay motivated on your journey
🎯 Why Track Your Progress
Tracking progress keeps you motivated, helps identify areas for improvement, celebrates achievements, and provides concrete evidence of growth. Skating progress can feel slow day-to-day, but tracking shows how far you've come! This guide provides practical methods to measure and document your skating journey.
Tracking Methods
What it is: A notebook or digital document where you record each skating session.
What to Track:
- Date and duration of session
- Skills practiced
- New skills learned or attempted
- What went well
- What needs work
- Goals for next session
- How you felt (energy, confidence, mood)
Benefits:
- Simple and flexible
- Captures qualitative progress
- Helps identify patterns
- Great for reflection
Date: [Date]
Duration: [Minutes]
Skills Practiced: [List]
Wins: [Achievements]
Challenges: [Struggles]
Next Session Goals: [Goals]
What it is: Filming yourself skating to review technique and track visual progress.
How to Use:
- Record yourself monthly or quarterly
- Film the same skills each time
- Compare videos side-by-side
- Share with coach for feedback
- Save videos in organized folders
Benefits:
- Visual proof of improvement
- Reveals technique issues you can't feel
- Motivating to see progress
- Great for sharing with coach
What it is: A list of skills you're working toward, checked off as you master them.
Sample Checklist Categories:
- Basic Skills (edges, stops, crossovers)
- Spins (two-foot, one-foot, sit, camel)
- Jumps (waltz, toe loop, salchow, loop, etc.)
- Moves in the Field
- Program Elements
Benefits:
- Clear, measurable goals
- Satisfying to check off items
- Shows skill progression
- Easy to maintain
What it is: Taking photos of yourself in skating positions to track flexibility, form, and aesthetics.
What to Photograph:
- Spiral positions
- Spin positions
- Jump positions (takeoff, air, landing)
- Flexibility (splits, backbends)
- Overall skating posture
Benefits:
- Visual progress tracking
- Motivating transformations
- Great for social media
- Documents your journey
Metrics to Track
Skill-Based Metrics:
- Number of skills mastered
- Consistency rate (e.g., land 8/10 waltz jumps)
- Number of rotations in spins
- Edge quality (hold time, depth)
- Program run-through completion rate
Time-Based Metrics:
- Hours skated per week/month
- Time to master new skills
- Program length you can skate
- Endurance improvements
Physical Metrics:
- Flexibility improvements (splits, backbends)
- Strength gains (off-ice exercises)
- Balance improvements (one-foot hold time)
- Jump height
Competitive Metrics (if applicable):
- Competition scores
- Test levels passed
- Placement in competitions
- Judge feedback
Setting Measurable Goals
SMART Goals for Skating:
- Specific: "Land a consistent waltz jump" not "get better at jumps"
- Measurable: "Hold a one-foot spin for 5 rotations"
- Achievable: Challenging but realistic for your level
- Relevant: Aligns with your skating goals
- Time-bound: "Master backward crossovers by March"
Goal Categories:
- Short-term (1-4 weeks): Learn a new skill, improve consistency
- Medium-term (1-3 months): Master a jump, pass a test level
- Long-term (6-12 months): Complete a program, compete
See our SMART goals guide for detailed goal-setting strategies.
Digital Tools & Apps
Recommended Tools:
- Notes apps: Apple Notes, Google Keep, Evernote for journaling
- Spreadsheets: Google Sheets, Excel for detailed tracking
- Video apps: Coach's Eye, Hudl Technique for video analysis
- Fitness trackers: Track skating time and calories
- Goal apps: Habitica, Strides for goal tracking
Simple Spreadsheet Template:
Columns: Date | Duration | Skills Practiced | New Skills | Notes | Next Goals
Celebrating Milestones
Milestones Worth Celebrating:
- First time landing a new jump
- Holding a spin for X rotations
- Completing your first program
- Passing a test level
- Skating for X months/years
- Overcoming a fear
- Competing for the first time
How to Celebrate:
- Share on social media
- Treat yourself to new practice wear
- Take progress photos
- Tell your coach and skating friends
- Write about it in your journal
- Set a new goal to work toward
Tips for Effective Tracking
- Be consistent: Track after every session or weekly
- Be honest: Record struggles and successes
- Keep it simple: Don't overcomplicate your system
- Review regularly: Look back monthly to see progress
- Adjust as needed: Change tracking methods if they're not working
- Focus on trends: Progress isn't linear—look at overall trajectory
- Celebrate small wins: Every improvement counts!
- Don't compare: Track YOUR progress, not others'
Sample Tracking Schedule
After Every Session:
- Quick journal entry (5 minutes)
- Note any breakthroughs or struggles
Weekly:
- Review the week's sessions
- Update skills checklist
- Set goals for next week
Monthly:
- Record progress video
- Take progress photos
- Review monthly goals
- Set new monthly goals
Quarterly:
- Deep review of progress
- Compare videos from 3 months ago
- Celebrate major milestones
- Adjust long-term goals
Track Your Progress in Style
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