CanSkate
This program is the learn-to-skate program for beginners of all afes and is tailored to each user-group (e.g. pre-school, youth, adult). Participants earn badges while they learn fundamental skating skills. CanSkate is the feeder program to all other Skate Canada Skating Programs. Participants are generally taught in a group lesson format by a 3M NCCP certified professional coach. Carefully trained Program Assistants or Competitive Program skaters also work with CanSkate members. One of the key delivery standards of the CanSkate program is to ensure that participants are moving 90% of their time on the ice.
CanSkate is Canada’s only national learn-to-skate program. It was developed by experts to teach the fundamentals of skating in a progressive and sequential manner. The coach is student ratio is a maximum of 1:10. Skaters progress at their own rate, and coaches make sessions active using tools that create a fun environment and promote learning.
Pre-Junior
The pre-Junior program is designed to make the transition from Canskate to independent training easier on young skaters. The pre-Junior program provides group coaching by a certified coach for a full 45-minute lesson (including the combined stroking session with the Junior skaters). There is also an additional 15 minutes of lesson time for independent skating or private lessons if arranged. At this stage of skating, kids are improving their skating skills, finishing their Canskate stages and those who are interested can arrange private lessons to begin competition solos or begin Skate Canada test work.
Junior
Once a child is ready for the Junior session, it is expected that they will have their own coach(es) for private or group lessons. This is arranged by the parents with the freelance or club coach of their choice. Coaches will bill you for their lesson time based on their own individual rates. The club provides a weekly stroking session during Junior ice. The club also provides PA’s to assist the coaches on Junior ice. Skaters will begin work in the Skate Canada test stream: skating skills, free-skating, dance and interpretative. Many of these skaters will also choose to begin competing at the various levels available. Junior skaters must be able to work on their own between lessons.
Senior
Each skater will move on to the senior program when the coach, skater and parents feel they are ready based on skill, age, maturity and logistics. ESC recommends that senior skaters have passed all their Jr. Bronze Dances and Preliminary Free Skate. Senior ice is simply a continuation of the work skaters have begun on junior ice – they will continue with Skate Canada test work and/or competition training. The club also provides a weekly senior stroking session.