A concept from Canada is renewing skating instruction
ICE SKATING SCHOOL IN LAPPEENRANTA GAINED MOMENTUM FROM THE CANSKATE MODEL
In the future, competition between activities will intensify, and it’s important to ensure that the first contact with ice skating is as positive as possible. Ice skating schools are our sport’s calling card, and through them we reach thousands of new families every season. But what quality factors does a good ice skating school actually have? And what could a future ice skating school look like?
Two years ago, trainers from the Finnish Figure Skating Association visited regular ice skating school sessions in over 60 clubs. Club resources vary, but according to a report by Sanna Vuorinen from the Finnish Figure Skating Association, this had no bearing on how much child-centered activity was observed in the sessions. In many clubs, instructors succeeded in engaging children wonderfully, and almost all ice skating schools played inspiring, movement-enhancing games. A warm and safe atmosphere often reached all the way to the stands.
However, not all children were rosy-cheeked, smiling, and thrilled about movement after an ice skating school session, as they could be in an ideal situation. The most important development areas for ice skating schools, recurring in many clubs, were identified as:
- the amount of time children spent moving, which sometimes fell below even 50 percent of the ice skating school session duration
- the proportion of fast-paced movement during the session
- the quantity of different teaching aids and their versatile use
- utilizing the area available to the entire group and practicing all directions
- the speed at which guided activity started at the beginning of the ice skating school session
Canadian lessons on ice in Lappeenranta
In Lappeenranta, a new kind of ice skating school was launched last fall under the leadership of figure skating coach Sara Aalto. The idea behind the project has been to increase movement on the ice.
Sara, 23, who graduated as a sports instructor from Haaga-Helia, has been coaching for eight years after her own competitive career. Her coaching career got off to a good start at her home club Tappara Tampere and continued in Canada when she moved to Winnipeg with her partner. Sara completed the mandatory training required by the Canadian coaching system and obtained a work permit in her new home.
In Canada, Sara immediately fell in love with the shared CanSkate program for ice sports, which is based on learning basic skating with the help of pre-designed circuits. The model has many advantages that Finnish clubs could benefit from. Sara was inspired to write her Haaga-Helia thesis for Tappara Figure Skaters on the topic “A Guide to Developing Ice Skating School Using the CanSkate Program“.
Now Sara is back in Finland, coaching at Lappeenranta Skaters and responsible for the club’s ice skating school. The idea of adapting the Canadian CanSkate model in Lappeenranta was born during Sara’s job interview when her future supervisor became enthusiastic about the topic. At the beginning of 2025, Sara organized a joint event for clubs in the area, which led to collaboration with SaiPa ice hockey juniors and Lappeenranta Figure Skaters. The goal was to strengthen club cooperation, increase the number of ice skating school participants, and above all, ensure that as many children as possible learned to skate.
Circuits and movement
– The new, energetic ice skating school has received an extremely positive response. Starting the collaboration required a lot of groundwork, but the clubs have been really eager to try something new and the cooperation has gone really well, Sara says.
Adapting the CanSkate model to the Finnish operating environment has attracted families, and the ice skating school now has significantly more children than before.
At the heart of the model is a goal: every child is in motion 90 percent of the session duration. The amount of movement is monitored by timing. The activity is designed so there’s no room for standing around. Children learn by doing, trying, and having fun.
“You can see and hear from the children after a successful skating session that they are happy.”
The ice is divided into three sections, and each area has its own circuit designed with safety and continuous movement in mind. The session starts and ends with a shared game on the entire ice area. After the opening games, they move to the circuits. Music sets the rhythm for the exercises, and the movements are carefully designed so that different aspects of skating develop during the season. Abundant equipment brings variety and motivation, and activity starts quickly after concise instructions. Each child can progress at their own pace, and instructors can focus on personal guidance and encouragement. At the end of the season, everyone receives a certificate for their skills.
– You can see and hear from the children after a successful skating session that they are happy. The coach is sweating and has usually given so many instructions that they don’t feel like talking for a while. CanSkate has brought me insight and enthusiasm for teaching ice skating school. With this model, I can bring even more joy to learning basic skating skills and motivate children to engage in sports and skating, Sara says happily.
Alexi and Miia refine basic skills
4-year-old Miia and 7-year-old Alexi have been doing ice sports in Lappeenranta for almost a year. When the family moved to the area, new friends tipped Alexi off about ice hockey, and little sister followed to the rink. Now Alexi does ice hockey and Miia trains in the figure skating development group, but both still attend the shared ice skating school where they refine basic skating skills.
Last fall, the ice skating school practiced more circuits than the previous spring.
– When the song plays, you switch circuits, the children know.
“It’s easy when the patterns on the ice are already familiar and the coaches show what to do.”
Last time they practiced backward skating, gliding on two and one leg, and scraped away a star drawn on the ice, which means they trained braking.
– It’s easy when the patterns on the ice are already familiar and the coaches show what to do, Alexi and Miia say.
Their favorite is backward skating, and Alexi mentions jumping as especially fun.
– It would be nice if our best friends came skating too, the siblings hope.
The enthusiasm is so strong that Alexi and Miia would like to teach the skills to their friends themselves.
The Finnish Figure Skating Association is moving forward with a project where a concept based on the CanSkate model will be made available to all clubs.
– Clubs should of course continuously work on developing and refining their own ice skating school activities and try out special sessions based on circuits, for example, says Sanna Vuorinen from the Finnish Figure Skating Association.
The article photo shows the Lappeenranta ice skating school team.