One of our coaches has asked that the club purchase video equipment to be used during practice time. This would mean a TV, VCR and video camera, and it would have to be wheeled out to the ice during our club ice times. It's not something we could really afford to buy, we would take the process of looking for sponsors, and begging, the usual sort of thing. We value this coach highly so are looking seriously at this.

Do you skate in a club that has video equipment? Is it used? By whom?

Do you think it improves your skating - choreography, stroking, jumping etc?

Do you keep a videotape of your own with your skating on it, or do you just use the video equipment for instant replays?

I am also curious if there are courses that could be taken in the art of using video for coaching - I know there are for hockey - but for skating?

Sometimes my coach just brings his little camcorder with the side screen to videotape my jumps and spins for critique.

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This space has been put on hiatus for retuning....

A lot of our coaches have camcorders and use them on occasion (like Black Sheep's coach). But they do not belong to the rink or the club.

arena gal- our community centre in the rink has a TV/VCR combo...

but we are considering the same thing re video equipment-camcorder, for both on ice work and off ice viewing for instruction purposes, so...let me know what you guys decide...

We are just starting to incorporate an off ice program into our home club, -after a couple years of pushing---Yay!!!!

so a camcorder is definately needed.

And, although we personally don't have one, we are seriously considering also buying one for our daughter's use, so she can see what is going on. I know one of our [many] coaches uses one too.

Our club uses the video camera and television setup. It works quite well and is not as expensive as you might think (less than $1,000 easily). The camera hooks up directly to the television and playback is very easy.

I can't tell you how much this has helped our skates. Not only with jump technique, but with spinning, ice dancing and even skills. A coach can tell a skater what they are doing wrong or where they legs/arms are positioned, but sometimes the skater needs to see it themselves to realize. Videotaping has also helped my skater's spins. She can see what positions she is hitting and what she needs to do to improve them (not bending leg on camel, more sit on the sit, arm positions in the layback).

My daughters' coach also uses her own camera from time to time when the club's equipment has not been put out.

Our rink had one at one time that was available for coaches to check out and use, but I think it ended up getting broken. Some of the coaches have their own personal video cameras or digital cameras that they bring in to use in lessons. My daughter's coach does not have one, but if she lets me know ahead of time, I can send ours in.

I find video extremely helpful - and HUMBLING. Just when I think my spiral is looking nicer, or my sitspin is lower, or my presentation is improving, then I see the video. UGH. My camera has the flip-out LCD panel so the tape can be rewound for immediate feedback. My daughter finds this really helpful for jump technique. She knows exactly what it "felt" like when she landed that jump, and she can actually "see" what she just did.

One of the rinks I skate at has a video set up which is available during every freestyle session. I can't describe how helpful this is. Most people (myself included ) have no idea how they really look Normally a parent will work the camera on each session. I'm sure they must take turns or something.

Nothing like seeing yourself doing what you THOUGHT was a really low sit spin only to find out it was not so low!

It's definitely worth it. I used to skate at a rink that had a camera/tv set-up. It's a great help. Just make sure you lock it up and hide the key. We had it stolen twice before giving up. Where I skate now, we just have a camera. That works find too. My coach also has his own. Very helpful..............and very scary to look at sometimes.

My rink doesn’t have such a set-up, but I also see individual coaches using their own handhelds from time to time. I’m just learning the basics, but hubby has recorded portions of a couple of my practice sessions as well as one of my lessons (my coach had no problem being included in the recording), and I found watching the replays very enlightening. I too had an inaccurate idea of what I looked like (e.g., depth of knee bend), and replaying the lesson with the zoom and slow-mo features let me see what my coach was showing me in a different light – as many times in a row as needed.

-- wannask8

My rink had that ages ago- doj't know what happened to it. I have a camcorder at home, and often before a test my coach will ask me to have my mom come sit in on a lesson and tape us so he can make sure there's no major errors in the partnering. Mainly he's looking to make sure our extension matches, since he really can't see that at all when we skate together. Before a competition, he might have me bring the camera in one night and he'll tape my solo just so I can see where I'm making mistakes.