World and Olympic coach Doug Leigh offers insights into his philosophy of coaching. He discusses quite a few things in this video, but it all boils down to starting with solid fundamentals and being a good person and mentor.
To start the video, Doug notes that he does not like the idea of “errors” or focusing on the negative. Instead, he solves problems for his skaters with “adjustments” in a way that the coach and skater are “on the same page” and the skater understands the purpose for the “adjustment.” Doug wants to “nurture” his skaters, and he thinks it’s helpful if skaters like their coach, as well as the coach’s values and vision. He believes both coaches and skaters need to make their own decisions, and take responsibility for those decisions.
Next he talks about a simple crosscut (crossover) and discusses the fundamentals. Here he explains how the “bubbles” (swizzles) we learn when we first start to skate are the foundation for a good crosscut. Later in the video he again notes that the bubble edge is the sames as the edge for a toe loop. He explains, “Basic edges at the highest level possible … are the foundation for being able to build the rest.” He talks about the upper body “breathing” which allows the shoulders to relax and this helps the mind relax and be calm as well. He finishes with, “Are you building the foundation, yes or no?”
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