FOR SKATING PARENTS WHO WANT TO HELP WITH OUT ADDING MORE TO AN ALREADY FULL PLATE

She skates four days a week. She still doesn't have the strength to land that jump.

More ice time won't fix it. More off-ice training might make it better. Here's what actually builds a stronger skater.

Here's something most skating families don't know...

The American Academy of Pediatrics has a guideline: kids shouldn't train more hours per week than their age in years.

A 9-year-old has a ceiling of 9 hours that is ice time, lessons, and off-ice work combined.

Most competitive skaters are already there.

So when her coach says she needs more strength, more flexibility, more core, they're right.

She does. But the answer isn't more hours.

It's the right 15 minutes.

That's what these programs are built around.

THE REAL PROBLEM

Skating practice builds skating skill.
It doesn't build strength.

A 10-year-old spending 8 hours a week on the ice is getting better at skating. The is not getting stronger in the ways that actually matter for jumping ( hip stability, landing mechanics, single leg power, control under load).

Those Qualities have to be trained off the ice,. Deliberately. With the right progressions for a developing body.

But most programs get this wrong. They add volume, an hour of off-ice on top of a full practice week.

Adult gym movements scaled for smaller bodies.

More stretching on top of stretching that isn't working.

A child sitting in school for 6 hours and skating for 8 hours a week is not undertrained. She is undertrained in specific ways. And random volume doesn't fix specific problems.

THE AAP GUIDELINE

Kids shouldn't train more hours per week than their age in years. Most competitive skaters are already there.

THE ACTUAL FIX

15 minutes, 3-5 times a week, targeting exactly what jumping requires. Not more. The right thing.

WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE ON ICE

Hip stability. Landing mechanics. Single-leg power. The foundation for every jump she's working toward.

WHY STRETCHING ALONE WON'T GET HER THERE

The restriction isn't in the tissue.
It's in the signal.

Her coach mentioned flexibility again. You added the stretching. Nothing changed.

That's not a discipline problem. That's a mechanism problem.

The body doesn't restrict flexibility because muscles are too tight. It restricts flexibility becasue the brain doesnt feel stable enough to allow more range. When her brain senses instability at the hip, knee, or core, it tightens the surrounding tissues as a protective response.

Pushing into that resistance doesn't release it. It confirms the threat signal. The fix isn't force, it's giving the nervous system a reason to feel safe.

Once it does, range opens. Sometimes within a single session.

That's the foundation every program here is built on.

Figure Skater doing spiral

MEET THE FOUNDER & CEO

Welcome, I'm Jena!

I'm Jena Hansen-Honeycutt, Doctor of Athletic Training.

I've spent 15 years inside university dance programs and working in performing arts, treating the overuse injuries, talking to the teachers/coaches, watching what actually moves the needle for performers.

I'm also a published researcher on breathing pattern disorders in physically active athletes.

That work directly shapes how I think about why young skaters plateau and why the usual interventions don't hold.

These programs aren't a gym routine with skating photos on it. They're built from the ground up for how a developing athlete's body actually works and for the parent who wants to support that without guessing.

Jena Hansen-Honeycutt

We Help Skating Families Go From...

Parents come here saying:

"Her coach keeps mentioning the same things and I don't know what to do at home."

"She stretches every day. I don't see any difference."

"I want to help but I don't want to push her past what's healthy."

"She's hard on herself after bad practices. The last thing I want to do is add pressure."

What changes:

Her air position tightens. Her landings get quieter. She stops second-guessing the jump in the air because her body knows what to do on the way down.

You stop adding things that don't work. You have one specific, short routine that does.

Her coach notices. That moment is real. It's happened more than once.

figure skating Kid sleeping in
figurer skater sleeping hairs

5-Day Brain-Based Flexibility Challenge

Five days. Ten minutes a day. Neuro drills that tell the nervous system it's safe to let go, so range opens without forcing it.

You'll run two movement tests before Day 1 and the same two after Day 5, so you can see the change instead of guessing at it. Includes 5 daily video sessions, the Parent's Brain-Based Guide, a progress tracker, and the Pre-Class Neuro Reset.

ice skating on ice

10-Week Skater Strength Foundations

The work that holds the range in place.

Starts with the Skater Movement Assessment Kit, a twenty-minute screen you run at home before session one.

You'll know which patterns are breaking down in your dancer specifically, and you get a one-page sheet to hand her teacher.

Then ten weeks of guided sessions. Fifteen minutes, three times a week. Stability, then strength, then power, in that order, because the order is the whole thing

Includes weekly trackers and a parent guide for every phase.

Ice skates on ice rink
figure skater
Figure skater glides

Private Sessions with Jena

If your skater has a specific concern, a plateau nobody has explained, or something her coach keeps mentioning, a private session is the fastest path to an actual plan.

You'll leave with specific, clinically informed next steps. Not general advice.

Testimonials

She got her clean double axel today!

- AB parent of 11 year old skater

"The biggest thing that I can see is her air position is getting tighter to allow for cleaner jumps!"

- JB parent of 10 year old skater

WHO THIS IS FOR

Parents of skaters ages 7-14 who:

Know their skater needs to be stronger but don't know what that actually looks like at home

Are tired of adding things that don't move the needle

Want a short, specific routine, not another hour on top of a full week

Trust the nervous system approach and want to see it in action

This is not for parents looking to maximize training volume.

More hours will not fix what these programs address. The right 15 minutes will.

FAQs

Find Answers to Enhance Your Skating Journey

Can my skater do this alone?

All of the exercises can be done independently, but younger skaters may benefit from light parent involvement (especially for setup).

What if my skater already works out?

This program fills in the foundational gaps many routines miss, improving form, balance, and injury prevention.

What if I’m not sure where to start?

Start with the $17 5 day flexibility challenge, it’s designed to give your child back their flexibility and build skills to maintain their flexibility!

What equipment is needed?

No equipment is needed for the 5 day flexibility challenge for the 10-week strength training program, just a resistance band, foam roller or ball, and optional items like a pillow and chair.

Is this for coaches or parents?

It’s designed specifically for parents of 7–14 year old skaters, no prior experience needed.

She doesn't need more hours. She needs the right ones.

The 5-Day Flexibility Challenge is 10

minutes a day for five days.