The author starts off by talking about how important it is to keep up to date on new ways to develop technique. She mentions how off ice training has become more popular and useful because it stimulates movements and positions needed on the ice by bringing in all aspects of skating; the physics, fitness, and psychology.
She then goes on to say how important it is for skaters to be able to control every aspect of a jump from the entry, to the air, and to the landing. They must master how to resist opening into the landing position too early. They do this by practicing strengthening, holding and sustaining rotations and landings. She explains how important this is to do before doing a difficult jump on the ice at full speed.
Continuing on she discusses how everything done on the floor directly corresponds to what is done on the ice because it is sport specific. This training helps so much because it allows the skater to slow down the element as well as break it down. This allows skaters to get the feeling of proper form so when they get on the ice they know exactly how the jump is supposed to feel.
As she finishes she explains that learning incorrect technique early could lead to a skater hitting a stand still point and then they could begin doing elements inconsistently. Ultimately this could lead to injury. At this point off ice training is extremely important because it gets the skater to learn correct technique so they are more stable on the ice.
In conclusion off ice training is so important to a skaters training to get them to be exact and consistent. Ultimately, the skater is only the air for 1/2 a second during a jump so it is important for skaters to know what to do.
Personally, I agree with everything in this article. As a skater I never started with much off ice training, but as it has become more popular I have come to realize how important it is. I have seen a huge improvement in my own skating since doing off ice training. My personal opinion is that every skater should do off ice training to not only improve their jumps but to decrease chance of injury and to become more confident. I love that the author discussed teaching proper technique right away. I see so often skaters who have incorrect technique and I know that as they continue to progress that it is going to hurt them. So, I think its great that she focuses so much on the importance of breaking down a skill to get proper technique. I have seen the amazing benefits from off ice training and I think this article shows great insight of all the benefits.