The Western Figure Skating season is well underway, but for first time Mustangs coach Taylor Steele, this year has been anything but ordinary. 

Long-time figure skating coach Alma Moir recently retired, leaving Steele with big shoes to fill in an unprecedented time. With the responsibility of figuring out team training in an unpredictable environment, Steele worked closely with her student athletes, who welcomed her to the team with open arms.

Steele joined the team in Fall of 2020, meaning the season didn't officially start until they were allowed to return to the arena for tryouts in November. "Since then, they've had weekly zoom calls for athletes to connect and discuss upcoming plans for the season(s)" says Steele. 

Training is set up to ease the athletes back into practice-mode, with more technical skills later on. "The first few weeks [were] focused on getting them back into their bodies and feeling the ice again. The upcoming weeks in the New Year will be more technical and more specific to the events they usually compete in", says Steele.

It means a lot for figure skating enthusiasts to get back on the ice after periods of restrictions. Student athlete Natalie Li talked to us about her experience: "It meant a lot to me to get back to doing what I love! We were off the ice for 8 months, which is probably the longest break I've ever taken from skating...[and] even though we had to follow the new COVID-19 guidelines, it felt good to gain back some fitness and return to a training routine."

Fourth year figure skating athlete Melissa Brandie shared similar sentiments to Li. "As a fourth year athlete it meant a lot to get back on the ice. This definitely isn't the final season I was hoping for, but given these uncertain times I am grateful I was given the opportunity to get back on the ice with my team, even if we weren't training for competition. It gave me some sense of normalcy which made me feel a bit better about everything going on. I am extremely upset that I wasn't able to have a final competition season as a Mustang but training for fun with the team was pretty great", says Brandie.

It appears that Steele's transition has been positive, as team members have found the COVID restrictions beneficial to developing a stronger bond with the coach. "Despite only being back on the ice for one month, it was worth it because our team was able to recruit new members who will strengthen the roster in the years to come. Our team also has a new coach this year, so it was a great opportunity for all of us to develop a relationship with her and make plans for the next season", says Li.

It is important that athletes like Brandie and Li remain active and continue practicing as part of their everyday lifestyle. "I have never known my student life as anything other than a student athlete. The first few months without training felt so strange; so when practices were allowed I felt like myself again. The routine of getting up early really helped with my productivity throughout the rest of the day. With this being my final season and likely my final year skating competitively, practicing made me so happy and made my days feel more purposeful. People may not understand how important athletics is, but to me, it is a huge source of my happiness and well-being," says Brandie. 

Similarly, Li says that practicing helps benefit her day to day life. "Being able to practice regularly gives my days consistent structure and allows me to work towards my athletic goals! Although I am still able to do off-ice fitness training myself, it is not the same as being surrounded by teammates who motivate me to be better every day. I think that being able to focus on my sport during regular practice gives me a much-needed break from my studies and provides a balance to my life that I miss." 

However, lockdown restrictions have changed up traditional training techniques. "Since going back into lockdown we're focusing on team unity and team connection. I want the athletes to have a support system within the team and know they can lean on one another in this difficult time," says Steele.

And it seems that the support system has grown strong, despite the distance due to the pandemic. Li says she constantly stays connected with her figure skating team. "We have biweekly team meetings on Zoom, which I think have helped us all stay connected despite not being able to spend time together at the rink. I think they've also been a good opportunity for us to get to know some of the new skaters on the team – because we had to practice in smaller groups this year, I haven't met some of the first-years in person yet!", reminisces Li. 

Steele has done a fantastic job transitioning to the online setting and adapting practices to fit with provincial regulations. "We have cut back on numbers for each [in-person] session. So athletes have more space to practice and have more coach attention than if the session had all 30+ skaters on the session. We've put more of a focus on their off-ice training because of the limited ice time we have", says Steele.

Nonetheless, the training this year, despite being in a virtual setting, has been successful. Both Brandie and Li state that the additional training time will help prepare the group for the next season. "In figure skating it's a bit difficult to prepare without being able to get close to or touch our teammates. Most of our events are pair or group events, so training without touching is a challenge. However, this time has allowed us to bring it back to the basics and really hone in on the fundamentals of our skating to help improve our overall skill which will definitely help in the long run", says Brandie. 

Steele is proud of the accomplishments and improvements from her student athletes throughout this year. "The improvements over the first few weeks were incredible. We could see the stress being lifted off of them as they were able to do the sport they love again. Being able to experience the joy and gratefulness they have has been a really great experience for us as coaches as well. The athletes have improved their skills and are bringing new things to the table every week the longer they've been on the ice."

We look forward to hearing more about team preparations, as they look towards possible OUA competition next year.