Skate skills:

SKATE TIP OF THE WEEK
Inline secrets from the world's top skaters and coaches

This week's tip:
Be a Student of the Sport

By Joey Cheek
(Dec. 22, 2006)

It was ten years from the day I first put on ice skates to the day I found myself standing on the top step at the Winter Olympic Games in Torino. Since then, I have given numerous motivational speeches and answered lots of questions from skaters. But one subject rarely comes up: Why is it that of all of my competitors over the years — from elementary boys division to world championships — that I was the one who landed on top? I think that the answer to this question is probably the most important thing I have to offer young skaters.

I know there are myriad factors: talent, hard work, "wanting it more," etc. And all of those matter. ... Heck, I could write a book about each one.

But in my opinion, the single most important reason for my success is this: I am a student of the sport.

If you look at my race results over ten years, you see slow and steady progress. I was never the most talented skater on my team. But I worked harder than most skaters, although not all (I think Derek Parra deserves that honor); and I was excellent at finding my weaknesses, honestly assessing them, and then developing a plan to overcome them.

When I was 17 and in my second year of transitioning from inlines to ice, I had the bad habit of raising my hips on my push. I would sit very low until my recovery leg came close to my body. Then I would "pop up" and push before returning to a low position.

The one constant of all of the best skaters in the world (Chad Hedrick, Joey Mantia, Shani Davis) is that their hips always stay rock solid. So I started doing exercises (curved slideboard, dryland in a mirror, video analysis) to drill myself on correct technique. I kept it up for three years and by the 2002 Olympics, I had some of the most stable hips in the world — and an Olympic medal.

Of course, there is no way that I can know how to fix everyone's technical problems without spending hours reviewing their races and practice habits. But I am certain that everyone can learn to better understand and analyze the technical aspects of skating.

Start by noticing what the best athletes do consistently. Watch videos. Talk to other coaches. Then apply what you learn.

Remember that every time you lose, you have an opportunity to learn something new. If you make learning part of your everyday training regimen, you will be thrilled at the results. ... And one day, you too may find yourself standing on the top step at the Olympic Games.

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Joey Cheek has emerged as one of the lasting heroes of the 2006 Winter Games in Torino, Italy. A former inline speed skater, he won gold and silver medals on the ice. Then he catapulted to the world's attention by donating his $40,000 Olympic bonus to Right to Play, a group that helps needy children in Africa. After the games, the 26-year-old from Greensboro, NC, announced his retirement from skating. Since then, he has devoted himself to humanitarian work. Most recently, he traveled to China and Egypt with actors George Clooney and Don Cheadle to rally support for efforts to halt the genocide in Darfur. Earlier this month, he was named winner of the inaugural Heisman Trophy Humanitarian Award. Next fall, he plans to start college at Princeton University in New Jersey.

• Joey Cheek's web site
• Skate Tip of the Week Archive.
 

Related reading
• Skate Tip of the Week Archive.
• Beginners Guide to Outdoor Racing.
• Beginners Guide to Inline Skating.