Over 80 unique skill videos created to help standardize instruction and demonstrate proper skill execution
OTTAWA, ONTARIO – Speed Skating Canada is excited to launch a suite of new First & Fast Strides resources designed to support coaches, clubs, and skaters across the country this season and for years to come.
Over the past several seasons, Speed Skating Canada has undertaken a significant project to capture skills within the First & Fast Strides program on video. There are now over 80 videos available across the 10 different program levels, each of which showcases a specific skill, highlight key teaching points and clearly demonstrate the skill standards required for successful completion.
These videos will provide coaches and clubs with a valuable resource to support program delivery, create greater consistency in skill instruction across the country, and help standardize skater development within grassroots speed skating programs.
Whether you’re a new coach looking for guidance or an experienced program leader seeking additional tools, these videos will help bring the curriculum to life and support quality skating experiences for every participant.
In addition to the video library, a number of other resources have been created and updates to help professionalize the delivery of the First & Fast Strides program.
- Program Manual
- Developed to support grassroots speed skating, the First & Fast Strides Program Manual explains the foundation and purpose of the program while providing a practical and adaptable model for implementation. Designed for club coaches, instructors, and volunteers, the resource outlines how First & Fast Strides aligns with Speed Skating Canada’s Long-Term Development framework and supports the delivery of a carefully structured curriculum that builds fundamental skills, confidence, and a well-rounded skater. The manual is intended to help clubs deliver high-quality programming that can be tailored to club needs while maintaining a consistent approach to participant development across the country.
- Program Curriculum
- The updated First & Fast Strides Curriculum Document is now available and includes a number of important updates:
- – Practice Activity Descriptions: Train foundational skills while having FUN! The curriculum document now includes a library of Practice Activities – names and descriptions – to support coaches in delivering engaging practice sessions. This is meant to be a growing resource for coaches to share their ideas and support one another.
- – Skill Progression Chart: The curriculum document now includes a Skill Progression Chart, allowing coaches to better understand the intentional sequencing of skills throughout the program and the natural progression built into skater development. This tool highlights how foundational skills support future learning and will help coaches deliver programming with confidence and purpose.
- – Level 1 Skill Update/Revision: Get Up Off the Ice has been updated from Get Up with Assistance. While the skill is now focused on getting up off the ice, the skill description recognizes that some assistance may still be provided as necessary for a skater to successfully achieve the skill.
- – Level 4 Skill Update/Revision: One-Foot Turns have been refined to focus on two turns – right foot, counter-clockwise direction and left foot, clockwise direction.
- Other Resources
- As a result of these revisions, the Skater Progress Card and Group Tracking Sheets have also been updated to reflect the curriculum changes and ensure clubs have the tools they need to effectively track skater development throughout the season.
We would like to thank the many coaches, athletes, officials, volunteers, and staff who contributed to the development of these resources. Your expertise and commitment have helped create tools that will benefit clubs and skaters for years to come.
We encourage all clubs and coaches to explore these resources and incorporate them into their programming this season. Here’s to helping the next generation of Canadian speed skaters take their First & Fast Strides!