Your next competitive season may feel months away, but the work you do today can help determine how ready you’ll be when it arrives. Here’s how to set meaningful goals, evaluate your current skills, and build a training plan that moves you toward the skater you want to become.
For many figure skaters, the end of competition season brings a welcome opportunity to catch their breath. The pressure of upcoming competitions eases, routines become a little more flexible, and there is finally room to work on things that may have taken a back seat during the competitive season.
But while it is tempting to put next season out of your mind until the next competition is on the calendar, this is actually one of the best times to start thinking about what comes next.
The most successful seasons rarely happen by accident. They are built through the goals you set, the habits you develop, and the work you put in long before you step onto the ice for your first competition.
So, where do you start?
Start With a Question: What Do You Want Next Season to Look Like?
Before you decide what skills to work on or how often to train, take a step back and picture your next season.
Are you hoping to compete for the first time? Move up to a new level? Earn a qualifying score? Pass a test? Land a new jump? Improve your program components? Or simply feel more confident and consistent when you skate?
There is no single right answer. Goals should reflect where you are in your skating journey, what motivates you, and what is realistically achievable with the time and resources available to you.
For newer skaters, a goal might be to develop enough foundational skills and confidence to participate in a first competition. For a skater already competing, it might mean moving from Preliminary to Pre-Juvenile, becoming more consistent with a double jump, or improving the quality of a program from beginning to end.
Advanced skaters may be thinking about qualifying for the next level of competition, strengthening their technical content, or developing the performance quality that helps them stand out.
Whatever your goals look like, give yourself something specific to work toward.
Instead of saying, “I want to get better,” try asking: What would getting better actually look like for me by the start of next season?
Know Where You Are—and Where You Want to Go
Once you have a vision for next season, the next step is to evaluate your current skating.
This is where an honest conversation with your coach can make a significant difference. You may have a particular level or competition in mind, but what skills, tests, or other requirements will you need to meet to get there? What is already solid, and what still needs work?
Consider these questions:
Competition level: What level do you hope to compete at next season? What technical requirements, program content, tests, or qualifying benchmarks apply?
Jump content: Which jumps are consistent? Which are still developing? Are you working toward a new jump or making existing jumps more reliable?
Spins and skating skills: Are your positions, centering, edges, turns, and transitions improving? Are there specific features or technical requirements you need to develop?
Program readiness: Can you perform your current program content consistently, including when you are tired or under pressure?
Physical preparation: Would improvements in strength, balance, mobility, coordination, or endurance help you reach your goals?
Training habits: Are you practicing consistently enough to support the progress you want to make?
This is not about finding everything that is wrong with your skating. It is about identifying the areas where focused work can make the biggest difference.
Your coach can help you distinguish between skills that are realistic next steps and skills that may need more foundational development first. A well-chosen goal challenges you without asking you to skip important steps.
Build Your Plan Around Skills, Not Just Levels
It is natural to think about skating progress in terms of levels. Moving up is exciting, and each new level can represent a meaningful milestone.
But a level alone does not tell the whole story.
Two skaters competing at the same level may have very different strengths, weaknesses, and training priorities. One might need to improve jump consistency, while another needs to focus on spin quality, skating skills, or program endurance.
That is why your plan for next season should include specific skill goals alongside your larger competitive goals.
For example, a skater hoping to move up a level might set goals to:
Develop a particular jump or combination to a consistent standard.
Improve spin centering, positions, or required features.
Strengthen edges and turns to improve skating quality.
Perform full program run-throughs with consistent technique and stamina.
Reduce the difference between what they can do in practice and what they can execute in competition.
These goals give you something concrete to work on every time you train. They also help you recognize progress even when a larger milestone takes longer than expected.
Remember: advancing to the next level is exciting, but building the skills and consistency to belong at that level is what makes the progress sustainable.
Consistency Is a Goal, Too
One of the most valuable things you can work on before next season is not necessarily a new element. It is consistency.
A jump that you land once in ten attempts is not yet the same as a jump you can rely on. A spin that works beautifully when you are fresh but falls apart late in a program may need more attention. And a program that looks strong in a lesson but becomes unpredictable under competition pressure may need more structured practice.
The off-season gives you room to work on these gaps without every session revolving around the next competition.
Think about what consistency means for your own skating:
Can you repeat a skill with the same technique rather than relying on a lucky landing?
Can you execute your elements when you are tired?
Can you complete your program without losing focus or rushing the difficult sections?
Can you maintain your skating quality when something does not go as planned?
Are you practicing with a purpose, or simply repeating elements without a clear objective?
Sometimes, the best goal for next season is not adding another difficult element. It is making the elements you already have more dependable.
That foundation can make it easier to build new skills later.
Use the Off-Season to Build the Athlete You Need to Become
Your skating goals should not stop at the boards.
If you want to improve your jump height, rotation, landing control, or ability to maintain technique throughout a program, consider what physical qualities might support those goals. Strength, balance, coordination, mobility, and conditioning all contribute to skating performance.
This is one reason off-ice training can be so valuable during the off-season. It gives you an opportunity to build athletic qualities that complement your on-ice work.
Your plan might include:
Strength and stability to support controlled takeoffs, landings, and single-leg positions.
Balance and coordination to improve body awareness and control.
Power and explosiveness to support jump development.
Mobility and movement quality to help you move efficiently through skating positions.
Conditioning and endurance to help you maintain quality as a practice session or program progresses.
The goal is not to train harder simply for the sake of doing more. It is to train purposefully, with physical preparation that supports your skating goals and is appropriate for your age, development, and training needs.
At Skate VIDA, our off-ice training opportunities at The Pond Hockey Club help skaters develop these complementary athletic skills. If building a stronger physical foundation is part of your plan for next season, this is a great time to make off-ice work a more consistent part of your routine.
Turn Your Goals Into a Training Plan
Once you know what you want to accomplish, the next question is simple: What are you going to do about it?
A goal without a plan is easy to forget once everyday training gets busy. Instead, work with your coach to turn your priorities into manageable steps.
You might organize your plan into three categories:
1. Your big goal
What is the main thing you want to accomplish by next season? This could be competing at a new level, preparing for your first competition, or becoming a more consistent and confident performer.
2. Your skill goals
What two or three specific skills or areas of development will help you get there? These become the focus of your on-ice practice and off-ice preparation.
3. Your habit goals
What routines will help you make progress? These could include attending a consistent number of training sessions, completing assigned off-ice exercises, recording practice progress, or building in appropriate recovery and rest.
It can also help to establish checkpoints. Rather than waiting until next season to see whether you are ready, review your progress periodically with your coach. Are your skills becoming more reliable? Do your goals still make sense? Does your training plan need to change?
A good plan is not rigid. It evolves as you develop.
And remember that more training is not automatically better training. Your schedule should reflect your age, current level, recovery needs, and coach's recommendations. Consistency matters, but so do rest and recovery.
Don't Forget to Make Room for Joy
Goal-setting can be motivating, but skating should never become only a checklist of skills to achieve.
Some of the most valuable progress happens when you experiment with new music, explore choreography, skate with friends, participate in an exhibition, or rediscover the fun of being on the ice without the pressure of a score.
Those experiences can help you reconnect with the reasons you started skating in the first place. They can also develop creativity, confidence, musicality, and performance skills that enrich your competitive skating.
As you plan for next season, leave room for goals that are not measured by a test result or a competition placement.
Maybe you want to perform with more confidence. Maybe you want to try a different style of music. Maybe you want to become a more supportive training partner or enjoy the process of learning something new.
Your development as a skater includes all of these things.
Your Next Season Starts Now
You do not need to have your entire next season mapped out today. You do not need to know exactly when you will land every new jump or whether you will reach every milestone on your timeline.
But you can start asking questions, identifying priorities, and building habits that move you in the right direction.
Talk with your coach. Be honest about where you are. Decide what you want to work toward. Then focus on the small, repeatable steps that will help you get there.
The skaters who arrive at the beginning of a new season feeling prepared are not necessarily the ones who made the most ambitious goals. They are the ones who used their time intentionally, built strong foundations, and kept showing up to do the work.
Don't wait until the next competition is around the corner to start preparing for it. Your next season is already taking shape—in every skill you refine, every habit you build, and every purposeful practice you complete today.
At Skate VIDA, we believe skating is about more than reaching the next level. It is about developing the skills, strength, confidence, and love for the sport that help you keep growing.
If you are ready to make a plan for next season, talk with your coach about your goals and explore how Skate VIDA's on-ice and off-ice training opportunities can support your progress.
Skating is Life. Make your next season count.
Frequently Asked Questions about Planning Ahead for Next Season:
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Figure skaters can start planning for next season as soon as the current competitive season winds down. The off-season is an ideal time to evaluate progress, discuss goals with a coach, strengthen foundational skills, and develop consistency before competitions resume.
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Start with a larger goal, such as competing at a new level or preparing for a first competition. Then identify two or three specific skill goals and practical training habits that will help you get there. A coach can help ensure your goals are realistic, measurable, and appropriate for your current development.
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Consistency improves through purposeful practice, sound technique, repetition, and regular feedback from a coach. Skaters should focus on performing skills reliably—not just landing them occasionally—and practice maintaining quality when tired or under pressure.
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Depending on their goals, skaters can use the off-season to refine jumps, spins, skating skills, and program components while developing strength, balance, coordination, mobility, and endurance through complementary off-ice training. The right priorities depend on each skater's level and competition plans.