"Just know that before the game ever begins, skating is what is being seen."

In episode 211 of the Glass and Out Podcast renowned skating coach Katy Jo West joins the show.

She is the Founder of Katy Jo Power Skating, based just outside of Denver, Colorado, where she works with everyone from two-year-olds stepping onto the ice for the first time, right up to NHL players.

West was also a presenter at this year’s Global Skills Showcase, where she presented on Unconventional Methods to Improve Speed, Agility & Quick Starts.

Growing up, West was a competitive figure skater who spent four-to-six hours a day training on the ice or in the gym. She eventually turned a side hustle of teaching hockey player’s edge work into a full-time career as a skating coach.

The transition to hockey was fuelled by her passion for improving the fundamental skill for all players, which she uses to remind them one simple thing: skating is the first thing anyone watching the game sees.

“If you go out there and you’ve got wobbly ankles and crummy edge work while you’re just warming up, that’s not going to be impressive. Where if you are someone who steps on the ice and you’re confident in your skating…just know that before the game ever begins, skating is what is being seen.”

Listen as West discusses the fundamentals of becoming a great skater, getting comfortable with being unconventional, and hacks to running a business that requires you to be on the ice 40+ hours per week.