How often should a skater practice to progress from Pre-Preliminary to Preliminary?

The jump from Pre-Preliminary to Preliminary is really about consistency and confidence with harder skills—single axels, doubles on easier jumps, and more complex footwork. Most skaters moving through this level need to be on the ice at least three to four times per week to build the muscle memory and consistency judges are looking for.

Here's what matters more than the raw number of sessions: quality practice time. A skater doing focused, intentional work for 45 minutes three times a week will progress faster than someone aimlessly skating five times weekly. At this level, you're also introducing new elements—like the single axel—that require deliberate repetition to nail consistently. One or two sessions should focus on new skills or problem areas; the others can be about polishing and building reliability.

That said, every skater is different. Some kids plateau and need an extra session to break through; others progress steadily on three sessions. The real marker isn't the calendar—it's whether your child is consistently landing jumps cleanly, holding edges confidently, and handling pressure.

Watch for improvement in consistency across multiple sessions rather than just raw frequency. If your skater lands a jump twice in one session but then struggles the next week, you probably need either more ice time or a different practice approach.

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