To Slava, it doesn’t matter if you are an Olympian, a World competitor, striving to get to Regionals or just setting a goal to get to that next level in your skating. Because when Slava is coaching on the ice those around him see his total commitment to each skater at every lesson. “When developing my students, my philosophy includes nurturing them to be good people. An athlete’s approach to skating should be the same as their approach to life – be the best person you can be and don’t give up.”

The mental process of developing technical skills to Slava is the same whether a skater is starting out with single jumps or moving on to triples or even quads. Lessons always begin with unusual and focused exercises to enhance each student’s skating skills which include turns, edges, body positions and body line. Slava feels that a foundation of strong skating skills is essential for every skater in order for them to reach their potential. If an athlete does not have a well-developed sense of how to turn, check – or hold a position out of jumps and spins, sustain a deep edge, or hold the body correctly, it negatively impacts the rate and degree of success in mastering spins and jumps.