Unparalleled Motivation
Having attended a camp coached by Susan Ellis has brought my speedskating to a whole new level, both mentally and physically. The motivation I attained while at camp was unparallel to any other. I found myself able to re-connect and feel the changes that her coaching made in even my most basic techniques. Her coaching style and enthusiasm has been long-lasting and a critical component to my lasting motivation in training and future racing.
Sue utilizes all the important principles about speed, technique, efficiency and power into basic and simple drills that allow you to feel your body make a change and "sink" into the correct position. Once you learn these movements you wonder how you hadn't discovered them yourself and how you have come as far as you have without them! Sue has an incredible gift of being able to personalize her suggestions and comments to each skater so they can truly improve in a matter of minutes that last a lifetime!
Meghann Lyons, Rochester, NY
Blown Away
I hope to work again with you some time but for now I have enough information for about two years. I was blown away by the entire experience. I wish that life could always be so perfect.
Respectfully,
Al Forsyth
A Complete Coach
I've had the pleasure of working with Susan Ellis on a number of programs in skater and coach development. She is an excellent coach who can create an outstanding camp or clinic developmental experience for your club, team, school, league, or facility in skating. Sue brings a wealth of ability to the table that makes her a complete coach and will make your program successful. Some of these abilities include being:
- A progressive thinker with technical knowledge on the leading edge of the sport;
- A master teacher with the ability to break down the complex into manageable steps in a progression that improves the learning process and reduces time to mastery;
- A skilled coach whose innovative use of tools, drills and games facilitates learning while making it fun and cooperative experience;
- A communicator who relates well across a wide spectrum of athletes - from the world elite class to the novice - having the empathy and other skills to do this;
- An innovator able to incorporate a wide range of activities into a camp experience to benefit athlete's technical, physical and mental development while increasing the level of fun;
- A person of character who looks to develop the athlete as a complete person;
- A responsible, disciplined, respectful, and balanced individual who can apply lessons learned through sport to life.
Sincerely,
Carl Cepuran
Development Coordinator
US Speedskating
Exceeded Expectations
Hi Sue!
I just wanted to thank you again for running the best Lake Placid camp I've ever been to...and I've been to quite a few! Ever since the RTG camp in Boston, I knew that Placid was going to be a great camp...it definitely exceeded my expectations, and it's definitely made me a better skater--I know when I came back for my first practice after your camp, my coach couldn't believe how well I was skating compared to when I had left. I'm not sure if you're going to be running any more camps during the year, but if you are, could you let me know? I might be able to squeeze one or two in during my insanely hard school year and come skate with you again. Hope you're having a great summer, and I'll talk to you soon!
Nicki Martin
Gift of Enthusiasm
Susan,
You are a gift to Development!!! Thank you so much for coaching the camp...I hope you get a great deal of satisfaction from what you do because anyone who has been to one of your camps just marvels at your knowledge, how you are able to convey it and your enthusiasm...that is a gift not many have...
All day I have been fielding calls and emails from campers (and assistant coaches and chaperones) and parents telling me what a wonderful week it was thanks to you....Everyone wants you out to their area to do a clinic
Again, thanks...you really made a difference to these campers....Ken emailed me to say that Brad said it was the best week of his life!
I wish I could have attended.
Karen Kostal
US Speedskating Membership Services
Positive Experience
Coaching speed skating presents certain challenges that have been made much more attainable since being introduced to the Ellis Edge Method. It is one of the most effective tools I have encountered since I began coaching. Using EEM has allowed me to do a more thorough biomechanical evaluation of skaters. Then, using this assessment, I am more confident correcting the skater using simple, comprehensive, technical terms. It is my experience that the skater readily understands what needs to be corrected and can usually feel the difference right away. Also with minimal verbal cueing, they can continue to work at that particular technical weakness. Overall, I feel using EEM has been very influential in my coaching and I will continue to use it and pass on the positive experience of EEM.
Rachael Quinn
Saint John Club coach
Solved Problems
Hi Sue!!
I just had to jot you an email to say how much I enjoyed spending this past week with you in Milwaukee!!
I tried to soak in every ounce of information that I could!!
Thank you so much for sharing your insights and techniques! You are so knowledgeable and have an absolutely wonderful way of sharing that knowledge!
I admire your approach, spirit, and passion. It is easy to see how much you enjoy sharing what you know and have experienced. The way that you deal with skaters is admirable - respectful, and meaningful.
I especially like how you have skaters problem solve and figure out the things that work and the things that don't. Your visuals, and memorable statements will stay with the skaters (and myself) to better help us remember techniques.
Again, thank you for sharing your wisdom!
You are one great woman!!!
I am blessed to know you,
T
From Crossfit Journal - April 2008
....On the topic of coaches, Andrew has been blessed to learn under the tutelage of Sue Ellis, the coach of the 2002 US Olympic Short Track Team. For those of you who read Mark Eaton’s “Good Coach, Bad Coach” article last month, picture all the “Good Coach” phrases, throw in a few more for good measure, and you’re starting to scratch the surface of who Sue Ellis is......
Read more (PDF)
Made me a better skater
“I just wanted to thank you again for running the best camp I've ever been to...and I've been to quite a few! I knew that it was going to be a great camp...it definitely exceeded my expectations, and it's definitely made me a better skater--I know when I came back for my first practice after your camp, my coach couldn't believe how well I was skating.”
Can't stop talking about camp with Sue
“I picked my son up at the airport this morning. To say he loved your camp is a major understatement. He just couldn't stop talking about all that he learned, how much he improved, the great friends he made, and,of course, how wonderful you are!! Thank you, thank you for all that you've done to make this experience so wonderful for him.”
1000 Percent Improvement
“You may recall that I was a little hesitant to attend the Sue Ellis clinic due to my limited skating ability. While it's true there were a lot of drills I couldn't do, and I'm still all over the place with the bucket drills, my skating still improved about 1,000 % (yes, that's one thousand percent). Sue is an amazing coach and teacher, and her belief in recognizing the positive, is what any new skater needs. I don't know how else to describe the weekend other than to say it was an AMAZING experience!”.... Masters Skate
Unique way of Explaining
“I have worked with Sue Ellis over the past few years at speed skating camps and had started using her techniques with some of the skaters that I have worked with. I have seen huge differences in their speed, balance and power. But, I saw even bigger changes when we had Sue come this past fall and do a camp for us. She has a unique way of explaining technique, and an amazing ability to get to know each skater in the camp and to pinpoint their specific issues and give them the keys to keep their progress going. We have also found the technicords, that Sue developed, to be a great tool in allowing skaters to feel their positions and reinforce development. I highly recommend her camps. ...Coach
Pumped!
“Just a word of thanks for a fabulous camp at the Pettit. C... came home really pumped! He could not say enough great things about you and your camp. He learned a lot and was very impressed with you and your teaching methods. So, again, thanks for making the camp a very worthwhile experience. We look forward to having C... (and eventually his younger brother) attend another one of your camps.”
The Santa Clarita Speed Skating Club is proud and honored to accept the gracousness of Sue Ellis to allow us to carry forward and maintain her life's work for the speed skating community. Sue developed her own Ellis Method speed skating training, and amassed an impressive amount of detailed content to help us all become better skaters.