Student Self Leadership for Champions
Help Athletes Develop Skills to Lead Themselves On and Off the Ice
Ready to register?
Click here to register now or keep reading for program details.
U.S. Figure Skating coaches, trainers, parents, and guardians are invited to join a free four-week Student Self Leadership for Champions experience created especially for adults. Young athletes thrive when the adults around them know how to coach, encourage, and support their growing independence. This experience is designed to give you practical tools and a shared language for helping skaters build confidence, set goals, work through challenges, advocate for what they need, and become more self-reliant.
You’ll complete online activities on your own schedule and meet each week with other adults from the U.S. Figure Skating community and a Blanchard leadership coach.
Key Dates:
- Registration Deadline: Sun, Oct 4
- Welcome Session: Thurs, Oct 15 at 8 PM Eastern Time (5 PM Pacific Time)
- Online Course Site Opens: Sat, Oct 17
- U.S. Figure Skating Live Sessions: Thursdays, Oct 22, Oct 29, Nov 5, and Nov 12
- Course Concludes: Fri, Nov 13
Your Four-Week Journey
Each week focuses on practical ways you can support young athletes as they develop their own Self Leadership skills:
- Week 1: Encourage Introspection
- Week 2: Promote Self-Empowerment
- Week 3: Guide Goal Setting and Progression
- Week 4: Cultivate Leadership
Time Commitment
Student Self Leadership takes about 10-14 hours to complete, spread out over 4 weeks. Each week plan for:
- 1-2 hours of self-paced learning on the online course site (4-8 hours total)
- 1.5 hours in a live virtual session with a Blanchard leadership coach or watching the session recording (6 hours total)
You can complete the self-paced activities when they work best for you. All you need is a computer, tablet, or phone with internet access.
U.S. Figure Skating Live Sessions
Your cohort has private weekly live sessions just for U.S. Figure Skating coaches, trainers, parents, and guardians.
Thursdays at 8 PM Eastern (5 PM Pacific)
October 22, October 29, November 5, and November 12
These live sessions are a chance to learn alongside other adults who support U.S. Figure Skating athletes, reflect on what you're learning, ask questions, and work with a Blanchard leadership coach to apply the skills to your own experiences.
We encourage you to attend live whenever you can, but we know schedules can be busy. Each session will be recorded, so you can stay on track if other commitments keep you from attending live.
Start with the Orientation Session
Before the course begins, join us on Thursday October 15 at 8 PM Eastern (5 PM Pacific) for a live Orientation session.
We'll introduce you to the Student Self Leadership for Champions experience, show you how to navigate the online course site, and make sure you know what to expect before Week 1 begins.
Earn a Digital Leadership Credential
Complete the Student Self Leadership for Champions course, and you'll earn a digital leadership credential that you can share on resumes and social media.
Ready to Join Us?
Participation is free. Register by Sunday, October 4, 2026.
When you register, enter referral code: USFS2026. (Using the code will place you in the private U.S. Figure Skating cohort.)
Are You a U.S. Figure Skating Athlete?
We have a separate four-week Student Self Leadership experience created especially for U.S. Figure Skating members ages 14-18. Click here.
Questions?
Email us at SSLprogram@blanchardinstitute.org or call us at 760-839-8025. We look forward to learning with you this fall!
If these dates don’t work for your schedule, sign up for our newsletter below where we will announce future session dates.