About Jessica Sawkins | Sawkins Elite Skating Academy

Why Skating Is Everything

Speed. Edges. Power. Separation.

Scouts don't just watch the puck. They watch who gets there first, who holds an edge through a tight turn, who accelerates out of the corner while everyone else is still finding their footing. That separation is what earns ice time, looks, and offers, and it comes down to skating mechanics most players never truly master.

Jessica Sawkins has spent more than 20 years building exactly that. She brings something no other hockey skating coach can: the edge precision of a National Champion figure skater alongside the on-ice instincts of a university-level hockey player, in one coach.

Jessica Sawkins Founder · Head Coach

Her Story

She Wasn't Just Watching. She Was in the Arena.

Before she was a coach, Jessica was a Canadian Junior Pair Champion, a four-time national competitor, and a member of Team Canada. She competed internationally, trained under Olympic-level coaches, and shared the ice daily with Olympians, World Champions, and National Champions. She didn't just see elite sport. She lived it.

Then she took that drive somewhere most figure skaters never go: onto the university hockey ice. Playing competitive hockey taught her the speed, power, and battle sense the game demands. The result is a coaching perspective that simply doesn't exist anywhere else, and athletes feel the difference from their first session.

For two decades she has brought both worlds together for the players and families who refuse to settle for ordinary development.

The Hybrid Advantage

Two Worlds. One Coach. Zero Compromise.

Most skating coaches come from one world. Jessica comes from both, and that changes everything for your player.

Figure Skating Mastery

National-Level Technique

Canadian Junior Pair Champion
Four-time national competitor
Competed internationally for Team Canada
Trained by Olympic-level coaches
Trained alongside Olympians and World Champions
Mastery of edges, blade mechanics, and body control

Hockey Player Experience

University-Level Game IQ

Played university-level competitive hockey
Understands real game demands and pressure
Knows what winning a battle along the boards takes
Connects technique to game performance
Speaks the language coaches and scouts notice
Trains speed, power, and battle strength

Jessica doesn't just teach skating. She teaches the skating that wins games, earns roster spots, and turns heads at tryouts. Her figure skating precision gives your player edge mechanics most hockey coaches have never seen up close. Her hockey background means she knows exactly how to make it translate to the game situations that matter to you.

What Players Develop

Real Results. On-Ice Difference.

Explosive First Steps

The separation that happens in the first two strides. Figure-skating edge mechanics applied to hockey starts, the kind of acceleration that opens ice.

Tighter Turns & Crossovers

Hold the edge through corners without bleeding speed. Players who master crossovers win the race to the puck.

Power & Balance in Battles

A low centre of gravity and strong edges under pressure. The skating that wins pucks along the wall and out of the corners.

Backwards Skating Confidence

Proper backwards mechanics so defencemen gap correctly and forwards retrieve without hesitation. No more flat-footed zone entries.

Edge Awareness & Control

True inside and outside edge command transforms pivots, stops, and transitions into the agility scouts watch for.

Confidence That Compounds

When players trust their skating completely, their whole game opens up. They attempt plays they used to avoid.

Coaching Credentials

Trained at the Top. Built to Develop Champions.

Canadian Junior Pair Champion

National gold-medal figure skating, the technical standard she now brings to every hockey skater she coaches.

4× National Competitor

Four trips to the national championships, competing at the highest level of Canadian figure skating.

Team Canada Member

Represented Canada on the international stage, wearing the Maple Leaf and competing for her country.

Trained by Olympic Coaches

Developed under Olympic-level methodology, the same system that produces world-class skaters.

Trained with Olympians

Shared the ice with the best in the world. She knows what elite looks like, and how to build it.

University-Level Hockey Player

Competed at the university level, bringing genuine game sense and competitive fire to every session.

A Coach Families Travel For

Jessica's reputation reaches far beyond her home rink. Skaters and hockey families from across Canada and around the world have sought out her program, because they know what elite skating development does, and they know they can't get this combination of expertise anywhere else.

East Coast Canada West Coast Canada Latvia China + More

Take the Next Step

Your Player's Skating Starts Here.

Whether your athlete is 8 or 18, house league or AAA, the fastest route to a better game runs through better skating. Jessica is ready to take them there.

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