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Meet Coach Aimée Ricca!
Certified U.S. Figure Skating Coach, Accredited Skating Director, & ISSA Certified Master Trainer
Ice Vault Arena Skating Program Director
CASA Aspire Program Director & Head Coach
Certified U.S. Figure Skating Coach (Core & Accredited Level 2)
USFS Accredited: Program Director (L2), Moves/Skating Skills (L1), Group (L1)
ISI Certified Skating Director
ISI Group, Core/Intermediate, and High Instructor Training Certifications
ISI Certified Gold Judge
Learn to Skate USA Certified
PSA Certified in Hockey Skating 1-4
Precision Nutrition Pn1 & Advanced Certification in Nutrition Coaching for Athletes
ICYA Youth Fitness & Youth Nutrition Specialist
ACE Certified Personal Trainer
ISSA Certified Master Trainer:
Certified Personal Trainer
Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist
Certified Youth Fitness Coach
Certified Nutritionist Coach
Certified Exercise Recovery Specialist
Certified TrainFitness Certified Pilates Instructor
Aimée Meets All Requirements to Coach:
✓ U.S Figure Skating Test Sessions
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Sanctioned Qualifying and Nonqualifying Competitions
✓ Ice Shows, Exhibitions, Performances
✓ Club Ice Sessions and Activities
✓ Traveling to Competitions as part of Team USA
✓ Learn to Skate USA group lessons
✓ Compete USA Events
+ Off-Ice Performance Training, Strength & Conditioning, Pilates, & Nutrition Coaching
U.S. Figure Skating Compliant for 2024-2025:
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Membership
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Core Coach Certification
✓ Member of U.S. Figure Skating Coach I.C.E.
✓ U.S. Center for SafeSport Training
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Background Check
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Coaching Standards of Professionalism
✓ U.S. Figure Skating Code of Ethics
✓ Learn to Skate USA Certified Instructor
✓ Coach Liability Insurance
+ USFS Accredited Level 2
+ ISSA Master Trainer, ACE Certified Personal Trainer, Pn1 & Advanced Nutrition for Athletes
+ ISI Certified Skating Director, Gold Judge, High Instructor
+ Personal Trainer Liability Insurance
Empowering children, parents, families, & adults to perform their best on and off the ice.
My name is Aimée Ricca, and I’m an ISSA Certified Master Personal Trainer (M-CPT), ISSA & Precision Nutrition Certified Nutrition Coach (CN and Pn1), ISSA and IYCA Certified Youth Fitness Coach (YFC, YFS-1), ISSA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSSC), ISSA Certified Exercise Recovery Specialist (ERS), ISSA Certifed TrainFitness Pilates Instructor, and IYCA Certified Youth Nutrition Specialist (CYNS). I'm also a U.S. Figure Skating Certified and PSA Ranked and Rated Skating Coach and Skating Program Director.
Take your skating to the next level:
My approach is unique because I am skilled in on-ice development and off-ice strength and conditioning, nutrition, and health coaching to optimize overall performance on the ice and in life!
How I can help you:
I became a coach to help aspiring skaters avoid making the mistakes that I made. I've suffered injuries, been exhausted, and frustrated because I couldn't access the right program and tools to achieve my goals properly. I learned everything the hard way by seeking instruction, information, and inspiration.
I now work with skaters, parents, and even other coaches – because I believe every skater deserves the opportunity to take their performance to the next level under the guidance of a coach who has been there and genuinely wants to help them succeed on the ice and in life!
Coaching is not simply about tactics and encouraging words.
Coaching is about long-range athlete development -- developing skaters and developing people!
My coaching experience:
In 2019, I made a career change and went from coaching part-time to full-time. I received my IYCA Youth Fitness Specialist Certification as well as earned my PSA Ranking and my first Rating - Registered Group.
PSA Rankings are a distinguished induction based on lifetime achievement. Rankings acknowledge the career coaching record of a professional established only through the performance of the skaters under their direction.
PSA Ratings are an assurance to you that a coach is technically qualified to instruct at the level in which they are rated regardless of personal background and skating achievement.
I also joined the National Strength & Conditioning Association and became a Figure Skating Special Interest Group member.
In 2020, I was named a U.S. Figure Skating Get Up Champion and nominated by the members of the Professional Skaters Association for the President's Award of Excellence. I also completed my personal training accreditation to become an ISSA Certified Elite Personal Trainer, Nutrition Coach, Youth Fitness Coach, and Youth Nutrition Specialist.
In December 2021, I received my second PSA Rating, Registered Program Director. In June 2022, I received my third PSA Rating, Registered Moves in the Field (Skating Skills). In August 2022, I completed PSA's Foundations of Coaching Course (FCC).
Only a handful of coaches in our area hold a PSA Rating and Ranking. Even fewer coaches are qualified and credentialed to train skaters off the ice with personal training as well as strength and conditioning, Pilates, and coach nutrition.
Additional Coaching Credentials
The Following Certifications Are Above the Minimum U.S. Figure Skating Requirements:
✓ Skating Program Director at Ice Vault Arena
✓ CASA Aspire Program Director & Head Coach
✓ USFS Accredited Level 2 Program Director
✓ USFS Accredited Level 1 Skating Skills/Moves Tests, Groups
✓ ISI Certified Group, Core/Intermediate, and High Instructor
✓ ISI Certified Gold Judge
✓ ISI Certified Skating Director
✓ PSA Master Sport Science and Medicine Ratings Exam - Passed
✓ PSA Certified in Hockey Skating 1-4
✓ ISI Professional Coach Member
✓ PSA Foundations of Coaching Course (FCC) - Completed
✓ International Sports Science Association - Certified ISSA Master Personal Trainer (M-CPT)
✓ American Council on Exercise - ACE Certified Personal Trainer
✓ ISSA Certified Nutritionist Coach (CN)
✓ ISSA Certified Youth Fitness Coach (CYFC)
✓ ISSA Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist (CSSC)
✓ ISSA Certified Exercise Recovery Specialist
✓ ISSA TrainFitness Certified Pilates Instructor
✓ Precision Nutrition Certificate in Exercise Nutrition (Pn1)
✓ Precision Nutrition Advanced Certificate in Nutrition Coaching for Athletes (Pn NCA Specialist)
✓ BOSU® Training the Posterior Line: Lats, Traps & Glutes Workshop
✓ Stanford University Child Nutrition and Cooking Certificate
✓ Berklee College of Music - Copyright Law in the Music Business
✓ National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) - Understanding Copyright And Compliance
✓ IYCA Youth Fitness Specialist (YFS-1)
✓ IYCA Youth Nutrition Specialist (YNS)
✓ NSCA Professional Member & Member of the Figure Skating Special Interest Group
✓ TrueSport: Developing Your Coaching Philosophy and Ethics
✓ American Red Cross Adult and Pediatric First Aid/CPR/AED Certified
✓ CDC Heads Up Concussion Training Certification
✓ SHARP 4 Sports Coach Participant
✓ America's Favorite Trainer (AFT) - Nutrition
✓ PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Challenge 2021 - First Place
✓ PSA 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024 President’s Award of Excellence Nominee
✓ U.S. Figure Skating 2020 Get Up Champion
✓ U.S. Figure Skating 2019 Eastern Adult Competition Series Pre-Bronze Pewter Medalist
✓ Skating Club of New York Coach Member (Primary Club)
✓ Essex Skating Club of NJ - Associate Member
✓ Skating Club of Morris - Associate Member
✓ B.A. from William Paterson University
I am proud to be a coach dedicated to continuing my education and professional development.
I am also incredibly proud of the accomplishments of all my skaters, which have resulted in the PSA inducting me into the ranking system. I'm thankful for my skaters' and their parents' dedication. It's an honor to be a PSA-ranked and Rated coach!
In 2021 and 2022, I was nominated a second and third time for the PSA President's Award of Excellence, and the essay that I submitted for the PSA/U.S. Figure Skating Coaches Challenge 2021 was selected for 1st place. Additionally, BurnAlong named me America's Favorite Trainer in the Nutrition category.
I also became certified by ISSA as a Specialist in Strength & Conditioning (CSSC) in May 2021. In May 2024, I achieved my ISSA Master Trainer Certification by completing the ISSA Certified Exercise Recovery Specialist and TrainFitness Certified Pilates Instructor courses.
My education:
As a child, I skated recreationally and wanted to be Dorothy Hamill. Her autobiography was my blueprint, but I didn't have access to the right resources. So, I channeled my competitive energy toward skiing and swimming, which were more accessible. As a child, my strength and conditioning training came by way of the Jane Fonda Workouts on VHS. I borrowed them from a neighbor and would get up and do them in the mornings before school.
As I matured, I became more interested in learning about proper training, techniques, and nutrition. While in college, I enrolled in cooking classes at the Culinary Institute of America while finishing my Bachelor's Degree in Communication at William Paterson University (class of 1998). The culinary classes led to my becoming an award-winning executive chef at my family's restaurant in Maine for nine years.
When I returned to New Jersey and was part of the team that opened the Prudential Center Arena (N.J. Devil's home ice) in 2009. Then, I became the head of branding, marketing, and communication for a global professional non-profit organization and turned my personal attention back to skating. I became a competitive skater at the age of 40. I sought out training programs but still didn't have a handle on all the right elements. I pushed too hard, too soon, and shattered my right ankle, and couldn't walk or stand for three months.
In my injured downtime, I researched more programs and techniques and resolved to come back skating stronger. Once I recovered enough, I went out to Colorado Springs to train with Olympic coaches, including Kori Ade, Doug Ladret, and Olympic choreographer Rohene Ward, to learn more about their programs. I also started studying to receive personal training and nutrition credentials because I began understanding how critical off-ice training and deep health were to on-ice skating development.
I went on to pass my first moves test, win competitive medals, and became the 2019 Adult Competition Series Eastern Pre-Bronze Pewter Medalist.