01 / Figure Skating
Freestyle & jumps
Technique-first work on edges, jumps and spins, from waltz jumps to double rotations and beyond. USFS Free Skate test prep included.
USFS Gold • USFS / PSA Certified • Farmers Branch, TX
I'm a Team USA competitor with four US Nationals appearances, and I trained at the World Arena in Colorado Springs under Olympic coach Tom Zakrajsek. Fifteen years on the show stage — Royal Caribbean, Bietak Productions, and Ice Theatre of New York. Now I coach full-time in Dallas-Fort Worth. The pedigree is there, but what skaters and parents actually talk about is the energy I bring to every lesson.
I'm a figure skating and power skating coach in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex, based at the Children's Health StarCenter in Farmers Branch. I've spent more than two decades on the ice: first as a competitive skater representing the US at four National Championships — training at the World Arena in Colorado Springs alongside Olympic and Team USA coaches, choreographers, and athletes — then for fifteen years as a professional show skater with Royal Caribbean, Bietak Productions, and Ice Theatre of New York, where I was known for my backflips and high-energy style. I also hold a degree in acting, which shapes how I teach performance, musical interpretation, and presence on the ice.
Here's what people tell me first about working with me: I'm a really enthusiastic coach. I love this sport, and after all these years I still get genuinely excited every time a skater nails an edge they've been chasing or lands a jump for the first time. That energy is contagious, and it's the reason my students show up wanting to work hard.
Every lesson is built around the skater in front of me, not a template. Athlete first, always. Strong technical foundations come from the inside out (edges, posture, rotation, breath), and so do the life values that come with the sport: perseverance, discipline, sportsmanship, passion. Whether you're chasing your first one-foot glide or your double axel, the goal is the same: help you carve your own path, and have a lot of fun doing it.
My path on the ice covers a lot of ground: Team USA competitive development at Senior level, training at the World Arena in Colorado Springs; fifteen years performing professionally with Royal Caribbean, Bietak Productions, and Ice Theatre of New York; a coaching chapter across figure skating, hockey, and synchro in Florida; and now private coaching across the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.
Every chapter shows up in the way I coach today: a show skater's eye for performance and choreography, a director's structure for test-track development, and a competitor's instinct for technical fundamentals.
My home rink is the Children's Health StarCenter in Farmers Branch, easily reached from Addison, Carrollton, Coppell, Irving, North Dallas, and Las Colinas. I also coach at other StarCenter locations across DFW by arrangement: Plano, McKinney, Frisco (Comerica Center), Richardson, Mansfield, and Euless.
If you're searching for a figure skating coach in Dallas, private ice skating lessons near me, or power skating training for hockey in DFW, you're in the right place.
Six lanes of coaching across figure skating, hockey power skating, and adult learn-to-skate. Pick one or stack a few. Every plan is built around your goals.
Technique-first work on edges, jumps and spins, from waltz jumps to double rotations and beyond. USFS Free Skate test prep included.
Stroking, turns, spirals and edge quality: the foundation every skater needs and the discipline I gold-medaled in. Structured for USFS testing.
Programs built around your music and personality. Drawing on fifteen years of professional show skating with Royal Caribbean, Bietak Productions, and Ice Theatre of New York — plus a degree in acting for genuine performance and presence.
Offensive & defensive footwork, edge control, explosive starts, transitions, pivots and stride efficiency — the mechanics that create space, close it down, and win races to the puck. Coached at the college and minor-league level.
Always wanted to skate? Returning after years off? A patient, structured progression, from standing up to crossovers and beyond.
Off-ice jump technique, flexibility, rotation training and conditioning. The work that makes the on-ice work click.
"It starts with a push. It becomes a way of moving through the world."
Every lesson follows the same arc — find where you are, pick the one thing that moves you forward, and drill it until it's automatic. Technique from the inside out, at a pace that keeps it fun.
Weekly training is the fastest path to real, measurable progress. Start with an intro, train flexibly when you need to, or commit to a weekly package where the savings (and the results) compound.
Weekly-package members pay the discounted weekly rate ($50 / 30 min).
All sessions run weekly and reset at the end of each week, building the consistent repetition that drives real results. Unused sessions don't roll over, but you can pause or cancel anytime — just let Sam know before the week starts. Traveling or sick? Message Sam and he'll work with you.
A focused weekly session to keep athletes progressing week after week.
Consistent weekly reps and faster correction, all on-ice or a flexible on/off-ice mix.
Serious weekly volume with a flexible on/off-ice combination.
1 hr on-ice + 1 hr off-ice, five days a week. Structured repetition and rapid habit correction.
2 hr on-ice + 1 hr off-ice, five days a week. Maximum volume for serious athletes.
Lesson fees are paid directly to me. Ice time at the StarCenter is billed separately by the rink (typically $15–25 per freestyle session).
Pick your lesson, your rink, and a time that works. I review every request and confirm by email, with a reminder before your lesson.
Farmers Branch is my home rink at the Children's Health StarCenter. I also travel to StarCenters across the DFW Metroplex when my schedule allows, so the times you see already account for my day, including getting between rinks. You'll buy your own ice-time pass at the rink; the schedule link comes with your confirmation.
Sam's home rink is Farmers Branch. He'll travel to other DFW StarCenters when his schedule allows. Pick your preferred rink and you'll only see times he can actually make.
Off-ice training isn't tied to rink ice times. Pick any date and time, and Sam will confirm.
You'll manage your bookings with this number, and we'll text lesson reminders and updates. Msg & data rates may apply; reply STOP to opt out. SMS terms.
This is a request. Sam personally reviews and confirms every lesson by email. You're never charged unless he approves.
Home rink: Children's Health StarCenter Farmers Branch. Twin sheets, freestyle sessions daily, and the rest of the DFW StarCenter network nearby.
Whether it's a first lesson or competitive prep, the next step is the same. Let's talk.
Book a lesson →Not sure which lesson fits, or want coaching at a rink that's not listed? Drop me a message and I'll get back to you.