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International speedskating coach Debby Fisher likened her weekend training to building a house.

鈥淚f you don鈥檛 have a solid foundation, you can鈥檛 build off that,鈥� the 60-year-old international instructor said Sunday.

鈥淭hat鈥檚 what I鈥檓 trying to do here 鈥� set a foundation.

鈥淎nd the kids are skating really well already. I鈥檓 quite impressed.鈥�

Since 1998, Fisher has led the Whitehorse Rapids Speed Skating Club through their paces as a means to kick off the new season.

Each year, she focuses on the basic fundamentals.

鈥淚 do it different every time, but I always stress the fundamentals,鈥濃�團isher said. 鈥淵ou have to come back with the basics.

鈥淚鈥檓 always working towards the same thing. It鈥檚 a real good kickstart.鈥�

Alongside building a foundation centred on flexibility, strength, balance and edge control, Fisher said she鈥檚 also paid to be a 鈥渞esource person.鈥�

Based out of Calgary 鈥� the site of the Olympic Oval 鈥� she keeps her eyes on the track and her ears low to the ground to keep tabs on changes in the sport.

For instance,鈥團isher said she picked up technical changes from skaters competing in the recent world trials, where the speedsters would perform a double-push around corners.

While Fisher recently founded a martial arts business in Calgary, she said she isn鈥檛 giving up on her longtime clients, such as the Yukon speedskating club.

鈥淚 love Whitehorse and am more than willing to come up,鈥� she said.

The young group showed plenty of promise throughout the camp, and should have a promising roster for the next Arctic Winter Games.

Currently, speedskaters will not be participating in the 2016 Arctic Winter Games in Nuuk, Greenland, due to a lack of ice facilities.

However, the Yukon government is working on a solution, including the potential of hosting an X Games in Whitehorse.

Local coach Phil Hoffman said he isn鈥檛 sure what the Yukon鈥檚 Canada Winter Games roster will look like in February, as he only has one eligible athlete currently training 鈥� 14-year-old Michael Ritchie.

The national tournament will take place in Prince George, B.C.

Regardless, the skaters are looking good following their summer break.

鈥淒ebby鈥檚 really good at teaching the fundamentals,鈥濃�圚offman said. 鈥淚t also works well for getting kids introduced to the sport of speedskating.鈥�

The camp also served as an introductory session for newcomers, as the local club continues its attempt to grow its membership base.

Currently, the club consists of about 20 young skaters and a few more adults. This year鈥檚 speedskating contingent is expected to compete at meets in Alberta, B.C. and Manitoba.

In a bid to boost numbers, Hoffman said he is attempting to start a learn-to-skate program for elementary students in Grades 3 to 5. The three-lesson program would be completed with co-ordination from local schools.