She still admits you cannot quite match being there in person.
But watching her athletes on a screen in her home with a coffee in hand certainly has its advantages over rugging up to brave the cold at 6am.
As it turns out, it has not been such a crazy idea, either.
It is how the Aucklander has been coaching four Dunedin ice skaters, while also mentoring Dunedin coach Stephanie Woodacre.
Junior dance couples duo Lucie Holtz (17) and Tim Bradfield (17) had approached Darvill, who has coached for 45 years and specialises in couples, before Christmas last year.
They were looking to expand their knowledge and asked Darvill about the prospect of coaching them remotely.
A few months later, advanced novice dance duo Benji (15) and Gemma (13) Pickering’s coach moved to Australia, so they followed suit.
Darvill said it had worked well so far and was testament to the way Covid-19 had made everyone rethink what was possible.
A livestream was set up on a phone at the Dunedin Ice Stadium, allowing her to watch and communicate with the skaters in Dunedin in real-time.
She did that three mornings a week, while Woodacre took the lead in other sessions.
Darvill said both duos were progressing well and were aiming to qualify for the national championships in October.
