Seventeen year old Casey Carlyle (Michelle Trachtenberg), a bookworm and physics geek, decides to use her academic skill by pursuing a scholarship to Harvard University. For the scholarship, Casey must present a personal summer project about physics. While watching a figure skating competition with her math geek friend, Ann, Casey realizes that her favorite childhood hobby, which is ice skating on the pond outside her house, would make a perfect project for getting her scholarship. At first, she watches other skaters at the local ice rink, but decides to try to improve her own skating by applying the physics and what she found out from watching other skaters. She becomes a proficient skater, even skipping two levels to become a junior skater. She also helps junior skaters Gennifer, Tiffany, and Nikki improve in their skating.

Unsure of what she really wants, Casey has a difficult time juggling schoolwork, skating, and a job at a food stand in the ice rink to pay for her skating lessons. Her mother, Joan (Joan Cusack), realizes that Casey's constant skating is affecting her schoolwork and tells her to stop, but Casey refuses.

Meanwhile, there is increasing tension between Casey's coach Tina Harwood (Kim Cattrall), a disgraced former skater, and her daughter Gennifer (Hayden Panettiere). Tina, who manages the ice skating rink where Casey is training for competition, is putting her daughter into a strict training program and an even stricter diet. Eventually, Gen gets irritated by the situation and informs Tina and then Casey that she is quitting after Tina bought Casey new skates to use which caused Casey to slip, fall, and injure her feet during a skating competition.

Tina becomes Casey's personal coach and helps her train for Sectionals, after Casey turns down the Harvard scholarship to keep skating with help from Gen, and from Gen's brother Teddy (Trevor Blumas). At Sectionals, Casey performs well. In a triple salchow, she slips and falls, but then she sees Joan in the spectators, which boosts her confidence and she gives a highly-rated artistic performance. By the end of Sectionals, Casey has come in second place, behind Nikki Fletcher, and is going to the nationals. Casey and Joan reconcile after two months, and she finally gains her mother's support. Teddy gives Casey flowers to congratulate her, and two share a passionate kiss. The film ends with Joan and Tina playfully arguing about how many college courses she should take and discussing about Teddy and Casey's relationship.