Mental Game Skills for Skating Success
Pop. Pop. Pop.
Circle. Circle. Circle.
Pop. Pop. Pop.
“C’mon, Skatergirl,” Skatercoach said. “You have to rotate.”
Skatergirl nodded and took a deep breath. Then, she clapped her hands together and readied herself.
Continue reading “I’m Afraid to Jump”
Skatergirl was worried.
What if there is a traffic accident on the way to the competition.
What if her plane is delayed.
What if the competition runs early.
What if…
A major cause of dread, fear and nerves that can cause poor performance is what goes on between your ears.
I’m talking about the “what ifs?” that run around and multiply in your head before practice or before a competition.
Everyone has their own favorite version of the “What ifs” also known as head trash. Continue reading “Handle the “What Ifs” to Handle Your Nerves”
Fast forward to the end of the year. Qualifying competitions are right around the corner and Skatergirl is freaking out.
She’s been training hard all year*. She had a couple of really good skates at the earlier competitions. (Well, let’s say there were a lot of challenges this year…so the problems might even be worse…)
Continue reading “Don’t Mistake Pep Talks for Mental Skills Training”
Skatergirl is at the rink. Again.
But, today is different.
Today, there’s a new skater at the rink.
She’s wearing her club jacket, black leggings and hot pink runners. Her hair is done up in a bun. Her aura is intimidating.
Skatergirl hasn’t ever seen her before, but she can already tell she’s good.
Continue reading “Stop Comparing Yourself to Others”
For the past two weeks Skatergirl has been a happy camper. She was jumping well, and even started to get her triple Lutz in her program segments already!
This week is another story. She’s not sure why, but starting on Monday, she couldn’t land her Lutz, and everyday since, practice went downhill. Not just the Lutz, but everything else too. Now she’s tired and frustrated and really worried that she has a big mental block. Continue reading “Peak Performance: From Distraction to Focus”