Do you want to skate your best in competition? Then preparation is essential.
Preparation that starts early, not just two weeks before your event. The beginning of a new season is the perfect time to start.
A common challenge skaters face is to skate their competition programs at least as well as they do in practice.
You might have heard this before: “Practice the way you compete, compete the way you practice.”
So how do you do this?
The first step is to have a pre-competition routine that works.
Pre-competition routines help to keep you focused on the task at hand by allowing you to:
- Keep decision making to a minimum.
- Refocus quickly after distractions or unavoidable things like schedule changes, or traffic jams.
- Prepare your mindset to skate your program
Keep decision making to a minimum
Making choices take energy.
Have you ever been exhausted after a day out with a group of friends? That’s because even though it is fun and exciting, it also takes a lot of energy.
You want to make sure everyone is happy.
You worry about making the right decisions.
Things like:
- Who to invite.
- Who might feel left out.
- What to eat.
- Where to eat.
What to do and when to do it.
- Do we eat first, then go to the movie?
- What movie should we see?
- Where do we sit in the theater.
- Who gets to sit by whom?
You get the picture, all those small things add up and use your limited energy.
The recipe for success
A pre-competition routine is essential for a great competition performance. It insures that when you get to the rink, you know exactly what to do, and what follows next. So that you can use your energy for what is most important–skating your programs.
- Start with making a list of the things you do the day of a competition.
- Your usual morning routine
- What time you like to get to the rink before practice ice and your event?
- Do you like to hang around the rink or stay at home or the hotel?
- What and when to eat.
- Then make a list of things that help you to get and stay in a good frame of mind.
- Do you like to watch funny videos before you go to the rink?
- If your practice ice is early but your event is late, do you take a nap?
- Do you like to hang out with friends?
- Listen to music?
- Make a list of things you want to avoid before a competition.
- Watch streaming videos of your competitors.
- Watch bad news on the internet.
- Answer questions from relatives and friends about your short program.
- Go white river rafting for the first time.
- Try a new type of food before the competition.
Take your time throughout the season to build a pre-competition routine.
Start with an outline, and fill in the details as you compete through each season.
A pre-competition routine comes from learning what works and what doesn’t work for you when you are at a competition.
Pre-competition routines can start the night before an event, when you wake up, or when you get to the rink.
Routines don’t need to be rigid, they can be flexible and adapt with as much or as little structure you need to be ready to skate your best.
To build a strong mental game you need to eliminate your stinkin’ thinkin’ and think only in ways that help you succeed.
You need to do this consistently, every day, on and off the ice. Over time this mindset will become the only way you think.
What is the most unusual thing you do before a competition that helps you feel ready? Shoot me an email or comment below.
Thanks for reading! If you want to improve your mental game for competition or practice, download Confidence Myth Busters, complements of ICE Mental Game!