Mental Game Skills for Skating Success
Skatergirl slouches on a bench in the lobby of the rink.
Practice is over and she’s getting ready to go home.
She pulls off her left boot and places it on the bench next to her.
She kicks off her right boot and lets out a sigh.
Nervous system health and performance problems
A few weeks ago, our Figure Skating community was greatly saddened by the recent plane crash.
We can feel strong and obvious reactions associated with a traumatic event. Shock, numbness, sadness, anger, grief.
There are also many subtle reactions that we might not be aware of. Continue reading “Nervous System Health and Performance Problems”
Competition is 100% mental.
This means, your success in competition is 100% based on how you execute your mental game.
Stop looking at your scores or the execution of your skills as the measure of your success.
Instead, focus on your mental game.
You’re an athlete.
You have goals.
You know where you are.
You know where you want to be.
And, you have a rough idea of how you are going to get there.
You’re laser focused on your goals.
Nothing else matters.
You’re at a competition, waiting to get onto the ice for practice ice.
The group ahead of you is finishing up.
On the far side of the rink, you hear a coach shouting.
Tearing into their skater because they weren’t able to land their jumps during the session.
Skatergirl is getting ready for a big competition.
A competition that will determine whether she goes to nationals or not.
She wants to do well.
She doesn’t want to mess up.
So, when she arrives at the competition she tries extra hard.
Unfortunately, “trying hard” makes all the difference.
Instead of performing like she does in practice, Skatergirl’s short and long programs are splatfests.
She’s a human zamboni
She’s on the ice more than she’s on her feet.
By the time she’s done, the ice is smoother than after an ice resurface.