Kurt Browning Shares Mental Game Tips

By David W. Carmichael <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0">CC BY-SA 3.0</a>, via Wikimedia Commons

I had the privilege of sitting in on a question and answer session with the great Kurt Browning.  He was in Vancouver, BC for Stars on Ice and took time out to teach a seminar for skaters in the area.

I have always been a fan of his fun and creative style, and his skill on the ice.  His showmanship is in a class of its own.

Watching and listening to him talk about skating, one can feel his genuine love of the ice fill the room.  It’s tangible; the ice becomes a presence sitting in the room with us.  What Kurt Browning does when he skates is what coaches mean when they say “be one with the ice.”  Figure skating to him is a way of life, a way of being, not just something he does.

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How to Turn Disappointment into Motivation


Mental Toughness Lessons from World Figure Skating Championships

The skating world was a buzz this weekend with the skating of the 2016 World Championships in Boston, Massachusetts. There were many exciting moments and also moments of disappointments. One of the most public disappointments was that of Gracie Gold.

United States National Champion Gracie Gold led the Women’s field after the Short Program. After she skated her Freeskate Program, she finished just off the podium in fourth place.  Elite athletes are under the spotlight at times when they might want to be alone.  Gracie gave us, the human side of sport, and an opportunity for younger athletes to learn that the feelings they have are normal and can be managed.

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Dealing with Frustration: Off Ice Training Tips

Part 2: Temporarily Grounded

A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity;
an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.
–Winston Churchill

IMG_9297In Part 1 of this three part article, Dealing with Frustration: Opportunity Knocks , I talked about your choices when faced with an interruption in your training routine.  

 In this article (Part 2 of this series), we will talk about what you can do off the ice while you are waiting for your boots to come in.  Part 3 will suggest how to use the time to build your Mental Game.

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