Ugh. First again. I hate skating first.
Skatergirl just received the skating order for her upcoming competition. She’s skating first in the first warmup group.
Why? Skatergirl asks herself. Why do I always end up skating first. Whenever I skate first my short program is always a disaster, and I end up skating first in the long program too.
“It’ll be good practice,” Skatermom says, patting her on the shoulder. “You’ll become a pro at skating first.”
“But I don’t want to skate first,” Skatergirl says. “Why can’t I ever skate in any other positions?”
“I’m skating first again,” Skatergirl says.
“I see,” Mentalgamecoach says.
“It’s like I always have to skate first. Every. Single. Competition.”
“Why don’t you like skating first?” Mentalgamecoach asks.
“Whenever I skate first, I always perform poorly.”
“Every single time?”
“Yeah, every single time.”
“When did this start?” Mentalgamecoach asks.
“Three years ago. I was at sectionals and I ended up skating first in the short program. I fell on every single jump and ended up finishing the event in last place. Ever since then, I’ve always performed poorly when skating first.”
“What have you tried that has helped to address this?”
“Well, I know that the past is the past and the past doesn’t matter, and I’ve tried to put it behind me whenever I’m at competition, but I can’t seem to get it out of my head.
“It’s great that you’re aware that you want to put the past behind you. Let’s refine that a little bit. When you dwell on something in the past, let’s see it as a distraction. It’s the same as comparing yourself with a competitor or worrying about your homework.
“Let’s start right now. Treat your thoughts about skating first just like you would with any other distraction. When you find yourself thinking about it, refocus yourself on the action you are doing right now.”
“Alright, I’ll try that.”
“Good. You participate in mock competitions, right?”
“Yeah, Skatercoach has us do them every Friday.”
“That’s great. After this competition, talk to Skatercoach and ask her to put you first in the starting order for the next several weeks. This will give you an opportunity to practice treating skating first as a distraction and dealing with it accordingly.”
Mentalgamecoach’s Tips
Do you dread skating in a specific position? Maybe it’s first. Maybe it’s last. Maybe it’s somewhere in between.
Or, do you not like competing at a specific venue? Maybe the ice is bad. Maybe the rink is too small. Maybe it’s too warm or too cold.
All of these things are out of your control. They’re uncontrollable distractions.
So, treat them like distractions. If you find your mind wandering to them, refocus yourself on the action you are doing right now. If you want to learn more about this, check out this article and this article
In addition to refocusing, there are other things you can do. If you hate skating first, have your coach place you first in the skating order for a simulation or mock competition. If you can’t do a simulation or mock competition, try getting on the ice and doing a simulated six minute warmup, then skate your program just like you would if you were skating first.
If you don’t like skating at a particular venue, try practicing there ahead of time. Run through your programs to get a feel for the quality of the ice or the size of the rink.
Mental skills training can make a difference because it can help you access what is already there during competition and practice.
Start here: download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook and make a change.