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Practice the way you compete so that you can
Compete the way you practice.

You finished a competition. Once again, you wonder why you can’t skate consistently in competition. You know you have the potential to skate well because you do it in practice.

One of the reasons you have trouble skating well in competition is due to the uniqueness of the sport.

Figure skaters spend 95% of their time in practice, and about 5% of their time in competition. Competition is difficult because very little time is spent in the experience. It is difficult to get better at something you rarely do.

Before you can make lasting change, you need to understand the challenges so that you can work around them.

Let’s review how the process of improvement works.

The process of improvement

To master a triple flip, a skater must practice. Multiple (correct) repetitions are the key to mastery. Drills, exercises, and jump repetitions are essential.

Repetition allows a skater to figure out what they are doing wrong and make immediate corrections. Each day brings the opportunity for more repetition and step by step improvement.

Over time, these repetitions lead to landing the triple flip (skill mastery).

A skater needs multiple opportunities to practice and repeat, in order to master a skill. The athlete learns though making mistakes and practicing corrections.

To get better at something you need to:

• Practice the skills you want to develop in the exact environment you will encounter.
  Example: practicing a jump in isolation will not guarantee landing it in a program. For that you must practice it in your program.
• Repeat the skills you want to develop. To make improvement, you need the time and space to try different things. To feel free to experiment and learn in a supportive environment free of judgement or negative criticism.
• Learn what works and what doesn’t work.
  Example: If you usually train your flip with a mohawk entrance, but are still inconsistent. Your coach might want to try a three turn entrance instead.
• Learn from your errors. Multiple repetitions give you many opportunities to try different things at little or no risk. By the time you have to perform it, you will have a higher chance of success.
• Have opportunities to test different ideas or methods.
• Know how to correct mistakes. You need to be able to understand what you did wrong and how to make it better.

Competing is a skill

Performing well at a competition is a skill, just like learning to master a difficult jump or skill.

If you want to improve your ability to compete, you need to be able to practice and repeat the skill of skating at a competition.

How do you improve your ability to compete?
Given that most athletes experience an increased level of pressure that is unique to competitions, the only way to truly get better at competing is to compete.

The average competitive figure skater competes an average of 7 times in a year, but spends a huge amount of time practicing, around an average of 12 hours a week on the ice. It makes sense that a skater can land all their jumps in a program practice run through, but not during competition.

The occasional bowler

Do you ever go bowling with your friends? Once in a while your gang wants to have some fun and go bowling. You play a few games. You’re not very good, and want to get better.

The next time you go might be 6 months later, you are a little better. In a year you visit the bowling alley again and you are worse than the first few times.

You feel frustrated. Why am I still throwing gutter balls? I’ve done this before? I should be getting better.

This is how many skaters and parents feel about competition. Skaters want to handle their nerves better this time around. They want to skate their best no matter the pressure they feel.

Skaters are used to seeing steady improvement in practice, and are baffled that they end up doing the same things they vowed to change in each competition. It can feel like they are starting over each time.

There are so few competitions in a year that it is difficult to remember what you wanted to do differently from one competition to the next. In this situation it is very difficult to get better at competing unless you have a good plan in place.

You need to compete to learn to compete

Ask any skater, competition is totally different from practice, simulated competitions, exhibitions or shows. No matter how you try to duplicate the pressure of competition, the only thing that works is to compete.

It’s not possible for a skater to compete every weekend. But now that you are aware of the challenges, you can make a plan that gives you the best chance of success.

Here are some tips to get you started in the right direction:

• Make the most of each opportunity you have to compete.
• Approach the competition with this mindset: be open, aware, ready to learn.
• Use your energy to focus on doing your job, executing your elements (the process). Time spent wishing or worrying about results is wasted.

Competition is the best place to use and practice your mindset skills and strategies. You will get to test the mental game skills you practice daily under the intense pressure of the event. This will give you valuable information for the next step on the way to a bulletproof mental toughness.

You will notice a healthy change in the way you approach your next competition if you make an adjustment in your mindset. Treat each competition as a stepping stone to your overall improvement rather than a one time do or die chance to prove yourself.

Even when you are in your 30s at the top of your career, skating at your last the Olympics, that competition is an opportunity to learn and improve for the next stage in your life.

Action Plan

1. Make the most of each competition. They are too precious to waste in worry or anxiety.
2. Be present to experience the richness of the opportunity to grow and learn. To become a better skater on the road to becoming a champion.

Many skaters find they are too emotional or stuck in old habits around competition to be objective. They lose much time that could be spent moving ahead.

A mental game specialist will take the guess work out of planning and maintaining your forward motion. You will begin with a strong plan for the season and stay on track during the year. An effective plan will have built in assessment and adjustments after each competition.

Learn more about what it takes to work on your mental game. Start here: download a complimentary copy of Confidence Myth Busters eBook to begin your journey to being unstoppable.