Mental Game Skills for Skating Success
In a perfect world skaters would be able to train year round with no interruption, improving every week. No injuries, no equipment problems, no losing ice to hockey teams.
Unfortunately, occasional interruptions in training happen, but skaters can use effective Mental Game Strategies to keep on improving despite the lack of actual physical practice on the ice.
I had a conversation with a skater today. Since the end of last season, things had been going well. We have her goals and plan for the year in place, and she has already started landing new triples, and is well on her way to mastering new spins among other things.
But for the last three days, she has been struggling. Jumps feel off, spins are off a little bit, she is finding it difficult to focus and refocus back to the job at hand. Self doubts swirl around in her head no matter how much she uses her doubt rebuttals and other mental game strategies.
In the sport of skating, this is the time of year that athletes are a little run down from the long season of pre-competitions. School has started and spending the day at the rink is no longer an option for most.
Even though the first thought for most athletes is to hit the training harder before the end of the season, remember that taking time to enjoy yourself might be the best thing you can do at this time in your training. Continue reading “How To Keep Your Training Energy High”
Are you ever frustrated because you aren’t “the best” at something? When I was a girl, I wanted to be the best in everything I did. I remember crying and feeling frustrated because it seemed like no matter what I did, I was never the “best.”
It turns out there was nothing wrong with me. The flaw was in my mindset, the way I was thinking. Continue reading “Mental Mindset: Your (Best) Choice”
The words Confident and Champion are usually used together.
Have you ever seen a test session? A kid goes out there, and it looks like they don’t have a care in the world. They skate with confidence, and even though they made a few mistakes—they pass.
At that same test session, you did what was required of you, you were very careful, mindful of each movement because you were worried that you would make mistake and fail. In fact you only made only one minor mistake–but you didn’t pass. Continue reading “How to Train A Mindset of Confidence and Trust”
There are many reasons we don’t allow ourselves to dream big, to reach beyond reality.
Maybe you that if you declare yourself to the world, people will think you are stupid, delusional, or crazy.
It’s too scary. I want it so much it will hurt if I don’t get it.
The other day I retweeted this:
Congratulations and thanks for the inspiration! What focus and determination. What will you do? Declare yourself! pic.twitter.com/S4p5rshCYw
— ICEmentalgame (@icementalgame) August 4, 2016
Morolake Akinosun represents the US. She declared her dream to the world and 5 years later she made good on her promise. Continue reading “Give Yourself Permission to Dream Big”