Confidence Archives - Page 2 of 6 - ICE Mental Game Coaching

If I Have Doubts About Skating, Can I Still Be Great?

When the Confidence Pops

They say that self-confidence is the best outfit you can wear, but Skatergirl feels like hers doesn’t fit anymore.

Her thoughts are no longer in the present. She used to be a good skater.

She thinks of her accomplishments. She won regionals as a Juvenile and went on to qualify for Sectionals as a Novice. One year, she made it all the way to nationals. But then things started falling apart.

The high mountain she was excited to climb seems to be plateauing. Did she already reach her peak?

If a Jump is Not Working, Stopping Might be the Best Option

Scene 1 – Wandering attention

Skatergirl is on the ice practicing her combo spin. She wants to improve her technique so that it will be centered and fast.

She skates around the rink to find a spot and does a quick sweep of the ice.

Okay, now to step into the right inside 3 turn, then forward… Hmmm, she wonders where she and her friends are going for lunch? Subway or pizza?

This Skatergirl is distracted.

I Can’t Jump When My Coach Is Watching

The Triple Toe Woe

Skatergirl is warming up her jumps before her lesson. Her triple toes are beautifully executed. She nails 3 of them before her lesson with Coach.

Now it’s time for her lesson. Coach asks her to do the triple toe.

This should be no problem right? She just did 3 of them perfectly mere moments ago.

She tries but can’t do it. She falls on the first one, pops the second one and circles on the third.

Her triple toe has become a triple no. Continue reading “I Can’t Jump When My Coach Is Watching”

Overcoming Program Practice Panic

It’s one thing when your coach tells you to take your first week after a competition to work on your jumps. You can do these with your eyes closed – though probably not recommended – but your brain is quiet and you can handle these jumps one at a time.

Then one day you get to the rink and your coach tells you to run through your long program, with triples. Continue reading “Overcoming Program Practice Panic”

Help Young Athletes Reach Their Dreams with Healthy Perspective

Audio: here

I don’t think you’re ever there. You might never arrive, but if you do, you might as well quit because you’re already there. Can’t get any better. And as players, if you ever have that moment—you should never have that moment. You’re always trying to get better. –Tiger Woods

Continue reading “Help Young Athletes Reach Their Dreams with Healthy Perspective”

Work Around Mistakes and Belief in Yourself: Observing Mirai Nagasu

As far as careers go, Mirai Nagasu has reasons to give up, just quit. She was the US National champion in 2008 at the age of 16, 4th place at the 2010 Vancouver Olympic games, then was dramatically left off of the next US Olympic team in 2014 despite a third place finish at the US National Championships.

Many athletes would have quit at that point. She could have taken it as a vote of no confidence when Ashley Wagner, 4th place at US Nationals that year was named to the Olympic team. Continue reading “Work Around Mistakes and Belief in Yourself: Observing Mirai Nagasu”