A skater wrote to me asking for advice to overcome “circling.” Continue reading “How to Overcome Endless Circling During Jumps”
How to Deal With Self Doubt
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This article is about a common cause of frustration for skaters. One that slows them down and can keep them stuck, season after season.
It happens anytime a skater is unhappy with the skills they have (or skills they lack). For some skaters this happens after the intense the summer training season just before their big competitions. But for many this happens every week, or even daily. Continue reading “How to Deal With Self Doubt”
A Strong Mental Game is About Balance
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What do you think of when you hear the phrase, “bulletproof mental game”? Many people think of an athlete with strong emotional control, almost like a robot devoid of emotions.
The truth is, a strong mental game is about balance. The balance between thinking and over thinking. The balance between allowing and forcing. Continue reading “A Strong Mental Game is About Balance”
You Must Be Present to Win in Figure Skating (Mental Game Training is for Life #2)
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The goal of mental game training is to allow you to do your best work. This can be skating a personal best for a win or selling a million dollar business concept.
It is our habit to live in the past or the future. “The last time I competed at this rink I bombed my program!” or “If Peggy isn’t there, then I have a great chance of winning, because I will be the only one with a triple lutz.”
The only power you have is in the present moment. The present moment is the only time your choices and decisions count. You can’t change the past. The future is unknown. Continue reading “You Must Be Present to Win in Figure Skating (Mental Game Training is for Life #2)”
How to Deal With “Unfair” Judging in Figure Skating
For figure skaters, dealing with the disappointment of poor results in a competition event can cause a lot of stress.
This stress can be managed, even eliminated if a parent or a coach is present to gently point out the opportunities for learning and improving instead of compounding the disappointment by adding their own negative opinions about the outcome.
Continue reading “How to Deal With “Unfair” Judging in Figure Skating”
How To Keep Your Training Energy High
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”