Mental Game Skills for Skating Success
The “Off Season” in skating is a misnomer.
After the last competition of the season, a new season starts. What “Off Season” really means for skaters is that it is time to “Work Smarter and Harder” to prepare for the next competition season.
When we think about the concept of off season, we probably relate it to familiar concepts. In this case we are most familiar with sports like soccer, football or baseball. Continue reading “Skaters Nail New Skills in Off Season Practice”
Do you have a plan for your daily on-ice practice time?
If you have a plan, is it an effective practice plan, one that will take you towards reaching your goal?
Here are some symptoms that you either don’t have your goal in mind or that your practice plan is not one that will focus your energies towards your goal:
Your coach often talks to you about not working hard enough, that they, “Don’t want to see you standing on the ice doing nothing, so get busy and work”.
You think, “I am working, I already did everything on my list, what do I do now?” Continue reading “5 Steps to a Practice Plan That Works”
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”
Audio: here
Current sports neuroscience research demonstrates that there is an undeniable connection between the physical and mental state of an athlete and their ability to perform at their peak. An athlete is able to perform at peak when they are healthy and happy, but can struggle to perform routine skills when they are slightly injured or unhappy.
Continue reading “Healing Sports Injuries: The Mind-Body Connection”
Audio found here.
Many skaters, many people consider themselves Perfectionists. For many years I struggled to rid myself of perfectionism. I called myself a “recovering perfectionist” until I had an “aha” moment when a mentor I was working with told me to embrace my perfectionism. Continue reading “Handle Perfectionism and the Fear of Making Mistakes”
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”