Train Smart Before Competitions

Training harder leads to burnout or injuries, there is an alternative!

When you have a competition coming up, do you find yourself feeling more tired or achy? Do you often compete injured because you “tweaked” something during the weeks leading up to competition?

You are not alone.

Training harder once a competition date comes closer is not the answer. You will only burn yourself out or open yourself up to the possibility of injury before the competition.

Cramming for the test in school didn’t help much, neither does cramming for competition.

There is another option: Train smarter all year long. Start now.

Take a look where you are right now.

Decide where you want to be.

How long do you have to get there?

Make a plan, and take action to get there.

This works whether you have 2 weeks before a competition or 12 months before the next qualifying competition.

If you “only” have 2 weeks, remember, you have been training for this competition all year long, in fact, you have been training many years, ever since you started skating.

All of that knowledge is in your motor memory.

Show up to practice every day with a plan.

Maximize your time on the ice.

Thinking, overthinking, worry and anxiety all block your ability to execute what you already know. Mental skills training allows you to access those motor skills so that you can execute them in competition.

Find articles or podcasts on specific things you need to work on. You can click on the search terms on the right side of this article.

Here’s a tip to get you started:

“You have to be in control of yourself before you can control your performance.”–Ken Ravizza

  • That means to let go of things you can’t control.
  • Control what you can: your reaction to events.

When you do this, you gain self control.

  • Self control leads to body control.
  • When you are in control of your body, you will be able to perform your skills.

Skaters search for the “perfect” conditions. The truth is that things are rarely perfect.

  • Mental skills training teaches you how to accept and deal with this fact.
  • On those 60% days, how to give 100% of that 60% you have.

Once they begin mental skills training, athletes are amazed at how much change they can make. It’s like knee replacement surgery. People procrastinate and live with the pain for years, then once they get it done, they wonder why they waited so long to take action.


Start your journey to worry free competition. Download “Confidence Myth Busters,” a complimentary eBook for a jump start!