How to Stay Relaxed before a Competition “I feel like I’m going to be sick to my stomach.” Have you ever had this feeling prior to a competition? Have you ever been so anxious that you feel physically sick in the locker room before a game or competition? For some athletes, this feeling repeats itself
Visualization Skills for Athletes Being focused in the present moment is essential for athletic performance, but many athletes struggle with maintaining this type of focus, especially after making mistakes. Often athletes make faulty predictions based on past outcomes. These faulty predictions are accompanied by negative images where the athlete sees themselves messing up in their
Mental Preparation in Figure Skating Every skater has heard the phrase, “Practice makes perfect.” In reality, mostly all skaters have some degree of doubt regarding this mentality. The ultimate truth of the matter is that “practice makes preparation.” For example, if you practice landing a clean salchow jump 20 times in practice, 5 days a
Do You Underestimate Your Opponents? Have you ever entered a competition where you were the overwhelming favorite to win and just tanked? You can look to many examples in sports when top-ranked athletes or winning teams suffer an upset loss at the hands of a weaker opponent. Despite many cautionary tales, many top-ranked athletes still
Moving Past Missed Opportunities in Competition A missed potential game-winning shot does NOT define you… A fall during a major competition does NOT define you… A dropped ball in a playoff game does NOT define you… A false start at Nationals does NOT define you… A game-ending mistake against your biggest rival does NOT define
Reaching Your Skating Goals With “Big Picture Thinking” What is “Big Picture Thinking”? “Big picture thinking” is the ability to see athletic goals as a process. Unfortunately, many skaters set goals and want to obtain immediate results. Here is a trap that many skaters fall into… Josh P., a 14 year-old skater, fell shy of