Nerves

[Justine_R]

Hey All,
I have a competion on Saturday and I am really nervous :?? ...I don't understand but I have been since last Saturday?.
It is my first competion of the year..and when I think about it I think about all of the bad things and and I never feel ths way?
Is it because competing at a higher level this year or what?
Does anyone have any good nerve tricks?...Please -ANYTHING-would be great,I really wanna try and stop this because I feel really stupid.
Thanks.

[doubletoe]

You're probably just nervous because it's the first comp of the season and you aren't sure what to expect at this level. If you're nervous now, that's a really good thing. Stay nervous until it's time to take the ice for your warmup. By then, your body will be sick and tired of being nervous and you'll just say, "Oh, whatever." That's what happens to me when I get nervous days before my competition. BUT if I don't get nervous until the day of my competition, or until I actually step onto the ice, then I'm doomed! I'll be fighting the nerves all the way through my program!

Also, use the nervous energy towards your preparation. Try to simulate real practice conditions and figure out what your warmup will be, both off the ice and on the ice and do it at the beginning of every practice until competition day. Good luck, and remember, you've accomplished a lot already just by testing up to this level! :)

[babeonblades]

okay well i posted about the same thing as you i was really nervous about my competition and i felt my nerves majorly at competitions but heres a few suggestions : ok at competition or when your feeling particulary stressed do a breathing triangle and focus on the perfect program while your doing it you breathe in for 3 counts hold it for three counts and then exhale for three counts. also try focusing on your prrogram and visulize doing it perfectly, also lastly i would try playing your music a lot like off ice so that way your comfortable with it and you know where your elemnts are during the music

[slusher]

My way of dealing with nerves is to have a terrible warmup. The worse the better. I don't deliberately try to have a terrible warm up, it just happens because I'm nervous and all the wigglie jigglies come out. If I have a good warm up, for some reason I'm more nervous afterwards and can't focus.

I don't spend time before the competition trying to run through programs and such. I see all these girls in dressing rooms with walkmans, hopping around. I figure if I don't know it by then, I won't ever know it so what the h#ll. I try to focus by emptying my mind of all distractions. I usually stand staring at a wall and letting myself be completely still. I've stretched and warmed up and all that, it's just letting everything settle into place. It's different from what my coach teaches, but it's what works for me in pressure situations.

[backspin]

When you are doing your program, these things exist:
1. The ice
2. You
3. The music.

That's it. Forget the rest--go out there & do what you love to do. Forget the judges, competition, etc. Go out & show them how much you love to skate. Everyone there wants you to do well, and they are there because they love skating as much as you do. Share it with them!

[NoVa Sk8r]

Ah, yes, nerves. Affects everyone in some way, shape, or form.

What helped me out was to realize that I don't *have to* be perfect. Also, if you've been practicing your program and your elements are comfortable (i.e., you didn't just learn them a few weeks ago), then trust your body and its muscle memory to deliver the goods.

At worse, if you don't skate your best, remember that this is your first competition of the year and that each competitive experience teaches you something. Be it about pacing yourself, how you handle the warmup, how best to focus before you step onto the ice, etc.

Good luck--we'll be rooting for you!
And be sure to let us know how it goes; no, not so much how you placed, but how you felt and handled your stress. And then you can pass on your new-found knowledge and wisdom to some of us who are competing in 10 days. :P

[Aussie Willy]

Just what everyone else said!! Nerves are part of the package but the more you compete the more you are able to handle it. However concentrate on your programme and enjoy it.

A personal favourite of mine is doing lots of driving tests with students so you get used to being in stressful situations - oops - sorry that is how I deal with my nerves - not everyone is a driving instructor!!! But I found it really helped last year when I competed.

[Mrs Redboots]

When you think about your competition, remember that you can't control what the judges think, and you certainly can't control what the other skaters do! It doesn't matter where you place, as long as you can go out there and skate your best.

Mind you, I seldom sleep well the night before a competition, even though I enjoy competing and look forward to it.

[Justine_R]

Thanks Guys.
That really helped me a lot.I think I was just focusing on getting first then anything else.
The excercizes you showed me should really help!!..Im really excited for the competion now and I know that im just going to go out there and skate my best!!.
And your right if I don't land the elements thats ok because its a new program for me and its a higher level as long as I know that I tried I will be fine:D

I will report how I did to you..on Saturday!
Thanks Again.x0x