Nerves, nerves, nerves!

[Terri C]

As a good chuck of us will be competing this weekend:
Today, during my lesson, the program that has been 99% clean was awful-I even blew my best jump combination! My coach asked me if was was starting to get nervous, and I'm afraid that I was without realizing it!
What does everyone do to combat nerves the week prior to a competition?

[skaternum]

I tell myself over and over that I'm trained and ready. And mostly I tell myself that the competition is just another skate, but this time I get the whole ice to myself! I compete best when I convince myself it's really no big deal. (Easier said than done, but it usually works for me.)

[BABYSKATES]

My daughter says that she tells herself, "Smile! It's just a sport!" That is her motto and she is almost never nervous.

The one time she was really nervous (I don't know why) she burst into tears. Her "understanding" FORMER coach told her to knock it off. I hugged her, told her she didn't have to compete unless it was what she wanted to do with all her heart. She cried it out, then she went out and skated the best skate of her life.

I don't think nerves are necessarily bad. You can use them to give you more spark and energy.

Good luck in your competition and remember to have fun!

[Elsy2]

It's always been our policy to back off training during the week prior to competition as opposed to cranking it up. Having a few terrible run throughs due to nerves is par for the course. I tend to lose every element one at a time about a week or so prior to competing....I just tell myself that I have trained well, and I believe those elements will be there when I need them. If I get on the ice and have a decent run through, I may just get off and leave it at that. I have gone into competition without doing a clean run through for the entire week....and have still done fine.

[dani]

Originally posted by skaternum
I tell myself over and over that I'm trained and ready. And mostly I tell myself that the competition is just another skate, but this time I get the whole ice to myself! I compete best when I convince myself it's really no big deal. (Easier said than done, but it usually works for me.)

I keep thinking of your advice to me when I went out to compete - it was a little more specific! ;-)

"Don't Suck"

;-)

Seriously, I get really nervous but have only had one "bad" freestyle program out of my 4 competitions and bronze test, and even that wasn't "that bad". So I think the nerves help me out. Actually tests make me more nervous than competitions!

Hugs!
Danielle

ps) I had a really bad practice today, and I wish I could blame it on something like nerves ;-)

[vesperholly]

I'm not nervous about my elements (I backed off including the more difficult ones because I didn't want to stress myself out), I'm worried about my stamina and being able to get through my whole 2min program without collapsing halfway through! :-)

Jocelyn

[Mrs Redboots]

I invariably spend the week before a competition wondering why on earth I thought it was a good idea to enter - but I know I'll have enormous fun on the day! I can get very cross and grouchy just before I go on the ice, but I remind myself that if I don't have fun out there, nobody else is going to have fun watching me.....

[sk8er1964]

Originally posted by vesperholly
I'm worried about my stamina and being able to get through my whole 2min program without collapsing halfway through! :-)

Jocelyn

Stamina was a huge issue for me, too. Are you doing off ice stamina exercises, such as interval running or jump roping? I've been doing that (well, was doing that before I got hurt) and you'd be amazed how much a few minutes a day will help. Then you'll have no worries about stamina any more!

Good luck at your competition! Remember - we do this for the sheer fun of it!

[Black Sheep]

Originally posted by Mrs Redboots
I invariably spend the week before a competition wondering why on earth I thought it was a good idea to enter - but I know I'll have enormous fun on the day! I can get very cross and grouchy just before I go on the ice, but I remind myself that if I don't have fun out there, nobody else is going to have fun watching me.....

Gee, it's just like looking in a mirror....;)

[garyc254]

A little nervousness is a good thing as it dumps enough adrenaline into your system to enhance your senses.

Too much nervousness isn't good.

A few of things to remember (in general):

You're doing this for fun and recreation. We'll probably never go to the Olympics. We'll probably never be on television unless it's the local news station.

There will be two types of people at the competition. Those that skate and will fully understand anything that can happen on the ice and those that don't skate who don't really have a clue as to the difficulty involved in the things you do on the ice.

The day after the competition there will only be two people that are really interested in how well you skated. You and your coach. Everyone else will have forgotten by then. Most will have forgotten if you did well or poorly within a few minutes.

The judges have seen it all before, so there will be no surprises for them.

Skate to impress yourself!!! Then, if you're not impressed, keep working on it.

And, I repeat from dani's post, Don't Suck!!!

Good luck to all of the competitors out there. You're not only skating for today, but making memories to pass along in the future.

[skaternum]

Originally posted by dani
I keep thinking of your advice to me when I went out to compete - it was a little more specific! ;-)

"Don't Suck"



Hee hee. I think it's a very important piece of advice, and most coaches forget to mention it to their students. They'll remind you to bend your knees; they'll remind you not to rush. Very few remind you not to suck. :) My world is pretty black & white. Things suck or they don't. Not sucking is a very good thing. :D

[blue111moon]

My mantra: "It's two minutes out of my life." In the long run (and at my age it's getting to be a very long run), how important is this competition? The answer is generally, "Not very" and that helps to keep things in perspective.

I have also been known to stand at the boards and chant: "We do this because it's fun."

[Lili]

Usually when I am out on the ice for tests and such, I talk to myself. If I am getting nervous or stiff, I repeat a funny word over and over until I stop. The phrase for Juvenile moves was "String Cheese," and I passed. :)

[LoopLoop]

Originally posted by skaternum
Hee hee. I think it's a very important piece of advice, and most coaches forget to mention it to their students. They'll remind you to bend your knees; they'll remind you not to rush. Very few remind you not to suck. :) My world is pretty black & white. Things suck or they don't. Not sucking is a very good thing. :D

:lol: :lol:

Never had a coach tell me not to suck. That whole remembering to breathe thing is overrated if you ask me.

[love2sk8]

Competing is the best part of skating to me;) !! I love the adrenaline rush...but some people get so nervous, that I wonder why they put themselves thru it?

Also, some people get intimidated by the judges. But they're people who share the same love for the sport as we do, and are there doing what they do, because they want to do it!

[skaternum]

Well, looploop, next time I see you (in Atlanta?), I'll remind you not to suck! :P

[LoopLoop]

Originally posted by skaternum
Well, looploop, next time I see you (in Atlanta?), I'll remind you not to suck! :P

I wish I could come to Atlanta this year, but I'm going to be in a wedding in New England that week. Oh well.

[Elsy2]

Also, some people get intimidated by the judges. But they're people who share the same love for the sport as we do, and are there doing what they do, because they want to do it! [/B][/QUOTE]

I was competing in Ann Arbor where the judges sit up fairly high....As I took my starting pose I looked up and smiled at them....I had this brief flash in my mind and I suddenly saw all the judges wearing powdered wigs, and they all looked oh so stern! I felt like I was on trial, and yes, I was intimidated! 8O