I'm noticing that when I skate I'm too aware of my feet, and by that I mean I'm too scared to not look down when doing crossovers or doing complicated things. I know it looks horrible to look down and I know I need to trust myself more. Any of you have any suggestions for that? Will it just come with time?

(Today was an exception because they didn't zam the ice after a hockey session so it was like skating on corrugated cardboard.... the ice was horrible and completely rutted up to the point if you didn't look where your skate was going and look down you'd either end up in a rut or run over one of the 7 tiny figure skaters who were horsing around and not watching where they skated)

And the thing is, even with crossovers, I know I can do them just fine, but it seems I always need that extra reassurance that I'm not going to trip.

Are you experiencing the "If I don't look at the ice, it will mysteriously disappear or melt." syndrome?

Fret not, I went through/am still going through that.

Just relax and raise your head. Look at your arms. You will look so much better and likely won't fall!

I have the same issue. Just gonna have to work on spotting something and not looking down.

It's such a bad habit that it actually does become an issue when you aren't looking down, because you aren't accustomed to skating with your head turned in the "appropriate" directions.

Usually worse going backwards than forwards, and once you get to jumps you will really see how it can bite you in the bum

Half of my issues with jumps involves me looking down, causing me to corkscrew when I go up. It's also an issue on landings. Have to train yourself to look down with your eyes and not your head, as a stepping stone to wean you off of looking down there altogether.

If you are looking down, you might not see someone coming at you in time to get out of the way! It is safer to be looking up.

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"You don't have to put an age limit on your dreams." - Dara Torres, 41, after her 2nd medal at the 2008 Olympics

I agree with Doubletoe - people who don't watch where they're going are on-ice hazards. They can't avoid collisions and often cause them.

I used to skate with someone who had terrible self-taught back crossovers: forced, fast and uncontrolled. The worst part: he had no idea of who was behind him because he was always looking at his skates. Like his feet might do something strange if he wasn't staring at them. It was terrifying to be spinning and hear him scratching down the ice in your direction! *shudders*

There is absolutely no good reason to watch your feet or the ice. The ice isn't going to melt, as SkateEN points out. If it's crummy ice, you have to be careful, but you shouldn't have to inspect. If it's that bad, ask for a refund of your session fee. You can move your body parts without looking at them - no telekinesis is required!

Looking down ruins your posture on the ice and causes "breaking at the waist," poor checking, and a distinct lack of control. Think about keeping your line of vision at or slightly above the top of the boards. It takes practice, but you can correct it. For skaters just starting out, it's important to stay away from this bad habit.

Think about watching where you're going. On back crossovers, look along your inside arm to the rear, about a 1/3 circle ahead of yourself - this aligns your shoulders so you don't accidentally turn forward. On forward crossovers, look across the center of the ice so your shoulders stay over the circle - that prevents tripping because you can find the edges more easily. On jumps, pick a target above the boards - it adds height to your jump and aligns your spine. For spins, eyes should be blurred and chin should be up. For spirals, look down the ice at a target above the boards so you get a good arch in your back and you find an axis to follow.

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Thanks for the advice everyone!

Isk8NYC, it's funny because I don't have that problem going backwards, I can keep my head up and posture just fine. It's going forwards and trying to not think about what my feet are doing that's the problem. It's good to know it can be corrected though!
There was a girl in the LTS class I took for review that kept looking down when she was doing stuff, and that's what made me REALLY aware that I was doing it.

was that girl me, lol - Really tho, that nasty habit is so badly ingrained now. - Fortunately, I stay well aware of what's going on around me, so I have never caused anyone else to fall, nor do I endanger anyone else.
Tho when someone's about to collide with me, I usually freeze & scream ; instead of hightailing it outa their way.)

I'm trying to break myself of that in stages, by allowing myself to look down (tho not at my feet ) for the first lap, then
I have the confidence to progressively look further ahead. I seem to also follow this pattern on whatever skills I'm practicing, which still are few.

I still need a spotter for learning to skate backwards,
as I'm so focused on learning the balance there, that I'm skating, as it were, blind - so I try to limit that practice to fairly empty Adult-sessions, where Skating-friends knows me 'little Annie' , & watch-out for me, as I skate with... the Traffic - Have you got any more helpful suggestions?
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with skating backwards, try skating along the wall so you have something to grab if you feel unsteady. Make sure to look over your shoulder (right if you're going counterclockwise on the rink, left if clockwise) and keep your arms slightly in front of you rather than to the sides. don't lean too far backwards and try to stay on the balls of your feet.

Thanks for your response

Forwards, I'm more likely to wanna depend on the wall, when I begin Crossovers.

I found I have to be at least 5 ft. away from the wall, practicing anything backwards, -
as somehow I perceive the wall as a hindrance.

I'm not to the point of looking anywhere ELSE yet, as leaving Back-swizzles
I'm still at the juncture, of learning to glide backwards on 1 foot. - Then again,
I find trying a beginner's back stroke, is easier than merely gliding. No idea why.

I apologize I'm now hi-jacking your thread, with my 'Beginning backwards' skating.
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I know it seems trivial, but make sure your boots fit correctly as well. It can affect your balance. Sometimes you get used to going one direction in them, but when you have to go the other way, the issue can become apparent.