Hi Skaters,
I'm a parent but I have a question for you. My daughter was in a show over the weekend and really choked on her Axel. Since she blew the first one, the blew the other 3 and even fell on one. Her axel was solid. It was a surprise to all how she did. This morning at practice she couldn't land it either. She two foots it. and is very discouraged. Her coach is very supportive and wonderful.

SO my question to you is have you ever lost a jump due to a bad experience and how long did it last? What things can I say to her to encourage her when she feels like dog doo.

Thank you so much for your input.
Sarah's mom

It happens, it can take a week at least to shake off the bugs/negative vibe or whatever is hindering the technique of the jump. During the summer I lose and have no choice but to leave the session without a lutz, flip or loop.

I read Sasha Cohen's book and at one time she couldnt do a loop at competition. She had to review tapes of her doing it so she can be reminded.

Not everybody can be perfect all the time, its all part of the learning process.

I'll bet she will be fine next week and other future competitions and exhibitions.

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Tim David's Website

Thank, You're so right. You can't always be perfect, but she tries. I actually think this experience will help her. She will be overjoyed if it takes only a week to get back. I should get her Sasha's book.

Don't want to scare you but I had my axel when I was 11-12 and then hit my final growth spurt at 13. The axel was gone. Took months to be consistent again.

Did she have the axel right 'til around a week before the competition? I've lost jumps before due to performance anxiety and they do come back after a week.

I'd had my loop jump for 3 weeks over a year and a half ago before I took a fall on a loop that essentially strained my groin muscle. Never got back that loop 'til very recently (and got the flip jump too as bonus!!! )

Be patient either way... Sarah will get her axel back... It just depends on the scenario...

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Yes, she was solid until a fall last Tuesday while working on a different program. She hurt her tail bone a little but was fine by Friday. She was hitting her jumps Saturday morning of the performance, but blew it SAturday night.

She has a planned competition in April, but I think we may back out. I don't think she needs the added stress of rushing.

And Summerkid, I'm aware of the growth spurt thing. That I'm sure will be down the road in the future. But no growth spurt here yet. Thankfully!

My daughter lost her axel for awhile when we moved and for awhile actually had 3 different coaches telling her something different. Also she used to have a pretty reliable double lutz and it took a loooong vacation and is only now coming back. She had to just go back to and relearn and review her technique.

j

As a kid, I lost my axel for about a week once right around the time of the ice show due to performance anxiety. It came right back once the show was done.

As an adult, I lost my lutz for 3 years and am just now getting it consistent again. I have no idea what caused me to lose it, but the lutz I'm doing now is bigger and stronger then what I was doing before, so it turned out for the best.

Hey my daughter is a Sarah too. If she doesn't want to compete, then she shouldn't compete...but ...if it's nerves and anxeity, the only way to beat that is to get out there and do it. Don't worry about winning or landing the axel, just look at it as more experience competing.

And I say this in all sympathy as a skating mom...you really should watch the "we" talk. "We" are not competing (unless you skate too like me) she is.

j

I had a really nice repertoire of jumps when I was 18. I came back to skating at 56 and, as I told someone the other day, I no longer leave the ice voluntarily! If I ever find any of them again, I'll let you know

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

I have a theory about really hard jumps. You start landing them, get excited, and then *poof* they disappear for a while. If you keep working on them, they'll be back stronger than ever. Does make you superstitious though - one of my students makes me tell her something funny before she practices her flip. Somehow, she lands it every time - must relieve the tension, huh?

Four axels in one program? Hmmmm....

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My own experience was with the axel. I worked really hard to land that beast, had it for about a month and then it just disappeared. It took me another two months of work to regain the axel and have it be consistent. Later, I used to frustrate my skating partner when I would skate once a month and still be able to pop an axel, but that only lasted for about 4 or 5 years. Now, I worry it's gone forever, but I started working on (very bad) waltz-loops in the hopes of resurrecting it again.

I'm more or less a member of Dianne's "Lost Jumpers" clan. I had beautiful jumps, all singles, an axel, and double loop. Stopped skating for ten years and they're all gone. (Teaching doesn't count as skating - imagine that!)

Now, I'm excited if I can land more than a half-rev jump. I'm always trying, though.

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OH yes i've lost jumps several times. usually its mostly a mental thing, or sometimes it's because of a growth spurt or something. I had most my doubles (up to double lutz sometimes) until last spring..then i was off the ice for 2 months and lost most of my jumps (i could do an axel which i've been doing since i was 11) it took me about 3 weeks for each jump to come back, and now almost a year later i'm finally able to improve just make sure she never gives up...you know what they say..1 step backwards then you might take 2 steps forwards

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dont eat me

[QUOTE=Isk8NYC;312176)

Four axels in one program? Hmmmm....[/QUOTE]


Oh sorry, I explained it wrong. I meant four axels in the whole show. She had two numbers each had two axels. Yeah..four axels in one program would be hard for almost anyone I imagine!

I've lost every jump I've had and I've gotten them back too. No worries.

Oh yeah, my lutz went for a short break a couple of months ago which was extremely weird since I've had that jump for years. Axel (which was never really there) went on a long break and is only just returning slowly

It happens. Don't worry. It will come back!

I tend to leave my jumps on planes, I pack them and they get lost in transit. When I get home there they are...

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Who me? Couldn't be....
http://www.youtube.com/bouldersk8r

Husband seems to have mislaid his loop this morning, so he said. And his flip enjoys playing hide-and-seek, too.... will he or won't he have one in his programme at the Mountain Cup? Watch this space.....

Mind you, he has expressed his firm intention of landing an axel before he is 60 - Dianne, he's the same age as you, and has not had the advantage of skating as a kid, so TAKE NOTE!

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

ADVANTAGE???? What @%#$^% "advantage"??? It's a DISadvantage to know that you were once half descent and lost it all well, all except the memories.....

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Dianne
(A.O.S.S.? Got it BAD! )

You'll get it back, just you wait and see!

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Mrs Redboots
~~~~~~~~
I love my computer because my friends live in it!
Ice dancers have lovely big curves!

Going through the same thing with my DD, she first landed her axel in September, had it solid in November, then one day at practice I had left her regular padded short at home and she had to use just a pad that slips in her tights. She had NO confidence in them, fell several times, and didnt land another one until January. Now she doesnt even use the shorts, just a pad - her choice - but that axel is such a mind thing, she still doesnt have all her confidence back. She has her double sal much more reliably. But - she also realized yesterday that her big problem is over-rotation. When she first learned it, she would have to really whip into it to get the 1 1/2 turn, but now that she is doing doubles, she realized she needed to slow the rotation down, not to throw herself into it so hard. So - she landed one really good yesterday - we shall see! Hang in there, it is really frustrating for the skater, especially if they had it solid before losing it. It can definitely be 90% mental!!

Spa Mama

Check for holes in your luggage. Maybe they're escaping before you leave for the plane. (Sorry! I couldn't resist...)

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Cheers,
jazzpants

11-04-2006: Shredded "Pre-Bronze FS for Life" Club Membership card!!!
Silver Moves is the next "Mission Impossible"
(Dare I try for Championship Adult Gold someday???)

Thank you for the support, you guys!!!

Well theoretically I've not got my flip and loop 100% back yet but I sprained my anckle some 5-6 weeks ago and the longer time passes from then, the more often they're there so I'm not too worried. Besides that's injury, not so much "loosing" jumps.

At some point I lost my toeloop, I didn't dare to jump anymore. So I went and practiced the approach and takeoff, but that's it - no rotation. At some point I told myself, what's the worst thing that could happen? You could fall. Comon, you've fallen on 3-turns and crossovers too, what's the big deal. The worst that could happen is you fall!
Next I went and tried one and I fell, and then I thought, see, that wasn't so bad.

With the flip, I keep telling myself, the flip is the easyer version of the lutz, the flip is the easyer version of the lutz...

A quick update. She landed it on Wednesday so she officially "lost" it for 5 days. She is so happy it's back. It looks good too. Yeah! Thanks for your advice.

Congrats!