Getting Psyched For A Competition

Getting ready for competition day is more than just making sure that you can do all your elements and that you have your program choreography down pat. If you want to get the best scores, you have to shine when you get out there. You need to look like you aren't nervous at all, even if you feel like you could explode at any minute. You need to make the program look like it's easy, like you aren't worried about a thing. You need to smile. But how can you do all that when your palms are sweating and you feel your knees shaking as you step out onto the ice?

There are a lot of things that you can do to prepare for a competition that help you with the nerves, make you look and feel more confident, and leave people with the impression that you shined like a star out there. Some of that preparation is a matter of building up habits even during practice, and some of it is what Granny Weatherwax in Terry Pratchett's Discworld novels
would call "Headology".

Forming Positive Habits

What you do intentionally in practice will happen automatically on competition day. If you always remember to smile when you do your program during practice, you will smile without thinking about it when you are most under pressure. If you always remind yourself to skate with your arms up high, your chin up, and your eyes up during practice, the habit will serve you well when you stand before an audience and judges.

In practice, it's easy to think that it doesn't matter so much what you do with your hands your head and your eyes, as long as you manage to get the move technically correct, but that's not true at all. For one thing, if you've been paying attention to the rest of this blog, you'll know already that every little thing you do makes a big difference in the execution of your skating elements. A little tilt of the head can turn into a big change in edge at ice level. But even if you've learned to compensate for your downward-pointing eyes and still land that axel, come competition day, you'll look like you lost something on the ice while you skate your program. Don't go there! Get those eyes up!

Whenever you skate your program, look for that imaginary audience around you. Keep your head up, and make eye contact with those imaginary people so that you can (imaginarily) make them each feel like you made a connection with them. That exercise will make it automatic to do the same thing when you really do have an audience. Judges are human, too, and when they feel that you've connected with them, they will feel more positive about your whole performance.

Competition Headology

I have a bunch of pre-competition routines that seem a bit like some sort of magic hocus pocus. Really, they are psychological tricks, brain hacks that help reduce stress and anxiety and improve performance. These basic exercises are great not only for ice skating competitions, but for any kind of performance anxiety situation. You can use these same tricks when you are going to speak in front of a group or when you are going to perform in a play.

1. Breathe. Sounds obvious, right? Except that it's not. When you are stressed out, your breath gets shallower and shallower, and you are likely to just hold your breath for long stretches of time without even noticing it. Now, if you are in a stressful situation where you are going to have to run away from a tiger or play dead, this might be useful. The shallow breathing goes along with an up tick in your body's production of adrenaline, and holding your breath will help you be really still so the tiger doesn't want you. But, if you are in an ice rink instead of the jungle, that's not so useful.

Every so often, check in with your body. Do you feel tension in your chest? Have you been breathing properly?

Take a moment to regulate your breathing. Breathe from your diaphragm, not from your shoulders. (If you are new to diaphragmatic breathing, the exercise on that last link is really helpful!) After you've been aware of a few healthy breaths, shift your attention back to the other things you need to deal with. When you start to feel stress again, or if you suddenly notice tension in your chest or shoulders, take a moment to pay attention to your breath again. Repeat as often as necessary.

2. The ball of golden light. Imagine a ball of golden yellow light in the center of your body. Imagine that this ball represents your charisma. When someone says that your personality shines, they are talking about that golden light shining from your pores. When people see that light, they feel good. The golden light makes people feel good, and then sense that it's coming from you, so that makes them feel good about you. Only, when you are stressed out or shy or are feeling like you want to pull away from people, that golden light shrinks into a tiny ball in the center of you where it hides.

While you are getting ready for that competition, imagine that golden yellow ball growing and growing. It's warm energy shines out of you, and everyone can see it. You can especially feel it shining from the top of your chest and your face. It makes you feel strong and confident, and you know that everyone sees you shining.

As you step out onto the ice and skate a quick lap before getting into position for the start of your program, check in to that ball of golden yellow light one last time. Feel it shining through you. Hold your head up high and know that as you pass each member of the audience and as you pass the judges booth, everyone sees you shining. For this moment they are entranced with you. They want to see you. Watching you is fun. Watching you feels great.

Then, as you step into position, know that you will keep shining throughout the program. For these next few minutes you own the ice. Enjoy it.