Conquering on ice nerves?

[Landing~Lutzes]

I have never thought of myself as one who gets nervous until i started competing and performing in skating. I have found that i don't get too nervous before getting on the ice, but the second i hit the ice, the nerves get to me and i lose all confidence and power in my skating. I also notice that i tremble and feel somewhat weak.
Does anyone have any advice for combating nerves?
Thanks  :-)

[SynchKat]

You can try visualising.  Visualise your warm up and skating your program.  We were always taught to do this.  Other than that you just have to compete and perform over and over again to get used to it.

[supra]

I think one of the greatest examples of conquering the nerves ever.

[AgnesNitt]

I sympathize.

I thought I was a cool customer until I took my first dance test.

I've briefed very senior government officials, including appointees, and never felt that nervous.

[fsk8r]

I'm slowly learning to conquer my nerves. I've found I skate best once I've burned off the adrenalin so I'm the mad one running around outside before tests and competitions so I'm so tired I can't let the nerves affect me. I can still have a complete humiliating meltdown in front of people.

[VAsk8r]

Make sure you have something light in your stomach, even if it's early. And by "something" I don't mean just coffee. A granola bar and a banana on my way to the rink are my staples. If I'll be skating a few hours after lunch, I eat something  for lunch I know won't sit too heavy in my stomach or give me indigestion but yet won't leave me starving three hours later.

You might think what you eat has nothing to do with your nerves, but I've found only having coffee in my stomach or having nothing in my stomach really adds to my jitters and the nervous feeling in my stomach.

My coach told me to imagine all the judges as someone else. We were joking about one in particular being old and cranky, so I told her I'd try to visualize Taylor Lautner instead.

This is more for before I get on the ice, but I also remind myself that it's only a competition, I've worked hard, and how I skate and my placement really says absolutely nothing about who I am as a person nor does it have any effect on my future. I find it funny I get more nervous before skating competitions than I ever did before any test in school, even ones that determined semester grades.

[Rachelsk8s]

I am exactly like you!!  Although, I have found that the more I have competed/tested, the less my nerves have taken over.  My first few competitions and tests I was fine up until I hit the ice for warm up, I became a nervous Nelly including feeling weak and so jittery that my legs literally felt like jello!!  I was NEVER like that as a kid I've talked to my coach about it and she told me that the more you do it the better it becomes, and I've found her advice to be true.  I do still get nervous but not nearly as nervous as I was

[jjane45]

Coming off my first "official test" in moves and dance today, I was surprised how calm I was. IMHO it really depends on my comfort level with what I present out there on the ice, pretty sure nerves would catch up with me on the silver moves.

And practice makes perfect!!

[Doubletoe]

Slow, deep breathing before you take the ice will stop that fight-or-flight mechanism in your brain that makes you shaky.  Also, it helps to keep your legs warm and shake them out as you get ready to take the ice.

[RosiePosie.iskates]

I have just started being able to control my nerves at competitions. Before I would tremble so bad I couldn't skate correctly.
Try not to watch the people skate who are competing against you. Just as you are waiting to go on the ice, turn your back to the ice and visualize your perfect program in you mind.
Does the coldness of the rink get to you? It always freaked me out! I would take my jacket off to do my program and the cold wind on my bare arms scared me to death! So to fix this, I would jump around before my program. I would do jumping jacks, jogging in place, or just anything to keep my muscles warm.
Talking to your coach also helps, he or she will know what it's like to be nervous.
Take avantage of your warm up. This prepares you for how hard or soft the ice is, and how your blades feel on it. I would get sooo uptight and stiff during my warmup that the ice's feeling would get to me, because I don't compete at my home rink.  Just think, everyone is going to compete on the SAME ice as you, so if the ice happens to be a bit harder than usual, you won't be the only one dealing with that problem. Everyone will.
If time allows, watch litttle kids skate. Seeing how they smile and are having fun always makes me forget my nerves and relax.

Hope I helped and best of luck!

[SynchKat]

Supra's video was great.  I find dancing around and acting silly helps a lot.  It is almost like you convince yourself that you are calm and relaxed enou to act silly. 

What about for on the warm up just stroking around to get the "feel" of the ice?  I always found warm ups stressful because what if something goes wrong. 

I think it is human to have buttflies in your tummy and to feel a bit nervous but as I said before the more you do it thie easier it gets.

[Live2Sk8]

I have my 5-minute warmup planned out.  I know what elements I will be practicing and in which order.  It helps me a lot - my first competition, I just skated aimlessly in a circle and kept trying the same element over and over (with less and less success) until my coach called me over and told me what to focus on.  I still get nervous but having a plan helps.  I still get the shaky legs sometimes, too - will try the deep, controlled breathing next time.  Love the tips everyone has posted!  I also get much more nervous about skating competitions or tests than I ever did with academic tests.  I think I knew I would do very well on the academic tests but for skating - I'm going more on effort than talent, that's for sure!   

[Landing~Lutzes]

Hey everyone,
Thanks so much for all of the advice! This past week i tried to apply these tips when performing and while it went better than last time, i still find myself very shaky when i take the ice, which effects  my skating. I am fine when waiting to take the ice, but right before i start i being the trembling. Any advice for the trembling?

[RosiePosie.iskates]

I do this ALL the time too. It's soo annoying. I've found that after each breath you inhale, exhale really deeply. It makes me focus on easy breathibg and not so much on shaking uncontrollabley.
Just relax! I know it sounds totally impossible while you're so nervous, but it really does help.Try visualizing the end of your program, and you bowing, then skating off the ice. Before you know it, it'll all be over!
hope this helps!

[jjane45]

When it comes to testing / competition / shows, what makes the skater more nervous compared to usual practices? 

Being alone on the ice? Being judged under scrutiny? (I've always felt figures judges are intimidating)
High expectation? Worry of failure? Too much attention from audience? Different apparel or venue?

[Live2Sk8]

I love being alone on the ice!  What makes me more nervous, from jjane's list, are these two: being judged under scrutiny, and fear of failure.  And I suppose this is tied into fear of failure, but not wanting people to think I am ridiculous for being out there.  That last one is silly - I get a lot of support from the parents of the 'younger' skaters, I have support from other adult skaters, and who cares if someone thinks I am ridiculous - at least I am getting exercise, trying hard, and having a lot of fun.

[jjane45]

Oh I think I left out a big one: fear to disappoint the coach.

It was not obvious in my freestyle / MITF testing, but for testing partnered dance (preliminary), I kept messing up the endings of each dance in warm up, and really worried about disappointing Partnering Coach with silly mistakes in the actual test and make him look bad. Fortunately once the test started I forgot about it all.

[Live2Sk8]

Jjane, fear of disappointing coach is a good one.  I think I have that one, too. 

[jjane45]

After my ice show solo I spoke with coach, and he mentioned how skaters tend to lose power (compared to practices) when they skate in tests, competitions, or shows etc. He felt it's usually 15-20% power loss on average, and considered "only" 5-7% power loss to be pretty decent. I have never thought about on-ice nerves in this way. Your thoughts?

[fsk8r]

After my ice show solo I spoke with coach, and he mentioned how skaters tend to lose power (compared to practices) when they skate in tests, competitions, or shows etc. He felt it's usually 15-20% power loss on average, and considered "only" 5-7% power loss to be pretty decent. I have never thought about on-ice nerves in this way. Your thoughts?

I'm not sure I'd agree with that. Whenever I've skated a program under competition/test conditions I find I go faster and always find "spare" time at the end of the program. It's only in my free dance where I'm spot on time.

[jjane45]

That's what Ｉ thought too: nerves may make skaters finish ahead of time.

On the other hand, it's still possible to lose power, say the location of each element is slightly shifted, or the ice coverage is compromised.

[Clarice]

Yes, I think it's possible to both rush and skate with less power, as a reaction to nerves.  When I'm nervous, I tend to stiffen up, and stiff knees translate to less power.  Increased adrenaline contributes to rushing.  I try to focus on my breathing.  That helps me relax, and shifts attention away from the negative thoughts that are running through my head.

[ChristyRN]

  I try to focus on my breathing. 

Wait, we're supposed to breathe??  Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong.

[jjane45]

Wait, we're supposed to breathe??  Maybe that's what I'm doing wrong.

Breathing is the hardest part in the whole thing! If you haven't done so, ask your coach to choreograph "deep breathe" spots into the program, usually a slower moment between elements 

[ChristyRN]

Breathing is the hardest part in the whole thing! If you haven't done so, ask your coach to choreograph "deep breathe" spots into the program, usually a slower moment between elements 

She tells me to breathe all the time.  I'm usually so focused on what I'm doing that I forget to breathe.  When I actively remind myself to, I lose focus on what I was doing.  It's crazy!