Competition Nerves

[fsk8r]

I'm looking for advice on how others handle the pre-skate stage fright. I've got the getting nervous bit down to a tee, but would like to be able to move beyond that and not have the "deer in the headlights" look when I'm skating. I'm only competing at Adult Bronze level so there's hardly loads of time to relax into the performance (although it feels like an eternity).

My current plan for my next competition is to go into it prepared (the last few competitions have always ended up rushed due to illness/injury/testing getting in the way) and I'm hoping that will help with the confidence. But beyond that, is there anything else I can do? 

[jumpingbeansmom]

I'm looking for advice on how others handle the pre-skate stage fright. I've got the getting nervous bit down to a tee, but would like to be able to move beyond that and not have the "deer in the headlights" look when I'm skating. I'm only competing at Adult Bronze level so there's hardly loads of time to relax into the performance (although it feels like an eternity).

My current plan for my next competition is to go into it prepared (the last few competitions have always ended up rushed due to illness/injury/testing getting in the way) and I'm hoping that will help with the confidence. But beyond that, is there anything else I can do? 

My dd is 10, and tends to nervous...not so much stage fright but I guess knowing this one COUNTS... her rink does performance Fridays and the skaters (and yes we have a couple adults...one is going to adult nationals this month) and all the parents etc. watch them do their competition programs in their costumes etc.   They totally simulate the competition environment with 5 minute warm up and such.   It seems to be helping her.   Maybe see if any rinks or clubs around do something like that?

[Skittl1321]

I've always found that if I don't let myself get nervous and think "this is no big deal, it's not like the results matter" I skate a lot worse than if I just let myself freak out for a week ahead of time.  By doing that, by the time I step out on the ice, I've let all the nerves go, and I skate pretty well.

[FigureSpins]

I really think being prepared is the best way to calm nerves on a regular basis.  Regular lessons, perfect practices, and double runthroughs are all good training tools.  Increase your on-ice time for two weeks before the event.

If you don't skate in front of an audience regularly, that rachets up the stress factor.  Try and find ways to make appearances.  Skittle skates at a mall rink - that's really putting you on display, so if there's a mall rink nearby, program runthroughs with strangers watching is good medicine.  If a nearby rink has a Program Practice session, sign up and hope for a crowd!

I agree with the "let's pretend this is the competition" approach.  I use it for pre-test/pre-competition trials with my skaters and it helps identify what that skater needs to do before they skate.  One of my skaters always has scratchy turns, so part of her warmup is always to quickly run through every turn twice with deeply bent knees and proper checking.  Another has stiff knees, so she has two fast circles of back crossovers to loosen her up a bit before she gets into the real warmup.  I also practice getting to the start and bowing/leaving the ice - every step matters.  I don't like seeing hunched-over toe pushers stomping to the start and then scurrying off the ice like quasimodo.

Have a plan for what you'll do while you wait to skate.  I have six or seven exercises that keep my students moving while they wait.  I get them to focus on their performance and not get distracted by others' music and programs.  Beginners will psych themselves out if they see a competitor do a great spin or jump.  In a very blase' manner, I run through the "what to do if..." steps.  (If you fall, get up and keep going.  If they play the wrong music, go to the referee.  If your CD fails, I have the backup.)


I've always been comfortable in front of an audience.  Guess I'm a show off, but one of the things I get complimented on is that I'm very calm in the waiting area.  I just wait and think about my program and my skating.  I've passed that calmness along to my own students.  "You worked for this, you're ready, time to shake out the butterflies and let them go their own way."

I started to write a long rant about someone who is a "stress giver" in the waiting-to-skate area, but decided against it.  Let's just suggest that you ignore what others are saying around you and focus on yourself.  If your coach's style doesn't keep you calm and prepared, you might want to put yourself on if you have the focus, or vice-versa.  It's best to surround yourself with cheerleaders who are calm rather than people who make you nervous.

[Skittl1321]

Good point about the mall rink... I'm comfortable about the idea of skating in a fishbowl.  A competition is a much more supportive atmosphere, because while everyone wants to do better than you, no one wants you to do poorly.  No one is going to point and laugh from the stands, but that happens daily at my rink (though not necessarily about me...one of the girls on our synchro team did moon -or at least flip her pants down- at passerby after he was laughing at a fall)

[Sierra]

My coach. If it wasn't for her I would be in pieces. She always says the right thing before I go out and skate. There is literally nothing else that will fix me. I'm not really a nervous person, but I do need some support before a skate.

I'm never going to feel ready. I could work on a program for ten months and not feel ready. And something will always fall apart the week before the competition. I haven't competed much but have started to identify patterns, and will play to those patterns to try to ensure a better skate.

I was totally calm at my last competition because on practice ice, I nailed every element, the unfamiliar ice didn't affect me a bit. Warmup was great too. Then I skated terribly. Nerves may be a good thing.

[jumpingbeansmom]

I really think being prepared is the best way to calm nerves on a regular basis.  Regular lessons, perfect practices, and double runthroughs are all good training tools. 

ITA!  My dd has been doing LOTS of run throughs and even though she fell on some of them, she still feels more prepared.  It is early in the season too, so there are lots of rough spots around for many of the skaters.   

[Purple Sparkly]

I was totally calm at my last competition because on practice ice, I nailed every element, the unfamiliar ice didn't affect me a bit. Warmup was great too. Then I skated terribly. Nerves may be a good thing.

We call it winning the warm-up and, unfortunately, you don't get a medal for it. 

[jumpingbeansmom]

We call it winning the warm-up and, unfortunately, you don't get a medal for it. 

My dd has done this...one time last year, on the warm up, she was the kid that you looked at and said oh man, I wish she wasn't in my kid's group-- then epic fail on the program... OYE

[fsk8r]

I really think being prepared is the best way to calm nerves on a regular basis.  Regular lessons, perfect practices, and double runthroughs are all good training tools.  Increase your on-ice time for two weeks before the event.

This seems to work for me when it comes to tests. I can feel all prepared and calm. But for competitions the nerves get me. I think it's the whole performance in front of other people. I'm OK for tests. The only person watching is my coach and the judge and I've convinced myself the judge is blind. For competitions I worry about what the people watching think. I don't like being the centre of attention. There also isn't that nice moment where the judges introduce themselves to you before you skate like there is at a test.

I love the idea of having people put on a little gala on a regular basis, however I can't see that flying at my rink as the timetable is already overpacked (we've got hockey and speed fighting for time and the rink is a council rink and is obliged to hold so many hours of public a day).

Is there anyway to fake the show-off personality? (as in fake it to me, so I convince myself to do it). Bizarrely I don't have this problem at work and can quite happily present to clients and hold my own. But when it comes to skating, I go to pieces. I suspect it's because at work I know I'm good and at skating I know I'm not (I can't be, I've not passed ALL the tests). 

[Doubletoe]

There's a saying my coach and I both love:
Nerves and butterflies are fine - they're a physical sign that you're mentally ready and eager.  You have to get the butterflies to fly in formation, that's the trick.  ~Steve Bull

In other words, the nerves will always be there, but you need to focus *through* them and override them.  The two techniques I use to help me do this are:
(1) deep, slow breathing before I step onto the ice (this actually stops the adrenaline response in the brain) and
(2) having cue words for every element, so that I am actively sending commands to my muscles at each moment, telling them what to do.  Because I choose cue words that give me the right timing, an added benefit is that this keeps me from rushing jump and spin entrances when I'm nervous.

I actually keep all of my cue words written down and I change them as needed.  The important thing is to use your cue words every time you practice your program or individual elements so that they become habit. 

[Doubletoe]

P.S.  As far as faking the show-off personality, I'm like you, i.e., not the type of person who likes to draw attention to myself.  A few years ago I purposely chose an energetic, dramatic piece of music that called for big movements on the ice.  I did it to force myself to expand my physical presence with bigger arm movements, more extension, etc.  Not only did it make me more comfortable "taking up space" on the ice, but the program was a huge success competitively.  Ask your coach to help you choreograph big movements, smiles, eye contact, head positions, etc., and have him/her call you on it if you water it down or don't do it.  These movements get included in my cue word list, too, so I can't ignore them just because I'm nervous.

[jjane45]

Just out of curiosity, how does competition nerve differ from testing nerve for our skaters?

[fsk8r]

I like the idea of music which means you've got to fake it. I'm hoping to do a free dance soon and the music I want to use would be that sort of large can't hide in the corner sort. I see it as a challenge, but I think I need to do it with dance and not free as the dance coach will come at it without the preconceptions of how I am as a skater.  While my free coach can see me developing, I think there are certain boxes I've been put in which are difficult to break out of (like the fact that I find arm movements difficult. It's not that they're difficult, it's just my brain is slower to get the arms to do something than the feet. The feet have been trained from all the skating, the arms are just slightly further behind!). 

[Sierra]

Just out of curiosity, how does competition nerve differ from testing nerve for our skaters?

I've only done one test so far, but I was the only person in the building who was actually excited to test. I told a friend I was excited and their jaw dropped- "How can you be excited?!! It's a test."
Can't wait for the next test session either, but the next competition, I just want to get it over with.

When I get into higher moves I will probably be more nervous, but the thought doesn't shake me as much as the thought of competing with doubles/complicated spins does. Guess I won't know until I actually am testing Juv or so.

[Skate@Delaware]

In addition to all of the great advice already given, consider skating during public sessions. You can do some of your moves (if permissible) during the session and "skate" to the music. It will help you get over some of the inhibitions you might be feeling for performing in front of people.

[fsk8r]

In addition to all of the great advice already given, consider skating during public sessions. You can do some of your moves (if permissible) during the session and "skate" to the music. It will help you get over some of the inhibitions you might be feeling for performing in front of people.

I'd love to be able to skate public, but unfortunately anything which vaguely looks like figure skating is banned, and we won't have any quiet public sessions until the hockey season finishes. Even the quiet public sessions are made busy because hockey have a third of the rink which crams the rest into less space. But that's a good idea for the future.

[Skate@Delaware]

I'd love to be able to skate public, but unfortunately anything which vaguely looks like figure skating is banned, and we won't have any quiet public sessions until the hockey season finishes. Even the quiet public sessions are made busy because hockey have a third of the rink which crams the rest into less space. But that's a good idea for the future.

that really does bite! My rink went through a time when we had those same rules. It sucked (but nothing prevented hockey skating at all).

[fsk8r]

that really does bite! My rink went through a time when we had those same rules. It sucked (but nothing prevented hockey skating at all).

Actually at my rink it's more about the public than the hockey. It's apparently the only rink which turns a profit, but all skating interest groups (figure, hockey, speed) hardly get a look in when it comes to ice time. Basically we get what's left over. However, the compromise to allow some interest groups use of the ice is the barrier giving them 1/3 of the rink. We need a second pad.
However, the no figure on public rules have been in place as long as the place has been open so we live with them. Ice time is just very very precious, which just means it's difficult to implement ideas to help overcome nerves by actually skating. I need mental strategies (as I've got LOTS of off-ice time!).

[fsk8r]

Well I ended up with a simulated competition gala skate including warm up through my synchro team. They kindly allowed me to use the last few minutes of practice and all cheered along. I went to pieces with the cheering (I've done this at official practice at synchro competitions as well). But having skated while wanting the ice to swallow me up, it was so much easier when I finally did the competition. I was actually quite relaxed for me. While I messed a couple of things up and didn't place as well as I would have liked (but then unless you win, no one ever does!). But being relatively relaxed in a competition was a whole new achievement for me. I just hope I can repeat it.
But I'm thinking simulated competition scenario is the way ahead... Now to master the art of smiling and looking up while skating...
But thank you for providing the suggestion of doing something like that. My initial thought on asking for some ice was a clear run through without playing dodgems, but having discovered the benefit of friends cheering creating nervous breakdown, I can see it is really actually quite worthwhile.