Tips for a Strong Mental Attitude for Competition

Will (13) and Christina (8) during their 1998-99 pairs season when they won their first Junior Olympics/Junior Nationals medal.

Will (13) and Christina (8) during their 1998-99 pairs season when they won their first Junior Olympics/Junior Nationals medal.

Having competed in pairs skating for ten years, I learned various techniques to handle the pressures of competition and public performance. After that, I was a skating coach for a number of years. Here’s how I dealt with my students’ most common competition fears.

Usually the most common fear for new skating competitors is performing in front of an audience. The skaters fear they will make a mistake and embarrass themselves in front of their family and friends. The most common question new competitors asked me was, “What if I fall?”

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August 30, 2016

Competition Makeup Tips

When you compete in an event that is judged, appearance is typically taken into consideration. Even if there isn’t a mark for appearance, your appearance in how you present yourself can affect how the judges perceive your ability.

As much as it would be nice to believe that only ability is judged, the human eye tends to be drawn toward those who are well presented. If you’re in a sport such as figure skating and you’re female, makeup should be an important part of your competition regimen.

Here are competition makeup tips for figure skaters or anyone in a similar sport or art.

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February 10, 2012

Top 5 Performance Reminders for Skating Competitions

Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty performing the Finnstep at the 2009 European Championships (Photo by Liz Chastney)

Christina Chitwood and Mark Hanretty performing the Finnstep at the 2009 European Championships (Photo by Liz Chastney)

With regionals having recently ended, competitions for our students coming up the next two weekends, sectionals and nationals coming up, and the international competition season continuing, I want to provide some tips for any competitor, any level. Some of these may seem basic, but even the top competitors in the world sometimes forget to do them.

1. SMILE! :) Unless your coach has asked you to use a different expression to portray your program, you should be smiling!

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October 21, 2011

Top 7 Show Essentials

Christina and Mark Performing a Daft Punk Number. (Photo by Jane Vernon)

Christina and Mark Performing a Daft Punk Number. (Photo by Jane Vernon)

What are the most important things you need to perform? You may be skating in an ice show, acting in a play, performing in a concert, or modeling at a photo shoot. Whatever your performance or show, here are my top 7 show essentials.

1. Skates/shoes/equipment  

If you are an ice skater, it is going to be very difficult to skate without skates! If you are a ballerina to be performing on pointe, it will be tricky to perform without pointe shoes. Towels, guards, pads for feet, etc., are also important in helping you perform in your equipment. Remember your equipment! 

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January 28, 2011

Performing under Pressure

During the next two months in preparation for the State Games in March, I’ll be talking about how to perform your best in competition. I always say that competing should be for fun. Regardless of the placement, you need to enjoy the experience. Skating your best should be more rewarding than a trophy or first place finish.

But, I understand it’s always nice to receive an award for a job well done! An article from Sports Coach talks about performing under pressure and where pressure comes from. You can use the information not only for competition, but also in other life events that bring pressure.

January 13, 2011