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?”