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Sunday, March 25, 2012

Competition Tip #7: Positive Attitude

Figure skating is by no means an "easy" sport. Every skater goes through that feeling of "losing" a jump, or having a "bad spin day". When such things happen just before competition, it brings on more stress.


[Picture adapated from photo by David W. Carmichael (http://davecskatingphoto.com)]

Tip #7: Be Positive

Your attitude towards what you do is very important. Athletes who adopt a positive attitude can overcome setbacks and stay strong. When you are training or preparing for competition, always

adopt a positive attitude

When you fall on a jump, how do you react? A skater who becomes angry at the fall is focusing on the wrong issue. Instead, focus on how to improve the jump. Thus, rather than being upset at "losing the Axel" during a practice session, think about how to make it more consistent so it will not be "lost" again.

As you run through your program, do you get worked up for not landing a jump, or tripping up your step sequence? Right, mistakes happen, but you cannot turn back the clock and fix it. Missing that opening double-double in your program cannot be undone, but the rest of your program lies ahead... One mistake must not ruin your entire program. Focus on making the rest of the program perfect. The same goes for practice and training. Always move forward and make the next attempt (or element) better.

As you take on a positive attitude in your training and towards the competition, you will find that you will be able to triumph over adversity, resolve problems in your skating and make yourself a better skater!

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