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!
2. Perform with energy! When you’re skating, you should be skating as fast as you can, making your muscles and lines as long as you can, using your arms with energy, and creating excitement throughout your whole body.
3. Do your best! This has nothing to do with placement. This is about you going out on the ice and skating your heart out.
4. Enjoy your performance! Performing is an amazing opportunity. No matter what happens in your skate, after your skate, or in your competitors’ performances, this is your chance to go out there and have the time of your life.
5. If something happens, keep on going! If you trip, if you fall, if you forget your program … keep on going, do the best you can, and remember that what happens happens. The main thing is to keep on going and try to do your best from there. Everybody makes mistakes sometimes, so you can acknowledge it and learn from it. As long as you’re trying to do your best, be happy with the rest of your skate.
Remember that the most important thing about skating competitions is your performance, not the placement. You’ve practiced hard to get to where you are, and the only thing you have control over is trying to do your best performance.
All the other skaters in your event are competing, too, and only 3 or 4 people can receive medals. Just because you might not get a medal every time doesn’t mean you didn’t have a great skate yourself. Remember the positive things about your skate and the good things your coach tells you. No matter what your placement is, you can still be happy about the competition and learn a lot in the process.
For more skating competition ideas, see Top Tips for Skating Competitions.
Good luck to our students, and good luck to you! 🙂
Photo of me, Christina Chitwood, and Mark Hanretty. Photo used with permission from Liz Chastney.
That’s a great picture there! My niece just started ice skating and she seems to love it a lot. Whether she do it just for hobby or sport, I will definitely be supporting her! Thank so much for the tips! I’ll be sure to teach her aboutit!
Thanks for your comment! I’m glad your like the tips and picture! It’s fantastic your niece has you support no matter what. That will make such a huge impact on her future. Good luck to you both! 🙂
I used to join skating competitions when I was in high school. But after I got married, it’s all about the family. Wish I could go back to those time, but unfortunately, I don;t think it can still be called figure skating! Since I’ve lost my figure a long time ago! LOL!
Thanks for your comment! That’s great that you enjoyed competing in figure skating in the past. There are many parents that compete in adult competitions, and they are all shapes and sizes. It is a great way to keep fit and enjoy something that you love! You could definitely get back into it as a hobby if you want to!
Wonderful picture there! My sisiter just started ice skating and she seems to love it a lot. Whether she do it just for hobby or sport, I will definitely be supporting her! Thank for sharing.
Thanks for your comment, Nathan! That’s great your sister loves ice skating. I wish her and your family all the best with it! Happy holidays. 🙂