8 of the Best Competition Practices for Figure Skating

Do you ever experience jitters before a show or competition? We’ve all been there. Don’t fret—we’re here to help! PSA (Professional Skaters Association) surveyed top coaches to get their suggestions for the best figure skating competition practices. (You can view the full list in PS Magazine’s December/January 2012 issue.) Keep these great tips in mind to overcome your nerves and skate your best!

1. To pre-plan before the competition, discuss with your coach what to expect at the competition rink. Talk through the flow of the day and double-check equipment. This will help ease your mind for the big day.
2. A few weeks or days before, watch videos with your coach of good performances you’ve done within the past month. Seeing awesome examples of what you can do will boost your confidence.
3. In the days before, set 3 achievable goals for your performance with the help of your coach.
4. During the competition, warm up off the ice briefly to increase your heart rate and do some active stretching. Physically run through your routine off the ice and visualize step-by-step a clean program.
5. After warming up, find a quiet spot to focus on breathing.
6. While waiting to perform your program, talk with your coach about other things in general—how nice the rink looks, do you like the hotel, movies, books and other non-skating activities to keep the conversation light.
7. Remember that you’ve prepared for this. It’s just another practice.
8. And perhaps above all else: Have fun—after all, you’ve got the whole rink to yourself!

What else do you do to prepare for figure skating competitions? You can share below in the comment section. If you’re a coach, what advice would you like to share with skaters?