5 Tools I am Continuing to Use to Prepare for Nationals!

Stepping Outside my Comfort Zone

When you choose to step outside your comfort zone regularly you hone your skills of becoming more adaptable, flexible and ‘go with the flow’. These are all traits that help athletes handle competition better. Following through with my decision to go to Nationals pushed the boundaries of my comfort zone. It would have been much more comfortable for me to watch from my living room, behind a screen, but I chose to ‘do it’ despite how I was feeling and the outcome was wonderful

Investing in Help

I realized that I couldn’t do it on my own and decided to invest in some marketing support. I worked with a team that specializes in trade show set ups and displays, removing that stress from me so that I could focus on what I do best – interacting and supporting the skaters! It is important for skaters to also invest in their off-ice training, whether it is in physical or mental training…you can’t do it all yourself! When you invest in help for the things you need help with, you create space for you to shine and do what you do best!

Coping with Nerves

Watching the skaters who I work with live, I noticed myself taking on a lot of their nerves. Perhaps it was because I used to be a skater, but for whatever reason this was a bit of a struggle for me during the competition. We adopt the energy of others around us and so it is important to have tools to cope with this. I used deep breathing in the nose and out the mouth to help relax me, as well as, self-affirmations to remind myself of my power.

Bringing my A Game

Self-affirmations also played a big role in helping me bring my A game. As well, I made sure I was in peak physical shape, with healthy eating, getting lots of sleep and taking vitamin supplements to boost my immunity leading up to the week at Nationals. It was important for me to present a strong, confident professional just like it is important for you as a skater to do the same!

Trusting my Training

This is something I tell my skaters before every competition. You put in so much time and effort day in and day out, to go out for a few minutes and bare it all. Trusting that you have done the work that will lead to your success, no matter what struggles may arise the week before or the days leading up to that moment. I had to remind myself of the training and experience I have that have made me the expert in mental training for skaters that I am today.