Competition nerves

[shepherdess]

HELP!!!  Can anyone please, please give me some help  with pre-competition nerves.  I literally fall apart as soon as I get on the ice.  I am visibly wobbling, can't do my jumps (keep falling which I never usually do), forget my step sequences - basically skate as if I'm not capable of even being there! 
I am an adult skater over 40 and quite honestly need far longer than the usual 3 or 4 minutes to warm up which doesn't help.  That said, it's the nerves and the total lack of confidence this causes to mess it all up for me.  It's so frustrating because I know I can do so much better.
Is there anything I can do - any treatments (I've tried the herbal stuff and 'Rescue Remedy' which does nothing) which I can take which won't affect my ability or concentration?  Anyone recommend any books, video's or psychologcal treatments such as acupuncture or hypnotherapy?  Grateful for any suggestions!

[transmissionoftheflame]

I don't do skating competitions but I do play a fair bit of tennis.  Most of my tennis is practice rather than matches and when I started playing for points I always found I played well below the level I played in practice and felt very demoralised.  Initially I just tried to practice even harder so correct faults that emerged in matches.  This worked up to a point - the better your technique the more confident you are and this confidence will be harder to dent under pressure - but ultimately I realised that the biggest issue was mental.  I have talked about this with a lot of players and coaches and the consensus seems to be that the way to get good at matchplay is to play a lot of matches.  Eventually your subconscious realises you CAN make shots under pressure and you relax.  You also learn to focus (in a relaxed way) under pressure.  I think you have to at some point start enjoying the process, relishing the challenge.  It's remakably hard to do and you realise how good the professionals are at concentrating 100% point after point, shutting out the outside world.
Sorry, all this is rather obvious and I cannot offer any magic, but for me just persevering has worked.  Also I try to take positives out of every match - maybe I lost but played well, or maybe I played badly but even so I stuck to my gameplan and the execution was lacking because my timing was just a bit off that day. Of course improving your skating is going to help too - if your technique is solid and your spins or jumps NEVER go wrong in practice then you may start to believe they won't go wrong in competition either.  Perhaps too you could have your coach simulate competitions by watching you run your program and marking it, not allowing you to restart if you fall.  I still get nervous playing matches, and hate it when I play poorly, but I have started to accept that this is natural and that the situation can be improved over time, and that it is VERY COMMON for sports people to get nervous and underperform.  There may be some outliers who perform better under pressure, for most of us mere mortals I think it is the opposite.

[shepherdess]

Thank you so much for replying to my plea!!  Yes, I understand perfectly where you are coming from here.  It is definitely 80% mental.  I probably do need more practice to build up my confidence too, but even getting on there and doing a mediocre job of my programme with out falling or completely messing it up like I did last time, would be something.  I am going to research some visualisation techniques and try and learn to relax more pre-competition.  Its not going to be easy but - hey, nothing ever is!  Thanks again    Should add - I'm going to ask my coach go do as you suggest and mark my programme skated under competition rules.

[Greycut]

I'd agree it's definitely a nervous issue but to excel in anything you do need to be slightly nervous so it's about focusing those nervous energies. Not an easy thing to do.

I've found that you can do better by changing the little things. Pro sport people always have a set routine, remember every little thing thats distracted you in the past and make sure if doesn't happen again by setting it to a routine.
Familiarity - always scope out and ideally skate at the ring before a competition. The ice does feel different at different rinks.
I always Sharpen my skates before any competition and have one session after the sharpen to take the rawness away.
if the competition has a practise session make sure you go to it so you get a feel of the ice.  I've found competition ice is usually colder/harder.
Have a set routine in the warm up, don't just do your program.  Exercises to get your knees loose are a must, cross rolls, hydroglides.
Have a smiling competition with your coach before you go on.  It's funny but smiling really does help take away the nerves.

[shepherdess]

I totally agree with the familiarity issue, but in competitions its very difficult as you are invariably at a different rink under different circumstances than your usual training skate!  I am always at my very best after a good half an hour warm up, at my home rink, amongst my friends with my music playing on my MP3 player.  Take that away and I'm struggling.  The different ice is also a problem.  I'm at Sheffield (if I don't throw in the towel and withdraw) for BACS in a couple of weeks and I'm going to have a go on one of their ice pads before the competition to test the ice, which by what I can remember from last time, is very hard!!

Now the smiling thing is odd - I watched myself on a video my son had taken during a competition last year and I look about 90!!  My face was ashen and I looked terrified!  (I WAS terrified!!)  I didn't skate well, needless to say.  So, again, another thing for me to try.  It makes perfect sense to at least try to look as if you are enjoying yourself.    But, it will feel odd because I will probably feel the same inside - petrified!!

[skatey]

Maybe this would be of interest to you

https://www.icecoolconfidence.com/adult-skaters-competition-masterclass/

[shepherdess]

This looks great - I'm going to have a thorough look at this.  Many thanks!!