Troubled skater | Golden Skate

Troubled skater

Myblade

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
I guess I would be counted as a newbie in the world of figure skating. I have been skating a measly 2 1/2 years now, and I am working on my first figure skating program.I am in pre-preliminary free skate and preliminary moves, but I will be competing in no test. I started relatively late, at 11. I have been working with my coach on my program for some time now, as it has just been finished. My coach says I am not going fast enough and that I am not graceful enough. I accept this criticism, because it is probably true, but I just don't feel like I get it. The program has yet to "click" for me. A lot of the elements in my program i can't do consistently.( is this normal? ). My coach keeps on saying I need to work on this or i need to work on that, but she never even taught me the things she put in my program!!! I don't think my program flows really well either.

We (my coach and I) have also been thinking about competition. I have done ONE competition before, but it was a moves competition, and I received dead last. I kind of lost confidence in myself, because, unfortunately I have a lot of pride and I lost against 8 year olds ( I am 13). I really don't want to suffer that kind of embarrassment again. And even worse, a lot of my competitors also have my coach, and I'm pretty sure she believes in them more than me. I have a really competitive environment at my rink and almost everybody is better than me, so I get really self-conscious at the public sessions also.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but i just needed to get it out. I love this sport, but sometimes I just wonder if I'm actually improving. The lessons at my rink are really extremely expensive- $50 per 30 min! And I don't have the highest level coach either. I know it is hard to see day to day improvement, but working in a negative environment and trying to stay positive is really hard. My parents don't really want to spend money on me skating, because they know I'm not going to the Olympics so they think that it is a waste and that I won't get anywhere with it.

I guess I am just looking for some reassurment and advice. I know I should just deal with it and go on, but it's hard. Im sorry if I'm bothering you....
 

bwayrose7

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 1, 2014
My situation is very different from yours, although I've been skating for about 2 years also. I didn't start til my early 20s, and I took around 8 months off because of some migraine issues I had last year, so you're way ahead of me!

But maybe I can reassure you a little about your confidence and feeling, if not the technical side of things. To be blunt, skate because you love it, and work at the pace that works for you. You say you aren't aiming for elite competition, so the main concern IMO is what you enjoy. Although, your parents would be incorrect to think that not being an elite competitor equals "a waste" and "not getting anywhere." You can mark achievement by passing the different "medal" levels without the pressure of competition, and feel the pride in that individual achievement. On a practical note, listing that as a "special achievement" down the line for college applications is something that will make you look well-rounded and determined to follow through (take it from a girl who survived applying to college AND grad school).

Perhaps that might be a less pressure, more satisfying way to measure your achievements: focus on passing tests rather than the constant worry of measuring yourself against others whose situations in life/training/natural skill or lack thereof you can't possibly know. Make it about what you can do!

And, as a side note, don't feel too embarrassed about feeling like you're the worst one on the rink. I can assure you, you're not :) But I totally get how uncomfortable it feels to have kids half your age (or even younger, in my case) whipping around doing moves you can't fathom. Ignore them- they're ignoring you, believe me. Talk to your coach about your concerns, and see if you can come up with a more individualized plan. Unless you have your heart set on competing, a less competitive and more at-your-own-pace approach might be better for your sanity and your love of the sport.

Hope this helps! And good luck! :agree:
 

Seren

Wakabond Forever
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2014
I'm sorry you are feeling frustrated. While I don't know how you feel, maybe my experiences can help you somehow.

I started skating when I was 7 but was never very good. I could only skate 1 day a week (besides synchro where I was also the worst on the team) and pretty quickly fell behind the other skaters I had started with. When I was in high school I stopped participating in the ice show because I was embarrassed to be put in groups with skaters a lot younger than me. I compared myself to everyone else and found myself somehow less than everyone else. I wasn't as talented, I wasn't as good, I wasn't as fast, I wasn't as graceful, the list could have gone on forever. By the time I finished high school I was done. I hated skating and how horrible it had made me feel about myself.

As an adult in my late 20's I started thinking that maybe it wasn't skating that had made me feel so badly, maybe it was how I had let other people influence how I felt about something I loved. I started skating again a year and a half ago and I have really learned to love it again. My perspective as an adult has completely changed too, I skate for me, I skate because I love it. I don't really care what anyone else thinks about my skating. That doesn't mean I don't get nervous before testing or competing, but I'm not nervous about what other people will think. There are definitely times where I'm still too slow, or fall on something that's usually easy or just have a terrible day at practice but it's just that, one day.

So what that you're never going to the Olympics. I'm pretty sure none of your coaches other students are either. Skate for yourself. Skating is something you can do for your entire life. Sometimes it's frustrating when you hit a point where you feel you are not improving but keep being persistent. And I agree with bwayrose, talk with your coach. If you let them know how you are feeling, chances are they will better know how to help you.

Good luck!
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
I'm going to be blunt: how on earth is a coach supposed to believe in a student who doesn't believe in themselves, who thinks losing at a competition is the most horrible embarrassing thing, and who makes unrealistic comparisons and gets embarrassed in just practice sessions?

Truly, a lot of this at some point is just about getting over yourself. There will always be someone worse than you and there will always be someone better than you. Sometimes they're younger. If you're going to let that stop you then I guess you really don't love this sport.

How long have you been working on your program? It can take a while for a program to "settle" into the body and for the movement to become second nature. As to the "faster" comment - goodness, it's all I ever hear when people are starting programs at my rink. I've had my share of "faster! Push!" yelled at me. (Usually followed by: "breathe!").

The only concerning thing is elements being put in your program that you haven't been taught yet. Have you approached your coach about this? By that I mean approached them sensibly, and said, "I'm sorry, I'm not sure we've covered this yet, can we work on this?"
 

Ployliesk8

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 8, 2015
I guess I would be counted as a newbie in the world of figure skating. I have been skating a measly 2 1/2 years now, and I am working on my first figure skating program.I am in pre-preliminary free skate and preliminary moves, but I will be competing in no test. I started relatively late, at 11. I have been working with my coach on my program for some time now, as it has just been finished. My coach says I am not going fast enough and that I am not graceful enough. I accept this criticism, because it is probably true, but I just don't feel like I get it. The program has yet to "click" for me. A lot of the elements in my program i can't do consistently.( is this normal? ). My coach keeps on saying I need to work on this or i need to work on that, but she never even taught me the things she put in my program!!! I don't think my program flows really well either.

We (my coach and I) have also been thinking about competition. I have done ONE competition before, but it was a moves competition, and I received dead last. I kind of lost confidence in myself, because, unfortunately I have a lot of pride and I lost against 8 year olds ( I am 13). I really don't want to suffer that kind of embarrassment again. And even worse, a lot of my competitors also have my coach, and I'm pretty sure she believes in them more than me. I have a really competitive environment at my rink and almost everybody is better than me, so I get really self-conscious at the public sessions also.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but i just needed to get it out. I love this sport, but sometimes I just wonder if I'm actually improving. The lessons at my rink are really extremely expensive- $50 per 30 min! And I don't have the highest level coach either. I know it is hard to see day to day improvement, but working in a negative environment and trying to stay positive is really hard. My parents don't really want to spend money on me skating, because they know I'm not going to the Olympics so they think that it is a waste and that I won't get anywhere with it.

I guess I am just looking for some reassurment and advice. I know I should just deal with it and go on, but it's hard. Im sorry if I'm bothering you....

I think I do understand how you feel. I think that my situation is kinda same as yours. I've been skating for four years now, and have been through lots of competitions but as I get older, my coach starts saying that I'm too old to improve now. I'm also the same age as you, thirteen, so I guess I know how you feel. I also have a little sister who is now going to get better than me soon and as I grow, I start to wonder why I haven't quitted skating yet. You should think that you're skating because you love it and you want to do your best. Your goal should be to do your best and be happy when you did it. Just think that there's going to be no regrets in whatever you do since you are skating because you love it.
Good luck! Hope this is helping you :agree:
 

Tavi...

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 10, 2014
I guess I would be counted as a newbie in the world of figure skating. I have been skating a measly 2 1/2 years now, and I am working on my first figure skating program.I am in pre-preliminary free skate and preliminary moves, but I will be competing in no test. I started relatively late, at 11. I have been working with my coach on my program for some time now, as it has just been finished. My coach says I am not going fast enough and that I am not graceful enough. I accept this criticism, because it is probably true, but I just don't feel like I get it. The program has yet to "click" for me. A lot of the elements in my program i can't do consistently.( is this normal? ). My coach keeps on saying I need to work on this or i need to work on that, but she never even taught me the things she put in my program!!! I don't think my program flows really well either.

We (my coach and I) have also been thinking about competition. I have done ONE competition before, but it was a moves competition, and I received dead last. I kind of lost confidence in myself, because, unfortunately I have a lot of pride and I lost against 8 year olds ( I am 13). I really don't want to suffer that kind of embarrassment again. And even worse, a lot of my competitors also have my coach, and I'm pretty sure she believes in them more than me. I have a really competitive environment at my rink and almost everybody is better than me, so I get really self-conscious at the public sessions also.

I'm sorry if this sounds like a rant, but i just needed to get it out. I love this sport, but sometimes I just wonder if I'm actually improving. The lessons at my rink are really extremely expensive- $50 per 30 min! And I don't have the highest level coach either. I know it is hard to see day to day improvement, but working in a negative environment and trying to stay positive is really hard. My parents don't really want to spend money on me skating, because they know I'm not going to the Olympics so they think that it is a waste and that I won't get anywhere with it.

I guess I am just looking for some reassurment and advice. I know I should just deal with it and go on, but it's hard. Im sorry if I'm bothering you....

Hi - The first thing I want to say is that you should be really proud of what you've accomplished in the past 2-1/2 years - there are a lot of people who won't ever be able to do the jumps and moves you're working on! But I'm curious about a couple of things: (1) why do you skate? and (2) do you like and trust your coach, and do you feel like you can talk to her? Because I can't really tell from what you've written here, and these things are kind of important. Another thing: Do you want to compete or is your coach pushing you to do it? As to your program: it's often hard to do something completely new. If you're putting together a program for the first time, there's a lot to think about: you've got music. You are combining elements you've learned in isolation - let's say a couple of jumps and spins and some footwork. Maybe there are a couple of new steps or transitions to help the program flow. So of course it's normal to be uncomfortable at first. You said you're having trouble doing certain elements consistently. Can you do each one consistently in isolation? If so, but you're have problems in the program, maybe there's something about what you're doing right before or after it that's causing the problems. Or maybe you need to pace yourself better. If you can't figure out what's wrong, you need to ask your coach for help. Once you get the sequence of movements into your body, you can focus on making them more graceful and improving your speed. Your program may be designed to stretch you and teach you to do new things, but I wouldn't compete it until you are completely comfortable with it. Testing and competing adds a whole new level of pressure, and you don't want to add that pressure until you can basically do the program in your sleep. Finally, I just wanted to mention that even Olympians struggle with new things - look what happened to Jason Brown last fall when he added a quad to his programs. If you really love to skate, just be patient and don't give up - keep working at it and eventually things will come. Good luck!
 

Chump12

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 30, 2015
To the OP: Less freaking out, more skating. Keep working at it. Don't worry about others. Focus on yourself.

To the girl whose coach told her that at 13 she can't improve anymore: Hahahahaha, not true. If you continue practising, you WILL improve and continue to do so throughout your life. Look at Ashley Wagner - still improving in her mid 20s. It becomes harder later on in life to do harder jumps but your skating skills can always get better.
 

Myblade

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Regarding my coach...I haven't been with her long-about 5 months. I recently had a coaching change. I guess i never feel 100% at ease with my coach because sometimes I get intimidated by her. There's like a pressure on me that I have to do things right the first time or else. However, i think she is a good coach and that over time, i will relax. But one major problem that I think I have is that my parents don't really get the chance to talk to my coach face-to-face. My parents don't pick me up right after the session, so I usually have to wait 10-20 min, and my coach has left by then. Also, my parents aren't like the other- they don't rush up to the coach and ask how i am doing. Honesty, I don't think they really even care to talk to my coach. I mean, I could talk to my coach myself, but I think she's really busy and she isn't the type to schedule meetings with parents- the parents have to go up to her.
 

Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~
Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 28, 2003
The best advice I can give as a former figure skater is skate for the joy of skating; you will never regret it. I started skating when I lived in Prince George at the age of 12. My dad made an ice rink in our back yard so my brother and I could get some extra practice. I loved skating from the first time I put my skates on. I never really thought about competing; my brother competed as an ice dancer. I just skated because I loved it. Now many years later, sadly my skates sit my closet waiting for me to put them on and glide across the ice. I even tried to return to the ice a couple of years ago and was delighted to find I can still skate! Those lessons stuck with me. Although I ended up not continuing I really enjoyed reliving those days. I encourage you to keep up your skating even if it is just for pleasure. You will never regret it. Competing is a tough road and not everyone is up to it. Just because you don't make it to the Olympics it does not mean you can't advance in the sport and even coach. I often wish I had made a career of my skating.
 

Sam-Skwantch

“I solemnly swear I’m up to no good”
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 29, 2013
Country
United-States
I think the things that put butterflies in your stomach and doubt in your mind are the best things to experience. Life begins at the edge of your comfort zone. Best wishes to you!
 

loopy

Final Flight
Joined
Nov 13, 2012
A lot of the elements in my program i can't do consistently.( is this normal? ) - Yes!!!!!!! My daughter's programs and even elite skaters start with hard programs for them and by the time they compete, some parts are removed or changed. A program is never really "done", it evolves over time.

Your mixed in with the 8 year olds because there are probably not enough skaters you age at that level. That happens when you start later. There isn't anything you can do about it until you have doubles and can move up to Open Juvenile. Even then you will probably be 16-17 and competing against 14 year olds. It's just the field, does it bother you enough to make you quit?

My suggestion is to decide if this is what you really want and you are going to need to work on your anger/negativity. Your parents are paying for your skating because it is what you want. If you want it, you will need to communicate with your coach yourself. For example the coach says do a catchfoot spin and you don't know how, say, okay and try and fail and then ask, how can I make this better? Ask her what two things you should be reviewing at practices and what two things should you work on learning. Also check your face - are you unintentionally telling your coach you don't care very much? Some kids/teens can get sullen when they are corrected, glance in the glass to make sure you are open and receptive to what they are saying.

Personally, I'd skip competing until the communication is worked out with your coach. Work on elements and speed. Did you test Preliminary and Prepre with US Figure skating? Here this is always the rule: Level will be determined by the highest Free Skate test passed. Skaters may compete at the highest level they have passed, or “skate up” to one level higher. Skaters can't skate down levels.

You are your own motivator and cheerleader, figure out how you can be the best one for yourself. At a public tell yourself to carry yourself like a skater shoulders down and back, head up. Pretend the confidence until you feel it. Focus on your skating to block out the other people on the ice.

As a parent I am adding: Practice gratitude. Thank the coach for the lesson, thank your parents for the lessons and driving and ice time. Making sure to do it after every lesson and time on the ice it can mean a lot to the adults in your life and will make them look for more opportunities for you to do things you enjoy. There was a study - athletes with higher levels of gratitude increased their self-esteem over time when they had higher affective trust in their coaches.

I think Sam-Skwantch is right on with their assessment.
 

MalAssada

Medalist
Joined
Jun 28, 2014
I can honestly relate to your experience, although there is no ice on mine (I roller skate with the same moves).
After getting kid's skates when I was 10, I lost interest upon entering Brazil's version of secondary school and never picked it again until Sochi. Obviously, the skates did not fit. It was only 18 months later that I found classes, in September 2015.

So, I started skating. My city is not small, at 700k people, but there is no skating tradition so there was only one place with one coach. The only other person skating was an incredible eleven year old. While at first it made me angry, because she was that good, I learned not to mind - she is a lovely girl and I now consider her an honorary sister. But she is good. For all except jumps, she is great.

On February, I switched to the morning classes, where I was the only one. The constant pressure by my coach on me (after all, I was the only one there) made me seriously consider quitting. I stopped going from early March until the last week of April. When I resumed, at the wonder girl's classes, there were four new girls, none above the age of 13. They all do rec rhytmic gymnastics, and while they are nowhere near the flexibility demanded for the sport, they had leg lifts like nobody's business. Not only that, but there is one way more talented than the wonder girl. She skates on street skates, so obviously no rubber toe pick to assist her and worse, no edges, and she still does it.
Just so you get the picture (no pun intended): Artistic roller and street roller.

In my last lesson, on Wednesday, after all girls were gone and my 30 minutes skating alone under coach supervision ended (he offers these 30 minutes for everyone, but I am the only one who currently ttakes it), he asked me why every time that a girl gets a new skill, I stop trying to do it so I can watch. He thought I did it because I did not believe myself. I actually do it because the only way I get a new skill is if someone is doing it over and over. Am I jealous of their talent? Sure I am! But not from that. I am upset of the things they do and I cannot are self-imposed limitations due to my weight (85kg and 170cm).

While I would love to compete one day, I prefer to focus on skills. I have told my coach multiple times I want an axel, and I have a secret aspiration to do a bielmann, which is considered impossible by my coach. That is my goal. My last learned skill, this Monday, was backward crossovers, and my only jump is an unstable waltz, so I have a long way to go.

And do not fool yourself thinking you are the only non-graceful one. My coach often tells me that skaters are supposed to be graceful and not awkward like I am, but hey, it is improving. So far, if we take off all the holidays and the days I could not go/took a break, I have been skating for 4 months. I like to think I am doing ok.

Try not to compare yourself with the wonder kids. They are younger, and you don't know how long they have been doing it or how often. Their bodies are lighter and thinner, and the pressure on them (the kids, not the bodies) is smaller due to their age. Unless you have a mind of steel, they will fare better.

While this was mostly my experience, I do hope it has helped you, somehow.
 

vlaurend

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 14, 2008
Your coach reminds me of my first coach. He would tell me to go lower on my sit spin, or do this or do that, but he would not teach me the actual techniques to do it! I finally switched to a different coach and wow, what a difference! My new coach actually gave me specific techniques to help fix the problem instead of just telling me I wasn't doing something well enough. Anyone can tell you your skating is slow or your jump or spin doesn't look good. The reason we pay a coach all that money is to tell us HOW to fix it!

One more thing: You don't have to compete until you are ready. Why should you? I didn't start competing until I felt like I could put a decent program together and feel good about it. I did my first competition when I had a combination spin and all of my single jumps and could do them all in combination.
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
Here's something I learned from one of my coaches in the last couple years: if you only showed your coach the things you were good at during lessons, then you aren't going to improve and your coach is getting "free money" because they don't have anything to truly fix on those things. Also, many coaches tend to reset the bar once they see you progress beyond something that was once a hurdle and forget to give you the pat on the back that you achieved that first hurdle, which can make you feel like you aren't progressing (even though you are!). When I get told something is wrong, I actively ASK how to fix it by questioning whether I need to change arms/shoulders/core/knee/ankle/timing depending on what I think is wrong from the comment that's tossed out. For example, "you need to land that only on your left foot" turns into is the take off timing right (because maybe I feel as if I am rushing) or "am I staying checked?"
 

mskater93

Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 22, 2005
One last thing. If your coach insists that he/she has already taught you an element (you mentioned a program full of elements you haven't been taught), keep a notebook of the items you work on in lessons and the instructions your coach provides on each of your sticky elements. Then you can go back to the notebook to review or if your coach asks you to demonstrate something not covered before, you can point to the notebook after trying and not completing the element the first time and say you don't have notes on that element and can your coach review the steps to being successful on it...
 

concorde

Medalist
Joined
Jul 29, 2013
I am the parent of a skater. My daughter has been skating for 7.5 years. Through ice skating, we both have learned more about sportmanship than winning.

I used to get frustrated because I felt my daughter's programs never showcased what she really could do. What I mean is they were too easy for her skill set. We then switched coaches. This new coach's view is at the start of the season, the program should be still developing. The goal is to have the perfect program (with all the fancy tricks) by the end of the season. That means all season you are building toward the perfect program. Maybe your new coach has this same view - have you asked?

What is it that is not working about your program? Is it the elements or is it the music? About 1/2 through last season, my daughter announced she hated her music selection - it was too ballet, she wanted fun. But by then we could not change it. This year she had two requirements for her program - fun music and a curvy step sequence. She loves her program this year!

You mentioned not having your parents stay during the lesson is a concern. I actually think having your parents drop you off is a good thing. I used to stay and watch my daughter's lesson but then I noticed that my daughter spent way too much time watching me instead of her coach. When I asked the coach about this, he said that in all the years he had been coaching, I was the first parent to notice this. He then said that if I really wanted what was best, I needed to stay out of my daughter's line of sight. I taught swim lessons years ago and remember how the parents tended to distract their kids so this comment made total sense to me. My view is that I (or my husband) are there to drive our daughter to the rink and pay the bills; the real relationship is between my daughter and her coaches. If there is an issue, I expect my daughter to work it out. About once a month, I do stay and ask questions of the coach but not much more. I've been dropping off since my daughter was about 9.

Is is possible that your coach and your parents are actually communicating without your knowledge? I know that my daughter's main coach and I exchange texts about her progress about once a week. And if I have a question / concern, I will call her coaches. I doubt my daughter is aware of this. I suspect your parents maybe doing something similar - have you asked them? I think your parents are more supportive than you give them credit. Ice time, private lesson, and skates all add up quickly so they are behind you even if you are not feeling it.

As I type this, I am starting to think maybe you and your coach are not the best fit personality wise. From your comments, I think you are scared of him/her. I don't care if the coach is the supposed to be the best in the world; if that coach is not working for you, it is time to find someone that works better for you.

Speed and grace come with time and practice; in ice skating nothing comes overnight. Ice skating is also self-motivating which means you have to push yourself to get better.
 

Violet Bliss

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 19, 2010
myblade, kudos for the courage to seek advice and support for doing what you love. I have no technical advice for you but since you call yourself a troubled skater I may help you deal with your mind.

There are two parts to "troubled skater". Firstly, it is very positive and important that you call yourself a skater, not someone who hopes, or tries, or wants to be a skater. You own it and identify yourself as a skater. So that's a good premise and foundation to go on from. Begin with asking yourself what kind of skater do you want to be and what kind of experiences do you wish to get out of skating. Not others' expectations, criticisms, opinions, wishes, etc. Do you want to compete? To make fast progress? To keep up with others? To impress? To be an elite skater and travel the world? To skate for joy? For health? As a life long hobby? For grace? For a sense of accomplishments? Do what will fulfill your desires, getting you to be the kind of skater you want to be and the experiences you wish to have, that you can look back on the rest of your life with pleasure and pride.

Next, you're troubled. You raised a few issues which understandably trouble you and affect your motivation. Let's look at what you can and cannot change and how you may adjust yourself to these conditions.

You cannot change your parents, but you can change their attitude by changing yours. They are paying for your lessons but seemingly not too enthusiastically. Reward them with gratitude and the joy you get out of skating if not competition results. Communicate with them so they know what you get out of what they pay for and how they may be involved, emotionally or action wise.

You can change your coach if she is not right for you. You can always try first to communicate sincerely and respectfully with your coach what you need from her. I think the coach should always talk to you about what to do and how to do them rather than what is not right or good enough. Does she tailor her teaching to you? I hope she is not in the habit of comparing you to other students just as I hope you do your own things to suit your desires and aptitude. If necessary, can you change your coach? Explain carefully and clearly to your parents why you see the need. Seek alignment between your parents, your coach, and yourself on your goals.

What is truly in your control is you mindset, choices and decisions. I'm talking about choosing to be happy with yourself, to enjoy your skating, to love and appreciate yourself regardless of what you think others think of you. Heck, you can even change what you think they think of you, or choose not to care about all that, including competition results. You don't even have to compete if you are not ready or if it's not what you want or regard as important. Choose the experience you want out of the skating. Joy? Friendships? Pride? Wisdom? Feel the feelings you want. Don't dwell on those you don't want.

By the way, mental practice has been proven to be as effective as actual physical practice. So your advancement needs not be made only on costly ice time and coaching lessons. Practice in your mind the perfect techniques and results, especially before falling asleep and at waking if you have the time. Never dwell on "failures". Most skills, such as walking, are acquired with trials and errors, i.e. making adjustments until it's right. You are supposed to forget/drop the errors and keep the success. That's how we learn. Don't rehearse mistakes mentally. Ditto bad experiences and feelings.

eta. Once you've decided what kind of skater you want to be, be it. Stop identifying yourself as a troubled skater. Choose another representative moniker, a fitting descriptive name and own it now.

Quite a few intelligent and experienced skaters have kindly contributed their opinions, ideas, and advice here. Please let us know what work for you and what you wish to understand better and how you may apply them. Let's us know about any resolution and your progress. Best wishes to you.
 
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Myblade

Rinkside
Joined
Sep 1, 2014
Thank you, Violet Bliss and everyone who offered advice. I talked it out with my coach, and things are going better now. There will be smooth sailing from now on (hopefully!:) ) Thank you guys again for helping me realize what I wanted to accomplish as a skater.
 
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