COACHES’ CORNER

attention of your practice to be on the process of learning. Help your athletes be lifelong learners and to see more than just the outcome. At times, it may feel like there is no progress being made but find the forward movement in their work. Celebrate work ethic and emphasize the wins, no matter how small they may seem. Excellence is built in moments, series of moments built over time. Understanding the importance of striving for excellence versus perfection can be a game changer for how athletes approach training and the outcome of a competition or testing session. Make peace with imperfection.

Risk Approach each practice, competition and testing session as “skating to have success.” A mindset of having the opportunity for success versus the approach of skating to not make a mistake can shape the process and outcome of a competition. Allow the struggle while still maintaining the ability

to risk going for the jump. Create a space that not only allows risk but also sharpens the strengths of your athlete. Remember, what gets rewarded, gets repeated. Spend time acknowledging and empowering your athlete to celebrate themselves and the development of skills.

Balance Maintain a sense of joy and connection with your skater’s intrinsic (inherently pleasurable) motivation throughout their figure skating career as it can be essential at preserving dedication, drive and resiliency. Have a balance of focusing on process goals within your lessons, be creative with teaching elements and skills, encourage gratitude, and allow time to reset and reflect. Being mindful of when your skater may be burned out and need a break can be vital at sustaining a healthy and rewarding skating career.

Optimal mindset can be achieved and sustained throughout an athlete’s

skating career. As a coach, you have the opportunity to be a part of something great. Remind yourself that you get to make an impact and help those you work with achieve their ultimate potential. Following these five steps can be valuable to not only your skaters but also your overall career as a coach.

Allie Wagener is a licensed psychologist with a specialization in sport and performance psychology. She works at Premier

Sport Psychology, PLLC, providing services to athletic teams and individuals, including figure skaters. She presented on “Sport Psychology & Effective Coaching” at the ISI/ MIAMA Ice Arena Conference in the spring. She can be reached at Awagener@premiersportpsychology. com or 952-835-8513.

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