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Bounce Back Like a Pro: Navigating the Heartache of a Bad Skate · The Nadia Chapman Show

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  Hey guys, welcome back to another episode of the Nadia Chapman Show for figure skaters.
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  Hope you are well. I'm very excited to chat with you today about something very
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  important in your skating journey, and that is how to bounce back from a bad skate.
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  I always brainstorm and try to find ways to help you in your journey,
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  and I have to say this one was on top of my list for a long time.
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  Before we dive in into finding tools and ways to help you bounce back from a
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  bad skate, I want to start with a little bit of a pep talk.
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  Because if you're here listening to this and you've had a bad skate,
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  it means that you're showing up for yourself, even if things did not go your way last time.
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  And that, my friend, well, that says a lot more about you than any score ever
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  will. So let me remind you of something.
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  One performance does not define you.
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  A fall doesn't cancel all the hard work you've put in and all your talent.
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  A mistake doesn't erase your hard work. So you know what they say?
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  Champions aren't made in the spotlight, guys. they're made in the quiet moments,
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  in those setbacks, also in the decision to get back up one more time.
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  So we're not here to be perfect. We're here to get better, stronger, and tougher.
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  So take a deep breath, shake off the doubt, and let's reset together.
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  You've got that comeback in you.
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  And today we're going to unlock it together.
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  Let's talk about that terrible feeling of messing up big time.
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  I know it's frustrating because skaters train for hours, months,
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  years, and they get only a few minutes on the ice to show their hard work and
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  everything they've worked towards.
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  And when we mess up those minutes on the ice, we're not going to do that. We're not going
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  Well, it feels, it's heartbreaking. It is gut-wrenching. It's heart-sinking.
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  It's that can-I-just-vanish moment when you mess up your skate.
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  Whether you fell or you froze or you lost your focus in your program,
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  it can be very disappointing.
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  And that moment, we've all had it.
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  And if you watch big competitions on TV, you see the best in the world will
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  still make mistakes and they will still fall.
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  So, I don't care how talented you are, what jumps you're landing,
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  or how many medals are hanging on your wall.
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  A bad skate happens to everyone even the best because it's part of skating.
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  We all at some point in time stepped off the ice thinking, what in the world just happened?
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  And feel like it was the end of the world.
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  But it's not. It's just a bad skate.
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  That's it. And today, I'm going to teach you exactly how to bounce back from
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  it, what can you learn from a bad skate, and use that to come back mentally stronger.
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  What really matters when you don't skate your best is what to do next.
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  Right now, I'm going to walk you through some real tools.
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  These are mental preparation hacks so things can eventually apply when the pressure's
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  on. when you've just taken a fall or when you're heading into the next practice
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  still carrying this sting from the last bad performance.
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  The first thing you're going to do is the drop it reset.
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  Let's say you fall in your program right from the beginning.
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  So boom, you're on your butt. Your brain is now screaming, oh my god,
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  you just ruined everything.
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  Everybody's watching. Everybody saw that. It's over.
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  Stop. In that exact moment, I want you to do this.
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  Say one word to yourself, actually two words, and that's drop it.
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  Literally say that in your head as you get up. It's a command.
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  It snaps your brain out of panic mode and back into action.
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  This is called mental interruption, and it's what elite athletes use to stop spiraling.
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  You fail? Okay, drop it. It happens.
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  Focus on what's next. Tell yourself, I'm still here. I'm still in this. It's not over.
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  I can finish strong. You have to keep your brain anchored in the present moment,
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  not freaking out about what just happened or worrying about what's coming next.
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  Unfortunately, a lot of skaters spiral into shame mode after a mistake.
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  So you've got to learn to pause and breathe.
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  And here's a little trick. Take a notebook, draw a line down the middle.
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  One side, you're going to write what actually happened.
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  So only facts, no feelings, like I fell on that one jump, or I missed a twizzle,
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  whatever technically happened, whatever it is that you messed up.
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  On the other side, you're going to write what I told myself it meant.
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  And this is a game changer because most of your emotional pain,
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  well, it's not about the actual fall.
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  It's about the story you created after the fall. Are you following me?
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  This is embarrassing, or I suck at this, or my coach is going to be disappointed in me.
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  When you start separating those two, you start taking your power back.
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  Another thing that I highly recommend you start doing, or keep doing if you're
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  already doing it, it's visualization.
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  A big part of the work I do is to train people into visualizing the result they
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  want. I can't say this enough, guys.
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  You have to rehearse everything in your mind.
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  The perfect outcome, you staying calm, your element perfectly executed,
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  even the setbacks and how you would handle a problem.
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  You've got to see everything in your mind.
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  Feel it, see it, repeat it as often as you can again and again,
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  because your brain doesn't know the difference between real and imagined performances.
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  Isn't that amazing? So every time you visualize, you're building those neural muscle memory.
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  You're creating a version of your skate where you can stay in control.
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  And when the pressure's on, that version is what your brain will reach for.
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  Now, let's talk about the emotional aftermath of a bad skate.
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  You're going to feel disappointed. There's no doubt. and you've got the right to feel disappointed.
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  Maybe you'll be embarrassed. Maybe you'll cry. And that's normal.
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  You're upset and you're human. No problem there.
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  But here's where the mental toughness comes in. You cannot stay.
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  In that mindset. You can't stay there. You feel it. You feel the disappointment. You learn from it.
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  And then you get back to work.
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  Review your skate with your coach. Go over what happened. And together,
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  find ways to improve things.
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  If you had a rough skate, these next questions are for you. So don't just listen.
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  Grab a piece of paper and write them down. Seriously. There's something very
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  powerful about putting thoughts on paper.
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  I say that all the time. It really helps you slow down, get honest with yourself
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  and actually process what happened.
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  So grab a notebook or open your
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  notes app and give yourself that space to reflect. It's very important.
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  If you really want to bounce back stronger, journaling is your answer.
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  And these are very powerful coaching questions for you to answer.
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  The first one, what are you telling yourself about this performance?
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  That's the story and the meaning that you're putting towards that bad performance.
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  Then do a little bit of a performance breakdown. So we're going to do facts over the feelings.
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  What went well today, even if the overall performance didn't?
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  What specifically didn't go as planned?
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  Were the mistakes technical, mental, or maybe both?
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  And were there any patterns like your nerves, overthinking, rushing that contributed to the bad skate?
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  Then I want you to reflect on your mindset and answer these coaching questions.
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  Where was your mindset heading into the performance?
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  Did you feel calm, focused, present, or were you distracted and anxious?
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  If you fell or if you messed up, how did you mentally respond in that moment?
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  Were you able to refocus or did you spiral? After this, I want you to find ways
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  to reset and start planning your comeback.
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  So here's some questions for
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  you. If I could go back and do one thing differently, what would that be?
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  What mental skill do you want to strengthen before your next performance?
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  Maybe your focus, maybe staying calm, work on resilience.
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  And what's one thing that we can add to your practice or pre-performance routine
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  to help you feel more prepared?
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  And finally, I want you to create momentum for what's coming next. Psst.
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  So here are your next coaching questions. What's one small specific goal for
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  your next practice session?
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  What's your intention going into the next competition?
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  And how will you remind yourself that this performance doesn't define you?
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  These are very powerful questions to answer.
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  Another great way to build resilience and bounce back after a mistake or bad performance is this.
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  You have to create a reset routine.
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  So you can move past and refocus fast.
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  So coaches always talk about resilience and of course bouncing back and letting
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  go and having short memory after mistakes. Yikes!
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  And it all sounds great, but let's be real. It's not that easy.
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  It's not that easy for athletes, especially skaters. One fall and suddenly your
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  brain just is stuck in a rewind.
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  That's why I want to teach you a simple but powerful strategy called the reset routine.
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  And it's something every skater can practice and
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  use to stay mentally locked in even after
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  a bad fall and the more you use it the faster
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  you'll bounce back and finish strong here's how
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  to do it your first step is going to be analyze so we're looking at the facts
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  only right after a mistake but never during the element do a fast check-in just
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  the facts no drama ask yourself what just happened and be very specific.
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  Like I rushed to take off and then ask yourself, what's one adjustment I can make right now?
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  And you need to keep it short and doable. Like I need to slow down my entry.
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  I need to hold my position. I need to breathe.
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  This takes three seconds. It needs to be fast, fast, focused, and under control.
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  Your second step is going to be to reset.
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  And this is the turning point where you stop replaying the mistake in your mind
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  again and again, and you get your brain back in the moment in the present.
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  Take one breath and shift your focus to the next element. So say in your mind, what's important now?
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  This is your when, your next step, your next move, your next moment.
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  And step number three is find the trigger and re-engage.
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  Now it's time to lock back in the moment with a personal trigger.
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  And this could be a mental cue, like say something like, let's go or stay here or okay, next move.
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  This trigger tells your brain you know
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  what i'm done with that mistake i'm focused i'm
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  back so analyze reset trigger
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  this routine works whether you're in the middle of a competition program a practice
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  run through or just running your elements so the more you do it the better it
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  gets the easier it gets so do it often do it enough do it so it becomes automatic
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  so when it happens in competition,
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  you're prepared, you're prepared to move on.
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  Because it's not about being perfect all the time. That's unrealistic.
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  It's about learning how to stay mentally in the game, no matter what happens.
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  So the next time something goes sideways on the ice, you'll have some tools,
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  you'll have a plan, and more importantly, you'll know how to move forward fast.
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  Remember, Failing doesn't make you weak.
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  Quitting does. So the next time you fall, literally or mentally,
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  I want you to stand back up, flip the switch in your brain, and remind yourself,
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  I've already decided who I am. This moment doesn't change that.
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  Because you're not fragile, you're a fighter. All right?
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  So here's your action step today. If you're recovering from a bad skate, you're going to do this.
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  You're going to map out your comeback strategy. I want you to write down three
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  mental habits you're committed to strengthening this week.
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  So things like staying focused under pressure, bouncing back quickly after a
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  mistake, or using positive self-talk.
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  Then list three on ice skills or habits that you'll work on to sharpen your performance.
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  This way you're building both your mindset and your technique at the same time.
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  Skating is going to test you guys.
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  And if you use these tools, it won't break you. It will build you.
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  Remember this, one skate doesn't define you.
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  A fall, a mistake, a miss opportunity, it's all part of the journey.
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  What matters most is how you respond.
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  Every champion has had rough days, I'm telling you. And what's the difference?
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  Well, the difference is that they get back up. They learn and they keep going.
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  So you're allowed to feel disappointed, but don't live there.
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  Reset, refocus, and rise. If this episode spoke to you,
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  please share it with a fellow skater who might need this as a reminder that
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  a bad skate is just a moment, not a measure of their worth.
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  I'll see you guys next week, same place.
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  Until then, lace up, chin up, and keep showing up like that skater that you know you're becoming.
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  This is the Nadia Chapman Show for figure skaters. Let's keep building that
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  mental edge together. Thank you for listening.
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  Music.