Don’t Let Figure Skating Judges Freak You Out

At any competition a skater performs at, there’s always almost a guarantee that the skater is going to have a freak-out moment. Whether it’s something as small as a hang nail or a not having the right color hair tie, or something enormous like you turned in the wrong music for the wrong event or you forgot your skates… yikes!…there’s always something that you, the skater, could have a spaz attack about. So when it comes to the nervousness of performing, keep in mind you’re there to have fun and show everyone what you can do. Your hang nail doesn’t really matter and the judges can’t tell that you’re not wearing the sparkly hair tie that you’d planned on using. The judges are just concerned with your skating, so that should be your main concern, too.

Freak Out Concern #1: Judges
First off, the judges truly want to see everyone do well and have fun, even if they do look a little bit scary or too serious. Keep in mind that it takes a lot of concentration to judge skaters. If you still have a problem worrying about them, just find your happy place and when you’re out on the ice, imagine you’re on the best practice ice session: you’re the only one in that rink and the only one out on the ice.

Freak Out Concern #2: How You’re Judged
Most people have probably experienced some “unfair judging” while at a competition. And who knows? Maybe there was some unfair judging taking place. But also keep in mind the things judges look for while watching your program.

I recently read “From the Judge’s Perspective: Tips from the Judge,” an article written by Carolyn Clausius, a National Freeskating and Pair Skating Judge. Clausius wrote that a skater is given two marks: a technical merit mark and another mark based on presentation. She wrote that the technical merit mark includes all the required elements you complete and your speed during the program as well as confidence.

The second mark, or the presentation mark, is as equally important as the first mark. The first mark actually only counts for half of your total score. Judges consider how well you skate to the music as well as the choreography. And, as if you didn’t have enough to concentrate about, they’ll also pay attention to good timing and expression for this mark.

So, what you perceive as unfair judging might really be a criticism of your presentation.

Freak Out Concern #3: “Unfair” Judging
I found it extremely interesting when I read the last paragraph of the article. Clausius wrote that if your results are all over the place, it means that your event was difficult to judge. If the technical markings on the skaters in the event are similar, then the skaters with the best presentation will often rank higher.

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Today on Rinkformation:

SynchroMom: Can You Help This Mom? Synchronize Skater Slips out of Rink

Ice Girl Blog: Don’t Let Figure Skating Judges Freak You Out

Ice Mom: Commandment Three: Figure Skating Parents Should not Coach from the Stands

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What it doesn’t mean is that the judges were untrained and unfair. Sometimes skaters will look at results and find that one judge ranked the skater first while another one ranked her dead last. It’s not that the judges are being biased, it’s that the skaters are pretty close in skills, so they’re looking at the presentation to guide the marks.

Of course, if you’re on the IJS system, you don’t have to worry about judges’ rankings. But you do have to know that they’re not out to get you, so don’t spaz out.

So, don’t worry when it comes to competitions. Practice the way you want to perform and you should be good. Always end with a strong finish and be proud of yourself that you skated your best. You might also bring something lucky or sentimental with you.  I bring a stuffed animal Ice Coach gave me and I think it brings me luck.

And when in doubt, laugh it off. This is for fun, remember?

What do you think? Do you worry about the judges? How do you take your mind off the judging process?

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Do you have a question for Ice Girl or a suggestion for a blog post? E-mail Ice Mom: IceMom.Diane@gmail.com

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Photo credits:
US Supreme Court: dbking on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Gavel [brass]: walknboston on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Gavel & Stryker: KeithBurtis on Flickr.com Creative Commons
Gavel [wooden gavel and stryker]: bloomsberries on Flickr.com Creative Commons