Jan 26: Confronting Mental Pressures And My Final Thoughts On The Championships

Some of you that attended the competition may be wondering just how difficult it is for these athletes to handle the mental pressures that come with this level of competition.

I asked some questions of a well known local sports psychologist, Dr. Jack Lesyk. Dr. Lesyk has worked with many athletes over the years, including figure skaters. Here's what he had to say:

When most people think of high level athletes, they think of their physical attributes and abilities. How much do you feel that an athlete’s mental abilities (to focus, stay calm, etc) also help them in preparing for a big competition?

Most high level athletes and coaches would agree that mental preparation is just as important as physical and technical preparation. While we cannot measure how much of the final results are due to mental factors, we know that they often make the difference between success and disappointment. Often it is assumed that these mental skills are acquired automatically and that all the athlete has to do is be “mentally tough” and “relax” when told to do so. This seldom works. Fortunately sport psychology consultants are able to identify specific mental skills that are necessary for success and teach them to athletes who need them. With practice, most athletes are able to significantly improve their mental skills.

What do you find about dealing with the mental preparations for figure skaters that makes them similar or different to other athletes? I.e., football, baseball, basketball.

Although there are many commonalities between all sports, figure skating has its own unique mental demands. In fact, it is one of the most psychologically demanding sports. Skaters perform alone, or in pairs, and feel a tremendous responsibility for their performances. There are no teammates, opponents, or moving objects to blame for one’s mistakes, and all eyes are on the skater. Skaters are relatively young and compete only a few times a year. Thus each competition is very important. The sport is very unforgiving. If you make a few mistakes early in the program, there is little opportunity to make a “come back” as you can in many sports. For these reasons, mental skills training and preparation is especially important for figure skaters.

Do you take a different approach when dealing with younger athletes (13, 14, 15 year-olds) in comparison with athletes in their late teens/adult years?

Many of the psychological challenges are similar across the age span for skaters, however, there are some important differences. With young skaters there is more emphasis on having fun and developing skills. As the skater matures, expectations for success in competition increase at the same time that competition becomes more difficult since those with less ability and motivation have dropped out. With each year the skater has to reassess their goals and progress towards goals. Almost all nine year old skaters dream of going to the Olympics and winning a gold medal. By fourteen there is a realization that for most this is not a realistic goal. Finally, by fifteen to eighteen all but a few skaters are preparing to leave skating and move on to other life challenges. This is especially difficult for those who have fallen short of their earlier expectations.

What do you think is the key to psychological success for an athlete?

1. A burning desire to succeed and the willingness to work hard every day. 2. Focusing on good performance, rather than results. 3. Ability to relax under pressure 4. Ability to maintain focus during performance 5. Ability to get into a good performance mental state just before competing by controlling one’s thoughts and mental images 6. Seeing oneself as a learner who is always motivated by the desire to improve by learning from every practice and every competition. 7. Seeing sport in proper perspective

Answers provided by:

Jack J. Lesyk, Ph.D., CC-AASP Director, Ohio Center for Sport Psychology 21625 Chagrin Blvd. Suite 200 Beachwood, OH 44122 (216) 575-6175

www.SportPsych.org

And now my final thoughts on the competition:

Throughout the past week, I have had the opportunity to see and experience many things and meet so many great people. Here are a few of my favorite things from my experience covering the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating National Championships:

My co-workers from U.S. Figure Skating and The Greater Cleveland Sports Commission: I had the chance to work alongside some very dedicated people who make all the behind the scenes work happen. Scottie Bibb and Lynn Plage from USFS and Tim from the GCSC, thanks for a great week and for all of your efforts in making this competition a success for Cleveland!

Alissa Czisny winning the U.S. Ladies title: It was so great to see someone who works so hard and who truly appreciates what skating is all about to go out there and achieve her goals. It was a great moment for everyone who was there to experience it. Congratulations Alissa!

Parker Pennington's Short Program: Parker's SP was one of the greatest skating moments I think I've ever witnessed in person. Parker worked so hard for this competition, and even though his 3rd place standing did not hold up after the freeskate, that moment on Friday night when he brought the house down belongs to him, and he will be able to take that with him and cherish it forever. Congratulations Parker!

Carol Heiss Jenkins' smile!: Carol is probably one of the happiest people I have ever seen walk into a room. She is always wearing a smile, but none quite as big as the one I saw after Parker Pennington's short program. It's nice to see a coach that is so positive and supportive. Carol truly loves skating and it shows in her personality and how she treats her skaters.

Tom Zakrajsek: Tom is a coach that grew up in Garfield Heights and began his skating career here in Northeast Ohio. He now lives and coaches at the Broadmoor Skating Club in Colorado Springs, CO. Tom had many skaters at the National Championships, and not one, but 3 of his skaters claimed National medals: Rachel Flatt, Senior Ladies Silver Medalist; Brandon Mroz, Senior Mens Silver Medalist; Jeremy Abbott, Senior Mens Champion. Congratulations Tom!

Ryan Bradley's Freeskate program: Ryan's mambo themed freeskate program was one of the most entertaining programs I've seen at a competition in a while. It was really fun to watch him have such a good time out there. I also haven't seen a standing ovation quite like that since the last time that Scott Hamilton performed at the Q. I interviewed Ryan the day before his short program and he had such a great attitude going into this competition, I could tell that he was going to skate well...and he did! Good job Ryan--you were awesome!

All of the skaters, past and present: Over the course of the week, I had the opportunity to meet and observe many top level skaters, both the current competitors and names from the past including: Scott Hamilton, Brian Boitano, Kristi Yamaguchi, Peter Carruthers to name a few. I was most impressed by their graciousness and their humility. It makes me happy to see that the skating community has such great ambassadors to represent the sport. Perfect example...Brian Boitano has been working with Alissa Czisny to help her prepare for this competition...after she won the national title on Saturday night, I overheard another coach go over and congratulate him...

Brian humbly bowed his head and said, "Oh I can't take credit, that was all her out there."

Thanks to everyone for a great week of skating and to everyone who kept up with the blog...let's hope that we get another National Championships here in Cleveland again soon!

You can e-mail Liz at steck@wews.com.

Jan 25: Final Day Of Competition: Senior Men's Freeskate

Today was it...the last day of the AT & T 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

The only thing left to decide was the Senior Men's Title.

Former 3-time U.S. Champion, Johnny Weir, was the first of the medal contenders to take the ice. Johnny popped his opening triple axel, but seemed to start gaining confidence as his program continued. Then, with about 1 minute to go in his program, he took a hard fall on a triple flip. This pretty much killed any chance that he had of making a miraculous rebound for the podium. All in all, it was a disappointing nationals for Johnny, but hopefully he will be able to gain his confidence back and redeem himself for next season (an Olympic year).

Skating second in the final group of skaters was Brandon Mroz. Brandon surprised many with his opening QUAD toe loop. He landed it right in front of me, and believe me, it was VERY good. He skated a near flawless performace and jumped up to the top of the group after his program. He had an amazing skate, and surprised a lot of people with his 2nd place finish overall.

Next on the ice was Ryan Bradley. Ryan had a tough act to follow, but he did not let that stop him from having a fantastic skate. Also opening with a QUAD toe loop, he went on to nail 2 triple axels and skated nearly clean, having one obvious miss on a triple salchow. Ryan's mambo themed program was certainly a crowd pleaser, as he was the ONLY skater to receive a standing ovation. The Smuckers company, one of the competition's sponsors was handing out strawberries to people to throw onto the ice. When Ryan was done it was literally raining strawberries! Ryan ended up in 4th place overall, narrowly missing a trip to the World Championships.

Next up was 2-time champ Evan Lysacek...skating to a Gershwin themed program. Evan's program was good, but not great. He opened with a quad toe loop that came down about a quarter of a rotation short, and fell pretty hard. His program choerography and footwork was very good, however, and I think that this helped him hold on to finish in 3rd place overall. Hopefully he will have a better skate at the World Championships (to be held in Los Angeles in March).

Local favorite, Parker Pennington, was next to skate. Parker did not have the skate of his life like he did in the short program, but the crowd was certainly behind him. He had a couple of problems with the jumps, but overall it was great to see him out there in the final group of skaters, giving it his all. Parker finished in 8th place overall.

Last to skate, was the leader after the short program, Jeremy Abbott. Jeremy skated very well, despite a few mistakes. You could sense that the entire audience was holding thier breath while he skated...you could hear a pin drop it was so quiet. His expression and footwork were by far the best in the group, and this helped him hang onto the top spot to win his first national title.

Jan 24: Day 5 Of Competition: Senior Ladies Freeskate

There's something that happens to a skater when she has a rough short program. Most times, from what I've seen and experienced, it fires her up for a good freeskate program.

There was a lot of that going on at the Q on Saturday night.

I would say that most of the women who had a less than stellar skate in the SP came back and redeemed themselves in the freeskate.

Most notably, was Ashley Wagner. Ashley was so disappointed after her skate on Thursday. It was so nice to her to go out and skate a good freeskate program. She actually won the freeskate event, and was able to pull herself up from 12th place to 4th overall.

Ditto for Mirai Nagasu. Mirai was literally in tears moments before her freeskate program. (She later said backstage that she was terrfied of gong back out there and having a bad skate). She wasn't perfect, but she was good...and good enough to pull up to 5th place.

FYI, this type of a climb (in placement) would have never been possible under the old judging system. This is one of the things about the new system that few can argue...it gives a skater more opportunity to make up lost ground in the freeskate event. I'm sure that Ashley and Mirai are grateful!

First to skate out of the top three was Rachel Flatt. Rachel skated well, almost as though she had a checklist of elements and just checking them off as she went. While her artistry was much improved from last season, she still has a ways to go in developing a really good feel for the music. I'm not sure that her music choice helped her out...it seemed kind of drolling and did not really bring in the audience.

Next up in the top 3 was Caroline Zhang, skating to Ave Maria. Her program was nice, she made few mistakes, but it was very slow. Many of her jumps landed with almost no speed at all. If she continues to work on her speed and her jump quality, I would expect her to go far next season.

Last on the ice was the leader after the short program, Alissa Czisny. Alissa started strong, but had a few mistakes along the way. She fell on her second triple lutz and popped a planned triple toe loop combination. Her program quality and her flow were unmatched though.

I think that after Alissa fell, everyone was expecting a disappointing finish, including Alissa herself...however when the scores came up, her grace and artistry were well rewarded. She received program component scores over 60 points (no one else in the group accomplished this) and while her point total for the freeskate were only good enough for 3rd, her TOTAL from both the short program and the freeskate were enough to hang onto first place!

It was nice to see someone who has given so much of her life to working so hard at the sport to finally accomplish her goal of becoming a National Champion. (Read full story.)

Congratulations Alissa!

Jan 23: Day 5 Of Competiton: Senior Men's SP

The judge who started the draw ceremony after the Senior Men's short program said it perfectly...THANK YOU.

That is for all of the men in the event who skated so well and made it so enjoyable to watch.

First of all, let me start with a little bit of hometown bias...

You can sum up the night in two words:

PARKER PENNINGTON.

Parker, who trains locally at Winterhurst in Lakewood, skated probably the best program that I have ever seen him skate. He nailed every jump, including a beautiful opening triple axel. Once the jumps were done, he let himself really get into the performance, bringing the crowd to their feet (and bringing his coaches, Carol Heiss Jenkins and Roberta Santora to jumping up and down!). It was truly a remarkable performace, a truly wonderful skating moment for Parker, and everyone who was there to experience it! The best part? Parker is sitting in 3rd place after the short!

Evan Lysacek Evan skated very well, but not his absolute best. He executed all of his required elements, but his program seemed to hold back a little. He hung onto his landings, but they were not as strong as I have seen him land before. I think that he will turn this around in the long program on Sunday, because that seems to be the event where he truly shines. Evan is in 2nd place after the short.

Jeremy Abbott I have never seen Jeremy skate before. And now I understand what all the fuss is about. His blend of artistry and atheticism really stood above the rest. He skated a flawless short program (really, I cannot find one bad thing to point out!). What was really nice to see, though, was how gracious and humble he is off of the ice...he is truly a nice guy. He has the makings of a true champion. Jeremy is in 1st place after the short.

I've got to run now actually, back to the rink to work on the Senior Ladies Freeskate! More notes on that tomorrow!

Jan 22: Day 4 Of Competition: Senior Pairs SP, Senior Ladies SP, and Senior Men’s Preview

Day 4 of competition at the Q and plenty to talk about!

I made it to the Q just in time to see the majority of the Senior Pairs Short Program event. The Senior Pairs event is always interesting, because it’s been a different team that has won the title every year for the past 3 years…so it always seems to be out for grabs!

Castile & Olkowski: The first pair of former champions to take the ice were the 2007 champs, Brooke Castile and Ben Olkowski. While they showed great maturity and poise, Castile struggled with the side by side triple and also fell on the throw jump. Their disappointment was evident in their expressions at the end of the program. Hopefully Saturday’s freeskate will fare better for them, because they truly are a wonderful team to watch.

Inoue & Baldwin The only pair in the bunch to have previously won 2 national titles, Rena Inoue and John Baldwin showed how maturity and experience can pay off. Their routine was simple and elegant, and had an effortless feel to it. About midway through I felt like I had to remind myself that I was watching nationals and not Stars on Ice! While they went for the less difficult side by side double axels, it proved to be a good choice as they were one of the only pair teams to skate a flawless short program. It was my favorite program of the day!

McLaughlin & Brubaker Last year’s champs, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, looked fantastic in the warm-up, but struggled a little with the side by side triples. Also, McLaughlin looked as though her weight was not totally on the right side of her body in the air in the throw triple loop, resulting in a slight 2-foot on the landing. Despite these mistakes, the 2008 champs are sitting in second place with a .01 lead over Inoue and Baldwin, so the Freeskate on Saturday will be a good one to watch!

Later on Thursday evening, I had the opportunity to watch the Senior Ladies short program competition from backstage, while I helped out with the media coverage of the event. It provided an interesting view of what goes on behind the scenes (which I will write about more in my blog tomorrow!), but for now, here are my thoughts on the Senior Ladies SP:

Blake Rosenthal While Blake was not in the top 5 after the SP, maybe not even the top 10…her program really stood out to me. While she struggled a little bit with some of the jumps, her program was really great to watch. Wearing a white dress, and skating to a “Fred Astaire” theme, she may as well have been Ginger Rodgers! The choreography was very good and she wore a smile from start to finish that was really great to see. All in all, a memorable performance in a really big group of 22 skaters!

Katrina Hacker Katrina was in the first group of skaters in the ladies SP. While her program did not contain the more difficult triples (flip and lutz), she did what she did VERY well. Her spirals were absolutely awesome, probably the best in the group. Her program was very light and subtle, but made a big impression with the judges and audience alike. Katrina was one of the few skaters to skate a flawless SP.

Alissa Czisny I’ve known Alissa since she was just a little girl, so I always get nervous watching her, because I want so badly for her to skate well! Well, she not only skated well, she was AWESOME! Alissa seems to have put to rest any doubts about her ability to skate well under pressure as she completely nailed her short program, element by element. What was best about her program, though, was how she really seemed to be skating from the heart, and doing the routine for herself, which is something that I have not seen from her in a long time. I hope that she can continue this same confidence into her long program on Saturday. Alissa is the current leader after the short program.

Caroline Zhang Caroline also had a very impressive skate. One of only a handful of skaters to execute a clean triple-triple combination, she went on the finish in 3rd place after the SP. I would have liked to have seen a little bit less of a wild free leg on the takeoffs of her flip and lutz, but once in the air, her jumps were very good.

Mirai Nagasu Last year’s champ, Mirai struggled with her program today. Skating to a light-hearted Charlie Chaplin themed program, she completed her triple lutz, but could not add the combo, because she crashed into the wall. She continued on to struggle with the remaining 2 jump elements and is sitting much lower than she had hoped for after the SP. I was very impressed though, with how she handled herself after her skate. She was very gracious to all the reporters who were badgering her with questions, and acted like a real lady off the ice. This was impressive, especially considering that she is so young, and how much pressure was probably resting on her shoulders. I hope that she has a better skate on Saturday, now that the SP is out of the way.

Brittany Rizo Brittany was one of those surprise skaters that came out and skated great and had a good time doing it! She landed an awesome triple toe-triple-toe, and only had one minor shaky landing in the whole program. She was a real joy to watch on the ice.

Rachel Flatt Rachel came into this event, the reining U.S. silver medallist, and a lot of expectations over her head. The 16-year-old delivered on them, with a flawless short program that showed a real maturity and elegance that I have never seen from her before. She is just a sweet a person off the ice as she seems when she is skating, and I am glad to see her competition starting off so well. Rachel is currently in 2nd place after the SP.

A few thoughts on the men’s competition, as they get ready to skate their SP on Friday night, I had the chance to watch some of the Senior Men’s SP practice on Thursday morning:

3 time U.S. champ, Johnny Weir, looked cool, calm and collected. Baring any major circumstances, I would expect him to be in the top 3 after the SP.

Local favorite, Parker Pennington, also looked very focused in his practice. His SP music and choreography are probably one of my favorites in the men’s event. If he can skate a clean SP, he looks to be in a good place as well.

Former U.S. medallist, Ryan Bradley, looked awesome! He really seems to have his jumps under control, including a QUAD TOE LOOP! His quad went so high that I think I could skate underneath him while he is in the air!

That’s my thoughts for now…check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the Men’s SP.

Jan 21: Day 3 Of Competition...And The Competition Inspires All Skaters To Get Back On The Ice

Today was Day 3 of the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. Taking to the ice to compete today were skaters in the Junior Mens, Senior Ice Dance, Junior Pairs, and Junior Ladies divisions.

Happening right now as I write this blog, is the championship's Opening Ceremonies routine. This is special because it was put together by local coaches, and performed by local skaters! In all, 55 local skaters from 16 Cleveland area clubs have been working hard on this routine since last summer. They had to audition to get a part, so the group represents some of the best talent that our city has to offer. I could not make it down there to see it tonight, but for those of you who did, I'm sure it was truly a fantastic experience. I have some pictures from the rehearsals from one of the routine's choreographers, Frank Singley. They are posted in this blog.

I'm sure that being down there and skating on the official ice will inspire many of the skaters that performed the routine this evening. It's a truly unique experience.

It's funny how bringing such a big event to the local skating community can really inspire all of us to get on the ice. After watching the competition and blogging about it all this week, I decided to lace up my own skates this afternoon and give it a go. When I got to the rink, I ran into a longtime friend of mine, who said that she was getting on the ice for the same reason! She had been at the Hoover Ice Arena in Strongsville watching some of the championship practices, and felt motivated to get on the ice.

We laughed at how we used to skate 4 minute long programs with ease, and how now a couple of laps around the rink had us a little winded...I guess the endurance is the first thing to go...

It is amazing though, how even when you stop training everyday, you still find a way to make it back on the ice and experience the same joy and exhilaration that you did when it was a part of your every day life.

I guess that never really goes away.

So thank you to all the hard working competitors who are skating at Nationals this week...your talents and love for the sport have inspired many of us!

Jan 20: Day 2 Of Competition: Novice Ladies Freeskate

While the world outside was taking in the Presidential Inauguration Ceremonies Tuesday afternoon...

The rest of us skating geeks (I say that in the most affectionate way) were inside the Q checking out Day 2 at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

I had the pleasure of watching the Novice Ladies Freeskate event.

My initial reaction as the first group of skaters took to the ice for their warm-up was...THEY ARE SO TINY! I don't think that there was a skater in the group that stood over 5 feet.

But despite their tiny size, many of these young ladies packed quite a punch with their skating abilities...

Here are my thoughts on some of the skaters that stood out:

Kelly Nguyen, Cascade Valley FSC: Probably the smallest skater in the group...she was no bigger than the little "ice sweepers" that pick up the flowers on the ice. Her skating was great, her program featured double axels, a very nice opening triple toe loop, and a triple salchow attempt...but what I loved most was how she smiled through her entire routine. She was truly having a good time.

Katlynn McNab, Arizona: Katlynn had such great energy! She came out from the start of her program like she was being shot out of a cannon...it was nice to see her maintain that energy throughout. There were even a few spectators that gave her a standing ovation...it was well deserved; she skated with a lot of heart!

Lauren Dinh, Broadmoor SC: Lauren's skating was so light and easy to watch. She was checking off triple jumps like they were going out of business. Triple salchow, triple toe loop, triple loop with seemingly little effort. As she gets older and her skating maturity develops, she will definitely be a skater to watch out for in the near future.

Kiri Baga, FSC of Bloomington: One of my favorite skaters of the competition so far. Kiri not only had great style on the ice for such a young skater, but also had jumps that made you say, "WOW", out loud. (I did anyways, when I saw her put up a flawless triple salchow on the warm-up). She had a little mishap with a pop on her opening double axel, but she put the mistake aside and continued to skate an errorless program after that....only a truly focused competitor can accomplish this. Her focus paid off, as she ended up winning the gold medal in the event!

Unfortnately I could not stay to watch the final 5 competitors of the group (I had to get to work by 3pm!), but I'm sure there was plenty of good skating happening after I left.

On a side note...another fun thing happening at the competition this week. A long time Cleveland area coach, and friend of mine, Barbara Fitzgerald, has published a children's skating book, "The Champion Behind The Champion". It's a cute story about a little lamb that takes up figure skating and follows her skating dreams all the way to Nationals! It's really cool for kids, especially young skaters, and Barb will be at the Q signing autographed copies of the book this week.

For more information, check out her website: www.championbehindthechampion.com.

Jan 19: Day 1 Of The Competition: Injuries, Injuries, Injuries

Today is the official start of the competition portion of the AT & T 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

And just one day into the competition, we've learned that 3 of the event's top competitors will NOT be participating in the championships, due to injury.

Some of the most common injuries to skaters are those of the back, knees, and hips...and well, it looks like we have all three.

5-time U.S. champs Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto announced their withdrawal at the beginning of this month after Agosto suffered an injury to his back. The team was on track to hopefully win their 6th straight national title (the most by any dance team in U.S. championship history). The team will now have to wait to see if U.S. Figure Skating officials will grant them a bye to the World Championships. Given their successful history in international competitions, it should be no problem for them to receive the bye.

On Sunday, while I was volunteering at the competition, I learned that former U.S. and World Champion, Kimmie Meissner, had to withdraw from the event due to a hip flexor injury. I had the same injury when I was a teenager...mine was from too many triple loops. Trust me, this one hurts! It sort of feels like a "side cramp" (like the kind you get from running) only in your hip, and constant... Kimmie's fate will also be in the hands of U.S. Figure Skating, as far as receiving a bye to the World Championships. Although she has a more experienced past in international competition than her competitors, she struggled a little on the competitive circuit last year, and this could hurt her chances to receive a bye.

Today, I learned that former U.S. medalist and World competitor, Emily Hughes, also had to withdraw. Emily is suffering from an ankle injury. Emily is a great skater, but I doubt that she will receive a bye to the World Championships, only because the U.S. has so many talented young skaters in the ladies division right now, that it would be difficult to tell one of them that she has to stay home in March.

Today at The Q, the Novice Ladies, Novice Men, Novice Ice Dancers, Novice Pairs, Junior Ice Dancers and the Junior Ladies took to the ice for their first round of competition.

I will be at the rink tomorrow to check out some of the Novice events...so check back for my thoughts on those.

In the meantime, for more information on the competition results and the skaters' injuries check out the official U.S. Figure Skating website here: www.usfigureskating.org.

And you can always email me with your questions: steck@wews.com.

Jan 17/18: Good Luck To All The Skaters!

Skaters get nervous...right before they take the ice for a competition, usually right up until the point when your music starts.

I always tell my students that it's okay to be nervous...EVERYONE gets the jitters a little before performing, even the best skaters in the world.

And if anyone tells you otherwise...

They've ever never competed...or they're lying.

I wanted to take this time to wish all of the skaters the best of luck this week as you try and fulfill your dreams that you've worked so hard for this season.

And remember this...

No matter how it turns out...you will still love skating...and skating will love you right back.

I will leave you now with an excerpt from one of my favorite poems, written by Carole Shulmans:

I AM A SKATER Sometimes when I close my eyes and dream, I can still do my four minute program and it feels good: the cold air, the pounding of my heart, the exhilaration of flight (and the elation of landing) the sweaty palms-even the drippy nose.

I AM A SKATER I have known failure and defeat. I did not pass every test the first time nor did I win a string of competitions. Instead I learned from my coach how to overcome failure, how to rise above my mistakes, how to turn adversity into something positive and how to congratulate a winner without making excuses for myself.

I AM A SKATER From my years of training I learned how to concentrate, how to perform under pressure, how to make the best use of my time, how to discipline myself, take care of my body, eat right, care about my appearance and most of all, to develop self-confidence.

I AM A SKATER In skating I have felt anger and hurt. I lost when I felt I deserved to win. I have been overlooked and by-passed when I thought it was my turn and I lived to grow beyond and above the unfairness of the world. I learned to persevere and to pick up the pieces after I had been knocked down.

I AM A SKATER I have watched what skating has done for others. How they have risen above being poor, sick and handicapped. How they conquered learning disabilities, family abuse, tragedies and hopelessness. For them skating was their salvation and I learned to care.

I AM A SKATER I have no Olympic medals or national titles, but I am richly rewarded with a lifetime of close friends from around the world; friends that I have known since childhood, a rare blessing in an age when people don’t even know their next door neighbor. Skating has been my life: a good life: a way of life. It is my career. I am proud to be a skater, thankful for the opportunities, glad for the lessons in perseverance, indebted for having been taught discipline and responsibility, grateful to have learned how to deal with many of life’s hard lessons and to have reaped the benefits of all its best rewards.

Good Luck everyone!

Jan 16: Local Skaters Going For The Gold: Part 2...And A Lesson On Falling Down

Every top level skater starts out on the ice the same way you did.

Falling.

It's just that they've gotten good at doing it less often over time...

My absolute favorite group of kids that I teach is my Saturday afternoon Snowplow One class at the Brooklyn Rec Center. I teach a group of about ten 3, 4 and 5 year-olds. They've been on the ice for about 6 weeks now, but every week we start class out the same way:

Falling down on the ice and getting back up.

There is a lot to be said for falling. It's how you spend most of your first day on the ice. It's how you spend most of your time learning new jumps.

One of my favorite questions that I get from people when they find out that I am a figure skater is, "Do you ever fall?" (The part of me that channels my innate sense of sarcasm wants to look them square in the eye and say, "No...never.")

But I know better...because the day you stop falling as a skater, is the day that you stop trying new things and pushing yourself to become better at what you do.

Just ask any of the skaters competing at this week's national championships.

Now's your chance to try out your skating (and falling) skills...

Some of the top skaters at this year's nationals will be stopping at a local skating rink near you next weekend. In conjunction with the AT & T 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, Cleveland is hosting National Skating Month, which culminates with "Great To Skate" Clinics on Saturday, January 24th.

The “It’s Great to Skate Clinic” welcomes potential skaters to a day filled with fun, skill introduction and development, education and motivation. National Skating Month, now in its eighth year, will allow approximately 1,425 U.S. Figure Skating member clubs and Basic Skills programs to reach out to new members in their region by offering the fundamentals of skating from professionally trained instructors across the United States.

Many of the rinks in Cleveland will have skaters from the U.S. Championships on hand to meet young potential skaters and sign autographs.

Here is a list of local rinks participating on Saturday, January 24th:

Brooklyn Blades on Ice & Brooklyn FSC: John M. Coyne Recreation Center 7600 Memphis Ave, Brooklyn, OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

The Pond LTS-Chagrin Valley: The Pond 9999 East Washington, Chagrin Falls OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

City of Euclid: C.E. Orr Ice Arena 22550 Milton Ave, Euclid OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon ***Local U.S. Nationals competitor, Andrew Speroff will be at Euclid's Great To Skate Clinic.

City of Mentor: Mentor Civic Ice Arena 8600 Munson Rd, Mentor OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

Cleveland Skating Club: 2500 Kemper Rd, Shaker Heights OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

Forestwood Figure Skating Club: Ries Ice Rink 5000 Forestwood Dr, Parma, OH: Clinic: Noon-2:00pm

Garfield Heights FSC: Dan Kostel Recreation Center 5411 Turney Rd, Garfield Heights OH: Call for time: (216) 475-7272

Gilmour Academy LTS & FSC: Gilmour Academy Ice Arena 34001 Cedar Rd, Gates Mills OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

IceLand USA Strongsville: IceLand USA 15381 Royalton Rd, Strongsville OH : Clinic: 10:00-11:30am

IceLand USA Winterhurst: Winterhurst Serpentini Arena 14740 Lakewood Heights Blvd, Lakewood OH: Clinic: 10:30am-12:30pm

Kent State University: KSU Ice Arena 1 Loop Rd, Kent OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

North Olmsted LTS: North Olmsted Recreation Complex Lorain Road, North Olmsted, OH: Clinic: 10:00am-Noon

Shaker LTS: Thorton Park 3301 Warrensville Center Rd, Shaker Heights OH: Clinic: 2:00pm-4:00pm

I Skate Wooster Skating Academy: Alice Noble Ice Arena 851 Oldman Rd, Wooster OH: Clinic: 9:30am-11:30am

If you were ever unsure about lacing up a pair of skaters and giving it a try...next week is a good time to get out there and do it!

The nicest thing about the Great To Skate Clinics? There are professional instructors there to help you out...you can't get that on a public session!

Remember, EVERYONE falls when they're learning something new on the ice.

Those who are sucessful, are the ones who keep getting back up.

And trying it again.

Happy Skating!

Jan 15: Local Skaters Going For The Gold: Part 1

It's funny how you reach a certain age where you know you're not getting any younger, but you still don't necessarily feel like you're getting that much older.

But then you take a look around...

And you see your skating students getting taller, and graduating, and getting married, etc.

And reality sets in.

Taking a look at the list of competitors at this year's nationals. I see a couple of familiar names of skaters that I shared the ice with...what seems like a long, long, time ago.

I see Andrew Speroff and his partner, Brittany Chase, competing in the Junior Pairs division. Andrew and Brittany placed 2nd at last years Nationals in the Novice pairs division.

Andrew and I both skated as youngsters at the Euclid Blade & Edge Figure Skating Club at the CE Orr Ice Arena in Euclid. I believe he was just a beginner when I was a skater there, but it is great to see that he and his partner (who now train in Colorado Springs) doing so well with their skating. I wish them nothing but the best this week.

I also see Alissa Czisny competing in the Senior Ladies event. I first met Alissa and her twin sister Amber when they were about 8 years old here in Cleveland. They are now 21!

The Czisnys are from Bowling Green and would sometimes travel up to Cleveland to skate. Alissa and Amber were some of the hardest working skaters that I have ever shared the ice with. There were times when they would stay and skate on public ice sessions and just work on spin after spin after spin... If you get the chance to go and watch Alissa compete in the Senior Ladies division, you will see how all that hard work paid off, she is truly an amazing skater.

And of course, in the Senior Men's division is local favorite, Parker Pennington. Parker has been skating and training in Cleveland most of his young life. I first saw Parker when he was about 12 years old skating over at the Winterhurst Ice Rink in Lakewood. I remember that he used to practice his programs over and over again.

Parker is in his 20's now, and still works just as hard. Every now and then he comes in to the rink where I teach in Brooklyn to practice, and I am blown away by what a great skater he has grown to be. Parker has won national titles in every single men's skating division except for Senior. If he wins this year, he will be the first skater in U.S. history to have won them all! Pretty impressive.

It's neat to think back to the times when these skaters were just young ones starting out, to see how far they've come. It makes me very happy to think that Cleveland had a part in in their skating success.

It also makes me wonder which little ones that are skating among us today will be our national competitors of the future...only time will tell!

If you would like to read more about these local skaters, you can visit their websites:

Andrew Speroff & Britanny Chase

Alissa Czisny

Parker Pennington

Jan 14: Going To See Figure Skating In Person Is The Real Deal

I remember the first time I saw a professional hockey game in person. I could not get over how fast paced the game was in comparison to what I saw on TV.

After all, I spent most of my life fighting those "smelly hockey players" for the best ice time at the rink, and arguing over who did more damage to the ice, us or them.

But when I saw for myself how hard they skated, how hard they got hit, and how fast the game really moved, I gained a little more (okay, a lot more) respect for what they brought to the ice.

The same goes for figure skating.

Sure, everyone has seen a skating competition on TV. Maybe you've even gone to see a show or two. They are great, but NOTHING compares to seeing a real national competition in person.

You can't smell the ice on TV (and yes, it does have a smell...so do the Zamboni fumes); the skaters cannot hear your applause from home; you can't sense the anticipation of the crowd in that brief moment of silence that exists between the time a skater takes her starting position and when her music begins...these are all things that are reserved for the people who are there, experiencing it.

In 2000, the last time that Nationals was in Cleveland, I remember going to see the Senior Ladies Short Program event with my sister. Everyone knew who Michelle Kwan was by then, but there was this tiny 15-year-old skater who stole the show that night. Her name was Sasha Cohen. Nowadays, she's the headline act in Stars on Ice and a 2-time Olympian. But Cleveland holds the rights to saying, "We saw her at nationals before anybody knew her!"

Who will it be this year?

There's only one way to find out.

It's not every day that you get to go see that top skaters in the country in your own back yard. Trust me, it's so much more exciting than watching it from home.

For more information on event schedules and how to get tickets, visit: www.cleveland2009.com.

Jan. 13: Why Cleveland Is A Figure Skating Town

Cleveland is a sports town.

We hold our breath with every pitch, we cry over every fumble, and we cheer every 3-pointer. But are we a figure skating town?

You better believe it.

With just 5 days to go until the official start of the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, there are plenty of skating fans anxiously waiting for the skating to begin in Cleveland.

The skates will hit the ice at The Q Arena in Cleveland from January 18th through January 25th.

But, the excitement has ALREADY begun.

You've see the billboards on your drive into work, you've seen the commercials and all the glittery costumes...but what you haven't seen are the local people who are already putting in many hours of their time to make this competition a success.

There are over 800 volunteers that will donate their time to the competition. There are over 60 local skaters who have been rehearsing a routine for the event's Opening Ceremonies since late last summer.

And those cute little kids that skate around and pick up the flowers that are thrown on the ice for the skaters? Those are local kids who skate at local figure skating clubs across the Greater Cleveland area. (There are 17 of those clubs by the way).

This is the fourth time that Cleveland has hosted the competition. The U.S. Nationals were previously in Cleveland in 1940, 1964 and 2000. I wasn't here for the first two, but I can tell you that in 2000, the competition was electrifying. Cleveland set record breaking attendance marks and boosted our local economy by millions.

This year's competition is expected to draw over 25 million from visitors to our city. There will be 250 athletes competing for National titles in the ladies and men's singles, pairs and ice dancing events. The support staff for the 2009 U.S. Figure Skating Championships includes around 1,250 people including coaches, parents, chaperones, and U.S. Figure Skating officials.

So when you're flipping through the channels during the halftime report of your football game on Sunday, and you stop on a figure skating program...

And you watch for a minute, or two, or ten...

It's okay. You're in a figure skating town.

You can e-mail Liz at steck@wews.com.

Liz Steck is an assignment editor at NewsChannel 5, who also has been involved in figure skating as a skater and coach in the Cleveland area for a combined 25 years.