5 Best Lessons All Skaters From Team USA In Olympic Winter 2022

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It’s hard not to admire the talent of the skaters on display during the Olympic Winter Games. But anyone who has trained or coached a sport can tell you that talent alone will not take you all the way to the top. So what sets these athletes apart from the rest?

Watching our Team USA skaters at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022. You may have noticed there are five key things that these athletes — who are the best of the best at what they do — have in common.

Of course, not all skaters who lace up their skates will get the chance to glide on Olympic ice. But the lessons you can learn from these athletes are lessons that will help you on your skating journey. No matter where it leads you.

Here are five key ingredients to success from Team USA skaters exhibit that any skater can learn from:

They Focus On The Process, Not The Outcome

There are two types of athletes — those who are extrinsically motivated and those who are intrinsically motivated. Extrinsically motivated athletes compete and perform for the purpose of winning the praise of others, or a shiny, new medal to show off.

skaters from USA Team at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022
source: NBC Sports

Intrinsically motivated athletes train hard to be better and for the satisfaction of being able to produce their best performances during competition when it counts the most.

If you listen to the interviews with our athletes. You never hear comments about the color of their medal or seeking glory.

You hear about being able to bring their personal best to the ice, for which they trained so hard. An intrinsically-focused mindset can carry skaters to reach their maximum potential.

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Learn From Their Mistakes, But Don’t Repeat Them

No athlete is perfect. Several Team USA athletes skating competing in this Olympics had suffered devastating mistakes in PyeongChang, South Korea.

But not one of them gave up or hung up their skaters after 2018. Each skaters team came back four years later wiser.

Having learned from those prior mistakes. They finally turned out personal-best performances in 2022.

Make a mistake, learn from it, keep going and be better next time.

Life Isn’t Fair All The Time, And There Are No Excuses!

Sometimes life just isn’t fair and when unfair things happen. The best athletes don’t make excuses or place blame.

Unfair things will happen to all of us on our skating journey — and in our life journey — but you get up and you move on.

Focused On The Present Moment

There is so much hype around the Olympics — and it’s probably very easy for an athlete to lose their focus. The best athletes though are aware that they are getting an opportunity.

That very few will get and they cherish every moment. We saw it on Nathan Chen’s face as skater in Olympics. When he was just about halfway through his free skate — Living every moment to the point where he couldn’t help but smile.

We also saw it when Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker finished their rhythm dance and couldn’t stop dancing. Even as they were taking their bows.

Focus on your opportunity and seize the moment, and you will carry those memories with you for life.

They value friendship over rivalry.

Probably one of the most memorable photos that came out of the Games was of Madison Hubbell and Madison Chock walking away after the team event with their arms around each other in support.

These are women who train on the same ice every day, chasing the same dream. And who knows that on any given day their placements could go one way or the other.

However, they see themselves as friends and teammates, not as rivals. When you are secure in your abilities, you treat your competitors as friends and respect each other.

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Understand Valuable Skating in First Lessons Skaters Class

At Laura Sims Skate House, a figure skating student named Brian aged 60 asks. Wondering how many people will be in Learn to Skate class.

Will there be many other adults who want to learn to skate again? There are three classes at Laura Sims Skate House, and he took the first one.

Simple answer: a lot, no, yes. Nowadays Many people signed up for ice skating lessons and were ready to ice for the first lesson.

The First Lesson Skaters Stage Of Learning To Fall

The first lesson on day one seemed simple: skaters learn the traps. Jenna said yes, we will fall, and if we fall, we must fall safely.

She instructed us not to fall first, but to fall on our side (which would result in a face transplant, possibly a jaw injury, or worse).

She then demonstrates how to stand up in a safety-first manner. Kneel on one knee, place your hands on that knee, and push yourself up.

Falling is easy. Getting up is not.

Whatever the reason, we struggled, but finally got up. We’ve practiced this “skill” several times. It has never been easier for us.

In fact, on last attempt, he started falling backward trying to get up. Panicking, he grabbed the closest thing he could find. Which happened to be a little boy named Maverick.

The two of them both fell on the ice. Brian made sure he was okay and apologized generously.

Maverick assured, he was fine and even laughed with me. Brian just hope the grownups in the stands will forgive me.

The Next Stage Traverse The Ice Field Between Parallel Walls

Next lesson: Skaters will learn traversing the ice, from wall to wall. It’s easy. After that, it takes five steps and then glides.

Next, swizzle, this move involves bringing your heels together and then your toes together, pushing you back. Now we are skating!

Before we knew it, our first 45-minute session was over. And we were instructed to do a “victory” lap.

Brian was pleasantly surprised to find that. Brian could easily get around the rink before setting off to take off he skates.

Although he didn’t get up after the fall. He wasn’t overly concerned. Finally, he took skating lessons to learn not to fall.