If you can, why aren't you?

The title of this one says it all, really. This is the question I've been forced to ask myself, and I'd encourage every other adult skater to figure out if they need to be asking themselves the same.

I don't know about you, but I think a great coach is one who not only teaches you the physical elements of skating (or any other sport), but also motivates you and/or gives you a metaphorical kick up the bum when needed (on a regular basis, in my case!).



This week, a few of Coach A's skaters had a talk about knowing what we want out of our skating - what are we aiming for? To compete? To test? To be the best we can be? To have fun and improve steadily? And when we know the answer to that, we need to skate accordingly, he says.

I get what he's saying, I do. It's easy to think as an adult skater there's nothing for me. I'm never going to the Worlds or the Olympics, or skating in shows, or becoming a coach (a decent one anyway!) - so why take it seriously? I guess that's up to each individual skater. I take it seriously because it's the first sport I've felt any sort of affinity with, the first one I've enjoyed and actually made any improvements in, albeit not as quickly as I would like. And I want to be the best skater I can be.

I must have taken some of these thoughts in because I had a good lesson yesterday. Coach A said I seemed to be pushing myself more than usual, and I was.

Then he suggested "a little competition", trying to see who could jump the highest and the furthest (among his adult skaters). I jokingly pointed out that I would win, as "I'm very competitive you know", and it became a challenge. Could I beat myself? After measuring my first attempt at a three jump with his blade, I'd managed "three-and-a-toe-pick" - could I do better? Damn right I could, haha! I made four blades on my second try.

Coach A  pointed out then that this was a test, of sorts. The point being, if you can, why aren't you? If you can push yourself more to get almost a blade further on your jump, why aren't you doing four EVERY TIME? The capability is there when you put in 100%.  Point taken. Why aren't I? Why aren't you? Let's try for 100% all the time and see how far we can get.