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Welcome to the March issue of Performer's Advantage. In this Issue
Inspiring Words Quality is not an act, it is a habit." -Aristotle Web Version Click here to read this newsletter online. Forward Forward this email to a friend |
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When it comes to wellness and life balance, where are you at? Take some time to think about your interests, passions and values. The key to success and happiness is prioritizing your activities so you have the time to do what you need to do and have plenty of time to do what you love to do. Wellness and Life Balance: Let's say we were going to build a large structure, such as a skyscraper. We would first want to make sure that it was built on a strong foundation. In order to perform at our best, we too need to begin with a strong foundation. The first step towards building a strong foundation (physically, mentally & spiritually) is to achieve life balance. Look at all of the areas listed below. Do you spend time developing all of the areas or do you spend most of your time and energy on one or two things?
In order to nourish your mind, body and spirit, try to think of some ways to develop each area. Step 1: Join us to receive our free self assessment tool. With this, you will be able to assess your Life Balance and Performance Skills. Step 2: Print out our related goal sheets. Step 3: Take your time creating goals related to your self assessment. Step 4: Assemble your team (keep reading to find out how) and conquer your goals!
It Takes a Team to Develop the Athlete 
Let's again use the analogy of building a skyscraper. In order to tackle a project like this, you would begin by assembling a team of specialists (architects, designers, plumbers, electricians etc.) to help with the construction and vision of your skyscraper. You certainly wouldn't try to do it alone. Like building a skyscraper, we too need to rely on experts to perform at our best. Quality performance comes from the integration of many things including athleticism, artistry, nutrition, mental skills, time management, motivation, adequate sleep and a positive attitude. To enhance each area, start fresh by assembling your own team. You don't have to be an Olympic Athlete to have a team of professionals working for you-you just need a vision and a dream. Developing your performance attributes is a great investment since many of the skills needed to perform in sport carry over to academic performance as well. Make a list of your team members and what they can do for you. Sample list of team members:
Tips from those who have been there! 
Alissa Czisny, Gold Medalist at the 2009 United States Figure Skating Championships I asked Alissa Czisny what kind of advice she could offer newer and/or young skaters regarding off-ice training.
"Let's see...I will start with warm-up. I think that it's really important to do a good warmup before getting onto the ice. This warmup should include running around/various ways of getting the body moving, stretching, and off-ice jumping. I've found off-ice warmups to be extremely beneficial for skating and for injury prevention. And cool-down is also very important. I like to stretch after I skate, relaxing into each position, and trying to let my muscles recover from the skating. I think that the warmup and cool down before and after skating is one of the most important--and most overlooked--parts of skating. Another important tip is off-ice training in general. I've found it to be very beneficial to take ballet classes for skating. These classes help movement and grace, as well as strengthening and giving flexibility, I think. Other off-ice training that is beneficial is yoga,
strength training and plyometrics, pilates, and interval training. Doing the off-ice training a few times a week can greatly improve strength on the ice. 
Did you Know? Preliminary results suggest that you will gain more revolutions per minute on a jump if you form a tighter air position than by improving your vertical by 2 inches? More information as studies continue in Delaware! Eastern Wisconsin: See the Figure Skating Group page for information on testing, competitions and shows in our area. |
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