Getting ready for competition?

Whether this is your first competition or you are already an experienced competitor, there is always this one time where we think, if only I had packed extra tights!

After a few years of my daughters competing, and all the amazing checklists that their coaches and synchro coaches made for us, we have a fairly good idea of what To Do and pack prior to competitions.

Below are my figure skating competition checklists to make sure:
You do all that is required before and during the event,
You pack everything you may need,
You make memories and celebrate!

Figure Skating Competition Checklist

Before I share all the things you should pack, so that you don't forget anything, below are all the things you should do, before, during and at the end of the competition

Registration Checklist

Check requirements (level...) - This is normally handled by the coach
Register for competition, Fill in forms and Pay fees
Discuss travel with coach - know that the fees change depending on how many of your coach’s skaters are going to the competition
Make travel arrangements
Weeks leading to competition
Check website to collect event numbers + times - most competitions release the schedule a
Notify school of days off
Practice with outfit and sometimes it’s helpful to practice with hairstyle
Get blades sharpened - aim for at least 3 to 4 skating sessions before the competition
Polish skates - ideally do that the day before the competition
Get direction to ice rink(s) - pre-load it on your Google maps

On arrival

Arrive at least 1h before - make sure to plan your route and take traffic into consideration
Go to check in - as soon as you arrive
Hand in music tracks - if this is not done online
Find changing room(s)
Understand layout of rink(s)
Find result boards
During the competition and at the end, remember to HAVE FUN!!!!
Cheer all the skaters - when you cheer for everyone, everyone will cheer for your skater too ;-) Tis is especially useful for early morning and out of town competitions!
Take pictures and videos - these are being sold at most competitions and they make a great memory
Get copy of result sheet - This is good to be able to track your results
Get music back (In case you are using a CD for the competition) - This can be done after you receive your results
Take notes of things missing you may want to take during another competition
Make sure you list all that went well, so that you can repeat the same thing next time.

Celebrate!

Your skater worked hard to get here and whether you are taking home a medal or not, the most important thing is that they showed up and that they did their best.