Somewhere along the way in our involvement with our sport of figure skating we have all been a part of a horrible, heart stopping moment. Whether it has been as a competitor, judge, parent, coach or spectator, you know the one… when something goes terribly wrong during a skater's program despite the best training. The occurrence doesn't have to be as highly visible and show stopping as the Tonya Harding skate lace debacle during the 1994 Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway, but from national competitor to the no-test tot skater, it will seem just as traumatic. No matter the level of competition, how should skaters and coaches handle them to minimize the impact on their performance?

Cause and Effect
The causes of program interruptions fall into a few categories:

Beyond your control - The music stops playing (or in the case of CDs, malfunctioning), one of Florida's summer storms causes a power outage or similar facility related problems. In other words, it's someone or something else's fault your program got interrupted.

Physical - Tops is the 'costume failure'. We have all seen them, be they small, hilarious or even dangerous such as male skaters' pant hem straps coming loose. Some skaters are not affected by costume malfunctions, with the skater either continuing oblivious to the loose or torn costume or they know about it and make the most of the opportunity. For other skaters, even the tiniest imperfection to their costume will bring the program to a screeching halt. Another physical cause is a fall or injury. And don't forget those darn skate laces!

Mental - Probably the most common cause of program interruption, it usually takes the form of either the skater forgetting their program (in whole or part) or after missing an element or elements, not being able to collect ones self and continue on.

Prepare for the Unexpected
Skaters, coaches and parents need to accept a fundamental truth - that we are human and humans make mistakes from time to time. No one is perfect, though some may say there are skaters who sure come close. Bet if you asked that person if they have ever had an embarrassing moment during a program, they could share at least one if not more of their own horror stories.

One of the best ways to prepare for the unexpected is training. Besides the obvious repeated physical run-throughs of programs (both short and long), there are other things the coach can pass onto their students to help them be better competitors.

All skaters should be trained how to handle competition. Coaches should go over with the skater (and the parents for younger skaters) what is expected to take place at a competition. This could take the form of either a general checklist of to do's or a list tailored to specific competitions. Topics to be covered should include how much ahead of time to be at the rink, a schedule for dressing, stretching, mental preparation before the event and what should take place during the on-ice warm-up. A great example of this is what takes place in synchronized team skating. Every move the team makes from the time they enter the backstage area of the arena until they exit the locker room when they are finished competing and changing back to street clothes is carefully timed. This can work for individual skaters as well with a bit more flexibility. Think of it as managing the skater. If the skater is mature enough, the coach should delegate some of the responsibility to the skater to instill good time management skills and discipline that can carry into off-ice areas of the skater's life as well.

Another training technique to be considered is to present the skater with various scenarios of things that could go wrong during their program and how to handle each. The coach could have the skater skate a monk performance of their program and deliberately fall or mess up during the program to see how the skater handles correcting the problem. At least one top level coach does this with successful results. She gives her students helpful feedback on how to handle various scenarios, producing a well-prepared skater who is less stressed if something does go wrong.

Coaches should give their students information on the proper protocol of how to handle a program interruption. First and foremost, competitors should know to always report to the referee and no one else. Sorry, but there is no alternative option to this. The referee runs the event and his or her knowledge of skating and running skating events makes them the expert in handling each situation. A good referee will not only know all the rules and proper procedures for handling what has happened but in some cases can also sooth the skater and bring back their concentration to continue on. You might be surprised at how compassion referees are as some of them were once competitive skaters. Competitors should listen to the referee's instructions, clarify if not understood and then follow them to the letter.

Never Let Them See You Sweat (or cry, throw a temper tantrum, etc.)
That old adage bears some heavy truth. Competing in any sport is just as much about mental training and preparation as it is about the physical aspect. All the talent in the world won't save a mentally unprepared athlete if something unexpected goes wrong when they are competing and they don't handle it well. Mental preparation knows no age limit. Part of this is what lies in each athlete's personality; part of it can come from training. Even the youngest skater can be taught by the coach how to handle things in a mature manner and come out looking like a champion. How an athlete handles a program interruption says a lot about them to the judges and spectators watching, not only as a competitor, but as a person. Skaters should be trained to find within themselves the mental strength to go on, to see the positive side, to get up and show everyone watching they have the stuff that makes champions. Winning isn't always about medals and trophies, so much as it is about how you present yourself when dealing with both good and bad. It's called good sportsmanship.

With the exception of injury, in the event of an interruption, the skater must and should carry on with the performance. Remember that a fall or other interruption is no bar to winning or placing well in a competition. What counts is the overall execution of the program with the right balance of technical skills of the elements and presentation (what are now called Program Components). Even though there is a required deduction for falls in the new scoring system, all other things in the program being well done, one fall does not always mean all is lost.

Here's to flawless performances for each and every skater. And if along the way during your skating career, things don't go as you and your coach had planned, may you always display good sportsmanship and let your competitive spirit shine through.