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Permalink Reply by Benza Lance on August 13, 2008 at 9:40pm

ALEX!
You've been practicin for a few months already? I guess your regional happens sooner than down here, but you got mad game, boy!
Have you competed before? I think 18 hours of practice a week is a bit overkill, but then again, there's people that practice year round, and thats what they do. As far as getting burnt out, remember to not take it that seriously. Just think of what you're doing for a minute, and place that in the large scheme of things: Sounds a tad trite, doesn't it? Baristas getting all excited/heartbroken/angry over 15 mins of making sweet coffee love. I know last year I was extremely burnt by time comp rolled around, and it definitely effected my performance (alongside my mundane sig drink). Keep it light and easy, and just remember that this is all supposed to be fun.

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Permalink Reply by Benza Lance on August 13, 2008 at 9:40pm

Oh, and listen to some Misfits. I dunno why, but Danzig just puts me in the right mood.

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Permalink Reply by Alex Negranza on August 13, 2008 at 9:57pm

Hahaha, I started waaay early for different reasons. I actually started prepping for competition in March. From the rumors I've been hearing, competition isn't for a really long time. I'm a couple weeks out from doing full run throughs. I'm really excited. A lot of my research and prep work (i.e. placements, looking for better ingredients, better utensils and settings, etc) is done in my practice time. But I'd rather do this now and then relax before competition just working on cleaning the routine and detailing different elements.

Another thing is that I love this. I'm definitely having a blast! I'm just worried about the possibility of being burned out. Today I was suppose to train for 5 hours (according to me)... I ended it early because I couldn't convince myself to pay attention to the small details enough. I decided that it wasn't a good training day, and packed my stuff up. I feel that it's not a good idea for me to pause my training. I'll have to completely kick my own @$$ to get back into the routine... maybe not?

Benza Lance said:

ALEX!
You've been practicin for a few months already? I guess your regional happens sooner than down here, but you got mad game, boy!
Have you competed before? I think 18 hours of practice a week is a bit overkill, but then again, there's people that practice year round, and thats what they do. As far as getting burnt out, remember to not take it that seriously. Just think of what you're doing for a minute, and place that in the large scheme of things: Sounds a tad trite, doesn't it? Baristas getting all excited/heartbroken/angry over 15 mins of making sweet coffee love. I know last year I was extremely burnt by time comp rolled around, and it definitely effected my performance (alongside my mundane sig drink). Keep it light and easy, and just remember that this is all supposed to be fun.

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Permalink Reply by Spencer on August 14, 2008 at 5:24am

Barista competitions are supposed to be competitive and fun. Serious and enjoyable.

Consider each shift on the bar your training. If your cafe owner agrees; try to make your espressos to competition standards, add your signature drink and traditional cappuccino to the menu board and practice your customer interaction with each consumer you serve.

The best competition baristas make the 15 minutes look easy and effortless. Your drinks MUST taste exceptional to win, however poise, confidence, enthusiasm and passion for what you are doing are a large part of winning.

Relax - watch a few videos of past competitions, and always remember why you are doing this.

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