I’m a big believer in creating a mental toolbox that is filled with tools you can use in practice and on game day to fix the inevitable “flat tires” you will experience as a competitive athlete. Usually when I talk about mental tools, I mean tools such as imagery, routines, breathing, and self-talk. But there’s [...]
The transition from U16s to U19s is an important and challenging rite of passage for every young ski racer. The year of FIS racing is also a crucible that tests racers physical, technically, tactically, and, especially, psychologically and emotionally. To continue to pursue your ski racing goals, you must “survive” and, in fact, find ways [...]
November has arrived and race season is just around the corner (or already started if you’re a World Cupper). So, now is the time when parents start to communicate (usually unconsciously) expectations for their young racers and, in turn, when those young racers can start to feel the weight of expectations that are placed on [...]
The third episode of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast focuses on the costs of having an outcome attitude and the benefits of a process attitude. An outcome attitude involves a preoccupation with results, competitive success and failure, rankings, and comparing yourself to others. Contrary to what most athletes, coaches, and parents think, an [...]
Regardless of what sport you participate in, you have a championship season within your competitive season in which the stakes rise and how you perform counts the most. Yet, this is also the time of year when many athletes and teams aren’t performing at all well because of fatigue after a long regular season and [...]
For you to become the best ski racer you can be, you have to be darned serious about your ski racing. You must be motivated, intense, focused, and give your best effort every time you click into your skis. You have to put in the time in the gym, watch a lot of video, keep [...]
For every serious ski racer who has aspirations to ski in college or get named to a national team, a PG, or gap, year is almost an inevitable these days. PG years have been around for decades; they were common even back in my day when I took two PG years between graduating from Burke [...]
For many athletes in many sports, the competitive season is now in full swing. In other words, the season is getting real and the competitions are starting to really matter! So, this is the time when you want to perform your best consistently. Yet, this is also a time when you may start to feel [...]
The race season is now in full swing with qualifying races underway for regional and national championship series. In other words, the season is getting real and the races are starting to really matter! So, this is the time when you want to ski consistently fast. Yet, this is also a time when you may [...]
Mitchell Gunn with permission There are two scenarios on race day that I hear frequently from the racers I work with and the coaches I talk to that are a source of immense frustration, poor skiing, and disappointing results. I’m going to discuss the first scenario in this article and the second scenario [...]
