Author: Dr. Jim Taylor

Recent Posts

Mentally Preparing for Olympic Sports Success

I’m fortunate to be working with a handful of athletes from several countries preparing to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea this month. It is an honor and a privilege to work with such remarkable athletes and to do my part in helping them to achieve their sports dreams and […]

Read More

Mentally Preparing for Olympic Ski Racing Success

I’m fortunate to be working with a handful of ski racers from several countries preparing to compete in the 2018 Winter Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea this month. It is an honor and a privilege to work with such remarkable athletes and to do my part in helping them to achieve their ski racing […]

Read More

Michael Phelps Knows the Power of Visualization-Short Video

I tell the athletes that I work with that visualization (imagery) is the most powerful mental tool there is for so many reasons. But when they hear that message from the world’s greatest athletes, it carries even more weight. I came across a great short video with Michael Phelps and his longtime coach, Bob Bowman, […]

Read More

Vlog: Do with Other Sport Parents

In this final segment of my eight-part vlog series on sport parenting, we shift our focus onto what you can do with other sport parents to ensure a healthy athletic experience for your children. There is little doubt that you as a parent have an immense impact on your children’s sports involvement. At the same […]

Read More

Psychology of Tryouts: Part I

Note: This is the first in a series of four articles that explore the psychology of tryouts that I recently published on YSPN360.com, a great new website and organization whose values about youth sports align with mine. Subsequent articles in the series will look at what young athletes can do to mentally prepare for tryouts; what […]

Read More

Great Sports Performance is About Feelings

One of the greatest strengths of the athletes I work with, whether a junior, collegian, Olympian, or pro, is their intelligence. Their ability to explore, understand, analyze, critique, and find answers and solutions is an essential tool that helps them pursue their goals. At the same time, one of the greatest weaknesses that holds them […]

Read More

Fast Skiing is About Feelings

One of the greatest strengths of the ski racers I work with, whether a U16, FIS, collegian, or World Cupper, is their intelligence. Their ability to explore, understand, analyze, critique, and find answers and solutions is an essential tool that helps them pursue their goals. At the same time, one of the greatest weaknesses that […]

Read More

Vlog: Become a Sports Emotional Master

In my eighth of 12 vlog segments devoted to athletes and coaches, I describe to you how you can become an emotional master in your sport. For me, an emotional master is not someone who doesn’t feel emotions, but rather someone who experiences the wide range of emotions that are an unavoidable part of sports […]

Read More

In Sports, You Need to Fight from Start to Finish

I have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to young athletes in their training and competitive efforts. For example, it drives me crazy to see athletes not prepare themselves fully for a practice session (but you can’t do that in a competition!). Or, young athletes standing around and chatting it up before drills […]

Read More

Fight from Start to Finish

I have a lot of pet peeves when it comes to young ski racers in their training and race efforts. For example, it drives me crazy to see them slip a training course, yet barely inspect it because they figure they can learn the course in the first few runs (but you can’t do that […]

Read More