What it Takes to be a Champion
Jamie Astle, the father of the late racer Bryce Astle, recently described the qualities that he believed would have made Bryce a ski racing champion. His list is formidable and very consistent with my own ideas on the topic. Here’s the list: He embraced a positive attitude and was always able see the good […]
Read MoreThe Fall Matters: Make it Count
If you’re at all serious about your ski racing, this past summer should have been devoted to the process of making yourself the best ski racer you can be. There is one thing that you better have done and another thing that you likely will have done this past summer: engage in an intensive physical […]
Read MoreWhen Should Your Young Athlete Specialize?
This question torments every parent who wants to support their children’s efforts as they pursue their own personal greatness in a sport. It is also one of the most frequently asked questions I get from parents of young athletes. This question isn’t just one of professional interest to me. Rather, it’s personal for two reasons. […]
Read MoreSummer is a Great Time to Watch Ski Racing Video
Watching videos of yourself and World Cup racers is a valuable tool for improving technique and tactics, getting inspired, and increasing motivation, confidence, and focus. If you’re like most racers, you use it a lot during the winter as part of your training. Video enables you to more clearly understand and see what you need […]
Read More5 Things I Hate to See Racers Do in Training
I’ve been in the ski racing world since I was six years old. The first 20 years, I was a racer learning the ups and downs of ski racing the hard way, mostly through trial and error, and sometimes painful failure. That, I can say with 20/20 hindsight and absolute certainty, is no way to […]
Read MoreMaster Your Frustration This Summer
Frustration may be your most significant obstacle to achieving your ski racing goals. Every ski racer, from juniors to Olympians, has experienced the feeling of frustration when you’re not able to do something, whether physically (e.g., lift a weight), technically (e.g., maintain a wide enough stance), tactically (e.g., be patient with your line): you feel […]
Read More“Money in the Bank, Baby!”: Start Making Confidence Deposits This Summer
In one of my final post this past season, I exhorted you to buy into the notion that Next Season Starts…NOW! With the start of June having just arrived, the summer is now officially upon us. The summer is an immensely important time to pursue your ski racing goals. You can get stronger, improve your […]
Read MoreWith Off-Season Training, You Pay Now or Pay Later
The off-season is now well underway and you are probably hitting the gym and, hopefully, hitting the slopes soon as well some time in the next few months. Though getting the miles on snow is very important, a key focus during the summer should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for […]
Read MoreMental Training Begins in the Gym
Most sport psychologists work with athletes on the mental side of their sport in an office setting (usually one hour per week), providing them with mental tools that they can use during training and competitions. This approach makes about as much sense as a coach offering their racers technical instruction and then telling them to […]
Read MoreMake Mental Training a Priority in the Off-season
This article is a challenge for you to take an essential, yet often neglected, piece of the ski racing success puzzle and make it a priority during the off-season. Let me elaborate in three ways. First, I speak to racers, coaches, and parents around world about the psychology of ski racing. Whenever I get the […]
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