Being a Well-trained Athlete is Not Enough for Athletic Success
One of the questions I’m asked most frequently from athletes, coaches, and parents is: What does it take to be a successful athlete? For any athlete who wants to be their best, this is no easy question, yet one that is worth asking and worth even more to answer. First, let me address how I […]
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Sport Parents Behaving Badly
It’s almost become a cliche. Parents yelling at their children at practice or during games. Parents heckling the opposing team. Parents berating coaches. Parents threatening referees. Parenting fighting each other in the stands. In just about any sport, at every level of youth sports, on any given day, and on fields, courts, courses, and rinks […]
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In Sports, “Innovate or Die”
I have three favorite sayings when it comes to being the best athlete you can be. First, “If you want to perform like everyone else, be like everyone else.” In other words, if you want to be a decent athlete among many, do what they do. Second, an old Texas adage says, “If you all […]
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Free Vlogs for Racers, Athletes, Coaches and Parents
With the summer around the corner, I thought it would be a good time to re-introduce my vlog series for for ski racers, athletes of all sports, and sport parents. The free vlogs are brief explorations (about 4 minutes long) of a specific topic related to the psychology of ski racing, sports in general, and being […]
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Don’t Wait Till Next Sports Season to Start Your Mental Training
It happens every competitive season. I get calls from and their parents who are struggling mentally in their sport and they have big events coming up. They want me to somehow fix them quickly. Though I think I’m pretty good at what I do, I’m no miracle worker. To put the request in perspective, do […]
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8 Questions to Ask Yourself at the End of a Sport Season
Every sport has a competitive season that ends. For winter sports, it’s recently concluded and for spring sports, it is rapidly approaching. After a long and demanding season, you’re probably tired of your sport (regardless of whether the season was a triumph or a disappointment). It’s time to pack away your gear, kick back, relax, […]
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The Funny (and Brutally Honest) Side of Being a Sport Parent
I just came across a very funny article titled “17 Tweets for Parents Who Both Love and Hate Kids’ Sports Season.” If you’re the parent of a young athlete, you’ll both totally relate to and get a good chuckle out of the tweets. As the parent of two young ski racers, I would like to […]
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Vlog: Seven Reasons Athletes Don’t Do Mental Training
In the 12th and final segment of my vlog series devoted to the psychology of sport for athletes and coaches, I explain the seven reasons that prevent athletes from making a commitment of time and energy to mental training. As I’m sure you would agree, the mind plays an essential role in athletic success. Yet, […]
Read MoreTop Athletes Know the Power of Routines
I’ve worked with many professional and Olympic athletes over the years and I’ve been a keen observer of many more. I certainly love watching the world’s best athletes train and compete. But what I find equally fascinating is watching them to prepare to train and compete. One thing that I can say with absolute certainty […]
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Pro Athletes are Hooked on Social Media Too
As the author of a book on the impact of technology on young people’s lives, I see tremendous value in the use of technology to enhance athletes’ lives. At the same time, I also have grave concerns about its overuse, particularly with social media. In January, 2017, I wrote a blog post exploring how excessive […]
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