Don’t Wait Till Next Winter to Start Your Mental Training
It happens every winter. In December, January, and February, I get calls from national team athletes and parents of young racers who are struggling mentally in their ski racing and they have big races coming up. They want me to somehow fix them quickly. Though I think I’m pretty good at what I do, I’m […]
Read MoreThe Secret to Mikaela Shiffrin’s Success
Sports Illustrated just published a great read about Mikaela Shiffrin that describes not only a significant shift in mindset she made that helped her overcome her pre-race anxiety, but also what has made her so successful over the short, but brilliant, arc of your career. For any ski racer (or athlete) who aspires to be […]
Read MoreGreat Performers are Born AND Made
Skiracing.com recently published an article about a segment of RedBull TV that explores whether great performers are born or made. The 50-minute show, titled The Prodigies, focuses on Mikaela Shiffrin, the Olympic ski racing champion, and Lang Lang, considered the finest classical pianist in the world. In my view, the segment is biased toward the ‘great […]
Read More4 Keys to Consistently Fast Skiing
I just returned from Copper where I was working with the USST women’s Europa Cup and D teams and the National Training Group (a great group of young women!). A major goal they wanted to pursue was consistency in their skiing. This objective fit nicely into my own priorities for ski racers. I see so […]
Read MorePrime Ski Racing 101 online mental training course begins in 2 weeks
Just a reminder that my 6-week Prime Ski Racing 101 online mental training course will begin in 2 weeks, on Sept. 7th. This course will explore the essential mental muscles and mental tools ski racers need to ski consistently fast and achieve their ski racing goals. Team discounts are available and coaches can attend at […]
Read MoreLesson #1 from Prime Ski Racing e-book: Focus on Fast, not Results
Most racers and coaches think that, to get the results you want, you need to focus on those results. But, here’s the paradox: Having an outcome focus actually reduces the chances of your achieving the results you want. Here’s why. First, when does the outcome of a ski race occur? After you cross the finish line, of […]
Read MoreTake Risks for Ski Racing Success
In the last article in my series on the gifts that Mikaela Shiffrin gave to ski racers for the holidays, I described how I have seen her evolve from consistent and rock-solid racer (and, of course, incredibly fast) into a risk taker on skis (who is now freakishly fast) as evidenced by her improvements in […]
Read MoreMikaela’s Holiday Gift #3: Risk
My first two articles in this three-part series on the gifts that Mikaela has given ski racers for the holidays from her World Cup lows and highs in Aspen in November focused on how to react to disappointment and the importance of fight to ski your fastest. In this last article in my series, I […]
Read MorePsychological Rehab of Ski Racing Injury
The U.S. ski racing community was saddened to hear that Mikaela Shiffrin had injured her knee while free skiing before the World Cup in Are, Sweden and that the injury, a torn MCL of her right knee, might keep her out for the entire season. With this injury, and the many others that have sidelined […]
Read MoreMikaela’s Holiday Gift #2: Fight
In my last article, I explored the first of three holiday gifts that Mikaela Shiffrin gave to young ski racers for the holidays, namely, the power of disappointment to fuel your ski racing efforts. This article will introduce you to holiday gift #2 from Mikaela, the importance in a race of to fight no matter what. […]
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