One of your most essential goals in your children's lives as ski racers is to have them gain ownership of their participation. They need to feel that ski racing is their thing. But ownership isn’t just something that they can gain on their own. Rather, it is a gift you give them that offers so [...]
As I described in Part I, Part II, and Part III of this four-part series on Meeting the Challenges of Tryouts, my focus is on what athletes can do to make their tryout experiences as enjoyable and successful as possible. So far, I wrote about the psychological challenges for young athletes and how they can [...]
In this week's vlog segment, I explore the difference between expectations and goals. Expectations act as burdens that you place on your young athletes before a competition, causing pressure, anxiety, and worry. Goals, if used correctly, act as motivators to help them become successful. Having goals for your children in their sports participation starts with [...]
In this week's vlog segment, I focus on how sport parents can help their young athletes to gain emotional mastery in their sports lives. As I'm sure you realize, emotions play an essential role in the lives of children both on and off the field. At practice and in competition, their ability to recognize and [...]
I was just sent this article by former world-class runner, Lauren Fleshman. It is truly a must-read for every parent of a young female athlete and young female athletes themselves. The article explores the physical, psychological, emotional, and performance challenges of girls reaching puberty and becoming women. It is both revealing and poignant (brought tears to my [...]
I come to this article from two directions. First, as a sport psychologist who has worked ski racers and their parents for decades. There is no doubt that my experiences in helping racers to achieve their goals and assisting parents in best supporting their children has informed my ideas here. At the same time, perhaps [...]
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 [...]
You have probably already heard about the research that found that children spend as much as 7.5 hours a day on non-school-related media. That is a crazy amount of time spent in front of a screen if you do the math of having 24 hours in a day, about 8 hours of sleep, and another [...]
These days, children seem to be given every opportunity by their parents to experience success in sports and every other performance activity (e.g., school, the performing arts). Many young athletes receive extra help from personal fitness trainers, private coaching, and training camps. They are given the opportunity to develop every possible sports skill necessary to [...]
