Mitchell Gunn, with permission What do you need to do to be totally prepared to ski your fastest on race day? If you ask the top-ten men and women on the World Cup, you will probably get 20 different answers. But, having asked this question of many world-class ski racers, I have found [...]
One of the first questions that I ask athletes and coaches I work with is: Should you compete like you practice or practice like you compete? By far, the most frequent response is: You should compete like you practice. This answer seems perfectly reasonable if you think about it. When you practice, you’re relaxed, feel [...]
Just about every sport has an off-season during which a key focus should be on building your fitness that acts as the foundation for all of your other sports efforts. Because all aspects of sports preparation have become so sophisticated in the last decade or so, regardless of your sport, without the necessary strength, agility, and stamina, you have little chance of achieving your athletic goals no matter how good you are technically, tactically, or mentally. The problem is that, for most young athletes, conditioning isn't all that fun, in fact, it can be downright tiring, boring, and, yes, painful. Which means that you may not be entirely psyched to work out as much or as hard as you should. I heard this complaint twice recently from young athletes I’m working with. Both knew they should be in the gym regularly, but when it came time to head out the door, they just couldn't pull the trigger as often as they know they should. Plus, when they got to the gym, they just couldn't seem to push themselves as hard as they knew they should. If you feel this way, don’t feel too bad because even the most successful and committed athletes don’t always enjoy their time in the gym. Even for the world’s best athletes, conditioning isn't always fun and it is usually really painful. But each of them make a choice and you can too.
Here's a great article about how Winter Olympians use mental imagery. It supports my belief that mental imagery is a powerful and essential tool in an athlete's toolbox.
I have been thinking a great deal about what it takes for athletes to achieve what I consider to be an essential goal in all of your efforts, namely, when your game, match, round, race, or other type of competition concludes, you are make two statements: “I was as prepared as I could be to [...]
Greetings from Loveland, Colorado, where John Hale and his crew have done another remarkable job of creating mid-season training conditions by the middle of October. As I am out here helping prepare a variety of racers for a very busy early season of races, I have been thinking a great deal about what it takes [...]
Note: This article is an encore presentation of an article that never gets old. The race season is finally over. After a long and demanding winter, you're probably tired of skiing (regardless of whether the season was a triumph or a disappointment). It's time to hang up your skis, pack away your gear, kick back, [...]
It’s hard to believe that we are only weeks away from the start of any ski season. The snow guns are blasting in Colorado and I will be on snow with athletes in ten days. For some of you, I’m sure you’re excited to be able to snap into your skis again after being off [...]