Compete Like You Practice or Practice Like You Compete?
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 […]
Read More3 Essential Mindsets for Athletic Success
In this article, I’m going to talk about “mindset,” which I consider to be an essential contributor to athletic success and a mental area that has only come to light in my work with elite athletes during the past three years. This topic is also where professional and Olympic athletes offer wonderful examples in which […]
Read MoreBe the Best Ski Racing Parent You Can Be: A Review
Hey parents, are you ready for another roller coaster ride called a winter of ski racing ? Racers aren’t the only members of the ski racing community who experience the intense ups and downs of our sport; their parents do too. The fact is that it’s hard being a ski racing parent. You invest your heart, […]
Read MoreUnified Model of Performance Psychology
A fundamental question I have been exploring in the 30 years that I have been working in the field of performance psychology is: What does it take to succeed? My life’s work has been devoted to answering this question so that anyone who is willing to pursue their dreams can find success. Yet, in recent years, I have […]
Read MoreSki Racing Imagery: Your Most Powerful Mental Tool
Note: This article is another encore presentation of an article that never gets old. If you do anything to work on the mental side of your ski racing during this off season, it better be mental imagery. Why, you ask. Because there is no more powerful mental tool than mental imagery and it can have […]
Read MoreIncredible Story about World’s Greatest Free Solo Rock Climber
I just heard an interview with Alex Honnold, the world’s greatest free solo (i.e., no ropes) rock climber. What he does is beyond unreal. There is ZERO margin of error. One of the very few examples of an activity that truly requires perfection (or you die!). Here are several videos of his climbing. You can […]
Read MoreMake Mental Training a Priority in the Off-season
No, this article is not a lame attempt at self-promotion. Rather, it 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 North […]
Read MoreQualifying: The Season of Excitement…and Dread
‘Tis the season for qualifying. You may want to make the cut for the state championships, U16, U18, or U.S. nationals, or the NCAA championships. You may even have been hoping to qualify for the Sochi Olympics. I can assure you that you are not alone whatever your situation or whatever you are feeling. This […]
Read MoreTaylor Radio Interview about Seattle’s QB and Confidence
I was interviewed by KIRO radio in Seattle the other day about the Seahawk’s quarterback, Russell Wilson, and how he was able to maintain his confidence and composure after fumbling on the first play of the NFC Championship game against San Francisco. In the interview, we also explore whether professional athletes are different from regular […]
Read MoreRadio Interview on Coaching Stress
I was recently interviewed by Charlie Tuggle, the host of Sports Focus, on WCHL radio in Chapel Hill, NC, on the topic of coaching stress following the recent health scares by two NFL coaches.
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