A fundamental question you need to ask is: “What do I need to do to be totally prepared to ski my best 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 [...]
There is no more important time in ski racers’ lives for them to do everything they can to maximize their preparedness than on race day. The simple calculus is that racers won’t perform to the best of their ability if they are not optimally prepared physically, mentally, and with their equipment. Second, the reason why [...]
I've been in the ski racing world since I was six years old. The first 20 years, I was a racer learning the ups and downs of ski racing the hard way, mostly through trial and error, and sometimes painful failure. That, I can say with 20/20 hindsight and absolute certainty, is no way to [...]
In my last Ski Racing post, I introduced you to five attitudes that you need for ski racing success. In this post, I will explore five obstacles that will prevent you from skiing your fastest and achieving your ski racing goals. Mental obstacles refer to any psychological or emotional issue that interferes with your ability [...]
The dictionary definition of attitude is “The way you think and feel about something…a way of thinking and feeling that affect a person’s behavior.” You hold attitudes about your ski racing that have a direct impact on how you train and how you race. Moreover, you may not even be aware of some of these [...]
The transition from U16s to U19s is an important and challenging rite of passage for every young ski racer. The year of FIS racing is also a crucible that tests racers physical, technically, tactically, and especially, psychologically and emotionally. To continue to pursue your ski racing goals, you must “survive” and, in fact, find ways [...]
As many of you know, a big part of my passion for sports and education is helping parents to support their children in the most positive way. Also, as both a sport psychologist and a parent of two young ski racers, I empathize with the challenges of being a sport parent. Particularly during the Covid-19 [...]
It’s hard to believe that it’s already October. For the World Cuppers (and even some FIS athletes), the race season is only a few weeks away and, for most racers, only a few months away. What I consider Phase I of the ski racing prep period is over. Hopefully, the summer was devoted to building [...]
I was recently interviewed by Parker Biele for the Sync Performance podcast, This Week's Stoke. In the podcast, I share with Parker my years of ski racing and professional experience in the psychology of ski racing including exploring topics such as mental imagery, routines, and mental health. Thanks to Parker and Sync for giving me [...]
The cost of alpine ski racing has a topic of great concern and much discussion in the ski racing community in recent years. I’m appreciative of Ski Racing Media for encouraging an open dialogue on this issue and inviting me to share my views on this subject. As a member of the ski racing community [...]
