Fear of Failure – Part I
It’s hard to believe that we will very likely be on snow in less two months and, fingers crossed, back in the start gate soon after. After the abrupt end of the last race season, everyone in the ski racing community is “jonesing” to get back on the hill to train and then race. The […]
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Mental Preparation is a Key Piece of the Ski Racing Development Puzzle
I would first like to express my appreciation to Dan Leever and Ski Racing Media for initiating this essential conversation about how the U.S. Ski Team can live up to its vision: “Best in the World.” I would also like to thank Dan and SRM for giving me the opportunity to contribute to this exchange […]
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Train Your Mind for Athletic Success Podcast: Episode #25-What is Intensity?
Episode #25: What is Intensity? of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast is the first of two episodes in which I will explore the impact of intensity on sports performance. The topic for today’s episode is: What is Intensity? What I mean by intensity is the amount of physiological activity you experience in your […]
Read MoreTrain Your Mind for Athletic Success Podcast: Episode #24-7 Tools for Building Confidence
Episode #24: 7 Tools for Building Confidence of my Train Your Mind for Athletic Success podcast is the first of two episodes that examines the impact of confidence on sports performance. This episode introduces you to what confidence is in the context of sports, how it affects athletes, why athletes lose confidence, symptoms of low confidence, […]
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Raising Young Athletes: Episode #23-Message Blockers
Episode #23: Message Blockers of my Raising Young Athletes podcast is the fourth of five episodes in which I explore the importance of messages in raising healthy young athletes and people. This episode introduces you to nine “message blockers” that can prevent your healthy messages from getting through to your young athletes. Being aware of […]
Read MoreTaylor Interview about Performance Psychology
I was recently interviewed by Ahmann Carter, the founder of the Ideas X People podcast. The podcast focuses on my ideas related to performance psychology. Here are some of the specifics: Common performance obstacles The difficulty and rewards in working towards your goals, regardless of your outcome The importance of identity and intrinsic motivation in […]
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Build a “Trust Fund” During the Prep Period
Trust is one of the most important “muscles” you need to develop during this prep period. All of your efforts related to conditioning, on-snow training, nutrition, equipment testing and preparation, and, of course, mental training is devoted to established a deep level of trust that you can ski your fastest and achieve your goals next […]
Read More“Money in the Bank, Baby!”: Start Making Confidence Deposits This Summer
In one of my final posts this past season, I exhorted you to buy into the notion that Next Season Starts…NOW! With the end of June having just arrived, the summer is now officially upon us. The summer is an immensely important time to pursue your ski racing goals. You can get stronger, improve your […]
Read MoreWatching Video is Great Off-season Mental Training
Watching videos of yourself and World Cup racers is a powerful tool for strengthening important mental muscles such as confidence, intensity, and focus. It can also be used, when combined with mental imagery, to improve technique and tactics. Another benefit is that watching yourself ski fast and top World Cuppers ski faster just gets you […]
Read MoreMental Imagery is Your Most Powerful Prep-Period Mental Training Tool
It sure was a bummer missing all those miles of skiing when COVID-19 struck. Let’s be realistic. You’ve lost a bunch of miles by not being on snow the last six weeks of the ski season. And we don’t yet know if there will be any on-snow training anywhere this summer. But there is a […]
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