Mental Training Begins in the Gym
Most sport psychologists work with athletes on the mental side of their sport in an office setting (usually one hour per week), providing them with mental tools that they can use during training and competitions. This approach makes about as much sense as a coach offering their racers technical instruction and then telling them to […]
Read More5 Reasons Athletes Don’t Do Mental Training
Over the many years that I’ve been working in the field of sport psychology, I have championed the benefits of mental training for sports to thousands of athletes. This work has ranged from talks to junior programs to ongoing consulting with individual athletes and teams. As many of you know from my dozens of articles […]
Read MoreMake Mental Training a Priority in the Off-season
This article 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 world about the psychology of ski racing. Whenever I get the […]
Read MoreStrengthen Your Mind with Ski Racing Imagery
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 a huge impact on your ski racing. And here’s my challenge to you: If […]
Read MoreNext Race Season Starts…NOW!
Note: This article is an encore presentation of a previously published 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, […]
Read MoreEven the Best Struggle Mentally
Here’s a great article about Rafael Nadal in which he describes struggling mentally this year on the pro tennis tour. Roger Federer also discusses his mental difficulties. For most people, it’s hard to imagine that such such gifted and experienced athletes who have had so much success in their careers could, for example, lose confidence and get […]
Read MoreTaylor Interview on Sport Psychology with Former NFLer Isaac Byrd
I was recently interviewed by Isaac Byrd, a former NFL player. We talked about sport psychology and the mental preparation for sport. Might be worth a listen.
Read MoreSki Racing is Like Sleep
Having just read the title of my new article, You may be thinking: “Has Dr. Jim finally lost it? What does sleep have to do with ski racing?” Let me explain. Have you ever tried to sleep? You lie in bed and tell yourself that you have to sleep and you try, try, try to […]
Read MoreInside the Mind of a Pro Cyclist
Here is a great article about Tour de France winner and multiple Olympic cycling champion, Sir Bradley Wiggins, and his approach to the mental side of cycling.
Read MoreIn a Slump? Don’t Press the Panic Button
I just returned from the men’s Eastern Cups at Stowe last week. I have to say how impressed I was by the quality of skiing. From bib 1 to 117, there was not a bad skier there. I spoke to a number of the racers during the two days and I sensed one emotion quite […]
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