I was recently interviewed by a Canadian TV show for a segment on how skiers can cope with the current COVID-19 crisis and keep their "head in the game" during the downtime. The segment also includes Canadian Brady Leman, the 2018 Olympic Champion in skicross and Max Gartner, a long-time ski industry leader. The segment [...]
Let me begin with a question: What does the COVID-19 crisis have in common with a ski race? At first blush, you would probably say, “Absolutely nothing!” I mean, really, the current pandemic has created crises of health and financial markets that are disrupting the lives of almost everyone on our planet. People the world [...]
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the cancellation of the rest of the training and competitive season is that you (and every other racers in North America and probably the world) are no longer on snow getting the miles you need free skiing and gate training to continue to improve and progress toward your goals. [...]
We humans don’t like disruptions in our lives. We like to feel safe, secure, and comfortable. That’s not necessarily a bad thing; in fact, it means we’re, well, human. This need is hard wired into us through evolution with one purpose in mind: to ensure our survival. Unfortunately, crises are, by their very nature, disruptive [...]
One of the most important ideas I emphasize in my work with racers is consistency. In fact, it’s consistency that makes the great racers, like Petra Vlhova and Alexis Pinturault, so great. Day in and day out, week in and week out, month in and month out, and year in and year out, they are [...]
Every recommendation that I have made in my ski racing articles is directed toward helping your young racers develop a positive emotional response to their ski racing experiences. Their emotions in their ski racing lives impact both their enjoyment and performance in our sport. The ability of your children to have a positive emotional reaction [...]
Frustration may be your most significant obstacle to achieving your goals. Every ski racer, from juniors to Olympians, has experienced the feeling of frustration when you’re not able to do something as you pursue your goals; you feel stuck, get uptight, lose focus, and get discouraged. The best way I can describe the feeling is: [...]
In my previous ski racing article, I shared with you My 5 Biggest Pet Peeves on Race Day. In that article, I shared what you shouldn’t do on race day. This article is about what you should do to ski your fastest and achieve your goals on race day. A fundamental question you need to [...]
In my last two articles, I shared with you My 5 Biggest Pet Peeves in Gate Training and 5 “Must Does” for Quality Ski Race Training. This article and the one to follow shifts from training to racing and focuses on what racers should and shouldn’t do on race day to ski their fastest. Let’s [...]
In a recent post titled, My 5 Biggest Pet Peeves in Gate Training, I introduced you to the common training habits of young racers that really irritate me (and, more importantly, prevent them from getting the most out of their training!). There is nothing more important to achieving your ski racing goals than what you [...]
