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 [...]
Note: This article is an encore presentation of an 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, kick back, [...]
It’s mid March and the end of the race season is in sight. Most of the big races, including U16 and U18 championships, are in your rearview mirror. A few of you may still have U.S. Nationals or Whistler Cup to look forward to. But most of you may be inclined to think of your [...]
With March now upon us, the end of the season is in sight and some of the most important races of the season lie just ahead. As you prepare these big races, whether the State Championships, Junior Olympics, NCAA Championships, U.S. National, Topolino, Whistler Cup, or the World Cup Finals, you’re looking for any edge [...]
Anyone who is a fan of alpine ski racing—and if you’re reading this article, you must be—you can’t help but feel immense amounts of excitement, pride, and inspiration following the gold-medal-winning performances put on by Ted Ligety and Mikaela Shiffrin at the recently completed World Skiing Championships in Schladming, Austria. Though it’s easy to marvel [...]
I was recently asked to write a chapter on the benefits and costs of sports participation among youth for a new parenting book. It got me thinking about all of the different sports that I have competed in over the years including ski racing, of course, tennis, karate, running, cycling, swimming, and triathlon. I’ve also [...]
Great article about the 17-year-old alpine ski racing star Mikaela Shiffrin in the NY Times today. Worth a read to learn about the wonderful attitude and humility she has about ski racing.
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 Tina Maze and Ted Ligety, 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 [...]
Over the past six weeks I’ve worked on- and off-snow with a handful of top juniors individually and four of the leading junior programs in the U.S. As usual, I learned things in my work with the athletes and coaches that always remind me of what I would call the “little big things” in ski [...]
Many racers I’ve come across don’t seem to believe that training is that important because it doesn’t really “count,” meaning there are no results or points gained from it. But, the reality is that training is hugely important because whatever you do in training is what you will do in a race. Another way to [...]