The downtime imposed on us by the COVID-19 crisis is certainly frustrating whether you're an athlete, coach, or parent. As an athlete, you may feel that your development has been slowed or come to a screeching halt. But this time is also an opportunity for you to focus on areas of your athletic performance that [...]
Let me begin with a question: What does the COVID-19 crisis have in common with sports? 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 over are [...]
Perhaps the most frustrating aspect of the cancellation of winter and spring sports is that you (and every other athlete in North America and probably the world) are no longer able to practice and compete in the sport they love and to continue to improve and progress toward your athletic goals. Well, I can’t magically [...]
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 [...]
Every recommendation that I have made in my sports articles is directed toward helping your young athletes develop a positive emotional response to their sports experiences. Their emotions in their sports lives impact both their enjoyment and performance in their sport. The ability of your children to have a positive emotional reaction begins with a [...]
In my previous article, I shared with you My 5 Biggest Pet Peeves on Game Day. In that article, I shared what you shouldn’t do on game day. This article is about what you should do to perform your best and achieve your goals on game day. A fundamental question you need to ask is: [...]
My 5 Biggest Pet Peeves on Game Day In my last two articles, I shared with you My 4 Biggest Pet Peeves in Sport Training and 5 “Must Dos” for Quality Sport Training. This article and the one to follow shifts from practice to game day and focuses on what athletes should and shouldn’t do [...]
I've been in the sports world since I was six years old. The first 20 years, I was an athlete (a ski racer) learning the ups and downs of sports 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 [...]
There is nothing more important to achieving your sports goals than what you do in training. It is during training that you ingrain the physical, technical, tactical, and mental habits that will come out in competitions. If you establish good habits, you'll have a good chance of having a good competitive performance. But if you [...]
I was recently interviewed for an article that explored the impact of social media on how athletes perceive themselves psychologically and emotionally and its impact on performance. Whether competing at the junior, collegiate, international, or professional level, looking at how other people (including rabid fans!) can be jarring to athletes. Social media has become an [...]
