Look Back to Last Season So You Can Look Forward to Next Season

The 2021-22 race season is now well behind you and you’ve likely storage waxed your skis and stored all your gear till you get back on snow (perhaps this summer). You’ve probably also pulled out your favorite non-skiing toys, whether mountain bike, golf clubs, tennis racquets, surfboards, or what-have-you. And the last thing you want to think about is the race season just concluded. Yet, think of it you must! As the saying goes, “Those who don’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” It’s important to look back on last season with a critical eye, so that you can then look forward to the 2022-23 race season with optimism, excitement, and, most importantly, a plan. In other words, if you don’t reflect back on last season, you may miss out on some important lessons that you can use for next season to continue to progress toward your ski racing goals.

Past Season Assessment

The first step in evaluating last season is to rate yourself in each of the following areas on a 1-10 scale:

Overall, rate your season in terms of achieving your goals: 1-really disappointing season; 10-exceptional season.
Your enjoyment of last season: 1-hated it; 10-I loved it.
Physical development: 1-I got weaker since the previous season; 10-I got much stronger since the previous season.
Technical development: 1-My technical skiing went backwards; 10-I made huge improvements.
Tactical development: 1-My tactical skiing went backwards; 10-My tactics improved a lot.
Mental development: 1-I was a mental wreck this past season; 10-I was mentally strength this past season.
Equipment: 1-My equipment and set-up are a mess; 10-My equipment is just right for me and my set-up is totally dialed in.
Getting faster: 1-I got slower this season; 10-I got much faster this season.

Mental Assessment

Given that my focus is on the mental side of ski racing and the mind is the most neglected part of ski racing performance, I think it’s important for you to evaluate yourself mentally to help guide your mental training during the 2022-23 prep period:

Motivation: 1-none at all; 10-incredibly driven.
Confidence: 1-rock bottom; 10: high as a kite.
Intensity: 1-too relaxed in races; 10-way too nervous in races.
Focus: 1-totally distracted; 10: laser-beam focused.
Mental imagery: 1-I never use it; 10-I use it in training, on race day, and off snow consistently.
Routines: 1-no routines in training or on race day; 10-very structured routines in training and on race day.
Consistency: 1-huge ups and downs in my skiing; 10-small ups and downs, but generally high level of skiing.
Bring it: 1-I ski tentatively all the time; 10-I bring it (full gas, full send) every race run.
Investment: 1-I have no investment in my ski racing; 10-I am way too invested in my ski racing.
Perfectionism: 1-I don’t need to be perfect; 10-I have to be perfect, or I beat myself up.
Fear of failure: 1-I don’t like to fail, but I don’t fear it; 10-I have a huge fear of failure and avoid failure at all costs.
Expectations/pressure: 1-On race day, I just try to ski my best and have fun; 10-I place immense expectations on myself that weigh me down on race day.
Note: If you scored under a 7, it is an area you need to work on during the prep period.

Questions to Ask Looking Toward Next Season

What are your goals for the coming race season?
1. Outcome goals (e.g., FIS points, ranking, qualify for a certain level of races)?
2. Process goals (e.g., what you want to get better at)?
What strengths do you bring forward from this past season that will propel into next season?
What weaknesses have you identified that you need to improve on?
What has worked for you that you absolutely want to keep doing?
What didn’t work for you that you absolutely must not repeat?
What new things can you bring to your training to better prepare you for next season?

I encourage you to have your coach complete the above assessments and questions to ensure that your perceptions are consistent with theirs and are based in reality. Assuming you find general agreement in your respective responses, you can then sit down with your coach and use this information to create a comprehensive off-season training program the goal of which is to set yourself up for a successful 2022-23 race season in which you ski consistently fast and achieve your ski racing goals.