It happens every winter. In December, January, and February, I get calls from national team athletes and parents of young racers who are struggling mentally in their ski racing and they have big races coming up. They want me to somehow fix them quickly. Though I think I’m pretty good at what I do, I’m no miracle worker!

To put the request in perspective, do you wait to get injured before working on your fitness? Do you wait till you develop a major technical flaw to work on your ski technique? Of course not. You build your conditioning and work on your technique in the off-season to prevent injuries and technical problems from arising during the race season. Well, you should approach how you treat the mental side of your ski racing in precisely the same way. So, 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 the world about the mental aspects of ski racing. Whenever I get the chance, I ask them how important the mental side of ski racing is compared to the physical and technical sides. Though there are always a few who say that the mind is less important than the body and technique, about 99 percent say that it is as or more important. Given what I do for a living, I love hearing that. But, admittedly, I don’t even think it’s more important because all the mental training in the world won’t help if you’re not physically or technically capable of getting down the hill. But I think it’s safe to say that without a well-trained mind, there is no chance of real success in our sport.

Next, I ask racers how many hours a day they devote to their physical and technical development. Most say from 2-6 hours depending on the season. Then, I ask, if the mind is so important, does that mean you’re spending 2-6 hours a day on mental training? At this point, there are a lot of shaking heads and nods of recognition. Clearly, the answer is ‘no,’ but the question is mostly rhetorical and meant to open your eyes to the absurdity of not spending any dedicated time on such an important contributor to our sport.

Second, I work with many racers each year, from U14s with big dreams to Olympians who are realizing their dreams. What has become abundantly clear to me is that, once the foundation of fitness, technique, tactics, and equipment are established, it is the mind that separates racers who achieve their goals from those who don’t. This occurs at two levels. Having the right attitude and preparation enables you to get the most out of your training. And, on race day, being able to stay positive, calm, focused, and withstand the pressure—self-imposed and external—will enable you to ski your fastest when it really counts.

Third, of the racers who come to me, the number-one reason is because they can ski fast in training, but they can’t seem to translate that into race-day results. And they don’t understand why. To help you understand, think of it this way. There is no objective difference between a training course and a race course; they both have a start, the course, terrain, and snow conditions, and the finish. So, what makes races different from training? It’s obvious: results matter in races! And that difference occurs entirely in your mind. Your challenge is to either ignore the difference or embrace the difference.

Let me also say that you actually do quite a bit of mental “stuff” without realizing it. I’m sure that you attempt to motivate yourself, think positively, fire yourself up, and focus in training. Here’s the problem. Do you approach mental training in the same way as you approach physical and technical training? Do you have a comprehensive, structured, and consistent mental training program? In both cases, probably not. Would you do your physical conditioning or technical work in a haphazard way? Of course not, because trial and error is neither an effective nor efficient way to improve. Rather, you have systematic condition and on-snow training programs that guides your physical and technical development, thus maximizing your efforts. You should approach mental training the same way.

Have I convinced you yet that you should make mental training a priority during this off-season? If so, be on the lookout for more articles on this topic in the coming months.

Certainly, you should continue to participate in committed physical conditioning and on-snow programs this off-season. At the same time, if you read, embrace, commit to, and put into action the ideas and tools I share with you here and in my coming posts, you’ll be well on your way to developing a truly comprehensive and impactful mental training program that will help you be even more prepared to ski your fastest and achieve your ski racing goals next season.