10 04, 2014

Make Mental Training a Priority in the Off-season

By | April 10th, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

No, this article is not a lame attempt at self-promotion. Rather, it 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 North [...]

30 01, 2014

Qualifying: The Season of Excitement…and Dread

By | January 30th, 2014|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

‘Tis the season for qualifying. You may want to make the cut for the state championships, U16, U18, or U.S. nationals, or the NCAA championships. You may even have been hoping to qualify for the Sochi Olympics. I can assure you that you are not alone whatever your situation or whatever you are feeling. This [...]

23 01, 2014

Taylor Radio Interview about Seattle’s QB and Confidence

By | January 23rd, 2014|Categories: Sports|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I was interviewed by KIRO radio in Seattle the other day about the Seahawk's quarterback, Russell Wilson, and how he was able to maintain his confidence and composure after fumbling on the first play of the NFC Championship game against San Francisco. In the interview, we also explore whether professional athletes are different from regular [...]

23 12, 2013

Are Your Expectations Helping or Hurting Your Ski Racing Children?

By | December 23rd, 2013|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Setting expectations for your ski racing children is an essential responsibility to help your children ski their fastest and achieve their goals. Expectations communicate messages to your children about what’s important to you and establish a standard toward which your children can strive. But expectations can be double-edged swords. They can be a tremendous benefit [...]

19 12, 2013

How to Build Healthy Self-Esteem in Your Children

By | December 19th, 2013|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

I was recently interviewed for this article on how to develop self-esteem in your children. The writer did a nice job of covering all of the bases.

17 12, 2013

In Sports, Results Matter, But to Get Them, Ignore Them

By | December 17th, 2013|Categories: Sports|Tags: , , , , , , , , |8 Comments

There are a lot of misconceptions about the role of results in achieving your athletic goals. Of course, you need good results to be successful, but the question is how to go about getting those results and, ironically, the answer is not what parents, coaches, and athletes often think. First, I want to define ‘outcome’ and ‘process.’ An outcome focus involved focusing on results, rankings, and beating others. Notice that this focus is on things outside of you. A process focus involves focusing on what you need to do perform your best such as preparation, technique, or tactics. In contrast to an outcome focus, a process focus is entirely on you. Now it’s time to discuss the paradox of outcome focus. Most people think that, to get the results you want, you need to focus on those results. But, and here’s the paradox, by having an outcome focus actually reduces the chances of your achieving the results you want. Here’s why. First, when does the outcome of a competition occur? At the end, of course. If you’re focused on the outcome, you aren’t focused on the process, namely, what you need to do to perform your best from the start to the finish of the competition. Second, what makes you nervous before a competition, the process or the outcome? The chances are it’s the outcome, more specifically, a bad outcome such as not winning or achieving your goals. The bottom line is that when you focus on the outcome, you are far less likely to get the outcome you want. In contrast, when you focus on the process, you increase your chances of getting the results you want. If you focus on the process, that is, what you need to do to perform your best, how you are likely going to perform? Pretty well, you can assume. And if you perform well, you’re more likely to achieve the result you wanted in the first place. Here is my wish for you: never think about results. In an ideal world, I would like you to be entirely process focused and basically never have results cross your mind.

12 12, 2013

Be the Best Ski Racing Parent You Can Be: A Review

By | December 12th, 2013|Categories: Ski Racing|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

It's hard to believe, but I’ve been back on snow working with racers since October 16th and that rollercoaster called another winter of ski racing is well underway. Racers aren’t only members of the ski racing community who experience the intense ups and downs of our sport; their parents do too. The fact is that [...]

28 10, 2013

What Messages are Your Expectations Sending to Your Children?

By | October 28th, 2013|Categories: Parenting|Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |0 Comments

Setting expectations for your children is an essential responsibility of parenting. Expectations communicate messages to your children about what’s important to you and establish a standard toward which your children can strive. But expectations can be double-edged swords. They can be a tremendous benefit to your children’s development or they can be weighty burdens that [...]