In 2011, when my daughters were five and three, we joined the Sugar Bowl Ski Team. At that time, I wrote an article titled, “Momma, Don’t Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be…Ski Racers.” In the article, as our family was just entering the ski racing world, I expressed considerable ambivalence about whether I wanted [...]
When most people in the sports world think of sport psychology, they think of mental training, that is, helping athletes prepare mentally to perform their best when it matters most. Mental muscles that help athletes strengthen include motivation, confidence, intensity, and focus. And mental tools I help athletes to put in their mental toolboxes include [...]
When most people in our ski racing community think of sport psychology, they think of mental training, that is, helping racers prepare mentally to ski their fastest when it matters most. Mental muscles that help racers strengthen include motivation, confidence, intensity, and focus. And mental tools I help racers to put in their mental toolboxes [...]
Like I said, sports parents, we have a problem. Want to know the problem? Well, look in the mirror. I don’t mean to insult you by indicting you as being the problem as an individual parent. I don’t know you or how you are with your children in their sports lives. I’m talking about the [...]
Like I said, ski racing parents, we have a problem. Want to know the problem? Well, look in the mirror. I don’t mean to insult you by indicting you as being the problem as an individual parent. I don’t know you or how you are with your children in their ski racing lives. I’m talking [...]
I’ve been thinking a lot about how important real commitment is to athletic success and how sports teams can measure commitment in athletes. Just about every so-called serious athlete is pretty committed to their sport, but are you REALLY committed? I could ask you to rate yourself on a 1-10 scale. I could also ask [...]
I was talking recently with Darcy Norman, the new Director of Athlete Performance at Sugar Bowl Ski Team & Academy about what it takes to be the ski racer you can be. Darcy has been involved high-level sports for his entire life including as a ski racer and ski coach back in the day. Most [...]
I get several phone and emails a week from parents of athletes who tell me that their young athlete is struggling and it seems to be “mental.” I then ask for more details about what kinds of specific difficulties their kids are having and they have a tough times explaining further. The most common response [...]
My last blog post about over-invested ski racing parents caught fire with more than 14,000 views. With the race season just around the corner, I get the feeling that parents are hungry for helpful tips on how best to support their young ski racers this winter. So, to keep that mo’ going, this week’s post [...]
One of your most essential goals as a sport parent in your children's lives as athletes is to have them gain ownership of their participation. They need to feel that their sport is their thing. But ownership isn’t just something that they can gain on their own. Rather, it is a gift you give them [...]
