I am absolutely thrilled to announce that I have recently been named the sport psychology consultant for the U.S. Ski Team’s women’s Europa Cup, D, and FIS NTG teams. I will be providing a comprehensive, structured, and consistent program of mental training to the athletes and coaches. This program is acting as a pilot project that I hope will be adopted team wide by the USST in the coming years to help its athletes be better prepared for success at the 2022 Winter Olympics and beyond.
Though I have worked with many USST athletes individually over the years, this is my first opportunity to work with the USST formally. It is truly a dream come true for me and gives me the chance to help USST athletes achieve their goals in a sport that has given me so much and that I love deeply.
My mental training program includes:
- At least two in-person trips (I spent two days with the teams at the Center of Excellence in Park City in July and will do at least one on-snow camp).
- One to two group Skype sessions per month through April.
- Working with the coaches to incorporate mental training (e.g., imagery, routines) into the athletes’ overall athlete development program.
- Individual Skype sessions with each athlete.
- Enrollment in my Prime Ski Racing 101 6-week online mental training course.
I want to express my gratitude to Tiger Shaw (CEO, USSA), Troy Taylor (no relation; high performance director, USSA), and the women’s development coaches, Thomas Erhard, Kris Shampeny, and John Cashman, for supporting my involvement.
