Training

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CWSCRACER August 2014

Short leg, long leg ... gone nuke.

ARE YOU READY FOR A NEW RACE SEASON? 2015 Light reading for CWSC racers who are wondering how they might get a jump on the coming season.

QUICK TIPS FOR THE MENTAL EDGE

You may be uncertain about skiing it. This uncertainty creates doubts and anxiety. If you try to ski these when you are uncertain, you are

Published in Ski Racing (1984-2004)

going to ski tentatively and bale out at the first

by Dr. Jim Taylor

sign of trouble.

COMMIT YOURSELF TO YOUR RACING When you are on course, there is no room for being tentative. If you let up or back off going in the middle of a run, you are going to be in trouble. At best, you will be slow. At worst, you will fall and could injure yourself. One of the most important things you must do when they get into the starting gate is to be totally committed to going as fast and hard as you can. In order to ski your best, you have to be committed to ski the very best you can.

So before you make a run, whether in training or a race, make sure that you are focused on skiing to the best of your ability. Make sure you are totally committed to doing it all the way. If you are not totally committed, step, get refocused and committed, then GO FOR IT! By being committed, you will race better and faster, make fewer mistakes, improve faster, and have a whole lot more fun.

EXPECT THE UNEXPECTED A major source of stress for ski racers, and

Unfortunately, as you develop as a racer. you

people in general, is the unexpected things that

will often come upon courses, terrain, or

come up in life. The natural reaction to

conditions that you think are over your head.

unexpected events is to back off, become

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FLY OUR FRIENDLY SKIES CWSC cross-training idea for Summer 2015. Sky’s the limit.

tentative and anxious, and lose concentration.

Finally, you will know you have learned the new

The unexpected usually hurts performance.

skill when you are able to do it without saying

feelings will be down. If your body is up, your

During the course of a race weekend, all

If your body is down, your thoughts and

the SKIword at all. By using the SKIword

thoughts and feelings will be up. Examples of

kinds of things can wrong for a ski racer. On the

progression, you will learn improve more quickly,

not walking the walk include head and eyes

way to races, airlines can lose skis and bags

thus enabling you to ski better and faster.

down, shoulders slouched, feet dragging, and

can be stolen. At the races, skis can get broken,

TYPES OF NEGATIVE THINKING

no energy in your step. Walking the walk

goggles can become fogged, and buckles can

Though negative thinking is something that

involves holding your head high, chin up, eyes

break. If racers are not prepared, they are going

should be avoiding as much as possible, it is a

forward and focused, shoulders back, arms

to react negatively and this will hurt their races.

normal response to a poor performance. In fact,

swinging, and bounce in your step. It is very

some negative thinking is healthy because it

difficult to be walking the walk and saying things

Expect the Unexpected. This can be

means that you care about how you are skiing.

like “I stink”, “I’m awful”, and “I can’t do this”.

accomplished easily. Take a sheet of paper and

However, too much or the wrong kind of

Similarly, it hard to be not walking the walk and

on the left side of the page, make a list of all the

negative thinking can be very harmful.

saying, “I am a great ski racer”, “I am confident

The best way to deal with this problem is to

things that can go wrong at a race. Then, on the

There are two types of negative thinking.

in my ability”, and “I know how to handle

right side, list solutions to these events. For

The first kind, “give up” negative thinking, is

pressure”. This is because, in both cases, what

example, if skis are stolen, racers should find

associated with feelings of depression and

you are saying to yourself is inconsistent with

someone beforehand who has an extra pair of

helplessness. You say things like, “there is

how you are carrying yourself. You can practice

skis that are similar to their own and who is

nothing I can do to ski better” or “no matter how

walking the walk by being aware of how you

willing to lend them. Or, if racers have fogged

hard I try, I just can’t do it”. “Give up” negative

carry yourself and focusing on making positive

goggles, they can carry some napkins or have

thinking also causes you to dwell on past

physical changes when you walk. By walking the

an extra pair in a bag at the start. Using this

performances, focusing on mistakes made and

walk, you will find that you naturally feel more

strategy, racers can reduce their stress by

bad results in recent races. This type of thinking

positive and energetic.

making the unexpected no longer unexpected.

hurts self-confidence, concentration, and

SKIWORD PROGRESSION

motivation. Quite simply, there is never a place

TRUST YOUR ABILITY ON RACE DAY

Becoming a better skier and racer is, at the same time, satisfying and frustrating. It is wonderful to learn to ski more challenging courses, terrain, and conditions. However, improving is a slow and difficult process. Perhaps the biggest obstacle to learning is focusing on the skills as you train. Typically, you will be thinking about the new skill as you begin your freeski or training run, but quickly forget it as more important things come up like controlling your speed, not falling, and staying in the course. So instead of focusing on and practicing the new skill, you go back to your old style. A strategy for maintaining the focus on the new skill is called the SKIword progression. A SKIword is a word that, when repeated, will remind you of the new technique that you are working on. SKIwords such as “balance”, “hands”, and “forward ” can be used. Once you

for “give up” negative thinking the mind of a ski racer. The second kind is called “fire up” negative thinking. “Fire up” negative thinking produces feelings of anger, energy and being psyched up. You say things such as, “I hate going slow and I’m going to go faster the next race” or “I am so mad that I am going to work twice as hard in training this week”. The focus of “fire up” negative thinking is on doing better in the future. This type of negative thinking increases motivation, intensity, and concentration. As a result, “fire up” negative thinking can be useful. However, it should not last more than a few days because negative thinking and emotions require alot of energy that could be better used for training and races.

A disagreement I have gotten into with coaches involves whether it is good for racers to think about technique right before and during a race. They argue that if they don’t think about technique they won’t ski well. But it is my belief that if you focus on technique you will do that technique well, but you will also be slow because you are not thinking about just going fast. There is a time and a place for technique. That time is during training. It is here that you question and analyze your skiing and focus on a particular part of your skiing in order to develop it. By doing this, the new technique becomes, with practice, second nature and it will then help you to ski faster in races. But when race day arrives, you shouldn’t question, doubt, analyze, or get technical. If you

WALK THE WALK FOR MORE CONFIDENCE

do not have a technique down by the time you get to the starting gate, you will not be able to use it effectively in the race. Whatever ability you

have decided on a SKIword, you can begin the

Self-confidence is the most important

bring to the start, believe in it, and go as fast as

progression. First, when you are free skiing, say

mental ingredient for success in ski racing. One

you can with what you have. Simply put, TRUST

the SKIword repeatedly out loud as you ski

technique that most people are not aware of for

YOURSELF to ski the very best you can on that

down. By saying it out loud, you are constantly

building and maintaining self-confidence

day.

reminding yourself to practice the skill. Second,

involves how you carry yourself. How you walk

once you are able to do the skill in this way, you

and move can influence how you think and feel.

can then say the SKIword to yourself. Third,

In other words, you have to learn how to “Walk

DETERMINING YOUR PRIME INTENSITY

repeat steps one and two in training courses.

the Walk”.

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Perhaps the single most important thing you need to do before a ski race is reach and maintain your optimal intensity. Intensity refers

injury. The same approach should be taken with

confidence, and reduce anxiety. Regardless of

mental preparation.

the importance of a race, by using a well-

A valuable strategy you can use to

practiced routine, you will condition your mind

to amount of adrenaline, oxygen, and blood flow

“exercise” your self-confidence “muscle” is

and body into feeling that this is just another

your body has. Too much intensity and your

called the Ski Racer’s Litany. A litany is a group

race.

muscles are tight, you can’t breath, and your

of positive self-statements you say to yourself to

body is shaking from fear. Too little intensity and

teach yourself positive thinking and strengthen

everything you need to do to be totally prepared

you feel tired, unmotivated, and weak. In either

your self-confidence.

for competition. This includes packing for the

case, you do not ski your best. Before you reach your optimal intensity, you have to know what it is. To do this recall several occasions when you skied your very best and very poorly. Remember how your body felt, for example, when you skied well, you may have felt energized, your heart was pounding, and you had a good sweat going before your run. When you skied poorly, you might have been shaking, had difficulty breathing, and your muscles were tense. Next, remember your thoughts and feelings. In good races, you may have been very positive and felt happy and excited. In bad races, you may have been thinking negatively and been a little afraid. Also, note the event, the level of competition, and the race site. When you had a good result, it might have been in your favorite event, say GS, at a lower level of competition, and on a fairly flat race hill. When you had a poor result, it may have been in a slalom on a steep, icy hill. The chances are there are some common factors associated with when you skied well and others when you skied poorly. Once you establish those common factors related to good and bad skiing on race day, you can actively work to avoid the factors connected with poor skiing and reproduce the factors associated with good skiing. By identifying your optimal intensity, you have taken a first important step to controlling your race day rather than the race day controlling you.

THE SKI RACER’S LITANY Too often, athletes don’t do any form of mental training until they have a problem, for example, they get into a slump, become nervous, or lose confidence in themselves. This is the wrong approach though. I believe in prevention that is similar to physical preparation. You don’t wait to get hurt to lift weights, stretch, and run. Instead, you exercise in order to improve competitive performance and prevent

A pre-race routine should be composed of

race, meals, early morning physical warm-up, One I use goes like this:

I LOVE TO SKI RACE. I AM A GREAT SKI RACER.

course inspection, skiing warm-up, equipment, start area physical warm-up, and finally, mental preparation. There is no one ideal pre-race routine to

I ALWAYS THINK AND TALK POSITIVELY.

follow. Rather, routines are personal so you

I EXPECT TO FEEL PRESSURE AND THAT’S OKAY

to do before a race. Then create the routine by

BECAUSE I KNOW HOW TO HANDLE IT. I AM CONFIDENT, RELAXED, AND FOCUSED WHEN I RACE. I ALWAYS PUT MY FULLEST EFFORT INTO TRAINING. By saying the Ski Racer’s Litany regularly,

should develop one that suits your particular needs. To do this, make a list of what you need deciding when is the best time to complete each part of the routine. Finally, follow this routine before every race. Within a few months it will become second-nature and it will ensure that you are totally prepared to ski your very best.

START AREA PREPARATION The most critical period before your race run is the time you spend in the start area. What you do there will often dictate the success of your run. There are three things that must be

you train your mind to think positively, so that

done to ensure that you ski your best. First, you

when you do have some difficulties, you will stay

must prepare your equipment: bindings, edges,

positive and maintain your self-confidence. It is

bases, boots, clothing. The last thing you want

important that you not only say the Litany

to worry about before your run is your

regularly, but you say it like you mean it. Even if

equipment, so you want to get it ready first.

you don’t believe it at first, if you tell yourself

Second, you must get physically ready.

something enough times you will start believing

This involves stretching, doing warm-up

it. I recommend that you say the Ski Racer’s

exercises, and making turns. The best measure

Litany when you get up in the morning, before

of whether your body is ready to ski its best is if

you go to sleep, and prior to training and races.

you have worked up a sweat. A sweat indicates

So by reciting the Litany often, your mental

that your muscles are warm and loose, and you

muscles will be as strong as your physical

have plenty of oxygen and blood flowing

muscles.

through your body.

PRE-RACE ROUTINES Routines are one of the best ways for racers to prepare themselves for competition. Pre-race routines are valuable for several reasons. They ensure completion of every important aspect of pre-race preparation. Routines increase the familiarity of race situations and decrease the likelihood of unexpected things occurring. They build consistency of thought, feeling, and action. Routines increase feelings of control and self-

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Finally, you must get mentally prepared. This phase involves putting on your “race face”, that is, narrowing your focus onto the race, using mental imagery to rehearse key parts of the course, thinking positively, and actively moving toward your prime intensity. This start area routine will lead to a level of preparation in which, as you enter the starting gate, you are totally prepared to ski your best and you only have one thing on your mind: skiing as FAST as you can!

RACE-CONFIDENCE CHALLENGE Race-confidence in your ability is critical to your success as a ski racer. How well you perform will often dictate your race-confidence. This means that when you are skiing well, you will have high race-confidence. Unfortunately, it also means that when you are skiing poorly, you may lose your race-confidence. This relates to what I call the race-confidence challenge which is often the difference between racers who are successful and those who struggle. It is easy to stay confident and when you are skiing well. Your training is going well and you are getting good results. There is nothing to worry about. But an inevitable part of ski racing is that you will have ups and downs during the race season; there will be periods when you are skiing poorly. What separates the best from the rest is what happens when you are not skiing well. This is the time that you must meet the race-confidence challenge. Most racers, when they ski poorly, will lose race-confidence and get caught in a vicious cycle, in which both race-confidence and performance deteriorate (see Upward Spiral/ Vicious Cycle). Once you are caught in a vicious cycle, it is harder and takes longer to get out of it. The best racers may go through a period of poor skiing, but will maintain their raceconfidence. This means that they won’t get caught in the vicious cycle. Instead, by keeping their race-confidence up, their skiing will stay down for a shorter period and it will be easier for them to return to a high level of skiing. All racers will have slumps during the season. The skill is not getting caught in the

concentration. For you to ski your best, you

So you can use music to regulate your

must learn to control your over-intensity. There

intensity. Before a race, if you find that you are

are three simple techniques you may use to

too relaxed and need to increase your intensity,

relax before a race run.

you should listen to high energy music that gets

First, the most basic way to relax is simply

you fired up. If you are too nervous before a race

to breathe. I have seen many racers at the start

and need to lower your intensity, you should

taking short, choppy breaths that do not give

listen to mellow music that calms you down.

them enough oxygen. Taking long, slow, deep

It is very important that you make sure the

breaths will relax your muscles and give your

music you are listening to is appropriate for your

muscles the oxygen they need to work well.

current intensity level. I have known racers who

Second, muscle tension is the most

liked high energy music, but tended to be too

common symptom of over-intensity and it is

nervous before races. By listening to high

difficult to just relax the muscles when you are

energy music, even thought they liked it, they

nervous. So I recommend using a technique

would become even more intense, which hurt

called progressive relaxation which involves

their race performances. So be sure your music

doing the opposite, that is, tightening your

helps you reach your prime intensity. A warning:

muscles even tighter than they are. In the start

do not listen to music when you are free skiing. I

area, if you feel tense, tighten that body part for

have known several racers who were hit by a

five seconds, then release it for five seconds (do

snowcat or another skier because they didn’t

this twice). Also, take a deep breath when you

hear them.

relax the muscles. You can also do progressive

FOUR-STAGE LEARNING PROCESS

relaxation systematically. Before your start, lie down and follow this procedure for four muscle groups: legs and buttocks, chest and back, arms and shoulders, and face and neck. Third, a surprisingly powerful way to relax is to smile. I don’t mean be happy or have a good time. Simply raise the sides of your mouth into a smile and hold it for 60 seconds. This works in two ways. As we grow we learn that smiling means we are happy. Also, when we smile, it releases brain chemicals which cause us to relax. It is hard to feel nervous when you are smiling.

MUSIC TO ACHIEVE PRIME INTENSITY An important responsibility that you have

vicious cycle and being dragged down evern

when you arrive at the start area is to reach what

further. The skill is keeping your race-confidence

I call prime intensity, which is your ideal level of

Acquiring new skills is perhaps the single most important goal for young ski racers. Unfortunately, learning can be a long and frustrating process. To make the learning process easier, it is helpful to understand how most people learn new skills. There are four stages in the learning process. The first stage, intellectual understanding, involves understanding what you are doing incorrectly and the correct execution of the skill. If you do not understand the right and wrong execution, learning will simply be trial-and-error. To ensure this understanding, ask your coach to describe and demonstrate the correct and incorrect execution, and watch videos of yourself and other racers so that you can see the difference. The second stage consists of muscle

and turning it into an upward spiral in which

physical readiness where you have just the right

awareness in which you know what position

race-confidence and performance push each

amount of blood flow, oxygen, and adrenaline to

your body is in and what your body is doing.

other to higher levels. So, to ski your best all

ski your best. Many racers use music to help

Without this awareness, you will not be able to

season, meet the race-confidence challenge.

reach their prime intensity.

control your body and learn new skills. To

RELAXATION TECHNIQUES TO REDUCE OVER-INTENSITY One of the most common obstacles to a great skiing performance is over-intensity or anxiety in the start area before a race. Overintensity manifests itself in extreme muscle tension, stomach butterflies, difficulty breathing, a loss of coordination, and an over-narrowing of

We all know that music has a profound

improve this awareness, you can watch videos

physical and emotional effect on us. Music can

of yourself to get a good image of how you ski

make us happy, sad, and inspired. Music can

and, while skiing, focus on body position.

also excite or relax us. As 1993 world silver

The third stage, initial learning, is the first

medalist Julie Parisien has said, “It’s a tool for

indication of skill development. In this stage, in

my intensity and concentration. I can tell if I am

order to execute the skill correctly, you must

really “there” if I pick up a certain sound. I use

focus totally on your body and the skill. Any

different music for different events because they

distractions will cause you to forget the skill and

have two disparate feelings.”

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you can only do the skill on easy terrain and snow conditions. The fourth stage involves generalization in

If you are OI, you need to block out internal

It works like this: Your training group

distractions, that is, stop yourself from thinking

decides it is against the law for both racers and

about unnecessary things. Stay in the start area

coaches to say anything negative while on the

which you progressively are able to use the skill

around other people. This external activity will

hill. The group then decides on a suitable

in increasingly more difficult conditions. For

keep you from getting too internally focused. Do

“punishment” for offenders. The “punishment”

example, if you are working on countering your

your pre-race routine around other racers and

should either make the offender a better racer or

upper body, you first can only do it free skiing on

coaches. Also, listening to music will keep you

a better person. For example, at the U.S. Ski

smooth, flat terrain. Then you can counter on

from thinking too much.

Team Development Camps I worked at, one

steeper, rougher terrain with uneven snow. This

By following these steps in the start area

group chose 50 hop turns as their punishment

process progresses until you can do it in a race

you will control your pre-race concentration

(this would make the offender a better racer).

under difficult conditions.

style rather than it controlling you. This will

Another group decided that the offenders had to

enable you to develop prime concentration to

stand up in the middle of the Mt. Hood base

the learning process. You will have more realistic

ski your best.

lodge and announce to all present that “My

expectations about learning. You will be less

CONTROL OR NOT TO CONTROL

name is so and so, I am with the U.S. Ski Team

There are several benefits to understanding

frustrated during learning. You will develop a patient attitude. Finally, you will view learning as a positive experience, thus motivating you to want to improve more.

PRE-RACE CONCENTRATION STYLES My work with thousands of ski racers, from

The life of a ski racer is very stressful. There are many things that you can worry about and which can make you depressed, angry, frustrated, and distracted, all of which will hurt your skiing. Unfortunately, many racers, and people in general, worry about the wrong things.

Development Camp. I said something negative, but I will be more positive in the future” (this would make the offender a better person). This strategy will make you aware of your negative talk because your teammates will catch you committing the crime and make you do the time. Before you know it, you have not only reduced

the junior level to the U.S. Ski Team, has

The big problem is that racers get stressed out

indicated two distinct concentration styles

about things over which they have absolutely no

before a race. Concentration style is important

control. In a ski racer’s life, there are some

because it affects your ability to stay focused

things they should think about and others they

before a race and determines what you need to

shouldn’t. Things that you should pay attention

do in the start area to ensure prime

to are those things over which you do have

concentration which I define as your ideal focus

control. These things include your physical

confidence, you have to succeed first. But that

that enables you to ski your best.

condition, effort, attitude, thoughts, emotions,

is unrealistic because few people can just go out

behavior, equipment, preparation, and

and ski well in a race. Before you can build your

style is called overloaded externally (OE). Racers

performance. All of these are within your control,

confidence by skiing well in races, there are two

who are OE are hypersensitive to things going

so by thinking about them, you can improve.

ways you must build your confidence. First,

on around them. They become overly focused

Things that should not affect racers include

preparation builds confidence. In order to ski

on start area activity including coaches, other

competitors’ attitudes, thoughts, emotions,

well, you have to be well-prepared. Racers who

racers, tech reps, and starters. They are unable

behavior, and performances, coaches, officials,

know they have done everything possible to

to block out these start area distractors and can

parents, start number, weather, terrain, and

prepare themselves to succeed are going to be

not focus on their pre-race preparation.

snow conditions.

confident that they will ski their best. If you are

The first type of pre-race concentration

your negative talk during training, but you actually begin to say more positive things.

PREPARATION, WINNING ROLE MODELS, AND SUCCESS There is a misconception that, to build

If you are OE, you need to block out

Next time you find that you are under

external distractions. Before a race, go off by

stress, ask yourself one question: “Is the thing

have your equipment well-prepared, and are

yourself away from the start area distractions,

that I am worried about under my control?” If it

mentally ready, you will truly know that you will

for example, into the woods or to the other side

is not, let it go and focus on things you can

ski your best.

of the trail. Focus on your pre-race routines.

control. If it is within your control, instead of

Listen to music: if you are listening to music, you

worrying about, do something about it!

choosing winning role models. Skiing

will be less aware of external distractions. Also,

COMMIT THE CRIME, DO THE TIME

champions like Marc Girardelli and Julie Parisien

control your eyes: focus them down and away from distractions. The second type of pre-race concentration style is called overloaded internally (OI). Racers who are OI are overly focused on internal distractions such as unnecessary thoughts, feelings, and physical sensations. These internal distractions cause them to forget the course and

The most useful technique I ever developed to stop negative talk and encourage positive talk is what I call, “Commit the Crime, Do the Time”. It is best used by a team or within a training group and involves making racers aware of their negative talk and making it undesirable to say negative things.

interferes with their pre-race preparation.

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in good physical condition, technically skilled,

Second, you can build your confidence by

exhibit common qualities, habits, and behaviors. It is these shared characteristics that contribute to their success. If you want to be successful, you can acquire some of these qualities and behaviors by watching and emulating champions. Areas that you can emulate include their attitude, work ethic, training, pre-race routines, and intensity. Don’t just copy them,

rather take these characteristics and incorporate

having fun, that you are doing with purpose and

them into your own style.

100% focus and intensity.

When you are well-prepared and have acquired some of the characteristics of winning ski racers, you will also be more confident. You are now in a better position to most directly improve your confidence through successful skiing experiences. If you have skied well in the past, then you will develop the confidence that you will ski well in the future. It is important that in all of your ski racing, whether in training or racing, that you succeed more than 50% of the time. So, through preparation, choosing winning role models, and success in training and races, you will be as confident as possible and, as a result, you will ski your best.

100% SOLUTION FOR TRAINING

MENTAL EDGE CODE OF COMMITMENT

THREE TYPES OF CONFIDENCE FOR SKI RACING Confidence is the most important psychological factor that impacts ski racing

Total Commitment

performance. There are, in fact, three distinct

Being the best ski racer you can be is

types of confidence that you must develop for

simple, but not easy. It is simple because all that

confidence to help your ski racing. Each type of

is required is that you do everything possible to

confidence contributes to your ability to ski your

be your best. It is not easy because to do

best.

everything takes total commitment. Total

Athletic confidence involves your belief in

Commitment means discipline, hard work,

two areas related to your athleticism. First, your

patience, and responsibility. If you do not have

belief in your overall ability as an athlete. How

Total Commitment, at the end of your ski racing

confident are you in yourself as an athlete? Do

participation, you may have to ask the saddest

you believe that you are a good athlete who can

question there is, “I wonder what could have

learn and master any sport you try? Do you

been?”

consider yourself coordinated, agile, and quick?

Why the Code of Commitment?

Second, athletic confidence refers to your belief

One of the biggest problems I see in young

Too often when coaches ask racers their

in your level of physical conditioning. How

racers is a lack of consistent focus and intensity

opinion on some part of training or racing, the

confident are that you are in the best shape

from free skiing to gate training to race day. Too

typical response is, “I don’t know,” “I don’t

possible?

often, racers will free ski at 60% focus and

care,” or “It doesn’t matter.” Too often, when

intensity, gate train at 80%, and expect to race

coaches ask racers the cause of a problem, the

your ability to related to technical development.

at 100%. This is unrealistic because if you

common response is, “Don’t blame me” or “It’s

How confident are you in your ability to learn

haven’t done it in free skiing and training, you

not my fault.” But if you don’t know, don’t care,

new skills? Are you a fast learner, do you pick

will not be able to do it in a race. As U.S. Ski

and it doesn’t matter, then you are not

up technical feedback from your coaches

Team member Erik Schlopy has said, “I think

committed to your ski racing. You must know,

easily? Also, how confident are you currently in

training’s just like racing. I want to go out there

you must care, and it must matter if you want to

your technical skiing ability? Are you skiing well

and pretend it’s a race every day. That way,

be your best.

enough to accomplish your immediate goals?

when I get to the race, it’s no big deal.” A basic rule to follow is that whatever you

It it is not your responsibility, then whose is

Technical confidence refers to your belief in

Race confidence involves your belief in

it? When you are in the starting gate, there is no

several aspects of your ability to perform your

need to do on race day, you must do in free

one there to help you. On the result sheet, there

best in competition. First, do you believe that

skiing and training. For you to be able to race

is no excuse session where you can say, “I

you can perform well in races? Second, how

well at 100% focus and intensity, you must

would have won, but my coach missed the

confident are you that you can respond well to

become accustomed to it, and this is

wax.” Whether you win or lose, the responsibility

race pressure? Third, do you believe that your

accomplished in free skiing and training. You

is yours.

mental abilities will help rather than hurt your

should put 100% focus and intensity into every

What is the Code of Commitment?

run you take. This will enable you to be mentally

The Code of Commitment is a series of

race performances? If you lack confidence in any of these three

and physically used to what it feels like to ski at

statements that clearly demonstrate your

areas, you will not be able to perform up to your

that level. A way to do this is with what I call the

commitment to being your best. The Code

ability. If you don’t have full confidence, do not

100% solution which involves always skiing with

illustrates your willingness to take full

lose hope. In fact, even the best racers in the

purpose. The 100% solution means that in every

responsibility for all aspects of your training and

world have lost confidence during their careers.

aspect of your training, you have a specific

competitive performances.

Many racers believe that confidence is inborn;

Code of Commitment

you either have it or you don’t. But confidence is

want to accomplish. If you are not using the

I DO KNOW.

that can be learned. Just like technical skills,

100% solution, you are not only not improving,

I DO CARE.

confidence can be acquired with awareness,

IT DOES MATTER.

thinking more positively.

purpose and goal in mind. Every time you go out to ski, you should know exactly what you

but you are making it harder to improve because you are practicing (and becoming more skilled at) the wrong things. Make sure that whatever you are working on, whether technique,

IT IS MY RESPONSIBILITY.

conditioning, mental skiing, going fast, or just

[6]

a skill, much like physical and technical skills,

control, of how you think, and practice at

USE MAG-LITE FOCUS IN YOUR RACING

An important goal in your race training is to develop focus control. Focus control involves several steps. First, you must understand how

being motivated, confidence, at prime intensity,

fatigue, injury, illness, or just plain bad luck. It is

and totally focused on skiing your best..

not whether you have ups and downs during the

How do you know when you have attained

season, because you will, but how big they are

you focus best and how your focus impacts

Prime Performance? There are several common

and, most importantly, how you respond to

your race preparations and your competitive

characteristics associated with it. There is the

them.

performance. Second, you have to recognize the

sense of effortless focus. You are totally

internal and external cues that help and hurt

absorbed in the race. You are focused on the

depressed and frustrated. You are disappointed

your focus and your performance. Finally, you

process rather than the outcome. There are no

and feel out of control to change it. You just

must learn to focus on cues that help your

distractions and your focus is narrow, but

want to give up. But none of these feelings will

racing and block out distracting cues.

intense.

help you accomplish your most important goal:

The Mag-Lite is a special flashlight that

Your skiing is automatic. There is no

In a down period, it is easy to get

getting out of the down period.

helps illustrate how you can develop focus

thoughts and no mental interference. Your body

control. The Mag-Lite beam can be adjusted to

does what you have trained it to do. Your skiing

an up period quickly. They keep the down

illuminate a wide area or focused to brighten a

is effortless. It is comfortable, easy, and natural.

period in perspective; it is not the end of the

narrow area. Your focus can be thought of as a

Your senses are sharp. You have

The best racers know how to get back to

world. These racers recognize that down

Mag-Lite beam you project that illuminates what

heightened sensory perception. Time seems to

periods are natural and expected. They stay

you want to focus on.

slow down. You have boundless energy. Your

positive and confident even though they are not

endurance is lasting and your experience no

skiing well. They also take a short break from

Mag-Lite focus must be wide to take in a lot of

fatigue. Finally, your have what I call Prime

skiing if necessary.

information such as inspecting the course and

Integration. In which everything, mental

focusing on line, terrain, and snow conditions.

physical, and technical is working together.

working hard and never give up. They are also

Every aspect of your racing performance is in

very active in looking for the cause of and

synch.

solution for the down period. Finally, they learn

Wide beam. There are times when your

Moderate beam. Other times your Mag-Lite focus must have a moderate beam to take in some external information, e.g., watching other

Every aspect of the Mental Edge is directed

Most importantly, these racers keep

from the decline so they can prevent it from

racers before your run, or some external and

toward you achieving the Prime Performance.

happening again.

internal information, e.g., getting feedback from

By using the information and techniques

your coach and reviewing race tactics.

described in Quick Tips for the Mental Edge,

Ski Racing is About Love

Narrow beam. As the race approaches,

you move closer to attaining Prime

your Mag-Lite focus must become narrow. In the

Performance.

start area, this narrow beam would help you

KEEP THE MENTAL EDGE PERSPECTIVE IN YOUR RACING

focus on using race imagery how how you want to run the course. When you enter the starting gate, your narrow beam would shift externally to enable you to focus in the course during your race run.

ACHIEVING PRIME PERFORMANCE Prime performance means skiing your best

Ski racing is important to you. You put a lot

It is easy to lose sight of why you ski race. there are the results, trophies, and attention. When that happens, you often do not have as much fun or ski as well. Ski racing is really about love: love of skiing, love of others, and love of yourself. If you lose the love, it is time to find

of time and effort into your racing. When you

something else to do. If you remember that

don’t the results you would like, it can really

skiing is about love, then you will always ski

hurt. During these times, you need to remember

your best and have fun. So in your ski racing,

the big picture of why you race. Ski racing gives

always… KEEP THE LOVE!!!

you so much more than results, points, and

BECOME A MENTAL EDGE COMPETITOR

consistently, with minimal peaks and valleys.

rankings: fun, travel, friends, health, a lifetime

Prime performance means skiing your best

sport, confidence, motivation, discipline, and

under pressure when it really counts. Prime

much more. When your results are not as good

performance comes from the development of

as you want, remind yourself of all the great

three key areas related to ski racing

things you get from racing. Use those benefits

performance. First, you must develop yourself

to motivate yourself to work harder and get

physically. This includes being at the highest

more from ski racing.

level of physical conditioning, having a balanced

Ups and Downs of Ski Racing

diet, being well-rested, drug-free, and not

In the history of ski racing, very racers have

having any injuries or illness. Second, being

had perfect or near perfect race seasons:

technically and tactically sound. Your skills must

Klammer, Tomba, Street. Even the best racers in

be well-learned and your tactics need to be

the world have ups and downs. If they do, then

ingrained so that everything is automatic. Finally,

you would expect other racers, like yourself, to

you must have the Mental Edge. This includes

have ups and downs as well. Down periods are caused by a wide variety of things including

[7]

Being the best ski racer you can takes more than being in great physical condition and being technically skilled. There are many racers who have those qualities, but do not ski their best. Skiing to the best of your ability requires that you have all the normal things you would expect including excellent physical conditioning, sound technique, well-prepared equipment, and solid mental skills. But that is not enough. To truly ski your best, you need to become a Mental Edge Competitor. There is a big difference between being able to ski well in training, in races, and in

pressure situations. To ski your best when it

coming in first. The gold medalist is the winner

small step back and perform up to those limits,

really counts, you must evolve from being a

and the silver and bronze medalists are losers. It

thus skiing your best.

racer to a performer to a Mental Edge

defines losing as anything that is not first place.

Competitor. Racers are technically strong, ski

This means that in any ski race, there can only

losing, you should keep it in perspective, learn

well in training and time trials, but typically do

be one winner and there are many losers. But I

from these experiences, and use them to ski

not perform up to their ability in races. They also

have known first place finishers who were not

your best and become a winner.

ski poorly when under pressure.

happy with their performances and 25th place

Performers generally ski adequately in

So though you should never be happy with

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “You can

finishers who had the race of their life. You can

win and still not succeed, still not achieve what

training and time trials, and ski well in most

come in first and still not win and you can finish

you should. And you can lose without really

races. However, they do not know how to

far behind and still not be a loser.

failing at all” (Bobby Knight).

harness the competitive pressure in big races.

A better way to define winning is

They do not know how to step to the fore when

performing to the best of your ability. Winning

the race is on the line. They are usually not able

means doing everything possible to ski your

to ski their best when the pressure is on.

best. Winning means giving your best effort all

Mental Edge Competitors don’t always ski

of the time. Losing can be defined as not doing

well in training or time trials, and ski well in most

everything you can to ski your best. Losing

races. But it is in the big races that they

means not having given your best effort.

separate themselves from the pack. They

Myths and Reality of Winning and Losing

respond positively to race pressure and are able

There are many myths about winning and

to raise their skiing when it really counts. they

losing that need to be cleared up. Myth #1: The

also thrive on the pressure of big races.

only way to win to have always have won. Myth

To become a Mental Edge Competitor, you must follow several key steps. First, you must be in the best possible physical condition. No one

#2: Winners rarely lose. Myth #3: Losers always lose. Reality #1: Winners lose more at first than

should be in better shape than you. Second, you

losers. Losers lose a few times then quit.

should be so technically sharp from over-

Winners lose at first, learn from the losses, then

learning your skiing skills until they are

begin to win because of what they learned and

automatic. Third, you should be mentally ready,

because they kept working hard and believed in

with high motivation, confidence, focus, and the

themselves.

right amount of intensity for every race. Fourth,

Reality #2: Learning to lose and learning

you should train for adversity so that you learn

from losing is an important part of learning how

how to respond positively to adverse race

to win. Reality #3: There are problems with

conditions. Fifth, you should be totally prepared

winning too much too soon. Winning can breeds

for every race: physically, mentally, technically,

complacency because, if you win a lot, you have

tactically, and equipment. Sixth, you should

little motivation to improve. Winning doesn’t

seek out pressure situations and love the

identify areas in need of improvement. Winning

intensity of big races. Finally, you should view

doesn’t teach you how to constructively handle

pressure situations as an opportunity to stretch

the inevitable setbacks you will face in

your limits and show yourself what you are

competition.

made of. By following these guidelines, you will

Reality #4: There are important benefits to

become a Mental Edge Competitor and perform

losing. Losing provides information about your

to the best of your ability consistently!

progress and what you need to work on. Losing

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I love ski

shows you what not to do, which narrows down

racing and that’s important. If you don’t, either

the possibilities of what you need to do to ski

you have to figure out a way to do it or you

well. Losing shows you how to respond

might as well hang it up. You’re not going to be

positively to adversity.

a contender if you’re not enjoying

Reality #5: A necessary part of learning to

yourself” (Casey Puckett, USST member).

ski your fastest is to find your performance

MENTAL EDGE FOR WINNING AND LOSING

limits. The only way to do this is to go over the

Too often, our society defines winning and losing very narrowly. Society defines winning as

edge of your limits, which will cause you to fail. Once you have gone over your performance limits, you know where they are an can take a

[8]

NEGATIVE THINKING IS YOUR ENEMY Perhaps the biggest barrier to success in ski racing is negative thinking. If you enter a race expecting to fall or ski poorly, you probably will. Of all the Mental Edge skills that you must change to ski your best, negative thinking is the most important. The way you think is a skill that develops over time and with practice. Unfortunately, many racers develop the skill of thinking negatively rather than positively. This skill becomes ingrained with consistent use of negative thinking. When you are in challenging situations, since negative thinking is the well-learned skill, your automatic reaction is to think negatively. Just like a bad technical habit, negative thinking is difficult to change. But negative thinking can be changed in the same way that you change technical problems. First, you need to become aware of your negative thinking. Off the hill, during training, and at races, be aware of how you talk to yourself and note when you say something negative. Also, ask coaches, friends, and family members to point out times when you are negative. Second, work on controlling your negative thoughts and statements. When you think or say something negative, replace it with a more positive thought or statement. Find positive and realistic things that can take the place of the negative thoughts. A difficulty with beginning this process is that you probably won’t believe the positive things you are thinking or saying. That’s okay. The more you say positive things, the more comfortable you will become saying them, and the more you will start believing them. Finally, you need to keep practicing this to remove the negative thinking skill and ingrain the positive thinking skill. With time and effort, you will retrain your thinking skills so that when you get to a race, you will be positive and confident about your skills. And when you get into

challenging situations, instead of being your own worst enemy and knowing you will fail, you will be your own best ally and you will know that you will ski your best. Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I would try to remember that if I allow myself to be discouraged, I made myself my own worst enemy” (Armand Hammer).

IMPORTANCE OF MISTAKES One of the most frustrating aspects of

RACE IMAGERY

POSITIVE CHANGE FORMULA

Race imagery is the most powerful

Training is, at the same time, one of the

psychological tool you can use to ski your

most rewarding and frustrating parts of ski

fastest. It is used by all great ski racers in

racing. It feels so good to finally learn something

training and race preparation. There is also

technically or hit just the right line on a course.

considerable scientific evidence showing that

But it seems like it takes forever for that

when you combine actual training with race

improvement to occur. Despite the time it always

imagery, you will improve more than just with

takes to make changes in your skiing, racers

training alone.

often think they can work on something for a

Race imagery involves total mental

short time and expect to use it effectively. And

developing as a ski racer are the mistakes that

reproduction of an actual training or race

just because you can do it on a training course

racers make as they work to improve. Unlike in

situation. Race imagery is more than just

doesn’t automatically mean you can do it in a

other sports, the consequences of mistakes in

picturing yourself skiing well. Good race imagery

race. This is because most racers don’t really

ski racing are dramatic and sometimes painful,

includes seeing, hearing, and feeling everything

understand how they go about improving. The

in the forms of blowing out in training courses or

you would when racing and having the same

reality is there are no shortcuts, magic dust,

crashes in races. Yet, racers often don’t realize

thoughts and emotions too.

quick fixes that will greatly speed up how fast

that mistakes are an essential part of becoming

Race imagery is a skill that develops with

a better racer. Mistakes are a natural part of the

practice. Many racers, when they first try race

technical, physical, or mental, does not occur

learning process and are valuable information

imagery, don’t have clear images or make

automatically and change due to trial and error

showing you on what you need to work.

mistakes and fall in their imagery. They assume

is slow and inefficient.

Mistakes mean you are moving out of your

that they are just not good at it, so they stop

comfort zone and working to improve. If you are

using it. But with some time and effort, race

Positive Change Formula, that racers must go

not making mistakes, you are not pushing

imagery will improve and the benefits will

through to improve. First, have an awareness of

yourself to be your best.

emerge.

what you are currently doing and how you need

Many racers view mistakes as failure. If

Race imagery can be used in a variety of

you learn. Change of any sort, whether

There are three steps, which I call the

to improve it. If you don’t know what you are

they didn’t have a perfect run, they failed. But

ways to improve training and race performance.

doing wrong, there is no way you can work to

mistakes only mean failure when you do not

Off-snow race imagery can continue your skiing

improve it. Second, control that which you want

learn from them and if they are repeated.

development even when you are not skiing. A

to improve. In other words, you have focus on

Mistakes should be viewed as success because

race imagery program during the off-season can

the improvement and make the change in your

they mean you are trying to get better. Mistakes

include imagining race scenarios and seeing and

skiing. But making the change a few times will

mean success when you learn from them and

feeling yourself working on parts of your skiing

not ingrain that improvement into your mind and

are not repeated.

such as technique, aggressiveness, intensity, or

muscles. So, third, put in the necessary

focus.

repetition to instill the positive change fully.

Rarely has there ever been a perfect race run, even by World Cup racers. The best ski

Race imagery can be used while training as

The biggest mistake racers make is

racers in the world make mistakes, so if you are

well. At the top of a training course, imagine

underestimating the amount of repetition that is

not at that level, you shouldn’t be surprised that

how you want to ski that run. After the run, if you

required to completely learn something. It takes

you make mistakes too. What makes World Cup

made mistakes, rewind the imagery and “edit” it,

thousands of turns for an improvement to

racers different is not that they don’t make

replacing the negative image and feeling with

become automatic. That sounds like a lot, but

mistakes, but rather how they respond to them.

positive ones. If you had a great run, “replay” it

consider that ten runs of a 30-gate course gives

Instead of getting angry, depressed, and

to ingrain the positive image and feeling.

you 300 repetitions. It is also important to

frustrated when they make mistakes, the best

On race day, you can use race imagery to

understand that the repetitions must be done in

racers stay positive and motivated. Also, they

memorize the course and, in the start area

increasingly more difficult conditions. It may be

learn from their mistakes so they don’t make

before your run, you can imagine yourself skiing

easy to execute an improvement on easy terrain,

them again.

fast and aggressively. Particularly before a race,

but you may not have learned it well enough to

move your body with the race imagery,

do on steep terrain. You know you have made a

increasing feelings associated with skiing fast.

lasting improvement when you can do it

To ensure that mistakes mean success, immediately after a mistake, identify what

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I

automatically without thinking in the most

need to do to correct it, and focus on the

visualized GS for two weeks and then after a

important race of your life under the most

correction on the next run.

few runs, it was a breakthrough. I realized, I’m

demanding conditions.

exactly you did incorrectly, decide what you

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “In training, the only true failure is the failure to

there, that’s what it’s supposed to feel like” (Casey Puckett, USST member).

learn.”

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “We learn to do something by doing it. There is no other way” (John Holt).

[9]

THREE D’S OF PRIME MOTIVATION To be the best ski racer you can be, you have to be highly motivated to put in the time, effort, and energy in all aspects of training. That level of being so highly motivated is called “prime motivation.” To achieve prime motivation, you must respond to what I call the “Three D’s.” First, choose a direction. Before you can attain prime motivation, you must consider the different directions you can go in your ski racing participation. You could stop ski racing completely, continue at your present level, or strive to be the best you can be. Second, make a decision. With these three choices, you must now select one direction in which to go. None of these directions is necessarily good or bad, right or wrong. They are simply your choices. Perhaps you find something more enjoyable for you, so you decide to pursue that area in place of ski racing. Or you are perfectly happy at your current level and do not have the desire to sacrifice other areas of your life to put more time and effort into your ski racing. Or you truly want to find out how good you can be and are willing to commit yourself to the pursuit of that goal. The decision you make will dictate the level of ski racing in which you participate and achieve. Third, have dedication. Once you have made your decision, you must dedicate yourself to that decision. You must devote yourself to that decision totally. If your decision is to become the best ski racer you can be, then this last step, dedication, will determine whether you have prime motivation. Your decision to be your best must be your top priority, taking precedence over almost everything else. Only by being completely dedicated to your direction and decision will you ensure prime motivation and put in the necessary time, effort, and energy into your physical, technical, and mental training to realize your dreams. Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “With motivation, you can be involved or committed. Just like with ham and eggs: the chicken was involved, but the pig was committed. You have to be like the pig” (Martina Navrotilova).

GOAL SETTING FOR SKI RACING Goal setting is one of the most valuable tools that ski racers can use to build motivation

and direct focus. Goal setting increases

Engaging in quality on-snow training is the

commitment to training and racing and provides

foundation for successful ski racing. To ensure

deliberate steps toward your ski racing

that you get the most out of your training

aspirations. Goals act as a road map to your

opportunities, there are a few Prime Laws you

desired destination. In other words, goals show

can follow. First, always engage in purposeful

you how to get there.

training. Many racers believe that they will

There are five types of goals you should set

improve just by showing up to training, skiing,

before every race season. Long-term goals

and running gates. But that approach will only

specify what you ultimately want to achieve in

ingrain old habits. To have quality training, you

your racing, for example, win an Olympic goal

should always have a particular purpose, that is,

medal or get a college scholarship. Seasonal

have something specific you can focus on that

goals indicate what you want to accomplish this

will improve your skiing.

season, for instance, reach a certain ranking or

Second, learn from your mistakes.

qualify for the Junior Olympics. Competitive

Mistakes are an important part of the learning

goals designate how you want to perform in

process. If you are not making mistakes, you are

particular races during the season that will lead

staying in your comfort zone and not trying to

to your seasonal goals, for example, place in the

improve. After every mistake, learn how to keep

top ten of JO qualifiers. Training goals specify

from repeating it.

what you need to do in your training to reach

Third, over-learn your skills. Learning new

your competitive goals, for example, improve

skills takes a lot of quantity as well as quality.

your technique or tactics. Finally, lifestyle goals

You have to practice the things you are working

indicate what you need to do in your general

on thousands of times. Over-learning is

lifestyle to reach the above goals, for instance,

accomplished in several steps. Engage in high

related to sleep, diet, and alcohol or drug use.

repetition of what you are working on. Then,

There are a number of goal guidelines you

practice it in a wide variety of conditions such as

should follow in setting your goals. First, goals

different types of courses, terrain, and snow

should be challenging, yet realistic. You should

conditions. Finally, rehearse it under adverse

be able to attain them, but only with hard work.

conditions. If you can execute the new skill

Second, Goals should be specific and concrete.

consistently in diverse and challenging

For example, you should set a goal of increasing

conditions, you know you have learned it and

your leg strength by 15% rather than a goal of

will be able to use it in a race.

just getting stronger. Third, focus on degree

Fourth, be patient. Too often racers

rather than absolute attainment of goals. Not all

unrealistically expect to learn a new skill in a

goals will be reached, but there will surely be

short time and use it immediately in a race.

improvement toward the goal. Fourth, goal

Learning new skills takes time and repetition.

setting never ends. As soon as one goal is

You must be patient and willing to put in the

reached, another should be set. Fifth, prepare a

necessary time to fully learn the skill.

written contract detailing your goals. If they are

Fifth, never give up. The learning process

clearly detailed, you are more likely to achieve

is the most frustrating part of ski racing because

them. Sixth, get regular feedback showing

of the time, effort, and energy it takes to

progress toward your goals. By seeing

improve. There are times when it seems like you

consistent improvement, you will be more

will never learn a new skill no matter what you

motivated to keep working toward your goals.

do. It is easy to get frustrated and give up. But if

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “The

you give up, you automatically lose because you

resources of the human body and soul are

are no longer working to improve. No matter

enormous… We go part of the way to

how difficult and frustrating your training can be,

consciously tapping these resources by having

if you keep trying, you will, in time, improve and

goals that we want desperately” (Herb Elliot,

succeed in your ski racing.

Olympic running goal medalist).

PRIME LAWS OF TECHNICAL TRAINING

[10]

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “Quality is never an accident; it is always the result of high intention, sincere effort, intelligent direction, and skillful execution.”

MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF VIDEO Watching videos of yourself and top racers

POINT A TO POINT B The start and finish of a training course are the most important parts of training. They often

Schlopy, former USST member, current pro racer).

RACE PRIMING

is a valuable tool for improving technique and

determine the quality of training runs. Yet, the

increasing motivation, confidence, and focus.

start and finish are also the most neglected

that follows technical work and precedes races.

Video enables you to more clearly understand

parts of training. A course can be thought of as

This is the place in which you gear yourself up

and see what you need to work on and proper

Point A (the starting gate) to Point B (the finish

for the confidence, intensity, and focus

technique and tactics demonstrated by world-

line). Since the clock starts at Point A and

necessary to ski your fastest in races. In order to

class racers. Video, as a form of external race

finishes at Point B, it is essential that you learn

achieve race priming, there are four rules you

imagery, also helps you generate the image and

to ski your fastest from Point A to Point B.

can follow.

feeling of skiing your best.

Racers often have weak starts or take

Race priming is the final stage of training

First, if you have to do it in a race, you

several gates to settle into the training course

must do it in training. Whatever skills and habits

most effective way. You may watch only your

and establish their rhythm before they start

you develop in training, good or bad, will come

mistakes in the belief that this will help you

skiing hard. In effect, they haven’t started racing

out in a race. The purpose of training is to

correct it. But this approach ingrains a negative

the course even though they have left the

develop effective technical, tactical, mental, and

image into your mind. You may focus too much

starting gate. By doing this, they are developing

competitive skills and habits. Whatever you

on details of the video, for example, hand

the habit of easing into a course, so on race day,

need to do in a race in order to ski your best

position, rather than on the whole image.

that is what will come out. Since the race clock

must be ingrained, automatic, and comfortable

Watching too much World Cup video and not

starts as soon as racers trip the wand, this

from training or it will hurt your performance.

enough of yourself may cause you to imagine

approach is causing them to already be behind

Second, consistent training leads to

yourself skiing like one of them rather than the

at the first gate and will be playing catch up the

consistent race performance. Perhaps the most

way you ski.

rest of the course.

important thing that distinguishes great racers

But you may not be watching video in the

When you watch video follow these rules.

Coaches should always have a starting

Take in the whole image rather than paying too

gate set up for training courses and ideally a

races. The great racers can go out and ski

much attention to details. Allow the image of

wand should be used as well. If there is no

consistently fast day in and day out whereas the

good skiing sink into your mind. Though you

starting gate, pretend there is one. Train yourself

good racers have some good races, but also

learn about what you need to work on by

to go 100% from the start. Have a strong start

many bad ones. Learning to ski consistently fast

watching your mistakes, I recommend watching

and attack the first gate with abandon. Then

develops from race priming in all areas of

at least 75% “highlight” videos of yourself skiing

continue this “attacking attitude” for the

training including your thinking and emotions

well. Watching World Cup racers is valuable, but

remainder of the course.

during training, the quality of your off-snow

rather than imagining yourself skiing like them,

Another annoying habit of many racers is to

from good ones is their level of consistency in

training, your efforts in your Mental Edge

include their good technique into how you

ease up a gate or two before the finish. Also,

training, your training routines, and how well you

actually ski. To maximize this benefit, when you

coaches often don’t even set a finish gate. This

maintain your equipment. The bottom line is that

watch World Cup footage, identify racers who

too creates a bad habit of letting up before Point

consistent preparation in these areas leads to

are physically and technically similar to you so

B when the clock stops. This can cause you to

consistent race performances.

you can more easily incorporate good technique

lose focus and intensity before the training

into your style.

course or race is over. In fact, it is quite common

often such an emphasis in training on

for racers to make a mistake like hook a tip a

developing proper technique that the most

few gates from the finish.

important skill for ski racing, namely, learning to

You can enhance the value of video by using race imagery as part of a video session. After watching yourself make a mistake on

Coaches should always set a finish gate in

Third, speed is an acquired skill. There is

go fast, is forgotten. Speed too is a learned skill

video, “edit” the video in your mind and replay

training. Be sure you go all out and maintain the

that develops with time. The only way to learn to

the run with race imagery, seeing and feeling

attacking attitude through the finish line.

go fast is to focus on speed in training and

yourself skiing better. After a “highlight” run on

Experiment with ways of finishing the course

progressively increase speed during race

video, replay the run with race imagery to ingrain

fast, for example, skating or tucking. During

priming. Speed is the last skill you must learn

the positive image and feeling. After watching

training, always think in terms of Point A to Point

before race season.

World Cup racers, take key parts of their skiing

B, going all out and not letting up from start to

and include them in your skiing with race

finish.

imagery.

Finally, you must believe in speed. To ski your fastest, you must believe in your ability to

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I think

ski fast. This confidence comes from all of your

training’s just like racing. I want to go out there

preparation to this point. This belief enables you

mental thing. There’s a psychological zone I

and pretend it’s a race every day. That way,

to trust in your ability to ski your best. This belief

have to discover to ski my best” (AJ Kitt).

when I get to the race, it’s no big deal” (Eric

in speed comes from knowing you have put your

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “It’s a

full effort into your training, over-learned your

[11]

technical and tactical skills, and practiced going

I came late to the start or did something to keep

fast. Real belief in speed enables you to forget

myself busy so I didn’t think too much.”

technique before races, let your body do what

TRAIN LIKE YOU RACE

you have trained it to do, and focus entirely on going as fast as you can. Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I wanted always to be very fast in races, but I couldn’t find the right way to transfer my training to my race” (Marc Girardelli).

WHEN TO ARRIVE AT THE START An important part of racers’ pre-race preparation is deciding how far before their run

A question I often ask racers and coaches

TAYLOR’S FOUR LAWS OF PRIME TRAINING It is my belief that races are not won on the day of the race, but rather on the training days

is, “Should you race like you train or train like

leading up to the race. Because of this, I place

you race?” I never get clear consensus. I say

tremendous emphasis on importance of what I

that it’s impossible to race like you train because

call Prime Training. Prime Training is defined as

there is one big difference: races matter. I

being able to consistently train at the highest

believe that racers should train like they race. If

level of quality throughout a training session.

they’re used to the feeling of being in a race,

The ability to achieve prime training depends on

when they get to a race it will be no big deal.

whether racers can follow Taylor’s Four Laws of

When I say train like you race, I don’t mean

Prime Training.

they want to arrive at the start. You can arrive

skiing every run as fast as you can like a race

well before your run or shortly before it. There

run. There are times when racers need to work

purpose of training is to develop effective

are two start arrival approaches you can use:

on technique or tactics and speed isn’t the

technical, tactical, and mental skills and habits.

methodical and spontaneous. Which approach

focus. What I mean by train like you race is that

Too often, I see racers practicing skills and

you choose depends on several factors.

you put in race-level focus and intensity into

habits that will hurt rather than help their skiing.

whatever you’re working on. Too often I see

For example, racers don’t maintain an effective

at the start 15-30 minutes before your run. This

racers free skiing at 60% focus and intensity

focus that enables them learn new technical

time enables you to slowly go through your pre-

because they think it’s not real training. When

skills. Or they are totally prepared for each

race routine. It allows you to progressively

they get into gates, they may up their focus and

training run. If you want to be able to ski your

prepare your equipment, then yourself physically

intensity to 75%.

best in races, you must ingrain effective skills

The methodical approach involves arriving

and mentally. The methodical approach provides

The problem is when they get to races. If

Taylor’s First Law of Prime Training is the

and habits in training.

structure and time to complete your pre-race

they have trained at 60-75% and they try to race

routine and offers a strong sense of control over

at 100%, one of two things happens. Either they

that whatever you need to do in a race, you

your race preparation and performance. This

only race at 60-75%, and go slow, or they try to

better do it in training first. Have you ever tried

approach is recommended if you need to keep a

get to 100%, but since they’re not accustomed

doing something new in a race because you

narrow focus on your race preparation, have a

to it, they crash and burn.

thought it would help? Typically, it doesn’t work

high need for structure and control, and perform

The bottom line is that if you don’t train like

Taylor’s Second Law of Prime Training is

and you either go slow or fall. Races are not the

best at a lower level of intensity. Marc Girardelli

you race, you won’t be able to ski your best in

place to try new things. What you need to do is

is a World Cup racer who prefers the methodical

races. Training like you race offers several

decide what you need to do in a race and

approach in which he must go through a

benefits. It increases your familiarity with race

practice it in training.

thoughtful and deliberate process in his race

conditions. It helps you understand what you

preparation to ski his best.

need to think, feel, and do to ski your best. It

that prime training requires clear purpose, and

also makes your mind and body comfortable

prime focus and intensity. I often see racers

with race focus and intensity.

without any clear idea what they are working on.

The spontaneous approach consists of arriving less than ten minutes before your start and quickly going through a brief pre-race

Be sure that every run you take, regardless

Taylor’s Third Law of Prime Training is

So what happens is that they practice old skills

routine. The spontaneous approach allows little

of whether you’re free skiing, working on

and habits that slow their progress. Every run

time to think, increases intensity, keeps your

technique, or training for speed, you are totally

you take you should know exactly what you

focus off the race until the last minute, and

prepared to ski your best. This includes having

want to do to improve. You also need prime

allows your body to do what it has been trained

your equipment ready to go before you get in

focus and intensity. If you’re not totally focused

to do without interference from your mind. This

the gate. It also involves being completely

on skiing your best and if your body doesn’t

approach is suggested if you get overwhelmed if

warmed up physically. Finally, you should be at

have the intensity it needs to be strong and

you think too much about the race, need a

your race level of focus and intensity.

quick, you’re not going to ski as well as you can.

sense of “letting it happen,” and perform best at

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I think

Taylor’s Fourth Law of Prime Training is

a higher level of intensity. Picabo Street is a

training’s just like racing. I want to go out there

that consistent training leads to consistent race

racer who is most comfortable with the

and pretend it’s a race every day. That way,

performance. One of my primary goals with

spontaneous approach, in which she thinks little

when I get to the race, it’s no big deal.” (Erik

athletes is for them to ski at a consistently high

before her race and can ski her fastest relying

Schlopy, former USST member)

level. But you won’t be able to race consistently

on her emotions, energy, and instincts.

if you don’t train consistently. Consistent training

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “I was too

comes from consistently prepared equipment,

nervous before almost every race. To deal with it

consistent physical preparation, consistent

[12]

motivation, consistent confidence, consistent

directed toward that single focus. Any other

react more quickly. I’ve heard World Cup racers

focus, and consistent intensity.

thoughts or distractions about technique, other

say that when they are skiing well, everything

racers, or results will detract from that focus. As

seems to be moving in slow motion. Prime Ski

never an accident; it is always the result of high

you approach your race run, you should

Racing also has effortless focus. You’re totally

intention sincere effort, intelligent direction, and

constantly remind yourself that your focus is

absorbed in the experience and are focused

skillful execution.”

speed.

entirely on the process. You have no distractions

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “Quality is

PRIME LAWS OF RACE PREPARATION What you do in your pre-race preparation will often dictate how well you ski in the race that day. There are several simple laws you should follow to ensure that your preparation

Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “There’s

skiing your best. You have boundless energy.

of executing the fundamentals.” (Baseball star,

Finally, you experience what I call prime

Cal Ripken, Jr.)

integration. Everything is working together. The

WHAT IS PRIME SKI RACING?

physical, technical, tactical, and mental aspects

helps rather than hurts your race performances. There are a lot of things on race day that you have little control over, for example, the

or unnecessary thoughts that interfere with your

nothing mysterious about winning. It’s a matter

of ski racing are integrated into one path to Prime Ski Racing.

10-20-00 I define Prime Ski Racing, as “performing

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “It’s way mental. The biggest thing is the

weather, snow conditions, and other

at a consistently high level under the most

competitors. At the same time, there are some

challenging conditions.” There are two essential

things that you have total control over such as

words in this definition. The first key word is,

your equipment and your mental and physical

“consistently.” I’m not interested if a racer can

preparation. Yet, I often see racers giving control

have only one or two great races. That is not

over these areas to other people such as

enough to be truly successful. I want racers to

coaches and tech reps. If you do this, you’re

be able to ski at a high level day in and day out,

taking a chance because they might not get

week in and week out, month in and month out.

done. And if they don’t get done, they might

Prime Ski Racing means performing at a high

hinder your race performance. Anything that

level with only minimal ups and downs instead

impacts your preparation and performance, you

of the large swings in performance that are so

you race, but rather in the days, weeks, and

should take responsibility for and be sure it gets

common among racers. The second key word

months before the race. If you’ve put in the time

done. Because the result sheet doesn’t have an

is, “challenging.” What makes the great racers

and effort to develop your physical, technical,

excuse section.

successful is their ability to ski their best under

tactical, and mental abilities, you will have the

the worst possible conditions against tough

skills and the belief to ski your best on race day.

Every race presents new and different things that could change your preparation, for example, weather, snow conditions, length of

competition when they’re not skiing their best. Where does Prime Ski Racing come from?

psychological aspect of believing I can go out and give it 100 percent. When I’m going for it really aggressively I ski my best. The toughest part is finding that zone.” Olympic champion Tommy Moe

THE 12 LAWS OF PRIME PREPARATION 11-10-00 First Law: Races are not won on the day

Second Law: Take responsibility for everything that can impact your ski racing.

lifts, start times, and warm-up space. When

Though I focus on its mental contributors, the

These areas include all of the components of

things are not exactly as you like them, it’s easy

mind is only one necessary part of Prime Ski

preparation. If you address every area that

to get rattled. When this happens, you can lose

Racing. You must also be at a high level of

impacts your racing—physical, technical,

confidence, get distracted, and feel nervous. To

physical health including being well-conditioned,

tactical, and mental—you can be sure that when

ensure that these changes don’t negatively

well-rested, eating a balanced diet, and free

you get to the race, you will be totally prepared

affect you, you should identify them as soon as

from injury and illness. Prime Ski Racing is also

to ski your best.

you can. Once you know what they are, you can

not possible if you’re not technically sound. Your

figure out how to adapt to them so instead of

technical skills must be well-learned and your

all physical, technical, tactical, and mental skills.

getting stressed out about them, you can just go

tactics must be ingrained.

Developing skills of any sort requires awareness

with the flow.

Third Law: Preparation is the foundation of

Have you ever experienced Prime Ski

of what you’re doing incorrectly, control to do

Racing? Let me describe some of the common

the skills correctly; and repetition to ingrain the

between the hours of training you put in and the

experiences of Prime Ski Racing. First, Prime

new skills.

race performance. Your pre-race routine should

Ski Racing is effortless. It’s comfortable, easy,

consist of physical, technical, and mental skills

and natural. You don’t seem to have to try to do

develop effective skills. If you practice effective

and habits that you have ingrained in your

anything. Prime Ski Racing is also automatic.

skills and habits, you’ll develop skills that will

training. Your pre-race routine is the foundation

There’s little thought. The body does what it

help you ski your best. If you practice poor skills

of the consistency of preparation that will lead to

knows how to do and there’s no mental

and habits, you’ll develop skills that will hurt

Prime Performance.

interference getting in the way. You also

your skiing.

Your pre-race routine is your connection

On race day, you should focus on only one

experience sharpened senses. You see, hear,

Fourth Law: The purpose of training is to

Fifth Law: Racers should train like they

thing: skiing as fast as you can. Any other

and feel everything more acutely than normal.

race. Racing like you train is impossible for one

thinking or preparation you do should be

Also, time seems to slow down, enabling you to

simple reason: racing matters. Training like you

[13]

race means putting as close to the same level of motivation, focus, and intensity into training as you do in a race. Sixth Law: Prime preparation requires clear purpose, prime focus, and prime intensity. You must have a clear purpose that tells you what you’re working on. You must consistently maintain focus on your purpose. Your body must be physically capable of performing the purpose. Seventh Law: Consistent training leads to consistent ski racing. Consistency relates to every aspects of race training including conditioning, technique, and tactics, attitude, effort, focus, intensity, emotions, sleep, and diet. Eighth Law: Patience and persistence are essential to achieving Prime Tennis. You must the patience to allow yourself to develop and the persistence to face the setbacks and obstacles that are a part of achieving Prime Ski Racing. Ninth Law: Failure is essential for Prime Ski Racing. There can not be success without failure. Failure shows you what is not working. It means that you are moving out of your comfort zone. Failure means you are taking risks. Failure teaches you how to deal positively with adversity. Tenth Law: Prime Ski Racing comes from “one more thing, one more time.” When you feel you have done enough, by doing one more thing, one more time, you are doing that little bit extra that would separate you on the day of the race. Eleventh Law: It takes 10 years and 10,000 hours to become a great ski racers. Research has found that the longer you have skied and the more hours you have trained, the better you will be. Twelfth Law: Prime preparation is devoted to readying racers to ski their best under the most demanding conditions in the most important races of their lives. The ultimate goal of Prime Ski Racing is for you ski your best when it really matters. Mental Edge Quote of the Day: “Preparation is everything to winning. It is easy to say, ‘I am going to win.’ So I don’t think about it; instead I concentrate on my training…which really determines who will make it. Then, on the day of the race…I can say with confidence, ‘I am ready.’” Olympic champion Jean-Claude Killy

MENTAL EDGE PROFILING 11-24-00 One of the most difficult things about dealing with the mental side of ski racing is that its not tangible. Unlike physical conditioning where you can see yourself getting stronger by the amount of weight you’re lifting or technical training where you can see progress on video and on the clock, mental training can’t be directly seen or measured. Mental Edge profiling helps you make your mental strengths and weaknesses more concrete. By having a better understanding of yourself mentally, you can more clearly specify the areas you need to work on. I have identified 12 mental and emotional factors that I have found to be important to ski racing success. To create your Mental Edge profile, rate yourself on a one to ten scale for each of the 12 factors listed below.

skills in ski racing. Scores below a 7 indicate areas that you need to work on. Write down the factors that you need to address, set goals related to improvement in those areas, and decide how you will develop the areas. Then consistently work on them until you have strengthened them. Much like physical testing, take the Mental Edge profile every few months to see your progress. With some time and effort, you can develop your mental strengths and alleviate your weaknesses so you can achieve the Mental Edge. Quote of the Day: “A winner goes through a problem; A loser tries to go around it, and never gets past it.” Pat Williams, NBA general manager

NO SUCH THING AS FREE SKIING 12-1-00 I hate the words free skiing. They are

Confidence is how strongly you believe in

inaccurate and misleading. These words

your ability to ski your best in races (1-not at all;

suggest that when you’re not running gates, it

10-very much). Motivation is how committed

doesn’t matter what you do. I see this with a lot

you are to your ski racing and how hard you

of racers. When they’re running gates, they are

work in your training (1-very low; 10-very high).

focused and intense, but when they’re free

Intensity is how well you are able to reach and

skiing, they’re often not doing anything to make

maintain an ideal level of intensity in training and

themselves a better skier.

racing (1-poor; 10-ideal). Focus is how well

The fact is free skiing is anything but free. It

you’re able to concentrate on things that help

will cost you or you will profit from it. Free skiing

your skiing and block out distractions that hurt

should be called gateless training. It is the time

your skiing (1-poor; 10-prime). Imagery is how

when most fundamental technical work is done.

often you use mental imagery in your training

Only after you are able to do something

and race preparation (1-never; 10-often).

technically while gateless training will you be

Understanding is how well you know what you

able to do it in gates. So gateless training

need to work on to reach your ski racing goals

should have the same level of purpose, focus,

(1-not at all; 10-completely). Training is how

intensity, and effort that you put into your gate

much focus and intensity you put into your

training.

training (1-0%; 10-100%). Emotions are how

Gateless training is so important because

positive or negative you feelings are before a

every turn you make counts. Becoming the best

race (1-very negative; 10-very positive). Pressure

ski racer you can be is about repetition. You

is how well you respond to pressure situations

have to make thousands upon thousands of

(1-respond poorly; 10-respond well). Preparation

turns before you can make a good turn. But

is how physically and mentally prepared you are

repetition alone isn’t enough. You have to have

for races (1-not at all prepared; 10-totally

quality repetition. If you don’t here’s what will

prepared). Routines is how much do you use

happen. You’re going to make a run of 40 turns.

routines in your training and pre-race

Since you’re free skiing rather than gateless

preparation (1-not at all; 10-a great deal). Mental

training, you only maintain good quality for the

skills is how much do you include mental skills

first 20 turns. So you made 20 good turns and

into your training and race preparation (1-not at

20 bad turns. Did you improve that run?

all; 10-a great deal).

Absolutely not! The 20 bad turns erased any

Having completed the Mental Edge profile, you now have a clear description of your mental

[14]

benefit you may have gotten from the 20 good turns.

You must make sure that every turn you make is of the highest quality. Okay, so every

ski racing more, you will ski better, and you will

higher. You should set clear goals of what you

have better results as well

want to accomplish in your ski racing and how

turn may be unrealistic. But if you make 90%

Quote of the Day: “I have never made

good turns, you’re way ahead of the game. To

sports bigger than life. I just played and enjoyed

Daily questions. Every day, you should ask

have quality repetition, you must have clear

them. My whole approach was based on what I

yourself two questions. When you get up in the

purpose, 100% focus and intensity, and give

could learn from sports.” NFL quarterback Rick

morning, ask, “What can I do today to become

your best effort.

Mirer

the best ski racer I can be?” and before you go

Developing Prime Motivation

to sleep, ask, “Did I do everything possible

Quote of the Day: “I started to free ski more consciously, controlling all of my movements. I set imaginary gates in front of myself. I tried to feel all of the movements during free skiing.” March Girardelli

PERSPECTIVE ON COMPETITION

12-15-00 Motivation is the foundation of lies at the base of the Prime Ski Racing. Without your desire and determination to improve your ski racing, everything else is meaningless. To

12-8-00

become the best racer you can be, you must be

Ski racing is obviously important to you.

motivated to do what it takes to maximize your

You put a great deal of effort into your ski racing participation. Because of this, you put your ego

ability. Focus on your long-term goals. To be your

on the line every time you get in the starting

best, you have to put a lot of time and effort into

gate. When you don’t ski well, you’re

your ski racing. But all of that time and effort is

disappointed. This may not feel good, but it’s

not always enjoyable. I call this the Grind, which

natural because it means you care about your

involves having to hours upon hours of time into

ski racing.

training, well beyond the point that it is fun and

you will achieve those goals.

today to become the best ski racer I can be?”. The heart of motivation. Motivation is not something that can be given to you. Motivation must ultimately come from within. You must simply want to ski race. There are two things that should motivate you to race. You should compete because you have a great passion for ski racing. You should race because you just love to get out there and do it. Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “Training to win takes competitive drive.” USST member Sarah Schleper

Progression of Prime Confidence 1-19-01

There is, however, a point at which racers

exciting. During those times, focus on your long-

can lose perspective and their feelings toward

term goals. Remind yourself why you’re working

develop a strong and resilient belief in your

their racing can hurt their performances. The key

so hard. Imagine exactly what you want to

skiing ability so that you have the confidence to

warning signal of this overinvolvement is “too.”

accomplish and tell yourself that the only way

give your best effort, ski at your highest level,

When they care too much, when it is too

you’ll be able to reach your goals is to go

and believe you can be successful in the most

important to them, when they try too hard to

through the Grind.

important races of your life. I have identified four

win, when they press too much in critical races, then they have lost perspective. In this “too” situation, racers’ investment in

Have a training partner. It’s difficult to be highly motivated all of the time on your own. There are going to be some days when you

The ultimate goal of Prime Confidence is to

steps that are required to develop Prime Confidence. Preparation breeds confidence. Preparation

their skiing is so great that it is no longer

don’t feel like getting out there. A training

is the foundation of confidence. If you believe

enjoyable. If you find yourself feeling this way,

partner is someone who can push you through

that you have done everything you can to ski

you should reevaluate what your ski racing

those motivational lows. The chances are on any

your best, you will have confidence in your

participation means to you and how it impacts

given day that one of you will be motivated.

ability to ski well. This preparation includes the

your life and your happiness. You will probably

Even if you’re not very psyched to train on a

physical, technical, tactical, and mental parts of

find that it plays too big a role in how you feel

particular day, you will still put in the time and

ski racing. If you have developed these areas as

about yourself. When this happens, you not only

effort because your partner is counting on you.

fully as you can, you will have faith that you will

ski poorly and have worse results, but you may find that ski racing is no longer fun to you. To ski your best and to have fun, you need

Focus on greatest competitor. Another way to keep yourself motivated is to focus on your greatest competitor. I have racers identify who

be able to use those skills gained from preparation to ski as well as you can. Mental skills reinforce confidence.

to keep your ski racing participation in

their biggest competition is and put his or her

Confidence is a skill that develops with practice.

perspective. It may be important to you, but it

name or photo where they can see it every day.

A meaningful way to strengthen your confidence

should not be life or death. What is important is

Ask yourself, “Am I working as hard as him/

is to use mental skills that provide repetition of

that you have a balanced view of ski racing.

her?” Remember that only by working your

the confidence. These mental skills include goal

Remember why you participate; it’s fun, it feels

hardest will you have a chance to overcome

setting to bolster motivation, positive self-talk

great to become a good skier, and, yes, you like

your greatest competitor.

and body language to fortify confidence,

to compete and win. The Prime Ski Racing view

Set goals. There are few things more

intensity control to combat anxiety, keywords to

of competition means keeping your ski racing in

rewarding and motivating than setting a goal,

maintain focus and avoid distractions, and

perspective. If you have fun, work hard, enjoy

putting effort toward the goal, and achieving the

emotional control to stay calm under pressure.

the process of ski racing, and do not care too

goal. The sense of accomplishment and

much about winning and losing, you will enjoy

validation of the effort motivates you to strive

[15]

Adversity ingrains confidence. Your biggest challenge is to maintain your belief in yourself

when you’re faced with adversity. To more

There are also decidedly different thoughts,

just described to determine your prime intensity

deeply ingrain confidence in your skiing, you

emotions, and physical feelings.

for each event.

should expose yourself to as much adversity as

Another useful way to help you understand

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “Every

possible. Adversity can involve anything that

your prime intensity is to experiment with

day I trained at 100 percent World Cup intensity.

makes you uncomfortable and takes you out of

different levels of intensity in training and see

You have to eat, breath, sleep, and live that

your comfort zone. Adversity can include bad

how the differing intensity impacts your skiing.

intensity.” USST member Chad Fleischer

weather, poor snow conditions, or a race hill on

Here is a good exercise you can use to learn

which you have never skied well.

more about your prime intensity:

Focus Styles

Success validates confidence. All of the

Let’s say you’re going to take six training

previous steps in building Prime Confidence

runs of slalom. Break up the training session into

would go for naught if you did not then ski well

three segments. The first two runs will

and have success in races. Success validates

emphasize low intensity. Before you begin the

the confidence you have developed in your

run, take several slow, deep breaths, relax your

ability. It demonstrates that your belief in your

muscles, and focus on calming thoughts (e.g.,

ability is well-founded. Success further

“Easy does it,” “Cool and calm.”). As you start

strengthens your confidence, making it more

the run, stay focused on keeping your body

resilient in the face of adversity and poor races.

relaxed and calm.

Finally, success rewards your efforts to build

The next two runs will focus on moderate

confidence, encouraging you to continue to

intensity. Before the run, take a few deep, but

work hard and develop your skiing.

stronger breaths, jump around a bit, and focus

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day:

on more energetic thoughts (e.g., “Let’s go,”

“Confidence comes from laying the strong

“Pick it up.”). Before the run, bounce on your

foundation to build a career on: physical

skis lightly and feel your intensity picking up.

conditioning, eating a well balance diet, getting

During the run, pay attention to feeling the

plenty of rest, having the right equipment to fit

intensity and energy in your body.

your needs, and having a well thought out long

The final two runs will highlight high

range plan. Confidence comes from hard work

intensity. Before the run, take several deep,

and making sacrifices.” Former U.S. Olympic ski

forced breaths with special emphasis on a hard

coach Finn Gundersen

and aggressive exhale, start bouncing up and

Determining Prime Intensity

down on your skis immediately, and repeat

1-26-01 An essential part of developing Prime Ski Racing involves identifying what is your prime intensity. Think back to several races in which you skied very well. Recall your level of intensity. Were you relaxed, energized, or really fired up? Then remember the thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings you experienced during these races. Were you positive or negative, happy or angry, relaxed or tense? Then, think back to several races in which you skied poorly. Recall your level of intensity. Remember the thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings you had in these races. If you’re like most racers, a distinct pattern will emerge. When you ski well, you have a particular level of intensity. This is your prime intensity. There are also common thoughts, emotions, and physical feelings associated with skiing well. In contrast, when you’re skiing poorly, there is a very different level of intensity, either higher or lower than your prime intensity.

intense thoughts (e.g., “Fire it up,” “Get after it.”), saying these out loud with energy and force. Feel the high level of intensity and energy as you begin the run, and focus on maintaining the intensity throughout the turn. I encourage you to use this exercise for several days so you can see clearly how your intensity impacts your skiing. You will probably see a pattern emerge in which you ski better at one of the three levels of intensity. With this knowledge, you will have a good sense of your prime intensity and can then use that information to recognize when you’re not at prime intensity before a race and when you need to adjust your intensity to a prime level. I should also point out that prime intensity may differ between events. The feedback I get from many racers is that the technical events usually require a higher level of intensity than the speed events. However, this view in not unanimous. You should use the two strategies I

2-2-01 One of the most important developments I’ve made in my work in recent years is in understanding the importance of identifying racers’ focus styles. A focus style is a preference for paying attention to certain cues. Racers tend to be more comfortable focusing on some cues and avoid or don’t pay attention to other cues. Every racer has a dominant style that impacts all aspects of their skiing. This dominant style will surface most noticeably when they’re under pressure. The two types of focus styles are internal and external. Internal focus style. Racers with an internal focus style ski best when they’re totally and consistently focused on their skiing during training or a race. They need to keep their focus narrow, thinking only about their skiing. These racers tend to be easily distracted by activity in their immediate surroundings. If they broaden their focus and take their mind off their skiing, for example, if they talk about non-skiing topics with their friends before a race, they’ll become distracted and will have trouble narrowing their focus back onto their skiing. External focus style. Racers with an external focus style ski best when they only focus on their skiing when they’re about to begin a training or race run. At all other times, they broaden their focus and take their mind off their skiing. These racers have a tendency to think too much and become negative and critical. This overly narrow focus causes them to lose confidence and get nervous. For these racers, it’s essential that they take their focus away from their skiing when they’re not training or racing. External focus style runs counter to beliefs held by many coaches. They think that if racers are not totally focused on their skiing, then they’re not serious about it and they won’t ski their best. Yet, for racers with an external focus style, they don’t want to think too much or be too serious because this causes them to be negative and critical. They’ll ski their best when

[16]

they’re not thinking too much about their skiing

lose. The emphasis is on having fun and seeing

70-80%. When they get to a race, they want to

and they simply allow their natural abilities to

racing as exciting and enriching. Ski racing,

ski at 100%, but since they haven’t trained at

emerge on their own.

when seen as an emotional challenge, is an

that level, their skiing actually gets worse rather

experience that is relished and sought out at

than better.

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “I am aware of what’s going on around me, but I’m not

every opportunity. Thus, emotional challenge is

paying attention, because I don’t care what

highly motivating, to the point where racers love

greatest lessons I have learned from world-class

anyone else is doing.” Olympic champion

competing in big races.

racers came from 1972 Olympic downhill gold

Picabo Street

Emotional Threat vs. Emotional Challenge 2-16-01 In recent years, I have found that a simple distinction appears to lie at the heart of the emotional reactions racers have to their skiing: threat vs. challenge. At the heart of emotional threat is the perception that winning is allimportant and failure is unacceptable. Emotional threat is most often associated with too great an emphasis on winning, results, and rankings. Pressure to win from parents, coaches, and racers themselves is also common. With these beliefs, it is easy to see why competing in ski racing would be emotionally threatening. Emotional threat manifests itself in a negative “emotional chain” in which each link separately and cumulatively makes racers feel badly and hurts their skiing. The most common reaction to a threat is the desire to avoid the threat. There is often a loss of motivation to ski

Emotional challenge communicates to

rule that he found enabled him to elevate himself

demands of ski racing, so they’re confident and

above the other great racers of his time: One

filled with positive thoughts. Emotional

more thing, one more time. He assumed that all

challenge generates many positive emotions

of his competitors were working hard. So, every

such as excitement, joy, and satisfaction. It also

time he came to the end of a workout, he said to

stimulates racers’ bodies to achieve prime

himself, “One more thing, one more time.” He

intensity, where their bodies are relaxed,

would then do one more sprint or one more set

energized, and physically capable of performing

of weights or take one more training run.

their best. Racers also have the ability to attain

Get out of your comfort zone. To become

prime focus, in which they’re totally focused on

your best, you must move out of your comfort

what enables them to ski their best. All of these

zone. This means making changes to your skiing

links in the emotional challenge chain lead

that will enable you to ski faster in the future.

racers to Prime Ski Racing and great enjoyment

The risk of moving out of your comfort zone is

in their ski racing.

that you’ll make some mistakes at first and

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “I

more, you’ll become more skilled and familiar

mistakes. I don’t get down on myself between

with it, and before you know it, you’ll have

turns or when something goes wrong, or in a

raised your comfort zone and your skiing to a

larger sense between runs or races.” USST

new level.

member Bode Miller

Never give up. There’s a tendency among

Prime Ski Racing Training

losing is immediate, for example, when a racer

Too often, I see racers begin training

is behind after the first run, (think of giving up as

without any clear idea of what they’re working

a major loss of motivation). Emotional threat also

on to improve. When this happens, racers are

suggests to racers that they’re incapable of

not only not improving, they’re also making it

overcoming the situation that is causing the

more difficult to improve because they’re

threat, so their confidence is hurt and racers are

ingraining old and ineffective skills, which makes

overwhelmed with negative and defeatist

it harder to learn new skills. You should follow

thoughts. The threat produces strong negative

these rules to get the most out of your training.

The emotional threat also causes anxiety

Goal and purpose. You need to always train with a goal and a purpose. A goal is some aspect of your ski racing that you want to

and all of the negative physical symptoms

improve—physical, technical, tactical, or mental.

associated with anxiety. The previous links in the

A purpose is something specific you work on in

emotional chain make it nearly impossible to

training to enable you to achieve your goal. For

focus effectively because there are so many

example, if a racer’s goal is to maintain a lower

negative things pulling racers’ focus away from

tuck on the flats, his purpose would be to lower

a useful process focus. All of the previous links

his hips and feel his chest against his thighs.

in the chain ultimately result in very poor skiing and little enjoyment in ski racing.

might ski poorly for a while. But as you do it

can maintain a level head when I make huge

3-2-01

depression, despair, and helplessness.

medallist Bernhard Russi. He told me a simple

racers that they have the ability to meet the

and compete, especially when the threat of

emotions such as fear, anger, frustration,

One more thing, one more time. One of the

many racers to give up in training when they’re not skiing well. They rationalize giving up by saying that training doesn’t really count for anything. But if you give up in training, you’ll give up in races. Never giving up is so important because something rather important happens every time you give up: You automatically lose. If you keep fighting, you may not win, but at least you have a chance. You want to ingrain never giving up no matter what happens during training or a race. Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “It’s doing more than everyone else. It’s finding your own way to make your body tough, and fit. It’s the extra two reps in the weight room. It’s an extra interval.” Sarah Schleper

Ensuring a Prime Race Start 3-23-01 One of the first lessons that emerged from

100% focus and intensity. Most racers

my work with World Cup racers was that they

need to work on their focus and intensity in

could not afford to work their way into a race

training. Racers should train at a level of focus

run. Many racers I have seen believe that they

associated with racers enjoying the process of

and intensity that will allow them to ski their best

can take the first few gates to settle into their

ski racing regardless of whether they win or

in races. Too often I see racers training around

race run. But these racers seem to forget that

In contrast, emotional challenge is

[17]

the clock starts when they leave the starting

relaxation, you need to begin your planning and

last year, you can set specific goals for your

gate. If racers are not going for it from the

your training that will get you ready to continue

conditioning, technical development, and mental

moment they trip the wand, they are falling

your progress next winter.

training to achieve those goals. These goals

behind and having to play catch up the rest of

Evaluate last season. The first thing you

should be specific (e.g., amount of weight lifted,

the run. In ski racing, where races are won and

want to do is to look back on the recently

frequency of workouts) and structured into a

lost by hundredths of a second, racers can

completed race season and evaluate how you

weekly training plan. The idea is that every day

warm up on the race course.

did. Did you improve during the course of the

when you get up, you know exactly what need

season? Are you physically stronger than last

to do that day to achieve your goals.

Having a prime start depends on being

Mental skills. There are several essential

totally prepared to ski your best from the very

year? Are you technically better? Did you

start of the race. Your ability to experience a

achieve the results you wanted? Did your

mental skills that you can work on in the off-

prime start is based on whether you’re

rankings go up?

season that will enable you to be as conditioned

physically and mentally ready to ski your best

With these questions answered, you can

from the moment you leave the starting gate.

then decide what in your training worked and

first area is motivation. Your ability to commit to

what did not. You can use this information to

the goals that you set will depend on your level

race routine. It should ensure that you are

adjust your off-season training program to build

of motivation. If you have trouble motivating

completely ready to ski best from the start of

on your strengths and minimize your

yourself, there are several things you can do.

your race run. You must have a good physical

weaknesses.

Having an organized weekly training program

At the heart of this readiness is your pre-

warm-up, which should include everything

It’s about preparation. How you do ski

mentally as you are physically next winter. The

will help you build your training into your daily

necessary to ensure total physical readiness.

next year depends on what you do this summer

activities. Also, having a training partner to work

Common physical warm-up activities in ski

and fall. The foundation of conditioning and

out with increases commitment because

racing include a short run, jumping rope,

skills you develop in the off-season will

someone else is counting on you.

stretching, and agility drills.

determine how much you improve and whether

The next step should be your skiing warm-

Second, a major purpose of off-season

you reach your goals next winter. There are three

training is to build confidence. If you are working

up that is organized and comprehensive, and

areas in which you must focus to maximize your

hard and improving during the summer and fall,

include both free skiing and training course

preparation.

when the winter begins, you will know that you

warm-up. Your skiing warm-up should begin

First, you must commit to an intensive

will have the confidence that you have done

relaxed and comfortable, allowing your body to

physical conditioning program. Ski racing has

everything possible to ski your best. Also,

warm up, and then increase in energy and effort

become a sport of strength, power, agility, and

maintaining a positive attitude and practicing

to race focus and intensity.

quickness. The only way to develop these areas

positive self-talk can increase confidence.

The final step of the prime start warm-up is

is with an organized fitness program that may

Mental imagery is perhaps the most

mental. You should check and adjust your focus

involve weight training, plyometrics, speed work,

powerful tool you can use in your mental training

and intensity. You can also preview your race

some endurance training, and stretching.

during the off-season. Mental imagery, which

run using mental imagery. With a prime start,

Second, most racers spend at least part of

involves regularly imagining yourself in different

you can ski to your fullest ability and ensure that

the summer and fall on-snow. Without the

race situations, is like weight training for the

you will be competitive from the moment you

pressure of racing, summer and fall skiing allows

mind. It can develop all of the different mental

kick the wand.

you to take the time to make significant

areas that impact your training and racing.

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “My

technical and tactical changes in your skiing. It

Mental imagery increases motivation because

best races this year have consisted of a good

also enables you to test and adapt to new

you see yourself skiing well and reaching your

mental warm-up.” Sarah Schleper

equipment.

goals. It builds confidence because you are

Next Season Starts…NOW! 4-6-01 The race season is finally over. It’s time to hang up your skis, pack away your gear, kick back, and relax, right? WRONG!!! Being the best ski racer you can be is not a part-time activity. It requires a year-round commitment and consistent effort in your physical, technical, tactical, and, yes, mental training. If you’re a ski racer serious about achieving your competitive goals, the end of the race season simply means it’s time to start your preparations for next season. After a short period of rest and

Finally, the off-season is the best time to

seeing yourself succeed and ingraining the

engage in mental training. Just like physical

image and feeling of skiing your best. You

conditioning and technical skills, mental aspects

improve your intensity and focus because you

of ski racing take time and effort to develop. An

are creating actual race scenarios that require

organized program of mental training can have

that you get your body psyched up and your

huge benefits when you enter the race season.

mind focused. Finally, mental imagery instills

Goal setting. To help you figure out how to

positive emotions about your ski racing

work on all of these areas, you should write

because, with each positive image, you are also

down your goals for next season. The first goal

generating positive emotions that make you feel

you should set is your long-term goal, that is,

good about your ski racing.

what you want to accomplish next year in terms

Mental imagery can also help your

of results, rankings, etc. Then, using the

technical and tactical development. As you

information you gained from your evaluation of

imagine yourself racing, you can incorporate

[18]

improvements into your skiing that will make

challenges and opportunities to showcase their

your skiing better even though you are not

skills.

actually on-snow. Considerable research has

Both winning and losing are essential to becoming a consistent winner. Winning builds

Prime Ski Racing competitors are able to

confidence and reinforces your belief that you

shown that if you combine physical and mental

raise their performances when they need to in

can ski well and at a high level. There are,

practice, you will improve more than just by

order to win. They seem to seek out and thrive

however, problems with winning too much and

physical practice alone.

on pressure of the “big race” like the World

too early. Winning can breed complacency

Championships. They have the ability to stay

because, if you win all of the time, there’s little

badly do you want it? The key to your success

calm and focused with an Olympic gold medal

motivation to improve. Sooner or later though,

next winter starts now! If you commit to an

on the line. Most fundamentally, Prime Ski

as you move up the competitive ladder, you’ll

intensive off-season physical, skiing, and mental

Racing competitors ski their best in the most

come up against someone who is just as good

training program, when you get in the starting

important races of their lives.

or better than you, and since you haven’t

How important is your skiing to you? How

gate of your first race next winter, you will know

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “The

that you have done everything in your power to

most important thing is to be convinced of your

against them. Winning also doesn’t identify

prepare yourself to ski your best. And the

chances.” (Alberto Tomba)

areas in need of improvement. If you always win,

chances are, you will be successful and reach

SUCCESS AND FAILURE ARE NECESSARY FOR PRIME SKI RACING

your weaknesses won’t become apparent and

your goals. Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “Life isn’t easy and the important things take hard work. I learned that to accomplish my goals, I have to look at what it will take to get there, the steps along the way. If I take those steps, the desired outcome will follow.” Hilary Lindh

QUALITIES OF A PRIME SKI RACING COMPETITOR

12-7-01 Defining Success and Failure How you define success and failure, and your perceptions of the roles that winning and losing play in developing Prime Ski Racing, will determine your ability to ski your best consistently. Too often, success and failure are defined narrowly with only one winner and many

10-19-01

losers. The racer who wins the race is the

Looking back at the great ski racers over

winner and everyone else is a loser. But how

the years from Jean-Claude Killy and Nancy

many times have you skied well, yet lost. The

Greene to Gustavo Thoeni and Annemarie Proell

fact is you can’t usually control whether you win

to Herman Maier and Deborah Campagnoni, you

or lose. What you can control is the effort you

see in them common qualities that made them

put in and how well you ski. It’s fruitless to strive

Prime Ski Racing competitors. Each had unique

for something that’s out of your control, so

abilities, styles, and personalities, but all shared

winning and losing should be defined in terms of

several essential characteristics.

things over which you have control. With this in

At the heart of all Prime Ski Racing

mind, I define success as giving your best effort,

competitors is an unwavering determination to

performing to the best of your ability, and

be the best. They are driven to get better and

achieving your goals. I define failure as not

better. They have a great passion for hard work.

trying your hardest, not performing as well as

They spend hours training every day to improve

you can, and not reaching your goals. The nice

their skiing. They love the grind and repetition of

thing about these definitions is that they’re

training and they are willing to suffer to succeed.

within your control, you’ll feel less pressure,

Most basically, their love of ski racing precedes

you’ll ski better, and as a result, you will

their love of competing and winning.

probably win more.

Prime Ski Racing competitors have a deep

improved your skiing, you won’t be successful

you won’t see the need to work on your skiing . Winning also doesn’t teach you how to constructively handle the inevitable obstacles and setbacks of ski racing. You will be so accustomed to winning that when you finally do lose, it will be a shock to you. There are also benefits to losing that will ultimately enable you to win more. Losing provides you with information about your progress. It shows you what you’re doing well and, more importantly, what you need to improve on. Losing also shows you what doesn’t work, which helps you identify what works best. Losing teaches you how to positively handle adversity. Rather than becoming discouraged by losing, you should focus on how it will help you become a better ski racer. If you learn the valuable lessons from both winning and losing, you’ll gain the perspective toward ski racing that will allow you to achieve Prime Ski Racing. Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “Michael Jordan told me once that you have to learn how to fail before you can learn to succeed.” Shaquille O’Neal

MEET THE CONFIDENCE CHALLENGE 12-14-01

Myth and Reality of Winning and Losing

The real test of confidence is how you

and enduring belief in themselves. They have

There are many myths and misconceptions

respond when things are not going your way. I

the confidence to take risks, to do seemingly

that racers hold about winning and losing. Many

call this the Confidence Challenge. It’s easy to

impossible things, and to never give up no

racers believe that the only way to win is to have

stay confident when you’re skiing well, when the

matter what. This belief enables them to be

always won; that winners rarely lose and losers

conditions are ideal, and when you’re competing

inspired rather than discouraged by defeat and

always lose. The reality is that winners lose more

against a weak field. But an inevitable part of ski

allows them to keep faith in their ability even

often than losers. Losers lose a few times and

racing is that you’ll have some down periods.

when they are not skiing their best. Difficult

quit. Winners lose at first, learn from the losses,

What separates the best from the rest is that the

conditions and tough competition are exciting

then begin to win because of what they’ve

best racers are able to maintain their confidence

learned.

when they’re not skiing their best. By staying

[19]

confident, they continue to work hard rather

learn from to improve next time. Finally, and

in the worst possible conditions against tough

than give up because they know that, in time,

most importantly, never, ever give up!

competition in the most important race of their

their skiing will come around. They also know

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “I

that even when they aren’t at their best, they

have no secret. I just feel very confident, and

can still be competitive.

that allows me to take all the risks I want and to

Most racers when they ski poorly lose their

lives. Prime Ski Racing Pyramid There are five mental factors that will lead

push all the way down the hill.” Michael Von

to Prime Ski Racing: motivation, confidence,

confidence and get caught in the vicious cycle

Greunigen

intensity, focus, and emotions. To develop these

of low confidence and poor performance. Once

Mind Over Matter:

areas, you can choose a few basic techniques

they slip into that downward spiral, they rarely can get out of it. In contrast, racers with prime confidence maintain their confidence and seek

Incorporating Mental Skills Training into Your Race Program

and then insert them into your training schedule so that they simply become part of what your racers do. This is essential because if you don’t

out ways to return to their previous level. All

10-18-02

make it a part of your team’s usual and

racers will go through periods where they don’t

No ski coach in America would deny the

expected routine—like the mandatory two

ski well. The skill is not getting caught in the

importance of mental preparation to ski racing

warm-up runs before the kids get into the gates

vicious cycle and being able to get out of the

success. Whether for an aspiring JIV, a top

—mental training will go by the wayside within a

down periods quickly.

junior, or an established USST star, there is

few weeks.

The Confidence Challenge can be thought of as a Prime Ski Racing skill that can be

almost unanimous agreement that the mind plays an essential role in racers’ efforts to

Motivation Motivation is perhaps the most difficult

developed. Learning to respond positively to the

achieve their goals. Yet, despite this consensus,

mental area to develop because motivation can

Confidence Challenge comes from exposing

little formal mental training occurs in junior race

not be given to racers, but rather they must find

yourself to demanding situations, difficult

programs.

the reasons they want ski race. There are

conditions, and tough competition in training and races and practicing positive responses.

Given its well-accepted importance, the

several strategies you can use to help racers

question is: What keeps programs from

find their motivation. First, at the start of the

incorporating mental training into their athlete

season, ask your athletes why they race. Is it

the Confidence Challenge. First, you need to

development? The answer I have found is that,

because ski racing is fun, they like the

develop the attitude that demanding situations

most often, coaches have so many other

competition, they like being with friends, they

are challenges to be sought out rather than

responsibilities—physical conditioning,

like improving, they want to make the U.S. Ski

threats to be avoided. When you’re faced with a

technique and tactics, and program

Team, or their parents are forcing them to?

Confidence Challenge you must see it as an

administration, and race schedule planning—

Understanding why they race will help them stay

opportunity to become a better ski racer. You

that mental training simply slips through the

motivated throughout the season especially

also need to believe that experiencing

cracks.

when their results may not be what they want.

There are several key aspects of mastering

challenges is a necessary part of becoming the

The only viable solution to this dilemma is

This discussion will also help you give them

best ski racer you can be. You have to realize

to make it easy for you to integrate mental

what they need to stay motivated, for example,

that, at first, these challenges are going to be

training into your normal training program. This

if they ski race to be with their friends, make

uncomfortable because they are difficult and

article shows you the few essential mental areas

sure they are in the same training group and

unfamiliar. As you expose yourself to more

that you should emphasize, what simple and

don’t emphasize technique or results.

challenges, they will become less threatening

practical techniques you can teach your racers,

and more comfortable. With this perspective, you should seek out

Setting goals, working toward them, and

and how to incorporate mental skills into your

then achieving them is one of the great sources

athlete development programs without undue

of satisfaction and motivation for young

every possible challenge in training and races.

time and energy.

athletes. At the start of the season, have your

Be sure you’re well-prepared to meet the

Prime Ski Racing

racers complete write down their goals for

challenges. You can’t master the Confidence Challenge if you don’t have the preparation and

Before you can teach young racers mental

training, races, and the season that tell you what they hope to achieve this year. As the season

skills to do so. Stay positive and motivated in

skills, you have to give them a goal to aim for.

progresses, remind them why they should

the face of the difficulties. Don’t allow yourself to

That goal is Prime Ski Racing: “performing at a

continue to work hard.

be sucked into the vicious cycle. Then, focus on

consistently high level under the most

what you need to do to overcome the challenge

challenging conditions.” There are two essential

rather than on how difficult it may be or how you

words in this definition. The first keyword is,

factor because it affects racing performance

may fail. Also, accept that you’ll make mistakes

“consistently.” I want racers to be able to ski at

directly —if racers don’t believe they can ski fast

and may not fully succeed when faced with a

a high level day in and day out, week in and

and finish, they won’t go all out—and it also

challenge for the first time. Don’t take this as a

week out, month in and month out. The second

influences every other mental area; athletes

failure, but rather as an experience you can

key word is, “challenging.” What makes the great racers great is their ability to ski their best

[20]

Confidence Confidence is the most important mental

without confidence are unmotivated, nervous,

when they’re free skiing or in gates that will help

failure to a lack of ability—they weren’t skilled or

unfocused, and frustrated.

them stay focused on what they are working on.

smart enough. This type of attribution is harmful

Racers can use mental imagery on the lift and

because ability is not within children’s control;

good preparation. Your goal should be for

just before a training run—seeing and feeling

they may come to believe that they are

athletes to get in the starting gate of a race and

themselves ski their best—to narrow their focus,

incapable of being successful.

be able to say, “I am totally prepared to have my

remind them what they want to work on, and

best race.” Remind racers of the work they are

give them a positive image of good skiing.

parents expect their child to produce a certain

putting in and the progress they are making.

Emotions

outcome—“W expect you to be the podium.”

The foundation of confidence comes from

Preparation builds confidence without racers even knowing it. Exposing your athletes to adversity is another great way to build confidence without them realizing it. Challenging your racers with bad weather, difficult snow conditions, and tough courses and helping them to respond positively to the adversity instills in racers the belief that they can handle anything that is thrown at them on race day. Self-talk is the most powerful tool racers have to build their confidence. Help your athletes become aware of their negative talk and teach them to be more positive. Make negative talk about themselves (“I suck!”) or others (“You suck!”) against the rules. Force them say something positive (“I can do it better next run”) even if they don’t believe it at first. Make being positive a fun and cool thing for the racers to practice.

Intensity All of the mental skills in the world won’t work if racers aren’t physiologically prepared to ski their best. This means helping them to achieve “prime intensity.” Ask your racers if they

The emotions that racers experience before races will often determine how they ski. If they are excited and happy, they will likely ski well. If they are fearful, frustrated, or feeling despair, their race will not go well. There are no specific mental training techniques to improve emotions. You can help your athletes develop “emotional mastery” by teaching them to recognize what emotions they are feeling, what is causing the emotions, and then look for solutions to resolve the cause of the emotions. You should use opportunities in which your racers are feeling bad to teach them how they can change their emotions so they can feel good and ski better. In general, you should look for situations in which you can teach your athletes lessons about how the mind influences performance (and life) and how they can use their mind to work for them rather than against them. These lessons will not only help them achieve their ski racing goals, they will also help them in all areas of their lives.

POSITIVE PARENTING Expectations: Weapons or Tools

race best really relaxed, somewhat energized, or

11-15-02

really wired. If they don’t know, have them

One of the most common questions I am

experiment and find out what works best for

asked by parents is: “Should I set expectations

them. Then have them either psych up (e.g.,

for my child?” My answer is a resounding—

jump around, listen to high-energy music,) or

though qualified—“Yes!” Expectations can be a

psych down (deep breathing, listen to relaxing

powerful tool you use to help your child become

music, do muscle relaxation exercises) before

successful and happy. Or expectations can bee

every training run. Practicing prime intensity in

a destructive weapon that can cause you child

training helps them ingrain it so they can reach

to fail and be unhappy. Which impact

prime intensity at races.

expectations has on your child depends on how

Focus

you use them.

The ability to stay focused is essential for racers to ski fast and consistently. Using keywords and mental imagery during their training runs can help athletes achieve “prime focus.” After you have given your athletes some instruction, have them come up with a keyword that they can say to themselves repeatedly

An unfortunate mistake that many parents make is to set expectations that make achieving those standards less likely. An ability expectation is one in which a child is expected to achieve a particular result based on his or her natural ability—“We expect you to win because you’re gifted.” If children fail to meet ability expectations, they’re forced to attribute their

[21]

An outcome expectation is one in which

Our society places great emphasis on competition and winning. Moreover, outcome expectations are often based on how children compare to their peers—“You are a much better skier than your friend Eddie. You should definitely beat him.” Yet children may do their best, but still fail to perform up to the level of their peers and fail to meet their parents’ outcome expectations. This is particularly unfair because children develop at different rates; a child who is less successful at age ten may surpass his peers at age 14. Healthy expectations hold your child to high standards that will encourage his or her growth as athletes and people. Your challenge is to set expectations that will help your child achieve his or her goals, internalize essential values, and develop beliefs and attitudes that will foster his or her growth as a successful and happy person. The first step in ensuring that you convey healthy expectations to be sensitive to your own expectations and what expectations you communicate to your child. What ambitions do you have for your child? Are your expectations realistic? Are you setting our child up for success or failure? Do your expectations contribute to your child’s health, happiness, and success? You should ensure that you only set expectations over which your child has control. Effort expectations emphasize how much determination, hard work, and persistence you expect your child to put into his or her achievement activities—“We expect you to always try your hardest and do your best.” If your child meets these reasonable expectations, he or she will learn the essential relationship between effort and outcome. If your child doesn’t meet your effort expectations, he or she learns the downside of this relationship, but the lesson is still learned. Your child may be disappointed, but he or she knows what needs

to be done to meet those expectations next time —work harder.

Perfectionists set unrealistic expectations,

excellence lightens the burden of having to

have little tolerance for mistakes, are never

avoid mistakes and failure because they are

satisfied with the fruits of their efforts, and show

seen as necessary parts of striving for success.

expectations often keep children from being

little enjoyment in their achievements. They

It removes the fear of failure because children

successful. Concentrating on the results of

often lack confidence in their capabilities and

know that their parents will love them no matter

children’s efforts prevents them from paying

are highly critical of themselves. Perfectionism

how they perform. And excellence allows

attention to what they need to do to meet those

has been found to be associated with a variety

children to enjoy their achievement efforts, even

expectations, namely, work hard, stay focused,

of psychological problems including eating

if they aren’t successful all of the time.

improve their skills, be prepared, and be patient

disorders, substance abuse, fear of failure,

and persistent. If children meet these effort

performance anxiety, and depression.

Many parents don’t realize that outcome

expectations, they will be as successful as they are capable of. Ultimately, meeting expectations should be

Children usually learn their perfectionism

Striving for excellence has several essential benefits. Excellence is an goal that any child can achieve. With hard work alone, your child can

from their parents. Parents who are

attain some level of excellence. Excellence also

perfectionists abhor failure and show great

allows for mistakes and failure. Your child

a choice that your child makes about his or her

distress when they are unable to live up to their

doesn’t have to be perfect—what a relief!. It’s

behavior and achievement. Your child can

own impossible standards. They communicate

not only okay to fail, but also encouraged

choose to meet realistic expectations and reap

the importance of being perfect in many ways.

because failure offers valuable lessons that will

the internal and external rewards of success, or

Parents who raise perfectionistic children set

help him or her to become successful—

he or she can choose not to meet the

unrealistically high goals and are excessively

patience, perseverance, responding positively to

expectations and accept the consequences of

critical of their children. They rarely reward good

adversity. A child who strives for excellence can

parental disapproval, low achievement, and

results and often punish what they see as poor

be satisfied with a 10th place in a race if she

dissatisfaction. Considering expectations as

performances. Children see the perfectionistic

skied her best. She can slide low on a gate and

choices places more of the onus for meeting the

messages of their parents, internalize them, and

still be happy with her run. Your child can even

expectations on your child rather than his or her

their parents’ perfectionism become their own.

have bad runs periodically and find some

feeling forced to accept the expectations. The

Perfectionistic children are fundamentally

gratification in having given her best effort.

responsibility for meeting the expectations is his

unhappy because they strive toward goals they

or her own, and this sense of ownership

can never achieve, and that failure tells them

shoulders. As author Shirley Gould suggests: “If

motivates your child to meet the expectations.

that they are not worthy of being loved by their

you don’t expect your offspring to be perfect,

Expectations as choices also give your child

parents, themselves, or by anyone else. Imagine

you encourage them to accept themselves as

control over how he or she responds to the

what life must be like for children who are

they are, freeing them to function in productive

expectations, further fostering the essential

perfectionists, living in a constant state of fear of

ways.” Striving for excellence lifts the burden of

perception that he or she alone has the power to

feeling worthless and unloved. Every morning

perfection from children. Striving for excellence

be successful.

waking up and needing to prove to themselves

relieves the need for children to achieve the

POSITIVE PARENTING

and to the world that they are deserving of love

impossible so they can achieve the highly

Strive for Excellence, Not Perfection

and respect. Every success is only the briefest

probable.

respite from the fear of not being loved. Every

POSITIVE PARENTING

11-29-02

failure is painful confirmation of their

Perfectionism is a double-edged sword. On

worthlessness.

the one hand, perfectionists can be very

Excellence is the antidote to perfectionism.

Perfection is a huge burden on a child’s

Overscheduling Your Child and Your Family

successful people who are driven maniacally to

I define excellence as being successful most of

achieve. On the other hand, perfectionists often

the time. Whereas perfection is unattainable

crumble under the weight of striving for

and, consequently, a fruitless pursuit, excellence

phenomenon that has emerged in the last ten

perfection and find neither success nor

is an achievable and worthwhile goal toward

years is the overscheduling of a child’s life.

happiness. Children who are raised to become

which you should encourage your child to strive.

Today’s ski racing children are not only racing,

perfectionists come to believe that nothing short

Children who strive for excellence will achieve a

but also taking piano lessons, playing soccer,

of perfection is good enough for their parents,

high degree of success and they will find

and acting in their school play, in addition to

so they must be perfect or they won’t be worthy

happiness in their efforts.

having their normal school and family

of love. Dr. David Burns describes perfectionists

Striving for excellence takes the best that

12-06-02 A ubiquitous—and unfortunate—

responsibilities. These overly ambitious lives do

as people “whose standards are high beyond

perfectionism has to offer and removes its

more harm than good not only to children, but

reach or reason…who strain compulsively and

harmful aspects. Excellence still demands that

also to the entire family. The children are

unremittingly toward impossible goals and who

children set high expectations. It still

overloaded with work, feel stressed by the time

measure their worth entirely in terms of

encourages them to give their best effort and to

constraints, and have little time for free play,

productivity and accomplishment.”

do the very best job they can. However,

creativity, and just being a kid. This overplanned

[22]

life interferes with rather than fosters their

something—or nothing—together. Your family

of responsibilities results in parents taking

achievement and happiness. With so much to

should share an activity at least twice a month,

ownership of their children’s ski racing.

do, children have limited time to devote to or

such as going for a day hike, visiting a museum,

Your Responsibilities

focus on any one or two activities to find out

or attending a dance concert. You should have

Your responsibilities revolve primarily

whether they actually enjoy it enough to want to

time to read a newspaper or a book, watch

around providing your child with the opportunity,

explore it further.

something you enjoy on television, or share a

means, and support to pursue his or her ski

relaxed, non-child-related conversation with

racing goals. The practical means include

organize the schedules of one or more children,

your spouse most evenings each week. At least

ensuring that your child has the necessary

experience even greater stress trying to juggle

half of each month’s weekends during some

equipment, proper coaching, and transportation,

all of these demands and to “keep up with the

parts of the year should be open and unplanned.

among other logistical concerns. The

Jones,’” and have little free time to spend with

These are very general guidelines. The

Parents are similarly overloaded trying to

psychological and emotional means include

their families and even less time for themselves

motivation of your child, your values, and the

providing love, guidance, encouragement, and

and their spouses. They also put themselves

demands of the activities in which your child is

perspective in his or her efforts.

under so much stress trying to live up to

involved will all cause these guidelines to need

society’s image of “good parents” that they lose

to be modified at times. For example, ski racing

sight of what really makes parents good.

is a very time-intensive sport, requiring winter-

what is necessary to maximize the opportunities

One family I know has three kids. The

Your Child’s Responsibilities Your child’s responsibilities relate to doing

long commitment to a race program, often long

that you give him or her. These responsibilities

mother was a world-class performing artist and

drives to get to your home ski area and even

include being motivated, giving his or her best

the father was an elite athlete. They both have

longer drives to get to races, in addition to many

effort, being responsible and disciplined,

successful careers. Both parents are high

hours of training on and off the hill. The great

listening to coaches, and staying committed.

achievers who want their children to adopt

thing about ski racing, however, is that while

Other practical responsibilities include

similar values. Here is the breakdown of their

your child is training, you can go have fun skiing

participating in all training programs, getting the

children’s activities. Eldest child: tennis and

yourself—imagine the tennis, golf, or chess

most out of coaching, being cooperative, and

piano. Middle child: basketball, soccer, baseball,

parents who just sit around all day! Also, ski

expressing appreciation for others’ efforts.

and guitar. Youngest child: cross-country

racing is seasonal so when the snow melts, life

running, baseball, and tennis. All of the children

can become more normal (at least until summer

attend two sleep-away summer camps. The

training camps start). Ultimately, you are the

responsibilities of their children. If you are

mother says that it is most difficult for her and

best judge of how much is too much. I believe

assuming your child’s responsibilities, you are

her husband because they have to manage both

that you know when enough is enough, but you

communicating that you don’t think they are

family and careers—“This is what makes parents

may be reluctant to assert yourself because

competent enough to adequately fulfill their own

crazy,” she says.

you’re afraid you will be viewed as a “bad

responsibilities. Your child may internalize the

parent”—in reality, the Jones’ will be jealous of

belief that he or she is not trustworthy or

guidelines for how much of your child’s life

you.

competent. For many children, it also opens the

should be scheduled and how much should be

POSITIVE PARENTING

door to avoiding their responsibilities: “Heck,

Though I can’t give you definitive

unstructured, I can offer a few reasonable suggestions. Your child shouldn’t be involved in more than two achievement activities at one

Parent and Child Responsibilities in Ski Racing

Taking on Your Child’s Responsibilities Problems arise when parents take on the

why should I do it if my parents will do it for me?” A practical way for you check whether you

time. He or she should participate in only one

12-13-02

are taking on your child’s responsibilities is to

achievement activity each day. Scheduling

For your child to have a great ski racing

ask yourself whether you “micromanage” his or

shouldn’t interfere with your child’s getting a

experience—which, for me, means developing

her life. It is a fundamental responsibility for you

good night’s sleep or eating three healthy meals

essential life skills, achieving his or her goals,

to manage your child’s life by instilling important

—fast-food dinners in the car going from one

and having fun—both you and your child must

values, providing guidance and direction, setting

activity to another doesn’t count as a healthy

understand and fulfill your respective

appropriate boundaries, and attaching

meal. Your family should be able to sit down and

responsibilities. Taylor’s Law of Family

consequences to his behavior. However,

eat dinner together more times than not each

Responsibilities states that if family members

micromanaging means getting involved in areas

week. Your child should be able to finish his or

fulfill their own responsibilities and do not

of your child’s life that are not your

her homework well before bedtime and get to

assume others’, then children develop into

responsibility. As a general rule, any action on

bed at a reasonable hour. Your child should have

healthy, mature, and successful people, and

your part that interferes with your child’s

time at least several days a week to play outside

everyone is happy. However, problems arise

ownership of his ski racing, his sense of control

during the day and inside in the evenings. At

when parents take on the responsibilities of their

over his participation, his learning the

least several times a week your family should

children and their children are not allowed to

connection between effort and outcome, and his

have “hangout” time during which you do

assume their own responsibilities. This usurping

being held accountable for his actions can be

[23]

considered micromanagement. For example, if

You can develop each of these areas so you can

imagery to improve different aspects of your

you find yourself working on your child’s

get the most out of your race imagery.

skiing. Slow motion is effective for focusing on

equipment and packing his or her bags, you are micromanaging.

Imagery perspective. Imagery perspective

technique. When you first start to work on

refers to where the “imagery camera” is when

technique in your imagery, slow the imagery

Teach Responsibility

you do race imagery. The internal perspective

video down, frame by frame if necessary, to see

The best way to ensure that you and your

involves seeing yourself from inside your body

yourself executing the skill correctly. Then, as

child assume the appropriate responsibilities is

looking out, as if you were actually skiing. The

you see and feel yourself skiing well in slow

for each of you to know what your

imagery camera is inside your head looking out

motion, increase the speed of your imagery until

responsibilities are. When your child begins a

through your eyes. The external perspective

you can ski well at “real-time” speed.

new race season, you should sit down with him

involves seeing yourself from outside your body

or her and outline each of your responsibilities.

like on video. The imagery camera follows your

slip by each gate, imagining myself at full speed

Make a list of what you as a parent will be

skiing from the outside. Research indicates that

busting through it. After imagining myself skiing

doing to help your child succeed—pay the bills,

one perspective is not better than the other.

the entire course, I’m so ready to ski…that I can

make sure they have the necessary equipment,

Most people have a dominant perspective with

barely wait…for my start.” Sarah Schleper

get them to training and races, show interest in

which they’re most comfortable. You should use

their efforts. Ask your child about what he or she

the perspective that’s most natural for you and

believes you can do to help. Encourage your

then experiment with the other perspective to

Getting Ready for Your Own Big Race:

child to tell you about a particular responsibility

see if it helps you in a different way.

should not be yours. Next, make a list of what your child’s

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “I

Lessons Learned from St. Moritz

Control. Have you ever been doing race

2-21-03

imagery and you keep making mistakes, for

You’ve worked hard all winter. You’ve

responsibilities should be. Before you share your

example, you keep falling in your imagery? This

qualified for the big races that you set as a goal

thoughts with your child, ask him or her. If you

problem relates to imagery control, which is how

in the fall: the States, Junior Olympics, U.S.

feel your child has missed some important

well you’re able to imagine what you want to

Nationals, or perhaps the World Championships.

responsibilities, suggest them. Then, identify

imagine. It’s not uncommon for racers to ski

But getting there isn’t enough; you want to ski

other individuals who will have responsibilities in

poorly in their imagery. If mistakes occur in your

your best in the “big one!” Continuing to

your child’s ski racing, such as a coach. List

imagery, you shouldn’t just let them go by. If you

improve your technique and sticking with that

what responsibilities they should have.

do, you’ll ingrain the negative image and feeling

winter physical conditioning maintenance

which will hurt your skiing. Instead, when you ski

program will help. But whether you succeed or

fulfilling responsibilities. Ideally, there should be

poorly in your imagery, immediately rewind the

fail to achieve your goals at these all-important

consequences for both your child and you, but it

“imagery video” and edit it and rerun the

races ultimately depends on what happens

is probably unrealistic for your child to “punish”

imagery video until you do it correctly.

between your ears as these events near.

There should also be consequences for not

you in some way (though there are certainly

Multiple senses. Good race imagery is

Approaching these races with the right attitude

some parents who could use a “time-out”). The

more than just visual. The best imagery involves

best consequences are those that remove

the multi-sensory reproduction of the actual

something of importance to your child and give

skiing experience. You should duplicate the

play mind games with your head. Instead of just

him or her the control to get it back by acting

sights, sounds, physical sensations, thoughts,

wanting to do your best, you REALLY want to do

appropriately.

and emotions that you would experience at an

your best. Your focus can shift from “What do I

actual race. Visual imagery involves how clearly

have to do to ski well?” to “What will happen if I

provides absolute clarity to both you and your

you see yourself skiing. Vivid auditory images

don’t ski well?” What had been goals turn into

child about what your “jobs” are. It also allows

are important because sounds can play an

pressure-laden expectations. What is supposed

for no confusion at a later point when either of

important part in ski racing. For example, the

to be a challenge to enjoy becomes a threat to

you step over the line and assume the other’s

sound of the skis on the snow tell you about the

fear. If you go the “dark side” of big races, you

responsibilities or neglects your own.

snow conditions. The most powerful part of race

have lost before you even get in the starting

Maximize Your Race Imagery

imagery is feeling it in your body. That’s how you

gate.

Knowing your respective responsibilities

Jim Taylor, Ph.D. 11-13-03 Race imagery is perhaps the most powerful mental skill you can develop to help you achieve Prime Ski Racing. There are four factors that will impact the quality of your race imagery: perspective, control, multiple sense, and speed.

really ingrain new technical and mental skills and

is your key to skiing your best. The problem is that important races can

There are two schools of thought on how to

habits. A useful way to increase the feeling in

prepare for a big race. One approach is to try to

your race imagery is to combine imagined and

ignore the fact that it is a big race and simply

real sensations. Imagine yourself skiing and

say, “It’s no big deal so there is nothing to get

move your body with the imagined skiing. You

worked up about.” The U.S. Ski Team took this

see World Cup racers doing this before races.

tack in their athletes’ preparations for the World

Speed. The ability to adjust the speed of your imagery will enable you to use race

[24]

Championships in St. Moritz. Wanting to continue the successes their charges have

already had so far this season, the coaching

activities). You also should recognize what and

looking out, as if you were actually skiing. The

staff had their athletes training in isolation in

who might interfere with your preparations (e.g.,

imagery camera is inside your head looking out

Italy, keeping the media away so that they didn’t

too much time with family and friends). Finally,

through your eyes. The external perspective

get distracted or buy into the expectations that

you must take deliberate steps to ensure that

involves seeing yourself from outside your body

the outside forces, such as the press, can often

you maintain the attitude and do the things that

like on video. The imagery camera follows your

impose on athletes before big events. The USST

you have learned will lead you to success.

skiing from the outside. Research indicates that

wanted their athletes to treat the World

The risk of this approach is that, despite

one perspective is not better than the other.

Championships like just another race and to

your best efforts, you won’t be able to deflect

Most people have a dominant perspective with

ignore the hype surrounding this event.

the expectations and pressure. Instead of

which they’re most comfortable. You should use

inoculating yourself against the pressure, you

the perspective that’s most natural for you and

like the World Championships are hard to ignore

actually succumb to it. This tactic has worked

then experiment with the other perspective to

even if the athletes are kept isolated. By ignoring

for the Austrians as Stephan Eberharter and

see if it helps you in a different way.

the reality of the situation, you are not preparing

Herman Maier earned the gold and silver medals

yourself for the magnitude of the event that will

in the Super G and Michaela Dorfmeister won

imagery and you keep making mistakes, for

inevitably hit you sooner or later. You will have to

the gold medal in the women’s Super G, but

example, you keep falling in your imagery? This

face the hyped expectations—usually from

may have hurt Benjamin Reich who was on the

problem relates to imagery control, which is how

family, friends, and coaches—at some point, but

podium after the first runs in two events only to

well you’re able to imagine what you want to

you won’t be mentally prepared to handle the

lose ground on his second runs. I would like to

imagine. It’s not uncommon for racers to ski

inescapable pressure that comes with the big

note that the reasons why some athletes falter

poorly in their imagery. If mistakes occur in your

race. However, despite these dangers, this

can never be known with certainty and that my

imagery, you shouldn’t just let them go by. If you

approach worked for some of the USST

speculations are not intended to assign cause

do, you’ll ingrain the negative image and feeling

athletes, as Bode Miller won two gold and one

for their difficulties, but rather to illustrate the

which will hurt your skiing. Instead, when you ski

silver medal, Erik Schlopy won a bronze, and

importance of preparing the right way for big

poorly in your imagery, immediately rewind the

Kirsten Clark and Jonna Mendes earned the

races.

“imagery video” and edit it and rerun the

The risk of this approach is that big races

silver and bronze medals. This strategy may

What we can learn from this is that there is

Control. Have you ever been doing race

imagery video until you do it correctly. Multiple senses. Good race imagery is

have been less effective for other members of

no one ideal approach. You must look at how

the USST, in particular Daron Rahlves, Caroline

you have handled big races in the past. If you

more than just visual. The best imagery involves

LaLive, and Sarah Schleper.

skied well using one approach, then stick with it

the multi-sensory reproduction of the actual

(“If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”). But if it didn’t

skiing experience. You should duplicate the

events can’t be avoided, ignored, or

The other school of thought argues that big

work before, don’t expect it to work next time. In

sights, sounds, physical sensations, thoughts,

downplayed. Rather, athletes must face the

this case, you will want to do something

and emotions that you would experience at an

reality of these races and do what they can to

different. Regardless of the approach you take,

actual race. Visual imagery involves how clearly

respond positively to the unavoidable

the goal is to enter a big race feeling motivated,

you see yourself skiing. Vivid auditory images

expectations and pressures. The Austrians

confident, relaxed, and focused. If you feel that

are important because sounds can play an

assume this approach as, given the popularity of

way, you will ski your best and, most likely,

important part in ski racing. For example, the

ski racing in their country, there is nowhere for

achieve the goals you have set for yourself.

sound of the skis on the snow tell you about the

them to hide. This approach has athletes say,

VISUALIZE SUCCESS:

snow conditions. The most powerful part of race

“This race is a big deal, so let’s figure out how to deal with it positively.” With this approach, you must acknowledge that your upcoming race is a

Train Your Mind to See the Best You Can Be

imagery is feeling it in your body. That’s how you really ingrain new technical and mental skills and habits. A useful way to increase the feeling in

huge event and is not to be taken lightly. You

10-13-04

your race imagery is to combine imagined and

must establish an attitude that will enable you to

Race imagery is perhaps the most powerful

real sensations. Imagine yourself skiing and

achieve your goals (“I am going to believe in

mental skill you can develop to help you achieve

move your body with the imagined skiing. You

myself, stay grounded, and focus on what I

Prime Ski Racing. There are four factors that will

see World Cup racers doing this before races.

need to do to ski my best.”). This attitude helps

impact the quality of your race imagery:

Speed. The ability to adjust the speed of

you deflect the external and self-imposed

perspective, control, multiple sense, and speed.

your imagery will enable you to use race

pressures and enables you to maintain a

You can develop each of these areas so you can

imagery to improve different aspects of your

positive and healthy perspective and focus as

get the most out of your race imagery.

skiing. Slow motion is effective for focusing on

you approach the big races. You need to figure

Imagery perspective. Imagery perspective

technique. When you first start to work on

out what you need to do to be totally prepared

refers to where the “imagery camera” is when

technique in your imagery, slow the imagery

to ski your best (e.g., on-hill training, physical

you do race imagery. The internal perspective

video down, frame by frame if necessary, to see

conditioning, mental preparation, social

involves seeing yourself from inside your body

yourself executing the skill correctly. Then, as

[25]

you see and feel yourself skiing well in slow

maintaining motivation and developing

face. Many people simply do not realize that ski

motion, increase the speed of your imagery until

enjoyment in their work. The concepts and skills

coaches are people too. It is important for the

you can ski well at “real-time” speed.

that sport psychologists teach to athletes can

mental, emotional, and physical health of

also be valuable to coaches as a means of

coaches that individuals within the athletic

slip by each gate, imagining myself at full speed

managing stress, and developing a greater

community appreciate that coaches have

busting through it. After imagining myself skiing

sense of self-worth and satisfaction in their

doubts, worries, fears, and other problems and

the entire course, I’m so ready to ski…that I can

profession.

that these issues can lead to more serious

Prime Ski Racing Quote of the Day: “I

barely wait…for my start.” Sarah Schleper

THE THINKING COACH Published in American Ski Coach (1988-94) PSYCHOLOGICAL ISSUES IN SKI COACHING EFFECTIVENESS The roles of ski coaches are many and diverse. Coaches must be teachers, trainers, friends, parents, and, yes, psychologists. Moreover, they are expected to have expertise in many fields including physiology, biomechanics, psychology, and education. Much time and energy has been directed toward the education of coaches on the technical and physical aspects of skiing. However, only relatively recently has the skiing community begun to examine the important role that psychology plays in coaching. Coaches have a significant influence on the psychological development of their racers. This influence is profound because the beliefs that racers develop about themselves through their skiing participation can significantly affect other aspects of their lives. As a result, coaches should give careful thought to how they can teach their athletes a healthy, positive approach to participation and competition at all levels of skiing. More importantly, coaches should consider not only how they can help them to become better athletes, but also better people. This four-part series of articles will present a discussion of issues that relate to the psychological aspects of coaching. It is hoped that it will provide to coaches a better understanding of the psychological dynamics that occur in ski racing. The goal of these articles will be to offer practical skills and methods that coaches may employ as a means

A second area of importance to ski coaches is the development of a sound

individuals and in their involvement with their

foundation of upon which to build their specific

racers and teams. Addressing this issue directly

skills. This foundation, termed Interpersonal

is essential in assisting coaches in building a

Coaching Style (ICS), is the general manner in

sound foundation for maintaining motivation and

which coaches present themselves and

enhancing the satisfaction and enjoyment they

communicate with others.

derive from their work.

The third area to be examined consists of the psychological and motor aspects of skill

Why’s and What’s of Coaching The first step in building this foundation is

acquisition. This topic discusses the role of the

to aid coaches in understanding their own

coach in the technical development of racers.

motivations and reasons for coaching. This

Issues of importance include the four steps in

phase can be accomplished with a process

the learning process, concentration in learning,

termed, the why’s and what’s of coaching. This

and the role that expectations and goals play in

strategy involves, first, asking coaches to

learning.

identify and list the reasons why they are

The fourth area involves how coaches may

coaching. Responses to this query should

most effectively convey instructional information

include issues related to personal values, quality

to their racers. Topics to be addressed include

of life, and financial expectations. Second,

information feedback, reinforcement, and

coaches are then asked to indicate what they

teaching independence.

believe are the benefits and detriments of

The value of the issues that will be

coaching for them. The coaches’ answers

presented is that they can be offered in parts or

should be comprehensive in their appraisal of all

as a comprehensive program. This knowledge

of the positive and negative aspects of

can be used with the coaching staff of a team to

coaching. Third, coaches should indicate what

improve specific areas of each coach and to

they want out of coaching, i.e., what are their

enhance the overall functioning of the staff as a

goals in their career. Once again, their responses

whole. Alternatively, these issues can be

should encompass all aspects of their coaching

incorporated into a systematic coaching

experience.

education and development program. Finally,

Once the why’s and what’s of coaching

only when these issues have been addressed

have been clarified, it is then necessary for the

fully can coaches be sure that they are providing

coaches to set personal goals. These goals can

the best instruction possible for their athletes

be classified into three general categories:

and they are creating the best possible

attitudes and behavior, skill development, and

environment for them to develop both

individual athlete and team performance.

athletically and personally.

Attitude and behavior goals involve setting goals

COACHES ARE PEOPLE TOO

for the attitudes and behaviors that coaches

It is a commonly held belief that ski

of creating the most positive atmosphere and

coaches are overworked and underpaid. They

provide the best instruction possible for their

are often under a great deal of pressure to

racers.

succeed and their positions can be tenuous.

This series will address a number of topics

difficulties that will affect the coaches as

These issues can contribute to a wide variety of

of interest and importance to ski coaches. First,

difficulties. Considerable attention is paid to

a much neglected area in coaching development

difficulties that are experienced by athletes at all

involves the notion that coaches are people too.

levels of skiing. However, little consideration is

In other words, coaches should have a basis for

given to similar problems that coaches must

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exhibit in their interactions with athletes, coaches, and others such as parents and officials. Skill development goals comprise standards for the acquisition of the skills that are necessary for effective coaching. Lastly, perhaps the most significant measure of coaches’ ability and success is the performance of the team and individual athletes on the team. As a result, goals involved with individual and team

performance can be set as a means of maintaining motivation. _______________________________________ _________________ 1) WHY DO YOU COACH? “I like working

The first step in developing a coping

satisfaction and deal with the stresses

repertoire is to identify common sources of

associated with coaching is through the

problems. Within any particular skiing setting,

development of a broad-based social support

there is usually a common set of difficulties that

system. First, possibly the greatest source of

coaches must address regularly. These frequent

frustration for coaches is the lack of financial,

with kids, not only making them better athletes,

problems include intra-team conflict, negative

logistical, and moral support from upper-level

but also better people. I don’t want to sit behind

attitudes, and injuries. A detailed identification of

management. The inability to accomplish

a desk. I enjoy being outdoors”.

these areas will clarify for the coaches the

necessary tasks that are outside of the

problems that are most frequent and frustrating

immediate responsibilities of the coach is

and provide the basis for prevention and coping.

detrimental to coaches on both a psychological

2) WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS AND DETRIMENTS OF COACHING? “Seeing the kids improve and mature, being able to travel

The most effective means of dealing with

and practical level. As a result, considerable

around the world, participating in my favorite

problems involves using preventive measures. In

effort should be made to open up lines of

sport for a living are all benefits. Detriments

other words, the best way to deal with problems

communication between coaches and upper-

include low pay, long hours and burn-out, and

is not to have to deal with them. Through active

level staff.

freezing all the time”.

management of the team environment, coaches

2) WHAT DO YOU WANT OUT OF

A second important area of support must

can create a setting that prevents many

come from within the coaching staff itself. A

COACHING? “I would like to develop some

problems from arising. As a result, a significant

cohesive, mutually-supportive staff will be more

world-class skiers and be respected by my

source of stress for the coaches can eliminated.

efficient and will be able to address a greater

peers. I would also like to make enough money

Invariably, not all difficulties can be

variety of issues more effectively. A meaningful

to maintain the quality of life I want and have

prevented. Consequently, it is necessary for

issue relative to this concern is in the selection

some security in the future”.

coaches to develop a coping repertoire as a

of the staff. Consideration should be given not

means of addressing these problems in a

only to the individual abilities of the coaches,

HAVE SET FOR YOURSELF? “On a personal

healthy fashion. There are many ways to deal

but also to how their strengths and weaknesses

level, I would like to get less frustrated with my

with obstacles. However, the ideal solution

complement and support each other. A well-

kids and be more positive rather than critical. I

should be one in which all involved parties

balanced staff does not have to be composed of

would also like to develop my knowledge in the

emerge with good feelings and a sense of

individuals possessing every necessary

areas of physical and psychological training. I

closure. As a result, careful consideration should

coaching skill. Rather, a carefully selected staff

would like to see several of my athletes named

be given to the best means of solving problems.

will be comprised of coaches who, in aggregate,

to the USST. Lastly, within the next few years, I

Techniques such as time-out, i.e., getting away

possess all of the requisite skills necessary to

would like to be a coach for the USST”.

from the problem, assertiveness, and honest

fulfill their responsibilities. A useful method for

communication are examples of ways that

building and maintaining support within a

difficulties can be addressed in a positive

coaching staff is to schedule regular coaches

manner.

meetings with the express purpose of solving

3) WHAT PERSONAL GOALS DO YOU

_______________________________________ _________________ Developing a Coping Repertoire A significant source of difficulties that negatively influences coaches’ motivation, satisfaction, and performance is common problems that they face on a regular basis. These problems can range from the trivial such as broken or lost equipment to the serious such as substance abuse among team members. The

_______________________________________ _________________

problems, providing an emotional outlet, and developing preventive and coping strategies.

PROBLEM: Overbearing parents at training and races.

Another significant source of support for coaches is from family and friends. Particularly

PREVENTIVE MEASURE: No parents at training, parent education classes. COPING SKILLS: Role-playing of

for coaches that are required to travel extensively, time away from home can be lonely and stressful. In order to minimize these

ability of coaches to address these issues in a

diplomatic, but firm response to parents.

difficulties, teams can incorporate a program by

positive, constructive manner will influence

Relaxation techniques to control anger.

which coaches have ready access to support

significantly their coaching performance and

PROBLEM: Burn-out.

their own sense of self-worth and well-being. As

PREVENTIVE MEASURE: Limit and

a result of this importance, the development of effective preventive measures and coping skills is essential. A useful way to initiate this process is through group brainstorming with the coaching staff. This method allows coaches to

structure work hours, delegate responsibilities. COPING SKILLS: Time-out, build social support, seek counseling. _______________________________________

from family and friends. Finally, the sport psychologist can play an important role in the support system of coaches. It is often the case that coaches are experiencing difficulties that they do not feel comfortable discussing with other coaches. In this situation, the sport psychologist is an

_________________

share techniques they already use and to

Building Support System

essential source of support, providing problem-

generate and have consensus on the most

Perhaps the most important way that

solving, emotional catharsis, and simply

effective means of dealing with problems.

coaches can maintain their motivation and

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someone with whom coaches can speak.

subsequent instruction and it is likely that

ICS. This can be done by specifying all of the

coaches are people before they are coaches. As

In sum, it must be emphasized that

training will be viewed as a negative experience.

desired characteristics that coaches wish to

such, if coaches are expected to do the best job

The type of athletes that are to be coached

project. These attributes might include being

they can, they must be considered on a

is an important issue that must be considered

more enthusiastic, speaking more slowly, or

personal level. Moreover, active management by

relative to the suitable ICS. Several athlete

using more physical demonstrations of skills.

coaches can ensure that they maintain their

factors have to be examined. First, what is the

motivation and derive satisfaction and

goal of the participation? Clearly, coaches would

established, they can be compared for

enjoyment from their work. So when coaches

behave differently if they were working with a

congruence. If some disparity exists between

ask themselves why they coach, they can come

junior program who’s primary goal was

the two, then a plan of development can be

up with a lot of good reasons.

participation and fun as compared to elite racers

implemented that employs self-monitoring,

INTERPERSONAL COACHING STYLE

training for the Olympics.

practice, and feedback as a means of bridging

The interpersonal coaching style is the foundation upon which all specific coaching skills, whether technical, physical, or psychological, are built. Interpersonal coaching style (ICS) is defined as the manner in which coaches present themselves to and communicate with their athletes. How they look, how they carry themselves, how they communicate both verbally and nonverbally, have a profound effect upon the athletes with whom they interact. Particularly among young, developing coaches, this notion should be considered and addressed. The interpersonal coaching style is comprised of several specific components. They include issues related to leadership, authority and discipline, overt and covert communication with athletes, coaches, and others, the effective communication of technical and performance information, organizational skills, and coaches’ response to stress and pressure. Coaches’ interpersonal style will influence their racers in several ways. First, it will affect their overall attitude and perspective toward their skiing, e.g., whether competition is viewed as enjoyable or stressful. Racers’ interactions with their coaches largely determine their perception of the sport. Second, coaches’ ICS will affect their athletes’ motivation to practice and compete. In other words, their ICS will dictate whether athletes perceive their experiences on the race hill as positive and healthy, thereby increasing their desire to participate, or as negative and detrimental, thus reducing their motivation to participate. Third, the coaches’ ICS will affect the racers’ receptivity to the specific coaching skills that they employ during the course of training. Quite simply, if racers do not like or respect their coach, they are going to be less receptive to the

It must also be stressed that, like technical

When both the current and desired ICS are

the gap between the present and desired styles.

instruction, there is no single best ICS. There are

By following this procedure, coaches can gain a

many interpersonal coaching styles that are

greater understanding of and enhanced control

effective. In fact, for every successful coach,

over the manner in which they communicate

there is a unique and valuable style. For

with their athletes. This process results in a

instance, some are funny and energetic, others

highly effective, individualized interpersonal

are serious and encouraging. However, despite

coaching style that enables coaches to

the diverse styles, they share some common

maximize the particular aspects of skiing they

characteristics such as the ability to instill self-

wish to convey to their athletes.

confidence and motivation, and to make the

In addition to developing the overall

learning experience fun and satisfying. As a

interpersonal coaching style, it is also useful to

result, it is not so important for coaches to mold

identify and nurture specific behaviors within the

themselves into the ICS of a famous, well-

ICS. In other words, regardless of the ICS they

respected coach. Rather, what is important is

develop, coaches should develop a wide

that coaches know what ICS they want to

repertoire of behaviors in order to effectively

convey and then work to develop it. In addition,

address the different situations which they often

the successful coach does not have one ICS

face. Coaches who possess a broad behavioral

that is used with all racers. Rather, different

repertoire have the ability to successfully handle

styles will be used to fulfill the needs of each

more types of athletes, problems, and

individual athlete.

circumstances. A strategy similar to the one

In order for coaches to develop an effective

used for developing a coping repertoire

ICS, it is first necessary to evaluate their present

(discussed in the previous article) can be used

style. It is sometimes the case that coaches are

to identify and incorporate an extensive

unaware of their own demeanor, i.e., how they

behavioral repertoire into coaches’ interpersonal

behave during training or at races. As a result,

coaching style.

the development of this awareness will enable coaches to judge the quality and effectiveness

THE LEARNING PROCESS A primary responsibility of coaches is

of their current ICS. This process can be

technical instruction. However, this task does

accomplished in several ways. A technique that

not simply involve demonstrating a particular

is often used in academic education is the

technical skill, then having athletes perform it.

video-taping of teaching performances. Applied

Rather, instruction is a complex interaction of

to coaching, an actual training session or

physical, motor, psychological, and

competition can recorded and then reviewed,

communication skills that occur between

enabling coaches to become aware of the

coaches and racers in the learning process. As a

particular attitudes and behaviors that they

result of this complexity, the education of

exhibit. Self-monitoring of behavior and

coaches in the learning process is essential for

feedback from racers and, more importantly,

sound coaching and effective skill acquisition.

from other coaches are additional tools that are valuable in the evaluation process. Once the current ICS is clarified, it is necessary to establish the criteria for the desired

[28]

The Learning Process Perhaps the most central question that coaches must ask when studying the issue of effective instruction is, “How do people acquire

physical skills?”. Without understanding the

environment is essential, in which the coach has

countering) might go as follows: working on

learning process, it is difficult to determine the

the racer perform with no distracting variables,

countering while free skiing, during training in an

most effective means of teaching. The present

e.g., on smooth, steady terrain with a simple

easy course on steady terrain, in a difficult

model suggests that the learning of physical

course. Racers are then able to correctly

course on variable terrain, then in competition

skills is composed of four steps that must be

execute the new skill. However, at this early

beginning with races of little importance and

accomplished in sequence in order to produce

stage of learning, the ability to maintain proper

moving up to races of increasing importance.

rapid, consistent, and lasting learning.

execution deteriorates with the inclusion of

This process of generalization moves from

additional variables, e.g., changes in terrain or

proper execution due to conscious volition to

course rhythm.

correct execution that is entirely reflexive.

1. Intellectual understanding. This stage emphasizes the importance of racers having an understanding of the incorrect and correct

This phase is perhaps the most crucial in

Expectations and Goals

means of executing a skill. In other words, they

the learning process. In examining the

must understand what they did wrong and how

acquisition of skills, it is important to understand

completion of this stage is the expectations and

to correct it. Without this awareness at the

that motor learning involves teaching the

goals that racers develop when learning new

intellectual level, transfer to physiomotor

muscles to respond in a particular manner.

skills. Too often, athletes have unrealistic

learning will be no more than a trial-and-error

During learning, this component should be the

expectations and set unreachable goals relative

procedure. It should be noted that two groups of

principal focus.

to learning. Typically, they learn a new skill and

athletes seem able to by-pass this stage: Young

An essential point worth emphasizing is

A significant influence on the successful

then expect to use it immediately and effectively

children and highly gifted athletes. These

that the only way neuromuscular training can

during competition. The subsequent and

individuals rely primarily on imitation to learn.

occur is through repetition. One method that can

predictable failure to achieve these expectations

facilitate this process is for coaches to give their

causes anger and frustration. As a result, they

acquire new skills or change old ones, it is

athletes “assignments” during training. In other

may view their learning experience as negative,

necessary to develop kinesthetic or muscle

words, coaches can have their athletes practice

thereby reducing the likelihood that they will

awareness. That is, racers must have a sense of

the desired skill away from the training course

strive to improve in the future. In addition,

what their bodies are doing and where they are

with minimal distractions. In this manner, racers

athletes are inclined to attribute their failure to

in space. To determine athletes’ muscle

are able to engage in sufficient repetition to

themselves, which may result in a loss in self-

awareness, coaches may use a simple test. Ask

enhance neuromuscular training and, as a

confidence and a decrease in the motivation to

them to close their eyes and to assume a ready

consequence, the learning process. Then, when

learn.

position in preparation for the execution of a

the athletes return to gate training, learning has

particular skill, e.g., aerodynamic tuck position.

progressed to the point where the new skill has

learning process to their athletes, to inform them

Next, ask them to describe their body position.

become more reflexive and attention can be

of its likely course, and to assist them in

Coaches will find significant error in the

directed toward executing the skill in a training

developing reasonable expectations and goals.

responses of most racers, indicating that they

course.

Demonstrating the probable learning curve is of

2. Kinesthetic awareness. In order to

do not have precise kinesthetic awareness. It is also important to stress that kinesthetic

Another notable concern in this stage is

It is important for coaches to explain the

particular value. Most athletes have the

concentration. Racers’ ability to concentrate on

misconception that learning occurs in a

awareness is not something that racers have or

the appropriate cues is essential for effective

consistent, linear fashion, i.e., improved

do not have. Rather, it can be developed. One

learning. The learning phase requires racers to

performance follows directly from learning.

useful method is having athletes watch

concentrate on different things than in the

However, learning and performance, in fact,

themselves on video. This technique enables

performance phase. A difficulty that often arises

follow a cyclic pattern. In other words, the early

them to create a visual representation of their

is that during the learning phase, racers tend to

stages of learning tend to produce a temporary

body while executing skills that can transfer to

focus too much on the course or on how fast

drop in performance. It is at this point that the

the physiomotor level. This transfer facilitates

they are going rather than on those elements

muscles are being retrained and are not yet able

the development of kinesthetic awareness.

that will enable them to acquire the skill.

to respond effectively, resulting in a transient

Another method is to have racers direct their

The primary focus while learning should be

period of poor performance. However, in the

concentration onto their body during

the athletes’ own bodies, specifically their

later stages of learning, performance returns to

performance of the skill, e.g., focus on arm

kinesthetic awareness and motor control, and

and surpasses its original level.

position while free skiing. This refocusing allows

the skill to be learned. If the focus is not

them to gain conscious awareness of what their

appropriate, the new skill is forgotten, old habits

skills by educating their racers about the

body is doing and how it is moving.

return, and no learning takes place.

learning process, the progression of

3. Initial motor learning. The third step in

4. Generalization. The fourth step involves

Coaches can facilitate the acquisition of

generalization, and the time that is required for

this process is where the actual learning begins

generalization of the skill to increasingly more

the process to reach completion. As a result,

and there is the first evidence of technical

complex settings. The generalization process for

coaches can minimize the likelihood that their

development. At this point, a simplified

a racer working on his body direction (i.e.,

athletes will have a negative learning experience

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and maximize the feelings of satisfaction that

In order to maximize the value of the feedback

to understand what they did wrong and enables

are derived from the process of learning and

that is given, it is useful for coaches to be able

them to compare the improper with the proper

improvement.

to recognize these styles in their racers and

execution of the skill. Three, step one is

PROVIDING EFFECTIVE FEEDBACK

provide the appropriate feedback.

repeated in order to reinforce the correct

Consequently, all three types of feedback can

execution and re-orient the athlete in a positive,

be useful in different situations and with different

constructive direction. It should also not be

athletes. Coaches can be sensitive to these

assumed that athletes readily understand the

personal styles and provide the type of

performance that is provided. A useful tool that

feedback that will best enable their athletes to

coaches may use to determine whether the

process the instructional information.

conveyed feedback is understood is to ask the

Perhaps the single most important tool that coaches must develop is their ability to convey performance information effectively. During instruction, technical development is only as good as the quality of the performance feedback that is provided by coaches. Considerable research has indicated that performance feedback produces significant performance improvement. Type of Feedback There are three primary ways of conveying technical information: verbal, visual, and kinesthetic. The most common method is verbal feedback, which involves telling athletes what technical changes need to be made. Verbal feedback appears to be, however, the least effective technique for coaching because verbal feedback does not appear to transfer as quickly or effectively to the neuromuscular level as the other types of feedback. Visual feedback is a more useful method for effective performance feedback. This type of feedback consists of having coaches demonstrate rather than verbalize the particular technical information or by having the racers view the visual feedback on a video. Visual, as compared to verbal, feedback seems to transfer more effectively to neuromuscular learning and, as a result, will produce better learning. Another technique for conveying information is kinesthetic feedback. That is, instead of telling or showing their athletes what to do, coaches can physically place them in the appropriate position and run them through the desired motion. Kinesthetic feedback, rather than having to be transferred from the brain, provides direct information to the body at the neuromuscular level. As a result, the feedback can be more effective and the learning process is facilitated. In addition, this type of feedback will enhance athletes’ kinesthetic awareness, enabling them to better integrate the feedback that is provided by coaches. Personal Processing Styles It should be noted that, though the effectiveness of the three types of feedback generally holds true, experience has indicated that individuals have different processing styles.

Corrective Feedback

athletes to explain and demonstrate the skill

In providing instruction, it is important to

themselves. Reinforcement

not only indicate what racers are doing wrong, but also to emphasize the correct execution. It

Another essential technique that coaches

must be understood that the appropriate

may employ while providing instruction is

corrective action is not implicit in the description

reinforcement. Reinforcement, i.e., overt

of the incorrect action. For example, telling a

approval of desired skills, behaviors, and

racer that her weight is too far back does not

attitudes, can be used as a means of enhancing

provide much information as to how it should

self-confidence and motivation and developing

get forward. So during instruction, performance

technical skills. From a technical perspective,

feedback should convey what is wrong and how

the goal and result of effective reinforcement is

to correct it.

to increase the likelihood that a desired skill will

Amount of Feedback

be repeated and to instill in racers the belief that

There is often a tendency on the part of

they can execute particular skills.

coaches to give their racers too much

Amount of reinforcement. The amount of

information. For example, a coach might tell a

reinforcement that is given is critical to its

racer to straighten out his line, get more weight

effectiveness. A typical problem associated with

on the downhill ski, and drop the hip into the hill

reinforcement involves either over- or under-

more. A deluge of information like this one

reinforcement. Coaches may reinforce every

causes racers to be overloaded with information

performance regardless of quality. This

and are thus unable to focus sufficiently on any

approach may enhance motivation, but does not

one piece of information in order for them to

provide racers with information relative to

utilize it. As a result, it is suggested that only a

whether they executed the skill properly. As a

single piece of information that is most relevant

result, they are unable to distinguish between

to the particular instruction be offered at any

correct and incorrect execution and learning

one time.

does not occur. Too infrequent reinforcement

Positive-Negative-Positive Approach

has a similar effect. Lack of reinforcement also

Though there is no one prescribed method

provides little information about how a racer is

of conveying performance information, John

performing and tends to produce low motivation

Wooden, the legendary basketball coach,

and poor skill acquisition.

developed a teaching approach that has been

Ideally, reinforcement should be

widely accepted in the coaching community. It is

intermittent and only given when the desired

referred to as the “positive-negative-positive”

skills have been demonstrated. This variable

approach and it involves three steps. One, the

reinforcement enables athletes to perceive a

correct execution of the skill is explained and

connection between proper execution and the

demonstrated. This first step provides an initial

reinforcement and provides them with valuable

positive orientation to the instruction and also

information relative to their performance of the

gives athletes a correct point of reference for

skill.

comparison in the second step. Two, the way

Type of reinforcement. Another issue that

that the athlete executed the skill, i.e., what the

influences the effectiveness of reinforcement

athlete did incorrectly, is explained and

relates to the type of reinforcement that is given

demonstrated. The second step allows athletes

at the various stages of learning. It is important

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to give reinforcement that is specific to what is

did wrong and how to correct it, they can ask

improvement may result. So coaches should

being learned. Providing inappropriate

the racers to tell them. Consequently, in addition

think of mental skills the same way they view

reinforcement can inhibit learning by focusing

to an enhanced awareness of what they are

physical fitness and technical development.

racers’ attention on information that is not

doing during training and competition, racers

relevant to the particular stage of learning.

will develop the ability to critique objectively

psychologists have “magic dust” and can simply

their own performances. Third, when athletes

sprinkle their knowledge over the athletes and

training, i.e., acquiring technical skills, is

look to their coaches for approval, coaches can

they will improve. I have been called by coaches

emphasized, so reinforcement should be

ask them to evaluate and reinforce themselves.

on many occasions a few nights before a major

At early stages of learning, neuromuscular

specific to those skills. Coaches should

Emergence of independence and self-

Another misconception is that sport

competition asking that I work with their

specifically reinforce demonstration of the

coaching skills would contribute to the

athletes. I typically turn down these

correct execution of that particular skill rather

development of more complete athletes and to

opportunities because no matter what I do, it is

than more general reinforcement relative to the

the satisfaction, enjoyment, and confidence that

unlikely that the athletes will be able to benefit in

overall performance. For example, a coach

is derived from becoming a better athlete.

such a short time. However, I do recommend

should reward a good tuck position not whether

Moreover, the athletes’ enhanced self-

that they contact me in the early part of the

the racer went fast.

understanding would increase rather than

season so that I can implement a mental training

undermine the importance and effectiveness of

program for their athletes that they can work on

at later stages of learning, the focus becomes

coaches. This enhanced teaching ability on the

in preparation for their competitive season.

more outcome-oriented. Once neuromuscular

part of coaches would be due to the improved

training has taken place and the technical skills

capability of athletes to provide additional useful

training takes alot of time and energy for

have been mastered, the outcome of the proper

performance about their performances to the

coaches and athletes. However, mental training

execution is stressed. As a result, coaches may

coaches. This added information could then be

is very time-effective. Serious racers typically

reinforce these aspects of the performance. By

utilized by coaches in critiquing their racers’

spend up to four hours per day on physical or

doing so, coaches indicate to their athletes the

performances, thereby enabling them to provide

technical training. In contrast, mental training

desired outcome of a well-executed skill. For

better feedback. Finally, these self-coaching

away from the hill can be accomplished in 10-15

example, a coach can reinforce the fact that the

skills would allow racers to better understand

minutes per day several times a week.

newly-learned tuck resulted in greater speeds

and integrate the corrective performance,

Considering the importance of the mind at any

and better times.

thereby facilitating the learning process and

given level of competition, this seems like a

Teaching Independence

enabling them to raise the quality of their

good investment of time.

Another issue that coaches should

performances.

In contrast to this technical reinforcement,

consider is the emergence of independence and self-instructional skills on the part of their racers. Coaches can encourage their athletes to teach, critique, and reinforce themselves. In other words, coaches can show their athletes how to become their own coaches. Development of these skills are valuable because they provide racers with a greater sense of control and responsibility over their performances. In addition, it enables athletes to continue the learning process when coaches are not present. On a practical level, this ability permits them to make “on-the-spot” technical changes and to reinforce themselves during competition. This process can be accomplished in several steps. First, coaches can nurture in their racers an understanding of their own technical, physical, and psychological attributes. In other words, they can teach them to identify the strengths and weaknesses in their own performances. Second, coaches can make communication bi-directional. Instead of coaches always telling their athletes what they

Still another misconception is that mental

In addition, I emphasize that mental

TEACHING MENTAL SKILLS TO SKI RACERS The awareness of the importance of mental preparation in ski racing has grown dramatically in the last several years. This realization has resulted in a high degree of motivation among ski coaches at every level of competitive skiing to learn as much as possible about mental training. However, there still remains considerable misunderstanding about the role of sport psychologists and the nature of mental training. A common misconception is that athletes either have it mentally or they do not and no amount of work can developmental weaknesses in athletes. This is rarely the case. A fundamental aspect of the mental side of sports is that athletes possess differing levels of mental skills that, like technical skills, can be developed with time and practice. In other words, mental factors such as self-confidence and concentration are malleable characteristics. Given the appropriate training, significant

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training can be incorporated directly into dryland and on1snow training. In fact, the best way to develop mental skills is along with physical and technical skills because they are quite inseparable. Clearly, physical and technical ability has little value if athletes do not have the belief that they possess those abilities. Also, the incorporation of mental training into other facets of preparation does not involve using a lot of complex techniques. Rather, a few simple and practical strategies may be easily included into dryland and on1snow training to provide tangible personal and competitive benefits. From this perspective, this year’s series of articles will rely on this approach in describing practical ways in which coaches may incorporate mental training into their regular preseason and competitive season programs. Topics that will be discussed include developing positive attitudes, controlling anxiety, and improving concentration.

PRACTICAL STRATEGIES FOR DEVELOPING POSITIVE ATTITUDES

bound by this rule. This approach proved to be

positive cues. Every time they look at their skis,

both fun and effective. Within days of its

the skiwords are repeated and internalized.

In an article I wrote in The American Ski

inception, the athletes were policing their own

Skiers can use skiwords that will focus not only

ranks for negativity and the amount of negative

on confidence but also on other mental or

talk decreased markedly.

technical concerns.

Coach last year (Mid Winter), I discussed different ways to build self-confidence in your athletes. These techniques included positive role modeling, active positive thinking, and objective evaluation. I believe self-confidence is essential for competitive success because it is so critical due to its influence on every other psychological factor. First, low self confidence results in a lot of negative self-talk which feeds into a vicious cycle of low confidence and performance. Second, low self-confidence is usually associated with higher anxiety which will hurt performance further. Third, it produces negative emotions such as anger, depression, and frustration. Fourth, low self-confidence hurts concentration by focusing attention on negative thinking. Finally, it inhibits motivation because if athletes have low confidence and are performing poorly, they will not be having fun and, as a result, will be less likely to work hard. As part of my work with the USST Development Camp at Mt. Bachelor in June, 1989,I developed several more simple and practical strategies that coaches may incorporate into training as a means of developing positive attitudes. I will describe these methods in the context of my work with the Development skiers. Commit the Crime, Do the Time As part of their on-snow training, each training group was required to choose a “punishment” for any skier who said something negative. The purpose of this exercise was to provide the athletes (and coaches) with greater awareness and control over their thinking and, in particular, their negativity. I instructed them that the punishment should help them become better skiers or better people. The punishments were diverse and creative. One group decided that anyone who was negative had to do 50 jump turns. Another group’s punishment was that the offenders had to walk up to a stranger in the base lodge, introduce themselves, indicate the negative statement, and indicate what positive thing they would say in future situations. The rallying cry for this technique was, “Commit the crime, do the time”. In addition, coaches (and sport psychologists) were also

Ski Racers’ Litany Another practice that I incorporated into training was the Ski Racers’ Litany at the early morning warm-ups. The Litany was a set of positive statements that the group said out loud (with conviction) every morning. The litany I developed for this group was as follows: I love to ski race. I am a great ski racer. I always think and talk positively. I always work as hard as I can. I expect to feel pressure and that’s okay because I know how to handle it. I am confident, relaxed, and focused when I race. The purpose of the litany is, in a sense, to exercise their self-confidence muscle. I believe that if athletes tell themselves something enough times, they will start believing it. This technique also proved to be fun and effective, as the skiers began to say it by themselves and apply them to other, less pleasant areas of their training, e.g., “I love to do intervals”. This approach can be included at the beginning of daily training and provides an initial positive orientation to the day. Also, I would recommend that parts of the Litany be printed on posterboard and placed around the training center.

MANAGING COMPETITIVE ANXIETY/ FEAR A certain amount of anxiety is essential for optimal performance. Moderate arousal increases heart rate, respiration, and blood flow, releases adrenaline for greater strength and quickness, and enhances endurance. However, too much anxiety can be detrimental to performance. Moreover, as racers move up the competitive ladder, the pressure to perform increases, thereby raising anxiety levels. Excessive anxiety is typically caused by several factors. First, as discussed in an earlier article, athletes with low self-confidence tend to be more anxious. Second, fear of success or failure can also raise anxiety to detrimental levels. Third, unfamiliarity with situations are often associated with too much anxiety. Anxiety manifests itself in a number of ways including muscle tension, fatigue, choking, butterflies, loss of coordination, and narrowing of concentration. Furthermore, any or all of these factors will hurt performance. As a result, it is important that coaches teach their athletes how to actively reduce their anxiety. Breathing The most obvious, yet often neglected, way to reduce anxiety is simply to take some slow,

Walk the Walk An observation that I have made during my years as an athlete and a psychologist is that champions walk and carry themselves and move differently than other people. In other words, they “walk the walk”. As a result, athletes at the Development camp were required to practice walking the walk. In particular, this involves walking with their shoulders back, chin up, and eyes forward. The rationale behind this strategy is that it is difficult to feel down when the body is up. Also, with repetition, having the appearance of confidence will be internalized and improve confidence. Skiwords A technique that I developed while I was competing was to write keywords on my skis, e.g., “I can win” and “hustle”. The purpose of this practice is to constantly remind athletes of

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deep breaths. This serves several purposes. First, deep breaths will reduce heart rate and reduce muscle tension. Second, muscles cannot function effectively without adequate oxygen (i.e., loss of coordination), so by taking deep breaths, muscles will be able to perform properly. Progressive Relaxation Often coaches will see an anxious athlete and tell them to relax, so the athlete can be seen pacing back and forth telling himself to calm down. Often, this approach has the opposite effect. In fact, it is difficult for an athlete to reduce anxiety and muscle tension in this way. Consequently, it is recommended that, when muscles are tense, athletes should engage in progressive relaxation. This technique involves tightening the muscles up even more than before, then relaxing them.

Why does this work? Muscles work on

new competitive level, e.g., their first Senior

highly anxious athletes, simply forcing them to

what is called an opponent-process principle. In

Nationals. Coaches can assist this transition by

smile can markedly reduce their anxiety, thereby

other words, if muscles are at a level 7 of

having round table sessions in which older

allowing them to perform better.

muscle tension (where 10 is very high tension),

competitors describe their experiences at that

but an athlete performs best at level 5, by

level, what new things to expect, both positive

MAINTAINING THE RIGHT FOCUS

tightening muscles up to 10, then relaxing them,

and negative, and what practical strategies they

tension levels will drop past 7 to a lower level.

use to prepare for them.

Progressive relaxation can be used

Regardless of the level of competition, a

effectively in the start area before race runs. A

general rule to teach athletes is, “Expect the

useful procedure would be for athletes to tighten

unexpected”. I encourage coaches to discuss

their muscles for 3 seconds, then relax, and

with their racers what could possibly go wrong

repeat this several times.

and then how to effectively deal with these

Counter Irrational Thinking

unexpected problems. For example, coaches

Another significant cause of anxiety is

may ask their athlete what they would do if their

irrational thinking. Athletes, particularly young

skis were stolen or they forgot their helmet.

ones, develop bizarre thoughts which create

Having plans for possible eventualities will make

unnecessary anxiety. For example, a

those unexpected events less unexpected,

development racer I worked with told me that,

thereby making them less anxiety provoking.

when training for downhills, she would see a tree

Pre-Competitive Routines

and truly believe that “the tree has my name on

Related to the issue of familiarity is the use

it”. This thinking caused her to become fearful

of precompetitive routines to minimize anxiety in

and it hurt her skiing. I suggested that she

pressure situations. By using these routines,

counter this irrational thinking by going to the

athletes condition their minds and bodies to

tree and seeing if, indeed, the tree did have her

believe that whenever they are going through

name on it. Invariably, it did not and she felt

the routines, whether in a local or international

much better.

competition, it is just another race, not

It is important for coaches to be aware of the thinking of their athletes and actively counter

something to get nervous about. It is suggested that coaches ask their

any irrational thinking that emerges. This

racers to write out and rehearse a routine with

awareness is especially critical in high pressure

which they feel comfortable. These pre-

situations such as major competitions and in

competitive routines can begin the night before

difficult or fear-provoking conditions such as

the race, continue when the racers wake up,

foggy downhills or icy courses. Simply providing

and conclude in the start area. It can again be

a rational perspective for their distorted

valuable to have experienced racers describe

perceptions may reduce anxiety.

their routines to younger skiers. It should be

Increase Familiarity

emphasized that there is no single correct pre-

Since unfamiliarity with a situation is a

competitive routine. Rather, athletes need to

cause of anxiety, it follows that if the situation

design a routine that fulfills their particular

can be made more familiar, anxiety will diminish.

needs. Smiling

ways. Typically, racers ski best on hills they have

Perhaps the simplest and most hard

competed on before. As a result, it is useful for

believe technique that I have found to be

racers to be able to ski on the race hill the

effective in reducing anxiety is the act of smiling.

previous day. In the event this is not possible

I do not mean finding something funny or

and the course is easily accessible from the

laughing, simply raising the sides of the mouth

base, coaches can encourage their racers to

and smiling. Smiling influences our feelings in two ways.

for the terrain. Also, they can use mental

First, we are brought up believing that when we

imagery to see themselves racing on the hill,

smile, we must be happy and relaxed. Second,

thereby increasing familiarity.

research has shown that when we smile,

A significant source of unfamiliarity and, in turn, anxiety comes when racers move up to a

misunderstood mental factors in sport. Typically, people think of concentration as the ability to focus on one thing for a long period of time. However, concentration in ski racing is a much more complex process than that. The basis for understanding concentration lies in the term, “attentional field”. The attentional field is everything outside of people, e.g., sights, sounds, smells, plus everything inside people, e.g., thoughts, emotions, physical sensations, that they could focus on at any single moment. Good concentration may be characterized as focusing only on performance-relevant aspects of the attentional field. In other words, concentrating only on those things that are necessary for good performance. For racing, these factors include the course, terrain, and snow conditions. In contrast, bad concentration involves focusing on performance-irrelevant aspects of the attentional field. That is, attending to those things that are not necessary for good performance. For example, how a racer did on the first run, the size of the trophy, or who is watching. There are several techniques that can be used to maintain concentration. Concentration Styles Individuals possess a variety of concentration styles. At the USST Development Camp in June, I administered a questionnaire that assesses these styles. Two dominant styles emerged. The first, overly internally focused, involved racers who tended to think too much and ruminate on

This can be accomplished in several practical

walk up the hill at the end of the day to get a feel

Concentration is one of the most

biochemical changes that result in a relaxing effect. As a consequence, when coaches see

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their thoughts and feelings. This obsessive thinking is often negative and hurts their performances. Also, they would become so inner directed that they forget to attend to external cues. At the start of a race, they are the ones who go off by themselves and sit quietly away from the activity of the start area. For this type of athlete, it is suggested that they work on directing their attention outward to keep them from thinking too much about the race. In addition, they should do whatever they can to keep their minds off the race. For example, they

can listen to music or interact with other racers

of concentration and redirecting of focus away

their training routines, use minor injuries to get

in the start area.

from anxiety. Second, by attending to the

out of training and take unnecessary days off.

breathing, concentration is shifted from

Developing Motivation

focused, tend to concentrate too much on

distracting thoughts. From this point, focus can

Regular Training Partners

external cues such as the activity in the start

then be directed to more performance-specific

area and the times on the public address

cues.

The second style, overly externally

No matter how hard athletes train alone, they will work that much harder if they have

system. They are easily distracted and have

Keys on Skis

someone pushing them. A useful way to

difficulty focusing on their race. These racers are

One problem with re-establishing

increase motivation is have athletes work in

often the ones who are constantly interacting

concentration is that athletes often become so

pairs. This is especially effective if the skiers are

with others in the start area, talking, joking,

absorbed in the competition, they literally forget

of similar ability, and have similar goals and

wrestling. For these athletes, it may be more

to do the things they need to do to ski well. As

training programs. On any given day of training,

effective for them to focus more on

discussed in a previous article, writing

at least one of them will be motivated to work

performance-relevant information such as

appropriate skiwords on their skis, poles, or

hard. They will also be more dedicated if they

imagining the course. In addition, it may be

gloves will provide a tangible reminder of what

know someone else is counting on them.

helpful for them to go off by themselves away

to concentrate on, thereby making refocusing

Identify Greatest Competitor

from the start area in order to minimize the

easier.

Another effective motivator is to ask your

external distractions. Skiwords Coaches can assist athletes in developing

MOTIVATING DEVELOPING SKI RACERS

athletes who is their greatest competitors. Have

The quality of any skiing performance is

them place the name or a picture of that

influenced by three factors: ability, motivation,

competitor where they can see it regularly. Also,

a skiword that can be repeated to remind racers

and the difficulty of the task (see table 1). Of

you can periodically ask them whether they are

of what they need to focus on. Using skiwords

these factors, only one, motivation, is entirely

working as hard as their competitor.

have several benefits. First, since people can

within the control of the athlete. Consequently,

not think of two things at once, if a racer is

coaches should focus much of their energy in

repeating the skiword, she can not be thinking

developing and maintaining a high level of

more you can remind them, the more it will sink

about some distracting thought. Second, using

motivation among their racers. This task is not

in. A useful way to constantly remind them is to

the skiword constantly prompts the racer to

easy because of the length of the pre-season,

identify some motivating keywords, e.g., hustle,

think of something that will help her ski her best.

the intensity of the competitive season, and the

go for it, phrases, e.g., “if you’re going to be a

mental, emotional, and physical stress the

bear, be a grizzly, and photographs, e.g., Tomba,

athletes are under during these periods.

Roffe, and place them around the training

Skiwords can be motivational such as “go, go”, technical such as “arms, arms”, or

Motivational Keys As with developing self-confidence, the

psychological such as “calm, calm”. Coaches

What is Motivation?

center, particularly above the door as they to

can help racers to identify the most crucial

Simply put, motivation is the ability to

train.

factor for good skiing and then have them

initiate and persist at a task. At a practical level,

devise a skiword to focus their attention on that

motivation involves athletes being able to keep

area.

working hard in the face of boredom, fatigue,

can ask your racers at the beginning and end of

Skiobjects

pain, and the desire to do other things. Highly

every day. Before training, ask your athletes,

An alternative to using a skiword is to

motivated ski racers are willing to do everything

“What can you do today to become the best ski

identify a skiobject on which to focus. The

they can to become the best that they can be.

racers you can be?”. After training, ask them,

benefit of a skiobject is that it may be a salient

This drive must be directed into physical

“Did you do everything possible today to

part of the racer’s attentional field. As a result, it

conditioning, technical training, mental

become the best ski racers you can be?”.

is easy to concentrate on. For example, in the

preparation, and general lifestyle including diet,

start area before a run, pounding a pole in the

sleep, school, family and social relationships. A

snow provides a noticeable physical sensation

simple progression helps illustrate the

improvement in different areas of their training

and acts as an effective focusing tool. Other

importance of motivation to performance:

and performances. An effective way for them to

skiobjects may be the base of the gates or squeezing the pole grips.

High Motivation —> Total Preparation —> Maximum Performance

Ask Daily Questions Finally, there are two questions that you

Training Diary It is reinforcing for athletes to see

clearly see their progress is by keeping a training diary. Maintaining a detailed training log

Breathing

Symptoms of Low Motivation

enables racers to record important aspects of

Another effective focusing and centering

It is not often difficult to identify those

race preparation such as physical, technical,

technique is simply breathing. In other words,

athletes who lack motivation. These athletes

and mental training. It also enables them to

when an athlete is distracted, coaches can tell

have a lack of interest in some or all aspects of

track their race performances. Plotting

them to take several slow, deep breaths. This

training, give less than 100% effort, and may

improvement provides clear and tangible

focused breathing has two functions. First, it

skip training altogether. They also may shorten

evidence to racers providing reinforcement to

relaxes the body, which results in a broadening

their efforts which increases their motivation.

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Training diaries are also useful means of

Goal Guidelines

appropriate goals. Coaches can provide

identifying the causes of overtraining, illness,

In setting goals, it is important to follow

guidance as to the specific goals to which

injuries, and performance slumps and streaks.

several guidelines to maximize their value. First,

racers should aspire, assist them in developing

GOAL SETTING FOR BETTER ATHLETE PERFORMANCE

goals should be challenging, but realistic and

realistic, challenging, and measurable goals, and

attainable. That is, they should be reachable, but

help them monitor their progress.

only with hard work. Goals that are too easy or

DEVELOPING AN OFF-SNOW SKI IMAGERY PROGRAM

One of the most widely used techniques to increase motivation among athletes is goal setting. Having racers establish goals at different levels of training and competition will improve their effort and intensity. In order to ensure the value of goal setting, there are several components that must be included in wellorganized goal setting program. Macro-Goals Long term goals specify what the racers ultimately want to achieve in their careers. Examples of long term goals include receiving a college scholarship or winning a World Cup race. These objectives are similar to dreams because they are so far off they may seem unreachable. Due to their distance, these goals should be kept in the back of racers’ minds, but not focused on often. Seasonal goals indicate what the racers want to accomplish in the coming season, such as reach a certain ranking or attain a new level of competition. These goals are important because they will dictate all subsequent goals that are set. Competitive goals designate how racers want to perform in particular competitions during the season. Competitive goals might include a certain placing to qualify for the next race series or racers lowering their points to be named to a team. These goals are critical because attaining these goals should lead to reaching their seasonal goals. Training goals specify what racers need to do in their physical, technical, and mental training that will enable them to reach their competitive goals. Training goals might involve increasing leg strength by 10%, working on giant slalom line, or learning to control anxiety. Lifestyle goals indicate what racers need to do in their general lifestyl to reach the above goals, e.g., develop better sleeping habits, eating better, or being more disciplined studying. As can be seen, these goals are incremental and progressive from the bottom to the top. In other words, the lower goals lead step-by-step to the higher goals.

too hard have little usefulness because they will be reached without effort or are unreachable even with extreme effort, respectively. Second, goals should be specific and concrete. For example, an ineffective goal is “I want to get stronger”, whereas a useful goal is “I want to increase my bench press 20% in the next three months”. They also should be objective, tangible, measurable, and be timelimited. Third, athletes should focus on the degree, rather than absolute attainment, of goals. Inevitably, not all goals will be reached, but there will almost always be improvement toward a goal. By emphasizing measurable improvement, changes in performance can be followed and progress can be rewarded. Finally, goals should be examined and updated regularly. Some goals may turn out to be too easy and must be made more difficult. Other goals are too hard and must be eased. Also, goal setting is a process, there really is no end. When one goal is reached, a new higher goal should be established. In addition, there does not need to be a goal for every aspect of performance all of the time. There are times when certain areas should be stressed and others should be de-emphasized. Micro-Goals In addition to the macro-goals described above, racers can improve their motivation and the quality of their training on a daily basis by setting micro-goals. These goals specify exactly what the athletes want to accomplish every time they train. Coaches may assist racers in developing micro-goals by simply asking them what they are working on before each training session. If the racers do not know, they shouldn’t be allowed to train until they have a particular objective in mind. Micro-goals are an excellent means of helping athletes stay focused during training and increasing the quality and decreasing the quantity of training. The role of the coach in the goal setting process is critical. Young racers often do not have the experience or objectivity to set

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Ski Imagery is one of the most powerful tools racers have to enhance the quality of their competitive preparation and performances. It is used by virtually all great ski racers and research has shown that, when combined with actual training, increases performance more than training alone. Ski Imagery may be used prior to and during the racer season and can provide mental, physical, and technical benefits. Coaches may make Ski Imagery sessions a part of training and help the athletes to develop their own Ski Imagery programs. These programs may be organized in team meetings during preseason training. Set Imagery Goals Coaches may assist racers in deciding what they want to focus on in their Ski Imagery. Athletes may have a significant technical flaw that needs to be improved. They may want to improve their self-confidence or other mental area. Some component of overall performance may be the emphasis such as being more consistent or more attacking. Climb Competitive Imagery Ladder Racers must create a competition ladder of races in which they will be competing in the upcoming season. The ladder should start with the least important races and increase through more important races up to the most important race in which they will compete. Ski Imagery is then begun at the lowest level of the competition ladder. Racers should stay at that rung until they can reach their Ski Imagery goal. When that is achieved, they should stay at that step for several imagery sessions to reinforce positive, images, thoughts, and feelings. Racers then should work their way up the ladder until they reach their Ski Imagery goal at the top of the ladder. Race-Specific Ski Imagery Racers should not imagine themselves racing on some hill in some race at some time. Rather, they should choose a particular competition, event, and race site, e.g., Nor-Am slalom at Vail. Racers can then select a different

race for every Ski Imagery session, thus

enhance the quality of the training and reinforce

skill during free skiing or training, they will not

reaching their Ski Imagery goals on different hills

the value of the Mental Edge training to the

work on it. If they don’t work on it, they will not

and in varying events and conditions. One thing

racers.

learn it.

On-Snow Ski Imagery

that must be emphasized to racers is that races, sites, and conditions should be appropriate to their competitive levels.

Ski Imagery can be useful at three phases

Coaches can assist the learning process with the use of skiwords. After the detailed

of gate training. First, typically after you have

instruction, coaches should reduce the

Ski Imagery Sessions

given feedback following a training run, racers

information to one or two words. For example,

Ski Imagery sessions should be done 3-4

will say they understand and head to the lift.

from a discussion of body rotation, the skiword,

times per week. Ski Imagery should not be done

How well the instruction sinks in questionable. In

“counter” could be used. Then, during free

too often because, as with any type of training,

order to ensure that racers really process the

skiing and gate training, racers may go through

racers can get burned out on it. A quiet,

feedback, have them close their eyes and

a skiword learning progression.

comfortable area where they will not be

imagine themselves doing the technical change

disturbed should be set aside. Each session

for 15 seconds. This practice serves two

racers to say the skiword outloud repeated

should last about 10 minutes. Racers may

purposes. It increases the likelihood that they

during free skiing and training. This repetition

expect to see some results in 6-8 weeks.

will remember the instruction. Also, since visual

ensures that the skiword and the corresponding

Ski Imagery Journal

information transfers to the muscles better than

technique are remembered and practiced. Once

One difficulty with Ski Imagery is that,

The first step in this progression is for

verbal information, the imagery will enhance the

the racers are able to execute the skill while

unlike physical training, the results are not

learning of the skill. Additionally, if racers have a

saying the skiword out loud, they can then say

tangible. An effective way to deal with this

good run, they should mentally review the run so

the skiword to themselves. The ultimate goal of

problem is for racers to keep a Ski Imagery

they will remember the feelings associated with

this strategy is for racers to be able to do the

journal. These logs should record key aspects of

it.

skill without conscious thought. When this

every imagery session including the quality of

Second, racers spend more time riding lifts

occurs, they will have mastered the skill and will

the imagined performance, any thoughts and

than skiing. That time on the lift is usually spent

feelings that occur, problems that emerged, and

talking, i.e., wasting time. Instead, racers can

what they need to work on for the next session.

use the lift ride to increase the quality of their

Ski Imagery journals enable racers to see

training. On the ride up, they can close their

to develop a routine in preparation for each

progress in their imagery, thereby making it

eyes and imagine themselves on the next

training run. Too often, racers are not adequately

more rewarding.

training run doing the new skill. This will further

ready physically or mentally to have a quality

Enhancing Ski Imagery Quality

ingrain your feedback and facilitate the learning

training run. This results in poor training, little

Imagine realistic conditions. It is important

process.

learning, and inefficient use of training time.

that racers imagine themselves performing

Third, racers should use imagery just prior

be able to use the technique effectively in races. Pre-Training Run Routines Similar to on race day, it is useful for racers

A sound pre-training run routine should

under realistic conditions. That is, if racers are

to their next training run. Before leaving the

leave racers totally prepared to have a training

seeded farther back and the courses are usually

gate, they should briefly imagine what they want

run that will further their development. Table 1

rough, they should imagine themselves on rough

to work on that run. This further ingrains the new

describes a basic pre-training run routine that

courses. They should only imagine themselves

skill and establishes effective concentration for

may be used to enhance gate training.

racing under ideal conditions if they usually start

the run.

There are several benefits of using on-snow

in the early seeds. Racers should always do

Skiwords

Mental Edge training that includes ski imagery,

imagery under those conditions in which they

Maintaining concentration when working

skiwords, and pre-training run routines. It

normally compete.

on technique is one of the biggest difficulties

facilitates the development of skills in racers. It

Imagine realistic performance. Racers

racers have during training. Typically, at the end

also enables coaches to increase the quality and

should focus on skiing well rather than perfectly

of a training run, coaches will provide some kind

decrease the quantity of training. Finally, it will

in their imagery. For example, junior racers

of lengthy technical instruction. However, it is

result in better competitive performances and

imagining themselves skiing under tough

likely that the racers can not retain the entire

greater enjoyment and satisfaction for the

conditions should not see themselves skiing

instruction they were just given and, often, they

racers.

flawlessly like a World Cupper. Instead, they

forget what they are working on by the time they

should picture themselves skiing within their

reach the start of the next training run.

PLACING DEMANDS ON YOUNG ATHLETES

ability and coping well with the difficulties.

ON-SNOW MENTAL EDGE TRAINING Some of the most effective Mental Edge training can be done on the hill during regular free skiing and gate training. Incorporating Mental Edge skills into on-snow preparation will

In addition, even if racers are thinking about the new skill in the starting gate, as soon as they leave the gate, other more salient factors such as speed, fear, and finishing the course may push the new technique out of their mind. Quite simply, if racers are not thinking about the

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Self-esteem is the single most important thing that young people need to develop in order to be happy, successful, and productive adults. Unfortunately, most people have a misconception about how to best develop selfesteem. Many people think that this is

accomplished by constantly reinforcing,

okay if they decide not to work their hardest.

encouraging, and supporting children. This

Not everyone has to be a superstar. There is

and the understanding is there, then it is your

approach, however, does not develop confident

great value in being a good friend, husband, or

responsibility to place those demands on the

people. Rather, it creates individuals who are

mother. The important thing is that they make an

young person strictly and consistently. It should

dependent upon people and feel good about

informed decision in the direction they choose

be pointed out, also, that being tough does not

themselves only when reinforced by others.

to take their life.

mean being punitive. It does not mean being

The fact is that life, whether in ski racing or

What kinds of expectations should be

Once this foundation has been established

derogatory and humiliating. Rather, being tough

the “real world” can be difficult and stressful. It

placed on young people? They should not be

means setting standards and not allowing young

can be lonely and punitive. As an adult, there is

ability-based demands. Due to heredity, people

people to stop until those standards have been

not always someone there to pick a person up

have only a certain amount of ability, whether

met. By consistently applying these demands,

and pat them on the back. If they can not pick

intelligence or athleticism, and they have little

young people will learn the relationship between

themselves up, they are probably going to stay

control over it. Moreover, I have known many

effort and performance and, hopefully,

down. So it is important to teach young people

people who were very bright or physically gifted,

internalize the great value in trying their hardest.

how to do just that. This is the basis for

but they were not happy or successful. One

developing self-esteem.

difficulty for these people is that these abilities

coaches: teaching young people to discover

enabled them to succeed without expending

what they are truly capable of. Having them

people and providing them with skills that they

much effort. To them, they did not have to do

learn that successful people are not those who

may use to meet those challenges. Thus, people

much to succeed. As a result, they had difficulty

are the smartest, most talented, or the best

with high self-esteem are those who have the

taking ownership of their successes, it was not

athletes, but rather are those who understand

confidence to expose themselves to challenges

really them succeeding.

the meaning of effort and strive to do their best

Self-esteem emerges by challenging young

and possess the coping skills to effectively master these difficult experiences.

As a result, the demands placed on the

This, in my view, should be the goal of

in every area of their life. Showing young people

young people should be effort-based. These

that true joy and satisfaction comes not in

types of expectations are those that should

achieving a goal, but rather in striving for it.

young people to develop these skills?”. The

emphasized. Learning the relationship between

answer to that is by placing expectations and

effort and results is one of the most valuable

RESPONSIBLE RACE SELECTION

demands on them. Children do not naturally

lessons people can learn because, though a

know to what level they should aspire. So they

cliche, the value, the satisfaction, the joy that

look to adults like parents, coaches, and

comes from success does not come from the

teachers to give them feedback about their

result, but rather from the process. Also, since

expectations and their performances. Starting

effort is controllable, people can take ownership

out, they are probably going to work until it

of their successes, they can say I did it.

The tough question is: “How do we help

becomes a little uncomfortable, then stop. If

People think that since I am a psychologist,

you, as coaches, don’t tell them that was not

I believe in being very supportive and caring

enough, they are going to conclude that that

toward young people. However, this is not

was far enough.

entirely true. As I have said earlier, placing

An essential lesson I have learned in my

demands on them is most important and I

work with young athletes is that young people

encourage coaches to do so. However, this

must learn to make choices. Moreover, in order

approach can be as damaging as it can

to make choices, it is necessary to have

constructive. Before the demands are placed on

alternatives from which to choose. Too many

the young people, you must explain to them that

people these days do not make choices. Rather,

you are going to be tough on them. They must

they simply do what they have been brought up

understand that you are not doing it because

to believe they should do. It is important for you

you hate them and think them a bad person.

to provide the experiences from which children

Rather, it is because you care for them, see

can make informed decisions about the life they

something worthwhile in them, and want to help

lead. For example, young people can not decide

them bring that something special out. By

whether they want to work hard in their ski

explaining what you are going to do beforehand,

racing unless they have, in fact, experienced

racers will not waste a lot of negative energy

pushing themselves to their limits. It is essential

hating you. Also, you will be joining them in a

that they know what it is like to give 100% effort,

partnership to help them explore the limits of

to try their hardest. Once they have, they can

their ability.

One of the most difficult tasks for coaches from the development level to the World Cup is seeing that their athletes develop in a consistent and progressive manner. This process involves many decisions such as what is the appropriate level of off-season physical training, how much gate training do they need, and how often should racers compete in order to reach their developmental goals. The latter issue, namely, race selection, may be the most important issue because competition is the bottom line in a ski racer’s life. Why Responsible Race Selection? Responsible race selection is critical because the competitive season is very long and physically demanding. This problem was illustrated by a recent member of the U.S. Ski Team who, in one year, had 60 FIS starts and became one of the top young racers in the world. Unfortunately, the next year he slumped considerably and developed a chronic injury that has sidelined him indefinitely. Racing too much can cause fatigue, produce burnout, and, as demonstrated above, result in injury and illness. This is especially important because most of the important races are at the end of the year. It is all too common

then make a choice. I should point out that it is

for racers to say “I can’t wait for these races to

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be over with” or “The season is almost over,

motivation will be low and poor skiing will be

enjoyment, interest, and motivation to train is a

great”. This is not a good attitude to have

inevitable.

sure sign of the need for rest. Third, lingering

entering key races. Rather, racers need to

In sum, coaches should, in planning a

illness and injury that won’t quite go away

maintain their attitude, motivation, and health in

racer’s competitive schedule, consider these

suggests that the body does not have sufficient

order to perform well to the very end of the

criteria and carefully select races that will

resources to repair itself at its current pace.

season.

facilitate the racer’s long-term development.

Incorporate Rest into Training

When to Race

Ultimately, coaches should follow one basic rule:

Racers should only compete when a race

racers should only compete when they have

of rest by making rest a regular part of the

meets certain criteria. As a general rule, races

more to gain than lose.

training regimen. This can be accomplished in

should serve a specific purpose in fulfilling

THE IMPORTANCE OF REST

several ways. Mandatory rest days can be

racers’ seasonal goals. More specifically, first, racers should compete when they need more race experience. Second, they should race when they need a start for qualification purposes. Third, when they have the opportunity to race against their peers or to gauge their progress. Fourth, competing is advisable when racers need some starts under their belts before an important race series. Finally, keep in mind that races should provide positive learning experiences for the athletes that benefits their development. When Not to Race Racers should never compete to build their confidence. Confidence does not come from competing, it comes from sound preparation. Typically then, racers will come out of a “confidence-building” race with less confidence than they had before. Racers should never enter a race because they know they will win. This is, in fact, a no-win situation. If they win, little is gained because they are expected to win. If they lose, it can be a severe blow to their confidence. Racers should never compete unless they are totally prepared to ski their best. If they are not totally prepared, either mentally or physically, they will not ski well and the experience will hurt them. Racers should never enter a race to break out of a slump. If a racer is in a slump, racing is not the way to get out of it. The pressure they place on themselves to break out of the slump will almost ensure that they will not ski well. Rather, racers get out of slumps by relieving themselves of the pressure, understanding why they are in the slump, and, through proper training, progressively raising their level of skiing. Finally, racers should never race for no reason, just for the sake of racing. Invariably,

Rest is perhaps the most under-rated training tool at a coach’s disposal. It is an absolutely critical part of any effective training program, yet it is often over-looked by coaches and racers alike. A common mentality that has emerged from the “nose to the grind” attitude is that more is better, for example, if four miles of running is good, six will be better; if 10 runs of slalom is good, 15 will be better. Athletes are conditioned to believe that not training is a sign of weakness. Typical fears about rest held by athletes (and some coaches) include “I will lose my timing”, “I will get out of shape”, I will forget how to ski”, and “I am lazy if I don’t train”. Yet, as exercise physiologists have demonstrated, rest following a period of training is the time when the actual physical gains are made. This is when the body, which has been broken down from training, can repair and build itself beyond its previous level. Rest as Part of Training and Competition Rest is as important to competitive preparation as physical, technical, and mental training. Rest influences every aspect of an athlete’s performance: (1) physical condition

Coaches can show athletes the importance

scheduled once a week. The Monday after a weekend of races is common. The intensity of training should also be varied depending upon the time of season, the upcoming race schedule, and how the racers are feeling. This process, called periodization, is the new wave in training technology. Racers should also take extra days off following a stressful period of training or racing. For example, following a race series of six races in eight days, coaches should close training for at least three days. Coaches, if necessary, should force their athletes to rest even if they do not feel tired. Finally, coaches should plan time off about three weeks before a major race series or end of the season races. This will ensure that the racers are fresh and fired up for these races. Finally, one of the most important lessons coaches can teach their racers is to listen to their body. Our bodies are very good at telling us when we need to back off. The most difficult thing is to get racers to be aware of these signals and to act on them.

TALK TO YOUR ATHLETE Understanding your athletes is one of a

(strength, flexibility, endurance); (2) mental state

coach’s primary responsibilities. Knowing

(confidence, anxiety, concentration, motivation);

racers’ needs, what motivates them, and what is

(3) ability to handle pressure; and (4) enjoyment

happening in their lives is critical to your work

in training and competition.

with them. This, however, is not an easy task.

In addition to the wear-and-tear of training,

You can not read minds and there are often a

the pressure of regular racing schedule and daily

large number of athletes in your training group.

stressors unrelated to sports will also wear

Keeping track of them is a job in itself. But this

athletes down. Regular rest guards against the

information is essential for you in order to

accumulated long-term effects of the grind of

enhance their ski racing experience.

the competitive season. Even if racers do not feel tired does not mean they do not need rest.

Essential Information What information do you need to know to

Warning Signs

best serve your athletes? You need to know

There four clear symptoms of the need for

about their needs in training, at races, as part of

rest that coaches should watch for in their racers. First, racers who are always tired,

the team, and issues going on off the hill. 1. Since off-season training and

yawning a lot, falling a sleep in the van, and

preparation is typically the foundation of

dragging to training. Second, a loss of

competitive season, you want to understand

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your athletes’ motivational needs. Do they need

each athlete’s information on an index card that

to be pushed hard by you, encouraged and

you may refer to quickly and easily.

Racers then need to determine who they must interact with and what they should avoid in

supported very positively, paired with a

1. What motivates you most in training?

their preparation. They should only interact with

motivated athlete, or can they be left alone

2. What are the most common types of

those individuals in the start area who can

because they are self-motivated? 2. An important part of leading a team or training group is maintaining harmony and reducing conflict. Knowing the interpersonal

conflicts that arise within the team? 3. Who are your friends on the team and with whom do you not get along? 4. Which type of instruction do you learn

facilitate their preparation, for example, coaches and race technicians. Conversely, racers should identify who and what they should avoid that might interfere with their preparation such as

needs of your athletes will benefit them by

from best: verbal, visual, kinesthetic, or a

chatty racers, officials, and unwanted course

making the team experience more positive and

combination?

information.

you by having everyone get along better. So for

5. What should and shouldn’t I do in the

In sum, coaches should assist their racers

each athlete, you want to know how they best fit

start area to help you prepare for your race

in identifying what they need to do to be totally

into the team. Do they like to be alone or around

(talked to or left alone, given technical cues,

prepared to ski their best. Racers may then

teammates, who are their friends on the team,

radio reports)?

develop a start area management plan that

and what communication problems and conflicts do they have with teammates? 3. While training on-snow, you want to

6. What are some things occurring in your

enables them to control these factors, thereby

life off the hill that I should know to help me

increasing the likelihood that they will have their

work with you best (e.g., family, social, school,

best race.

make sure that the coaching you give each

health)?

athlete is understood. So you want to ask them

START AREA MANAGEMENT

POST-SEASON COACH EVALUATION

what their learning style is. Do they learn best with verbal, visual, or kinesthetic instruction? Do they need to be given technical cues to remind them of what they are working on? 4. On race day, your interaction with the athletes can significantly affect how they perform. But it is not often clear what you should do with them. For example, in the start area, does the athlete like to be talked to or left alone? Does he or she like to be given some technical, motivational, or performance cues? Does the athlete want radio course reports before their start? Since the pre-start period is critical to their race performance, this is information that is important for you to know. 5. Finally, athletes are not in a vacuum while on the hill. Issues that are present off the hill will certainly influence their skiing. So you should make an effort to understand each athlete’s life away from the team including family and social relationships, health concerns, and school performance. Obtaining the Information In order to understand your athletes fully, you need clear information that you can best obtain by placing the onus on them. That is, give them the opportunity to supply you with the necessary information. You can get this useful information by having them complete a brief questionnaire, which I call the Talk to Your Coach Questionnaire (see Appendix A). You may then study at your leisure. It is also useful to put

The time that racers spend in the start area

As coaches know from their work with athletes, improvement in any particular area

is the most crucial period of race preparation.

comes from being made aware of a weakness

What they think, feel, and do in the start area will

and then working on improving it. Despite this

dictate how well they perform in the race. Due to

knowledge, coaches are themselves rarely

this importance, coaches can help ensure that

evaluated in any organized and systematic

each athlete is optimally prepared.

manner as a means of developing their abilities.

Racers have three goals in the start area

Moreover, even more rarely is feedback obtained

before a race. First, their equipment should be

from those individuals who are the recipients of

ideally tuned and prepped. Second, their bodies

the coaches’ skills, namely, the racers.

must be warmed up and at an optimal level of

A common practice that occurs within the

intensity. Third, they must be confident in their

field of higher education is the evaluation of

ability and focused on performing their best in

teachers by students. This information is used

the race.

as constructive feedback for the future

There are several key factors that will either

development of the teacher and in hiring and

help or hinder racers’ preparation in the start

promotion procedures. This same process could

area. The first question is: where in the start area

be used to the benefit of the profession of

can they best accomplish their preparation?

coaching and the sport of ski racing as a whole.

This will depend largely on their concentration

Drawing on the teacher evaluation form

style. If they tend to think too much, they should

used in the School of Psychology at Nova

stay amid all the activity of the start area and get

University, adapting a form for ski coaching

prepared. If they tend to be distracted by the

would assess performance in a variety of areas

activity, they should go off by themselves to

on a five-point scale (1: poor; 2: below average;

prepare.

3: average; 4: good; 5: excellent). Along with

Next, racers must decide what they need

each numerical rating, a section for comments

to do to be totally prepared. As just discussed,

would enable racers to provide specific

there are three major areas, but within each of

feedback to the coaches.

them, every athlete has particular things they

1. Coaching knowledge – The depth and

like to do. For example, each racer may have

breadth of knowledge that the coach possesses

specific exercises he or she likes to do to get

in the areas of technique, physical and mental

physically ready. Coaches should assist their

training, and equipment.

racers to develop structured routines that enable

2. Manner and explanation – The ability of

the athletes to fully prepare themselves in the

the coach to clearly convey relevant information

three areas.

to athletes.

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note are the coaches’ off-hill responsibilities

making process in hiring, pay raises, and

amount of energy and love for the sport that

3. Enthusiasm and stimulation – The

including organizational and administrative

promotions. On a more personal level, it would

the coach brings to his or her coaching

capabilities, interpersonal skills with other staff

enable coaches to obtain clear information that

responsibilities.

members, parents, and the ski industry, and

they could use to improve their coaching.

4. Attitude toward the athletes – The manner in which the coach treats the athletes in terms of respect, concern, and discipline. 5. The coach generally – How the athlete views the coach in general. In addition to these assessments by the

intrapersonal attributes such as initiative and time management skills. In taking this approach, it is important for coaches to view this process for the positive and constructive value it has rather than being perceived as threatening. In fact, using such an

racers, other important areas of coaching

systematic approach to coach evaluation

performance could be evaluated by the

would benefit coaches by removing potential

program director and head coach. Of particular

arbitrariness and subjectivity from the decision-

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