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

To put the request in perspective, do you wait to get injured before working on your fitness? Before working on your ski technique, do you wait to develop a significant technical flaw? Of course not. You build your conditioning and work on your technique in the off-season to prevent injuries and technical problems from arising during the race season. Well, you should approach how you treat the mental side of your ski racing in precisely the same way. So, this article is a challenge for you to take an essential, yet often neglected, piece of the ski racing success puzzle and prioritize it during the off-season.

Let me elaborate in three ways. First, I speak to racers, coaches, and parents around the world about the mental aspects of ski racing. Whenever I get the chance, I ask them to compare the importance of the mental aspect of ski racing to the physical and technical aspects. Though a few always say that the mind is less important than the body and technique, the majority say that it is as or more important. Given what I do for a living, I love hearing that. But, admittedly, I don’t think it’s more important because all the mental training in the world won’t help if you’re not physically or technically capable of getting down the hill. But I think it’s safe to say that without a well-trained mind, there is no chance of real success in our sport.

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

Second, I work with many racers yearly, from U14s with big dreams to Olympians realizing their dreams. Once racers establish their foundation in fitness, technique, tactics, and equipment, it becomes abundantly clear that the mind separates those who achieve their goals from those who don’t. The advantages occur at two levels: Having the right attitude and preparation enables you to get the most out of your training. And, on race day, staying positive, calm, focused, and able to withstand the pressure—self-imposed and external—will help you ski your fastest when it matters the most. 

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

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

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

Have I convinced you yet that you should prioritize mental training during this off-season? If so, look for additional articles to be published on SRM throughout the next few months. They will help you create an effective mental training program leading into next winter. Start here.