Articles

Promoting Autonomy In Developing Ski Racers New

Sport Psychology

Promoting Autonomy In Developing Ski Racers

By

Emma Stodel, PhD and Diane Culver, PhD

Coaches working with developing athletes shoulder many responsibilities; their job does not end with “performance coaching”. Along with teaching technical and tactical components of ski racing and

Every Run Counts New

Training

Make Every Run Count

by

Diane Culver, PhD and Emma Stodel, PhD

The amount of time alpine ski coaches and racers are afforded for on-snow training is precious. Short seasons, bad weather, poor snow conditions, time constraints, and

Parents...The World Class Athlete Begins with You! New

Tips For Parents

Parents…The World Class Athlete Begins with You!

by

Chip Cochrane

Head Alpine Development Coach

Carrabassett Valley Academy

With close to 30 years of coaching experience, Chip Cochrane has been coaching at Carrabassett Valley Academy for the last 17 years. Currently CVA’s Head J3 Development

A Burning Desire To Be The Best New

Training

A Burning Desire To Be The Best

by

Tim LaVallee

It is November at Arapahoe Basin, Colorado. The time is 11:30 in the morning. The Canadian Team has been on the hill since 7:00 a.m. Gate training came to an end just before 9:00 a.m. in order to make way for the arrival of the general public.

Fit 2 Ski Rules of Recovery Part II New

Training

Fit 2 Ski - Rules of Recovery

(part 2)

by

Carl Petersen BPE, BSc (PT)

Carl Petersen is Partner & Director of High Performance Training at City Sports & Physiotherapy Clinic’s in Vancouver. He travelled as the Physiotherapist and fitness coach for Alpine Canada Alpin for 14 years. He has

Using Video Part I

Coaches Corner

Using Video To Become “Your Own Best Coach”

by

Tim LaVallee & Tom Reynolds

Video and video analysis of an athlete’s performance is both a powerful and an absolutely essential coaching tool. It is used to accelerate learning, improve performance, prevent injuries, and can promote enjoyment of the

The Body Divided

Coaches Corner

THE BODY DIVIDED

COORDINATING THE INSIDE HALF

By Tom Reynolds

Over the last forty years ski shapes have changed dramatically. The technical changes were becoming evident with top European athletes on the World Cup circuit, as early as the 1970s. One of the most progressive athletes at the time

A Fable

Principles For Life

A Fable: A Legendary Story with a Lesson

by

Tim LaVallee

Coach Fuller “Bo” Bologna grew up in the small rural community of Pennsyltucky, located in the foothills of the Western Maine. He attended Nutley Nutritional High School where he graduated with a diploma in General Studies and Microwave

Timing The Pole Plant

Technical

TIMING THE POLE PLANT

By Tom Reynolds

The pole plant is important at all levels of skiing. As the skier improves, it is an area that becomes secondary to the point that it is taken for granted! When this happens, the overall excellence of the skiing is impacted. This is true at both the

Fit 2 Ski Rules of Recovery Part I

Training

Recovery Rules for Coaches & Racers

(Part 1)

By Carl Petersen BPE, BSc (PT)

Carl Petersen is Partner & Director of High Performance Training at City Sports & Physiotherapy Clinic’s in Vancouver. He travelled as the Physiotherapist and fitness coach for Alpine Canada Alpin for 14 years. He has

Movement Analysis

Coaches Corner

Movement Analysis and What To Do With It

By

Mick O’Gara

Mick O’Gara started skiing in Junior High. He went through high school skiing with friends and family every weekend. Mick started racing at 15. He began a ski teaching career at 18 in the Catskills of Massachusetts. Mick moved to Vermont

“Do Right”

Principles For Life

"Do Right"

by

Tim LaVallee

This past winter I was skiing with seven-year-old Jacob “Jako” Mills. We were cutting some nasty high speed arcs first thing in the morning on some primo corduroy left by “The Bear” and his son from their all night grooming party. Jako and I were having a blast. The

A Sequence For Body Alignment

Coaches Corner

A SEQUENCE FOR BODY ALIGNMENT

“Two Legs Working as a Unit”

By

Tom Reynolds

Introducing Balance: Lateral/Fore-aft:

Drill #1

• The athlete should start by standing in a natural athletic balanced stance on their skis with feet at hip width.

• The hands and poles will be held together, shoulder

Ten Steps To Success For The Athlete

Coaches Corner

Ten Steps To Success

Here are ten steps to success for the ski racing athlete.

1. The commitment that anytime you think about skiing, you think about doing it successfully. While this may sound too simple to be true, it is extremely powerful. Honestly ask yourself, "When I think about ski

Free Ski Drills For Better Racing

Technique

Free Ski Drills For Better Racing

Tim LaVallee

Whether your a junior racer or World Cup skier, free skiing and directed free skiing drills are an extremely important element in a developmental progression. Free skiing and directed free ski drills while appropriate any time during the season are

Winning Is Easy, Preparing To Win Is Difficult

Training Tip

WINNING IS EASY, PREPARING TO WIN IS DIFFICULT

The will to win is grossly overrated. The will to prepare is far more important.

By

Tom Reynolds

As athletes, competitors are always working to prepare for a level of execution where excellence becomes a natural every day occurrence. Each athlete

Using Corridors For Training

Coaches Corner

Skiing In a Confined Area – The Corridor

Tim LaVallee

Corridor drills, sometimes referred to as Yugo drills, were first introduced by the Yugoslavian Ski Team about three decades ago as a training element. Corridor drills can be used to dictate turn radius, and teach turn shape. Corridor

Skiing Fundamentals Assessment

Coaches Corner

Skills Assessment

Tim LaVallee

Ski racing has to be fast. It doesn’t necessarily need to be pretty. However, good technical skiing skills in a race course are something to watch. Coaches are always trying to improve an athlete’s technical skiing to make it faster and more efficient.

Get Off To A Good Start

Coaches Corner

Get Off To A Good Start

Tim LaVallee

Ski races are most often won by fractions of a second. A successful start can make the difference between first and second place. This being the case, athletes need to spend time working on fast and efficient starts. Two basic types of starts: the pull/

A Functional Base Of Support

Coaches Corner

A Skier’s Base Of Support

Tim LaVallee

Among sports there are similarities common to a good stance and base of support. In skiing, stance is the foundation upon which all technical elements are built. Muscles react faster and more efficiently from a good stance which is a slightly flexed “pre-

What Have I Learned?

Coaches Corner

What Have I Learned?

Tim LaVallee

•I have learned that I am one of the most fortunate people in the world to have had a career in athletics.

•I have learned that athletics is a microcosm of life. It has all the drama that faces us in life itself: Success and failure, joy and pain, etc.

•I have

Making The Case For Technical And Tactical Development

Coaches Corner

MAKING THE CASE FOR TECHNICAL AND TACTICAL DEVELOPMENT UNDER THE DIRECTION OF A DESIGNATED SKIING COACH

by

Tom Reynolds

In this article I will approach the subject of technical/tactical development through introducing a warm-up system designed to enhance balance and timing while building turn

Mountain Savvy

Training Tip

Mountain Savvy

Tim LaVallee

It was during a trip to Trofeo Topolino in the 1980s that I first became acutely aware of the mountain savvy of young European ski racers which include self-reliance, independence, and strength of character. I had taken a group of America‘s best thirteen and fourteen

The Right Stuff

Training Tip

The Right Stuff!

Tim LaVallee

This is a story about ‘containers’. Although this story appears to be simple, its application to many aspects of life can be meaningful and impact related. The container story follows:

Containers come in a variety of shapes and sizes: large, small, heavy,

Avoiding Knee Injuries In Alpine Ski Racing

Coaches Corner

The Season Starts Now:

Training To Avoid Knee Injuries in Alpine Ski Racing

Dave Heikkinen MS, CSCS

USSA Certified Level 400 Coach

Dave Heikkinen is currently the Fitness Director at The Adirondack Club in Franklin, MA. He also serves at the Massachusetts State Director for The National

Coaching As A Profession

Coaches Corner

COACHING AS A PROFESSION

By Tom Reynolds

The following article serves as introductory information for those considering ski coaching as a career. It should also serve as a review and a thought provoking piece for coaches currently working in the profession.

Introductory Coaching Positions are

Respond To The Challenge

Principles For Life

Respond to the Challenge

by Coach Doug Reese

TTNL Sports Network

The people who add the most to our lives are often the ones who challenge us the most...

The teachers and the coaches whom we remember with fondness and appreciation are those who pushed us, not those who pampered us. A demanding

Training Adjustments For Men & Women In Technical Events

Coaches Corner

TRAINING ADJUSTMENTS FOR MEN AND WOMEN IN THE TECHNICAL EVENTS

Author Ikuo Toishi is currently the K2 coach at Vernon Ski Club in British Columbia and a K2 coach at Ruapehu Sports Alpine Program, New Zealand. He is a native of Japan and came to the United States to study business at Babson

Coaches Speak

Coaches Corner

THE COACHES SPEAK

This article is a reprint of excerpts from Effective Ski Coaching by Tom Reynolds. It covers coaching information from the academy level to the World Cup. The coaches are Phil McNichols, Warren Witherell, and Chip Woods.

Phil McNichols

Phil McNichols is a recently retired

Periodization For Peak Performance

Now Available in .pdf format on CD

Periodization For Peak Performance provides educational information and an understanding of the process for reaching a peak performance. Periodization of sport training is not a new concept, and has been applied by coaches for years. Periodization, is a method of building the elements of

Choosing A Path Through High School

Tips For Parents & Athltete

PARENT GUIDE FOR SKIERS:

CHOOSING THE PATH THROUGH HIGH SCHOOL

By Colleen Reynolds

Colleen Reynolds has worked in public schools as a teacher and a school counselor for twenty-eight years. Colleen currently tutors students at a private ski academy. Colleen graduated from Colby College with a B.

Coaching Briefs

Training Tip

Coaching Briefs

by Tom Reynolds

Reality tells us that total perfection is a phantom out there somewhere just beyond mortal man's reach. However, if you are looking to reach a level of excellence in your skiing, you better be chasing perfection! Serious athletes search for that perfect blend of

Parents, Coaches, and the Young Ski Racer

Tips For Parents & Coaches

Parents, Coaches, and the Young Ski Racer

By Colleen Reynolds & Tim LaVallee

Colleen Reynolds has worked in public schools as a teacher and a school counselor for twenty-eight years. Colleen currently tutors students at a private ski academy. Colleen graduated from Colby College with a B.A. in

Giant Slalom

Technical/Tactical

Giant Slalom

By

Georg Capaul

Director of SnowSports, Holderness School

Former U.S. Women's Ski Team Men's & Women's head coach for slalom and giant slalom

Georg Capaul, is one of the premier alpine ski coaches in the world today. Capaul has coached with the US Ski Team since 1985, serving

A Technical Outline For Alpine Skill Development

Technical/Tactical

A Technical Outline For Alpine Skill Development

By Tom Reynolds

What we understand:

* Skis are designed to turn.

* Turns are made both left and right.

* Turns are linked together by a connecting glide phase.

* Turns are possible in a short arc radius to a long arc radius.

Visual Mastering & Positive Self-Talk

Coaching Psychology

An Example Of Visual Mastering & Positive Self-Talk

Tim LaVallee

As I wake this morning, feelings of excitement fill my head. It is a good feeling as if I am about to do something special. Today is the first Nor-AM Giant Slalom race of the year. My goal today is finishing in the top ten. This

Course Inspection

Training Tip

Course Inspection

Tim LaVallee

"You've got to be very careful if you don't know where you're going, because you might not get there."

Yogi Berra

I was once told "if a coach talks too much before a competition, he has forgotten to say something during training," Although this is only partially

Seeking A Success Level

Training Tip

Seeking A Success Level

By Tom Reynolds

Everyone wants to be successful! And, success can happen if we make our choices realistically. Oh, we all dream a little and that is healthy. In fact, healthy dreaming helps us see more clearly what is within our reach. Here are some ideas that may help

A Letter To The Coach

Coaches Corner

Dear Coach,

We hardly know each other, and yet shortly we will have quite a lot in common, namely, my daughter Maellys. Now that your season is about to begin, we are "loaning" you one of the greatest possessions the Good Lord has seen fit to give us-our daughter, and make no mistake about it,

Time Management

Principle For Life

Time Management

Tim LaVallee

"I take a two hour nap, from one o'clock to four" (Yogi Berra)

Ski racers lead busy lives. Most are student athletes trying to balance academic achievement and success on the slopes. A typical day may begin before sunrise with a morning workout. Then it's off to

Error Recognition & Correction

Coaches Corner

Error Recognition & Correction

Tim LaVallee

Error recognition and correction are fundamental in the improvement of an athletes skiing. The coach/observer must develop a "good eye" and become capable of recognizing the positives and negatives of what an athlete is doing. A useful tool for today's

Winning Friends & Influencing People

Principle For Life

Winning Friends & Influencing People

Tim LaVallee

Ski racing and training takes place in a rather unique environment. It's rare that a program has its own training and race facilities. More often than not, racers and coaches are the guests of a ski resort and share their training and racing

Parenting The Elite Athlete

Tips For Parents

Parenting The Elite Athlete

By Hubert E. Armstrong, Ph.D.

Hugh is retired from the University of Washington where he was a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences specializing in the psychosocial rehabilitation of persons with serious and persistent mental

Ten Questions When Setting Goals

Training Tip

Ten Questions When Setting Goals

By

Coach Alain Servan

LaPlagne, FRANCE

As a junior racer, Alain was one of the top ski racers in France. In addition, he became a champion mountain bike racer. He now lives in Aime with his wife Mandy and is a ski teacher and coach at la Plagne, FRANCE.

Course Setting

Coaches Corner

Is It A “Picasso”?

Tim LaVallee

Looking at the work of a skillful course setter is like viewing a beautiful Picasso. It flows with the terrain and causes the racer to move as if dancing to the rhythm of a great dance tune. It's an artistic sample of the course setters paintbrush put to a hill.

Stepping Up To College

Tips For Parents

Stepping Up To College

Tim LaVallee

If you are a ski racer planning to pursue the sport at the collegiate level, there are several things you should consider and plan on doing. Don't procrastinate. Your junior year in high school is very important both academically and athletically and putting

Team Dynamics

Principles For Life

Team Dynamics

Tim LaVallee

"A team is comprised of a group of people linked by a common purpose. Teams normally have members with complementary skills and generate synergy through a coordinated effort which allows each member to maximize his or her strengths and minimize his or her weaknesses.

Goal Setting

Training Tip

Goal Setting

Tim LaVallee

"It must be borne in mind that the tragedy of life doesn't lie not reaching your goal. The tragedy lies in having no goal to reach." (Benjamin E. Mays)

"The goal I believe is important is the goal of making the most of your abilities. That goal is within your reach." (

The Mind Of A Champion

Coaching Psychology

What's your level of "Mental Toughness?" By definition, toughness is "to be strong and resilient; able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking."

Toughness is being able to create positive emotions upon command, allowing you to bring all your talent and skills together in the "hear

Anxiety & Ski Racing

Coaching Psychology

Anxiety & Ski Racing

Tim LaVallee

"When the archer is shooting for nothing, he has all the skill. If he is shooting for a brass buckle, he is already nervous. If he shoots for a prize of gold, he goes blind or see two targets. He is out of his mind. His skill has not changed, but the prize