Cross Country Skiing

How do you balance the need to create a psychologically safe environment with the pressure to perform and compete in skiing?

Creating a Psychologically Safe Environment: Essential for Skiers

So this is a really good one. How do you balance the need to create a psychologically safe environment with the pressure to perform and compete in skiing? And I would argue that because of said pressure, it's that much more important to have a psychologically safe environment. And so I actually don't think there's much to quote unquote balance. I think the emphasis should be on creating this environment. And the reason for that is that most skiers have a pretty strong internal drive to perform and compete. They all have expectations for themselves that generally come from within. And I don't think it's a great idea, like as a coach, I don't want to stand there and say, well, you need to get top ten or else fill in the blank. Like, I don't think that's particularly helpful. Whereas if I'm asking them to focus on a process goal or to kind of stay in the moment and especially in practice to put themselves out there in a way that makes them a little bit vulnerable, that doesn't detract from their ability to compete. And in fact, will make them a stronger competitor in the long term. And so, yeah, I don't think these things are at odds with each other at all. But yeah.

The emphasis should be on creating a psychologically safe environment for skiers due to the pressure they face to perform and compete. This will help them focus on process goals, stay in the moment, and put themselves out there in a way that makes them vulnerable, which will ultimately make them stronger competitors in the long term.

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Balancing the need to create a psychologically safe environment with the pressure to perform and compete in skiing is a significant consideration. However, I would argue that due to the pressure involved, it becomes even more important to prioritize a psychologically safe environment. In my opinion, there isn't much of a traditional balance to strike between these two aspects. The emphasis should be placed on creating and maintaining a psychologically safe environment. Most skiers already possess a strong internal drive to perform and compete, often setting high expectations for themselves. As a coach, I don't believe it is helpful to dictate specific performance outcomes or impose external pressure. Instead, I encourage athletes to focus on process goals, staying present in the moment, and embracing vulnerability during practice. These practices not only support their ability to compete but also contribute to long-term growth and resilience as athletes. Ultimately, I see no conflict between creating a psychologically safe environment and fostering competitive excellence in skiing.

Can you give an example of how you create a psychologically safe environment for your skiers?

Creating a Safe Space: Fostering Confidence in Skiers

So the question is, can you give an example of how you create a psychologically safe environment for your skiers? Um, so psychologically safe environment doesn't necessarily mean like everything's happy, warm, fuzzy, like feel good. It just means that the kids have a place that they feel like it's okay to try things and fail at them. Right, like just trying to reframe any mistakes or failures as like a learning opportunity. So, you know, an example of this is we have lots of little challenges. You know, we'll do like little balance things in the gym or like, you know, relay races where everybody is kind of silly together. And they're trying things that have really nothing to do with skiing and failing at them and like laughing about it and just sort of getting comfortable messing things up. Um, at a deeper level, we'll do like team values discussions and we'll have the kids lead that. And it lets them, you know, a kid will shout out a value and they sort of will talk about it and they'll discuss it in the team setting. And that kind of helps because you need the group to create this feeling of psychological safety. Like a coach can't be the only one doing it. I mean, the obvious stuff is like you always frame things in a positive light and don't be mean. So I hope that helps.

A psychologically safe environment for skiers can be created through activities such as balance challenges in the gym, relay races and team values discussions. It is important to frame mistakes or failures as learning opportunities and to maintain a positive attitude. The group must also come together to foster this feeling of safety, rather than relying solely on the coach.

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Creating a psychologically safe environment for skiers means providing a space where they feel comfortable trying new things and embracing failure as a learning opportunity. It's not about everything being happy and feel-good, but rather about reframing mistakes and failures in a positive light.

One example of creating this environment is through engaging in various challenges and activities that are unrelated to skiing. These can include balance exercises in the gym or silly relay races where everyone participates and has fun. The focus is on trying new things, failing, and laughing about it, which helps skiers become more comfortable with making mistakes.

At a deeper level, team values discussions can be conducted, with the kids leading the conversation. They can shout out values and engage in discussions about them within the team setting. This involvement allows the group to contribute to the creation of a psychologically safe atmosphere, as it's not solely the coach's responsibility.

Additionally, it's important to always frame things in a positive light and avoid being mean. These simple actions contribute to fostering a psychologically safe environment for skiers.

Overall, the goal is to provide skiers with a space where they feel supported, encouraged, and empowered to take risks, learn from failures, and grow both as individuals and as a team.

Why is it important to you to enjoy the journey?

Why Enjoying the Journey is Crucial for Success

So the journey is this amorphous concept that you see on like motivational posters in the gym or the doctor's office or like the dentist office. You're getting your teeth cleaned and there's like life is about the journey. And the thing is it's true. So cross-country skiers like the average high school skier or whatever, you're gonna train 500 hours and you're gonna race 10. So if you're only in it for the racing, that's a whole lot of training you got to do first. So you got to find ways to enjoy it. And on the broader picture, we want our athletes doing the sport for their whole life, right? And you're not gonna do it if it's not fun. And so finding ways to really make this sport something you love and that you're looking forward to is really important. And that probably means sometimes like reminding yourself what your goals are or reminding yourself why you do the sport in the first place. And everyone gets into it for a good reason. So sticking to those roots is important. Journey matters.

The journey is an important concept in cross country skiing, as it can be difficult to stay motivated over long periods of training. To make the sport more enjoyable for athletes, it is important to remind yourself of your goals and why you started in the first place. This will help keep the journey fun and meaningful for athletes so that they can continue to enjoy the sport for a lifetime.

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Enjoying the journey is often seen as a cliché, displayed on motivational posters in various places. However, it holds true significance. When it comes to activities like cross-country skiing, the ratio of training to racing is significant. You may train for 500 hours and race for just 10. If you're solely focused on the end result, that's a lot of training to endure without finding enjoyment in the process. The bigger picture is that we want athletes to continue participating in their sport throughout their lives, and they won't do so if it's not enjoyable. It's crucial to find ways to love and look forward to the sport. This may involve reminding oneself of their goals or reconnecting with why they started in the first place. Everyone has a valid reason for getting into their chosen activity, and staying connected to those roots is important. Ultimately, the journey holds significance and should be cherished.

How do you approach working with skiers who may have different levels of internal drive to perform and compete?

Navigating Differences: Motivating skiers of varying drive levels

Alright, how do you approach working with different skiers who may have different levels of internal drive to perform and compete? This one, you sort of start with a base level expectation, right, and it can be anything from come to practice to come to practice prepared and bring your best effort. And the key part is you're setting up practices that are going to support the top level of your team so that they can really reach their highest goals, but these practices need to be modifiable for those who don't have those goals or their goals are on such a different level that it would make no sense. But then if the basic expectation is come to practice and try hard, then, you know, if they come and they meet the basic expectation, kind of everyone is happy and you've got the ones who really want more, you can give them more, whether it's technique or distance or intervals or whatever. This even on race day, and it's also important, make sure the kids kind of know each other's goals, maybe not the personal ones, but just know the level they're striving for so they can support each other and everyone can celebrate each other's successes, whatever those are.

Start with a base level expectation and set up practices that are supportive for all levels of skiers. Make sure everyone knows each other's goals and celebrate their successes.

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When working with skiers who have varying levels of internal drive to perform and compete, it's important to establish a base level expectation. This expectation could be as simple as coming to practice prepared and giving their best effort. Practices should be designed to support the top-level athletes in reaching their highest goals, but they should also be modifiable for those with different goals or aspirations.

If skiers meet the basic expectation of coming to practice and trying hard, it creates a positive environment where everyone is satisfied. For those who desire more, whether it's in terms of technique, distance, intervals, or other aspects, additional opportunities can be provided to help them push themselves further.

On race days, it's beneficial for the skiers to have an understanding of each other's goals, even if they don't know the specifics. This allows them to support and celebrate each other's successes, regardless of the level they are striving for individually.

By setting a base expectation, providing additional opportunities for those who desire more, and fostering a supportive team environment, you can effectively work with skiers who have different levels of internal drive to perform and compete.

Alex Jospe answers your Cross Country Skiing questions. See all the advice Alex Jospe has and get answers to your own Cross Country Skiing questions.

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Alex Jospe is an American cross country ski coach at Stratton Mountain School, with a background in a variety of endurance sports. She is an avid outdoorswoman and advocate for women's sports.