Key Messages

Athletes

Understand that success means giving your best effort and having fun.

Coaches

Make a personal connection with each child and stay focused on giving them a positive experience. The key is finding little successes in everything they do. Bring everything back to fun and effort at this stage. Avoid reference to talent or outcome.

Parents

Be confident and supportive, be your children's biggest fan. Most importantly, tell them you love, support, and believe in them, regardless of how they perform. This positive support will allow them to separate personal value from success and failure in sport.

Remember it is not always what you say, but how you say it. Maintaining an open body posture with a supportive and respectful tone of voice encourages the development of positive connections.

Core Principles

Sport and activity are fun. They provide an arena of release; play; and connection to oneself, one's body, and others.
The sporting environment is safe, enjoyable, inclusive, and exciting. The individuals involved should support the child in positive and respectful ways.
The sport of skiing has a place for everyone. Each child is encouraged to grow and improve at their own pace. All successes, big and small, can be celebrated and acknowledged.
If the child has a positive attitude, he or she will have more fun, energy, courage, and success. Modelling a positive outlook for the child will help support this principle.
Children at this stage excel in imaginative play. Encouraging children to imagine themselves positively in sport can inspire and make the experience fun.

Mental Fitness Activities

The following chart highlights mental fitness activities to maximize optimal messaging to young skiers.

Phase	Mental Fitness Activities
Pre-Performance	Activities are for the child's enjoyment and success. The focus is on feeling good, having fun, trying your best, and meeting new friends. Everyone involved supports the child in achieving these goals. The child's attention is focused on the positives of sport participation for example, "Today will be fun!" The children's imaginations are nurtured by encouraging them to imagine themselves having fun.
Performance	Present critical messages of success to the child throughout the performance, such as: "You can do it." "Work hard and try your best." "Get back up when you fall." "Try again if you cannot do it the first time." "Laugh and have fun." "Have fun with your teammates and make new friends." "Work up a sweat." "Try something new."
Post-Performance	Encourage the child to congratulate teammates, give them high-fives, and tell others "Good job." Encourage the child to practice and play at home. Help the child reflect on the following questions: Did you try your hardest? Did you have fun? What did you achieve? What did you do well? What are the things you cannot wait to try next time? What are you most looking forward to next?

Phase

Mental Fitness Activities

Pre-Performance

Activities are for the child's enjoyment and success.
The focus is on feeling good, having fun, trying your best, and meeting new friends.
Everyone involved supports the child in achieving these goals.
The child's attention is focused on the positives of sport participation for example, "Today will be fun!"
The children's imaginations are nurtured by encouraging them to imagine themselves having fun.

Performance

Present critical messages of success to the child throughout the performance, such as:

"You can do it."
"Work hard and try your best."
"Get back up when you fall."
"Try again if you cannot do it the first time."
"Laugh and have fun."
"Have fun with your teammates and make new friends."
"Work up a sweat."
"Try something new."

Post-Performance

Encourage the child to congratulate teammates, give them high-fives, and tell others "Good job."
Encourage the child to practice and play at home.

Help the child reflect on the following questions:

Did you try your hardest?
Did you have fun?
What did you achieve?
What did you do well?
What are the things you cannot wait to try next time?
What are you most looking forward to next?

Cognitive Development

Children at this stage are very dependent on parents. They have short attention spans so providing a quick change of pace and activities is important but always focus on one task at a time.

Create a safe mental environment for the child through the use a warm, cheerful and gentle approach and do not encourage competition with each other.

Show children what to do through games (i.e., "copycat"). Note, children at this stage cannot process mirror images of movement patterns. It is best to stand beside them when demonstrating.

Considerations:

Children are unable to perceive situations as an adult in a group setting. It is best to work one-on-one as much as possible.

Children can be excited to use their words but are not always able to communicate their feelings.