Posts Tagged ‘goals’

Building A Foundation

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Thanks for checking back again this week.  I appreciate you coming back to check out my blog this week and hope that you’ll tell a friend about it. 

Try This At Home……………………….

Gather together blocks of different sizes and shapes.   You’ll need some that are very small and light and some that are big and heavy.  Have your child build a tower using the smallest, lightest blocks on the bottom and the biggest, heaviest blocks on top.  Have him note how many blocks he uses and how high the tower gets before it topples over.  Next, have him build another tower using the biggest, heaviest blocks on the bottom and the smallest, lightest blocks on top.  Again, have him note how many blocks he uses and how high the tower gets.  Explain that the towers of blocks are like his success in life.  The bottom layer of blocks in the tower equals the amount of work and practice he puts into his activities. If he is diligent and works hard on the basic skills, he is laying a foundation of big, heavy blocks for his tower, and his tower will be sturdy and high.  Likewise, if he skips practice, or doesn’t master the basic skills of his activity, he is laying a foundation of small, light blocks for his tower and it won’t get very high before it topples.

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From the day your child is born, a foundation of knowledge, experience and morals is being laid which his entire life is built upon.  Just as your child isn’t ready to head off to first grade without first learning all of the things that are taught in kindergarten, he isn’t ready to play the game, before he’s learned the rules and basic skills that go along with it.

It isn’t uncommon for your child to want to put the cart before the horse and skip to the fun part, the game, race or fancy tricks, but without a foundation he won’t be nearly as successful.  Practice isn’t always fun, but it is a necessary part of becoming good at anything.  The whole idea is for the boring part to become automatic, so your child doesn’t even have to think about it.  Later, in the most critical, challenging and stressful moments, he can fall back on the boring basics and they will carry him through.  When he is challenged the moral, physical and academic foundation he built will keep him from toppling over.  The beginning stuff may be boring, but it is vital to being able to do the fancier stuff later.

In soccer for example, your child and his team will have a much better season if they first work on building up their fitness through running, and the basic skills of dribbling, trapping and passing the ball. 

I was surprised the first time the national team coach sat me down and showed me an entire years training and racing plan, and then a multiple year plan for making the Olympic team.  I was used to following a training schedule, but it had never occurred to me that my day to day workouts were part of a carefully calculated plan that built upon itself month after month.  Beginning with the end of the previous season, my training schedule built upon itself in frequency, duration and intensity all culminating at the years ultimate goal, the World Championships.  My training was based on five heart rate zones.  In the early months of the season I did long easy miles, working in zone one and two and building a low intensity base of endurance; the miles gradually increased until I was riding for four to five hours at a time.  Later, zone three, four and five were added, but without the foundation of miles I wouldn’t have been able to handle nearly as much volume and intensity.  When training and racing got tough I was able to fall back on the foundation I’d built and it helped keep me from collapsing during a race or tough workout.

 The next time your child is being impatient and wants to get to the good part, remind him of the towers he built and explain that building a strong, solid foundation is vital to his success.

For more information on me and my children’s books please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Focus

Monday, April 26th, 2010

Try This At Home…………………………………….

Have your child, and at least three other people, stand in one of the two configurations below.  The one you chose depends on the number of people you are playing with.  Each letter represents a person.   The people represented by the letters bolded and in italics, should start with the ball.  Each letter, throws the ball to the letter that follows them alphabetically. (For example, A throws to B, B to C, C to D and D to A.)  Each time a person throws the ball, they need to yell out their own name.  As soon as a person throws the ball, they need to prepare to catch the ball from the letter that precedes them alphabetically.  (A will be catching the ball from person D.)  I suggest tossing the ball underhand. 

Here is an example of how the game will go.   Assuming you are playing with four people, give person A and C the ball.  When you say go, person A should throw the ball to person B, and yell their own name out loudly as they throw.  At the same time, person C should throw the ball to person D and yell their own name.  Person B should catch the ball and throw it to person C, and person C should catch the ball from B and throw it to person D.  With two balls in play, everyone will either be throwing and yelling their name or catching.  Play the game until someone messes up.   You may want to play it a few times until everyone gets the hang of it.  This game shows how important focus is.   It will teach your child to focus on what they need to do and ignore all of the distractions.  The exercise also shows the importance of teamwork.  Everyone has to work together to keep the game going and if one person messes up; they mess up the game for everyone. 

configuration 1- for four people.

A           C

D            B   

configuration 2- for five people.

        D

A              B

   C        E                                      

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Being able to focus is one of the key tools of success.  Focus will help your child in sports and school.  Good focus will allow her to tune out distractions and accomplish her objective, whether that be scoring a goal or finishing a paper.  Focus comes with practice and the more your child does it, the better she will get.

There are two kids of focus, a big picture focus and a small picture focus.   Having a big picture focus will allow your child to stay focused, day in and day out, in order to achieve a long term goal.  Small picture focus will allow her to tune out distractions and zone in on the immediate task at hand.

In order to practice both big picture and small picture focus, your child needs to have something to focus on.  It’s important for her to have a goal.  Make sure to read my three part blog on goals and help your child develop some goals.

For big picture focus, it helps to have a plan that defines a daily or weekly task to be completed until the ultimate goal is achieved.  Had I not had a day by day training program to help prepare me for the Olympics, it would have been very hard to stay focused and keep my eye on the prize.  Four years is a long time to stay focused!

For small picture focus, it helps to have a routine.  Make sure to check out my post on pre-competition routines and help your child develop one.  The key to small picture focus is for your child to worry about herself and no one else.  She needs to lose herself in her task.  Obviously, if her task is to beat her competition, she’ll need to pay attention to her competition during the event, but she doesn’t need to worry about what warm up they are doing,  who is in the crowd, what she is doing later that day or if her hair is messed up.

Small picture focus is also the ability to set aside and forget about the little hiccups that come up.  Things don’t always go perfectly, and when things go wrong, it’s important for your child to hunker down and do what needs to be done.  Worrying about, and dwelling on, things that have gone wrong, won’t help her achieve her goal. 

Here are some things that can help, not all of my suggestions will be appropriate in all situations. 

Music- putting head phone on will help keep people from bothering your child, and listening to music she likes, will pump her up and help her focus.  With enough practice she can condition herself to focus every time she hears that music. 

Self talk- Have your child mentally talk herself through what needs to be done.  It might help to have a phrase she uses to snap herself into focus.  Something like, “It’s Time.”

Environment- Teach your child to make the best of her environment and eliminate as many distractions as possible.  For example, she can choose to sit far away from a goofball classmate.

Despite how hard the travel was, and the fact that international races were always important ones, I always found it easier to focus when I was racing over seas.  Since I couldn’t understand most of what the announcers were saying, or any of the conversations in foreign languages, it was easy to tune everyone out and disappear into my own little world.  In the beginning of my career I didn’t know my foreign competition well, so it was easier to worry about what I needed to do, instead of what my competition was doing;  I didn’t know anything about them, so I couldn’t worry about them.  That environment, along with my routine and music, allowed me to get in the zone and get the job done.  As I became more experienced, I tried to achieve that mindset at every race I did, regardless of where it was.

So, the next time your child is zoned out watching television and doesn’t hear you call her name, don’t be too hard on her, she was just practicing her focus.

Come back next Monday for another blog.  For more information about myself, or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Self-discipline

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Try This At Home…………………..

Take your child to a hill that is safe for him to run up, preferably at a time when no one is around.  It doesn’t matter how long, short, steep or gradual the hill is, just something he can run up.  Park the car where you can’t really see the hill.  Tell him you are going to wait in the car and that he should go run up the hill as fast as he can and then come right back.  Tell him you’re going to wait in the car.  When he gets back, go back to the hill with him.  Have him run up the hill as fast as he can again, but this time watch him run up the hill, or better yet, run up it with him.  When you have both caught your breath, ask him if he ran up the hill harder when he was by himself, when you were with him, or if he put in the same effort both times.  Explain that pushing himself to run up the hill just as hard when he was alone, required discipline.  Explain that discipline is the ability to push and motivate himself to do something when no one is watching.  Then, since you are there, you and your child can run up the hill a few more times if you want, it’s a great work out, and you can test your own discipline. 

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A lot of the time during my cycling career I trained by myself out on the road, with no one to push me but myself.  I remember standing at the bottom of a hill on a blistering hot day in California, thinking how funny it was that a person would torture herself by going repeatedly up a hill as hard as she could with no one watching.  I did it because it was what my coach had scheduled me to do that day and more importantly, because it was what it was going to take to accomplish my goal.  That is discipline; it is not something that necessarily comes naturally, but instead a learned thing, a practiced thing. It is what sports can help instill in your child, especially if he has the right coach and role models. 

Self-discipline is doing something not because you want to, but because you know you should.  Discipline is pushing yourself hard, even when no one is watching.  It is putting everything into your workout, even though every muscle in your body is screaming in pain, and it is not eating a cookie, even though they are sitting there on the counter taunting you.  Discipline is what it takes to succeed and true discipline is self contrived and motivated. 

If your child is school aged, ask him to think about the last time his teacher had to step out of the room for a minute.  Ask him what happened.  Did all of the kids keep working?  Did some of the kids get up and goof around?  What did they do?  Explain that those students who stayed in the seats and kept working demonstrated self-discipline.

If your child is younger, you can use this analogy.  Ask your child to think of a time when you asked him to pick up his toys while you were doing something else.  Ask him what happened?  Did he pick up his toys, or did he play with them instead?  Did he wait to pick them up until you were in the room?  Explain that picking up the toys, even though you weren’t in the room, showed discipline.

We all are capable of self-discipline; we just have to make up our minds to do it.  Some days are easier than others, and each of us is more disciplined at certain activities than others.  The more something means to your child, the more disciplined he will be.  The beautiful thing about discipline is this, even if your child failed a hundred times before to be disciplined in a certain area, each day is a new day to try again.  Practice makes perfect!

Discipline comes in handy with sports, but it will be even more important when your child is studying for a test, heading off to college, or starting his first job.   Help your child start practicing self-discipline and try to set a good example; your child will reap the benefits of being disciplined.

Please, share this blog with a friend!  For more information about me and my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Sacrificing To Accomplish A Goal

Monday, April 12th, 2010

 Thanks for checking back this week.  I hope you all had a wonderful Easter; I enjoyed my time with my family.

Try This At Home

Tie one end of a long rope to something and place a basket or box near where it is tied.  Stretch the rope out and lay it on the ground.  Alongside the rope, set up distractions: your child’s favorite treat, a game she likes to play, a cell phone, etc.  Have her hold the lose end of the rope and a ball.  Her objective is, in less than a minute, to make her way to the basket by moving along the rope, hand over hand, and then drop the ball into the basket.  She must keep at least one hand on the rope at all times and can not drop the ball.  She may have to tuck the ball under her arm.  As she works her way along the rope point out the distractions you’ve set out.  Explain that she doesn’t have time to stop and enjoy them if she wants to reach her objective and accomplish her goal; sometimes she will need to make sacrifices in order to get the job done.

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Making sacrifices is part of life.  We all make choices about what is most important to us and set priorities.  There is only so much time in a day and our resources are limited.  My posts on setting goals and priorities are important building blocks for one. As I say in those posts, it’s important for you to help your child set goals and prioritize the activities in her life. Once your child has a goal, she will most likely need to make sacrifices in order to accomplish it.  She may have to sacrifice certain foods, her time with friends or her participation in other activities.  Explain to her that sacrifices usually aren’t easy, pleasant or comfortable, but are worthwhile if she values the goal enough.

I started training quite seriously for cycling at a pretty young age and quickly learned about the need to make sacrifices.  I chose to quit swim team in order to have more time for cycling, not to take a month long summer school trip to different historic locations around the United States, and ultimately chose to graduate a year early so I could focus more on my cycling.  Throughout my career I sacrificed physically, emotionally and financially in order to accomplish my goal of making an Olympic team.  What is worth sacrificing is a very personal decision, and sometimes it changes as you go.  Sit down with your child and ask her what sacrifices she thinks she needs to make in order to accomplish her goals.  Next, ask her if she is willing to make them.

For more information about me or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com.

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Risk Taking

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

Try This At Home…………………

Take three paper bags. In the first bag, place one piece of candy that your child really likes.  In the second bag, place two pieces of the same candy.  In the third bag, place one piece of her favorite candy.  Place the three closed paper bags in front of your child.  Don’t let her touch them.  Tell her that the first bag contains one piece of the candy she really likes. She can choose to take that bag, or she can take a risk and chose one of the other bags.  Explain that by accepting the risk and taking one of the other bags, she may find an even better surprise, but it could also be just an empty bag.  Tell her that the purpose of the exercise is to encourage her to take smart risks.  Share the rest of the blog with her.  

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Each of us has a choice; we can live safe in our comfort zone, or we can challenge ourselves and take some calculated risks.  Taking smart risks offers us the possibility of  achieving more than we ever could have imagined.  There is a saying I like, I believe it’s also a book title. “Shoot for the moon: even if  you miss you’ll land among the stars.” 

When it comes to taking a risk, the question you need to ask yourself is, “What have you got to lose?”  More often than not, the answer is, nothing but a bit of pride.  Taking a calculated risk is often what it takes to get ahead.  If we always live life in our comfort zone we don’t allow ourselves many opportunities to shine.   Likewise, if we always know what the outcome is before we start, we never get a chance to find out what we’re truly are capable of.  I think it’s safe to say that a lot of  people underestimate themselves.

On the other hand, sometimes there is something to lose from taking a risk. A risk is just that, a risk, there is no guarantee. That is why I like to use the term calculated risk.  Your child will need to weigh her choices, sometimes rather quickly.  If the potential upside, outweighs the potential downside, then it is probably a risk worth taking.  Likewise, the opposite is true.   If the downside of taking the risk, outweighs the potential upside, then your child should probably choose to pass. 

In my children’s book, Gracie Goat’s Big Bike Race, Gracie agrees to compete in a bike race with her friends, but she fails to mention that she doesn’t know how to ride a bike and that she’s afraid to learn.  Her Grandma comforts her and asks her what the worst thing is that can happen if she gives learning to ride a try.  She then asks what the worst thing is that could happen if she doesn’t try to learn. Through the questioning, Gracie realizes that either way her answer is the same.  She really has nothing to lose.  She can try to learn and if she fails her friends may laugh at her and she won’t be able to join them in the bike race, or she can not try, and her friends still might laugh at her and she won’t be able to race with them in the bike race.  The story is meant to help children overcome and rationalize their fears, but the approach can also be used to teach your child to take risks. The next time your child is contemplating a risk, have her play the Gracie game.  Ask her, what is the worst thing that can happen if she takes the risk and it doesn’t work out.  Next, ask her what is the best thing that can happen if she takes the risk and it does work out.  Also, have her think about what will happen if she chooses not to take the risk. 

Taking a risk and failing, is simply a mistake to be learned from.  Throughout my cycling career, and life, I’ve found that sometime the only way to reach your goal is by taking risks.  Sometimes taking a risk and failing turns out to be a blessing in disguise, because it makes you better.  Have your child think of it like this:  Her goal is like a really high wall.  She’s climbing up it, but she’s stuck just a short distance from the top.  There is no where else for her to grab.  By taking a risk and failing, her wall will crumble some, but the crumbled wall may make a new hand hold for her that will allow her to keep climbing.  She can take advantage of her mistake and let it help her scale the wall and stand on top victorious.

Taking a risk can be scary, but really, what do you have to lose?

Note- There are good risks and bad risks.  It’s important for your child to know the difference.  No amount of success or glory is more valuable than life.  Taking a dangerous risk, one that could get you hurt, or worse, isn’t a good risk to take.  (However, sports are inherently dangerous, so there is always some risk involved.  A skilled athlete taking a reasonable, but risky chance, is sometimes what it takes to win.)

For more information on me or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com.

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Seizing Opportunities

Monday, March 15th, 2010

Try This At Home…………….

Chose a task that requires leaving the house and ask your child to join you.  It should be a task that isn’t overly thrilling, something like grocery shopping, taking the recycling to the recycling center, etc.  Make his coming a choice. Say something like, “I’m taking the recycling to the recycling place, do you want to come give me a hand?”  If he decides to go with you, take the opportunity to stop and get some ice cream together afterward.  If he chooses not to join you, stop and get the ice cream without him and bring it home so he realizes that he missed out on the opportunity.  Regardless of what he decides, use the situation as an example to explain the importance of opportunities.  Explain that opportunities can arise anywhere, at anytime and in many forms.  Some may come from a bit of luck, but most opportunities arise from putting yourself in a good situation and being prepared for what ever happens.  Share the information below with your child.  Also, ask him to think of a time where he seized an opportunity, or missed one?  He may have to think a bit, but my guess is he’ll come up with a few.  If he is very young, you may have to help him think of one.

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My son Micah is two and a half.  At the end of his gymnastic class, they always play with a parachute.  A few weeks ago the teacher asked him if he wanted to help pull out the parachute, but he was distracted and by the time he got over there some other kids had jumped in and helped her.  He was upset and started crying.  In the meantime, the teacher had all of the kids sit in the middle of the parachute so they could go for a ride.  Micah wouldn’t get in the middle. I even tried to lift him up and put him in there, but he wouldn’t have it, he was still too upset about not getting to help pull out the parachute.   I ended up having to pull him aside.  He calmed down some and I brought him back out for the next activity, but he got even more upset when he realized he’d missed the parachute ride. He was so busy crying about wanting to do the ride, that he missed the next activity too.  Needless to say, the class didn’t end well.  My point in sharing my son’s temper tantrum with you is that sometimes, like him, we are so focused on the past, we miss out on the present and don’t jump at a new opportunity. 

Success is usually the product of hard work, determination, persistence and discipline but there are a few other components that can come into play. Sometimes success comes from seizing an opportunity that presents itself, even though it wasn’t part of the original plan. Teaching your child to be flexible, spontaneous and optimistic will help him take advantage of opportunities as they present themselves. 

Three Keys To Seizing Opportunities

1. Putting Yourself In the Right Place

The biggest part of being able to take advantage of an opportunity is putting yourself in the right position. Your child can’t get the ice cream, if he isn’t in the car when you stop for a scoop.  If your child has put in the work and is prepared, he’ll be ready and able to jump at a good opportunity.

I felt absolutely awful at the 2003 National Championships in Trexlertown, Pennsylvania.  I didn’t have good legs all week.  In the point’s race, despite being in a breakaway with two other riders, I felt absolutely awful.  (The points race is a mass start event where a group, or pack, of cyclists race to see who can acquire the most points.  You get points from both sprinting and gaining a lap on the field.  A breakaway is where several riders get out in front of the main group, thereby collecting most of the points.) Normally sprinting was my strong suit, but for some reason during this particular race I just didn’t have the legs.  I knew I was going to take third unless I did something; the problem was I just couldn’t get my legs to go.  Then, an opportunity presented itself, and I took it.  Our breakaway of three riders was about to lap the main group of cyclists.  There were only a few laps left in the race and the group was only about a turn in front of us, maybe about 100 to 150 meters.  The other two girls in the group had more points than me and were so busy focusing on each other, that they kind of forgot about me.  Any rider who lapped the field earned twenty points, so if I lapped the field and the two other girls in my breakaway did not, then I would win the race.  While they watched each other, I surprised them and took off really fast, breaking away from them.  I put my head down and rode as hard as I could to catch the group.  Once I caught the group I couldn’t let the other two catch as well, so I went to the front and pulled everyone along.  I managed to prevent the other two girls from catching the group and won the race.  I won the race, not because I was riding great that day, but because I put myself in a position that allowed me to take the opportunity when I saw it. 

2. Shaking It Off

Often times an opportunity presents itself after something else has not gone as planned.  Being able to set aside disappointment and not dwell on the past will help your child stay focused, keep an optimistic mindset and see new opportunities.  As hard as it is to believe sometimes, the past does not equal the future.  Mistakes are good chances to learn and improve.  Just because something didn’t work out, doesn’t mean that it’s a lost cause.  Sometimes your child will have time to regroup after a misstep, other times an unexpected opportunity my follow immediately; he just needs to stay focused and roll with the punches.

If I’d given up during the 2003 National points race, because my legs felt lousy and the race wasn’t going well, I never would have taken the chance I did and I never would have won the race.

3. Being A Risk Taker

Most opportunities aren’t a sure thing.  In many cases, in order to seize an opportunity, you have to take a risk.  A lot of the time, like in my case during the points race, you have nothing to lose by trying.  Next week’s blog will be about risk taking, so stay tuned.

Encourage your child to work hard and keep a good attitude so that he can be ready to pounce on an opportunity when it presents itself.  Remind him that an opportunity can pop up at any time.

For more information on me, or to purchase one of my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Lacking Motivation

Monday, March 8th, 2010

Sorry, no try this at home section this week.  I couldn’t think of anything good.  If I come up with something, I’ll add it to next week’s post.

This week’s post is a request from a friend whose daughter is tired after school and unmotivated to go to practice.  Although she doesn’t feel like going, she loves it once she gets there.

My friends daughter may be “just a kid,” but we can all totally relate to how she’s feeling.  I can’t even count the number of days that I think I’m going to work out after I put the kids to bed, but instead end up dragging myself to the couch exhausted and way to unmotivated to go into the cold garage and run on the treadmill.  There were days like that during my cycling career as well.  On the days when I was sore and tired, I could come up with 1,000 different reasons to procrastinate doing my workout.  (It always amazed me how urgent cleaning the refrigerator or alphabetizing my DVD’s became, when I was dreading hill repeats.)   I always ended up eventually doing my workout, but that doesn’t mean that I always felt like doing it.

My point is that my friend’s daughter is perfectly normal.  However, as a parent there are a few things to consider. 

Does Your Child Still Like The Activity?   

If the answer is yes, then I offer some tips later in the post that may help motivate her. If the answer is no, then it may be time to look into a new activity, or at least take a break for awhile.  I’m a firm believer in finishing what you start, so it’s alright to insist she finish out the season, or session.  Once she’s completed her obligation let her pick a new activity to try.

Does She Have Too Many Activities?

Kids have long, busy days, and it’s easy for them to feel overloaded and overwhelmed with activities.  Just like adults, kids need down time.  If your child has an activity every day after school, is feeling overwhelmed and starting to dread the stuff she loves, it may be time to lighten her load.

Or,

Maybe she isn’t too busy, but instead she just needs a few minutes to recharge before her activities.  Having a chance to eat a snack and relax for a few minutes might help her feel rejuvenated and ready to practice. 

On the flip side, sometimes once I sit down and relax, I find it’s a lot harder to get going again, especially if I’m being pulled away from my favorite television show.  If that seems to be the case, it might help to leave the television off.  You can always tape her favorite show for her and let her watch it later.

Remind them of their obligation.

In very few situations do our actions just affect us.  Remind your child that she signed on for the entire season or session, and that her team and coach are counting on her.  Ask her what would happen if all of the kids on the team were tired and decided to skip practice?  Ask her, worse yet, what would happen if all the kids showed up, but the coach decided he didn’t feel like it.  This is a great opportunity to help your child see the big picture and talk with her about fulfilling her obligations.

The Reward

Your child may say that she loves the games, but doesn’t want to practice.  Unfortunately, that’s just not how it works.  Explain that the game is the reward, but in order to earn the reward, she has to do the work. Also, she probably wouldn’t like the games as much, or do as well, if she didn’t practice for them.  Whether she’s at school, playing sports, or at home doing chores, there is always going to be something that she likes doing the least, but it still has to get done.  No one wants to pick up the dog poop, but if you want to experience the joy and companionship of a dog, you’ve got to do it.  Likewise, everyone likes sledding down the hill, but you can’t enjoy the fun if you don’t walk up the hill first.

Throughout my ten year cycling career my ultimate goal was the Olympic Games.  Ten years is a long time to stay motivated, and there were times that I struggled.  However, I knew that I’d have to put in the work if I wanted to make the Olympic team. That is why, no matter how much I procrastinated, I always did my workout.  I knew that for every workout I skipped, one of my competitors was doing hers.  For me, the reward was so important, that I was willing to do the work no matter how I felt.

Remind your child that she isn’t alone.  It’s normal to feel unmotivated sometimes.  The real test is whether she’s going to give in to it.  If she likes what she’s doing, it’s worth doing all the way.

For more information about me, or my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com.

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Taper- Resting Before A Competition For Peak Performance.

Monday, February 8th, 2010

Try This At Home………………………

Have your child hold her hands straight out to the side at shoulder height, like an airplane, for 30 seconds.  Depending on her age and ability you may need to make some adjustments by either decreasing or increasing the time or having her hold a water bottle in each hand for extra weight.  You want her to feel a little fatigue at the end of the 30 seconds, but most importantly, be successful in completing the task.  Afterward, tell her that this exercise is meant to show her what she can accomplish when she has allowed her body to rest before a performance.   

Next, have her hold her arms out first for 15 seconds, then 20 seconds and finally 25 seconds with a minute rest in-between.  After another minute or two of rest, have her hold her arms out for 30 seconds again, like she did in the first exercise.  Have her compare how she felt during the first 30 second exercise to the second time she did it.  Explain to her that  not allowing her body to rest and recover before a big competition can cause a less than optimal performance, just as it did in the second exercise. 

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Resting before a big competition or game is generally called a taper.  It is an extremely important part of achieving peak performance.  A complete taper is only done before the most important competitions.  A mini taper can be done before other competitions, but for some competitions your child may choose not to taper at all.  Your child needs to know what her ultimate goal is and understand that in order to be as prepared as possible, she may need to sacrifice by training through less important competitions.  In order to improve, she needs to increase her work load and intensity; if she is always tapering for relatively unimportant events, she won’t maximize her gains.

I found that racing unimportant races in a tired state was a great way to raise my game.  I am extremely competitive, so I always pushed myself harder in a race than I ever could train by myself, even when I was exhausted.

A mini taper generally ranges from a few days to a week.  During my career, my main goal each year was either the World Championships or the Olympics.  Therefore, before World Cups and important National selection races I only did a mini taper.  All of the coaches I worked with during my cycling career worked backward from my competition when they developed my taper. 

  • The day before my competition I did what we called,”openers”.  Openers were about half of a normal workout and focused on the heart rate zones and intensity I’d be using most in my race.  The purpose was to wake my body up and make sure it was ready to work hard again after several days of rest. 
  • Two days before my race I would go for an easy hour ride. 
  • Three days before my competition I would generally do an easy hour ride as well, but sometimes I would take completely off. 
  • Four and five days out I’d do a normal workout, but I would control myself and wouldn’t over do it.  If I did a second workout either day, it consisted of an easy half hour to hour ride.
  • Six days out I’d generally ride for an easy hour or two. 

A big taper can begin anywhere from a week to two weeks out from the competition. It follows the same structure as a mini taper, but is less dramatic further  from the competition.  In my regular training I generally trained three to four days in a row before taking an easy day.  Often I did two workouts a day.  For a big taper, two weeks out I’d decrease to one intense workout a day, and if there was a second workout it would just be an easy ride.  I’d also decrease the number of intense days between rest days, so instead of going three days before a rest day, I’d do two days or sometimes even one.

It is easy to think that more is better and that last minute cramming will pay off, but in general you child is better off going into her competition rested. That is a true statement for sports as well as other activities and academics.

Every athlete and every sport is different, but the principle is the same; peak performances come from rested athletes.  Decreasing her work load is the most import part of a taper, but making sure she is getting proper sleep and nutrition is also important.  She should know, that just because she has a rest day doesn’t mean she can go play Ultimate Frisbee with her friends, or spend hours on her feet shopping.  She truly needs to rest if she wants to perform at her best.  

For more information on myself or my children’s books please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Goal accomplished! What’s next?

Monday, February 1st, 2010

Try This At Home…………………….

If you haven’t already, have your child do the exercises at the beginning of the first and second goal setting posts.  Next have child write out a plan for after he’s accomplished his goal.  How does he want to celebrate? How long of a break does he want to take? What is his next step or goal to focus on?

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After spending time, energy, resources and pinning hopes and dreams on achieving a goal, there is often a void and let down after the goal has been accomplished and the attention and accolades have stopped.  The honest truth is that success and the attention that goes with it are addicting.  Just like any addiction, you can only ride the high for so long. 

There are a few things you can do to ease the feelings your child may feel after he has accomplished his goal.

1. Explain that what he is feeling is normal.  You may even choose to prepare him ahead of time that it may be coming. Just knowing why he feels the way he does might help.

2. Keep him busy.  It’s okay to allow for a day or two of down time, but then get him back into his routine.

3. Don’t forget to celebrate his accomplishment.  Let him enjoy the attention, but don’t let it go to his head.  If you stay humble, he’s more likely too.

4. Teach him to achieve for himself, not for attention from other people.

5. Most importantly, have him set another goal.  Knowing what is next will give him a purpose again and something new to focus on. 

Make sure he takes care of himself.  Despite the potential lack of sleep and poor diet that may go along with the celebration, it’s important he stays healthy.  I got sick every year after the World Championships.  After a whole year of planning and preparing for it, my body just seemed to let go once it was over.  As soon as I had relaxed and my guard was down, bam, I’d get sick.  Help your child safe guard against this. 

The downer isn’t any fun, but it is just a fact of life.  The harsh reality is, to many people you are only as good as your last accomplishment and, sooner than later, the accomplishment is old news.  It’s not a fun reality, but learning to cope with it now will make it easier on your child later in life.

For more information on myself and my children’s books, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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Setting Goals

Monday, January 18th, 2010

Try This At Home……………………..

Using the steps below, have your child set a goal that he can accomplish in the next month or two.  (or less)

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Did you set a new years resolution this year?  Did your kids?

This post may have been more appropriate as the first one of the New Year, but hopefully it’s still relevant because you are sticking to your resolution.  If you didn’t make a resolution, or you’ve already given up on your resolution, don’t lose heart, this is the perfect time to get back on track. 

A New Years resolution is just a fancy way to say you’re setting a goal for yourself.  Occasionally you’ll hear someone say they aren’t a goal oriented person, or they don’t really know how to set goals, but most likely these people are setting goals everyday.  Every time they make a to-do list, a honey do list, or leave the house expecting to arrive at a destination at a particular time, they’ve set a goal.  They just may not realize it. 

Your kids do the same thing.  They may not know the word goal, but they set goals for themselves all the time.  They may want to ride a bike like their big brother, own a certain toy or score a goal in their next soccer game.  When my son Micah was about a year and a half old, he wanted to jump so badly.  He would bend his knees, crouch way down and throw himself upward, but his cute, little, flat feet never left the ground.   Finally, with enough practice, he got some air.  I tell you this, because if a one year old can set a goal and find a way to accomplish it, anyone can.

It’s never too early to teach your child about setting goals.  Having goals will help him to be successful, give him a purpose, help him learn to manage his time and resources, and give him a sense of accomplishment. 

I’ve found that often people are good at setting goals; they just have no idea what to do after that.  Here are some basic things you can teach your child about achieving his goals.

Make a Goal

If your child doesn’t already have a goal, have him come up with one.  Like I said, he probably already has a goal; he just may not have defined it as such.  Have him write his goal down.  Explain the importance sharing his goal with another person, because they can help with accountability and problem solving.

Break It Down

Next, ask him how he thinks he can go about reaching his goal.  Let him come up with some ideas.  Some goals are simple, like I need to get a load of laundry done today. The only thing you have to decide in order to accomplish that, is when specifically you’re going to do it.  Other goals are more complex, like making an Olympic Team.  Goals like that are so lofty, that they need to be broken down into mini sub-goals.    The sub-goals work like stair steps. Each time you accomplish a sub-goal you move one step closer to the big one. I think most people fall short of their goals, because they fail at this step. 

Here is an example.

  1. Set a goal.
  •  Running a mile in ten minutes.

     2. Break it up into mini-goals. 

  • Buy running shoes
  • Find a place to run and measure off a mile using the car odometer. (Find land marks at the quarter mile markers as well.)
  • Run a quarter mile
  • Run a half mile
  • Run three quarters of a mile
  • Run 1 mile
  • Time yourself while you run 1 mile.
  • Run a mile is less than twelve minutes.
  • Run a mile is less than eleven minutes.
  • Run a mile in less than ten minutes.

Set A Deadline

On a calendar, have him write his final goal on a specific date and highlight it.  That is his deadline.  Then, have him work backward and figure out when each sub goal needs to be accomplished in order to accomplish his final goal by the deadline.  Have him identify the deadline for each sub goal on the calendar as well.

Developing a Plan

Now that he has a goal, and sub goals, he will need to decide what needs to happen in order to accomplish his first sub goal.  Maybe he needs to put some other activities on hold so he has more time to devote to his goal.  He may need to do some research, get more sleep, or set a specific time each day he will practice.  Have him write his plan down.

What You Can Do

Be interested.  Ask him how his plan is going and help him trouble shoot.

Celebrate

Don’t forget to celebrate the milestones.  It is easy to be so focused on the final goal that the accomplishment of each mini goal is over looked. Make sure to give him a hug, tell him he’s doing a great job and how impressed you are with his persistence and discipline.  There doesn’t have to be a reward for each mini goal.  The sense of accomplishment should be reward enough, especially if the end goal is one he really wants to reach.

Stay tuned next week for part two of goal setting.  For more information on myself or my children’s books, Gracie Goat’s Big Bike Race and Shawn Sheep The Soccer Star, please visit www.erinmirabella.com

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