At Alpine Ski Club, we’re committed to developing strong, confident, and well-rounded athletes. While on-snow training remains the foundation of our ski racing competitive programs, we also recognize that peak performance and long-term growth require mental resilience, emotional awareness, and personal well-being.
This past winter, Alpine proudly launched a new and impactful layer of athlete development: Youth Well-Being & Resilience Coaching. Led by Ivey Norton, the initiative focused on a holistic approach to ski racing. Ivey worked with our OCup athletes throughout the 2024-25 season, helping them thrive both on and off the hill.
Laying the Foundation: Meet Ivey
Ivey is a Youth Well-Being, Empowerment, and Resiliency Coach with a deep understanding of what it means to grow up in competitive sport. A former FIS and NORAM ski racer who trained at the National Ski Academy, Ivey supports young athletes as they navigate the many mental and emotional demands of high-performance sport and adolescence. Ivey’s background combines lived experience with academic and coaching excellence.
Some of Ivey’s career highlights include:
- MSc Psychology (2023) – University of the Arts London
- BSc Psychology (2019) – McGill University
- Youth Well-Being & Resiliency Coach – Youth Coaching Institute
- Development Level Alpine Ski Coach (Trained Status with Alpine Canada)
- Certified Yoga, HIIT & Pilates Instructor
This new aspect of our OCup program included wellness sessions grounded in mental performance strategies designed to support the whole athlete.
Session topics included:
- Mental skills training for downhill ski racing
- Building resilience and navigating setbacks
- Growth mindset and positive self-talk
- Managing performance anxiety and race-day nerves
- Athlete nutrition, recovery, and emotional well-being
- Balancing identity and expectations in youth sport
Mental Coaching in Action
Each week throughout the season, Alpine’s OCup athletes stepped into a different kind of training space; one that invited honest reflection, curiosity, and growth. These sessions were designed to deliberately give athletes the opportunity to reflect, reset, and learn tools and strategies which they were then encouraged to apply in real time on the hill.
Athletes explored topics including focus, confidence, recovery, mindset, and motivation. They asked questions, challenged their assumptions, and learned to recognize how their thoughts and emotions showed up during training and competition.
Sometimes the smallest moments made a difference, like an athlete taking a few deep breaths before their start, choosing a more productive way to manage the inner voice after a wobble, or checking in with a teammate who was having a rough day. Ivey helped athletes build mental strength one layer at a time helping athletes move through challenges with resilience.
From preparing for the intensity of slalom skiing, or simply learning how to stay grounded under pressure, these sessions became a consistent touchpoint for growth. Over time, mental performance became as much a part of their training toolkit as the technical aspects of ski racing.
Post-Season Wins: Confidence, Connection & Resilience
As the season came to a close, it was clear just how valuable this coaching had been. Athletes showed up differently, not just as racers, but as more grounded, self-assured individuals. They were more self-aware, emotionally resilient, and better equipped to handle the pressures of training and competition.
From managing nerves before a race, rebounding from a DNF in giant slalom, or stepping into the start gate for a slalom skiing event with calm focus, the growth was evident. These weren’t just changes in attitude, they were shifts in how athletes approached challenge, competition, and themselves.
Looking Ahead: Investing in the Future of Ski Racing
As the sport continues to evolve, so too must the way we support our athletes. We know that success in slalom skiing, giant slalom, ski cross and other ski racing events requires more than just technical training. It requires self-knowledge, mental toughness, and a supportive environment to grow in. This season, Ivey’s work offered just that, and more. This program spans beyond ski racing, into every aspect of our athletes’ lives: from managing academic stress, to building stronger friendships, to navigating the pressures of performance in all its forms.
Alpine is proud to invest in the development of not just exceptional skiers, but exceptional young people. We are excited to continue building on this program in seasons to come.
