Barbara Ann's Life and Programs

Barbara Ann's Life and Programs was created to provide more people access to the strategies in sports and support to improve their lives whether as an athlete, coach, parent, or in their personal lives.  As I developed my ideas and learned successful practices, I was frustrated that so few sport-minded people were able to access what works.  Barbara Ann's Life and Programs is my attempt to make practical information available to all people. 

Barbara Ann's Story...

Growing up, we became a ski family somewhat by circumstance.  My Dad's father died when Dad was only one, so my grandmother raised him as a single Mom until she remarried when my Dad was a young teenager.  To pass his time, he played sports - baseball, basketball, hockey, football, swimming, and at some point, skiing. 

Mom grew up on various farms and was athletic herself.  They met in college when Mom asked Dad if she could get a ride to Stowe to go skiing.  After they both graduated from the University of Vermont, Dad became a teacher and a sport coach at Windsor High School where he coached baseball and skiing.  At that point, skiing became our family's winter sport.  My siblings and I learned to ski at Mt. Ascutney and raced in the Lollipop Races held every Sunday.

From my earliest memories, I was fascinated with children – the younger, the better.  By the time I was an adolescent, I knew I wanted to work with kids. 

In junior high, to support my efforts as a ski racer (before this country became health-conscious), I lifted weights, jogged, and stretched to develop strength and cardiovascular fitness; I ate balanced meals and began to study nutrition.  Skiing was my #1 sport.  By the time I was in high school, I, along with my siblings, made the U.S. Ski Team and competed throughout the world.

After I ended my ski racing career, I finished college.  I realized I wanted to be a teacher, but of what?  I became certified in Health, Physical Education, and Family and Consumer Sciences which incorporated my interests in sports and children.  Eventually I began teaching in the Vermont public school systems.  

By my mid-thirties, I realized teaching school still left me feeling unfulfilled somehow.  I liked teaching, but what I loved more was sports and coaching.  I coached field hockey, skiing, and eventually one year of Little League baseball.  I also loved teaching people how to ski. 

Over the years, as I was asked to speak to various teams and groups about what being a gold medalist was like and what it took to become one, I developed my ideas about "How to Gain the Competitive Edge".  Athletes began working with me to improve their performance; I talked to teams about the mental preparation to win.

As my sport program evolved, I also taught coaches and parents of aspiring athletes how to understand and support their athletes.

This web-site is a culmination of all my interests in sports and children: as a mentor to athletes, coaches, and parents; as a member of the "Skiing Cochran's"; as a ski instructor; as a teacher of parenting skills and childcare; and as a resident of Vermont.  You can contact me to ask questions, to schedule a session, or to learn more information about any of the programs.