“The challenge is being honest with what you really want out of it, and then having your actions match that.”

—Tarah Benzel Mikacich

The view from behind a boat has never lost its appeal for Tarah Mikacich. At the age of seven, she began competing in water skiing events and built up a remarkable career. Then at 21, she decided to venture into the world of wake boarding and quickly rose to the top on an international level.

Here, she and her Dad reminisce about being an athlete in the Benzel home. 

They discuss productive and unproductive versions of motivation, laugh about seeing Dad’s face in the rearview mirror, and dive into the joys and challenges of coaching.

Whether you’re a sports parent, an athlete, or a coach, you won’t want to miss the gold nuggets in this personal, family chat.

Show Notes

(3:30) “Wanting to learn to water ski was basically wanting to do what everyone around me was doing.” Tarah shares about starting young in the world of water skiing.

(6:00) Wishing for the rain and the woes of practice…

(8:40) The main memories of skiing started around 14.

(9:30) When the “flip gets switched…”

(11:15) Oh, but the face in the mirror!

(12:00) How the “judgment trap” impacts parents and athletes…

(13:15) “You can only focus on one thing, so focus on the thing you want to do and don’t clutter your mind with, ‘Oh, that wasn’t good.’ It’s unproductive.”

(14:35) And then there was a wakeboard…

(18:50) “There are times when we write a new chapter in our life.”

(20:15) Why coach?

(22:35) What is your approach to the challenge of athletes who lack motivation?

(25:30) “Ride like you mean it, take ownership of your own riding.”

(27:15) What do you see as the pros and cons of sports like water skiing and wakeboarding as compared to team sports?

(28:25) The different modes of parents and athletes…

(29:55) What’s it like to compete against kids ½ your age?

(32:00) Productive and unproductive behaviors of sports parents…

(37:25) What’s coming up?