Hunter Mountain Competition Team Blogspot

FREE Parent Webinars: Getting the Most for Your Skier or Snowboarder

2012-01-27T09:09:00.000-05:00

From Jon Nolting - USSA Sport Education is offering a free webinar for parents Jan 31st at 7 pm.

The goal of the webinar is to give parents a greater understanding of the long-term development of a ski racer and how they as parents can support their children along a path aimed at success in the long run. It is a multi-sport presentation, so programs with multiple sports can encourage non-alpine participation as well.

The webinar does have limited seating, and pre-registration is required to get access to the live presentation where parents may ask questions. A recorded version of the presentation will be posted shortly after and available to everyone.

Please use this webpage for information and the links to register: http://ussa.org/news/free-parent-webinars-getting-most-your-skier-or-snowboarder

Latest News

2012-01-04T21:13:00.002-05:00

The Competition Teams - Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard completed a very successful six day holiday camp on December 31, 2011. In spite of the "lack" of snow the coaching staff and our athletes worked hard on establishing a very solid base of skills and miles on snow. The coaches were able to break down key skills, slow things down and have each athlete work at their own pace to gain ownership of the fundamentals. Through deep practice along with alot of freeskiing and riding the Hunter athletes are off to a good start.

This coming weekend our J1-2, J3 and a couple J4's are on the road to test the competition waters. The rest of the squad will be back at Hunter building their foundation of skills.

Results and photos will be coming.

Adult / Masters Race Group - Starts up Saturday 9:30 a.m.

2011-12-08T12:26:00.001-05:00

Hello Adult / Masters Racers,

Your program will begin this weekend.

This is looking to be a great season. We will follow the same schedule as last year. The only difference we will be under Jim Catalano. Jim is the competition race director. We have already had meetings and under Jim's guidance and we will be following the USSA format.

Our first day will be Saturday. Meeting place will be near B-Lift (marked with Red Feather Flag and Meeting Place banner). Please bring your slalom skis. If ski conditions prove to be less than desirable we will do some dry land training. Please also bring sneakers and sweat pants.

See everyone at 9:30

Joe Rizzo

We will be starting up this weekend December 10 & 11, 2011!

2011-12-08T12:24:00.001-05:00

Good morning Competition Team families and Coaches,

We will be starting up this weekend December 10 & 11, 2011!

All athletes should come prepared for on and off snow activities. In regard to equipment, please use your best judgment. Available terrain will be limited. For the off snow activities, some of the coaches may choose to do some dryland training. For this it would be advisable to bring appropriate clothing, foot gear and water.

The annual Parents Meeting will be held on Sunday, December 18, 2011 at 9:00am in the Schoharie Conference Rooms located between the Main Base Lodge and the Copper Tree Restaurant. This meeting will be approximately 90 minutes in length allowing plenty of time to ski or ride afterwards.

I want to express to you the importance of this meeting. It will feature information vital to how the program operates, what is planned for the season and where the snow sports are headed in the future. I will be showing a video presentation by USSA’s Director of Education. This is a presentation that I attended over the summer and will layout the direction USSA is taking in regard to athlete development. This presentation will be some of the most important information you as a parent will hear this season.

To summarize, here is the schedule and is subject to change:

Saturday and Sunday December 10 & 11, 2011

8:30am Meet coaches – meeting place near B-Lift (marked with Red Feather Flag and Meeting Place banner)

Break for Lunch

Resume training

3:00pm Training day ends

Sunday December 18, 2011

Parents Meeting - 9:00am in the Schoharie Conference Rooms

Thank you for supporting our program, the coaches and I look forward to seeing you.

Jim

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Red Flags for Over-invested Ski Racing Parents | Ski Racing

2011-11-29T08:46:00.000-05:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Red Flags for Over-invested Ski Racing Parents | Ski Racing

Delay of Program Start & Happy Thanksgiving

2011-11-23T14:57:00.001-05:00

Hello Competition Team Families and Coaches,

First I would like to wish you all a safe and Happy Thanksgiving. As you all know the weather lately is not very winter like. Although, the good news it is forecasted that colder weather is coming in and will allow for snowmaking.

In anticipation I have decided to delay the start of the Competition Team Program. The first day of the program will now be Saturday December 10, 2011. We will begin at 8:30am. Our Meeting Place is at the patch of trees near the bottom of B-LIFT. It will be marked with the Black Competition Team Meeting Place Banner and Red Flag.

The Parents' Meeting will be Sunday December 11, 2011. The meeting is for all parents and coaches. It will begin at 2:30pm and will be held in the Schoharie Conference Room located between the Main Base Lodge and the Copper Tree Restaurant. The meeting will be 90 minutes in length and will feature, a welcome back message, changes to the program, parent/athlete recognitions and a video presentation by USSA’s Director of Sport Education on the future of youth development

I look forward to seeing all of you and apologize for the delay.

Thank you,

Jim

Ligety puts opposition to FIS ski changes in writing | Ski Racing

2011-11-21T10:08:00.000-05:00

Ligety puts opposition to FIS ski changes in writing | Ski Racing

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Don'ts For Ski Racing Parents | Ski Racing

2011-11-15T13:04:00.000-05:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Don'ts For Ski Racing Parents | Ski Racing

Get Fit with the U.S. Ski Team: Front Squats | SKI Magazine

2011-10-26T15:50:00.000-04:00

Get Fit with the U.S. Ski Team: Front Squats | SKI Magazine

NEW! Freeskiing Team

2011-10-18T08:38:00.003-04:00

Freeskiing Team

New this season will be a Freeskiing Team to complement our snowboard team. This program is a start-up, grassroots team. Its' goal is to capture the spirit and freedom of expression on snow. We expect a lot of learning and experimenting the first season and we ask for cooperation and patience from all of the athletes and parents as we trail blaze with this new team.

What: Freeskiers will learn skills in: General freeskiing, Slopestyle, Skiercross and Halfpipe. Athletes will actively compete and travel to other resorts. This is a USASA-based training and competition program. *Actual training may be affected by weather, conditions and trail/terrain availability.
Who: Freeskiers ages 9-18 who are competent mountain and terrain park skiers and who are interested in the skills needed for competition and prepared to travel to other resorts. Skier competency to participate will be assessed by coaches.
When: Freeskiing Team training Dec. 4, 2011 through April 1, 2012 on weekends, plus the following additional days: Dec. 26-31, Jan. 16 and Feb. 20. No training on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day or New Year’s Day. Training from 8:30am-3:00pm with a ½-1 hour lunch break.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE ONLINE

Sign up Now and SAVE!

2011-10-11T10:19:00.002-04:00

This is a simple reminder for you to register for our programs and camps by Saturday October 15th.

Competition Teams

Seasonal Programs

Camps and Workshops

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Set Your Ski Racer's "Defaults" Early | Ski Racing

2011-10-04T09:24:00.000-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Set Your Ski Racer's "Defaults" Early | Ski Racing

TV provider may drop UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK

2011-09-30T12:08:00.001-04:00

DON'T GET DROPPED!

Unless you have DIRECTV, on 1/1/12 your TV provider may drop
UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK from your channel lineup.

Call 1-800-55-GET-US & tell your TV provider that you want access to
year-round coverage of your favorite Olympic sports & athletes.

Time is running out. Call 1-800-55-GET-US & make your
voice heard, then tell your friends to do it too!

After you call, click here to double your voice.

Hurry, time is running out!

Program News

2011-09-29T08:51:00.005-04:00

It's winter some where.

Hello Competition Team families and fans. October is right around the corner. Many projects are underway here at Hunter Mountain. The Hunter West lift project is moving forward at a rapid pace. The look of the west side is going to take on a whole new appearance over the next couple seasons.

Speaking of appearances, our competition team program has gone through a few changes since the spring. Adult Racing - Masters Race Program is now apart of the competition team programs. Training will be based on the USSA/USST model featuring individual skill development and training in slalom and giant slalom. The December Masters Race Camp is now under the comp team. During our Christmas break, the six day block of training will now be open to young athletes that may not have access to consistent and quality training. Information on both of these can be found by clicking HERE.

Another new feature to the program is the establishment of a Freeskiing Team. This new team will compliment our existing snowboard team. The Freeskiing Team is a start-up, grassroots team. Its' goal is to capture the spirit and freedom of expression on snow. We expect a lot of learning and experimenting the first season and we ask for cooperation and patience from all of the athletes and parents as we trail blaze with this new team. Both the Snowboard and Freeskiing Teams will compete in the USASA Catskill Mountain Series events, with a goal of qualifying for the USASA National Championships.

This is just a taste of what is being planned for the 2011-2012 season and beyond.

I would like to remind you that the next deadline to register is October 15, 2011. For more information about the Competition Team Program please click HERE. You will find general information and can sign up by purchasing online.

To stay on top of Competition Team news, be sure to bookmark, share, tweet, facebook or just tell someone about this blog and our program.

Enjoy the fall weather, THINK SNOW and stay tuned.

Ciao tutti,
JimCat

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Build Prime Confidence, Part I | Ski Racing

2011-09-27T11:56:00.000-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Build Prime Confidence, Part I | Ski Racing

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Your Children are Listening | Ski Racing

2011-09-20T08:54:00.000-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Your Children are Listening | Ski Racing

Proper Fitting of a Helmet

2011-09-19T09:09:00.000-04:00

Eastern Alpine Summit

2011-09-15T11:19:00.004-04:00

Eastern Alpine Summit

Click Here to Register

Killington, VT
October, 23, 2011
10am – 5pm
http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Join us for this exciting, fun and educational event for Athletes, Parents, Coaches, Officials and Club Leadership.
Trade Show with Manufacturers, Academies, Colleges, etc
This is a free event - No Charge – NADA, – Nothing, includes Lunch

If you are involved with Ski Racing in the Eastern Region, YOU NEED TO BE HERE!

A full day of seminars specifically for:
Coaches – Parents – Club Leadership

All trails on DEC managed property in Ulster and Greene Counties closed until further notice

2011-09-12T08:55:00.003-04:00

Athlete’s Commission protest against FIS

2011-08-29T20:14:00.004-04:00

Nearly 200 leading active FIS Ski Worldcup skiers from 16 countries like Maria Höfl-Riesch, Julia Mancuso, Tina Maze or Ted Ligety, Didier Cuche and many others signed a letter on behalf of the Athlete’s Commission to protest against new FIS equipment regulations.

Click on this link to learn more: http://ski.freesponsible.info/

From the World Cup to the Mini World Cup, if the FIS gets their way and continues to get their way at the expense of our athletes ski racing could disappear. If this rule passes, this will affect all aspiring junior ski racers. The costs to the manufactures, shops and ultimately the consumer will be hard to deal with. The result will be less people involved, leaving the sport to the very wealthy and not necessarily the best athletes. Plus, the general public will feel the affects, since the cost would have to be spread out.

The rights of athletes need to be taken care of.

JimCat

New Training Opportunities for young athletes

2011-08-25T09:33:00.002-04:00

New this season we have put together training opportunities for young athletes in alpine ski racing, freestyle moguls and snowboarding.

The first is available to young athletes during the Christmas break. Whether you are an athlete on your school's team, apart of another program or just looking for quality training, this is for you. Please review the information below.

Junior Holiday Training Camp

Dec 26 – 31 - 6-day on-snow camp

Ages: J1-5 (9 – 18yrs.) - Alpine Ski Racing, Freestyle Mogul Skiing and Snowboard

It is proven that athletic success is a product of consistency, hard work, proper technique, repetition and good coaching. Our Holiday Training Camp is the place to make this happen. Our staff of dedicated coaches and alumni athletes will help snowsport athletes find a path to meet their goals. The Holiday Training Camp, based on a six-day camp model will use current USSA/USST teaching methods of building and stressing solid fundamental skills and movements, such as body position, stance, carving and transitions. All athletes will be placed in age appropriate groups and must have strong intermediate skiing and riding skills. They must have the stamina and independence to be on snow all day.
Hours: 8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. with a lunch break
Training fee: $40.00 per person per day. Lift Ticket not included, sold separately. Reservations Required.
For more information contact: Jim Catalano – Race Director email: jcatalano@huntermtn.com phone: ext. 2289

The second opportunity is open to existing Hunter Mountain athletes and young athletes outside of our program. Again, please review the information below.

Drop-In Training

Our Drop-In Training program is set up for those athletes who are looking for extra time on snow and quality coaching in alpine ski racing, freestyle mogul skiing and snowboard. Whether you are a registered Hunter Mountain athlete, an athlete from another area or a high school team athlete, we can help. Reservations are required. The cost is $40.00 per person per day. Lift tickets are not included and sold separately. The hours are flexible and can be customized to meet the athlete’s needs. Hunter Mountain athletes must make arrangements with their coach and Jim Catalano, Race Director. All other athletes must contact Jim Catalano – Race Director.
For more information contact: Jim Catalano – Race Director email: jcatalano@huntermtn.com phone: ext. 2289

We look forward to helping you meet your athletic goals.

Equipment Day - Athletes and Staff

2011-08-23T11:05:00.002-04:00

Equipment Day for Hunter Mountain athletes and staff will be on Saturday September 24, 2011.

On this day industry reps from the major ski and snowboard companies will be at Hunter Mountain to provide early season equipment selection and orders for the coming season.

Please take advantage of this special opportunity for our program.

We look forward to seeing you.

Lake Placid - Freestyle Team Ramp Camp

2011-07-27T10:48:00.002-04:00

Wednesday morning in Lake Placid. Athletes Tori Lidlow and Harrison Sharpe.

Lake Placid - Freestyle Team Ramp Camp

2011-07-26T09:54:00.003-04:00

Hello Competition Team fans. With the summer in full swing many of our athletes are busy preparing for the up coming competition season. Our freestyle mogul team is in Lake Placid, NY USA at our annual Ramp Camp. Here they work on jumping skills and various tricks in a safe and controlled training environment.

Coaches Brook Cleveland and George Gorsky are on site and will be working with the athletes for the next five days. George will be providing real time photos of the action throughout the camp.

Here are a few from the jumping complex.

2011 Tour de France Starts July 2

2011-07-01T21:41:00.004-04:00

Click here for more information and TV schedules for the 2011 TdF!

Green Mountain Valley School Junior Development Mount Hood Summer Ski Camp

2011-06-13T12:26:00.003-04:00

Green Mountain Valley School
Junior Development Mount Hood Summer Ski Camp

When: June 26 ‐ July 7, 2011
Where: Mount Hood, Oregon
For Whom: Alpine ski racers; J3 /J4/J5 athletes

Philosophy: At the Green Mountain Valley School we believe that summer training camps should utilize on‐snow time efficiently and effectively, allowing campers to practice and master ski racing techniques. We strive to promote the athlete’s own love and excitement for the sport of ski racing while simultaneouslyinstilling the principles of hard work, discipline and competition. We believe that athlete participation in quality off‐snow activities is equally important. Each afternoon we organize fun and instructional ski‐specific dry landexercises and events.

Emphasis: We focus on the fundamentals of skiing and ski racing, including GS andSL technical progressions and tactics. Athletes will learn and practicetechnical drills/skills, gate train and free ski throughout the session. Throughextensive video analysis we provide daily feedback, helping athletes reachtheir greatest potential. Coaches will hold clinics on the latest ski tuningtechniques. Athletes will have an opportunity to test 2011‐2012 equipment.

Camp Schedule: 8 days of on‐snow training sessions, separated by 2 full activity days of camper choice: mountain biking, rock climbing or an indoor soccer challenge. The first three days of on‐snow instruction will concentrate on free skiing and technical drills/skills, utilizing the U.S. Ski Team’s on‐snow skills progression. During the next two days, we will focus on GS tactics and technique. Slalom technique and tactics will be taught the last three days. On the final day we will hold a fun slalom race for all campers and finish the day free skiing with coaches and friends. A cookout and awards ceremony for the entire camp will conclude the day.

Camp Daily Schedule:6:00 warm‐up/ 6:15 breakfast / 7:35 training / 9:30 snack on hill / 11:30 lunch on hill 1:30 Demo Skis-Boots/ 2:30 afternoon activity/ 6:00 dinner/ 7:30 video analysis8:30 free time/ 9:15 lights out

Camp Activities: We offer two full activity days of camper choice: rock climbing, a mountain biking trek in the Mt. Hood area or an indoor soccer challenge. Dailyafternoon activities include: soccer, hiking, volleyball, in‐line skating, swimming,strength and agility training and basketball.

Housing: Housing is included in the camp tuition. Athletes stay in coach‐supervisedhouses 20 minutes from Mount Hood in Welches, Oregon. Each house holds between 6 and 10 athletes and two staff members. Houses are arranged by gender and age to provide appropriate, comfortable accommodations. In addition, the lower altitude allows athletes to completely recover from each day’s training and sleep well at night.

Camp Staff:
Adam Julius – Camp Director, GMVS Head Jr.3 Coach, Director Sugarbush/GMVS Ski Club Sally Utter-former USST member, GMVS Ski Club Head J4/5/6 Scott Kennison-NCAA All American UVM Tracy Julius-RN, GMVS Ski Club Coach Michaela Holland- GMVS Graduate NCAA Bates Carnival team Jeremy Transue- former USST member, GMVS Jr. 3 Coach Megan Monette- GMVS Flex Term Director, GMVS Jr. 4 Coach

New Utah Concussion Law Affects Young Snow Athletes Nationwide

2011-06-04T12:08:00.001-04:00

New Utah Concussion Law Affects Young Snow Athletes Nationwide

Kikkan Randall :: Gliding across the snow

2011-05-19T08:34:00.001-04:00

Sport is for life. The journey is long. The secret is honest hard work.
Enjoy the video,
Jim

Hunter Coaches go to School

2011-05-17T15:25:00.004-04:00

As you know, continuing coaches education is very important. This past spring, five coaches, one ski school member and one athlete attended a USSA Level 100 Alpine on-snow clinic held here at Hunter Mountain. This clinic is one of three steps needed to attain a USSA L100 certification. Click here to see what is involved. The coaches participated in a series of on-snow drills addressing specific areas of fundamental skill. After a full day of skiing, a classroom component was offered. This emphasized the skill areas, broke the skill into parts and why they are important. There was a review of video analysis, planning and organization. All of the coaches were evaluated on their skiing and were given information on how to better develop their own skiing.

This was the first of a series of in-house coaches education opportunities afforded to our staff.

This summer and fall I will be attending training as a USSA Sport Education Instructor as well as trainings to further my knowledge and skill levels. All combined will greatly benefit our coaches and our athletes.

Mogul Evolution

2011-05-10T10:02:00.001-04:00

Mogul Evolution from Momentum Ski Camps on Vimeo.

Mogul Clinic with US Freestyle Ski Team Member David Babic

2011-04-21T09:07:00.003-04:00

Hannah Kearney - Skier of the Year

2011-04-19T18:00:00.004-04:00

Click here to read about Hannah Kearney - Skier of the Year

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Mental Imagery | Ski Racing

2011-04-19T15:10:00.001-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Mental Imagery | Ski Racing

“The Story” reveals the untold tale

2011-04-12T19:03:00.000-04:00

It is through enlightening experiences and dimensional characters that the tale of skiing is told; “The Story” travels around the world and delves into the lives that built and continue to build the great American pastime and sport of skiing. Unlike any other ski movie, “The Story” reveals the untold tale - the greater legend told through the intimate words and skiing of the films’ respective stars.

The Story Teaser from The Ski Channel on Vimeo.

Swiss Freeski

2011-04-12T18:11:00.004-04:00

Winter may officially be over but it is snowing some where on the planet.

Check out what is going on in the world of Freeski in Switzerland. Click here.

This is the link to their official website: Swiss Freeski

Enjoy the video.
Jim

World Ski Championships 2011 - Trailer from Swiss Freeski on Vimeo.

Inspiration from a Grand Master

2011-04-12T13:43:00.005-04:00

Kelly Slater 10 World Titles and the guy is still winning and he is competing against young modern surfers who are pushing.

Your competition season starts NOW! To get faster get fit. If you complained about your performance last season it was all under your control. You made all of the choices. As an athlete you are the driver. Train your Body, Mind and Soul this summer and the rest of your life.

You are the driver.

2011-04-12T13:43:00.001-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Next Season Starts…NOW! | Ski Racing

2011-04-05T11:57:00.001-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Next Season Starts…NOW! | Ski Racing

Freestyle Training - Sun Valley Style

2011-04-04T18:42:00.003-04:00

Click here to learn about how Sun Valleys Freestyle Team looks at training and equipment.

Kearney honored with Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor Award | Ski Racing

2011-04-03T12:34:00.001-04:00

Kearney honored with Paul Robbins Outstanding Competitor Award | Ski Racing

Kearney, Deneen take U.S. singles moguls national crowns | Ski Racing

2011-04-03T12:34:00.000-04:00

Kearney, Deneen take U.S. singles moguls national crowns | Ski Racing

Discoe, Outtrim Clinch U.S. Dual Moguls Titles | Ski Racing

2011-04-03T12:33:00.000-04:00

Discoe, Outtrim Clinch U.S. Dual Moguls Titles | Ski Racing

Schladming Build Up

2011-04-01T20:50:00.001-04:00

Schladming Build Up from fordo on Vimeo.

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Julia and Lindsey, Fire and Ice | Ski Racing

2011-03-30T12:31:00.001-04:00

Inside the Ski Racing Mind: Julia and Lindsey, Fire and Ice | Ski Racing

U.S. Freestyle National Championships

2011-03-28T09:13:00.007-04:00

This past week two Hunter Mountain athletes competed in the U.S. Freestyle National Championships at Stratton Mountain, VT. The athletes are Caitlin Murdy and Thomas Rowley. They were competing with U.S. Ski team members, Olympians and the best freestyler's in the country.

Here is a link to the official results: 2011 US FREESTYLE SKI CHAMPIONSHIPS - Stratton, VT

Photos
Thomas Rowley on his way to placing 20th overall

Caitlin Murdy in action

Hunter Ski Racer Michelle Seares - NCAA

2011-03-23T14:33:00.002-04:00

Former Hunter athlete Michelle Seares has had a successful career. She is a graduate of GMVS and now attending Colby College. Michelle was selected from the Colby Ski Team to the NCAA Academic All American Team 3 weeks ago - meeting the requirements of maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA and competing at the NCAA East Championships at the Bates Carnival at Sunday River.

She is always a proud alum of the Hunter Mtn. Racing Team!

Alpine closes season at Bates Carnival
by Adele Priestley on Mar 2, 2011

This past weekend marked the last carnival series of the season for the alpine team. Hosted by Bates College, the races— consisting of slalom on Saturday and giant slalom (GS) on Sunday—took place at the nearby Sunday River course.

“The season went by really quickly,” Justin Sperry ’13 reminisced. “As a young team with only one uninjured senior and three juniors [in our ranks], I think we had a great year. Everyone had some good performances.” This weekend was no exception; six of Colby’s skiers finished in the top 30 over the course of the two-day competition.

Compared to other races this year, the weather conditions were kind to the racers. Sperry said that “the surface was great. They pushed the new snow off the hill so it [was just a layer] of ice and [it] held up really well.”

On Saturday, Megan Ryley and Tim Kelley, both skiing for the University of Vermont (UVM), won the slalom with times of 1:39.59 and 1:32.98.

Cassady Roberts ’13 came in 18th place with a time of 1:44.24, Michelle Seares ’13 took 27th place (1:47.51) and Katie Houser ’13 finished 34th (1:49.32). Brian Morgan ’12 had the best finish of the weekend for the men’s team when he scored tenth place overall with a time of 1:36.13. Matt McKenna ’14 finished in 29th place (1:39.78), and Will Randall ’14 was right behind him in 32nd place (1:41.99). Both teams placed sixth overall in the slalom races.

In the GS races on Sunday, several Colby racers fell or hiked; as a result, both the men’s and women’s teams finished in ninth place for the day. Marc Massie ’13 and Natalie Biedermann ’12 led the Mules with 18th and 23rd place finishes, respectively. Both skiers finished three-and-a-half seconds behind the winners of the GS (Geordie Lonza from Williams College and Kevin Drury, who snagged the third win for UVM. Seares and McKenna captured the next-highest finishes in the competition: 31st and 34th, respectively.

By the end of the carnival, the Mules had achieved an overall seventh-place ranking while UVM, Dartmouth College and the University of New Hampshire remained in the top three positions.

Although the season is just ending, the teams are already thinking ahead to next year’s races. Sperry was optimistic about the future for Colby skiers. “We are only graduating one person and have some recruits on the way, so next year looks promising [for us].”

Morgan, Massie and Jim Ryan ’14 will compete at the NCAA meet in Stowe, Vt. from March 9-12.

Hunter Mountain Racing Foundation - 6th Annual Pig Roast & BBQ

2011-03-21T13:44:00.002-04:00

Hunter Mountain Racing Foundation
6th Annual Pig Roast & BBQ
Saturday, April 2nd - Serving from 12:00-3:00
Colonel’s Hall Deck
Adults $18, 12 and Under $12, 6 and Under Free

To Benefit Hunter Mountain Athletes
Through Grants & Educational Programs
Great Raffle Prizes!
Donations of dessert, and Raffle prizes will be

Greatly Appreciated

GOHMRF.ORG

Rip's Spring J3-4-5 Race - CANCELED

2011-03-19T11:31:00.001-04:00

Hunter March 26th and 27th J3,4,5 Race -
Due to low registration numbers, we have canceled the J3-4-5 spring open.

Murdy and Rowley advance to U.S. Nationals

2011-03-18T09:26:00.002-04:00

Hunter Mountain Freestyle skiers, Caitlin Murdy and Thomas Rowley have advanced to the U.S. National Championships being held at Stratton Mountain, VT March 23 - 27, 2011.

They will be competing against U.S. Ski Team members such as Hannah Kearney and Jeremy Cota.

Click here for full details on the event and rosters of the athletes attending.

Thomas Rowley on the left

Competition Team News

2011-03-12T12:29:00.003-05:00

Hunter Mountain athletes hit the road again. This time our Freestyle athletes headed out to the Eastern Divisional Championships, Western Regional Finals and the Junior Olympics. Our Alpine athletes raced in the Kandahar Championships, NYS J4 State Championships, USSA J1-2 Eastern Finals and the J3 Junior Olympics. Our Snowboard team has been back home training in preparation for the USASA Nationals in Colorado.

Here are some photographs and links to results:

Freestyle
Junior Olympics, Thomas Rowley, Caitlin Murdy and Tori Lidlow all qualified for the event. Click here for results.

Thomas Rowley - 3rd place J2 Men

Western Regional Finals results

Eastern Divisional Championships
Mogul results

Alpine
J4 State Championships results
Girls SL
Boys SL
Girls GS
Boys GS

Kandahar Championships
Girls GS
Boys GS

EASTERN REGION USSA FINALS
Ladies GS
Men GS Dan Garvey placing 3rd!
Ladies SL
Men SL

Vonn documentary film set to debut Sunday | Ski Racing

2011-03-09T20:17:00.000-05:00

Vonn documentary film set to debut Sunday | Ski Racing

Bode Miller cuts season short

2011-03-09T12:07:00.000-05:00

Bode Miller cuts season short again
By Associated Press on March 9th, 2011

ROME (AP) — Bode Miller has cut short his World Cup ski season for the third consecutive year and it’s uncertain whether he’ll be back next season.

The former two-time overall World Cup champion has again decided to spend more time with his daughter in San Diego, the U.S. Ski Team told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Miller failed to finish in the top 10 in his four events at last month’s world championships in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany. He then skipped the last two World Cup stops in Bansko, Bulgaria, and Kranjska Gora, Slovenia.

The U.S. team had been expecting him back for this weekend’s races in Kvitfjell, Norway. The 33-year-old Miller will also miss next week’s World Cup finals in Lenzerheide, Switzerland. He ends the season with three podium finishes but no victories.

Miller won a full array of medals at last year’s Vancouver Olympics – a gold, a silver and a bronze – but said he struggled with motivation this season.

“If the conditions are good and everything comes together then I’m pretty into it, but sometimes it’s hard to get really fired up for it,” Miller told The AP after his final race at the worlds.

“I’m still always fired up and I always charge, but it’s not the same as it should be. If you’re racing World Cup and you’re risking your health and everything you should be in it 100 percent. If it’s not then you have to have the discipline and maturity to say when, because you probably shouldn’t be doing it. I’ve seen guys get hurt.”

Miller’s coaches have been urging him to race just the speed events, as many racers of his level do near the end of their careers, but the American has continued to compete in all disciplines.

Miller said he has discussed his options with retired racers Lasse Kjus, Kjetil Andre Aamodt and Bruno Kernen.

“I’ve thought about it. I’ve asked old champions, sought out their opinions about it,” Miller said. “But I don’t think it’s exactly the same. No American has come close to the number of races I’ve done, and it is certainly different for Americans. Those guys could easily get home and be more in their environment when they had days off. If they skipped a race or two they could go home right away. For me, it’s a long ways away.”

Miller said his daughter is “really on the other side of the planet” from most of his races in Europe.

Miller has competed in 380 World Cup races, as well as 15 races at four Olympics stretching back to the 1998 Nagano Games, and 28 races at seven world championships beginning in Vail, Colorado, in 1999.

Miller is not considering coaching after retirement, at least not with the U.S. team.

“Not at this level,” he said. “I like working with kids. You can really have an impact on a younger skier just by showing him how to stay relaxed, just enjoy it and not get too stressed out, and point out the obvious things about skiing that little kids tend to forget about.”

Miller did television commentary for Eurosport during the worlds, but doesn’t see much of a future in TV either.

“I doubt it,” he said. “It’s OK. I love talking about ski racing, it’s what I do, and as long as I have freedom to talk about whatever I want I don’t mind doing that but I don’t like jobs, either.”

Miller also contemplated retirement before returning for the Olympics last year.

In his final race at the worlds last month, Miller finished just 12th in the giant slalom but had the fastest second run. U.S. teammate Ted Ligety won the race for his first world title.

Ligety didn’t see that as Miller’s final race.

“I have this feeling that Bode will keep going,” Ligety said. “He still likes it and I think he has enjoyment out of it and I think he still feels like he can be competitive. You never know with Bode obviously, but I think he still has some mileage left.”

© 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Todt Hill 14-year-old making mogul skiing grade nationally

2011-03-07T13:39:00.003-05:00

Hunter Mountain Freestyle Team member Cleo Austein is making news. Click here to read more about her.

Competition Team News

2011-03-02T09:30:00.007-05:00

Hello everyone,
To say we have been busy lately is an understatement. Our staff and athletes have been on the road getting in some final results and at Hunter tuning up for the next round of events. The coaches have highlighted some recent activity. Let's take a look at where we are, enjoy.

FreeStyle "B Team News"
Congratulations to Western Regional Invitations
Male
Austin Scaccianoce
Augustus Shuster
Spencer Belsky
Chandler Gibbons
Kesha Kumshayev
Raymond Reynolds
Hunter Slettene
Lucas Avagnano
Zachary Benedek
Kyle Kowalski
Troy Frey
Shea Belsky
Kieran Rowley
Matthew Farley
Gavin Tobey
TJ Ransom

Female
Cleo Austein
Allegra Miccio
Lindsey Tobey
Molly Pfaff
Taylor Getz
Samantha Roth
Victoria Isakova
Victoria Shuster

Good Luck in the coming Meets ! You all worked very hard ! We thank you for your dedication.
Your Coaches
Phil, Greg, Mike

Our Freestyle A athletes have been collecting some coveted hardware this season, here are a few photographs of Thomas Rowley, Tucker Warman, Cloe Doris, Caitlin Murdy, Tori Lidlow. Click here to view all of the results.

In Alpine racing news, we have qualified a good number for athletes for events, here is a look at who:
J1-2 athletes who raced in the Empire State Games
Jenna Armstrong
Madison Perlick
Heidi Serrano
Dan Garvey
Stefan Cwalina
AJ Longabucco
Click here for results

J1-2 USSA Eastern Finals
Jenna Armstrong
Dan Garvey
Brian Perez

J3 East Divisional Team
Easton, Sabrina
Ostrowski, Izabella
Kochan, Alan
Yudell, Jonathan
Hornik, Ezra
Quine, Adam

J3 Junior Olympics
Alan Kochan

J4 Rip Van Winkle Team
Arencibia, Rebecca
Sujak, Amanda
Luis, Havana
Simon, Sarah
Avagnano, Montana
Yudell, Stefanie alternate
Yaroshevsky, Mark
Sujak, Deenae
Aveta, Chase
Ostrowski, Adam alternate

J5 Team news
News from Kandahar and the Mini World Cup:

It was a busy weekend for the Hunter mountain J4’s and J5’s.

At Kandahar the Hunter Mountain’s J4 and J5 teams were well represented this past weekend with Vietta Bernard (J4) and Max Gal (J5) making the selection to the Kandahar Championship Team; They will be competing in the Kandahar Championships at Holiday Valley on March 6th.

Despite tough conditions and fierce competition from teams from all over Eastern NY and CT our athletes shined. Naomi, Max, Zeve, Matt, Brendan, Connor and Zach A. represented the J5 team proudly with strong skiing performances. Notable performance by Max Gal who was selected to the Championship Team.

From the J4 team we were proudly represented by Bridget, Taylor, Stefanie, Vietta and Drake. Notable performances were had by the girls who all placed within the top 13 girls with Vietta Bernard being selected to the Championship Team. On the Men’s side Drake Hawks lit up the hill on Sunday with two blistering performances earning him a spot in the top 5.

Meanwhile, back at Hunter and the Mini World Cup, Zach Williams represented his team proudly taking top honors by winning the Gold!

Good luck to all of our athletes as they prepare for late season races and championships!

Coaches Katie and Rich

In Snowboard News, coach Pablo and the crew continue to perform in the USASA CMS. Mike, Andreas, Aslan and Devin have all been scoring points and getting closer and closer to earning a spot to compete in the USASA National Championships. Click here to view all of the results.

Stay tuned for more exciting news about our athletes and their travels.

Hunter Freestyle Medals - Stratton A-Meet

2011-02-05T16:06:00.002-05:00

In Freestyle News today, Hunter Athletes Caitlin Murdy placed 10th,Tori Lidlow placed 8th,Thomas Rowley placed 8th and Tucker Warman was 4th in the Stratton Mountain USSA Mogul Fest.

Competition Team News - Alpine Team

2011-01-31T15:45:00.003-05:00

Hunter Mountain's J3 Alpine Team raced at Belleayre and Windham mountains. These were the next stops for the NYSSRA J3 Cup Series.

Results
Belleayre GS
Girls

Results
Belleayre GS
Boys

Results
Windham SL
Girls

Results
Windham SL
Boys

Competition Team News - Freestyle Team

2011-01-31T15:36:00.005-05:00

January 29 and 30, Hunter Mountain hosted a USSA Freestyle B Mogul event. Rip’s Monster Mogul Mash Here are photos and results from the event.

A good time was had by all and we couldn’t have done it without the tremendous support by coaches, parents and Race Crew. I can’t remember the last time we had so many more volunteers than jobs!
The course was one of our best ever, the jumps were perfect, the landings a little less so, but the skill and determination of our athletes was tremendous! Here’s how we did:

Good job, Bill Murdy

Results
Rip's Monster Mogul Mash - Jan 29 2011

Results
Rip's Monster Mogul Mash - Jan 30 2011

Competition Team News - Snowboard Team

2011-01-31T15:03:00.002-05:00

Reported by: Mike "Pablo" Dawybida - Snowboard Team Coach

For the past weekend the Hunter Mountain Freestyle Snowboard Team competed in a two day, three part USASA Competition held at Catamount ski resort. The first part of the event was Boardercross number two of the four stop series. After four tournament style races Hunter's Mike Craig and Devin Farrell made the finals for Breaker and Menahune Boys classes. When the gates dropped, both boys quickly achieved the hole shot and held the lead throughout both of their races finishing Saturday's event with two gold medals for Hunter.

The excitement continued on Sunday when the Hunter Team's coach Mike "Pablo" Dawybida suited up and dropped in beside his athletes to lead the team in a clean sweep in the first two of four stops on the USASA Halfpipe tour. Pablo dominated the Mens Jams class by winning gold medals in both heats. The Hunter Team continued to lead the field as Saturday's champ Mike Craig continued to show everyone he may be the "new kid on the block" but he is a force to be reckoned with! After winning five gold medals in his last six events, Mike matched Pablo with back to back golds for the Breaker boys age group. Right on Mike's heels was the team's youngest member Andreas Muller. After riding halfpipe for the first time on Saturday little Andreas showed he has what it takes to throw down. Falling on his first run Andreas hiked back up and won silver in both events for the Breaker boys. Moving on to the Menahune boys class, Hunter team veteran Aslan Funk pushed himself to the edge of his ability to finish with back to back silver medals as well. In the second of the 2 halfpipe events Devin Farrell decided 1 medal for the weekend was not enough and backed up Aslan with a 3rd place finish for the bronze.

Rounding out the weekend with six gold, four silver, and one bronze medal all four of these boys and coach pablo now have the potential to qualify for events at the 2011 USASA Nationals at Copper Mountain Colorado, and have collectively stated "We are going to Nationals and we are going to show everyone what we are made of !"

This week in Comp Team News

2011-01-24T20:14:00.004-05:00

Another big week of competitions for our athletes. Our freestyle team all headed west to Bristol Mountain to compete in an A / B USSA Meet. Here are some photos and results from the event.

USSA B Meet Jan 15 2011
4 MICCIO,Allegra Ni F2 Hun
5 AUSTEIN,Cleo F3 Hun
14 TOBEY,Lindsey S F5 Hun
17 GETZ,Taylor R F5 Hun
23 ISAKOVA,Victoria F5 Hun
27 SHUSTER,Victoria F6 Hun

8 BELSKY,Spencer M4 Hun
17 SHUSTER,Augustus M4 Hun
18 REYNOLDS,Raymond M3 Hun
19 GIBBONS,Chandler M2 Hun
20 SLETTENE,Hunter M4 Hun
24 KUMSHAYEV,Kesha M2 Hun
33 AVAGNANO,Lucas J M5 Hun
34 ROWLEY,Kieran M5 Hun
35 KOWALSKI,Kyle J M3 Hun
37 FREY,Troy T M3 Hun
54 TOBEY,Gavin J M6 Hun

USSA B Meet Jan 16 2011
1 AUSTEIN,Cleo F3 Hun
7 MICCIO,Allegra Ni F2 Hun
14 TOBEY,Lindsey S F5 Hun
17 GETZ,Taylor R F5 Hun
23 ISAKOVA,Victoria F5 Hun

10 BELSKY,Spencer M4 Hun
12 SHUSTER,Augustus M4 Hun
13 GIBBONS,Chandler M2 Hun
16 SLETTENE,Hunter M4 Hun
20 AVAGNANO,Lucas J M5 Hun
26 KUMSHAYEV,Kesha M2 Hun
30 FREY,Troy T M3 Hun
35 ROWLEY,Kieran M5 Hun
46 TOBEY,Gavin J M6 Hun

USSA A Meet Jan 15 2011
14 LIDLOW,Tori F3 Hun
18 DORIS,Danielle F1 Hun
21 SHUSTER,Sydney F3 Hun
24 MURDY,Caitlin F2 Hun
27 DORIS,Chloe F3 Hun

3 ROWLEY,Thomas M2 Hun
36 BARBER,Calin M3 Hun
40 SHARPE,Harison M1 Hun
41 NUGENT,Geoffrey M2 Hun
46 DORIS,Michael M2 Hun
53 SHARPE,Robert M2 Hun

USSA A Meet Jan 16 2011
13 MURDY,Caitlin F2 Hun
16 LIDLOW,Tori F3 Hun
21 SHUSTER,Sydney F3 Hun
26 DORIS,Chloe F3 Hun
31 DORIS,Danielle F1 Hun

7 ROWLEY,Thomas M2 Hun
32 SHARPE,Harison M1 Hun
37 NUGENT,Geoffrey M2 Hun
40 BARBER,Calin M3 Hun
51 DORIS,Michael M2 Hun
54 REYNOLDS,Raymond M3 Hun
57 SHARPE,Robert M2 Hun

USSA Dual A Meet Jan 17 2011
6 Rowley, Thomas
31 Sharpe, Harison
48 Doris, Michael
52 Sharpe, Robert

12 Murdy, Caitlin
15 Lidlow, Tori
20 Shuster, Sydney
25 Doris, Chloe
30 Doris, Danielle

Our Alpine athletes were on the road to Whiteface Mountain, West Mountain and McCauley Mountains. Here is how they made out:

NYSSRA ECS GS Whiteface Mtn. Jan 22 2011
15 Armstrong, Jenna
16 Serrano, Heidi
23 Aveta, Brianne
34 Paschall, Sierra

36 Billotti, Michael
43 Longabucco, AJ

NYSSRA ECS SL West Mt. Jan 23 2011
5 Perlick, Madison
12 Armstrong, Jenna
20 Serrano, Heidi
26 Matecki, Emma
36 Aveta, Brianne

Coach Pablo and the Snowboard Team went to Windham to compete in the USASA - CMS Boardercross event. Here is how our riders placed:

USASA - CMS Boardercross Jan 23 2011
Grommet Boys (8-9)
1 Mike Craig
5 Andreas Muller

Menehune Boys (10-11)
9 Aslan Funk
10 Devin Mulgrew Farrell

Training and races continue for our athletes this weekend. Saturday and Sunday our freestyle B athletes will be competing on home turf. Be sure to cheer them on as they take on the challenging Eisenhower Mogul course.

Success = Long Term Development + Hard Work
JimCat

Ski Training - Online Articles: National Council on Strength and Fitness Trainer's Tools

2011-01-23T20:12:00.000-05:00

Ski Training - Online Articles: National Council on Strength and Fitness Trainer's Tools

Tools For Life

2011-01-20T11:10:00.001-05:00

Please practice the following during our season:
Honesty, Integrity, Respect, Courtesy, Responsibility and Sportsmanship.

Please clean up after yourself and others in the lodge. Thank the volunteers, ski areas folks, your parents. Support and encourage other racers (Freestyle Skiers and Riders) and their families. Be kind to our environment.

Many work very hard to facilitate your race season. We are all part of a team and we need to support one another.

Thank you and enjoy!

This note was supplied by NYSSRA

First Big Weekend of Competition

2011-01-13T20:45:00.004-05:00

The weekend of January 8 & 9, 2011, was a diverse weekend of competition for our athletes. All three teams, Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard were on the road going for the gold.

Our Snowboard Team traveled to Catamount and Windham.
GS #1 @ Catamount
Grommet Boys (8-9)
1 Mike Craig
Menehune Boys (10-11)
1 Devin Mulgrew Farrell

Slopestyle #1
Grommet Boys (8-9)
3 Mike Craig
5 Andreas Muller

Menehune Boys (10-11)
2 Devin Mulgrew Farrell
4 Aslan Funk

GS #2 @ Windham
Grommet Boys (8-9)
1 Mike Craig

SL #1 @ Windham
Grommet Boys (8-9)
1 Mike Craig
Menehune Boys (10-11)
1 Devin Mulgrew Farrell

Freestyle Ski Team
Jan 8 Moguls @ Sunday River, Maine
Female
18 MURDY,Caitlin F2 Hun
19 SHUSTER,Sydney F3 Hun
22 DORIS,Chloe F3 Hun
23 DORIS,Danielle F1 Hun

Male
3 ROWLEY,Thomas M2 Hun
36 SHARPE,Harison M1 Hun
51 DORIS,Michael M2 Hun

Jan 9 Dual Moguls @ Sunday River, Maine
Male
2nd ROWLEY,Thomas

Female
6th MURDY,Caitlin

Alpine Ski Team
J4 RVW COUNCIL RACE @ Belleayre Mt. Jan 9th
Female
5 Amanda, Sujak
8 Havana, Luis
11 Montana L, Avagnano
14 Sarah A, Simon
17 Stefanie, Yudell
20 Vietta, Barnard
21 Bridget M, Corso
27 Iris Marie, Serrano
29 Taylor, Nolan
33 Amelia, Van Essche
43 Lisa E, Knuckey

Male
6 Deenae, Sujak
10 Mark, Yaroshevsky
12 Adam, Ostrowski
16 Chase A, Aveta
19 Drake, Hawks
23 Connor M, Corso
25 Matthew, Quine
29 Andrew, Zimny
32 Max A, Gal
33 Brendan V Corso
38 Bryan, Barlik
45 Zeev, Yaniv
46 Leach, Kody

HOVEY MEMORIAL @ Whiteface Mt Jan 8
5 Easton, Sabrina
16 Ostrowski, Izabella
45 Hoyt, Sophie
77 Hornik, Naomi

9 Kochan, Alan
16 Yudell, Jonathan
18 Knuckey, Adam
45 Hornik, Ezra

J3 CUP EAST @ Whiteface Jan 9
10 Yudell, Jonathan
11 Hornik, Ezra
25 Knuckey, Adam
31 Yaroshevsky, David
36 Soltys, Adrian

WEST MOUNTAIN EMPIRE EAST SL Jan 8
13 Armstrong, Jenna
18 Serrano, Heidi
19 Matecki, Emma
34 Perlick, Madison

13 Garvey, Daniel
36 Cwalina, Stefan
39 Longabucco, AJ
49 Billotti, Michael

WEST MOUNTAIN EMPIRE EAST SL Jan 9
11 Perlick, Madison
14 Armstrong, Jenna
19 Serrano, Heidi
20 Shutkind, Samara
35 Aveta, Brianne
44 Matecki, Emma

18 Garvey, Daniel
32 Longabucco, AJ
34 Cwalina, Stefan
48 Billotti, Michael
53 Van Essche, John-Paul

Stay tuned as our athletes fine tune their technique and travel to th next set of competitions.

Jim Catalano
Race Director - Head Coach Hunter Mountain
USSA L400 Certified Alpine Coach
USSA Coaches Education Instructor

Mikaela Shiffrin: Phenom (And A Good Person Too)

2011-01-05T18:45:00.001-05:00

If you haven't heard of Mikaela Shiffrin by now, you're obviously not following ski racing. Though the 15-year-old Mikaela has been on the radar screen of people "in the know" for several years now, she entered the international ski racing stratosphere last year at Topolino (for those not that well versed in ski racing, this yearly event in Italy brings together the best 13- and 14-year-old racers from around the world). Mikaela won the slalom by more than three seconds (Lindsay Vonn won the same race in 1999, but not by such an astounding margin). Mikaela also won the giant slalom, but by a more pedestrian .11 seconds. At the Eastern J3 Olympics later last winter, she won the slalom by more than 11 seconds. Yes, you heard me right, 11 seconds!

This season, being FIS eligible for the first time, Mikaela's has been nothing less than "en fuego" (on fire in Spanish), placing in the top 15 in her first seven FIS races (five of which were Nor-ams) starting from far back in the pack, followed by four top-3 results that included two victories.

Undoubtedly, Mikaela, who began skiing in Vail, moved on to the Ford Sayre Ski Club and the Lebanon Outing Club in New Hampshire, and is currently a student at Burke Mtn. Academy, is the latest phenom and "next big thing" of women's alpine ski racing, following in the footsteps of Lindsay, Julia Mancuso, and Lara Gut.

But this article isn't about anointing Mikaela as the next female superstar of alpine ski racing. We can't place the crown on her head until she actually reaches the pinnacle of our sport. And, let's be realistic, there are no guarantees; there have been, over the years, many "can't-miss" kids who, well, missed.

Though her results at such a young age are astonishing to say the least, given what I do for a living, what fascinates me is what enabled her to rise so quickly. At the same time, though few young racers will be phenoms or genuine superstars, I believe that much of what has made Mikaela successful can be of value to all racers and their parents to help them fully realize their ability and achieve their goals.

It's easy with athletes who achieve great success at an early age to just say that they were born to be great. Well, I can tell you that no one is born to do anything (according to her mother, Mikaela didn't have little ski boots on in the womb). Yes, ski racing, like many other sports, does require some necessary genetic capabilities (a basketball coach once said, "You can't teach height."). At the same time, as anyone who has read Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell or The Talent Code by Dan Coyle knows, it takes more than innate ability to become a superstar athlete. As Mikaela admits (and her coaches attest), though a very good athlete, she is not even the best female athlete at Burke. And if you lined her up with other racers her age, Mikaela wouldn't stand out physically.

I've been fortunate to get to know Mikaela in recent years. As a Burke alum, I've worked with BMA racers on the mental side of ski racing of which Mikaela has been a participant. Additionally, I've known Kirk Dwyer, Burke's headmaster and Mikaela's long-time coach (Adam Chadbourne has taken over her coaching this year), for many years. In writing this article, I draw on my own observations and interactions with Mikaela as well as lengthy discussions with Mikaela, Kirk, and her mother Eileen.

As I noted in a previous article, Bode Miller is my poster child for one kind of attitude, the I-don't-care-if-I-win-or-lose, go-fast-and-have-fun attitude, that is important for athletic success. Mikaela, in turn, exemplifies another type of attitude that is equally valuable to ski racing success.

The words that come to mind when I think about Mikaela are mature, humble, deliberate, calm, and grounded, not adjectives you would normally associate with a 15 year old, much less an athletic phenom. It's clear that who she is now is not only a reflection of her parents' attitude toward her ski racing, but also their values and the way they raise Mikaela and her older brother Taylor (an outstanding 18-year-old racer in his own right and an important role model for Mikaela).

Like most early successes, Mikaela's parents Eileen and Jeff were active in guiding her development. But, unlike many sport parents, my discussions with Eileen, a practicing nurse, found her to be unusually grounded in her attitude toward her daughter's development as both a ski racer and, more importantly, as a person. Yes, she and Jeff, an anesthesiologist, expect a lot of Mikaela, but those expectations are based in having a healthy perspective, giving her best effort, and being a good person. There is almost no talk in the Shiffrin household of results, points, rankings, or long-term outcome goals. Okay, Mikaela admits that she does have big goals, for example, winning World Cup races and Olympic gold, but they're mostly unspoken, just running in the background of her psyche.

When I asked Mikaela how she stays so grounded, she said that her parents are strict, they have a very close family and live a "small town" life, and she was always expected to show appreciation for all that she has been given. Burke has also played a big role in keeping her feet on the ground. Even with all of her successes, when she returns to campus, she's just another student who has to attend classes, clean her dorm, and do kitchen duty. Unlike young superstars in other sports, Mikaela receives no special treatment and lives a pretty normal life. And, not surprisingly, she's universally liked at Burke and on the racing circuit; she's considered a good friend, a good teammate, and a good sport.

I asked Mikaela what her greatest strength as a ski racer is and, much to my pleasure, she said her mental approach (Kirk and her mother agreed). In our recent conversation, several things stood out the most that I think have played a significant role in Mikaela's success to this point. She is incredibly motivated to achieve her goals, the first one on the hill and the last one off. Rare among young athletes in my experience, Mikaela is hungry for knowledge and improvement, and she's a real student of the sport. Despite her great successes, she is always looking for ways to go faster. As a result, Kirk says that Mikaela is eminently coachable and a joy to work with.

And Mikaela said the absolute most important thing for her ski racing is to have fun! Having been on the hill with Mikaela and her Burke teammates on some brutally cold days, I can attest to the fact that, even when there's not a lot of joy in training, Mikaela always seems to have a smile on her face (at least when she's not focused on course).

Not surprisingly, Mikaela is incredibly confident, never harboring doubts about her ability to ski fast. But, as Mikaela notes herself, her confidence doesn't come from her results, but from the total preparation she feels when she gets in the starting gate; she truly believes that no one on the hill that day is better prepared than she. Mikaela also handles pressure as if, well, there is no pressure (as evidenced by her remarkable string of FIS results to start off this season). And she has a laser-like focus with the ability to block out distractions and focus intensely on the task at hand. Mikaela is also very calm and even keeled emotionally (probably inborn). And, again different from many other young superstars, she has no ego; Mikaela is humble, respectful, and considerate.

Two areas that raise red flags for me with phenoms are perfectionism and fear of failure, both qualities that can drive young athletes to great early success, but, as I discussed in previous articles (here and here), can in the long run, prevent them from continuing their success into the "major leagues." I can say with confidence that Mikaela has neither. She is what I would describe as an "excellentist," establishing very high (but attainable) expectations, but being able to accept that she will fail periodically. Mikaela has no fear of failure because her self-esteem (and her parents' love) are not connected to her results. I get the sense that if things don't pan out in her ski racing, she'd move on quickly and find success in some other area (because she has the attitude and life skills to succeed at anything).

Mikaela's athletic development, thanks in large part to Kirk's guidance, has also played a huge role in her early success. The focus has never been about results. Every aspect of her training is deliberate and purposeful. It has always been about the process, laying a solid foundation of physical, technical, tactical, and mental skills, with the belief that the results would flow naturally from that preparation. And a heavy dose of healthy perspective added to this winning recipe, keeping ski racing a part of Mikaela's life, but not life itself.

So, will Mikaela Shiffrin be the next female superstar of alpine ski racing? We'll surely find out in the next few years. But as someone who has been involved in this sport for many years, I can say unequivocally that Mikaela, her parents, and her coaches are doing all the right things to help her realize her dreams.

So let's summarize some of the lessons that racers and parents alike can learn from Mikaela:

• Keep ski racing (Sports - skiing, freestyle and snowboard) in perspective;
• Stay humble and grounded in family and being a normal kid;
• Work incredibly hard to achieve your goals;
• Be hungry to improve and be coachable;
• Focus on the process, not the outcome;
• Have a deliberate and purposeful development plan;
• Develop your mental skills (my favorite, of course!); and
• Oh yeah, and have fun!

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Watch my 2010 Winter Olympics Discovery Channel interview on fear in high-risk winter sports here.

Dr. Jim Taylor drjimtaylor.com,
knows the psychology of ski racing! He competed internationally for
Burke Mtn. Academy, Middlebury College, and the University of Colorado.
For the past 25 years, Dr. Jim has worked with many of America's leading
junior race programs as well as World Cup competitors from many
countries. He is the author of Prime Ski Racing Triumph of the Racer's Mind. Dr. Jim is also the author of two parenting books and speaks regularly to parents, students, and educators around the U.S..

Pablo and the Snowboard Team Athletes

2011-01-01T16:04:00.000-05:00

Five Tips For Quality Training

2010-12-28T19:36:00.001-05:00

There is nothing more important to achieving your ski racing goals than what you do in training. It is during training that you ingrain the physical, technical, tactical, and mental habits that will come out in races. If you establish good habits, you'll have a good chance of having a good race. But if you instill bad habits, those will come out and you'll have no chance of achieving your goals. Here are five tips that can help you get the most out of your training:

1. Have a goal and purpose. You must have a clear goal about what area you want to improve as you head out to training. For example, a good goal might be to shift your weight forward so you're not caught "in the back seat." You must also have a clear purpose for training each day. A purpose identifies specifically how you're going to achieve your goal for the day. Returning to the example I just cited, your purpose might be to drive your hands forward between turns or bring your hips up to get your weight forward.

When I'm working on the hill with racers, I will often ask them what their goal and purpose is. If they don't know, I don't let them train. I know that sounds harsh, but think of it this way. If you don't have a clear goal and purpose, you won't be working on anything to improve. You will not only not be getting better, but you will be making it harder to improve. Let me explain. When you're not working on something, you are practicing and further ingraining old habits. The more deeply ingrained those old technical, tactical, and mental habits get, the harder it is to change them. So, by not having you train if you don't have a clear goal or purpose, you may not be improving, but, at least, you're also not making it harder to improve.

2. Train like you race. When I ask coaches and racers whether they should train like they race or race like they train, the vast majority say race like you train. Their answer seems reasonable because if you could race in the same relaxed state as when you train, the chances are you'd ski well.

The problem is that racing like you train is impossible. Why? Because there is a big difference between training and races: races matter! So I say train like you race. Think about everything you need to think, feel, and do in a race and then replicate that in training. By doing so, you will practice and ingrain the skills and habits that you need to ski your best in races.

When I say train like you race, I don't mean trying to ski as fast as you can every run of training. The reality is that there are times in training when you will be focusing on technique or tactics rather than speed. When I say train like you race, I mean putting 100% effort, focus, and intensity into whatever you are working on.

Admittedly, you probably won't be able to train at 100%, but if you can up your efforts from, say, 70% to 90%, when you get to race day, you'll have little trouble kicking it up to 100% because your mind and body know that it's time to race.
By training like you race, you won't need to do anything new or different. And races won't feel like a big deal because you've been skiing at that high level in training. All of those great skills and habits that you instilled in training will naturally come out and you'll be able to ski your fastest.

3. Use keywords to maintain focus. Perhaps the greatest challenge you face in improving the technical and tactical aspects of your skiing is maintaining focus in training. In fact, ski racing may be the most difficult sport in which to focus because there are so many things to focus on (e.g., course, terrain, snow conditions) and so many thing trying to distract you (e.g., speed, homework, people). For example, in the starting gate of a training course, you may be totally focused on, say, keeping your hands up. But, as soon as you leave the gate, you find you have a lot more important things to focus on, such as survival!

As soon as you lose your focus, you lose your ability to work on that thing you were focusing on in the starting gate. Here's a simple rule: If you don't focus on it, you won't work on it. If you don't work on it, you won't learn it. And if you don't learn it, you won't be able to use it in a race.

The best way I have found to maintain focus on a training course is to develop and repeat a keyword that will remind you to focus on and practice what you are working on to improve. Returning to my example of keeping your hands up, think up a simple keyword (best to have it one or two syllables and active), such as up, drive, press, or forward. Then, in the starting gate and during the entire training run, repeat the keyword to yourself (out loud if necessary). If you're saying the keyword, you have a much better chance of not being distracted, keeping the focus on the technique you're working on, actually practicing it the entire training run, and ingraining it so that it is automatic.

4. Make mistakes. One of the most frustrating aspects of developing as a ski racer are the mistakes that you make as you work to improve. Unlike in other sports, the consequences of mistakes in ski racing are dramatic and sometimes painful, in the forms of blowing out in training courses or crashing in races. Yet, racers often don't realize that mistakes are an essential part of becoming a better racer. In fact, many racers view mistakes as failure; if they didn't have a perfect run, they've failed. In fact, many racers I see bail out of courses at the first hint of trouble. But mistakes only mean failure when you give in to them, don't learn from them, and keep repeating them.

Mistakes are a natural part of the learning process and offer you valuable information about what you need to work on. Mistakes are actually positive signs in ski racing because they mean you're taking risks, moving out of your comfort zone, and working to improve. If you are not making mistakes, you're just not pushing yourself to be your best.

Rarely has there ever been a perfect race run, even by World Cup racers. The best ski racers in the world make mistakes, so if you're not at that level, you shouldn't be surprised that you make mistakes too. What makes World Cup racers different is not that they don't make mistakes, but rather how they respond to them. Instead of getting frustrated, angry, and depressed when they make mistakes, the best racers stay positive and motivated. And, importantly, they learn from their mistakes so they don't make them again. To ensure that mistakes mean success, immediately after a mistake, identify what exactly you did incorrectly, decide what you need to do to correct it, and focus on the correction on the next run.

5. Have patience, persistence, and perseverance. Two significant barriers to achieving your ski racing goals are frustration and discouragement. Let's face it, ski racing is filled with obstacles, plateaus, and setbacks, and it's easy to just want to give up. I think it's especially hard for young racers these days because all of the messages they get from popular culture is that success should easy and they shouldn't have to work that hard to get it. But that's just not the way the real world works. Gosh, pursuing excellence is just plain difficult. That's why most people never get there, because they quit when it gets hard.

I read a research study once that said that it takes 2,000 repetitions of a skill to ingrain it fully. The problem is that you can't just make that many repetitions to really learn something. Rather, you have to have 2,000 quality repetitions, which means you may need to do several thousand more to get to that number. Also, other research shows that those who achieve excellence have put in thousands of hours of practice.

If you're going to achieve your ski racing goals, you need the 3 Ps of training. The first P is patience, really understanding that there is no magic and there are no quick and easy paths to success. You must be willing to accept that it will take a long time to reach your goals. The second P is persistence, which means keeping up maximum effort even when you are tired, bored, cold, and wishing you could somewhere else. The third P is perseverance, which involves facing and overcoming those obstacles, plateaus, and setbacks that are an inevitable part of the climb up the steep mountain to your goals.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Watch my 2010 Winter Olympics Discovery Channel interview on fear in high-risk winter sports here.

Dr. Jim Taylor drjimtaylor.com,
knows the psychology of ski racing! He competed internationally for
Burke Mtn. Academy, Middlebury College, and the University of Colorado.
For the past 25 years, Dr. Jim has worked with many of America's leading
junior race programs as well as World Cup competitors from many
countries. He is the author of Prime Ski Racing Triumph of the Racer's Mind. Dr. Jim is also the author of two parenting books and speaks regularly to parents, students, and educators around the U.S..

Do You Want A Gifted Or Hard-Working Athlete?

2010-12-26T21:07:00.003-05:00

Giftedness is revered in our culture; inborn talent—whether intellectual, athletic, or artistic—ensures that children will be successful. How many times have you heard “Bode Miller was born to ski race” or “Lindsay Vonn was destined to greatness?” Well, let me clear something up: No one is born to do anything, certainly not to ski race. The only thing that can be reasonably said is that some children are born with certain physiological attributes (e.g., body type) that can help them excel at ski racing. However, giftedness is no guarantee of success; the ski-racing world is full of gifted failures. Yet so many parents hope beyond hope that their children are gifted (and, by the way, 80% of parents surveyed believe their children are above average which, of course, is statistically impossible).

Children have also fallen for this myth of giftedness. Whenever I speak to young ski racers, I ask them whether they would rather be gifted or hardworking. With almost complete unanimity, children say they would rather be gifted. When you’re gifted, they say, everything is easy. Yet parents and young racers don’t realize that giftedness can be as much a cross to bear as, well, a gift.

Though I don't admit it to them, I would probably have to say that it is better to be gifted, because you can develop the hard work, whereas you can't be hard working and develop the giftedness. But it doesn't really matter because you have the ability you are born with and the only thing you can control is how hard you work.

Problems with Giftedness

Because gifted children succeed at an early age with little effort, they often have no ownership of their successes (“I won the race, but I didn’t even try.”). Without ownership, gifted children have difficulty learning the connection between their efforts and their outcomes. They can’t say, “I did well because I worked hard.” They may also develop the belief that they will always succeed in the future without effort.

Another problem with being labeled as gifted is that natural ability is not something that children can control. Gifted children don’t earn their giftedness; they were just lucky that their parents gave them good genes. Also, when gifted children succeed, they, of course, attribute their success to their ability. Unfortunately, when they fail—which they inevitably will sooner or later—they tend to attribute their failures to their lack of ability and, as I just noted, there’s nothing they can do about it.

Challenges of Being Gifted

Because they’re gifted, these children experience early success and little or no failure. These young racers win JOs ,qualify for Topolino, and are on the fast track to the U.S. Ski Team. But sooner or later they reach a level where everyone is gifted (e.g., the USST). At this point, giftedness isn’t what makes these children special, because they’re all gifted. And their giftedness isn’t what ultimately determines who becomes truly successful. What separates those children who are simply gifted from those who are gifted and successful is whether they developed the skills to maximize their gifts.

Unfortunately, these children will find that their inborn talent is no longer sufficient to be successful. Because everything comes so easily to them, many never learn the skills—hard work, persistence, patience, perseverance, discipline—that will enable them to become truly successful. Also, at some point, gifted children do something that they’ve never done before—they fail—and this can be a traumatic experience. Because they have never failed before, they didn’t develop the tools to respond positively to failure. It is common for gifted children to either quit or start to underachieve when first faced with failure.

Redefining Giftedness

The value of giftedness—or the harm it causes—depends on how you and your children look at it. If you and they buy into our culture’s view of giftedness (i.e., a free pass to success), then, yes, I believe that giftedness will be as much of a burden as a boon. At the same time, giftedness can be a wonderful opportunity for children to accomplish great things.
Here’s what I recommend. If you think your young racer may be gifted, have them assessed by impartial experts—parents are notoriously poor judges of their children’s capabilities. If your children truly are gifted, don’t tell them. There’s no point. Labeling children as gifted places unnecessary pressure on them. And whether gifted or not, there’s nothing they can do about it anyway. If they find out they’re gifted, tell them that they’re fortunate to have this talent, but it’s only a starting point. Whether it is ever fully realized is entirely up to them.

Erase Giftedness From Your Vocabulary

Instead of emphasizing your children’s giftedness (“You are such a talented ski racer”), you should talk to them about the attitudes and skills that under their control and that they will need to fully realize their talents (“You worked really hard in preparing for that race”). Gifted young racers will only achieve true success if they have a passion for the sport, choose to pursue their talent, develop the skills necessary to maximize their gifts, and make every effort to maximize their abilities. If your children aren’t gifted, that’s fine too, because they may have talents that haven’t yet been discovered and, if they learn the right skills, they can still do their best and become pretty darned successful.

Potential Is a Pipe Dream

Another word that is closely linked to giftedness is potential. I regularly hear parents and coaches saying, “She has unlimited potential.” But, as a basketball coach once said, “All potential means is that you haven’t done a darned thing yet.” When children are labeled as having potential, they’re being told that they have something that they might not have and are being saddled with an expectation that they may not be able to fulfill. Saying children have potential is saying that we can predict who will become successful with great certainty. Yet we’re lousy at predicting who becomes successful in ski racing, others sports, school, the arts, or any other achievement area.

Think of all of the “can’t miss” kids who missed. For example, National Football League teams spend tens of millions of dollars each year trying to identify which college players will become superstars, yet these efforts often go for naught. I have two names for you: Ryan Leaf and JaMarcus Russell. Both were number-one draft picks who seemed destined to be superstars. Yet, both have been busts.

I recommend that you erase the word potential from your vocabulary as well. Instead, I use the phrase “fully realize their ability.” This means that whatever ability your children were born with—and no one knows how much ability any child has—the goal is to help them do everything they can to fully realize that ability.

It’s about Hard Work

Contrary to what many parents think, giftedness is actually overrated as a contributor to success. Dr. Anders Ericsson, a professor at Florida State University, has studied expert performance in sports, music, mathematics, and other activities for more than 30 years. He found that so-called innate ability was unnecessary to predict who would become most successful. The single greatest predictor of who would be become successful was how many hours they devoted to the activity and the quality of their practice. In a nutshell, the more they practiced, the better they were. Focusing on hard work will teach your children essential life skills—persistence, patience, perseverance, discipline, time management, and how to overcome obstacles, setbacks, frustration, and failure—that will enable them to fully realize their ability.

A Concluding Example: Successful, But Not Gifted

I used to work with a junior race program in Colorado. There was one athlete on the team, I’ll call him Rick, who was really terrible. Everyone knew it, including Rick himself. Yet Rick was my poster child for the value of hard work. He was the first one at training in the morning and the last one off the hill at the end of the day. Rick put in more time in the weight room, took care of his equipment better, and watched videos, read about, and talked to coaches about ski racing more than any other athlete on the team. At races, Rick was consistently one of the worst finishers on the team. He was never going to be a good ski racer. Most people would call him a loser. “What a waste of time for Rick,” they would say, “Why do something that you stink at?” Can you imagine working so hard and never seeing tangible results from your efforts? Thankfully, Rick was raised with a different perspective on his ski racing participation. He didn’t care about results. He just loved to ski race.

Though Rick was never going to have ski racing success, he was learning essential life skills that would serve him well later in life. Sooner or later, Rick was going to find something for which he had an aptitude and, combined with these life skills, he was going to be incredibly successful. After high school, Rick went to a good college, applied everything he learned from his ski racing to his academics, did extremely well, and is currently finishing medical school with an eye on a career in sports medicine. Rick, who was the antithesis of gifted in his sport, is what I call a success in every sense of the word.

Follow me on Facebook, Twitter, or YouTube. Watch my 2010 Winter Olympics Discovery Channel interview on fear in high-risk winter sports here.

Dr. Jim Taylor drjimtaylor.com,
knows the psychology of ski racing! He competed internationally for
Burke Mtn. Academy, Middlebury College, and the University of Colorado.
For the past 25 years, Dr. Jim has worked with many of America's leading
junior race programs as well as World Cup competitors from many
countries. He is the author of Prime Ski Racing Triumph of the Racer's Mind. Dr. Jim is also the author of two parenting books and speaks regularly to parents, students, and educators around the U.S..

SNOWBOARD - USSA Training Systems

2010-12-24T06:50:00.004-05:00

USSA Training Systems
The SNOWBOARD guidelines are laid out in the following training system outlines.

Click on the image below to view larger.

http://trainingsystem.ussa.org/

Freestyle U.S. Selections Day 2

2010-12-21T15:40:00.001-05:00

Men’s Mogul Final Results

Thomas Rowley 24th

Tucker Warman 38th

Watch for results from the exciting Men's Dual Mogul Final tomorrow.

Hunter alpine skier places in top 10 in two days

2010-12-19T20:59:00.002-05:00

Hunter alpine skier Dan Garvey placed 8th in the NORTHWOOD SCHOOL ALUMNI GIANT SLALOM on Dec. 18th and 10th in the NATIONAL SPORTS ACADEMY ALUMNI GS on Dec. 19th.

Freestyle U.S. Selections Day 1

2010-12-19T20:46:00.002-05:00

Moguls Selections event in Steamboat is live today on the web. Watch the athletes take the first step and to try to earn world cup starts for the season.

Two Hunter Mountain athletes, Thomas Rowley and Tucker Warman competed today in day one of the U.S. Freestyle Selections.

Thomas was 32nd overall and Tucker was 44th overall.

Click here for official results.

Watch for more news from coach Brook Cleveland.

SWIX and BRIKO clinic

2010-12-11T21:35:00.002-05:00

Thank you to Mike Grisdale and Chris Law from SWIX and to Aaron Schwalb from FISCHER - BRIKO for coming to Hunter Mountain.

USSA EASTERN J4 SPEED PROJECT

2010-12-11T21:30:00.002-05:00

Congratulations to Hunter Mountain Alpine J4 athletes Deenae Sujak, Rebecca Arencibia (alt) and Austin Lilley (alt) for being picked to participate in a one-day Eastern USSA speed project for year of births 1998 & 1999 at Labrador Mountain, NY under the direction of Alex Krebs USSA Eastern Youth Competition and Development Manager.

U.S. Freestyle Selections

2010-12-11T21:25:00.002-05:00

Please cheer on Hunter Mountain Freestyle athletes Thomas Rowley and Tucker Warman as they head out to Steamboat Colorado with Hunter coach Brook Cleveland to compete in the U.S. Freestyle Selections.

Join NYSSRA Today - Winter is Here!

2010-12-08T13:51:00.000-05:00

Thanks to all of you who have already joined NYSSRA for the 2011 season. We welcome you to lots of fun, competition and challenge. If you haven't yet joined please do it today. You can register online - go to www.nyssra.org - to Online Membership Form Here, just above NYSSRA Information box.

Shortly after Jan 1st NYSSRA will establish quotas for selection to Eastern championships events. You need to be a current member for consideration. Join before Jan 1st to be counted.

Council quotas to J3 & J4 State Championships will be established by membership figures. It's a great time to join NYSSRA if you haven't already done so.

Thank you!

Eastern Freestyle Registration

2010-12-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

Hello all!

Just a reminder that all registration for Eastern Freestyle events is run through the Eastern registration page.

Thanks!
Deb

Go Big!
Deb

Deb Newson
Chairman
USSA Freestyle, Eastern Division
chairman@easternfreestyle.org
802.770.0002

Raise Successful Achievers

2010-12-07T15:33:00.001-05:00

Parents who want their children to achieve something called “success” may find that this goal conflicts with their desire for their children to also become happy. Achieving success, as typically defined by our culture, emphasizes wealth and social status, and is often at odds with what the research has shown to produce happiness. A perusal of the psychology section of any bookstore shows that the goal of achieving success by itself is inadequate. As Dr. Jack Wetter, a Los Angeles clinical psychologist, observes, “On the one side, you’ve got books on how to raise achieving, successful children. And across from that, you’ve got books for adults on how to overcome your depression and increase your self-esteem.” So success is simply not enough.

The goal of parents should be to raise successful achievers. Successful achievers are very different from children who simply achieve success. In the latter case, children are successful, for example, they get straight As in school, are top athletes, or star in the performing arts, but are also unhappy. In contrast, parents who want to raise successful achievers view success and happiness as mutually inclusive; success without happiness is not success at all.

The development of successful achievers comes from fostering the Three Pillars of Successful Achievers: self-esteem, ownership, and emotional mastery. These three areas provide the foundation for raising children who become successful, happy, value-driven, and contributing adults.

First Pillar: Self-esteem

Self-esteem has been perhaps the most misunderstood and misused developmental factor in recent generations. In the last few decades, parents were led to believe that self-esteem developed if a child felt loved and valued. This belief caused parents to love and encourage and support and reward and reinforce their children regardless of what their children actually did.

Yet, this “unconditional love” is only one half of the self-esteem equation. The second part is that children need to develop a sense of competence and mastery over their world. Most basically, children must learn that their actions matter, that their actions have consequences. If they do good things, good things happen. If they do bad things, bad things happen. And, importantly, if they do nothing, nothing happens.

The only way for children to develop this sense of competence is for them to try things, succeed, and, yes, experience failure. Unfortunately, parents make two mistakes in their ill-advised attempts to develop this sense of competence in their children. First, they try to convince their children how capable they are by telling them they are the most wonderful, talented, amazing children. The problem with this approach is that life has a way of showing children who have been convinced that they are exceptional by their parents that, well, they really aren't. Second, out of a misguided belief that failure would hurt their children's self-esteem, many parents did their best to "protect" their children from failure. In doing so, children couldn't learn from and gain competence from their mistakes and parents created the very thing that they wanted to avoid, namely, children with low self-esteem.

Yes, children need to feel loved and secure to develop high self-esteem. But, just as importantly, they must feel a sense of competence in their capabilities to navigate their increasingly complex world.

Second Pillar: Ownership

Out of fear that their children won't become as successful as their parents want them to be, many parents make their children their little "achievement projects," managing and micromanaging their children to ensure they do everything they need to achieve success. In doing so, these parents steal their children's lives by taking ownership of their achievement activities. These parents place the burden of their own self-esteem on their children's shoulders, a crushing weight I assure you. Though these efforts are often well-intentioned (these parents love their children and want them to be successful), the result is that children feel no sense of ownership or responsibility for their own efforts. Without this ownership of their lives and goals, children have little incentive to work hard toward those goals (except perhaps out of fear that their parents won't love them). The children end up thinking, “This isn't mine, so why should I even try.” These children come to hate the achievement activity in which they participate because they feel forced to do it and usually end up quitting, even something they once loved.

Many parents with whom I consult complain that their children have lost their motivation and it's my job to find their motivation (as if it has gotten lost behind their dresser or under their bed). But the question isn't where did they lost their motivation, but rather what is suppressing it. The amazing (and paradoxical) thing is that when parents relinquish ownership of their children's achievement activities, they free their children to regain ownership and passion for them.

Children need to gain a sense of ownership of their life’s interests, efforts, and achievements. This ownership means that they engage in an activity out of an enduring love for it, because they see its value, or because it is necessary to achieve their goals, and, as a result, have an internally-derived motivation to do their best. They think "This is mine, so I want to do my best." This ownership also provides them with an immense source of gratification and pride from their efforts that further motivates them to strive higher in their achievement activities.

Third Pillar: Emotional Mastery

The third pillar of successful achievers, emotional mastery, is perhaps the most neglected aspect of children’s development. Despite its obvious importance, where do children learn about emotions? Either from their parents (now that could be a scary idea) or from popular culture (which rarely shows healthy expression of emotions). Also, parents have been led to believe that allowing their children to experience negative emotions, such as frustration, anger, and sadness, will somehow hurt their self-esteem. So parents placate, assuage, comfort, and distract their children from these emotions and attempt to create artificial positive emotions (by praising and buying things for them). The problem is that emotions are two sides of the same coin. Children can't experience love, happiness, joy, excitement, unless they are allowed to experience frustration, anger, and sadness.

Parents who protect their children from their emotions are actually interfering with their children’s emotional growth. These children end up never learning how to deal effectively with their emotions because they have little experience with their emotions and enter adulthood ill-equipped for its emotional demands. Only by being allowed to experience the full range of emotions are children able to figure out what emotions they are feeling, what the emotions mean to them, and how they can express them in healthy ways.

Emotional mastery is not the absence of emotions, but rather the ability to recognize emotions, understand where they came from, and express them in healthy ways. Children who do not develop emotionally can still achieve success—we see many very successful businesspeople, professional athletes, and actors who are acclaimed—but the price they pay is often discontentment and unhappiness in their successes (as expressed in, for example, immaturity, narcissism, alcohol and drug abuse, and divorce). Emotional mastery enables children to not only become successful, but also to find satisfaction and joy in their efforts, in other words, to become successful achievers.

How to Raise Successful Achievers

The ability of your children to become successful achievers will be grounded in essential beliefs that you foster in them. Drs. Aubrey Fine and Michael Sachs, the authors of Total Sports Experience for Kids, offer a valuable summary of those beliefs (I have added numbers #1 and #7, and the parenthetical comments):

1. I am loved (sense of value),
2. I am capable (sense of competence),
3. It is important to try (value of effort),
4. I am responsible for my day (sense of ownership),
5. It is okay to make mistakes (accept failure),
6. I can handle things when they go wrong (response to adversity),
7. I enjoy what I do (value of passion and joy),
8. I can change (being a master).

Dr. Jim Taylor drjimtaylor.com,
knows the psychology of ski racing! He competed internationally for
Burke Mtn. Academy, Middlebury College, and the University of Colorado.
For the past 25 years, Dr. Jim has worked with many of America's leading
junior race programs as well as World Cup competitors from many
countries. He is the author of Prime Ski Racing Triumph of the Racer's Mind. Dr. Jim is also the author of two parenting books and speaks regularly to parents, students, and educators around the U.S..

GAME ON

2010-12-02T11:25:00.005-05:00

PARENTS MEETING
Where:
Schoharie Conference Room (Located between the Main base Lodge and the CopperTree Restaurant)
When:
Saturday December 4
Who:
New Parents Meeting
On Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10am-12 noon, we will be holding a meeting for parents of athletes who are new to the programs this season.

All Parents Meeting
On the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 4, from 2-5pm, there will be a meeting/mixer for ALL parents of athletes, both new and returning.

TRAINING BEGINS
Sunday, 8:30a.m., December 5. Go to the Meeting Place, located near the BOTTOM of B-LIFT. Look for the tall Red feather flag and Black meeting place banner. All groups (Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard) meet here.

Please come prepared to be on-snow and off snow.

Wax Seminar

2010-11-29T12:54:00.002-05:00

U.S. Snowboard Team Member Louie Vito

2010-11-24T11:15:00.000-05:00

Monster Energy's Louie Vito, Zak Hale, and Harrison Gordon hit up Mammoth for opening weekend of the 2010/2011 snow season!

Waiting on WINTER

2010-11-24T08:52:00.005-05:00

I would like to wish you and your family a Happy and safe Thanksgiving.

THINK SNOW!

Reminder:
PARENTS MEETING
Where:
Schoharie Conference Room (Located between the Main base Lodge and the CopperTree Restaurant)
When:
Saturday December 4
Who:
New Parents Meeting
On Saturday, Dec. 4, from 10am-12 noon, we will be holding a meeting for parents of athletes who are new to the programs this season.

All Parents Meeting
On the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 4, from 2-5pm, there will be a meeting/mixer for ALL parents of athletes, both new and returning.

TRAINING BEGINS
Sunday, December 5. Go to the Meeting Place, located near the BOTTOM of B-LIFT. Look for the tall Red feather flag and Black meeting place banner. All groups (Alpine, Freestyle and Snowboard) meet here.

Freestyle - USSA Freestyle Training System Matrix

2010-11-24T08:40:00.003-05:00

USSA has recently released the FREESTYLE TRAINING SYSTEM matrix. This document is in line with the Long Term Athlete Development model being followed by USSA and many sport organizations.

Please make this apart of your educational and reference materials. It is the first step in understanding correct training procedures and athlete limitations based on biological age and chronological age.

For more information click HERE. You will directed to the USSA Athlete Training Systems webpage.

Alexis Newman (Hunter Alpine Team Member) will be on the Today Show (NBC)

2010-11-22T09:16:00.000-05:00

Hello Family & Friends,
On Tuesday morning, November 23rd Alexis will be on the Today Show (NBC) as part of a choir of 40 students (3rd - 10th grade) singing backup for Susan Boyle. They will be doing holiday songs and will probably be broadcast sometime between 8 -9am. Hopefully they will show the whole choir. They are also supposed to be at the tree lighting ceremony on Tuesday evening, November 30th. I'm not sure what channel that will be on. So if you can take a look or set your VCR's, DVD's, DVR's, Tivo, etc. Sony hired Alexis's elementary school choir teacher to put this together, so that's how this all came about. Have a Great Thanksgiving! - Grace & Alan Newman

2010 USST Moguls Training Camp Zermatt, Switzerland

2010-11-19T09:02:00.001-05:00

U.S. Snowboarding Team works out at the Center of Excellence in Park City, Utah

2010-11-19T09:00:00.003-05:00

Canyons & USSA Announce Grand Prix SBX

2010-11-19T08:39:00.001-05:00

Local effort to keep winter Empire State Games alive in Lake Placid (update)

2010-11-19T08:35:00.000-05:00

November 18, 2010 - By ERIC VOORHIS, For the Enterprise

LAKE PLACID - As of Wednesday, the Empire State Games were canceled due to the state's budget crisis. Now, the annual winter competitions are back on.

Officials from the village of Lake Placid, towns of North Elba and Wilmington, state Olympic Regional Development Authority, Lake Placid Convention and Visitors Bureau, and the Whiteface Regional Visitors Bureau announced this morning that they will tag-team to keep the games going.

"Everything starts with a dream and a vision, just as it did for Melvil Dewey and Lake Placid when they decided to pursue the 1932 (Winter) Olympics," village Mayor Craig Randall said during a press conference in the village Beach House. "We could allow this event to go away, or we could take advantage of this as an opportunity."

The pool of resources between organizations and communities, experience and a history of hosting similar events will make the event possible in February 2011, according to Randall.

"We have all the resources we need to put this together so that the games are perpetual," he added.

News of the Empire State Games being left off the state's 2011 budget came Tuesday, when athletes were informed of the cancellation by Winter Games administrator Lisa Del Signore.

The cancellation quickly led to discussion between community leaders about a solution, according to North Elba Supervisor Roby Politi.

"We have the community spirit to do this," Politi said. "Most importantly we have to think about the young athletes who come here and feel the magic of the Olympic legacy. We don't want that magic to die."

Earlier this year, more than 1,200 athletes from around the state traveled to Lake Placid to participate in the winter version of the games, which include sports like downhill and cross-country skiing, ski jumping, figure skating and women's ice hockey.

Although a full economic impact statement has not been drafted, James McKenna, president and CEO of the Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the event typically brings in "well over 1 million dollars to the region."

"But it's not entirely about the money," McKenna said. "It's to keep the tradition going and give these young athletes something to strive for."

The cost for communities and organizations involved was unclear, but McKenna said a budget would be worked out in coming weeks.

"We've gotten a hold of the budget from last year, but we haven't put it all together yet," McKenna said. "It would not be right for us to put a number out there right now."

"We've all faced budgets like this," Politi added. "With so many partners, I think it's something we can do fairly easily."

Both Randall and McKenna pointed out that the state has never gone after sponsorships in the past, something officials plan to do to help cut costs.

Wilmington Supervisor Randy Preston said he was "100 percent behind partnering to make sure this happens" and spoke about the importance of youth athletes in the area.

The facilities and venue management are already prepared to host the games, according to Ted Blazer, president and CEO of ORDA.

"We're prepared to once again invite these athletes back," Blazer said. "For many of them, this event is the culmination of the training, and I applaud the community for pushing this to go forward."

Statements from state officials were also supportive.

"Great news," Assemblywoman Teresa Sayward said in a prepared statement. "Partnerships like this are necessary to keep great programs such as this in place."

The fate of the summer, senior and physically challenged Empire State Games are still uncertain. They would have been held in the Rochester area. WHEC television news has reported that local officials there are also trying to still stage the games without state funding.

Randall said the efforts under way in Lake Placid will be a "huge success"

"There's a lot of teamwork that will go into this," he said. "But we have the people and we have the resources to make it happen. As a community, this is what we do."

The event is scheduled for Feb. 18-20, 2011. For more information and event schedules, visit lakeplacid.com.

http://adirondackdailyenterprise.com/page/content.detail/id/521557/Local-effort-to-keep-winter-Empire-State-Games-alive-in-Lake-Placid--update-.html?nav=5047

Check out the USST moguls crew training Vail Mountain!

2010-11-18T22:23:00.000-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=1666411710422

NY cancels 2011 Empire State Games

2010-11-17T15:23:00.000-05:00

Message from NYSSRA:
NYSSRA will still hold the events at Whiteface. Details to follow.

Report:
NY cancels 2011 Empire State Games

Associated Press

ALBANY — A published report says the 2011 Empire State Games have been canceled because of New York's $9 billion budget gap.

The Poughkeepsie Journal reports that Winter Games administrator Lisa Del Signore has written a letter to athletes informing them that the winter, summer, senior and games for the physically challenged have been canceled.

The winter games were scheduled for late February in Lake Placid and the summer games were set for Rochester in late July. The Olympic-style games are run by the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation.

The newspaper reports that Del Signore's letter said the agency has been told by the Paterson administration that there will be no state funding for the games.

The summer games were canceled in 2009 because of budget cuts.

Bode's Road to Redemption

2010-11-17T15:12:00.004-05:00

Hello Hunter Mountain Competition Families,
Continuing with the articles provided by Dr. Jim Taylor, here is the most recent. While you may have your opinions of Bode Miller, I can tell you that I have been a big fan of his since 2000. I admire his spirit, passion and outlook (at least what we know) of sport. Say what you want, Bode is one of the most influential people in our sport as we know it today. Below is Dr. Jim Taylor's article.
Enjoy. - Jim Cat

I don't know Bode Miller personally, though I have had lengthy discussions with athletes and coaches who know him well. And I have followed Bode's career since he first stepped into those then-oddly shaped K2 skis back in the early 1990s.

Bode has always been my poster child for the attitude to have toward sports competition (and life, for that matter). Bode never cared about results, only about skiing "as fast as the natural universe will allow," as Bode put it in his autobiography, Bode: Go Fast, Be Good, Have Fun. He wasn't afraid to fail or to fall. Bode always had a fundamental faith his road was the correct one for him even when others thought he had taken a wrong turn and gotten lost. And, more than anything, he knew who he was and was true to who he was. From the early days when he would rarely finish races and, despite his coaches' urging, would not back it off a notch, to his breathtaking double silver medal performances in Salt Lake City in 2002, to his widely reported and criticized flameout in Turin in 2006, to his stunning performances in Vancouver, Bode was Bode for good, bad, or ugly. And every young ski racer and his or her parents can learn from Bode's journey.

So how did Bode arrive at this current junction in his journey, this crossroad of redemption and glory. It was an unlikely road in many ways. Bode was never the typical sort of ski racer growing up in New England. He was raised in a cabin with no running water or electricity in rural New Hampshire by rather hippyish parents. He was homeschooled until fourth grade. Bode never took ski lessons. And, oddly enough, competitive tennis seemed to be in his future because his parents owned a well-known tennis camp.

Regardless of which athletic road Bode took, he was destined to take the road less traveled. But he was not destined for ski-racing greatness. Bode was not a phenom, having never competed at the Topolino Games and never won a medal at the World Junior Championships (in contrast to Lindsay Vonn who won gold and silver, respectively, at those events).

When he arrived at the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City, Bode's legend had yet to precede him onto the media stage, though he was obviously well known in the ski racing world, having competed in the 1998 Olympics and won his first World Cup race in 2001. His two silver medals in Salt Lake City thrust Bode's skiing and his counterculture personality into the spotlight.

Bode continued to be a force on the international ski racing scene leading up to the 2006 Olympics in Turin, Italy, but there was the feeling among many in the sport that, though he had great success in the intervening years, his contrarian side prevented him from truly dominating the sport year in and year out.

As the media does with one athlete at every Olympics, it anointed Bode the "Face of the 2006 Olympics" and placed Atlas-like expectations (five gold medals) on his shoulders. And Bode accepted that burden, a mistake with 20/20 hindsight. He appeared on almost every conceivable magazine cover, was on television constantly, and was a ubiquitous presence on line. Even worse, Bode allowed himself to be commandeered by the advertising juggernaut (though he earned many millions of dollars in the process). In sum, Bode became a pop culture icon, a role that stood in sharp contradiction to his simple upbringing and his antiestablishment sensibilities.

Bode was always at his best when he lived his life on his own terms, when he was focused solely on Bode. Yet, heading into the 2006 Games, his life was no longer his own. He had, whether consciously or otherwise, sold his soul to a devil that he truly didn't value. And it is a cautionary tale that even a strong-willed, backwoods denizen like Bode could be seduced by fame and fortune. Leading up to the Games, Bode seemed to lose perspective, lose focus, and, most harmfully, lose himself. His reported partying and his failure to win medals there were perhaps unconscious attempts to regain control of his life and to show everyone that, despite appearances, Bode Miller was still his own man who couldn't be bought or sold. Unfortunately, both the partying and poor results also kept him from being true to the ski racer in him that only cared about skiing as fast as he could.

Much transpired since 2006 for Bode, with both highs, that included a 2008 World Cup overall title and the birth of a daughter, and lows, including a career worst season in 2009, injuries, the appearance of burn-out, and talk of retirement.

Yet, one thing I have always admired about Bode is that, though he follows his own road, that road can take many forks. So, for 2010, Bode decided to leave his independent ski-racing life and rejoin the comforts – and constraints – of the U.S. Ski Team. Why such a shift? Perhaps it was the birth of his child, or a wish for Olympic redemption after 2006, or the realization that it was too difficult or too lonely going it alone, or, at age 32, seeing the mortality of his career for the first time, or just plain growing up. Regardless, Bode was, once again, living his life on his terms, even though those terms had changed.

With the arrival of the 2010 Olympic Games in Vancouver, Bode was off the radar screen due to generally mediocre results on the World Cup last season. No Sirens-like seduction by the media, no Herculean expectations, just another opportunity for Bode to ski the way only Bode can. The result: Bode winning a complete set of Olympic medals (gold, silver, and bronze). But, more importantly, Bode having fun and describing his races the way he did during his previous heydays, not in terms of victories, but in that "absolutely amazing" feeling when "you…magically ski at your absolute best."

The long road that Bode Miller has traveled as a ski racer has not reached its conclusion – he is back for another year in the White Circus – but he has arrived at a rest stop known as redemption. But this redemption was not to his sport or his fans and certainly not to the media who placed him on Mt. Olympus and then summarily yanked him from its peak. Bode owes them nothing. Bode's redemption comes from being true to himself and living his life on his own terms regardless of the consequences. It also comes from his accepting what life has throw at him with equanimity and learning its lessons to make the road smoother ahead.

So, Bode, enjoy the sweet elixir of victory on your own terms and appreciate the journey you've taken up till now. But, most importantly, realize that, whether racing down the snow-covered mountains of the world or with your daughter on your farm in New Hampshire, the road ahead will continue to be what it has been thus far for you, sometimes smooth, sometimes bumpy, but always interesting with unexpected vistas around the corner and always on your own terms. And that is a journey that I think we would all like to be on.

U.S. Freestyle Champs Return To Stratton

2010-11-12T22:48:00.001-05:00

BOSTON (Nov. 12) – Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney announced the 2011 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships are returning to New England, today at the Boston Ski and Snowboard Expo. The event will be heading to Stratton Mountain, VT March 25-28.

The 2011 venue was announced during the Expo at Boston's Seaport World Trade Center, one of the more popular consumer ski shows in the country. Offering nearly 600 acres of skiing, Stratton Mountain will host the Freestyle Championships for the first time since 1988.

“We’re very much looking forward to bringing the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships back to Stratton,” said Sky Foulkes, Stratton Mountain Resort President and COO. "The event will provide a great draw to the area and showcase the best freestyle athletes in the U.S. In the 25 years since Stratton last hosted this prestigious event, the sport has grown internationally as well as here locally. The athletes enrolled in the Allegro Program at Stratton, many of whom compete on the national platform, are very excited to welcome their heroes to their home mountain.”

"Events like the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Stratton Mountain help our brand stay emerged in action sports," said Sprint Senior Manager of Corporate Sponsorship Marketing Angie Lovett. "It is through our pairing with sport heroes like Olympic gold medalist Hannah Kearney that we are able to stay connected and relevant to a young audience who comprise a key demographic for Sprint."

Stratton Mountain is known as one of New England's top ski and snowboard resorts. With hundreds of acres of inbounds terrain, it is a popular winter getaway. Adding to its popularity are top ranked terrain parks, convenient lodging, a slopeside village, a sports center, spa and more.

"I'm pleased to share my home state (Vermont) for a great finale to the ski season," said Kearney. "I'm looking forward to Stratton hosting the Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships. It's nice to bring the event back to New England."

The four day event will launch in the terrain park on Friday, March 25 with men's and women's ski halfpipe. The 2011 season will close with men's and women's dual moguls on Monday, March 28.

"After a very successful site visit in early October, we came away looking forward to working with a group of passionate and experienced people at Stratton," said Vice President, Events Calum Clark. "The venues will prove both exciting and challenging. Athletes and families alike will love Stratton's beautiful location and ideal infrastructure. This will be a great event to end the 2010-11 freestyle season."

The Championships are a vital link for athletes seeking to make the U.S. Ski Team. Not only are medals on the line, but spots on the 2012 national team.

The event will be broadcast nationally on Versus, airing April 2 at 5 p.m. EST.

For more information about the 2011 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships at Stratton Mountain, visit the U.S. Freestyle events website.

2011 Sprint U.S. Freestyle Championships
Stratton Mountain, VT
March 25: Men's and women's ski halfpipe
March 26: Men's and women's moguls
March 27: Men's and women's aerials
March 28: Men's and women's dual moguls

Where is Cat - Nov. 11-16?

2010-11-11T21:01:00.003-05:00

Here is a short note to let people know that I am traveling Nov. 11-16. My trip starts tonight at the Olympic Training Center in Lake Placid, NY. Friday I am teaching a Coaching Principles course, Saturday I fly out to Copper Mountain to receive training. I am apart of the USSA Alpine Coaches Education Staff. Training begins 6pm on Saturday and continues to Sunday and Monday with a mix of on-snow and classroom training. Back on a plane Tuesday and back to Hunter on Wednesday.

If you are trying to reach me, I will do my best to respond when I return. Look for some photographs from the trip.

Thanks,
Jim

Hunter Rider Patty-Joe Goodwin goes to Nationals

2010-11-10T16:22:00.004-05:00

For 13-year old USASA Breaker Athlete and Hunter Mountain Snowboard Team member Patty-Joe Goodwin, it was her first season racing. She started with a gold medal at Mountain Dew Tour at Hunter Mountain, followed by USASA Boardercross Catskill Mountain Series medals (Silver medal on Feb.6, 2010; gold medal on Feb.13, 2010; gold medal on March 6, 2010; silver medal on March 7, 2010 at slalom and bronze medal on March 14, 2010).

In February at the 2009-2010 Empire State Games in Lake Placid, NY, Patty-Joe placed fourth place (she was also the youngest competitor in her field).

With only two practice runs on the Cross Track at her first USASA National Championships she managed to finish 23rd. Patty-Joe is looking forward to 2010-2011 season and is currently sponsored by RBaker & Son All Industrial Services and Monster Energy Drink.

Training Tips : Week 3, 4, 5

2010-11-09T16:11:00.002-05:00

Week 5
Feeling strong yet? The fifth move in Ted Ligety and the U.S. Ski Team's training program is back extension holds, which keep you strong and stable.

Ski season is getting closer, so at this point you should be working to up your endurance. This week's exercise, back extension holds work your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. Alex Moore, Strength and Condition Coach for the Ski Teams says that this exercise builds endurance in the muscles of the posterior chain, which have such a vital stabilizing role in skiing. That means you'll be able to ski longer, harder and more smoothly. Moore says to try to hold them for 60-90 seconds, and, if you're really looking for a challenge, you can hold a weight.

Back Extention Holds from SKI Magazine on Vimeo.

Week 4
We're more than halfway through Ted's training program. This week he's focusing on glute-hamstring raises, which work the whole back of your leg.

The fourth step in Ted Ligety's training programs is glute-hamstring raises. Alex Moore, his coach says this challenging move builds strength in the entire chain of muscles that run down the backs of your leg. It's particularly good for the hamstrings, which help prevent ACL injuries. If the exercise is too hard at first try hamstring curls, and if you're really strong, try them with weight.

Ted Ligety Glute-Ham Raises from SKI Magazine on Vimeo.

Training Tips: Week 3
The third step in Ted Ligety's pre-season training plan: split squats. Ted and trainer Alex Moore show how to do variations of the exercise.

This week, the third in Ted Ligety's pre-season training series, Ted and his trainer, Alex More, show us how to do split squats, which work the quads, glutes and hamstrings. Moore says this exercise builds strength across the hips and thighs and, because it is unilateral, it exposes weakness if you have any. To make them easier, do them without any weight. To increase the difficulty, elevate your rear leg. Having the rear foot elevated also increases the stretch in the anterior (front) pelvis thus aiding mobility.For more information about Ligety, Moore, and the rest of the U.S. Ski Team check out www.usskiteam.com.See the rest of Ted's workouts.

U.S. Snowboardcross Training

2010-11-07T17:47:00.001-05:00

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=444290781431

Alpine Is Blowing Up Vail

2010-11-06T21:14:00.001-04:00

CROSS-TRAINING IN PC (Nordic Style)

2010-11-05T19:55:00.002-04:00

More Fun - U.S. Nordic Skier Andy Newell

2010-11-05T19:48:00.002-04:00

Newell X Ski from Andrew Newell on Vimeo.

Good old FUN!

2010-11-05T19:48:00.001-04:00

New Freestyle Video

2010-11-04T09:28:00.002-04:00

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/video/video.php?v=1642921363178

Vail Ramping for Alpine Team Announcement

2010-11-03T15:54:00.003-04:00

Lindsey Vonn kicks out of the slalom start Monday (Vail Resorts)

VAIL, CO (Nov. 3) – With the official announcement of the 2011 U.S. Alpine Ski Team just days away, Vail Mountain, Ski & Snowboard Club Vail, the local community and U.S. athletes including Olympic gold medalists Lindsey Vonn (Vail, CO) and Bode Miller (Franconia, NH) are ramping up for the Nov. 6 celebration.

The event, presented by Vail Resorts, opens to the public Saturday at 4:30 p.m. MT with music, videos, complimentary hot chocolate and cookies in Vail Square in Lionshead. Complimentary cheer cards, pom poms and other items will be available for fans to help welcome the U.S. Ski Team. Following the presentation, fans are invited to meet Vonn, Miller and the Team during an autograph session.

For those who can't make it to Vail, www.UniversalSports.com will carry a free LIVE webcast of the event from 5-6 p.m. MT.

"It's really cool that the U.S. Ski Team and Vail put together such a creative way to present the 2011 team," said Vonn. "I’m looking forward to seeing a packed Vail Square this weekend, but if for some reason you live on the other side of the country and can't make it, fans can still tune in by watching Universal Sports."

The celebration serves as an extension of the area's storied alpine history. The Vail Valley played host to the 1989 and 1999 FIS Alpine World Ski Championships and has successfully courted the return of the premier alpine event in 2015.

"I think it's awesome that we're doing an event like this," said Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT), a two-time podium finisher in the Birds of Prey World Cup downhill at Beaver Creek. "It's going to be a cool way to kick off the ski season with our fans. It allows them to meet our entire team, both Olympic athletes and the guys who will be the future of the U.S. Ski Team. Plus it makes a community event that will build excitement for the Colorado World Cup races and the 2015 World Championships."

Vonn cracked open November with first tracks on Golden Peak Monday. She was joined Tuesday by the U.S. men and the full women's World Cup technical team on Wednesday.

"For the first day of training, it was awesome,” added Vonn, who is racking up the slalom miles this week in preparation for the Nov. 13 World Cup stop in Levi, Finland and the Thanksgiving weekend races in Aspen. "It was exactly what I needed. It wasn't too icy. It was just a perfect feel-good day."

In the spring of 2009, the U.S. Forest Service approved the Ski & Snowboard Club Vail-funded installation of automatic snowmaking equipment on Vail Mountain’s Golden Peak. The snowmaking upgrade debuted last fall, allowing for a premier early-season training opportunity not only for the club’s athletes but also for the U.S. Ski Team and other teams from around the globe.

"It's great to be home and train," said men's Head Coach Sasha Rearick. "Coming here to Vail is fantastic for the guys. It feels like home. It's easy. We walk across the parking lot and we're here at training. There are no lift lines to deal with. It's truly fantastic."

The public is also invited out on Saturday morning to watch from the base area as the U.S. Ski Team trains on Golden Peak during their 7-10:30 a.m. morning session.

"It's going to be a huge day," said Will Gregorak (Longmont, CO), a Ski & Snowboard Club Vail alum, who started his first World Cup race this season in Soelden, Austria. "This is going to be especially cool for the young racers to be a part of something with the top athletes. I hope it's something that starts big, gets bigger and becomes a yearly tradition."

Stage construction is expected to start at Vail Square Friday afternoon and will include sound and a huge video wall.

Vail Mountain opens to the public on Friday, Nov. 19. The annual American World Cup swing for women is set for Thanksgiving weekend with the Aspen Winternational in Aspen, while the men will race Dec. 3-5 in Beaver Creek, featuring the treacherous Birds of Prey downhill.

Logon to www.Vail.com for lodging information, including discounted rates for the weekend.