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National Coaches Academies

National Coaches Academies logoThe USSA National Coaches Academies are intensive, full-day coaches education events to enhance the professional development of coaches beyond the USSA on-snow clinics.  The academies include interaction with U.S. Ski Team staff and athletes, and other experts from the USSA, PSIA, USOC (U.S. Olympic Committee), and others.  Content includes skiing as well as classroom sessions on the topics of sport science, sport medicine, pedagogy, management, and leadership.

The Fall Academy is a continuing education event that takes place alongside the U.S. Ski Team's early season training at Copper Mountain and Vail. It's a great opportunity for club coaches to bring back ideas from the national team to kick off their seasons.  The Spring Academy is the ultimate Level 300 clinic and more, with all three on-snow clinics and additional learning requirements for Level 300 certification offered at one time and led by U.S. Ski Team coaches.  It also is the perfect continuing education event for coaches who attended the national academies in the 1990's or early 2000's and want to get the latest from the U.S. Ski Team.

 

2013 Spring Alpine National Coaches Academy

U.S. Ski Team coach Jeff Pickering reviews gliding skills with academy participants.The 2013 Alpine National Coaches Academy will be held in Mammoth Mountain April 27- May 5, 2013. It is designed for coaches seeking their Level 300 certification and for program directors and head coaches to work with U.S. Ski Team coaches, PSIA Alpine Team members, and the USSA High Performance staff in an intensive weeklong project covering advanced technique and tactics for slalom, giant slalom and the speed events. Discussions range from coaching children to elite level athletes, covering skiing, conditioning, performance psychology, equipment, biomechanics and more. For the Level 300 candidate, it is the ultimate Level 300 clinic with a nation-wide collection of the top coaches. For coaches who already have Level 300 or higher certification, the focus is on open discussions and networking for the best possible continuing education experience. Every USSA club should send a coach to bring home this valuable information and experience to share with their program!

Schedule at a glance:

Apr 27 - Arrival, registration and welcome address in the evening
Apr 28-May 3 - On-snow and classroom sessions
May 4 - Level 300 candidate assessment (on-snow and written)
May 5 - SkillsQuest evaluator accreditation (open to any Level 300+ coach or PSIA examiner or national team)

FACT SHEET

REGISTRATION FORM

Registration is due March 29, 2013. A late fee applies after this date.

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2013 Fall Alpine National Coaches Academy

SAVE THE DATE!

The 2013 Fall Alpine National Coaches Academy will be held at Copper Mountain, CO, from November 1-5, 2013.  This is a continuing education event aimed at Level 200 and higher coaches.

Schedule at a glance:
Friday, 11/1 - Registration and welcome address, evening only
Saturday, 11/2 - Monday, 11/4 - Full day on-snow and classroom topics with U.S. Ski Team and USSA Sport Education coaches staff
Tuesday, 11/5 - SkillsQuest Evaluator Accreditation program

Coaches may join in for either the full schedule, or for individual days. Classroom only options for coaches working on the hill during the mornings will also be offered. The event will take advantage of the U.S. Ski Team's full-length speed training center off the Super Bee lift at Copper Mountain. Participants will be able to observe U.S. Ski Team athletes training, talk on-hill and in the classroom with the U.S. Ski Team coaches, work with the SkillsQuest program, and more.

Look for registration and more details in the summer.

 

Past Spring Academies

The spring Alpine National Coaches Academies were first held in the 1980's, and quickly earned the reputation for being the premier ski coach education event in the United States. After a hiatus in the 2000's, the spring academy returned to Mammoth in May of 2011. Mammoth is unparalleled for its spring skiing possibilities, with every kind of terrain available, making it the hub for U.S. Ski Team late spring training. This, along with its slopeside lodging and classroom facilities make it the perfect site for this annual event. The spring academy is a week-long event that brings together the top coaches and ski professionals in the country for the ultimate learning experience.

Alpine National Coaches Academy attendees at Mammoth Mountain on May 4, 2012

2011 Spring National Coaches Academy in Mammoth
2011 Spring National Coaches Academy in Mammoth

Participants watching training
Participants discussing U.S. Ski Team speed training

 

Past Fall Academies

The Fall Alpine National Coach Academies debuted in November of 2010 and based on its initial success will be an annual event.  This academy takes advantage of the early season snow and the convergence of coaches and program on Colorado for an educational event that brings together the U.S. Ski Team coaches and High Performance staff with club coaches for a perfect season kick-off. Based at the new U.S. Ski Team training center at Copper Mountain, the event gives coaches the chance to watch the U.S. Ski Team in action close up and talk technique and tactics with the U.S. Ski Team coaches. Skiing sessions take the ideas to the club level and are followed by more discussions in the afternoons through classroom sessions.


U.S. Ski Team women's head speed coach Chip White presents Advanced Speed Technique and Tactics to the participants.

U.S. Ski Team men's head coach Sasha Rearick talks slalom technique on the hill with the Fall Academy participants.

A taste of past fall academies.

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