SkillsQuest |
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The full SkillsQuest program is scheduled to be launched for the 2012/13 ski season. For the 2011/12 season, clubs, coaches and athletes are encouraged to trial the "beta" version of the SkillsQuest skiing assessment found below. Check back regularly for content updates and more video footage from Center of Excellence TV. As this is a beta version of the assessment, your feedback is encouraged. Contact USSA Sport Education via email or fill out a web form here. Skiing Skills AssessmentThe USSA, U.S. Ski Team and coaches at USSA clubs around the country have long understood that for ski racers to achieve long-term success and enjoyment, we must develop them into great skiers first, and only then they can become great ski racers. But answering the question of what exactly makes a great skier, and being able to prioritize and justify the time spent developing great skiers before great racers in a results-hungry junior sports environment has challenged coaches and has set back skier development in the United States. SkillsQuest has been designed to overcome this challenge. The objective of the SkillsQuest skiing skills assessment is to promote skills as a basis of technique by providing a resource where fundamental skills can be taught, measured and tracked over time with a rewards system that motivates young athletes to improve their skills. It is built on a progressive battery of drills covering each of the fundamental skills in skiing that are appropriate developmentally based on age and experience in sport. By working toward mastery in their phase of SkillsQuest (based on their developmental phase as outlined in the ATS), skiers will acquire the necessary skills to gain speed on the race course for the long-term. Assessment Table
The drills are organized by developmental phase, with a drill emphasizing each of the four primary skiing skill areas - pressure, edging, rotary and balance - as part of the assessment for the particular phase. This structure makes it easy for coach and athlete to identify relative strengths and weaknesses in the key skiing skills areas. Additionally, the drills across each row are all related, getting progressively more challenging as the developmental phase of the athlete increases. This allows athletes to continually work toward achievement while experiencing successes along the way. How To Use The AssessmentFirst, the coach should determine the developmental phase of the athlete(s). Use the drills for their phase, and work toward mastery in those drills. Using the testing protocol, evaluate where the athletes strengths and weaknesses are. Then use a variety of exercises and progressions to work on the skill areas where the skiers are deficient. While the drills in each column represent a complete set of skills for evaluation, practicing only these drills will not lead to the overall skill development that is desired. There is a difference between testing and training. Using this assessment should inspire focused training designed to improve skiing skills. This training will generally take place outside of the gates. DOWNLOAD THE SKIING SKILLS ASSESSMENT MANUAL Contains the SkillsQuest assessment descriptions and scoring information for coaches. Scoring posters and stickers are available to clubs. Posters were sent to all USSA clubs at the end of January. Extra posters and stickers are available, email education@ussa.org. Use the links below for detailed information about each drill in the assessment, with video examples, coaching points and suggested progressions to lead to improvement in the skill area. |
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Phase 2 DrillsSkier's age: 6-10 years old Years in skiing: 1-4 years Overview: Phase 2 skiers are starting into an important period for motor development. The foundational skiing skills they learn at this phase and in the next tend to stick with them throughout their career. For this reason, exposure to a wide variety of skiing (and other sporting) experiences with an emphasis on proper movements and good training habits are important in this phase. Fun is absolutely essential at this phase. Coaches should use the SkillsQuest skiing assessments to measure progress, while designing training around a blend of free play, guided freeskiing and drills in a game-like environment. The drills for this phase were selected as basic tests for each skill area that also emphasize coordination, agility and balance. Essential building blocks for this phase, such as carving and pole plants are also introduced. Drill links: Pole jumpers Phase 3 DrillsSkier's age: Girls 10-13 years old, Boys 11-14 years old Years in skiing: 4-8 years Overview: Phase 3 skiers are in the heart of their motor skill development, and this is a perfect time to emphasize the evaluation and exercises within SkillsQuest. The drills for this phase reflect the increased motor skill capabilities of skiers from phase 2, requiring ther skier's to demonstrate greater coordination, agility and balance skills with a blending of more complex movements. At the end of this phase, skiers must have a broad base of skills with an emphasis on good skiing habits. Drill links: Pole jumpers in a tuck Phase 4 DrillsSkier's age: Girls 11-14 years old, Boys 12-15 years old Years in skiing: 5-9 years Overview: Phase 4 skiers are into their growth spurt, which may cause disruption to their technique as their body changes. During this period, monitoring and maintaining the fundamental skiing skills is essential. It will be more difficult for athletes to acquire new skills during this period, underlining the importance of the work done in the earlier phases. By keeping skills in the forefront of the athlete's training and program design, the coach will be able to help the athlete adapt their technique to their growing body. This will accelerate their advancement as they move into the later developmental phases. Challenge skiers in this phase frequently with the drills in SkillsQuest. Drill links: Straight run in wave track Phase 5 DrillsSkier's age: Girls 12-15 years old, Boys 14-17 years old Years in skiing: 6-11 years Overview: Skiers in this phase are starting to move into higher levels of ski racing competition with longer courses, more challenging sets and greater density in competition. As they make the gains in strength, power and stamina in this phase, their skiing skills start to become more and more evident in their results. The potential for speed with their newfound physical abilities is great, but without a solid skill base results will tend to be inconsistent. The drills in SkillsQuest can be critical to help these skiers maintain a focus on their core skiing skills outside of gates. The drills in phase 5 demand a high degree of skill from the skiers. Working to master these drills is important for the aspiring high performance skier. Drill links: Linked turns in wave track Phase 6 DrillsSkier's age: Girls 16+ years old, Boys 17+ years old Years in skiing: 10+ years Overview: By this phase training has become very specific and primary focus on competition preparation and performance. However, by this level every aspect of a ski racer's abilities are put to the test every race. Core skiing skills through the Phase 6 drills in SkillsQuest remain an important measuring stick for the high performance skier. In fact, these drills and other skiing fundamental skiing exercises make up a significant part of U.S. Ski Team selections from spring tryout camps. Drill links: Camel jump in wave track |
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SkillsQuest is a cornerstone program of the 
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