Latest Alpine News
- Chapman Hill Winter Party this Friday, Feb 17 February 15, 2012 The Durango Winter Sports Foundation hosts a winter party this Friday evening from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at the base of Chapman Hill. You are invited to enjoy a USSA Freestyle Devo slopestyle competition, the local town race series, great food and family fu...
- DWSF Four Team's 2012 Events! February 15, 2012 The Durango Winter Sports Foundation’s mission is to help young athletes achieve great things as individuals and as competitors on one of our four teams, Nordic cross country, alpine racing, snowboard or freestyle skiing. We also support local ski an...
- Chapman Hill Town Race Series! February 15, 2012 The Purgatory Alpine Ski Team welcomes local kids and adults to join the “Chapman Hill Town Race Series.” This exciting team ski racing series is open to the public and runs for four weeks on Friday nights from Feb 17 – March 2 at our in-town ski ...
- February Training Schedule February 7, 2012 Rocky Southwest February Training schedule Feb 11/12 Saturday: GS all Weekend Sunday: Purgatory Cup GS (suits please) Feb 18/19 J3's in Vail Saturday: SL Sunday: GS Feb 24/25 J4's at CB Saturday: SL Sunday: GS March 3/4 Saturday: W...
- Taos race recap and Chapman Training 1/9 & 1/11 January 9, 2012 Great weekend in taos for the Purgatory Alpine Ski team, with Podium finishes in the J5 boys, J6 Boys and J6 Girls and Ability Women's categories by Nick Unkovskoy, Wiley Corra, Harry LeSage, Calvin Chase, Wes Jackson, Tagert Bardin, Ellie Gober, Sonja Fl...
OVERVIEW
Purgatory Alpine Team consists of athletes who wish to improve their skiing technique through ski racing and race training. This age group encompasses a broad range of both physical and mental development and includes skiers of widely varied abilities. Some of these athletes have been involved in the program for many years, and they are well on their way to become skilled ski racers. Others may be much newer to skiing and ski racing and they have never felt the absolute bliss of a carved ski turn. Whatever the skill level, this age group is in an extremely critical period of their skiing development. The fundamentals and techniques that they learn in these years will stay with them for the rest of their lives. The challenge then is to design a program that will benefit everyone involved.
To that end, The Purgatory Alpine Team will adopt procedures and athlete development from the USSA athlete competency guidelines. These guidelines are useful tools in providing enjoyment, play, and gradual learning in a social environment that promotes a growing and deepening interest in the sport. Fun associated with peers, parental approval and support, and the enjoyment of becoming more proficient at the sport are all important motivations for continued involvement and progress. Copies of the USSA athlete competencies book are available upon request.
The following table gives the breakdown of ages and age classes for your reference:
Junior Alpine competition is divided into age classes set up by the USSA (United States Ski and Snowboarding Association). The age groupings now in effect are:
Junior 1(J1) – 17 to 18 years of age
Junior 2 (J2)- 15 to 16 years of age
Junior 3 (J3)- 13 to 14 years of age
Junior 4 (J4)- 11 to 12 years of age
Junior 5 (J5)– 9 to 10 years of age
Junior 6 (J6)- 8 years and under
Class is determined by age as of December 31 of the current year/season. (e.g. December 31, 2010 for the 2010-2011 season.)
Groups
All group make up is based primarily on skiing ability and desire and not by age or gender. Our goal is to provide an enjoyable experience with all athletes skiing at the same pace and ability level. Please stay in your assigned group for the day as it can lead to overload on any one particular coach if athletes change groups or show up late.
Daily Training Activities
Our goal is to give young athletes a well-balanced experience, which blends all the components of a pleasurable ski day. They are expected to be able to ride the lift on their own and ski unsupervised for a portion of a run. Many times coaches need to prepare a training course for the athletes. Rather than have the athlete’s stand around watching the coach, we prefer they “take a lap”. This means that the athlete will go for a run and come back to the designated training area
Part of the training is to make each athlete comfortable in exploring the mountain on their own while being responsible to the coach and other team members. They will be expected to stay together and return to the designated course. If athletes are not comfortable skiing on their own or with other team members they can stay with their designated coach at the course. Skiers who abuse this privilege and do not return to the designated training site in a timely manner may face the disciplinary actions, including the following:
¨ Loss of undirected skiing privileges
¨ Helping the coach prepare the course
¨ Expulsion from the next training day
¨ Expulsion from the team
In Case of Emergency
During the course of training athletes may take a wrong turn, a teammate may have an injury, equipment problem or have a miscommunication with the coach. If this happens and you are separated from the group follow this procedure:
¨ Stay on a well-traveled run, not in the trees.
¨ Call Leah LeSage at 946-3515
¨ Wait at the bottom of the lift for your group.
¨ If they are not at the lift in a timely manner go to the designated lunch area and wait.
¨ If it’s after lunch go to the designated training site and wait.
¨ Tell another coach you are separated from your group and join theirs.
¨ If your group is not at the designated training site in a timely manner, go to the bottom of the mountain outside Purgy’s and wait.
¨ Often there are Team Parents at Purgy’s or on the Mountain any of those individuals would help return the athlete to the appropriate group.
¨ If you don’t find them after looking in these places, check in at the ski school offices or with ski patrol.
