Durango Freestyle Team Procedures
The Durango Freestyle Team adopts 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 association 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 are available of the USSA athlete competencies book and are available upon request. For the purposes of the Durango Freestyle Team (DFT) procedures, only a few of these policies will be highlighted.
Groups
All group make up is based primarily on skiing ability and not by age. Our goal is to provide an enjoyable experience with all athletes skiing at the same pace and ability level. Exceptions are made for friends as long as it does not disrupt the pace of the group. 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:
The content of skiing time includes the following approximate percentages of activity as outlined by-
USSA:
- Undirected skiing 30% (Athletes will be under coaches supervision)
- Directed Skiing 30%
- Technical Drills 30%
- Tactics 5%
- Competition simulation 5%
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. At the start of each day each skier will pick at least one ski buddy. They will be expected to stay together and return to the designated course. If athletes are not comfortable in skiing on their own or with a buddy they can stay with their designated coach at the course. For skiers who abuse this privilege and do not return to the designated training site in a timely manner they will be looking at these disciplinary actions:
- 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.
- Ski buddies tell the coach.
- Call Kirk Rawles at 903-2119
- 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.
For team members or parents who are not comfortable with this policy Durango Mountain Resort also offers Snow Burners and All Terrain Pioneers.
Volunteer Opportunities
The Durango Freestyle Team offers the lowest tuition in the Rocky Mountain region. In order to keep tuition in check and still provide a quality program, the team is dependent on volunteers. Every family will be required to pay a work deposit at the start of the year. This work deposit will be worked off with volunteer hours. This is to insure that all families participate. If you are unable to volunteer, the work deposit will be forfeited to the team and you will receive a tax deductible donation. In order to insure we provide successful events and training, volunteers are needed to help in the following areas. Please contact the volunteer coordinator Laurel Waller or call her at 799-2578.
Durango Winter Sports Foundation:
There are a number of pre-season opportunities for volunteers to support the fundraising activities of the foundation. Brochure and insert design, web site design and updates, data entry and administrative support. Volunteers are needed for the fund raising events including the Gala, Warren Miller and Spaghetti dinner. Duties include auction solicitation, ticket fulfillment, banner placement, ticket checking, set up etc. Approximately 200 hours available.
On Hill Weekly:
Volunteers are needed to help with course preparation during the week and during the event and training days. Weekly volunteers are needed every Saturday and Sunday morning to prepare the mogul and aerial sites for training. Duties include building jumps under the supervision of the coaches, chopping landings and removing excess snow from jumps. 2-4 people are needed for two hours at the start of each training day. This would also include any night training at Chapman Hill or Hesperus. Approximately 75 hours available.
On Hill Events:
- During events duties include one or more of the following: chopping aerial landings and course maintenance, banner placement, tent, table, sound system and scaffolding set up. For the USSA event in January, four people are needed from Tuesday through Friday for course preparation. 4-6 people are needed each day of each event. 6 hour time periods.
Starter & Assistant:
- A starter and assistant starter are needed each day of the event to stage each athlete and coordinate at the top of the hill. 6 hours each day for each position.
Sound tech and announcer.
- A volunteer is needed who can set up the sound system, provide music and announce the event each day. Approximately 6 hours each day with additional 8 hours to collect music. One volunteer is needed each day to shoot video of each event and be able to play it at each awards ceremony. 6 hours each day
Scoring:
- For each event the Durango Freestyle Team will host, the team will need to provide a scorer and two assistants. Scoring duties include data entry for each athlete, score entry and familiarity with the Winfree scoring program, Excel and Dell lap top computer and printer. Provide scoring sheets for slopestyle, aerials and moguls, which will be delivered to the judges. Timely results sheet available for post press release, coaches and athletes. Three scoring people are needed for each event. 6 hours each day for each person plus follow up for results and overall excel spreadsheet.
Event Check-in/Awards:
- Pre event duties include ordering ribbons and creating season ending awards for the Southwest Freestyle Tour. Morning duties include verifying liability release is signed, create athlete bio sheet, collecting entry fees, assigning bibs, issuing discounted parent ticket vouchers and comp tickets for volunteers and coaches. Bring pencils, pens, stapler and clipboards for the judges. Afternoon duties include coordinating with scoring to get a result page to fill out ribbons for awards. It would be ideal if anyone could also help out on the hill during the day with the scoring and stapling scores together. Three people are needed each day of the event 2 hours in the morning and 1 hour in the afternoon.
Judging:
- The freestyle disciplines are all judged events. Judges are needed at the Southwest Freestyle tour events. Volunteers will be familiar with the Winfree scoring system, slopestyle, moguls, halfpipe and aerials. The Durango Freestyle team will host a two-day clinic and strongly suggest attendance at the annual Rocky Mountain judge's clinic each fall. Three people are needed for each Southwest Freestyle Tour event and would be asked to shadow during the USSA rocky Mountain competition. 6-8 hour shifts for each event day.
Food and Beverage:
- Duties include getting lunches together for all event volunteers each day. Ski lunches to each station at the event site and hand deliver to each volunteer. 15-30 lunches may be needed depending on the event. Lunches will include sandwich, snack and drink. Optional food and beverage opportunities would include athlete snacks and drinks, goody bags, on snow bar-b-cue, apre´ awards or night time gatherings. Duties would also include coordination of an end of the season awards party. Each event will need a minimum of two people for each event. 2 hours per each event plus any additional functions.
Press/Media:
- Duties include writing a pre event press release, recap of the event results from scoring department, getting photos and press release to local media. Distribution should happen at the start of next week. One person needed for Team Purg and one person needed for Devos'. 4 hours per event week.
Transportation/Lodging:
- On occasion the various teams will travel to other mountains for competition. One volunteer is needed for each away event. Duties include discounted lodging and lift ticket information; event itineraries, team functions and car pool travel coordination.
Needs:
-
If you do not have time to volunteer, typically we need these items for each event:
- One section of scaffolding
- One generator
- Six chairs
- One scoring tent
By volunteering, you can help the Durango Freestyle Team coaches ensure a quality experience for your child and help to keep tuition costs in check. Thank you for your consideration!