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MICHAEL DRAKE


hand, has the implicit, mutually understood focus of skiing fast (or the equivalent objective for moguls, aerials, etc.). Yet pull back some


and you’ll see similarities: QFun matters Q Skill development fuels the desire to get better and push to greater challenges


QWe all work on developing sound fundamentals


QWe all do movement analysis, and we all strive to provide eff ective feedback


QEveryone appreciates good images and demonstrations


USSA ACADEMY; YES, THERE WILL BE A TEST


USSA, like PSIA-AASI, uses a progression of levels to recognize the expertise of its members. Although both academies are hugely loaded up with education, one thing that sets the USSA event apart is the evaluation day at the end… we got tested. Attendees, mostly alpine race coaches, with a smaller contingent from the snowboard and freestyle realms, were divided into those aspiring


certifi cation.


toward Level 300 or Level 400 Like PSIA-AASI National


Academy, they brought in their best trainers. Kipp and USSA colleague Brian Krill ran things with the help of a slew of experts, ranging from former World Cup race coaches to university professors of sport science. T ey all emphasized that coaches should use training concepts and principles that are evidenced-based and grounded in physics. Compared to PSIA-AASI National


Academy, this was boot camp. T e pace was much more rigorous: on snow when the lifts opened, ski until noon, break for lunch and a change of clothes, then indoors for lectures from 1:30 to as late as 7 p.m. Most of us just ate dinner after the lectures, studied, crashed, and got up the next day to repeat… for eight days.


COLLABORATION WITH PSIA- AASI IN FULL FORCE


Interestingly, for us in the Level 300s group, our on-snow clinicians were people I had skied with just weeks before at National Academy: Michael Rogan (PSIA Alpine Team coach, who has also served as a fundamental skills coach for USSA) and Robin Barnes (three- term PSIA Alpine Team member). T e focus was not on making this experienced group ski faster, or run gates “better.” T e idea was to


5RQ .LSS Rff HUV WHFKQLFDO LQVLJKW RQ SK\VLFDO conditioning at USSA's Academy at Mammoth Mountain, California.


develop better coaches, with an emphasis on the core fundamentals of good skiing. A typical day would drill down into a


particular fundamental, with the clinician modeling exceptional teaching/coaching practices. For example, Day 4 looked like this: Work on developing clean edging skills, originating from the ankles and then moving up. We practiced a variety of railroad-track drills… with eyes open, with eyes closed (yes, while moving), and in a variety of settings; with the coach taking care we had the time to “get” the underlying movements and resulting ski reactions in the snow.


An on-snow talk by Chip White (the winningest women’s speed coach ever, with 18 years of coaching at the World Cup level), who held court on taking jumps in speed events (Super G and Downhill). He touched on working with area grooming crews to create jumps tailored for speed events, coaching athletes on how to inspect and approach jumps, proper technique for taking a jump at high speed (the set-up, the press, the hold/pause, and the fi nish). Our turn to try it. Chip set up a Super G-ish training course so we could practice some phantom jumps leading up to a small jump while at speed.


In the ensuing indoor session: QMichael and Robin reviewed the morning


QRon lectured on physical conditioning (covering principles of strength, power, endurance, mobility, stability, and motor skills, as well as nutrition, hydration, and recovery concepts).


Q In a lecture titled “Physiology of


and led a group discussion on fundamental skills, drills, and course setting.


Get ready, get


Stay warm on your next adventure!


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