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Race Program Mission Statement

"The mission statement of the Cranmore Race Program is to provide an environment where alpine ski athletes can reach their maximum desired potential. This environment will provide positive development of an athlete's personal growth, respect for other competitors, seek a balance of personal objectives and foster a development, appreciation and passion for the sport of alpine skiing."

Race Program Philosophy

The philosophy of the Cranmore Race Program is provide our athletes with the best training and race experience possible so that athletes can reach their maximum desired potential. In order for athletes to reach their maximum potential, the Cranmore Race program takes a long term approach to athlete development by focusing initially on the development of high-level skiing skills and then after mastery of these skills, focusing on development and fine tuning of ski racing techniques and tactics. The basic fundamentals of the Cranmore Race program are athlete program development in a fun-filled environment, maximum use of training venues, athlete support at race events and athlete/parent education.

Race Program Philosophy – athlete development program

One-on-one program development occurs as a result of the coaching staff working with athletes to align on goals and to put in place a training program that increases the success of meeting these goals. One-on-one program development is made possible by maintaining a low athlete to coach ratio (typically less than 10 to 1). The implementation of this training program occurs in a fun-filled environment where both ski racing and life-long skills are taught. Ownership of the athlete program development and implementation is a shared responsibility between the athlete and the Cranmore coaching staff.

In addition, the Cranmore program maintains additional staff to support individual athlete's needs. The coaching staff prides itself on keeping up to date and implementing the latest successful coaching pedagogy, techniques and tactics. This broadens the experience base of the program and facilitates an easier transition when athletes graduate to other areas.

Race Program Philosophy – training venues

The Cranmore Race Program makes maximum use of training venues. Mt. Cranmore provides an excellent site as the training facility for the Cranmore Race Program by offering a wide variety of terrain and having USSA homologated SL, GS and SG hills. Mt. Cranmore also offers a high-speed quad and a dedicated chair to the SL start for providing quick and easy access for training and race events. In addition, the Cranmore Program has a dedicated race training hill which provides season-long access for skill and race training development. The coaching staff utilize 100 % of this training facility by moving free-skiing or tactical drills to terrain that best supports the athlete's progression. Early morning training is a critical part of the Cranmore Race program to allow athletes to train on additional vertical drop while getting multiple runs in a safe, protected environment. Other venues outside of Mt. Cranmore will be used on an as-needed basis to provide the appropriate experience for athletes training for specific events.

Race Program Philosophy – athlete support at race events

The Cranmore Race Program ensures that athletes are prepared leading up to and during race events. This preparation comes from race simulation at the Cranmore training facility and, as required, at the host mountain. Race simulation occurs in multiple areas from full-length training courses to simulated starts and finishes with timing. It is the intent of this simulation to prepare the athlete so that they are “comfortable” with the event during race day and provide every opportunity to reach their maximum potential.

The Cranmore Race Program provides full coaching support for all BWL, JIII and regional qualifiers during the season. This support includes venue review, course inspection, equipment inspection, start preparation and review of results. Review of results are one element of feedback towards monitoring and modification of the athlete development program.

Race Program Philosophy – athlete/parent education

Athlete and parent education are critical elements of the Cranmore Race Program. The Cranmore coaching staff keeps up to date on the latest equipment developments, coaching techniques and USSA rules to ensure athletes and parents are also kept up to date of these changes and allow modification of the athlete development if required. This information is distributed via newsletters, parents meetings and on-hill formal and informal discussions with both athletes and parents.

In addition, the Cranmore Program maintains close relationships with vendors of alpine equipment and provides tuning clinics and athlete/parent ski demo-days to provide athletes with access to latest equipment available.