Coach's Clinic Descriptions

Level 100 USSA Ski Fundamentals Clinic

The level 100 USSA Alpine Ski Fundamentals course is a day and a half on-snow clinic that covers the basic fundamentals of alpine skiing.

This 10-hour on-snow course consists of executing the 20 ski drills found on the Fundamentals I CD-ROM, with participants demonstrating the drills as part of their skiing evaluation. Exceptions will be made for the drills that are part of the jumping and terrain fundamentals area, depending on available terrain and snow conditions, and the age and skill levels of the participants. The emphasis will be on how the drills are used to teach the fundamentals of great skiing.

The 4-hour classroom portion consists of reviewing the Fundamentals I CD-ROM, reviewing the USSA Competition Rules (participants are asked to review the rules prior to attending the clinic), and the basics of program planning to maximize ski learning and training.

The criteria for passing the Alpine Fundamentals course is: passing the take home written exam, and passing the ski evaluation based on the candidates overall skiing skills and demonstration abilities, as determined by the clinic instructor.

The candidates should be prepared to ski in all conditions, as well as through a variety of drills, and be capable of demonstrating while leading a group of coaches.

This course is designed for entry-level coaches with 1-year of coaching experience. It is an introduction to the fundamentals of alpine ski racing and coaching.

Level 200 USSA Combined Clinic

The level 200 USSA Combined Alpine Training Environment and Introduction to Alpine Tactics course is a 3 ½ day on-snow clinic that covers the alpine training environment, course setting and an introduction to alpine race tactics .

This 3 ½ day course involves a thorough examination of a ski area’s training environment and how it can be utilized to teach skiing skills through drills, gate training and free skiing. It also examines the USSA concept that defines alpine tactics as the strategy of optimizing speed and line relative to the skier’s ability to attain the fastest time. Specific drills are used for the athlete to explore their abilities in their relation to line choices for the conditions and courses set.

The on-snow Training Environment portion of the clinic is devoted to course and drill setting by each participant. Instructor and peer review of the courses and drills set are part of the overall evaluation and feedback for the candidate.

The on-snow Introduction to Alpine Tactics portion of the clinic will give each participant an opportunity to set a tactic’s drill, and when possible, athletes will train in one of the drills for demonstration purposes.

The classroom portion of the clinic is devoted to reviewing the Alpine Training Environment CD-ROM, as well as reviewing the Alpine Tactics CD-ROM, with a focus on planning strategies to implement the drills presented in the CD. Coaches will also review the FIS International Ski Competition rules. Participants are asked to review the ICR prior to attending the clinic.

This course is designed for coaches with one or more years of experience who have already achieved their Level 100 certification.

The USSA combined Alpine Training Environment and Introduction to Alpine Tactics clinic makes up the on-snow requirement for the Level 200 certification program. Each participant must take the two multiple-choice examinations in order to successfully pass this course. This course may also be used as a continuing education credit.