National Skills
National Skills What is it? The National Skills is a Ski and Snowboard Australia initiative to help promote the importance of skill development and to allow athletes, coaches and parents the ability to track development over time. Two things the world s best alpine and ski cross competitors have in common is that they are incredible free skiers, and simply love to ski. In order to achieve long term success and enjoyment in competition, athletes first and foremost need to be technically great skiers. The National Skills will help identify athlete s strengths and opportunities for improvement by challenging them to complete a series of tasks. By working hard and focusing on skill acquisition; athletes will be rewarded by seeing their Skills scores improve in the short term and their opportunities for athletic success increase in the long run. Why are we doing it? The primary objective of the National Skills is to help create incredible skiers who are passionate about skiing and motivated to achieve their best. The will provide athletes, coaches and parents with valuable insights to help shape athletic programming and target opportunities for improvement. Athletes will complete a series of tasks addressing four primary skill areas: pressure, edging, rotation and balance. By looking at these important skill areas; a complete picture of the athlete s current technical abilities will be painted. The aim is to create a national database where athletes can compare their scores with the scores of their peers. This database will also help SSA identify talented athletes and ensure they are engaged in the Alpine Pathway. Who is it for? The National Skills is for everyone aged 10 years up to senior FIS age. Whether you are competing at interschools or aspire to compete on the World Cup in Alpine or Ski Cross, the National Skills is for you. For everyone who wants to have a better understanding of their current skill level and feedback regarding what they should be working on in order to progress, the National Skills is the best tool.
How to be involved? All SSA Alpine Members are encouraged to take part. The National Skills is a critically important initiative and as such have been included in the SSA Alpine Membership fee structure. The 2017 membership structure has been simplified, with the fee restructured within the National Alpine Committee budget to offer greater value and more inclusions. The new Alpine Registration categories are: Club Racer Rookie Junior Racer Racer FIS Injury Status See Membership options here When is it happening? The National Skills will hit all 5 major resorts from the end of June and through the July school holidays. Keep an eye on the Ski and Snowboard Australia website or speak with your local club. How is it being delivered? The National Skills will be delivered at each of the 5 major Australian resorts minimising the cost for attending athletes. The assessment panel is made up of Ski & Snowboard Australia staff and Pathway Program staff. SSA Alpine Program Director Shawn Fleming: Olympic Winter Institute of Australia Head Ski Cross Coach Craig Branch: three time Olympian Club representatives The Skills is scored on a 0-10-point scale. Each exercise has a specific task description and criteria for perfect skill execution. The assessors will focus on whether the athlete performs the skill and task to a high level relative to their developmental phase. The tests are designed such that the most skilled skiers in each phase should be capable of earning a perfect score of 10. National Skills www.skiandsnowboard.org.au
Schedule Nationals Skills June 17-18, 2017 Please note that the schedule below may change depending on snow conditions and final participation numbers. Friday June 16th: all participants and parents welcome 6:30pm The Station Resort National Skills Introduction Saturday June 17th: U12 and U14 ONLY 6:45am Ski Tube Terminal Bib distribution 6:30am train from Bullocks Flat 7:00 9:15am Front Valley SSA National Skills GS skis and helmets required 9:30 10:30am Break 9:44 am train to Blue Cow 10:30am Outside Blue Cow Terminal Meet Athletes will be split into groups and will work with National Development Coaches; Shawn Fleming; Craig Branch, outgoing Alpine Program Director Brad Wall and incoming Alpine Program Director Michael 10:30am 12:30pm All - mountain Technical free skiing and specific drill progressions Branch Athletes will work in small groups with SSA Staff 1:00 2:00pm TBC Open Forum Opportunity for all athletes/ parents to meet with SSA staff Sunday June 18th: U16 & FIS ONLY 6:45am Ski Tube Terminal Bib distribution 6:30am train from Bullocks Flat 7:00am 8:30am Front Valley SSA National Skills GS skis and helmets required 8:44am Ski Tube Terminal Train to Blue Cow 8:44 train to Blue Cow, 9:00am Blue Cow Terminal Meet Phase 5 Free Ski, location TBD 10:00 10:30am Break 10:30am Outside Blue Cow Terminal Meet Athletes will be split into groups and will work with National Development Coaches; Shawn Fleming; Craig Branch, outgoing Alpine Program Director Brad Wall and incoming Alpine Program Director Michael 10:30am 12:30pm All - mountain Technical free skiing and specific drill progressions Branch Athletes will work in small groups with SSA Staff 1:00 2:00pm TBC Open Forum Opportunity for all athletes/ parents to meet with SSA staff
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