U12

Junior Program Director: Micheline Lemay | mlemay@mmsca.org

U12 Head Coach: Taylor Mikell | tmikell@mmsca.org

 

 

 

In the MMA junior program our missions are: SAFETY, FUN, and FUNDAMENTALS. We strive to educate  athletes on how to be safe on the hill, on the lifts, socially, emotionally, and of course physically. Next we strive to keep it fun - if they aren’t having fun they won’t want to do it. Learning by doing and keeping it fun will help instill the passion for the sport. Once these other two pillars are in place,  the learning takes place. Everything we do from freeskiing the mountain, directed freeskiing, structured venue training, to gate training are all integral pieces of the puzzle. We strive to follow the US Ski Team training matrix. We will follow a monthly progression of directed drills and gate training to reiterate the fundamental skills of the sport.  We take those skills, put them into structured training and build confidence, strength and skills to apply to their races.  As we know it is not all about what happens on snow, we also look at each child with a holistic lens to help them grow in all aspects including strong character development. This is a program where children will grow in many ways with weekly discussions on nutrition, sportsmanship, what it takes to be a good teammate and friend, confidence, mental training, goal setting, competition prep, respect, equipment, etc.

The U12 program is designed to continue to improve basic skiing fundamentals through free skiing, drills, and gate training. Prior racing experience is not required to participate with this group, but strong skiing skills are. While there is a substantial amount of free skiing, this is a race-oriented program.

 The Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA) schedules a series of approximately five GS and/or SL races around Northern Vermont for U12 athletes. VARA and USSA licenses are required to participate in these races.

 

Tuesday:          1 - 4 p.m. (additional charge)
Wednesday:     1 - 4 p.m. (Academy only)

Thursday:         1 - 4 p.m. (additional charge)

Friday:              1 - 4 p.m. 

Saturday:          8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Sunday:            8:30 a.m. - 2:30 p.m.

 

Weekend training begins first Saturday in December.

Equipment:
Typical equipment needs for this age group include a helmet (not with soft ears), SL gate protection, and correctly sized SL and GS race skis; back protection is encouraged. Typically, properly sized SL skis are approximately to the tip of the athlete’s nose, and GS skis are usually at or just above the athlete’s hair line. Most ski shops that sell race equipment can help with equipment sizing guidelines. For more information please see our Equipment Recommendations sheet.

 

 

The best way to communicate with the Junior Program is to email Micheline Lemay at mlemay@mmsca.org. She will be sure to pass along any necessary information. There will also be time for meetings between 11 - 11:30 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday. Please communicate by email to schedule and confirm. 

Lifelong Skier Mission

Exploring the mountain, having fun, learning by doing, and exposure to gate training and competition as well as character development are pillars of the program. Both directed and undirected free skiing and drills are also a big focus with the age group. We believe that learning to go as fast as possible and instilling a lifelong passion for the sport go hand-in-hand.