The NYSEF Junior Development Winter Term Program will provide aspiring student-athletes with the opportunity to pursue their athletics at an advanced level while continuing remotely in their home school’s academic curricula, providing an avenue to excel academically and athletically.
What do Winter Term athletes do when they return from 3 snowy weeks of training at Copper Mountain and find little to no snow on the ground? You choose!
A) They panic and wander around, disoriented.
B) They don't panic and get tons of Biology labs done with Jacquie!
Hard to believe we're already four days into our Colorado Camp! We're pretty darn lucky to have been enjoying some truly spectacular conditions: ample snowfall has set up a great surface for improving fundamentals, and the Copper staff has been working hard to open new terrain daily. Awesome!
We thought it would be fun to run you through a typical "day in the life" of a NYSEF athlete out here in Colorado. So buckle up, and enjoy the ride!
We're off.
Sunrise above those Rocky Mountain peaks! Days start early here.
Good warmup-- important!
U19 ladies first in line... unsurprising.
Then we're off training!
Conditions... yeah, they're pretty good. Thanks for the hard work, Copper crew!
Sometimes we get to hang with NYSEF alums... who are racing the Beaver Creek WC this weekend!
Lots of terrain means lots of turns....
Did we mention the scenery?!
Yeah, the Continental Divide is pretty awesome. Especially when there's tons of snow on it!
U14's gettin it' done!
There's plenty of natural white stuff, but a little extra never hurt...
Break for lunch! Not in the worst of places, either...
Leave it to Jimbo to photobomb the U16 post-lunch photo!
Sometimes we need some off-hill excitement... and fresh air.
Hike to Mayflower Gulch! An awesome spot.
Team Canada... not like you could tell from their jacket!
We got ups!
Work doesn't end on the hill. Hitting the weight room.
Spin to win
Wallyball... is the bomb dot com. Ultimate recovery workout to flush out some lactate
Team runs are awesome. They're more awesome when you're chasing your coach around. And even more awesome when your coach raced TWO Ironman triathlons this year! Thanks for the inspiration Marc.
Rollin' it out.
U14's. What time is it? Crunch time!
Gotta stay fueled! U14's learning some new skills... nice work boys!
Shopping is serious business.
And flowers for your coach never hurt.
Days end with fuel. Specifically, protein. Lots of protein.
So that's pretty much a day in the life! Eat, ski, eat, ski, eat, dryland, eat, study, sleep... repeat!
Kudos to the whole WT crew (athletes and staff!) on a great first few days. We're laying down a foundation for a great season of ski racing.
Well, we made it! After a hectic day of travel, the entire NYSEF Winter Term and Fundamentals Camp crew arrived at Copper Mountain to find outstanding mid-winter conditions, complete with 3" of fresh powder.
After a busy fall packed with dryland training, busy academic schedules and endless logistics, the 2015/16 season is finally upon us. Copper Mountain is the perfect place to launch head-on into the new season: stellar conditions and great training space, combined with classic Colorado blue-skies, create the perfect environment in which to reinforce fundamentals that will set the tone for a productive winter.
Here are a few snapshots from our first day on the hill:
Looks like Copper Mountain is off to a great start this season... take a look at the Gun Show... looks like our December Term crew will have an awesome training surface when we head out after Thanksgiving!
Not that things are looking half bad here at Whiteface...
When seasons collide: Whiteface sporting both her autumn and winter coats last Monday, October 21st
With just over one month to go until we head out to Colorado to begin the season, it's important to remember that the hard work for the season [should have] already begun. Good habits are developed now and are maintained as you head into the undeniably hectic on-snow season. So start things off right!
Smitty says: "Focus on the details!"
A little pre-season checklist... where do you stand?
1) Make sure you've checked in with your coach about a good pre-season dryland plan. OR, better yet, join us on Saturday mornings for a session!
Schedule for the Lake Placid Area:
10/24: 9-11am at NWS
11/7: 9-11am at NWS
11/21: 9-11am at NWS
Schedule for the Capital Region Area:
10/25: 9am Hike at Prospect Mountain
11/8: 9am at Moreau State Park
11/22: 9am Hike TBD
2) Make sure your equipment is dialed in and ready to go for the season. Boots fit and ready? Skis ground, sharpened, prepped and dialed? FIS legal helmet?
3) Academics-- huge. Set yourself up for success. Go overboard: meet with teachers. Remind them you'll be taking off for Winter Term, and ask what you can do to get ahead and make the transition smooth for them (and you!)
4) Sweat the small stuff: get plenty of sleep, hydrate, eat well. All the little things that'll give you that extra 2% come race day. Good habits start now, not in December. And don't forget, ski racing is a sport defined by that 2%!
