Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Deconstructing the mythology that is Ski Academies, Part I

This is a long overdue topic that I've been taking notes on for quite a while, and have thought about for even longer still.

The purposes of this entry is to give the big picture, I'll try to describe ski academies from three different perspectives: 1) what it's like to go to one, 2) how they're thought of in the skiing community in general, and finally, 3) how they are perceived from they lay person's perspective, e.g. a parent who doesn't necessarily ski or ski race.

I went to a ski academy in 1981. At the time there were far fewer full time ski academies in the country; basically it was the Big Three, Stratton, GMVS, and Burke, all of which were located in Vermont. For me the choice seemed obvious, school was important (take note young racers!), and as I climbed the competitive ladder, it became increasingly difficult to juggle school and skiing.

I think I got around 10th place at the J3 nationals GS in the spring of 1981. Yes, we still had them back then. Apparently this was right around the time that USSA began to figure out that they could sell their mailing lists, and apparently my result was (just barely I'm sure) good enough to qualify me to receive a one page, double-sided solicitation from all three of the Big Three. My dad worked for the airlines, I got a ticket, flew out there by myself at 15 (how cool were my parents?), and took a look around. I'm glad it was just me that went out there that first time. More about this later and how it ties into the perceived value of these institutions, but suffice it to say that Burke was not about the physical plant. To put it bluntly, it was a bunch of old farmhouses on a remote hillside in northern Vermont.

Needless to say that didn't matter at all to me. And, take note parents, it still shouldn't. Don't be fooled by the sticks and bricks! At the aforementioned J3 nationals GS race eight of the nine who placed ahead of me were from New England, and seven of them were from Burke. As a result, the way my mind worked back then, they had me at "hello." It was the whole idea that I could actually be both a scholar and an athlete that drew me in, at a place where I would be soundly beaten every single day.

I was neither the star skier nor the star athlete, although I showed glimpses of both. Regardless, the details of my tenure at Burke are for another post for sure. What I want to convey to you is the overall experience of a student while I was there.

Being surrounded by like minded young people in pursuit of a similar dream is no small thing. Whereas at my home in Colorado I felt like I was on a mission akin to sailing to the South Pole alone, going to a ski academy gave that little boat I was in a wave to ride on along the way. At home I felt like I had the biggest boat, and at Burke my boat was anything but! Improvement in physical fitness aside, and reduction of FIS and USSA points aside, it was being in a culture where you know there are no excuses that has the most powerful effect on a young mind. For the record, my skiing did not improve much while I was there. I do not recall one thing that any coach said to me while I was there. I was, for all intents and purposes, an "also ran." It was being surrounded by like-minded student athletes that made the biggest and most lasting impression on me.

Although the temptation is great, and although this unfortunately happens all of the time, an academy cannot, and should not, provide a guarantee of success to either athletes or parents.