Introducing U10/U12 Factory Race Team
We are pleased to announce the formation of the U10, U12 FACTORY Race Team. The FACTORY Team will be a small team that sits within our U10/U12 Alpine Race Team. First, a little history. This concept started as a pilot program we rolled out with the U10s during the season of 2020-21. Seeing some success and challenges with the program we made some changes including the name (Factory to AP). We expanded it to a greater audience which included a bigger U10 team and introduced it to willing U12 team members. Again we saw new progress and experienced new hurdles. Most importantly we realized that there is a group of children who are interested in and willing to train in a very structured environment that comes with a greater commitment to training and ski racing. We also experienced that this is not for every child and every family.
Why is this offering important?
We recognize that no single approach to coaching serves the desires and needs of every athlete and family within The Windham Race Factory. The curriculum and the content will remain the same across our entire U10/12 program and we will intentionally look to continue to foster unity across our entire team. This supports the program-wide goal of raising the level and driving increased skill acquisition for all. The Factory Team provides a path for the most committed athletes and families that are ready for a more structured approach. Not all athletes are built for learning this way. Many athletes will stay more engaged through directed skiing outside of closed environments and want the experience of exploring the mountain. Therefore we felt it was essential to support both of these learning styles for our U10/U12 Teams: Alpine Race (our traditional program) and The Factory Team.
How does it work
There will be an application and tryout for the Factory Team. You will hear more about this from the respective head coaches. The concept is centered on limiting the free skiing component and increasing the closed environment training with extensive drills and repetition. A high level of focus and execution will be expected of the child. They will be asked to put in additional work off the hill and they will be selected for their desire and focused approach to ski development. Below are some of the critical elements of the program.
- A more deliberate approach to training
- Highly structured training that includes drills and training environments
- Up front commitment to attend all of our training days and our full race schedule
- An emphasis on repetition with a high level of focus
- Bigger commitment from parents and athletes
- Training sessions are not fixed, start and end times can vary
- Commitment to free skiing with your family and teammates outside of program hours
Here are some of the elements that we will be using to select our Factory Team athletes:
- The athlete who thrives in structure and is willing to stay in drills for sustained periods of time
- The athlete must show a strong desire to be in this group
- The athlete who responds well to direction
- The athlete who is willing to take on more independence in his or her own skill
- Ongoing grit and desire learn
- Flexibility to get up early or stay on the hill late
- Parents will be required to commit a minimum number of hours of volunteer time over the course of the season. This can be split across family members
WRF families will receive more specific details from Moshe Silverstein (Factory Team Head Coach) shortly. This will include specific information for their age group and the steps to become involved. We are excited to be adding this opportunity to our program and thank all of you for your support in helping us continue to push for excellence across our entire WRF program.
Sincerely,
Sean Warman Program Director
Windham Race Factory
“I can accept failure, everyone fails at something. But I can’t accept not trying.”
~ Michael Jordan