Panel debates issues at USSA club conference

PARK CITY, Utah — A crowd of more than 70 club program directors, coaches and officials filled a conference room at the Yarrow Hotel on Tuesday afternoon and parts of Wednesday morning to participate in the USSA’s inaugural conference focusing exclusively on clubs.
    A panel discussion that featured six speakers from varied backgrounds, all of whom either work at the club level, have in the past or just care deeply about the continued growth of ski racing in the United States, was the highlight of Tuesday afternoon’s program at “Excellence 2008: An Elite Conference for USSA Clubs.”
    Below are a few outtakes from the panel discussion that featured Herwig Demschar, the COO of Powdr. Corp; Kirk Dwyer, the headmaster of Burke Mountain Academy; Aldo Radamus, the executive director of Ski Club Vail; Dave Galusha, the program director and general manager of the Park City Ski Team; Alison Deines, the nordic program director and head coach at the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club; and Jon Casson, snowboard director at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
PARK CITY, Utah — A crowd of more than 70 club program directors, coaches and officials filled a conference room at the Yarrow Hotel on Tuesday afternoon and parts of Wednesday morning to participate in the USSA’s inaugural conference focusing exclusively on clubs.
    A panel discussion that featured six speakers from varied backgrounds, all of whom either work at the club level, have in the past or just care deeply about the continued growth of ski racing in the United States, was the highlight of Tuesday afternoon’s program at “Excellence 2008: An Elite Conference for USSA Clubs.”
    Below are a few outtakes from the panel discussion that featured Herwig Demschar, the COO of Powdr. Corp; Kirk Dwyer, the headmaster of Burke Mountain Academy; Aldo Radamus, the executive director of Ski Club Vail; Dave Galusha, the program director and general manager of the Park City Ski Team; Alison Deines, the nordic program director and head coach at the Jackson Hole Ski and Snowboard Club; and Jon Casson, snowboard director at the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
    — Dwyer stressed that the most critical issue for Burke is to stay true to a strategic plan and to maintain “a mission and a vision.” He touched on a number of other topics he felt were key to the academy’s success, the foundation of which came from talented people. A club must be clear on what its core program is, must constantly strive to become better and a positive relationship must exist between the academy board and parents, Dwyer said.
    — Radamus touched on the innovative educational academy that blends the resources of the club with the Eagle County School District. The result has been the adoption of a class schedule built around the competition season so kids aren’t missing as much learning time. Radamus said the school district benefits by regaining revenue previously lost to student-athletes who attended another school that catered more to their competition schedule, and the parents of aspiring athletes benefited by not having to pay as high a tuition cost. Radamus, who helped lead the organization out of debt since his arrival in 2002, said one way he was able to do that was stress to parents and the Vail community that the benefits of the club “transcend athletics.”
    — An interesting point in Galusha’s presentation was the fact the club’s youth program directed by Dar Hendrickson does not stress running gates. In fact, Galusha, with more than 30 years as a coach at many clubs and many levels of racing, said the PCST development group does less gate training than at any other club he’s been a part of. He pointed to how many PCST alums are currently on the U.S. Ski Team as an example of the club knowing how to produce winners, and that fundamental skill development at an early age is critical to success — and that doesn’t mean running gates every day.
    — Demschar touched on a number of points in his presentation, drawing on his many years as a coach in his native Austria and on the U.S. Ski Team as head women’s coach during the 1990s. He stressed that all club leaders need to build a strong, positive relationship with their local ski area management and understand what problems management may have with racing on their mountains. Start at the top with the general manager and work down. Demschar told of the hours and hours he’s spent during his career riding in the snowcat at night grooming the race hill and listening to the drivers’ concerns and suggesting how to better prep the race hill.   
    Demschar also said that Park City Mountain Resort would be ready to run FIS-level races again if the FIS approached the resort. But resuming World Cup racing in November — the resort hosted “America’s Opening” to kick off the North American swing for many years — will not happen as the snow conditions are just too unpredictable, Demschar stated. Any races run would likely have to be in January or February.
    Finally, Demschar urged everyone at USSA headquarters and at the clubs across the country to keep the American momentum from this last World Cup season going. Do not get complacent after winning five World Cup globes as U.S. alpiners did this past season because “there are a lot of coaches in Austria walking around with their tails between their legs right now.”