It wasn't too hard for Jim Tracy to jump back into coaching the women’s national alpine team after a two-year hiatus.
    “I’ve had conversations with most of them on and off over the past few years while I was gone from USSA,” he said.
    Last spring, Tracy was recruited back to the team after head women’s coach Patrick Riml stepped down. He spent seven seasons at the helm of the speed group, leaving the team after the 2006 season. He picked up where he left off down under for the women’s summer camp at Coronet Peak, New Zealand, Aug. 4-18. He spent about a week with the group working on team dynamics, fundamentals, and improving the tech team.
IT WASN'T TOO hard for Jim Tracy to jump back into coaching the women’s national alpine team after a two-year hiatus.
    “I’ve had conversations with most of them on and off over the past few years while I was gone from USSA,” he said.
    Last spring, Tracy was recruited back to the team after head women’s coach Patrick Riml stepped down to coach the women’s program at Alpine Canada. Tracy spent seven seasons at the helm of the speed group, leaving the team after the 2006 season. He’s coached in five Winter Olympic Games.
    He picked up where he left off down under for the women’s summer camp at Coronet Peak, New Zealand, Aug. 4-18.
     “It was awesome, apparently this was one of the best years they’ve had in quite a while,” he said about the snow conditions. “It was kind of snowing the first day I got there and then basically we had five days of bluebird. That said, when I left the weather turned crummy and has sort of remained crummy. But it’s a winter sport and that’s what we go down for, those winter conditions.”
    He spent about a week with the team working on team dynamics, fundamentals, and improving the tech team.
    “The biggest goal for me is to get the tech team on par with the speed team,” he said, “but we’re on the right track. … We’re working hard on fundamentals, both speed and tech, and the kids know how important that is. They know in the big picture that fundamentals is what helps them win ski races.”
    Being that it was the first time that many of the athletes have been back on skis for a couple of months, Tracy didn’t expect breakthroughs but some stood out.
    “As far as standouts, they all had moments that they were skiing quite well,” he said. “Sarah Schleper I have to say is coming back well after having her baby and all. At the Mammoth camp she had maybe one or two turns that were the Sarah from a few years back and up until I left camp it turned into maybe five or six or seven gates that were like the Sarah of old. That’s certainly encouraging. She’s feeling better now, and accustomed to being back with the group despite her life changes, so that’s good.”
    Overall, he was pleased: “We have good dynamics.”
    Next, the women’s speed and tech teams take off the first week of September to train in Chile through much of the month.