Talent in children? If so, what next?

Annmarief

New member
My children love to ski (ages 6, 6, and 3). I have been told I really need to get my daughter (age 6) into racing, that she has a "talent". She more or less began skiing this past season. She raced 2 times last season, once taking first in a 6 and under age range. And, not placing the second time (8 and under age range). I am not as impressed by her skills as I am with her attitude. She is a fierce competator. Her instuctors are impressed with control and lack of fear, which they say is a rare combination. By the way....she LOVES it. She was complaning while swimming the other day that she missed her skis and wanted to go visit them at Grandpa's cabin.

We live in Michigan and there are 2 ski racing teams that would be do-able mid week from our house. Right now, I am leaning more toward the less demanding and closer one (40 minutes away, only for 6 weeks). The other would be more demanding and is about 1 1/4 hours away. What do all of you think?
 
I have alot of questions before recommending anything:

1) Does she WANT to race? It sounds like she loves to ski, but racing is a different thing altogether. Does she understand for instance that on race day, the majority of her time will be spent standing around the race shack and that her skiing will consist of a few runs at best? Talent is great to have, but it's useless without the burning desire to compete.
2) Is she a well rounded skier? Does she ski bumps well? Can she handle any conditions like ice or powder? If not, I would develop those skills first and worry about racing later.
3) Why do her instructors feel she has to race? Have they run out of things to teach her? I would seriously doubt that at her age her skills are so developed that she is beyond recreational instruction.
I was a seasonal program coach for many years and developed 7-12 year olds from advanced to expert skiers. A big part of my job was filtering out children who had the ability to compete in freestyle moguls competition or traditional alpine disciplines and move them into those competitive programs. I learned very early that the successful transfers were always the kids who really wanted to race, not the ones whose parents or others thought should race. So, ask your daughter what she wants.
 
Thank you for your response/interest.

1) She enjoyed racing both times she did it. She has a HUGE desire to compete. It is my husband & I that get tired of the waiting around! No complaints of boredom from her, her twin, or her little sister. Actually, my husband is pretty negative about the waiting. Therefore, this is definitely, child driven.

2) We are from Michigan, where new snow is considered powder.....not exactly what you are talking about. And, due to all of the snow boarders, most of the runs are groomed. She did ski some of both in Snowmass this past spring break and did well. We skied 6-8 in. of powder, nothing really deep, but she handled it very well. The bumps were tougher for her; she definitely needs time to develop this skill. However, she won't get much of it around here! The upside was she did not get frustrated. When she gets in over her head, she slows down, goes ahead, and if she falls, she gets up and keeps going. She does love the jumps in the snowboarding areas. And, given her choice of where she would ski, it would be jumps or gates. Obviously, the jumps are more predictable than bumps, and therefore, require less skill. When we were at Snowmass she skied mostly Elk camp, and occasionally Big Burn. But her brother couldn?t handle Big Burn very well; therefore, we spent more time over in Elk Camp.

3) She has definitely not outgrown lessons for recreational skiing. We usually get the kids a private lesson for an hour or two every 4th day skiing. Out west they did group lessons for 3 of the six days. I think the reason the instructors have encouraged racing is due to her drive and control. She controls her speed very well, while having no fear. Whereas, her twin also skis in control, but is much more timid. I will admit....she is fast. I hear other parents? comments while I am watching her ski down. (I usually hang back in case someone takes a tumble.) Personally, I am impressed with how fast her progress is.

She only skied one weekend per year for the 2 years prior to this past season. This past season she began over New Year?s Eve and ended in early April. That is why I say she basically just started skiing this year.

Right now, I am leaning towards enrolling her in a ski racing program that only runs for about 6 weeks, one night per week. And, the rest of the time ski for fun....maybe allowing her to race during the end of season memorial races at the resort we typically visit over the weekends. It doesn't have the pre-season training that the other program has, or the time commitment. I think this might be a good place to start without putting too much pressure on her. If she really likes it, in a couple of years I could always switch her over. Would you agree that pre-season training, off season training trips out west, and skiing 2 days per week in a racing program is a bit of over-kill for a first grader? Personally, I think so. But the other program is the one you always hear about around here.

My attitude with the kids has always been.....you commit to it....you finish it. BUT, I always ask them before signing them up for another session/race/lesson. I couldn?t agree more that SHE has to be the one who wants it. Not us.

Thanks again! I am looking forward to any suggestions you have on how we can encourage her without putting too much pressure on her or taking the fun out of it.
 
My post was meant to explore how you feel about her sking, and your response certainly did that and more. I'm glad to see we're not dealing with "pushy parent" syndrome here and it's obvious that both you and your husband have your priorities straight.

It's all about fun for the little ones age 8 and younger. So I agree that things like preseason training, training programs that require travel, and strict 2 day a week racing schedules are WAY overkill for a 6 year old. But it sounds like she really likes the gates, so the 6 week program you mentioned sounds very reasonable. This way, she gets some good exposure to racing yet still has time for fun skiing and developing other skiing skills.

I have 3 boys (12, 10, and 4); my 2 oldest are just now starting to show real interest in competition teams although their preference is for freestyle/moguls. But since they are both on travel soccer teams, we have held back on the skiing teams. Both boys play soccer year round, and my 12 year old is on a premier league team and travels all over the country. That's enough for now. We asked them to choose, and they both chose soccer. Not a problem! It's really up to them.

So for now, we ski together and have fun, all the while continuing to develop our skills and helping my 4 year old get up to speed. No need to push kids to do more than they can handle.
 
They live in the Midwest. How else can this girl improve her skiing other than in a race program? Patrick should weigh in on this as his home ski areas are similar and that's what his daughter is doing.

But at least Patrick can take Morgane occasionally to more interesting places. I recal that Morgane was quite enthusiastic about Mad River Glen.
 
My 2 daughters (9yr and 12yr) were enrolled in a race program last year. There skiing did improve but, they didn't enjoy the program. They found the repetive racing drills boring and didn't enjoy going.
It also cost me a bundle , over 2k .
 
jasoncapecod":33m3umby said:
My 2 daughters (9yr and 12yr) were enrolled in a race program last year. There skiing did improve but, they didn't enjoy the program. They found the repetive racing drills boring and didn't enjoy going.
It also cost me a bundle , over 2k .

This response is also for Tony's post...this is exactly what I was afraid might happen to Annmarief's daughter if the program she got into was too intense. And once the kids start to dislike the program, they might very well extend that dislike to the sport itself. Forget about the added expense, the kids were bored and didn't like it.

I disagree that racing is the only way for kids in the midwest to improve their skiing. Even if there are no bumps, there are plenty of exercises a well qualified instructor can use to develop skiing skills on flat terrain. And I'm sure there are no shortage of terrain parks. The trick is to find the good instructor.

Even though I spent time training kids to run gates, I myself find racing programs very boring and I never had any interest whatsoever in being in an alpine racing program when I was a kid. In addition to that, my impression is that many kids who devote alot of time to racing at a young age grow up to be skiers with limited skiing skills. Great on flats and ice, not much more. JMHO.

The program I recommended to Annmarief is exactly the program her daughter should get into, sort of an intro to racing. Low key. Not alot of military racing drills and standing around at race shacks. If her daughter really likes it, she can go on to more intense racing programs. She's only 6.
 
My children, Alex (10) and Véro (7) never got into racing but they love sking and they can ski almost anything with style and control. I skied with Alex on Whitehorn II in Lake Louise and I was more impressed then him of the steepness. Shure racing can improve a lot their skiing (I'm an ex-racer from U of Montreal ski team), but I think the best way to improve is mileage, with you, not with a trainer. Give them mileage and they will learn naturally how to crank an efficient turn, bring them in the glades, in powder, show them how to huck little cliff. That's what they need to be better skiers who can ski anything (not just gates on a levelled ice rink). While on the ski team, I've seen so many people bored of skiing at the age of 20 because they've been racing each weekend since the age of 6. Both my kids say skiing is their favorite sport, I'm glad that I can be part of that pleasure. :wink:I had a published letter in a last year Powder mag about bringing children in the backcountry (Powder magazine, january 2006, page 128)
 
Lucky Luke":1344y9zk said:
My children, Alex (10) and Véro (7) never got into racing but they love sking and they can ski almost anything with style and control. I skied with Alex on Whitehorn II in Lake Louise and I was more impressed then him of the steepness. Shure racing can improve a lot their skiing (I'm an ex-racer from U of Montreal ski team), but I think the best way to improve is mileage, with you, not with a trainer. Give them mileage and they will learn naturally how to crank an efficient turn, bring them in the glades, in powder, show them how to huck little cliff. That's what they need to be better skiers who can ski anything (not just gates on a levelled ice rink). While on the ski team, I've seen so many people bored of skiing at the age of 20 because they've been racing each weekend since the age of 6. Both my kids say skiing is their favorite sport, I'm glad that I can be part of that pleasure. :wink:I had a published letter in a last year Powder mag about bringing children in the backcountry (Powder magazine, january 2006, page 128)

You and I think much alike Luke. I'm lucky to have the coaching experience that allows me to be able to develop my kids abilities myself and for many years I did just that. It's why I stopped teaching for the mountain. But my 2 oldest (12 amd 10) are at the point where they need to be with other kids and listen and learn from outside sources. So they've been in alpine development since last season and they love it. All mountain training is the best for kids.

And certainly yes, the mileage is what counts. That's why I'm against making young kids stand around on race day. Wasted time IMO.
 
I agree with Lucky.. The key is mileage. I want my kids to be well rounded skiers. So we ski the whole mtn..We cruise , do some bumps , steeps etc. We even spend some time in the terrain park.
Skiing brush gates all day gets old fast..
 
Wow....Thank you for all of your imput! I really appreciate it. You have more or less backed everything I was thinking in the back of my mind. I was worried that by putting her in a small, less aggressive, program I might be doing her a disservice. It is only one night per week on a night she normally would not ski, and lasts for only six weeks. We also plan to do the same thing as last year....season passes at the resort my father has a cabin at. Weekends of no pressure, skiing for fun, hot tubing, sleding, a little snow mobiling (when we have enough snow), movies, etc. We also put the kids into a private lesson for an hour or two every 4th or 5th day of skiing (I don't like telling them what to do on the slops....I would rather just give compliments and make sure they are skiing in control). Last year we went up most weekends, but, some days skied only a couple hours, others, more. We also spent a spring break at Snowmass. This year, we might do Solitude with the kids for a week to visit friends who will be out there for the winter...in January rather than spring break. Hopefully, she/they will get enough mileage and still have fun! I am a Montessori Mom...."follow the child". But, I am going to have to stay in shape to keep up with this one!

By the way....I really like this web sight :D

Again....thank you.
 
Annmarief":c8sczo4z said:
By the way....I really like this web sight :D

Again....thank you.

Anytime! Stick around, this is the calm period but soon the site will ramp up and there will be alot more activity.
 
Racing has never particularly interested me either. And Adam only does it now because being on UCSD's team gets him cheap skiing at Mammoth with like-minded skiers of his age and ability.

I assisted Adam's skiing when he was young just as all of you describe. But since there are no Mt. Baldys or Mammoths in the Midwest to do that my first reaction was to go with the racing. If you're making western trips that will certainly help her see the many different attractions of skiing.
 
Tony Crocker":3ddxbxx6 said:
Patrick should weigh in on this as his home ski areas are similar and that's what his daughter is doing.
Live from Timberline Lodge... 8) (No I didn't ski yet - tomorrow)

I will weight in when I get back in front of my home computer around September 6th.
 
Tony Crocket":1jpbux7b said:
They live in the Midwest. How else can this girl improve her skiing other than in a race program? Patrick should weigh in on this as his home ski areas are similar and that's what his daughter is doing.

Yes, I am in that dilemma right now. My daughters will be turning 9 and 4 this fall. Tara (the one turning 4) started her dance lesson yesterday, Morgane (almost 9) will continue her music class next Saturday. The only possible day for a ski program will be on Sundays.

What will I do? Balancing kids interests with parents and financial aspects aren't always easy. Since Tara's was born, Morgane has been in a ski school program (she was 5, but she started skiing at 2 1/2). Mainly at first to get out of the house while there was a young baby in the house, but we continued ever since. So after 4 years in lessons and wondering if I should continue this year? She has an interest in racing for the last two years), however I'm not sure that is where I want to go. I'm being selfish and also thinking about myself. A friend mentioned that I should put her in a race program and that she loved it at that age.

HOWEVER, I totally agree with Jim and my friend Lucky on this. Mileage is the number one thing, not lessons or racing. Okay. skills might improve faster in a race program, however the real danger is that the interest and burn-out factor after many years is high.

Similar to Luke (he started on the UofM ski team when I finished and we have the same background and experience - free skiing as kids), I saw too many people that were great skier and some simply great racers not interested in skiing without gates. I even see this with some of the adults I Master raced with on Wednesday nights. That's unfortunate. A race program is great to improve skills, but on the long run I don't necessarily think it's best if they lose interest in skiing as adults.


Lucky Luke":1jpbux7b said:
My children, Alex (10) and Véro (7) never got into racing but they love sking and they can ski almost anything with style and control.
(...)
Give them mileage and they will learn naturally how to crank an efficient turn, bring them in the glades, in powder, show them how to huck little cliff. That's what they need to be better skiers who can ski anything (not just gates on a levelled ice rink). While on the ski team, I've seen so many people bored of skiing at the age of 20 because they've been racing each weekend since the age of 6. Both my kids say skiing is their favorite sport, I'm glad that I can be part of that pleasure.

Morgane's favorite sport is skiing. In grade 3 last year there was a question of where she would like to visit and why. She answered the Yukon because the big mountains (Canada highest mountain) and she likes to ski. After skiing the Palmer snowfield on Aug 31 she was surprise that it was a black diamond run. She mentioned that it was more like a green circle.

Tara also can't wait to go back skiing (she was talking about it in June and was extremely disappointed that we didn't let her ski while at Timberline two weeks ago.

Here is report with pics from Lucky Luke's kids in action...

http://www.firsttracksonline.com/boards ... php?t=2024
 
Morgane seems to have a good balance as she enjoys freeskiing but is also getting once a week technical instruction. It seemed to work pretty well for her dad :wink: .

Annmarief will have to spend more $ than Patrick to get her daughter the freeskiing experience. But Midwest cost of living is low, so maybe they can afford more travel.
 
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