WHAT team

2017-2018 Season

This is going to be an exciting season. The schedule is being finalized and the race season is being planned. We are looking forward to implementing some new camps and races into the schedule, as well as working toward Junior Nationals.

Why a ski club?

The Wyoming High Altitude Training team will be a way forward for Laramie and Wyoming skiers. The WHAT team will be for athletes looking to excel in cross country skiing. A ski club offers opportunities that high school athletics cannot and will compliment the high school team. The WHAT team club program will offer opportunities such as training camps, elite races, low athlete to coach ratios and connections to US skiing.

The program is built on national skiing goals following skier development and the pipeline set by United States skiing. The training plan will constitute the most recent training practices as well as the most recent ski techniques. The WHAT team will travel to other club races in the Rocky Mountain division and the Intermountain Northern division. Because of this, the club will actually do less traveling than the high school team.

Pillars of WHAT

FUN

This is paramount in any sport. However, WHAT has a different definition of fun than just games and jumps. A hard workout is fun. Seeking the best competition and racing is fun. Pushing yourself beyond what you thought possible is extremely rewarding and fun.

Purpose

Everything within WHAT will have a clearly defined purpose. Every workout, every race, every move will be with purpose.

Pride

Taking pride in what you do is an important part of life, and being an elite skier is something to be proud of. Building confidence and being proud of a hard days work will be key parts of the training plan. We will train like the best, to be the best. Building confidence is an important part of skiing.

Performance

The WHAT team is a competitive club. We will travel to the best races we can. The goal will be Nationals. In the future that goal may include international trips.

Partnership with the High School Team

This club is not a replacement for the Laramie High School team. It is an additional option for training and racing. The majority of our races will still be High Plains/High School races held throughout the state. The club is an opportunity for more intensive training, including advanced technique work. The WHAT team will be able to accomplish this by the smaller coach to athlete ratio. The race weekends will also be a little different. High Plains races will be educational opportunities and USSS races will be opportunities for FIS/USSS points as well as a higher level of competition. This will be challenging, both mentally and physically.


The High School Team will be a big part of how the team operates. I do not want anyone to feel as if they are forsaking the high school to compete on the WHAT team. There will be differences that mainly come down to differences in training plans. A private club will allow us to do things that a high school team cannot. The club athletes will carpool up to Happy Jack so that we can start practice earlier and get home for homework earlier. I can understand if parents do not want their kids driving, however I see this as being the best use of extremely limited sunlight. This will also be a physically demanding club. The sooner we can get athletes to bed the better they will perform on the trails and in the classroom.


The athletes will travel with the High School team to all the High Plains races that we go to. I will travel independently to these races and be on site to help the kids with their races. They will effectively be full members of the High School team on these weekends. They will be expected to maintain the standards of the club and conduct themselves accordingly.


The WHAT club will focus on USSS skiing, USSS being the most competitive group in the United States. This will be a program for athletes looking to excel in cross country skiing and race more than the Wyoming High School races.

Cost of the program

The program will cost $600 per athlete every six months. We will start on November 1 and the summer program will start the last week of April to correspond with the nordic year. The fees will include coaching for the six months as well as overhead for the creation of the new club. Overhead for the new club will include:

  • glide and kick waxes for the athletes' use
  • coaching education
  • coaching at high school/High Plains races
  • race splits/timing

*Scholarships will be available for athletes with financial need


In addition to club fees every race we go to as a club will need to be paid for. This cost will be clearly outlined in a breakdown no later than two weeks to race start. We will need a minimum of four athletes traveling for these rates to apply. Race weekend fees, per trip per athlete, will include:

  • Transportation ~$25
  • Lodging ~$50
  • Entry Fees ~$70
  • Wax Fees ~$25
  • Coaching Fees ~$50

Total cost for a weekend of racing will be approximately $220

This is an estimated cost for a race weekend. The Thanksgiving trip will cost more because of the duration of the trip and some weekends will be less.

Meals will be the responsibility of athletes.

Size of Team

Most club teams try to keep an athlete to coach ratio of 7:1. Interest in the team will determine the size but it is not my intention of limiting opportunity in any way, any athlete that is ready to work hard is welcome at WHAT.

Further Questions

WHAT always maintains an open door policy. If anyone has any question, comments or concerns please contact me. dan@whatteam.org