Alpine Development Plan 2014

Alpine Development Plan 2014
Regional Alpine Development
Principles & Goals of USSA Development Philosophies
GENERAL STATEMENT OF PURPOSE, USSA Development
(From Alpine Plan Addendum A, April, 14,2014)
The purpose of the alpine development program is to make the United States the Best in the World
in Olympic skiing.
Support the USSA vision and mission by selecting, training and fielding competitive athletes;
achieve success and win at every level of the pipeline in which the National Development system
participates: USSA, FIS, Continental Cup, Europa Cup.
The Regional Alpine Development Department is charged with promotion and implementation of the
USSA athletic vision and mission by directing the activities that support the sport of competitive
alpine skiing by field contact and delivery of programs for USSA members and clubs for the all USSA
regions and division; To increase quality, productivity and effectiveness of delivery of USSA's
athletic development program content and activities including athlete development projects, the
Alpine Training System philosophy and methodology via training camps, projects, competition
project management, and an effective calendar of competitions for athletes, coaches, clubs of the
regions and divisions in order to increase the athletic program effectiveness producing elite
athletes and the retention of satisfied members.
The USSA Alpine Development program consists of athletes on the D team, National Training
Groups for Men and Women as well as the regional development system.
USSA created nomination criteria for the different levels based on World ranking, age group
performance band, Head to Head competition throughout the Nor Am races as well as performance
at the U18 and U16 national Championships.
Our goal is to create a World Class Elite and Development program so that our athletes are
competitive at every level of competition with the ultimate goal to be the “Best in the World” at the
Olympic level.
1
A Development pathway
It is a goal of the Regional Alpine Development Department to provide a framework of athletic
philosophies, methodologies, plans, and procedure that provide a clear explanation of what we are
tasked to do and how we propose to accomplish those responsibilities. All RADD staff is expected to
participate fully in the development of this plan. All Domestic Alpine staff, NTG & Managers are invited
to participate as well.
"Ends" & "Means"
"We all want the same things". This statement has achieved almost cliché status without being
really examined or, as it should be, challenged. What is it that we all want? Do we all really want the
same things? Based on the dialog of several resent meetings of various task forces and other groups I
have been associated in the recent past it would seem that this might not be the case. We might be
doing things for different reasons with different goals in mind even for the same activity. There is
nothing inherently wrong with the pursuit of different, even conflicting goals. The problem is when we
think we all want the same thing and are toiling with much different Ends in mind.
Troy Flanagan identified the mission for sport scientists to be based on solving problems. Go the
client, usually coaches, and identify problems. Solve the problem, make the tasks easier to accomplish.
Save time. Increase effectiveness. I have found this to be a great frame to view the work before us. A At
recent quote from the Athletic Summit: "In search of excellence don't be afraid to abandon what has
worked in the past".
I have also found it useful to differentiate between what I do and why I do it, to adopt a view
point articulated in work on organizations based on ends and means, basically an examination of
organizational structure called the Policy Governance Model by Dr. John Carver (thanks to Brian Krill).
Often when observing the formulation an execution of athletic plans I find an absence of step 1. That is
to ask the question 1st: why are you (am I) doing this? What will it accomplish if executed perfectly?
What problem will it solve; what purpose will it serve?
Ends define purpose and goals; Define 'best' at stages; R & D
Ends are why we struggle and what we are trying to accomplish
Ends are often defined by mission statements, charters, or the purpose of an organization as
stated in its bylaws
Ends are defined by an organization's BOD
Appropriate Ends should be listed in Appendix 3; I gave it a start…
2
"Means" are Issues to be considered in program design by USSA Alpine Staff:
Means are the methods used to reach Ends
Means are what we do. Means are policies, procedures, operational manuals, and
methodological statements, teaching progressions, hill use schedules, athletic progressions and race
calendars.
Means are defined by a/the Leader and his/her staff
Means are how we confront and match the struggle
Club partnerships with athletic leaders by club support
Content, by age/stage, projects
Guiding Principles
Consider how the following principles of ends and means are related to design, promotion, and
implementation of a long term (what is long-term; I am looking out 10 years) development pathway:
•
USSA alpine domestic program as a club based system; clubs as the primary delivery system for
USSA programs and information; Sport information, coach/parent/ athlete education and
knowledge
o
[Partnerships, adversity, persuasion, teamwork, promotion, perseverance
•
The Regional Development Department (RADD) is the primary mechanism of field club interface
in the athletic development effort of USSA by USSA. Regional coaches and youth coaches
directly interface with clubs, club coaches, and parents in the promotion of athletic
development of USSA member racers and their coaches via training projects, competition
management, club visitations and joint management of racers career development. Coach
participation in projects directed by RADD staff is the best coach education opportunity
available for club coaches.
•
The Regional Alpine Development program is staff designed, driven, and managed. Input and
colaberation with club directors and lead coaches is important. Discussion and input with
appropriate levels of governance bodies is desireable and necessary. Implications include that
we are charged to lead and that the governance bodies and program leaders are partners and
advisors but in our area of responsibilities we are accountable for success and failure.
o
[Expertise, detail, brainstorming, critical selection, risk, sales, analysis, innovation]
o
Interacts with national and regional development committees(coach) and divisional and
club development and children's committees
3
o
•
"Agents of Change"
Overall Domestic Mission = Retention and advancement of members through enhancing USSA
racing and transition between age categories
o
Mitigate impact of age change at the U16 to U18 transition and retain racers into U18
category [improvisation, creativity, change agent, persistence]
o
There is a perception that the FIS mandated age change (and USSA's adoption of it) was
motivated to "provide an additional year for development". This might have been an
interpretation, via wishful thinking after the fact but the age change was presented as a
maturation solution for women's injury rates in international competitions. The
proposal was based on 16 year old girls were better suited to the surfaces and
equipment present in FIS than 15 year old girls: in other words a lot of 1st year FIS
women were being injured and the age change was a solution. This worked against the
USA in that it pushed the transition to FIS to the junior year of a typical American kid to
the junior year of high school.
o
"Lost year" second year U14, Junior High level U14 [illuminate, persuade, perspective]
o
(Need) USSA College program [alternatives, inclusion, support, innovate]
•
Price point for membership and Head tax
Focus and support of fundamental skill development and a focus on same, i. e. SkillsQuest
o
Progressive reduction from 100% at U8 in percentage of skill development and Free
skiing in an individual members' on snow training program:
Classification </= U8
U10
U12
U14
U16
U18
% of total
program
100%
80%
60%
40%
25%
15%
Ave TR Age?
2 years
4 years
5 years
7 Years
8 years
9 years
Deliberate play to deliberate practice (Deep practice)
•
Reconceptualized the Stage/Age grouping philosophy to support the implications of flow state
motivation
o
Stages as in American scholastic system
Elementary, Jr. High, High School, College years
•
Elementary </=U13 focus on technique and skills
4
o
•
•
•
College years = performance
Focused on challenge equaling skills
Incentivized
Letter system based on % back, ABCD…
o
Price point for children's entrance
Revised emphasis from "U" system to American educational structure of elementary, junior high
(or middle school), high school, and college years; (Needed philosophy shift)
Buddy Warner vs. USSA member programs
o
To correspond with Coté and Bloom's stage theories of sport and talent development
o
Skills orientation of program at <U12 level
Differentiate between participant vs. elite tracks
o
"Double Peak" Pyramid based on Coté 's Development Model of Sport Participation
(+Keller's elite addition to the 3 stage theory to six stages)
o
Clear focus on the difference in levels of competition
Sub-elite and elite tracking = Accelerated development
Better Racers/skiers, sooner
Desirability of head-to-head competition for selection and advancement to all sub-C team
national competition, project invitation, and team selections
Similar, same selection methods and opportunities to all levels of national
championships, U16, U18, US Nationals
All athletes competing in target series, NorAms and National Championships
o
•
High School, U16 & U18, refine 4 events
o
o
•
•
•
Jr High, U14 = tactics and learn to race
Ability classification vs. age grouping
•
•
U16 (include 13 year olds
Density, quality of competition fields; attendance by all Elite track racers
5
•
o
Field size
o
Support for race organizers; viability and survival
Clear means of upward mobility in the Elite track
o
•
Ascension methods, quantitative & qualitative
College racing as part of the pipeline. Really.
Project Based; Core Mission of Projects
Tri regional, Bi-regional and individual regions West, RC, East goal to support clubs with training
projects, shared racer management, championship and COC competition management, and coach
development. Primary focus is what they need that they cannot provide individually.
SWOT analysis of best content and delivery by training age
Quality
•
•
•
Create a Culture of excellence
o
Spirit, commitment, grit, choices
o
What limits are there to achieving athletic potential?
Planned progression; clear goals at each stage
o
Within year and career
o
Within Event
Content
o
Implications of Deep Practice
o
Implications of Flow state
o
Comprehension, knowledge, cognition
•
Materials
•
Surface
•
Target athletes identified based on a comprehensive set of information sources and types
Pace
•
Best kids from each club in project based cooperative setting
6
•
Best club coaches of target age group
•
Leadership by staff, participation by club staff
•
Commitment to all domains including conditioning
•
Exposer to methods, content, progressions and philosophy of regional level USSA development
•
Use of current and former USST coaches
•
Use of PSIA Demonstration Team at initial content level
Train events and conditions clubs cannot typically provide
•
Target experiences appropriate by training age
•
Fundaments & skills
•
Speed events
•
Technical event deficiencies
•
Surface
•
Train to mitigate weaknesses
•
Train to build on strengths
Projects and Club visitation as Coach Development
•
Highest level of club coach education
•
Face –to-face delivery
Core Mission of Competition Projects
Appropriate Levels, descending
•
NorAm variance
o
Who are NorAms as COC for? National team, Seniors (college)
o
Men vs. Women's races & fields
o
November vs. the rest
o
As a junior qualification series? Junior men can't get in, National FIS
o
Speed esp. DH
7
•
National FIS series designation of current elite series races for Men across all 3 regions
culminating with the U18 championships
•
FISU access
•
Levels of FIS races necessary
•
College, USCSA USSA association
•
USSA emphasis by divisions
Quality
•
Challenging venues appropriate to training age
•
Field density and quality
•
Implications of Flow: Challenge and skills matched (Ability racing?)
•
International age group ranking
Pace
•
Head-2-Head of best kids of peer age groups (ABC-G ability system?)
•
International comparison at championship events in USA
•
NTG international comparison at U16
Experience
•
Venue knowledge
•
Competitive challenge, championship environments and stresses
•
Coach development
Competitive Success
•
Achievement of goals and purposes
•
Appropriate access to FIS licenses
Ends: Phased Goals; where we are going
Phase 1: Dissatisfaction Phase (past)
•
2009-2013
o
Development "Broken"
8
o
Recovery from 2006 and 2008 cuts
Restructure Alpine Department
Directors to meet athletic mission
Phase 2: Construction Phase
•
2012-2015
•
More staff, stable coach staff, youth coaches, Eastern restructure
•
McKinsey inspired governance +affiliation
o
o
Geographic analysis
Regions; purpose
Affiliates agreements
ASC structure
•
SkillsQuest roll-out of complete product
•
Re-target SkillsQuest median to U12s
•
Calendar reform, USSA & FIS
Phase 3: Action, Execute Phase
•
2013-14, Year 1
o
2014 =Olympic Games, Sochi, Russia
o
RADD coaches all hired.
o
Regional training projects to include Nov-Dec at Copper + In season projects
o
Regional competition projects, coordinated in all regions
o
Youth coaches East and West
o
Calendar reforms started
o
Regional teams and/or training groups defined and purposed
o
Targeted coach development
Young coaches
9
•
2014-15, Year 2
o
•
PE knowledge
Staff alignment
Youth coach build out
RADD gender coaches?
o
Sustainable structure
o
Youth Coaches supported + West &R/C
o
NTG as teams build out
o
Leadership definitions of roles, content, execution
o
Tri region U16 champions camps Tech and speed
o
Tri region May, Nov, +?
o
Content of projects by level
Fundamentals
Fitness and motor skill (U10/12/14)
Tech additions, SL/ GS (U14,U16, U18)
Copper speed and tech U16>
o
Governance work, i. e. McKinsey structure done
o
Refine project plans i.e. deep practice formats
o
More calendar reform
o
Age group reform and/or ability racing analysis
2015-16, Year 3
o
Restructure sport, age groups & ability racing
o
Talent search system for projects
o
SkillsQuest fully built-out and focal program for U10/12
o
Club AMP fully built-out
10
•
•
o
High Performance R&D projects launched
o
Targeted qualification numbers to national teams and NTG
2016-17, Year 4
o
Refine
o
Improve quality
2017-18, Year 5
o
2018 = Olympic Games, South Korea
o
2018, Host WJC , Copper Mt, CO
o
Win Hodler Cup
Phase 4 Sustain and Improve
•
Talent search, six stages
Desirable Conditions for 5 years hence
•
Three stage development system operational and succeeding in goal attainment
o
Stage 1: Learn to ski well (to U14)
o
Stage 2: Learn competition skills systematically (U14)
o
Stage 3: Join 1 & 2 and refine 4 events (U16 & U18)
•
Best Practice content, operations, and methods based on knowledge gain through experience
and research
•
Partnerships and associations with top performing clubs, fully "bought in"
•
Age and ability racing based on American culture and social (academic) structure
•
Win the Hodler cup and sustain top 3 performance
•
Feed the NTG and National team with objectively qualified athletes
•
Change perception of what an "prepared to potential" alpine athlete is and needs to be
•
Change what it means to be a "qualified" coach
•
USSA College program; high school program
11
•
PSIA Partnership
•
Great training and competition sites
•
Enough speed venues and events
•
Retention age peaking at high school age
12
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