Afternoon Program

Introduction to the Afternoon Program

It is getting very close to kick-off time for our season; we hope everyone is as excited as we are. As the membership info was sent out very recently, it is now time to think about the application process for our afternoon program. We’d like to say a few words about this program for the new families who might be interested and for those who have participated in the past. Our afternoon training program is for committed and dedicated U14, U16, U18 and U21 athletes who want to maximize their training and racing potential with BMRC and have the school/family flexibility to train in the afternoon. Note: All applicants for AP must either own, or have made arrangements to have use of, a SG-specific ski for the season.

Athletes interested in the Afternoon Program must submit an application by Aug 26th in order to be considered for the AP. Registration for all programs will open Sept 1st and only those authorized/accepted by pre-approval will be allowed to register for the AP. All others will be able to register for the standard evening programs

U14 Criteria

This program is scheduled 3 days per week, Tuesday through Thursday, from 3:30-5:30 p.m.  Athletes will be expected to attend most of the scheduled sessions with missed days being the exception, not the rule. Failure to meet this requirement will result in athletes being ineligible for AP the following year.  Additionally, disruptive and/or behavioral issues may result in an athlete’s removal from AP in the current season.

Space in this program will be limited.  Athletes not meeting the above criteria may apply for special, discretionary consideration and be accepted only IF space is available.

U16-U21 Criteria

For the U16-21’s, the afternoon program will be available four days a week, Monday thru Thursday, with a three session per week minimum required commitment.  Missed days should be the exception, not the rule. Monday and Thursday are mandatory training days for all afternoon program athletes.  Athletes may choose between Tuesday and Wednesday, these days being very close in training content.  This is to accommodate our high school racer’s schedules for both Monroe and Wayne leagues.  However, note that this program is NOT meant to be an addition to high school racing/training!  It is meant to be your primary focus with an allowance to participate in high school racing and represent your school.  Athletes who choose to may attend all days if so desired.  The afternoon program will begin at 3:30 p.m. and end at 5:30 p.m.  Space in this program will be limited to approximately 15-18 athletes.  There will be no automatic or guaranteed slots. Failure to meet attendance requirements will result in athletes being ineligible for AP the following year.  Additionally, disruptive and/or behavioral issues may result in an athlete’s removal from AP in the current season.

Afternoon Program Details

This is a program for a serious, committed athlete.  What we are looking for in our afternoon program athletes is the desire to work hard in an effort to improve and achieve their own personal goals.  Being in this program requires a serious commitment to training, in addition to increased attention to school and other off snow activities as the increased training schedule leaves less time for these important commitments.  This program is not intended to be a high-pressure, results-oriented program solely intent on post-season results.  We are interested in a racer’s total development.  This includes everything from maturity and reaching for highly set goals to high performance in skiing and ski racing.  This will be accomplished through a formal goal-setting process and a commitment to keeping a supervised training journal with the help of the coaching staff.  We are not necessarily looking for just our best racers, we are looking for our most dedicated racers.

There has always been a high interest in participating in BMRC’s afternoon program. For this reason, we have an application process (BMRC Afternoon Program Application).  Due to the interest, and limited space, a good portion of the decision has to be based on an athlete’s racing and training history.  In addition, significant weight will be given to a short racer’s essay, where the athlete gets the opportunity to talk about their personal goals and reasons for wanting to be in the afternoon program.  There is absolutely no substitute for a highly motivated athlete who is willing to put forth the effort and take from the program everything they possibly can.  This is more important than an “exceptional” current level of performance based on the USSA’s ladder system definition for a ski racer’s advancement.

It is very important to understand that the afternoon program will be training on a progression schedule that will be more seasonally vs. weekly focused.  The progressions will prepare the athletes for all events and address the skills required for those events.  It should be further understood that the afternoon program will not be primarily focused on the race schedule.  It is our goal to prepare the athletes with the skills needed to be successful at all events at any time.  Event schedules will be taken into account with the planning of progressions and the overall season to best prepare all athletes.

Finally, we’d like to make it known that every single racer in BMRC will receive nothing but our coaching staff’s very best, regardless of when they train.  If an athlete is not in the afternoon program, that in no way means he or she will receive less attention from the coaches.  All of our athletes receive 100% from the coaches!

If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact Jeff Jenkins (585) 455-8362 , e-mail [email protected]