HOPEFULS PROGRAM GUIDE

The Teams

The Hopefuls program is separated into two groups, the Club Team and the Devo Team. Steve Finneron, Killington's Hopeful Program Director also supervises the Club Team.

The Club Team

The Club Team is the introductory competitions skiing program. It is appropriate for families who will attend on a regular basis and wish to learn skiing fundamentals in a structured and enjoyable way. The primary goal of our coaches is to make skiing fun while learning good fundamentals, responsible skiing, and courtesy. This means we will ski a variety of terrain and conditions, play games, do skills drills, run some gates, ski bumps and explore our mountain. For the most part, kids learn and improve without realizing they are being taught. Within both the Club Team and the Development Team, we will group the children with several things in mind: ability (skills and speed), age, aggressiveness, and when reasonable, who their friends are. Each coach will have about ten kids. We'll remain flexible, and move them from one group to another when appropriate. They will experience the most fun and challenge when all group members ski at the same level.

The Development Team

The Development (Devo) Team is designed as a preparation level for a more competitive program in Alpine Racing. Devo Team members are at least eight years old and already ski at the highest level of Hopefuls. Some in this group may be invited to ski and train both Saturdays and Sunday. With this group we may choose to race occasionally in the next level of competition, the Mid-VT Council, at the Junior 4 and 5 levels. The Mid-VT Council allows Devo skiers to race in a maximum of two Jr. 4 and 5 races. Devo racers who chose to "race up" must be members of VARA and Youth Members of USSA. Our goal is to choose the appropriate Mid-VT races that allow our Devo Team members a chance to experience the next level of competition.