The Banff Alpine Racers & Bow Valley Quikies @ Norquay is a ski racing club in which the programs build upon a strong foundation and use a systematic development system that allows young athletes to maximize their personal development through sport. Our program parallels the ski racing development model that has been laid out in the Alpine Integration Model © Alpine Canada Alpin.1999. http://www.albertaalpine.ab.ca/pdfs/aimonline_b.pdf. This model bases the growth of athletes having four periods of development. The Fundamentals, the Train to Train Phase, Train to Compete Phase, and the Train to Win Phase.

The Banff Alpine Racers section of our club moves the young children from the Fundamental level into the Train to Train phase and then to the Train to Compete phase.
If the athlete progresses to the elite level they will exit the club training structure in the early stage of the Train to Compete phase to the Provincial Ski Team. The completion of this phase is the domain of the National Development Team. The Train to Win Phase is the exclusive domain of the Canadian National Ski Team where the sole focus of the athlete, the coaches, and program is to win at the international level. If the athlete does not move on to the more elite levels of ski racing they are encouraged to coach or race while they continue their education.

The focus is to introduce children train to train phase of development. Children are encouraged to participate in other sports in the Spring, Summer, and Fall to ensure the compete development of fundamental motor skills. Dry land training is used for team building in challenging and skill building environment. Dry land testing is introduced primarily for the tracking of physical development. The introduction of formal mental training skills occurs. Proper nutrition becomes a conscious choice for the child with direction from the coach and parent. Slalom and Super G are introduced as events and are trained and raced. Giant Slalom is used as the fundamental building block of excellent ski technique. Free skiing is a major component of developing skiing skills.

Ages: 11 and 12
Coach to Athlete Ratio 1 to 7
Dryland Training: Four Saturdays in the fall September and October and two field tests, one in the fall and one in the spring.
Days on Snow: 65 to 75
Race Starts: 12 to 15
Ski Pass: Rocky Mountain Passport and Canada Olympic Park for Calgary residents.
When: Weekends and Wednesday PM for Calgary residents. Friday PM for Banff and Canmore residents. Two mid week camps during the season.

The focus is to further development of the train to train phase. Dry land training becomes a major aspect of the program. The athletes are encouraged to continue in other sports in the Spring, Summer and Fall to further develop motor skills and a love of sport in general. Mental training skills take a more complex form. Long term goal setting, more advanced visualization skills with an emphasis on self reflection and self analysis occurs at this age. The program will utilize a formal setting of teaching of mental skills. Nutrition is taught as a means to increasing performance. The technique and tactics of Slalom, GS and SG are still the events trained and raced. Free skiing remains an integral part of the athlete's development. On snow summer training is offered to the athletes.

Ages: 13 and 14
Coach to Athlete Ratio 1 to 7
Days on Snow: 85 to 95
Dry land Training Two mid week sessions after school and Saturdays from September 1 to the end of November. Gymnastics sessions included. Training maintained throughout the winter.
Race Starts: 12 to 17
Ski Pass: Rocky Mountain Passport and Canada Olympic Park for Calgary residents.
When: Fridays Weekends, Wednesdays and Wednesday nights, Three midweek camps during the season.
Optional Mt. Hood Summer Camp

The focus of the Banff Alpine Racers Junior program is the introduction of the train to compete phase and continues to develop that phase until they exit the program. The BAR junior program will give the athlete the skills to further develop as a ski racer at the Provincial Team level or to exit the sport as a well rounded individual with many life skills to take to adult hood. If the athlete has the desire they may choose to return to the sport as a coach and the club encourages its young racers by providing educational opportunities to become a coach.

The junior program is a year round individualized program that utilizes experts in physical training, sports psychology and nutrition as well as staff employed year round to ensure the integration of all key components of athletic development for ski racing. The challenges of being an athlete and a student are met by utilizing the various schools that are designed for that purpose. The Banff Community High School and the National Sport School in Calgary have programs that cater to the athletic demands of students.

The discipline of Downhill is introduced in the first year of Junior and the athletes are encouraged to be four event skiers until individual needs dictate otherwise. Summer camps are part of the annual plan and integration with the Provincial Sports Organization, Alberta Alpine, for additional camps occurs when the athletes are selected to participate. The plan for each athlete becomes highly individualized depending on the age, stage of development and desires of the athlete.

BAR Bylaws >> (pdf)