Interschools webinar explains pathway development for young athletes

On Monday, Snow Australia held a Pathways presentation webinar for parents & schools that overviewed the snowsports pathway from Participation to Performance, including the next steps after Interschools, tips on how to develop as an athlete, the Para Snowsports pathway, and how to get involved in the Resort Club and Winter Sports programs.

The webinar was coordinated by Rebecca Clark – Snow Australia National Alpine and Pathway Coordinator. Guest speakers included Tom Hodges (Snow Australia Para Pathway Development Coach and Talent ID Coordinator), Adam Hosie (Thredbo Snow Sports School Manager), Craig Branch (Thredbo Ski Racing Club Head Coach), Ali Bombardier (Perisher Winter Sports Manager) and Nick Rankin  (Australian Professional Snowsport Instructors General Manager).

“It was great to see so many parents and school coordinators engaged in learning about the many development opportunities for young athletes involved in both able and para snowsports in Australia, beyond the highly successful Interschools Snowsport Championships series,” said Clarke.

“I think this webinar gave them a chance to appreciate how the foundation level is crucial to our pathway, which focuses on the idea of progressively building the necessary skills for an individual to embark on a journey towards becoming a performance athlete - or even just being a good skier throughout their life.”

Clubs’ programs are an important component of the athlete’s progression from grassroots to the high performance level. The club representatives on the panel gave valuable insights on the initiatives and programs offered by pathway clubs to support athlete development and provide them with the best chance of progressing through the sport.

“As a pathway club, we really focus on long-term athlete development,” said Craig Branch.

“Of course, we target the high levels of competition and we want to make kids progress through the pathway, all the way to the elite level of the sport. But for the younger age groups these are important years of fundamental skills development. We are always mindful of the importance of balancing training and racing, and making the most of the development opportunities we have when we get young athletes on snow.”

The webinar recording is available on Snow Australia YouTube channel.