Moguls team heads straight to Whistler

The excitement of last season’s success has given way to a focus on the year ahead for the mogul skiing program led by coaches Steve ‘Des’ Desovich and Jerry Grossi.

World Champion Britt Cox, teammates Matt Graham and Brodie Summers and NSWIS skiers will not have long to celebrate the Awards with training back in full swing and a camp scheduled in Whistler, Canada.

Desovich and Grossi, who shared the ‘Coach of the Year’ award, said they are “fortunate” to work with athletes “who are very good people”. However, the success of the Australian Mogul Skiing program hinges on the decisions made by these two master coaches.

“Organisation is a simple effort. If you can’t get organised, your mind is not in the game,” Des says.

“As a coach, you do the best you can and that means effort,” he further explained. “Mentally thinking ahead and how the logistics work is part of the effort.”

Details matter to Desovich and whilst he admits to not wanting to be paranoid if things go wrong, the logistics are all a part of what helps the moguls team to be so successful.

“The OWIA staff make it right with logistics for dates, flights and accommodation. That takes effort.”

With over twenty years experience under his belt, Desovich has seen, heard and learned much – yet the core function of coaching remains the same he says.

“A coach has to be able to teach skills. They have to be a good teacher, be able to plan and adapt their coaching to different levels of athletes and abilities and to society.

“Through the years I have been fortunate and was in the right place at the right time.”

Watching how thrilled the mogul skiers were for Desovich and Grossi after being awarded Coach of the Year, it would have to be said that the ‘fortunate’ feeling runs both ways.  

Article courtesy of OWIA