Unanimous Support for a New Direction for Alpine Ski Racing in Australia

In a historic day for Alpine Ski Racing in Australia, the Alpine Leaders Forum (ALF), comprising 33 representatives from Australia’s ski racing clubs and major ski resorts, unanimously endorsed and supported the recommendations for change as proposed by SSA Alpine Director, Mick Branch following his and Shawn Fleming’s (OWI/SSA SX Head Coach) comprehensive review of the pathway throughout the 2017 Winter season.

The recommendations and new direction had previously been unanimously endorsed by the National Alpine Committee (NAC) but the additional buy-in from the ALF is fundamental to full community commitment. This aligns the entire Alpine community behind the purpose stated in the NAC Vision which in part states to develop ‘world class athletes who are highly skilled skiers capable of achieving success at World Cup, World Championships and Olympic Winter Games’. The SSA Board has also welcomed the recommendations and will ensure appropriate resources are available for delivery.

While the recommendations are wide-ranging, the core theme is a model that is informed by evidence and provides guidance to best practice and strategy to enhance the athlete pathway. An important element at junior levels is a switch in focus and recognition from race results to skills acquisition.

The Alpine community came together in Melbourne for the Spring ALF and were presented the key findings and high level philosophical and structural recommendations supported by the FTEM athlete pathway and skill acquisition work undertaken by Mick and Shawn in partnership with the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS).

A detailed report outlining the background, rationale and specific actions being undertaken to realign the athlete pathway will be publicly available in the coming weeks. This re-alignment creates a clear understanding of the athletic journey and milestones along the way, setting aspirational and realistic benchmarks to inform selection to the National Alpine Ski Team.

It is important to note that none of the recommendations will impact the upcoming Northern Winter season in terms of team selections or programs.

The changes, which will largely come into effect next Australian season, will see SSA working closely not only with the Australian Race club programs but also Resort ski schools, to shift the emphasis towards an increased focus on skill acquisition. Additionally, the focus on athletic development shifts from pure physical benchmarking to increased physical literacy with education and exposure to best practices at age appropriate phases. These changes are informed by evidence-based research and are supported by the AIS.

SSA, through the NAC, looks forward to finalising the report in the coming weeks and to working closely with the Clubs and Resorts over the off season to implement and educate the community about the new direction for Australian Alpine Skiing.

Additional FTEM athlete pathway information is available on the SSA website.