Mar 7-8, 2014 National IFSA Event Crystal Mt

My comments about "too many kids" is not about competition. It is about too many kids acting immature and only there for the scene and the not the skiing. They are not elite athletes and the only reason they are on a team and competing is because it looks cool to them and their parents pay for it. Sorry to sound so harsh but select sports is filled with kids that are marginal or average athletes.

Yikes, this is pretty harsh criticism! 6 years of being involved (including when the JFT was sanctioned by IFSA and not a separate entity) and I honestly don't understand what you're saying about the scene thing. I've never seen that other than, of course, young kids acting like young kids - which they are inclined to do. Most of the parents and coaches I've ever met are very cool, very passionate about the sport and doing everything they can to provide a safe, healthy competitive environment for their kids to develop their own passion for it. Most of the kids I've ever met are devoted skiers, hard workers, and well trained. I can't think of any kids in particular who were just there for the scene. Are there a few entitled folks? Sure, but that happens anywhere.

I'm not sure where you can expect kids to become elite competitors if there's no place for them to learn. Sure, not all the kids are or will be truly elite athletes, but 90% of the kids I've seen compete are light years beyond what most of us were at that age, and 75% of all the kids ski better than 90% of the adults on the hill. This is especially true of the last couple of years where the level of skiing with some really young kids has frequently blown my mind.

If you want to be a competitor in this arena you have to start somewhere, and the many national and regional IFSA events offer this opportunity for kids as young as 9 to get involved. JFT doesn't take kids under 15 if I'm not mistaken, so what would you have people do?

You're right, more kids doesn't always equal more competition, and the JFT fields may be stronger, but it's easy to have a stronger field when there are only 15 athletes in a category. I maintain that when you're competing in a category against 90 other athletes it's much harder to get on the podium (not that my kids have spent much time there). If 90% of the 15 JFT athletes in a category are truly elite your competition (presuming you are also truly elite) is 13.5 athletes. In a field of 90 even if you lowball and say only 30% (it's usually MUCH higher than that at the big nationals) are truly elite you're still competing against twice as many.

I'm pretty close to folks involved in both organizations and they certainly have different end games, but the IFSA (in terms of juniors) has always been about offering as many kids as they can an opportunity to learn in a safe, supportive and inclusive environment. To me, the JFT has it's place in the world and my aspiring pro will compete there in addition to IFSA in another year or so when his JFT points will be productive toward qualifying for the bigger show. IFSA is and always has been about the kids, and the sport and the passion, going back to the days when Jim Jack started the whole junior thing prior to the divergence of the two organizations. He always way about the kids, as are the folks running it these days.

To me - and presuming it's what  your kid wants to do -  the more they compete the better they get at competing. It can be tough and disappointing at times. I know this all too well, but the longer we do this the more I realize what great bunch of life lessons are available in a pretty supportive environment. Not to mention it keeps them off the computer and off the streets.

i still don't know what or how to respond to my upcoming quagmire of decisions that i must face soon. both of you gentlemen know me and hopefully understand my position on skiing the mountain. if not, i'll remind you, it's to ski as much as we can.

question? if my champ joins the circuit, how will this effect my powder days?

coach bob

^^^^^^ LOL Coach bob.

Ok, now I really know I sounded like a dick. It's just me, I realize. As I noted earlier I tend to be very opinionated about sports so I am sure I am more than three standard deviations off on this one. Perhaps I needed this. I was once very tough in my ski school and training instructors who wanted their certification. People told me. And I backed off.

Yes, the scene is supportive and many a kid will benefit from that. All good. Yes, these kids better than most adults. All good.

My reasons for feeling this way and long and deep, yet just mine and do not reflect the general consensus. When this occurs in my life I know to, generally, STFU. Probably should have this time too. LOL.

So as for the future, yes all the options are good. The key like always is balance and desire. GG lost his desire in baseball when it became not fun. So far he has shown limitless desire in skiing, a key ingredient to taking it to the next level.

So bF, as long as Q is excited and wants to be there, do it. Now as for missing POW days, well, sadly that can happen. So a labor of love.

question? if my champ joins the circuit, how will this effect my powder days?

bobby, it will affect your powder days. It will also offer you opportunities and parental experiences you can't imagine without doing it, happy and sad. Mostly pretty damn joyful. You get to meet some cool parents too.

There are a couple of comp-parent-models in my experience:

1. (my approach) Sets up early, watches the entire comp, hang with parents, have an occasional whiskey, provide spiritual, strategic, photographic, nutritional and hydration support to their kids. I just don't go to comps with the mindset that it's a ski day. I'm there to support my athletes even though they need it less and less as the years go by. If I happen to get a few good early or late laps in (which can be epic given that athletes and their coaches sometimes get early lift loads) I consider it a bonus.

2. Ski a lot, show up for your kids' run (sometimes you'll miss it but not usually), ski more, attend athlete meetings and awards. Lather, rinse, repeat.

Both are fine or create your own.

option #2 will be my guide till he gets his drivers license.

i am glad to have you two parents to guinea pig the route for me!

my athlete skied 10,000' vert knee deep powder today for training.
coach bob

^^^^^ Nice wish I was there. Off to Denver and Telluride for the weekend.