Whether your child is having their first or 50th snow sport’s competition, expenses are high. It can also be very confusing trying to understand what organizations are responsible for what and who to go to for help.
The following resources have been compiled by the McCostis Scholarship Fund (MSF) to assist Okemo Valley parents and athletes. If you have information you can add to this list, please e-mail it to margoc@tds.net
Types of Training
Based on age and experience and desire to train, Okemo Mountain offers a variety of private lessons along with the following competitive training programs:
Alpine Racing (skiing)
• Hopefuls 7-12 years old
• Development/Council 8-12 years old
• J 1 & 2 15-19 years old
• J3: 13-14 years old
• Snowboarding (freestyle only): 8-18 years old
• Freestyle skiing: 8-18 years old
Snow academies offer both academic and sports training. Okemo Mountain School offers a variety of programs including five month (Nov-March) as well as intensive target terms, of a week to a month. Applications are required for admission.
Other eastern snow academies
Burke Mountain Academy
Carrabassett Valley Academy
Green Mountain Valley School
Killington Mountain School
MT Mansfield Winter Academy
Mt. Snow Academy
Stratton Mountain School
Waterville Valley Academy
Local Organizations
Ludlow Teen Center- McCostis Scholarship Fund
Scholarships are awarded for winter training, which can be at Okemo or in other parts of the country. Limited funding is available for those that qualify for late season national or international competitions. Scholarships are awarded by the following criteria:
• A resident of Ludlow, Cavendish, Proctorsville, Chester, Perkinsville, Springfield, Mt. Holly or Plymouth VT.
• Enrolled in grades 5th-12th and in good academic standing
• Demonstrated interest in and commitment to skiing (including freestyle) or snowboarding
• Parents or guardians are in need of financial support and are supportive of their child’s pursuit of training
Applications required.
OMARA (Okemo Mountain Alpine Racing Association): A non profit organization, OMARA acts as a “booster” program funding athletes in the Alpine, Snowboard, and Freestyle Competition Programs at Okemo Mountain Resort. Funds are available for equipment, competitor aid, as well as scholarships to OMS.
Okemo Alpine Competition Center: Responsible for all competitions that take place on Okemo Mountain.
Snow Sports Organizations (including funding)
Statewide
Vermont Alpine Racing Association (VARA): A non profit organization to promote and organize all levels of alpine ski racing in Vermont. VARA is also involved with education, fund raising and sponsorship. Funding is designated for athlete aid and development.
Regionally
EASEF Freestyle Scholarships/Grants Fall is the best time to request assistance for freestyle competitors. Eastern Amateur Ski Educational Foundation (EASEF) has two groups of scholarships available. Older competitors (Seniors, J1's and J2's) should apply to the EASEF “SteveK Freestyle Endowment Fund” while J3-J5’s should apply for funding from the “Philip T. Holmes Freestyle Fund”.
All support is based on need not success.
Steve K Freestyle Endowment Fund, formerly the Freestyle Endowment Fund was renamed in memory of Steve Kenney a long time supporter of Eastern Freestyle, a Past President of Eastern Freestyle Competition Committee, a coach at Stratton Mountain and a friend and supporter to all Freestyle activities until his untimely death.
Philip T. Holmes Freestyle Fund is named in memory of a combined freestyle competitor from Waterville Valley. His family and friends wanted to ensure that his memory and his love for Freestyle and competition would be remembered and that the sport would be enriched by his memory. This scholarship is specifically designated to junior athletes and to encourage families to be involved and to support their local programs.
In addition to scholarships, grants are available from EASEF.
To apply to either fund, please write to Dick Holmes at dick@HolmesELP.com
National
• Ross Powers Foundation
Many of these organizations offer scholarships and other support
• United States Ski and Snowboard Association
• Unites States of America Snowboard Association
• USSA Eastern Freestyle
• United States Collegiate Ski and Snowboard Association
Sponsorship
Equipment and gear is costly. A lot of people think that sponsorships are the answer. For starters, it depends on your sport.
OMARA does help with equipment costs. Being an OMARA member, part of the tuition for OMS and Okemo Mountain programs, you are entitled to discounts at the local shops. In addition, some of the ski/snowboard shops do provide sponsorships by either giving product outright or provide in-kind help with tuning boards or skies. You will need to contact the stores directly for more information
Snow academies will often have companies that send product and/or ask the school to select one or two athletes, which they will sponsor by providing equipment or gear. Particularly in snowboarding, coaches often know people in the industry and can help with sponsorship.
Many competitions provide skis, snowboards and gear as prizes. The more competitions you do, the more opportunities you have to be noticed.
There is a difference between the sponsorship of skiers, freestylers and snowboarders. When asked about how to get sponsored, one professional snowboarder wrote If you are good enough people will notice. The best way to get noticed is to compete. Another way to get noticed is to make a video and send it in to companies you'd like to sponsor you. Another way is to rule it so much that photographers start taken pictures of you and those pics make it into magazines.
When a similar question was asked of a freestyle skier coach, the following response was given, Sponsorship is an elusive recipe in skiing. While skiing is expensive and sponsorship can take some burden off of families, kids (especially young ones) should not get their hopes up too high. I find that only the top 7-10% or so actually get free product. Unfortunately, it is a little more complicated than just telling someone how they can go about getting sponsored. It depends on the individual. So I would tell whomever is curious to just speak with me [the coach], since for some it may be a possibility whereas for others, a complete long shot.
No comments:
Post a Comment