Olympic Zone: MBSEF coaches train potential future Olympians

Several coaches are helping hundreds of kids literally race down the mountain to get to the very top.

Mt. Bachelor Ski Education Foundation Freeride Ski and Snowboard Director Coggin Hill has coached for 15 years. He knows the fast-paced sport is more of a marathon than a sprint, but it also has to remain fun.

“If it’s not fun, then they get to a point where they may be some of the best in the world, but if they’re not enjoying it any more, then they’re not going to do well in events and they’ll get burned out,” Hill said recently.

Over 200 kids are in the program that develops riders freestyle and carving skills on the mountain. Many of them started skiing at an early age and chose to pursue freestyle skiing or snowboarding.

While not all of them dream of the Olympics, some hope to shoot for the stars. Coaches begin watching kids when they’re young, to see if they have potential.

“I’m looking for kids that are really passionate about the sport, that really enjoy it, are willing to make sacrifices and do some online school so they can be up here,” Hill said.

He said young athletes need to be coachable, step out of their comfort zone and be willing to fall or fail. Plus, talent alone is not enough to get someone to the Olympic podium.

“You get to a certain point, and there are lots of naturally talented athletes out there. But to get to that next level, you have to have a lot of dedication,” Hill said.

But that dedication needs a support system. Over 30 coaches guide the Freeride Ski and Snowboard Program. They do their best to create a positive environment that also challenges each other and the athletes.

Hill said he looks for coaches who want to share their love of the sport with the kids.

“It’s a combination of previous competition experience, skills on the hill, and also being passionate about the kids,” Hill said.

At the base of the mountain is a very different snow sport, with the same goals.

Cross-country skiers spend hours on the mountain training in the MBSEF Nordic Program. Director Dan Simoneau said some of his athletes train 300 days out of the year.

“The term I use is, we teach the process of excellence,” Simoneau said. “That’s a process that applies in life.”

Coaches take the kids from level to level and step by step.

“You have to break everything down into pieces,” Simoneau said. “What’s my fitness level, what’s my strength fitness level, what’s my endurance level? You teach that, break the thing down and figure out your weaknesses and work on them.”

Simoneau stressed that the sport has become faster and more intense. But even though years have gone by since he was in the Olympics, the feeling of making it the top has not changed.

“It’s enlightening,” Simoneau said. “There’s a joy in kids’ eyes when they accomplish this thing they didn’t think they could.”

No matter what, you just have to remember the fundamentals.

“Our mission is not to create Olympians,” Simoneau said. “Our mission is to be a good ski club that teaches a lot of good values, and, yes, I hope an Olympian pops out the top and I can cry when they walk in the opening ceremonies. But the reality is, we teach a lot of values. We teach a lot about work ethics, lifestyle and fitness, working as a team and supporting each other.”

Two different sports that want to help kids be the best they can be.