For U12 and younger: We suggest that a parent or legal guardian be present at the ski areas for the entire practice or race session. Things happen, but we do not support dropping off your athletes for training or racing and leaving the area.  You are the parent, and you know your children.  If issues arise, they will be addressed on an individual basis.
These basic tips will help your family have a great ski season!

• Allow the coaches to train your athlete, this is what you pay us to do. TRUST the process and the coaches.
• Be supportive of your Athlete[s] goals and accomplishments
• Help out/VOLUNTEER at the Races (Sign up online early for the season)
• Encourage your athlete[s] to set goals in skiing & racing
• Communicate with the coaches
• Set examples of "Good Sportsmanship"
• Ask Questions

Parents/Guardians are responsible for all transportation to and from the races and practice sessions, as well as the cost of the season pass to Cascade for practices and lift tickets at the other ski areas hosting the race event.

Parents are responsible for the behavior of their child[ren] at all practices and races.

Parents are required to 'volunteer' at race events as gatekeepers (*Gatekeeping information is listed in “Typical Race Day Schedule attachment*) As a team we are required to provide parent volunteers on the WIJARA website for each race.  All sign ups are done online ahead of time, it is very organized.  If everyone does their part, you should only have to do this once per season.
**At our home race, every family is expected to volunteer in some capacity. If you have never worked a race before ... don't worry we will teach you. Start to watch the races a little closer. Please ask any questions during the races before you volunteer. 

Cascade Mountain Ski Team encourages all parents of younger racers to remain at Cascade Mountain during practice and other ski areas during races.

VOLUNTEER participation is vital to the success of the Cascade Mountain Skit Team and the 4 scheduled WIJARA race competitions during the season. Your effort does make a difference! To help us provide successful race competitions for all athletes PLEASE VOLUNTEER on race days.

During the season you should be registered on:
1. Signup.com for local Cascade duties in the Roost and at our home race
2. SignUp Genius for WIJARA race gatekeeper slots at the other 3 races

Volunteer sign up links updated here.

Other ways to get involved – there will be online sign-ups for Roost Attendants (I’ll include a job description)

**We are always looking for parents to help out throughout the season contact a Board Member if you are interested in the following:

• Planning events for kiddos
• find ways to make Saturday practices more fun (Grilled cheese parties)
• Help us supervise the young racers in the roost on weekends
• Help keep the roost clean throughout the season
• Put together fun media productions for our events throughout the season
• Help with Awards
• Help with organizing potluck get togethers at races and Saturday Practices

Please have your child come to training and races prepared and ready to ski.

Our coaches are available to assist and guide parents in equipment choices and binding settings. Please feel free to ask your child’s coach for recommendations.

**Did you purchase NEW BOOTS for your child this season? Make sure they fit into the bindings on their skis!

Mandatory:

• Hard Side Helmet (Required On Course for Practices/Races)
  • NO helmets with spoilers or other elements that stick out.
  • NO bicycle helmets.
  • NO 'partial hard shell' which is a hard shell over the head, but consists of 'soft materials' over and around the ears.
  • NO "Free-Ride" helmets.
  • A good fitting helmet manufactured specifically for skiing is MANDATORY.
• Goggles (Required On Course for Practices/Races)
  • TWO pair of goggles is recommended (but not required) for your athlete in case during practice or competition one of them is not functioning well. The goggles need to fit inside the 'face frame' of your athlete’s helmet. It is best to have the helmet along when purchasing goggles and for the athlete to try both of them on to assure a proper fit.
  • Highly recommend goggles that have 'interchangeable' lenses – then you can get away with one pair
    • A Shaded lens for sunny days and Clear Lens (Required for Night Practices)
  • Ski Boots
  • Skis with Bindings
  • Poles
  • CLOTHING!
    • Dress for the weather—it’s winter time!
    • REMEMBER the temperatures on the chair lift and the ski hill are possibly colder than in your backyard. Layering works best! If you don’t wear it there, bring it along for warmth later. Better to have extra layers instead of standing outside freezing!

Typical equipment for new athletes or 12 and under: 

• Multi-ski - this ski will work for both disciplines of ski racing (*GS and *SL)
• Poles – a multi-use pole is great for this level
• Ski Boots – a properly fitted, 3 or 4 buckle, comfortable boot.
• Gloves or Mittens– warm and waterproof
• Ski Pants and Ski Jacket (Ski Team jacket is NOT required)
• Ski socks (NOT cotton)
  • Only ONE pair of socks should be worn at a time, bring an extra pair to change into on cold days; wet socks = cold feet!
• Base Layers – long underwear for different temperatures
• Boot Bag – highly recommend a backpack type bag that allows the athlete to carry and store their gear.

Typical (but NOT Required) for active athletes and advanced racers:

• Skis - Not required but many athletes begin to have skis for both ski racing disciplines (*GS and *SL)
• Poles for both racing disciplines (*GS and *SL)
• Racing Ski Boots – this is when the racing levels change, and more aggressive flex necessitates the boot fit but that truly depends on the skills of the athlete
• Shin Guards - only for racing/practicing SL
• Arm Guards - only for racing/ practicing GS
• Chin Bar Guard – only for racing/ practicing SL
• Pole Guards
• Race Suits
• Zip Off Ski Pants – this is necessary once a race suit is purchased
• Race Style Gloves or Mittens
• Ski socks (NOT cotton)
• All undergarments – long underwear, under shirts, etc.
• Larger Boot Bag

Places to Shop or Search:

• Ski Team Facebook page or the Roost – our team does a great job of reselling great ski items – always keep an eye out
• Cascade Ski Shop – ask about your team discount
• Chalet Ski and Patio - West Side of Madison – Great at boot fitting, most race equipment is ordered in.
• Les Moise – Brookfield, WI – Stocks race equipment and specializes in ski boot fittings.
• Arctica, Mt. Horeb, WI – ski clothing including race suits, ski jackets, side zip ski pants. Most ski brands sell side zip ski pants (watch for a factory sale in the Fall, good deals)

Two different disciplines of Ski Racing:

*GS – Giant Slalom – a longer ski is used to pass between two flagged gates

*SL – Slalom – a shorter ski is used to pass around single poles

Skills and drills:  Most race development and progress is achieved and honed within skills and drills.  Drills are developed and introduced to help athletes to become better skiers and in turn better racers.  Progression throughout the season will focus on four main fundamentals which include: Balance, Rotary, Edging and Pressure.  Not necessarily in any order we typically work with Balance initially and then rotate between Edging, Rotary and Pressure depending on needs.  Course Skiing:  Once B-Netting is set up for the season on Ptarmigan and North Wall, course work will be introduced to the practices.  Drills will still be introduced even within the course for the athletes to identify specific skills needed which include the mentioned fundamentals.

Two Ski Discipline include Slalom and Giant Slalom:  Slalom is typically a short radius discipline averaging around a 8-12 meters.  Slalom is a course racing around single poles.  Giant Slalom ranges from medium to long radius turns of 20-25 meters. Giant Slalom is a course racing between two flagged gates.  

Typical Weekday Schedule:

5:00-5:15pm – Arrival of coaches, athletes, and parents – Please have U8, U10, and U12 athletes check in at the Roost. Parent Roost Attendant is assigned to specific nights through Signup.com

5:20pm – U14, U16, and U19 athletes should meet at their designates meeting spots and begin their warm up. U8-U12 groups meet outside the roost with their coaches.

5:30-7:30pm – Coaches work with the kids on skills and drills all over the hill.  They will also work with the athletes as they practice running gates on Ptarmigan and North Wall.  All will balance between skills and course work in practices. They may take a short break to warm up, use the restroom, etc. depending on conditions.

7:30pm – If gates have been used, older, capable athletes will assist coaches in tearing down courses and slipping.

Typical Weekend Schedule:

8:30am – Arrival of coaches, athletes, and parents – Please have U8, U10, and U12 athletes check in at the Roost. Parent Roost Attendant is assigned to specific nights through Signup.com

8:55am – Coaches will meet U8, U10, and U12 athletes at the Roost for Warm Up.

9:20am – U14, U16, and U19 Athletes should meet at their designated areas and start their warm ups, Coaches will join once they are done setting up.

9:00 – 12:30pm – Coaches work with the kids on skills and drills all over the hill.  They may take a short break to warm up, use the restroom, etc. depending on conditions. U8, U12, U14 athletes will finish at 12:00, U14, U16 and U19 athletes will finish at 12:30p

12:30pm – If gates have been used, older, capable athletes will assist coaches in tearing down courses and slipping.

Competing in races is not Mandatory, rather STRONGLY encouraged.  We understand there are circumstances when an athlete will miss a race, i.e., injuries, family holiday obligations, etc. and notification of your absence at races is appreciated, but not required.

As this is a race team, we do expect that by the second season your racer is competing in at least one race per season.

It is not required to stay in the team hotels, but it is fun!  Ask lots of questions to other parents, read about the area for places to eat.  It is fun to eat with a group on Friday or Saturday nights.  There are NO required team events at Races – all families need to do what works for them.  We do, however, try to sit together as a team in the lodges at each ski hill.  We encourage all the kids to stay for awards and cheer on their teammates, but again this is not a requirement.

Friday Evening:

Some hills are open to getting tickets for the weekend.  When purchasing tickets purchase a race day/weekend pass for your athlete – there typically is a slight discount.  Adults will purchase regular hill tickets if they plan to ski. 
CHECK SKI BAGS.  CHECK THEM AGAIN.  If you are missing something, please reach out to someone Right Away.  Someone on the team will have what you forgot or have a solution.  Do not let pride or anger get in the way of a very fun experience for the kids.  They all forget things, it just happens, don’t fret.

Saturday Race Schedule:

Saturday Races consist of GS – Giant Slalom

Saturday GS  2 run race(morning) and 1 run race(afternoon) See coach updates per race

Girls run races first and then the Boys – ALWAYS.

7:30am – Arrival of coaches, athletes, and parents.  Give yourself enough time for travel, parking and hauling equipment and supplies.  The lodges are very crowded so try to find a spot near our team members to get ready.  Be early, plan ahead.  Avoid Meltdowns – they will happen, and when you’re in a hurry, they are worse.

8am –  Course Inspection - All athletes meet up with team coach at top of their course for Inspection.  This is the time when coaches slowly side slip the course to discuss important aspects regarding the race course. Very important for athletes to attend

8:45-9am Races start.  Races run back to back in the morning and then there is usually a lunch break before afternoon Course Inspection and last race of the day.

There is a race order for each day.  Find other Cascade race members on the list so your athlete knows who they are close to in the lineup.

4pm Awards (this is an approximate time – the volunteers and coaches work as quick as they can)

Sunday Race Schedule:

Sunday Races consist of SL – Slalom

Sunday SL  1 run race(morning) and 1 run race(afternoon) See coach updates per race.  Sunday typically runs faster than Saturday due to less races.

Girls run races first and then the Boys – ALWAYS.

7:30am – Arrival of coaches, athletes, and parents.  Give yourself enough time for travel, parking and hauling equipment and supplies.  The lodges are very crowded so try to find a spot near our team members to get ready.   

8am – Course Inspection - All athletes meet up with team coach at top of their course for Inspection.  This is the time when coaches slowly side slip the course to discuss important aspects regarding the racecourse. Very important for athletes to attend

8:45-9am Races start.  Races run back to back in the morning and then there is usually a lunch break before afternoon Course Inspection and last race of the day.

There is a race order for each day.  Find other Cascade race members on the list so your athlete knows who they are close to in the lineup.

3pm - Awards (this is an approximate time – the volunteers and coaches work as quick as they can)

Additional Notes:

• Parent Volunteers needed for several events during races try to find an event morning or afternoon that does not interfere with your athletes’ event.
• These events run on a flexible schedule so it’s difficult to know a specific time for your athlete.  Paying attention to the volunteers calling out age groups and athlete bib numbers will help keep you organized.

Helpful hints and items to bring to races:

• Boot and glove dryers
• Extra everything for clothing
• Laundry basket to haul all the extra items
• Label all your items and equipment
• Packing food and drinks for parents and athletes – athletes need to be reminded to eat and drink throughout the day as the breaks may be rushed
• Many kids free ski in between races so helping them learn to check in with the coaches on what age group is racing so they know when to get into lineup

What is Gatekeeping?

Every team is required to provide gatekeepers for all races. Gatekeeping is a great way to see the course up close and personal.  The attached videos and documents provide an excellent overview of what is involved with being a Gatekeeper.

Sign up links will be posted at https://cascademountainskiteam.org/volunteer/ as they become available.

Generally, you will gatekeep on either Saturday (morning or afternoon) or Sunday (one run).  Read the descriptions on SignUp.com – so you know where on the hill you are standing (i.e. do you need skis or can you hike to your position.) There will be a detailed meeting before the races start on Saturday and Sunday while the kids are out inspecting the course at 8a.  The Head Gatekeeper will explain the job fully and will answer any questions that you might have.  Watch the videos below, watch some ski racing online and you’ll do just fine.

A couple helpful videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nO7An8NfwMw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2MAcAC5Uvs

WHSARA: Wisconsin High School Alpine Racing Association www.whsara.com

Most of our athletes will compete in the Southern Conference. The Southern Conference is comprised of High School Ski and Snowboard race teams from South Central Wisconsin including Deforest, Edgewood, Madison East, Memorial, West and LaFollette, Middleton, Monona, Verona, Mount Horeb, Portage, Oregon, Sun Prairie and Waunakee.

This is another opportunity for athletes in grades 9-12 to compete against their peers.  They race on their HS team if they have one, if not the athlete is placed on a “Co-op” team by the coaches.  The races are all on Mondays, and do not interfere with Cascade Team practices or WIJARA races. The Weds night team practice at Cascade requires pre-registration and is also open to athletes currently registered with WHSARA with the intention of competing in the Monday night races.  (**If you did not register and pay for this additional practice when you registered for the team in September, you can do so once the season begins). There are 2 WHSARA practices Cascade later in the season that are open to all Southern Conference Athletes.

Note: The Wednesday night team practice requires pre-registration and is open to athletes currently registered with USSA with the intention of competing in USSA Sanctioned Races throughout the season. 

If your athlete has years of racing experience OR is finishing in the top 5 of their class and is looking for higher competition events to compete in, the USSA competition program may be for them. The USSA events require more commitment from the athlete and parents. Competitions involve 2-3 consecutive days of ski racing in SLALOM, GIANT SLALOM and SUPER GIANT SLALOM courses which involve travel around the state of Wisconsin, Michigan, possibly IL & MN. Your athlete is required to pay dues to the USSA National Organization and USSA Central organizations for race events. A U.S. Ski & Snowboard membership is your first step and is required for those athletes, coaches, officials, and club volunteers who want to compete or participate in events sanctioned by U.S. Ski & Snowboard.
Please contact your coaches for more information or
Follow the links below for information on how to begin your journey
https://usskiandsnowboard.org/membership/alpine-athlete-membership
https://my.usskiandsnowboard.org/aip/alpine/ussa-online-athlete-registration

If you are registering your child for USSA Racing, here is the link for regional USSA races.
https://www.region2cussa.com/page/show/2104958-calendar?fbclid=IwAR2QA9MFIJMoodEVFzBFjmlzcjOaqdxc9ldTzyff6As3Zf3KbJHoaw6aBDY

Ski tuning is also not required, but highly recommended.  Ask your coaches what they recommend. This is like anything, the longer you are in the sport, the more you will learn (and the more money you can spend) Please do lots of research and ask a lot of questions before you go and buy all of the equipment to tune your own skis, trust us on this.  The ski shop at Cascade is excellent, be sure to mention your team discount.  They will answer basic questions for you.  You’ll know when the time is right to start tuning your own skis. *Watch Social Media Apps for tutorials offered throughout the season in the Roost during Saturday practices by seasoned veteran parents.