The KSC/KMS Development Programs are committed to both the enjoyment of the outdoors while participating in a physically demanding sport and to acquiring the skiing skills to maintain control in all conditions and terrain. Our premise is that skiing is a lifetime sport to be enjoyed by people of all ages. The coaches work to create responsible skiers who can function independently and, at appropriate times, who will be expected to do just that.

Punctuality, commitment, determination, sportsmanship, & respect are but a few of the essential qualities that each member of the program is expected to display. We are a group of physically fit and mentally tough skiers and snowboarders who love to ski and ride in all conditions and on any terrain.

Emphasis is placed on the learning and mastering of skiing and riding skills. Although we go big and fast, we consider control, responsibility and discipline as necessary skills and we stress them in great detail. The coaching staff expects the young athlete to ski in control at all times and to adhere to a strict daily training schedule. Frequent attendance and punctuality are expected as part of this routine.

In addition to a great deal of supervised free skiing and riding, attention is given to drills designed to develop a sound skiing and riding technique. Though gate training, mogul and aerial training, halfpipe and park riding is an important part of the training experience: We place great emphasis on learning the fundamentals.

The coaching staff will evaluate each athlete based on their maturity, physical strength, technical ability, racing and competition experience, performance, and goals to determine which training group and competition/race series is most beneficial to their development as athletes.
The intent is to develop self-confidence before placing emphasis on competition/race performance. We strongly believe that the young skier must first develop technically correct skiing and riding skills in order to benefit positively from competition.

Our coaching staff is a paid group composed of former full-time professional coaches, and nationally and internationally ranked competitors. They are chosen for their experience, their maturity, and their ability to work with skiers of this age group. In addition, especially during the holidays, we will call on the experience of current competitive athletes including collegiate athletes, KMS competitors, and others with special skills to aid in adding value to our program.

We stress the importance of independence and self-reliance. While we all want to provide opportunities for our children, it is important that as parents we are able to step back and allow our children to achieve these opportunities for themselves.

Our coaches use different strategies to accomplish a variety of things. They may work directly with a child, for example, with the goal of promoting self-confidence. They may let a child work on their own for a time to help develop independence. At times they may work directly with one to develop a technical skill while others practice on their own. It is our goal that in the long run every child receives equal attention.