Coaches Corner

Being the parent of a young ski racer is a unique (and often very cold!) experience – standing on the side of a hill, watching from behind the netting, and willing your child to have their best run ever.

But whether it’s your first winter of racing or your fifth, it’s important to understand how you can best support your child: not just with warm gloves and hot chocolate, but with the right mindset and behaviour in training and on race days.

This article offers a few key reminders and tips to help you be a positive, respectful, and encouraging presence for your young athlete—and everyone else on the hill.

❄️ On the Slopes: Training & Spectating Safely

It’s great that parents want to watch and support their children while they train or race, but safety, space, and respect for the coaching environment must always come first.

Here’s what we ask of you when you’re on skis near training lanes or watching from the side:

✅ DO:

• Keep a respectful distance when training is taking place – it’s tempting to ski nearby or “follow along,” but it can distract athletes and disrupt the flow of the session.
• Observe from designated areas (if available), or stay well clear of the course and training lanes (for everyone’s safety).
• Support all athletes, not just your own – SSC promotes team spirit, and it helps when spectators do too.
• Ask your child about their training after the session, not while it’s ongoing.

❌ DON’T:

• Ski into, through, or right beside training courses, even on quieter slopes (this is a serious safety risk) unless you are asked to help. Coaches will often appreciate a hand carrying gates or slipping rutty courses.
• Shout instructions, encouragement, or critique during a run – your child is likely trying to focus on feedback from their coach.
• Coach from the side – even well-meaning tips can confuse and undermine the coaching process.
• Coaches are working hard to create a focused, enjoyable learning environment. If your child hears one message from their coach and a conflicting one from a parent, it leads to uncertainty and mixed messages—especially for younger racers.
• Let us do the coaching – your job is the cheering and encouragement!

Even off the hill, particularly on residential camps, children thrive when they are with their peers and coaches. The more you are able to leave them to it, the more they will get out of the experience – growing to become independent, respectful teammates.

🎿 On Race Day: Be Their Calm, Not Their Coach

Race day can be nerve-racking for everyone, but especially for children. It’s when all the hard work, travel, and anticipation comes together, and emotions can run high. Remember, though, it is supposed to be fun, especially at the younger ages! Here’s how you can help them perform their best and enjoy the experience:

Food & Rest

It’s important that racers are well fed and energetic coming into a race. Not only is a good breakfast consisting of slow-release energy (carbohydrates) important, but so is dinner the night before, as this is what is really in their system at 9am the next day! A breakfast meal heavy on protein and fat requires the stomach to use a lot of oxygen, oxygen that their muscles need. Athletes need complex carbs – protein and fat replacement is not sufficient for fuelling muscles for endurance athletes. Ski racing is an endurance sport, not because the combined race runs are 1.5 minutes but rather because the athletes are out all day working and skiing, and they have to have enough energy to do that AND put two solid runs together without being tired or fatigued. Ideal breakfasts are pancakes, waffles, cereal, bagel, apples, etc. If you’re in a rush, cereal bars, bagels, bananas, apples, oranges, peanut butter & jam sandwiches can help – these are good to have in a pocket anyway for snacking during the day. Ski resort food is rarely healthy. If you can, try to steer your child to a healthy lunch as well, though we know they can sometimes be picky eaters!

Sleep is incredibly important. That’s why the house parent will usually ask for phones to be handed in on camps – so that trainees get a full night’s sleep, distraction-free. And it’s not just the night before a race that’s important, it’s several nights in the run-up!

Turning up right

If it’s not dark when you’re getting ready to head to a race, you’re probably running late! Ski racing involves a lot of “hurrying up and waiting”, but there’s no second chance if you’re late. Make sure you arrive in plenty of time to collect bibs, get skis on and warm up if possible, be ready for the start of course inspection, and then prepare for your run.

Keep it calm and positive, and use the right language

• Stick to familiar routines: breakfast, boot up, and warm-up as they’ve practised.
• Remind them: “Try your best, have fun, and listen to your coach.” That’s enough.
• Avoid saying things like “Go fast!” or “You need to win today.” These add pressure they don’t need.
• If they fall, straddle, or DNF: “That happens. What did you learn?” Remember, often more is learned from failure than success!
• If they have a great run: “That was fun to watch. You looked confident out there.”
• Try to avoid discussing times, rankings, or comparisons – focus instead on their effort, attitude, and learning.
• Of course, celebrate their success when it comes! Generally, though, celebrate the effort over the outcome.
• Let coaches do their job, but don’t be afraid to ask if they could use a hand.
• Show up and cheer loud (respectfully)!

Remember the Bigger Picture

• Not every race will go well. That’s not just OK, that’s necessary.
• The best ski racers in the world have long seasons with tough days. Your child’s ski journey is a marathon, not a sprint.
• Support them through ups and downs. They’ll remember how they felt far more than what place they came.

Being a great race parent doesn’t mean being perfect, it means showing up, staying calm, and trusting the process.

At SSC and across British ski racing, coaches, race organisers, committees, and volunteers are working hard to foster confident, resilient young people who enjoy the sport for life. With your help, we can make every training session and race day a positive, meaningful step on that journey.

If you ever have questions about what to expect on race day, how to help your child manage nerves, or how to interpret their results, just ask your coach. We’re all on the same team.

We have a lot of camps, and if you’re thinking about your first camp or few, it can be hard to know which ones are best for your child. It is a big investment, after all!

Why it matters

• Attending alpine camps comes at a significant cost, so it’s important to make the right choices.
• Training volume is about more than just time on snow – it’s about the right type of training, at the right time, for the right athlete.
• Too little training can slow skill progression; too much can lead to fatigue, injury, or burnout.
• We follow a “quality over quantity” approach – prioritising focused, varied sessions and sustainable progress.

Find out more about why getting training volume right is so important in our previous article.

How many camps should an athlete attend?

The key principle is to get the volume right. Beyond that, it doesn’t hugely matter exactly which camps you attend, so long as it is an appropriate amount of training and racing. For most racers, unless they are a U10, a single one-week camp each season is not going to be enough for them to really develop. Two to three camps is where most racers will thrive, and then it comes down to affordability, both in terms of cost, and in any time taken off of school. In short: do what you can, when you can!

🟢 U10–U12 (FUNdamentals / early Learn to Train)

Recommended: 1–2 camps/year
✅ Best options: camps with a mix of training and free-skiing opportunities, with some races.

• New Year: no/minimal time off school required, exploring lots of different ski areas, with dedicated free ski afternoons
• February half-term: again, minimal time off school required, with potential race opportunities, typically good weather, and plenty of time outside the gates

🔁 Keep variety with plenty of Scottish skiing in a good winter, and lots of other sports
❌ Avoid indoor camps, as there is little free-skiing, and the icy surface can be brutal!

🔵 U12–U14 (Late Learn to Train / early Train to Train)

Recommended: 2–3 camps/year
✅ Best options: camps with lots of training time, and more race opportunities

• October: ideal for developing technique & confidence – lots of time & miles on skis
• Indoor Camps: solid, intense technical + tactical training blocks
• New Year: first seeded race exposure but still plenty of free-skiing & fun to be had
• February/Easter: lots of training time and a god stepping stone toward full competition

🔁 Complement with lots of Scottish skiing and general sports activity
💰 Bursary support often available at this level

🔴 U14–U16 (Train to Train)

Recommended: 3–4 camps/year
✅ Best options: camps with more focussed training time, and seeded BASS races

• October: key performance development
• Indoor Camps: short, intense bursts to keep the skiing fresh between other camps
• New Year: lots of miles on skis & early-season race opportunities
• February: solid training block followed by several British races to stack up against a national level
• Summer Camps: now there’s more of a focus on snow ski training in the off-season

📈 Volume starts to build here—still with balance and fun
🧠 Include off-snow fitness and sport psychology development

⚫ U16+ (Train to Compete)

Recommended: 4+ camps/year + focussed off-snow ski training

✅ Best options: all camps are relevant – maximise volume depending on race calendar, school exams, costs, etc.

💭 Emphasis on tactical refinement, competition strategy, self-management
🏋️‍♀️ S&C, equipment testing & tweaking, lots of video analysis, and sport phsychology all become essential

Ski racing is a thrilling, high-intensity sport that challenges athletes physically, mentally, and emotionally. For many young athletes, it becomes a central part of life – training on snowy slopes, pushing limits in gates, travelling to races, and dreaming of future success. And we think skiing (not just racing) is for life – see our previous post about how we foster that. But with all that excitement comes a risk that can derail even the most promising young skiers: burnout.

What is burnout?

Burnout is a state of physical, mental, and/or emotional exhaustion caused by prolonged or excessive stress, often combined with intense pressure to perform. In young athletes, it can show up as:

• A gradual or sudden drop in motivation or enjoyment
• Ongoing fatigue or trouble recovering
• Increased injury or illness
• Anxiety or stress around competition
• Losing interest in skiing or ski racing

Burnout doesn’t happen overnight. It builds slowly when training and competition become unbalanced – when the joy of skiing is replaced by constant pressure, repetition, or unrealistic expectations.

Why are young ski racers at risk?

Ski racing can be demanding: early mornings, cold conditions, technical challenges, and high competition standards. Add to that the external pressures (podiums, rankings, comparisons on social media or between peers/parents), and it’s easy to see how a young skier can lose their spark.

A common contributor is early specialisation – focusing too narrowly on ski racing at a young age, without time for other sports, activities, or simply unstructured fun. Too much time in gates, too soon, can lead to physical strain and mental fatigue.

Another common factor is an expectation of progress to be linear. I’m sure everyone has seen the chart of what progress really looks like in one context or another, and it couldn’t be truer than in ski racing. In fact, throughout the highs and the lows of sport, the lows are often even more important in the development of an athlete, not just in their sport, but as a person.

How we help prevent burnout

At Scottish Ski Club, our approach is guided by the UK’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model—a framework that ensures young athletes are developing at the right pace, with the right amount of challenge for their age and stage.

Here’s how we put that into practice:

1. Age-appropriate training volume

One of the biggest factors in burnout is too much training, too soon. That’s why we scale the volume of training to match each LTAD stage. The numbers below are general guidelines based on international best practice*, but they are not targets—they’re flexible and should be adapted for each child based on their needs, interest, and overall wellbeing.

• FUNdamentals (ages 5–9): ~10–20 days per season, so 1-2 camps, with plenty of Scottish skiing in a good season. This stage is about exploration and enjoyment – skiing should feel like play, not pressure.
• Learn to Train (ages 8–12): ~20–35 days per season, around 2-3 camps with as much Scottish snow training as possible in between. Athletes begin to develop core skiing skills and race basics, but free-skiing and varied experiences remain key.
• Train to Train (ages 11–16): ~35–60 days per season, around 3-4 camps with Scottish training to complement. Training becomes more structured, but variety, off-snow conditioning, and maintaining balance are still crucial.
• Train to Compete (15+): ~60–90+ days per season: maximise value from camps with a view to progressing towards the national teams. Athletes focus more seriously on performance, but rest and recovery are still essential.

These numbers should not be viewed as rigid or prescriptive. Every child is different, and a well-rounded athlete might do fewer days and still develop exceptionally well. As snowfall in Scotland has become more fickle and unreliable in recent years, so many domestic on-snow training days are less possible. Alpine camps become an essential stop-gap, with our Bursary scheme in place to help fund this. This is also why we place added importance on making every session count, and supporting skill development through dryland training, and dryslope/indoors where appropriate. What matters most is quality over quantity, and maintaining a love for skiing – not chasing arbitrary training day counts.

*These guidelines are based on sport science & research which has percolated through the UK and Canadian LTAD models, as well as more generic advice from sportScotland, and our own coaching expertise.

2. Balancing gate training with skill development

Too much time in gates – especially at younger ages – can cause both physical strain and mental fatigue. It also limits the development of core skiing skills.

We aim for around 50-60% of on-snow time in gates, even up to around the Train to Train stage. The rest of the time is spent free-skiing, doing drills, exploring terrain, and skiing as a team. Not only is this more fun, it also builds better technical and tactical skiers in the long run.

3. Encouraging rest and other sports

We encourage athletes, especially those aged 15 and under, to participate in other sports throughout the year. Football, gymnastics, biking, swimming, and athletics all contribute to physical literacy and help avoid overuse injuries.

Crucially, these breaks give athletes time to miss skiing; to come back to it refreshed and excited, rather than worn out.

4. Building a positive team environment

Burnout isn’t just physical, it’s emotional. We know that athletes are more likely to stick with a sport if they feel part of a team, supported by peers and coaches alike.

At SSC, we foster a team culture that’s inclusive, encouraging, and focused on effort over outcome. That sense of belonging is one of the strongest antidotes to stress and pressure.

5. Teaching resilience and mindset skills

We include off-snow sessions that cover elements of sport psychology like goal setting, handling nerves, visualisation, and dealing with setbacks. These give athletes tools they can use not just in racing, but in life.

We also encourage reflection and ownership of their learning. When young athletes understand why they’re doing something, not just what they’re doing, they become more engaged, more confident, and more resilient. The phrase “trust the process” can be a bit cliché, but knowing that the low points are part of the journey to success is key to sticking with it.

6. Keeping fun at the centre

Ski racing is hard work, but it should still be fun. Powder runs, games, races in fancy dress, and skiing with friends – these are the moments that keep the passion alive. We don’t see these as distractions from “serious” training. We see them as essential.

What parents can do

Parents play a vital role in preventing burnout. You can help by:

• Supporting rest and variety – don’t worry if your child wants a break, or plays other sports
• Focusing on effort, enjoyment, and learning – not just results
• Trusting the process – it’s a long road, and every athlete develops at their own pace
• Encouraging open conversations -if your child feels stressed or tired, it’s okay to step back and reset

Skiing on dryslope/indoors

So where do the UK dryslope/indoor training programs and race ‘circuits’ fit in to this? Well, it’s not entirely clear. For most alpine nations (the ones with direct access to reliable snow at home) summer is mostly time taken off of ski racing. Lots of top ski racers enjoy hiking, watersports, mountain biking, golf – other physical outdoor sports – but then they are skiing so much more in the winter because access to the snow is easier for them. Is there even a need to ski on a dryslope? Some coaches think not, but we can definitely see some of the benefits. Here are some arguments for and against it:

1. Technique and tactics

It’s no secret that skiing on a dryslope feels different to skiing on snow. Skiers often develop compensatory habits (e.g. forced edge angles, exaggerated upper-body movement) that may not transfer well – or may even hinder progress – on real snow.
However, dryslopes and UK snowdomes provide a cheaper and more local way of developing some limited technical fundamentals that cross directly over to snow. And given the thriving artificual race circuit in the UK, there are plenty of opportunities to develop race tactics & psychology!

2. Time and Energy Trade-Off

Time spent on dryslope might be better used on: cross-training (e.g. other summer sports), mental skills training, recovery& fitness training, or summer snow training camps* (see point on cost below!)
Having said that, local artificial slopes provide year-round access to

3. Psychology

Some young racers find dryslope less enjoyable or motivating due to repetitiveness, or a less ‘authentic’ feeling compared to snow. For athletes already training hard, adding dryslope to their program can contribute to burnout – especially if it feels like “extra” rather than purposeful.
Conversely, if newer racers have not had a lot of exposure to a training or race environment, a dry or indoor slope might be enough to keep the enthusiasm up in between access to snow.

4. Cost

Whilst training at your local dryslope can be a very affordable way to get time on skis, touring the UK to maximise BARTS race opportunities as a family can become very expensive. *It’s worth considering whether there is more value in fewer summer dryslope/indoor ‘away’ races to save up for a week or two residentially abroad on snow. 1-2 weeks of alpine camps fits better into the LTAD model for a mini/U14 than 4-6 weekends of summer races!

In short, there’s no clear cut answer; it depends on age, goals, developmental stage, and ease of access to snow. Younger or less experienced skiers can benefit from dryslope if used carefully, with good coaching and no pressure to “specialise” in it. More experienced racers who already get regular snow training may gain more from focusing on snow-specific skills and physical preparation. Use dryslope strategically, not just habitually. For example, short technical blocks or race practice in pre-season may be useful for any level of racer.

Final thoughts

Burnout is preventable, but only if we take it seriously. That doesn’t mean avoiding hard work. It means making sure the training matches the athlete’s age, stage, and individual needs. It means focusing on the process and not expecting linear progress. And above all, it means keeping the joy of skiing alive.

If you ever want to chat about training volume, athlete development, or how your child is doing, SSC coaches are here to support you. Together, we can make sure young ski racers keep loving the sport for years to come.

Scottish Ski Club race training has a clear objective for its trainees – to become better ski racers. Believe it or not, that isn’t just about training gates, marginal gains, and chasing podiums. We aim to develop well-rounded, resilient skiers who love the sport for life. Everyone has the high potential to be good at lots of different things, and it’s our job as ski coaches to help them reach their peak skiing potential.

This article refers to “athletes” a lot. You might think that this isn’t relevant to your child – especially if they have only just started ski racing, or are taking part in grassroots-level activity – but it does! The Oxford dictionary defines an athlete as “a person who competes in sports”, so even if your child is preparing for their very first race, they are an athlete.

What we do

Ski racing is a late specialisation sport. In short, this means an athlete is likely to reach their full potential by participating in a variety of sports at a young age, rather than focussing solely on skiing. Our training aligns with the UK’s Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) model, which is developed and supported by the home nations, including Snowsport Scotland and GB Snowsport. This internationally recognised framework helps coaches to shape training programs that support young athletes over the long term, maximising both performance and enjoyment.

The LTAD Stages in Ski Racing:

1. FUNdamentals (ages 5-9): Focus on fun, movement skills, and basic skiing ability. It’s about variety – not early specialisation.
2. Learn to Train (ages 8-12): Introduction to race technique and strategy, but still with a strong emphasis on all-mountain skiing and multiple sports.
3. Train to Train (ages 11-16): Greater focus on structured training, physical conditioning, and ski-specific skills. Racing becomes more regular, but skill development remains the priority.
4. Train to Compete (ages 15+): Athletes now specialise more fully in ski racing, with tailored strength and conditioning, performance psychology, and competition strategy.
5. Train to Win / Active for Life: At the highest levels, the focus is on peak performance. But crucially, the LTAD also supports lifelong participation—whether in coaching, recreational skiing, or sport leadership.

Technical background

Coaches use the acronym TTPPEE (“tee-pee”) to develop skiers. These are the six areas where improvements can be made. The importance of each area will shift over time and between individuals, but each area is essential to developing a successful, well-rounded ski racer.

How we do it

Our training is not just about getting results as quickly as possible. That might sound counterintuitive – of course we want to maximise every athlete’s potential – but there’s so much more to ski racing. The sport naturally builds respectful, independent, organised, and resilient individuals by virtue of its intense training and competition environment. Children gain so much through race training even on Scottish hills, and that is amplified on a residential overseas camp. Our coaches encourage SSC trainees and their families to recognise that.

Many children’s and minis teams spend a significant amount of time training in gates. This is partly because it’s relatively easy to set up a slalom or GS course-based training environment, and it looks great – after all, that’s what World Cup teams do! There are also external pressures, such as expectations around immediate performance improvements in upcoming races.

However, that doesn’t necessarily fit within the LTAD model—especially before the Train to Train stage (typically U14+). Even then, skiing gates shouldn’t overly dominate on-snow time. We believe around 50–60% of total ski time spent in gates is a good maximum (not a target!). More than that, and training can become repetitive and even counterproductive. It’s not uncommon for racers to get so bogged down in skiing gates that they no longer enjoy simply skiing around the mountain, but that is the whole point!

Skill Development

It’s very difficult to make technical changes while skiing through a course. Gates are best used to develop tactical skills, whereas technical improvements happen most effectively outside of courses.

That’s why we put a big emphasis on free-skiing at SSC, whether it’s technical drills or simply blasting around the mountain in a train. Even group skiing without explicit instruction is hugely beneficial for younger skiers, particularly in the FUNdamentals stage. And yes, we’ll sometimes ditch the training lane altogether to go ski powder – because that’s what skiing is all about!

Fun & Team Spirit

We strive to make every SSC training session as fun and rewarding as possible. Race training and competition can be physically and mentally demanding, which is why a positive team environment is essential. Supportive teammates, lasting friendships, and a shared love of the sport are all key parts of what we do. We expect every SSC trainee to be a good sport, a respectful individual, and a team player.

Mindset & Resilience

The club actively nurtures a positive mindset and strong engagement in the coaching process. That means encouraging a love of learning, fostering determination, and building the grit needed to overcome challenges – not just in sport, but in life. These qualities are reinforced both on and off the hill, including through theory sessions, mental skills discussions, and reflection activities.

Physical Literacy

Developing agility, balance, and coordination (ABCs) is essential for success in a complex sport like skiing. These skills are supported through age-appropriate dryland training, as well as dynamic on-snow activities. Strength and fitness also improve naturally through time on skis, especially at altitude or during intensive camps.

Tactical Awareness

Versatile skiing and the ability to read terrain are not just relevant for racing—they’re critical for all-mountain skiing too. Whether inside or outside the gates, we teach athletes how to adapt and anticipate, helping them become confident, adaptable skiers in all conditions, who will get the most out of any day, even a bad weather one!

Why LTAD matters

Too much, too soon can lead to physical injuries, mental exhaustion, and even a complete loss of interest in skiing. That’s why LTAD isn’t just about improving performance – it’s about protecting young athletes.

By focusing on age-appropriate goals, we ensure:

• Progression without pressure.
• Balanced development across physical, mental, and social domains.
• Athletes stay engaged and excited about skiing.
• Time for other sports, helping avoid overuse injuries and building all-round athleticism.

This approach doesn’t mean we hold racers back – it means we prepare them better for long-term success. Some of the world’s best racers, like Mikaela Shiffrin and Dave Ryding, were multi-sport athletes who followed a progressive path (albeit in quite different ways!) and not one of early specialisation and overtraining.

Our Commitment

At Scottish Ski Club, we are committed to delivering high-quality race training that reflects the best of coaching science, our love for skiing, and the unique camaraderie of our sport. We believe in developing racers who are not just competitors – but confident people, and passionate skiers for life.

Whether your child dreams of medals or mountain adventures, we’re here to help them enjoy the ride and reach their potential, at their own pace.

Seeding systems are a way of tracking and comparing race performances. In the UK we have our own national seeding system, but it is based on the same calculations applied internationally by FIS, the international snowsport governing body.

How do they work?

Every ‘registered’ racer starts their career with 999.99 ‘list’ points in each discipline (SL, GS, etc.). The underlying principle is that the fastest skier in the system has 0 list points: they are the ‘zero point racer’. Your list points are either your best point score, plus 10%, or the average of your best two scores. Seed lists are published periodically throughout the season, and your list points only change each time a list is published, based on points scored at races considered for that list. All the British seed list publication dates are available on GBSki annually, along with more information.

In the British system, there are three different lists:

• BASS (British Alpine Seeding System), for snow races
• BARTS (British ARTificial Seeding system), which has two separate lists:
  • iBARTS, for indoor races
  • oBARTS, for outdoor (dryslope) races

The lists are separate, and points are not comparable between lists/systems, because the surfaces really are quite different.

At FIS level, there is one list published periodically throughout the year.

How do I score points?

Fundamentally, a point score from a race is based on two things: how good the field of racers you competed against was, and how you did relative to the winner. If you win the race, but the field didn’t have particularly low points, you would probably score similarly to a race where you were quite far ‘off the pace’ (i.e. slower than the winner), but the field was very strong. The calculation works like this:

• The specific ‘F’ value for the discipline is divided by the winner’s time. This gives you ‘points per second’. You then multiply this by the how far behind the winner you were. These values are fixed for each season (and only ever change once every few seasons at most).
• A ‘penalty’ is calculated based on the list points of the best racers on the start list. For certain races, there is a minimum penalty above 0 (for various reasons). This penalty is added to your points to give you your point score from this race.

Minis races are not seeded, so minis cannot score points. There’s no need, since minis racing is all about fun! At U14 level, each individual race run is seeded separately – that’s why U14s always get to ski both runs. At U16 level and older, races are seeded based on combined times, so a DNF in either run means no result.

Are points important?

Yes and no. They are a useful comparison tool, a way of comparing your own performance against your own past performances, or of comparing one racer to another without them necessarily having competed in the same races all the time. However, it can be easy to get carried away! Some racers can become a bit obsessed over their points, which can add yet another element of pressure to the sport and ironically hinder performance.

Points are used to select racers to the national teams, though, so it’s understandable why some might fret about them. The governing bodies typically set points criteria for each year group which, if you meet, should grant you automatic selection to the team. It’s worth noting that neither the Scottish or British teams select based on BARTS points, since the teams are selected for training and competition on snow only.

Want to know more?

The British rules on seeded are defined in BCR Book III for snow, and BACR Book III for indoor/dryslope.