Athletic Programme

Prioritising Long Term Athlete Development

The Team Evolution programme is designed to support a select team of focused alpine athletes, “In Pursuit Of Excellence”, throughout a rolling 12 month period. Training groups are carefully designed to ensure that our athlete to coach ratios remain below 8:1, giving each training group a highly focused and specific programme. Coaches are specifically selected to work with each training group to ensure that they have the required expertise to progress the athletes within their training group based on their expertise, knowledge and delivery of sessions appropriate for the requirements at each stage of training. Training schedules are vigorous but individually managed, with each athlete expected to push themselves to achieve their best in all areas.

Team Evolution operates on an internal development pathway, which is ground in principles of Long Term Athlete Development. From U10 to U14, the Athletic Programme is focused on establishing strong athletic fundamentals and building a broad range of skills across a variety of alpine and athletic environments. Race training and whole mountain skiing are equally balanced, and trainees are encouraged to participate in a diverse range of sports, both on and off snow. The Team Evolution programmes at this age are not results orientated, but instead provide an opportunity for younger student-athletes and their parents to absorb as much information about the sport as possible. The main aim of these programmes, and associated syllabuses, is to produce highly skilled athletes who enjoy their sport at a young age and have the tools to be successful throughout their FIS careers and beyond, as healthy and well-rounded athletes.

At U16 and FIS levels, the Team Evolution programme’s focus moves towards developing skills specific to competitive racing. At these age groups, athletes and coaches work in unison to develop the six key performance threads; technical, tactical, physical, psychological, equipment and environment. At this stage of an athlete’s development, the training programme is split into three clear phases. The season begins with the “Prep Period” from May to August where trainees are focused on refining key technical skills on snow, and making progress in their physical level off snow. Next is the “Training Period” from September to December, where trainees are focused on applying their improved technical and physical level, completing a high volume of training across all disciplines. Finally, from January to April is the “Race Period”, where athletes are fully prepared for competition and the focus switches from development to performance. Whilst competition is used to grade progress and mark ability levels in these age groups, the key aim remains to teach strong athletic and alpine racing fundamentals, alongside supporting student-athletes in their educational studies. 

Through the constant strive for sporting excellence, the Team Evolution programme ensures that athletes learn how to focus, work hard and progress in multiple areas of their development. Athletes are taught how to handle success, to overcome disappointment, to strive for improvement regardless of their ability, and to appreciate the opportunities that sport provides. The programme is designed to develop world class skiers, but also to act as a platform to learn valuable life skills, provide a stepping stone towards healthy and happy living, and to encourage participation from grass roots level to the point where each individual has fulfilled their potential within the sport.

The Athletic Programme at Team Evolution offers a commitment to develop each athletes sporting abilities and is centred around three key goals:

1. To ensure each athlete has the best opportunity to achieve their personal goals, with careful planning, a supportive environment and decisions made “In Pursuit Of Excellence.”
   
   
2. To develop healthy, focused and intelligent athletes that are able to adapt to a variety of situations and learn from each and every one.
   
   
3. To support athlete’s in all aspects of their sporting development, using sport as a tool to help educate them in other areas of their lives.

Team Evolution is not for every athlete, but it is for those looking to progress “In Pursuit Of Excellence”.