High School Academics in the summer; Ski Race in the winter
Winter Sports School in Park City
Tue, Nov 13, 2012 - By Bill Hokanson
The Winter Sports School in Park City (WSS) is a private, not-for-profit college preparatory high school featuring an academic session specifically tailored and optimized for high school winter sports athletes.
Student-athletes from across Utah and the United States attend the WSS for high school. Classes are in session from mid-April through mid-November. The unique non-traditional school year provides competitive skiers and other winter sports athletes with freedom from academic stress in the winter, and allows them to focus more effectively on training, travel, and competition.
During the summer and fall, when classes are in session, the WSS provides sport-specific dryland training to prepare student-athletes for the upcoming competition season. In the winter, many WSS students return home to train and compete with their club teams, or join regional and national teams for elite international level competition.
Most Winter Sports School students proceed to college following graduation; many of the remainder join national team programs. WSS alumni are well represented at prestigious NCAA member schools with a strong presence in winter sports.
Over the past 19 years, Winter Sports School students and alumni have amassed numerous Olympic and World Championship medals, World Cup race podiums, overall World Cup titles, World Junior podiums, National Championships, Junior National Championships, and innumerable positions on elite regional and National teams.
A selection of notable WSS alumni includes winter sports stars such as Bryan Fletcher (Nordic combined), Ted Ligity (alpine skiing), Julie Mancuso (alpine skiing), Alex Schlopy (freeskiing), and Elli Ochowicz (speed skating). Sarah Hendrickson, the reigning women's ski jumping World Cup Champion is a current student and will graduate from the WSS with the class of 2012 in mid-November!
The Winter Sports School in Park City has developed a class schedule and academic curriculum specifically designed to facilitate the volume and intensity of dryland training required to achieve a high level of success in cross country skiing. 2012 USSA J2 Junior National Champion Karsten Hokanson (class of 2013, cross country skiing) is one of several successful junior cross country skiers currently enrolled at the Winter Sports School. High school aged Nordic skiers interested in more information may visit the WSS website: http://www.wintersportsschool.org/. School representatives can be contacted at:
Winter Sports School in Park City
P.O. Box 1998
Park City, UT 84060
(435) 649-8760
For a unique view of Winter Sports School alpine and Nordic sport training, check out this short, WSS student produced video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RKY2ywQ7bo4.
Here’s a link to the Winter Sports School summer 2012 newsletter:
http://www.wintersportsschool.org/news/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/WSS-2012-Summer-Newsletter.jpg
Watch a WSS alumni testimonial from Olympic Gold Medalist Ted Ligity:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9SwPzzkjlU&feature=channel&list=UL
Bill Hokanson
Head Coach, Wasatch Nordic Ski Academy
Nordic Conditioning Coach, Winter Sports School in Park City
(801) 949-2971[email protected]