SCHOLARSHIPS & FINANCIAL AID 

As a member of the Snowboarding Team, you’re eligible to apply for need- and merit-based scholarships. Learn more HERE.

Equipment

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Snowboard: Check with your coach if you have questions.

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Helmet: CE approved or equivalent helmet required 

Additional: back protection, impact shorts, and mouth guard may be recommended

Rescue Beacon: Given the terrain and requirements for certain areas at Bridger Bowl, rescue beacon and confidence in its use is recommended.

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Where to Buy Equipment

Since /snowboarding is not an inexpensive sport to participate in, we make every effort to help parents and athletes secure gear in a variety of ways. BSF coaches will be available at all swaps to help answer questions.

• Team night at Round House & Chalet 2nd week in November with a discount for athletes and parents.
• Local retailers or online. (Your BSF membership gets you discounts at several local shops.) Also, keep your eyes out for the team emails—occasionally retailers will sponsor team nights with discounts. 
  
• The Ski Swap (http://www.bridgerskifoundation.org/events/skiswap), held each November at the Fairgrounds. Thousands of items. (It’s also one of BSF’s biggest fundraisers.) BSF members get in an hour early. If you volunteer at the event, you get in even earlier!

COMMUNICATION

When you register for the program, you will be added to an email list. Your coaches will communicate weekly details to you through email, as well as any last-minute changes. (It’s important that you do not unsubscribe to BSF emails, as this is our main mode of communication in the winter.) If for some reason, you are not receiving emails from us, let us know!

PARENT & ATHLETE RESOURCES

Please make yourself familiar with our policies, the BSF Athlete & Parent Handbook, and other important information on the Resources Page.

VOLUNTEERING

Competitions: Parent/volunteer assistance with competitions is needed and is a fun place for parents to learn about freestyle/freeskiing. No experience necessary; we typically provide lift tickets for volunteers who don't have a season pass. Look for info in emails. 

Other chances: BSF is a traditional nonprofit, relying on donations and fundraisers to cover approximately 50% of our cost of programs. Volunteers donate thousands of hours each year. We couldn’t do it without you! We’re always looking for volunteers to help with our fundraisers, serve on committees, or help at Nordic, Alpine, and Freestyle/Freeskiing competitions.

BASE-LINE CONCUSSION TESTING

Baseline testing recommended but not required for athletes 12+. In the event an athlete does have a head injury, having baseline testing results on file allows you and your doctor to evaluate the injury and also accurately determine when an athlete can safely return to activity. Click here for info.

There’s a bigger picture to what BSF teaches our athletes, when and why. BSF’s programs are consistent with the U.S. Ski & Snowboard's Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) Systems.

What does that mean? We’re not focused on short-term success—and the hazards (and burnout) that often come with it. Instead, we follow LTAD plans that are individualized and based on science to make sure your child can maximize their long-term potential as a skier (should they wish to do so) and their enjoyment in the sport. We take into account a child’s development physiologically, cognitively and socially, as well as their experience skiing.

This makes it easy for your child to progress through our programs—from Intro and the Development Teams, to the competitive teams, and even on to skiing as an adult Masters athlete.

The LTAD is a living document and gets updated regularly. View the most up-to-date LTAD from U.S. Ski & Snowboard HERE.

PHASE 2

Ages: 6-10

Years in sport: 2-5 

Train: 2-3 days per week

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Training focus

Play many sports, with active participation in coordination or balance-based sports. Participation in team sports build teamwork, ethics and fair play. 

Technical

This is the adventure stage: ride all terrain and explore the mountain. Learning basic turn shapes and riding styles, riding easier moguls, tree runs and powder turns. Getting comfortable grabbing over small jumps and exploring small rotations 180 to 360, both front side and backside. Begin to explore simple rail features.

Tactical

Tactics are learned through self-discovery by riding around the mountain and adapting to different terrain.  Skis challenging terrain or difficult snow conditions. 

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PHASE 3 

Girls Ages 9-13

Boys Ages 10-14 

Years in Sport: 4-7 

Training: 3-5 days per week 

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Training focus 

40% all-mountain riding. Continue to participate in many activities and sports. Begin to identify with primary vs. complementary sports. Start to incorporate focused dryland training 1-2 days per week. Enhance body awareness, balance, and spatial anticipation through games and drills. 

Technical

Develop precision of basic skills while learning advanced techniques over a variety of terrain and features.  Competent on small to medium jumps, basic grabs, ability to ride comfortably in halfpipe and rail features.

Tactical 

Gain comfort in applying various tactics in order to ski terrain using different strategies to achieve differing results.

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PHASE 4 

Girls ages 11-14 

Boys ages 12-16 

Years in sport: 5-8

Training: 4-6 days per week 

Training focus 

30% all-mountain riding. Continue to participate in complementary sports while identifying clear goals in primary sport. Physical fitness is becoming an integral part of the season. 1-3 sessions per week. Increase hours of training with varied volumes and intensity.   

Technical 

This is the tactical stage where skiers learn to apply technical skills to event/discipline specific tactics. Comfortable spinning over large jumps. Begin experimenting with single inverted maneuvers and should be able to handle increasingly more difficult rail features with confidence.

Tactical 

High intensity and more complex movement patterns are mastered. Dynamic and complex movement patterns are emphasized to achieve a desired outcome on specific terrain and features. 

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PHASE 5 

(post puberty, after growth spurt) 

Girls ages 12-17 

Boys Ages 14-18

Years in sport: 6-11 

Training: 5-7 days per week 

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Training focus 

20% all-mountain skiing. Use complementary sports and activities for variety and to enhance aerobic conditioning by increasing training volume in all activities. Implement periodized training with varying volumes and intensity. Training is now essential to seasonal programming with 2-3 sessions per week and off-season fitness plans. 

Technical  

Both a Technical and Tactical Stage. We focus on refinement and mastery of event/discipline-specific technical and tactical skills.  Full HP and SS runs with speed, confidence, amplitude and style.  Creativity in trick selection and flow.  Beginning to experiment with double cork and multiple, linked rotations beyond 900 (HP) and 1080 (SS).

Tactical 

Refine event specific technical and tactical skills to achieve desired outcome.  Integrate the increased strength, power and body size to achieve more complex movements and precision of skill application. 

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PHASE 6 

(Full maturation) 

Girls: 16+ 

Boys: 17+ 

Years in sport: 10+ 

Training: 5-7 days per week 

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Training focus

15% all-mountain skiing. Use complementary sports and activities for injury prevention, avoiding burnout, and to maintain all aspects of physical fitness.  Year-round, periodized training plans with varying volumes and intensity are essential to prepare for full competition and training loads. 

Technical 

 Mastery and Innovation stage.  Event/discipline-specific technical and tactical mastery. Can ski anything, anywhere in any condition with confidence, speed and style. 

Tactical 

Mastery of tactical strategies based on the individual's style, discipline and goals.  Full runs with maximum amplitude and speed from top to bottom.  Linked tricks with multiple rotations at 900 and beyond.  Incorporating single and double inverted tricks into full runs.  Creativity in run choice is essential.  Ability to revise trick sequence as conditions or events dictate.