Ask LAV
Laura,
There has been a lot of talk/debate on Fasterskier starting with Caldwell's article over the so called state of US skiing. One question that always comes up is college skiing vs. training full time. You successfully made the jump from college skiing into 'professional' skiing. Now that you've seen both ends what do you think about the merits of college skiing in a skier's development.
-Erik in Minnesota
---
To My Inquiring And Probably Scandinavian Friend, Erik-
The less other activities you have to do the more you can rest. The more you can rest, the better you can train. The better you train, the faster you ski. No doubt about it: You can become a better skier more quickly if you start training full time as soon as possible. Heck, why even stay in High School?
I believe in the pursuit of self-actualization (Maslow, although you could probably find other terms for the same concept) and see the college experience as an excellent step towards living a more enriching life- being able to experience life with a wider perspective and being able to communicate your thoughts effectively to those you around you as well as a step in attaining a fulfilling career.
Philosophy aside, if you're not sure you want to dedicate your life to skiing, skiing for a college team gives you a great opportunity experience a professional team structure while also developing other life skills. A college ski team can provide exceptional support to all of its serious athletes. This is particularly helpful for those skiers who aren't fast enough yet to be on the USST or one of the trade/club teams (which is most of us). Because if you're not skiing for a college you don't have a very good alternative that will provide you (for free if you overlook tuition) coaching, wax, logistics planning, a competitive race circuit and other support depending on the college. Not to mention the benefits from training with your older, faster teammates and from racing some of the fastest skiers in the country, both foreigners and Americans.
College skiing gives you a great opportunity to build your training hours and improve your skiing with really no risk of getting kicked off the team or cut. You also get the camaraderie and support from your teammates who are pursuing skiing and school also. If you decide to skip school and train on your own it's tough to keep the motivation up. Furthermore, if you're training while in school you're forced to prioritize and if you choose to pursue skiing instead of sorority/chess club/rock climbing you KNOW that you want to ski. If you're not forced to choose, are you certain you really want it, or do you just not have anything else to do?
I have experience only one of the many, many possible paths. Training without school is eons easier than training in school, but I for sure wouldn't be as successful (aka: happy) today if I hadn't fought, stumbled & slept through 4 years at Whitman. If anyone else has some more insight, feel welcome to contribute!
lav
There has been a lot of talk/debate on Fasterskier starting with Caldwell's article over the so called state of US skiing. One question that always comes up is college skiing vs. training full time. You successfully made the jump from college skiing into 'professional' skiing. Now that you've seen both ends what do you think about the merits of college skiing in a skier's development.
-Erik in Minnesota
---
To My Inquiring And Probably Scandinavian Friend, Erik-
The less other activities you have to do the more you can rest. The more you can rest, the better you can train. The better you train, the faster you ski. No doubt about it: You can become a better skier more quickly if you start training full time as soon as possible. Heck, why even stay in High School?
I believe in the pursuit of self-actualization (Maslow, although you could probably find other terms for the same concept) and see the college experience as an excellent step towards living a more enriching life- being able to experience life with a wider perspective and being able to communicate your thoughts effectively to those you around you as well as a step in attaining a fulfilling career.
Philosophy aside, if you're not sure you want to dedicate your life to skiing, skiing for a college team gives you a great opportunity experience a professional team structure while also developing other life skills. A college ski team can provide exceptional support to all of its serious athletes. This is particularly helpful for those skiers who aren't fast enough yet to be on the USST or one of the trade/club teams (which is most of us). Because if you're not skiing for a college you don't have a very good alternative that will provide you (for free if you overlook tuition) coaching, wax, logistics planning, a competitive race circuit and other support depending on the college. Not to mention the benefits from training with your older, faster teammates and from racing some of the fastest skiers in the country, both foreigners and Americans.
College skiing gives you a great opportunity to build your training hours and improve your skiing with really no risk of getting kicked off the team or cut. You also get the camaraderie and support from your teammates who are pursuing skiing and school also. If you decide to skip school and train on your own it's tough to keep the motivation up. Furthermore, if you're training while in school you're forced to prioritize and if you choose to pursue skiing instead of sorority/chess club/rock climbing you KNOW that you want to ski. If you're not forced to choose, are you certain you really want it, or do you just not have anything else to do?
I have experience only one of the many, many possible paths. Training without school is eons easier than training in school, but I for sure wouldn't be as successful (aka: happy) today if I hadn't fought, stumbled & slept through 4 years at Whitman. If anyone else has some more insight, feel welcome to contribute!
lav
posted by LAV at 09:22
4 Comments:
I believe another point for skiing in college is that going to college gets you a degree. With those extra two letters after your name, it is a lot easier to find a well-paying job, in a field you're interested in. Skiing is dependent upon your body, and when that breaks down (injury, illness, age), you aren't left with much if you haven't pursued your education.
My other point is that skiing in college gives you a chance to transition from being a junior skier to being a senior. Although some people can make this transition seamlessly without four extra years of development, skiing is a long-term sport, and by skiing in college you are essentially getting four free years (in terms of racing against other seniors) of training under your belt.
the list below isn't so inane afterall, eh? Afterall Caldwells article calls for people on the US team to live in their regions (what else does it really say?) Um, you live in Alaska, that list shows that everyone lives at home or at school. So, what's he talking about, eh?
And by he way, I predict you'll have a great season!
Ah, yes of course Miss Alex, those two letters do help. It's always good to have plan B and plan C and then there's what you actually end up doing.
and Anon- thanks for the vote of confidence... I'm glad that it didn't come with a "may do well, but only because the good skiers didn't show up" kind of conditional statement :)
Post a Comment
<< Home