[November 2021]. Green Mountain Valley School (GMVS), a premier ski academy located in Waitsfield, VT, is thrilled to announce its partnership with the Apex2100 International Ski Academy (Apex).
It’s a natural partnership, born from a commitment to supporting student-athletes on the hill, in the classroom, and everywhere in between. Kicking off with an early season on-snow camp in Tignes, France, GMVS and Apex are working together to provide athletes with an exceptional experience.
For GMVS, November is a time when athletes eagerly wait for the mercury to drop, snow to fly, and ski areas to open. In previous years, GMVS alpine athletes and coaches have traveled to the Colorado Rockies in search of early-season training. And, while the U16s, U19s, and PGs have headed west again this year, the budding partnership with Apex presented an opportunity that was too good for GMVS U14s to pass up.
“The glacier in Tignes is an excellent environment for working on early season fundamentals in and out of the course, and the entire experience traveling abroad helps athletes grow exponentially,” notes JP Daigneault, GMVS Head U14 Coach. “Most U14 athletes have traveled domestically, but international travel is often a new and exciting experience for athletes of this age. Student-athletes are provided an opportunity to learn how to manage the mental and physical stress that comes with international travel and living in a different country. This type of experience helps athletes learn how to manage stress in new environments, leading to higher quality training on future projects, and better performances on race day.”
Chris Thomson, CEO of Apex added, “As an international academy with a global outlook, we value the opportunity to explore the different perspectives and cultures that this partnership provides”
Over the 10 day period, GMVS athletes and coaches will work collaboratively with the Apex team, led by Alpine Performance Director Sasha Rearick. A former GMVS Head Boys’ coach and U.S. Ski Team coach, Rearick is known for his creative and thoughtful constraint-based training, leading to positive outcomes. “I can’t think of a better way for our U14 athletes to get a jump start on their season,” notes Steve Utter, GMVS Alpine Program Director.
Sasha Rearick said, “Our sport is brutally hard, logistically challenging and expensive, but it’s also immensely fun and rewarding. Clubs, NGB’s and regional teams working together to support each other will climb higher than others trying to do it all alone. We are proud to work together with GMVS as we share this journey of challenges and fun. I am personally really looking forward to the learning environment we are creating together for our athletes and staff.”