The British Ski Academy (BSA) serves as a winter base for junior British ski racers aiming to achieve the highest standards in Alpine ski racing. The BSA is the only facility of its kind to be formally recognised by the UK sport's governing body Snowsport GB.
Racers from eight to sixteen years old join the BSA in the Chamonix valley for tailored school and ski programmes that last from a few weeks to the whole winter and then rejoin the BSA at race camps throughout the year. Younger racers from 8 to 11 frequently live out and many students have their first experience of race training with the BSA.
The level of individual attention and input is ideal. The consequence is that the UK's junior and senior national ski teams are now mainly comprised of BSA trainees.
The BSA is the UK's most successful junior Alpine race training centre. Whilst many young ski racers achieve excellent results by complementing their main club programme with spells at the BSA, those racers who train exclusively under the BSA banner achieved the following:
Best overall Children One (U13) club at the British Alpine Ski championships
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
Best overall Children Two (U15) club at the British Alpine Ski championships
2004 2005 2006 2007 2008
EXCITING NEW TRAINING SYSTEM 2008
Malcolm Erskine, BSA Programme Director:
"For 2008 we have assembled our strongest ever team of race coaches, offering magnificent coaching experience and expertise right across the board. Furthermore we are committed to a maximum of six trainees per training group.
The training groups will now be decided each week on the basis of the results from our end of week races. Rather than grouping the trainees by age or skill level this will be determined purely by their results each week. The fastest six make the top group, the next six are the second group and so on. New arrivals slot in or work in refresher and induction groups until their first race. The weekly group selection is designed to engender a spirit of competition amongst the trainees who will appreciate that the faster they ski in the races the higher their group placing for the following week.
Each coach will be responsible for the ski and fitness training, video work and ski prep of their small group. Each group's video sessions will be hosted by their coach and attended by other BSA coaches to ensure a consensus-based input of high quality with an element of continuity.
Making the BSA top group has always been a competitive achievement. The entire 2008 British Youth Ski Team - Nick Robinson, Sam Wrench, Jack Evans and Harry Brown - is made up of racers who were based at the BSA in 2007. Harry and Jack first skied with the BSA as minis (U11), Sam since C1 (U13) and Nick through C2 (U15) and all of them as first year J1 (U17).
Congratulations and good luck to these four racers who follow in the BSA tracks of current GB national team members Andy Noble, TJ Baldwin, Lynn Sharp, Sega Fairweather, Aaron Tipping, Jan Kochalski, Mel Piper, David Ryding and Ed Drake.
(Source: www.snowsportgb.com/Alpine+1)
We aim to continue raising the standard of UK junior ski race training. The message to any competitive young British ski racer willing to work hard is that the British Ski Academy can make a serious difference in helping them to fulfil their dreams."
Announcement on Protocol's sponsorship of BSA
The BSA has set the UK standard for race training and educational support of school-age ski racers. While the ranks of the GB national ski teams have largely been filled with ex-BSA racers, many British skiing families remain unaware of the quality of tutorial support that the students have enjoyed since the BSA's inception in 1996.
The BSA has announced two developments to enhance their tutorial system. Claire Hall has accepted the role of BSA's Head of Studies and Education Liaison, and Protocol, the UK's leading education recruitment company, has agreed to support the BSA as its official tutorial staff provider and quality controller.
Linda Brown, Head of Protocol Education Solutions Management:
"We are delighted to have been chosen to help support the BSA in their recruitment of tutorial staff. We look forward to a long and successful relationship. Protocol Education are the only national education recruitment agency to hold both the DfES Quality Mark and the REC's Audited Status, their Gold Standard and in 2007 we were named as the 'Best Temporary Recruitment Agency' at the Recruiter International Awards. This means that all Protocol candidates are rigorously vetted and checked, ensuring parents receive the peace of mind that they deserve."
Malcolm Erskine, BSA chief executive:
"The sponsorship from Protocol is huge for us. They are leaders in their field and are genuine recruitment experts. With Protocol's backing and Claire Hall's supervision we are aiming for our highest ever level of classroom productivity."
