Snowboard Development Team
2023-24 BC Snowboard Memberships mandatory prior to registration. Please go to SNOREG to purchase your membership before participating in programs.
The Development Team Program is a fun and focused program for athletes 9-older. Athletes will be introduced to the competitive environment and will learn about structured technical and physical training. The Development Freestyle focused program will operate on Saturdays and Sundays. The Development Freeride/SBX focused program will operate on Sundays and will be a separate group from the Dev Freestyle program. With additional Thursday sessions available for all Development Team members. Air Bag time will be included in the Development program throughout the winter.
The Development Freestyle program starts December 16/17, 2023 and runs for 15-weeks including extra sessions during Christmas break. With the final weekend wrap up on March 29/30, 2024. Athletes will be encouraged to compete in at least one traveling competition and are expected to compete at the Silver Star Resort BC Snowboard Provincial competition.
- Whistler BCSA Provincial Slopestyle event will be on January 4/5/6th, 2024
- Big White BCSA Provincial Slopestyle event will be on January 12/13/14, 2024
- Silver Star BCSA Provincial Slopestyle event will be on March 1/2/3rd, 2024
The Development Freeride/SBX program starts December 16/17, 2023 and runs for 15-weeks including extra sessions during Christmas break. With the final weekend wrap up on March 23/24, 2024. Athletes will be encouraged to compete in at least one traveling competition.
- Big White BCSA Provincial SBX event will be on February 2/3/4, 2024
Athlete who want to join the Development Team are strongly encouraged to participate in the FALL pre-season training.
This is an ‘Invite-Only’ program. If you think Comp Team is a fit for you, please contact Coach Daniel at [email protected]
Program Outline:
Development sessions are overseen by specialized and licensed coaches Josh and Craig, who have received additional discipline specific training and support from Canada Snowboard to provide a Freestyle focused program on Saturdays & Sundays and a Freeride/SBX focused program on Sundays. Coaching and assessments are closely tied to each participant’s individual progress, and feedback is provided to the athletes and their parents along each step of the way.
The Development Team is for motivated and driven athletes who have chosen snowboarding as one of their top sports. The Development program is an extended 15 week program and will prepare athletes for a smooth transition to the Competition team. The Development Team introduces snowboard athletes to the competitive environment with the opportunity to participate in 1-3 discipline specific local and BC Snowboard Provincial event competitions per season.
Fall dryland dry-slope and trampoline sessions are recommended in this program to prepare athletes skills for on-snow training.
This phase of the program facilitates a confident transition for athletes and their parents into the snowboard community and competitive stream. As club members, athletes and their families will be able to make new friends and connections with like-minded people who share a passion for snowboarding. Parents will be expected to volunteer their time to help with event operations.
Mental – We spend time inspecting terrain and conditions in a way that aligns with the competition standards. We challenge the athlete’s decision making skills and train in a way that builds mental resilience, self confidence and a self-motivated desire to learn and to achieve the goals they set for themselves.
Physical – Our sport entails a high level of physical fitness and we believe strongly that optimum performance goes hand-in-hand with optimum health. Strength and conditioning, dry-land training, warm-up/ cool-down sessions, structured progression, even healthy diets all play pivotal roles in success.
Team Culture – Our snowboarders are driven, coachable, strong, compassionate fun-loving riders looking to take a well established background of snowboard training into the ever-changing, unpredictable natural terrain. We keep the vibe high and foster respect for ourselves, each other, the mountains and environment.
Program Outcome:
At Silver Star we strongly believe in developing skills in the traditional disciplines of slopestyle, big air, SBX racing, and freeride. Our athletes build an exceptional level of physical dexterity which allows us to take the lessons learned and perform at a high level, with confidence in all types of terrain. This technical proficiency of freestyle and SBX/freeride snowboarding combined with knowledge of the terrain we ride provides a widely beneficial tactical understanding of all elements of snowboarding which will promote stability, mobility, coordination, control, agility, air awareness, maneuverability and physical fitness. This allows us to create lifelong snowboarders that are passionate about the health and growth of the sport, themselves, and the environment.
Competition is encouraged as we believe this is where our Snowboarders can put their skills to the ultimate test, where physical ability, self confidence, camaraderie and life skills can really flourish. The primary competitions our athletes attend include local regional events and BC Snowboard Provincial events.
Upon graduation from the Development program, athletes are encouraged to continue their progress via inter-club and inter-provincial competitive youth snowboard events. Athletes will be encouraged to continue developing their skills by moving to the next appropriate program. Graduates will have increased their snowboard skills at each level of the Development program. Furthermore, Development graduates will have been introduced to the different disciplines of snowboarding, increasing the awareness of high- performance skills, requirements, and habits in the long term athletic development stages. This program will work to identify, track and mentor potential future high performance athletes at early development stages. This program will offer opportunities and resources to athletes to ensure a full spectrum of development and will be able to more readily explore the areas of the sport where they feel most capable.
If you think the Development Snowboard Team is a fit for you, please contact Coach Dan at [email protected]
Program Registration and Fees
- Saturday Slopestyle $1255
- Sunday Slopestyle $1255
- Sunday Freeride/SBX $1255
- Thursday add-on – $750
- Membership $125 Compete license – Click here sign-up for the 2023/24 BC Snowboard membership. If you already have one skip this step.
Installments – DEPOSIT is due at time of registration. If you wish to split up the payment the second payment is due Dec 1. Competition expenses will be billed throughout the season based on actual event expenses divided by the number of athlete’s attending.
What does a Development Team Snowboarder need to have?
Snowboarders MUST have their own lift pass, snowboard, snowboard boots, helmet, goggles, gloves, and be dressed for the weather conditions.
A passion and motivation to excel in snowboarding and to push their limits in training and competition.
We recommend Snowboarders have one or more pocket snacks to keep energy levels consistent throughout their RIDERS sessions.
Do you ever cancel sessions?
We try our best to run classes every week as scheduled. In the event the temperature is -20 (or colder) with windchill, we may cancel a session.
In the case of an “extraordinary” circumstance, classes may be canceled as well.
In these cases, SS Freestyle will strive to make up missed sessions later in the season. This may not be possible in all cases.
What if we are late?
Coaches meet their groups at 8:45 AM at a drop-off area to be determined and again at 12:30 PM following lunch break. Usually a coach will be available at the drop-off area 15 minutes after the program starts to help your child join their group.
If you are later than 15 minutes after the program starts, check in at the brown bag lunch room where an SS Freestyle club representative should be on hand.
