There are many advantages of junior ski racing.

Some might say the ultimate of the advantages of junior ski racing is the freedom it affords the parent!  You’ve “done your time” – teaching your kids to ski, slogging down the bunny slopes, riding the poma all day and dealing with their temper tantrums. You’re thrilled that you child finally loves skiing as much as you do, and now wants to race – but what specifically are the advantages of junior ski racing for the child/athlete?

• Good physical activity.
• Instills good organizational skills – requires the athlete to organize their time appropriately to get schoolwork, training and racing in regularly.
• Teaches discipline and how to deal with authority and constructive criticism.
• Encourages social interaction and levels the playing field between males and females thereby fostering peer groups of equals instead of cliques and dating scenes (in the older groups).
• Promotes teamwork through sharing tasks related to racecourse set up in training and on race day.
• Builds confidence through good work ethic, persistence and follow through – they get to see their hard work produce results.  They learn that their result is THEIR result and that they can’t always win, but they should not give up, after much failure there will be success.
• Helps them learn self-assessment skills and enables them to visualize success.
• Increases awareness of their environment and surroundings and its effect on their performance, as well as how to assess a situation and plan accordingly.
• Encourages independence and responsibility – In their younger years the parent takes care of equipment and race entries, but the older the athlete gets the more this evolves.  By about J3/J4 (15-16-17 years old) – the athlete is capable and self-sufficient.  At this point the burden of the work transfers from the parent to the athlete.

Clearly there are no disadvantages to sports participation for youth.  The social benefits alone are almost too numerous to count. How can you possibly measure the value and satisfaction derived from working hard and mastering a skill? We’ve all done it, and the feeling is exhilarating, regardless of age. With sports and exercise, a child has the opportunity to experience this on almost a daily basis. Proficient skill acquisition allows children to value the accomplishments of their body and mind, making further challenges less daunting. These are attributes that simply can’t be measured.  Nor can the sense of community created through sports, bonding with new friends and teammates, building healthy relationships between males and females and improving relationships with adults. Ski racing also allows children to take on leadership roles, handle adversity, and improve their time management.  Let us not forget the potential for athletic scholarships too!

According to researchers at the Institute for the Study of Youth Sports at Michigan State University, kids that play sports actually do better in school and have enhanced social skills. Sports also help prevent drug and alcohol abuse and children that participate in sports are less likely to start smoking and, if they do smoke, are more likely to quit.  Research on the benefits of sports and exercise for girls in particular has been especially promising. The President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports has reported that athletically active girls develop increased self-esteem and confidence, are more likely to finish high school and college, and have a healthier body image. The Women’s Sports Foundation has also found that females participating in sports are less likely to become pregnant as teenagers and they suffer less depression. Furthermore, there is evidence that athletic activity can decrease the likelihood of developing breast cancer and osteoporosis.

Regardless of any future goals or prospects, ski racing should be an enjoyable experience for both the athlete and parents. Too often, the pressures of advancement take precedence over the many dynamic aspects of the sport. Fortunately for parents, ski racing offers so much more than competition, and you can be assured your time and investments will most certainly foster lifelong rewards.