Alpine Ski Racing D-Team Program

(REGISTRATION FOR THE 2023-2024 SEASON WILL BE AVAILABLE ONLINE SEPT. 6TH)

The Welch Village D-Team is a ski development program which provides a junior racing venue to develop the skiing skills of each athlete. The program emphasizes safety, enjoyment, fun, and learning at all times.  Any skier can join the Welch Village D-Team as long as they fit the age and ability requirements. Athletes need to be between the ages of 7-17, age is determined by birth date on Sept. 1st.  

Please read the "Skiing Ability Requirements for D-Team" section below to determine if D-Team is an appropriate program for your son/daughter. 

D-Team is an 10-week program, there are 7 practice dates and 3 race days.   D-Team athletes race against only kids in their same age group only and there are separate girls and boys divisions.  Welch Village offers both a Saturday and Sunday program.  Saturday program participants can only practice and race on the designated Saturday program practice and race dates and vice versa.  

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!! Skiing Ability/Experience Requirements for D-Team !!

D-Team is very much a family-friendly, recreational junior race league, that is meant to develop not only racing skills but an all-mountain skiing technique for all kids. With that being said, the program does require some basic ability pre-requisites before registering.  

Participants are required to be strong intermediate skiers in order to enroll in the D-Team race program. Strong intermediates should be able to ski all blue runs at Welch Village, controlling their speed by making parallel ski turns most of the time. Newer skiers or skiers still using a snow plow should consider our very popular
Carvers program.  Carvers is a 6 week ski development program that will prepare skiers for the D-Team program. 

Athletes of all ages will be required to ride the chairlift without an adult at certain times in the D-Team program and coaches will not always ride the lift with the athletes.  Kids who are not able to ride the chairlift independently on the first week of practice should not enroll in D-Team.  The first two weeks of D-Team are considered a trial period for all first-year D-Team racers.  If our coaches and program administrators determine that your son/daughter does not meet our program requirements, they will contact the family and arrange either another lesson program if space is available or possibly a partial credit/refund. 

*Students who do not meet program requirements may be required to pay added fees in order to process a transfer or a refund*

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Equipment Requirements

All athletes are required to wear helmets & goggles at all times during practices and races. For kids racing in the age 10 group and older, helmet chin bars, pole guards, and shin guards are highly recommended for slalom.

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Saturday Program 

Click here to purchase

Program Fee: $675 (Space is limited) 
Includes: 7 practice days and 3 race days 

Practice days are available on the below Saturdays listed only. Saturday athletes cannot practice on Sundays. Coaching fee does not include the costs of a Welch Village season pass or lift tickets.

2023-24 Saturday D-Team Schedule
December 16: Practice 9:30 - 12:30
December 23: NO PRACTICE
December 30: Practice 9:30 - 12:30
January 6th:  Practice 9:30 - 12:30
January 13th: Practice @ Welch Village 9:30 - 12:30 (Timed Gate Training!)
January 20th: Race @ Welch Village 
January 27th: Practice 9:30 - 12:30
February 3rd: Race @ Trollhaugen 
February 10th: Practice 9:30 - 12:30
February 17th: Practice 9:30 - 12:30
February 24th: Race @ Buck Hill

Questions about the SaturdayAlpine D-Team? Contact Head Coach Christine O'Brien HERE

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Sunday Program  

Click here to purchase

Program Fee: $675 - Space is limited

Includes: 10 weeks of coaching, 7 practice days and 3 race days 

Practice days are available on the listed Sundays below only. Sunday athletes cannot practice in the Saturday program. Coaching fee does not include the costs of a Welch Village season pass or lift tickets for away races.

2023-24 Sunday D-Team Schedule:
December 17: Practice 12:30-3:30
December 24: NO PRACTICE
December 31: Practice 12:30-3:30
January 7th:  Practice 12:30-3:30
January 14th: Practice @ Welch Village 12:30-3:30 (Timed Gate Training!)
January 21st: Race @ Welch Village 
January 28th: Practice 12:30-3:30
February 4th: Race @ Trollhaugen 
February 11th: Practice 12:30-3:30
February 18th: Practice 12:30-3:30
February 25th: Race @ Buck Hill

Questions about the Sunday Alpine D-Team? Contact Peter Zotalis

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Advanced Race Training Programs

Thursday Night D-Team Extra Training

A 6-week advanced training program for current Saturday or Sunday Welch Village D-Team members ONLY.  This is a fast-paced and higher level training program geared towards more experienced race athletes.  Training will include a combination of free-skiing drills, gate section drills, full gate training, and occasional timed training runs.  

*All athletes meet in front of the SkiLink Learning Center ready to ski at 6:30pm each night.   

Program Fee - $200

Click here to purchase

 

- Training Dates:  6 consecutive Thursday nights January 18th  - February 22
- Training Time: 6:30-8:30pm

If you have a question about Thursday night training, please contact Peter Zotalis

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.  

• 
  Pond Skip
  Saturday, March 25th!
  
  
  
• 
  New Year's Eve in the Village
  12/31/22
  

  Flashlight parade on Fowl Play at 6:45pm. Torchlight parade on Lookout at 7pm followed by Fireworks.

  
  

• 
  Tell A Friend Tour
  1/27/23 - Event starts at 4pm
  
  Terrain Park event.  Ski w/ Andy Parry and other pro freestyle athletes & LINE skis.  Free Pizza!