Rising Stars Race Team

RISING STARS RACE TEAM

Rising Stars Race Team: U8-U12

Our specialized introduction to racing and the advancement of skills in younger athletes.

The Rising Stars Race Team is a unique program for emerging racers who want to train regularly and gain exposure to US Ski & Snowboard races in the region. It is a great alternative to development programs like ARC at Afton Alps, or D-Teams hosted at other ski areas. If you are transferring from a development club, this is a great introduction to U.S. Ski & Snowboard training and competition. Our athletes are often prepared to join the full race team within two years.

What to Expect

Two days training per week 6:30-8:30pm, including Wednesday night Rising Stars designated ski around 6-6:30pm
At least 6 weekend practices are offered typically on Sunday from 4-7pm.
Approximately 90-110 hours of on-snow training / racing per season.
4 US Ski & Snowboard races consisting of GS and SL racing. Races usually run Saturday and Sunday and are hosted at regional resorts (coaching included; lift tickets and entry fees are extra).
Participation in Team Afton 5-Day Holiday Camp December 27-31
A positive, supportive, team environment with focused input from expert coaches.
Access to dryland training for age qualifying athletes beginning in September/October and running through mid-November. Additional fees apply for certain optional dryland programs (more details on Dryland page).

**If more than four races are attended under this program, there is a race add-on fee of $75 per day for up to 3 days. After attending a 4th additional day of racing, you will be charged for the full race program (U8-U12 team) at the regular rate minus fees paid up to that point.

Ages: 6 to 11 (age as of 12/31/25)

Skill Level: Strong intermediate or above skiers, who are able to ski comfortably and in control on all hills at Afton Alps. No previous racing experience required. Younger athletes must be able to board the chairlift and manage their own equipment and personal breaks (or be accompanied by an adult to practice).

Pricing:

First Year -- $1350
Second Year -- $1650

*If you have already participated with this program for two years and would like to participate in this program for a third year, please reach out to Non-Scored Head Coach, Liesl Schultz - (651) 260-2026 or liesl@teamafton.com

U.S. Ski & Snowboard competition membership is required.

Team Afton will announce the race schedule for Rising Stars likely in early October once the USSS CR1 schedule is released.

Limited Enrollment: register early

Registration Deadline December 1; must be registered before participating in any other Fall Team Afton Dryland or Camps.

If you have any questions please email info@teamafton.com or call Program Director, Tony Olin: 612-819-0186.

PROGRAM DETAIL

Rising Stars Race Team is an advanced alpine race program designed to provide young athletes with a successful transition into U.S. Ski & Snowboard (USSS) racing. Rising Stars is specifically designed for athletes who are competing in the U8 through U12 age groups (age 6-11).

Rising Stars is a season-long introductory and competitive race program. Due to the introductory nature of this program, we recommend participation for no more than two years before encouraging a transition to our full race teams to allow more access to races and additional training opportunities.

The Rising Stars program follows the USSS guidelines for developing alpine ski racers with a balance of free skiing, focused drills, and training in gates. Over the course of the season, with the assistance of our experienced coaches, these young athletes will build a solid foundation of fundamental skills. As they progress from free-skiing development to a higher percentage of gate training, they will learn appropriate race tactics and skills.

We have intentionally designed this program to limit the amount of racing that the athlete is exposed to. They will participate in four USSS race days during the season as selected by the coaching staff to provide the most effective development for the athlete. The participants will race a mix of SL and GS races. This program delivers a level of training and racing that is consistent with the USSS Athlete Development Model for this age group and is a solid pathway to maximize the athlete’s long-term success in the sport. Even better for young athletes – and different than most USSS programs for this age group in the area – a substantial portion of the training/racing is local.

*USSS is the governing authority for alpine ski racing in the U.S. as recognized by the international federation (FIS). The primary difference between racing in a USSS league and racing in a regional league, such as the Midwest Snowsports Development League or MSHSL, is the higher level of challenge and race organization. As skills grow, the ability to compete in regional, national and international races is much higher while competing as an USSS affiliated athlete.

Schedule Changes, Venue Changes, Extra Fees, and Refunds:

Team Afton is a community and our team fosters agility and flexibility as we deal with changes that our out of our control (weather, snow, venues, race schedules, staffing issues, pandemics, etc.).

Our approach is to do our best to follow the schedule laid out now and refined at the start of the season, but there will be changes. Please be flexible as these changes occur.

Occasionally, as we seek better snow or look for open venues to train at, there will be optional training opportunities that require you to purchase a ticket to a different hill or even potentially secure overnight accommodations. This is in addition to the requirements of attending races. We do our best to focus training options at Afton Alps, when possible, but we also work to find training where we can as conditions and hill availability varies.

We do not provide refunds of early season deposits or of any other fees, once paid. As a community, we have to invest together in staff and equipment so providing refunds is not possible except in extraordinary circumstances. If interested in protecting your investment, TeamSnap does provide insurance at an additional cost during checkout.

If you have any questions please email clubadmin@teamafton.com or call / text Program Director Tony Olin: 612-819-0186