Athletics

Alpine

PROGRAM PHILOSOPHY

Sugarloaf Mountain offers a world-class training venue, and the only FIS-certified downhill courses in the East. CVA athletes supplement training with summer and fall camps to provide 130 on-snow days per year.

We are committed to making you a better skier, faster ski racer, and better all-around athlete. At CVA you will be coached through a consistent progression based on skill acquisition and development.

Our intent is to help you explore what it means to be the best you can be.

ALPINE HEAD COACH

List of 1 items.

Kirk Dwyer

Alpine Program Director
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Development Principles and Philosophies

Supporting our athletes to become the best they can be through a process-based emphasis on all the factors contributing to long-term development; technical and tactical skill development, positive mental focus, imagery, physical conditioning, leveraging technology, and equipment.

List of 3 items.

U14

As we work with the U14 alpine racers, our goal is to continue the life- long love of skiing through focused small group student-athlete development. We strive to provide every student-athlete with the opportunity to be the best that they can be. Our athletes participate in an age-specific program, designed for the maturing alpine skier, to establish skills on and off the hill. The program is built on creating adaptability, fundamentals, and the education of ski racing. We base the daily, and weekly, schedule on providing the optimum experience socially, academically, and athletically. Most importantly we know that this age group needs rest and recovery and those are built into the schedule.

U14 athletes compete in the MARA Alpine Children’s calendar, which is supported by and is a member of USSA. Athletes race all over Maine and venture into other New England states for competitive experiences. Athletes will train and compete in SL, GS, and SG throughout the season. Summer and fall on-snow camps allow the athletes to make gains in the preparation phase of the year before the competition season begins.
U16

As we work with U16 alpine racers, our goal is to continue to support the passion for ski racing through continued skill acquisition, development, and refinement. Athletes are encouraged to pursue their best ,through commitment to their training opportunities, and all the factors which support this effort. Conditioning, on-snow training camps, high level technical and tactical development, mental imagery, process-based goal setting, and periodization principles are introduced as the support structure for this level of athlete. A focus on quality volume of skiing is paramount for this level.

Competition opportunities to develop point profiles, as well as to qualify to the highest potential championship levels, are supported. Athletes will compete in SL, GS, and SG events. Athletes compete in Maine and New England to qualify for opportunities to compete regionally, nationally, and internationally.
U19/21

As we work with the U19-21 alpine racers, our goal is to continue the life-long love of skiing through focused small group student-athlete development. We strive to provide every student-athlete with the opportunity to be the best that they can be. The program is based on proven principles of sports science and experience working with world class athletes to create opportunities for the alpine racer to be successful. We base the daily and weekly schedule on providing the optimum experience socially, academically, and athletically.

U19-21 athletes compete in the MARA, NHARA, and Regional FIS Alpine Seeded calendar which includes Canada. Athletes race all over New England and Canada to increase the variety of competitive experiences. Athletes will train and compete in SL, GS, SG, and DH throughout the season. Summer and fall on-snow camps allow the athletes to make gains in the preparation phase of the year before the competitive season begins.

Meet the Alpine Coaches

List of 8 members.

Jeff Beauregard

Alpine Coach

Bio
Jeff has been coaching full-time with the Academy since 2015. His track record in developing and improving skiers is fantastic, and the example and tone he sets for the program is even better. Before joining the Academy full-time, he spent 11 seasons with the CVA Weekend Program.

Jeff holds a USSA Level 200 certification and is an Alpine official. He brings a genuine passion for skiing, ski racing and CVA, which he naturally shares with his athletes. Jeff grew up skiing at Jay Peak, VT, and was a member of the ski club there. After ski racing and playing soccer in college he went on to coach and teach skiing at Jay Peak. Jeff also worked as a member of the race crew at Beaver Creek, CO. Jeff retired in 2015 after a 24-year career in Federal Law Enforcement. He and his wife Ragan live off-the-grid in Eustis, Maine. Ragan and Jeff are the parents of Patrick, CVA '11, Christian, CVA '11 and Matthew, CVA '13.
Ron Bonnevie

Alpine U14 Coach

207-491-7134

Bio
Ron brings with him over 40 years of alpine coaching experience with all age groups. He started his coaching career in the late `70’s in the Mt Washington Valley, NH, arriving in ME in 1980 to coach the U. Maine Farmington ski team while earning his BA there. In 1985, after a year of coaching at Squaw Valley, CA, he came east to NY to earn his masters in Physical Education at SUNY Cortland, where he also headed the Greek Peak Ski Club for 5 years.

In 1990 Ron returned to New England, landing at the Green Mountain Valley School, coaching and teaching there for 9 years. From 1999-2009 Ron was the Head of Coaches’ Education in the Ski Industries Program at the University of Maine, Farmington. Since returning to Maine in 1999, Ron has coached at Shawnee Peak, Titcomb, Black Mountain, Sugarloaf and Saddleback. He has done independent coaching & ski camps in the West, Europe, & South America. He has held a level 500 USSA coaching certification and PSIA level 2 certification since the early `90’s, and worked for 15 years delivering USSA Coaches Education throughout the East and at National Academies as an examiner in the West. Ron was the MARA Alpine Officials Chairman for many years, and is a level 6 USSA & FIS Technical Delegate. He is fluent in French.
Jeni Conover

Alpine Weekend Program Manager, and Lead Coach for Immersion and FullStrive camps

207-542-4903

Bio
Jeni Conover has 25+ years of coaching experience in multiple aspects of youth development. As a mother of 3, she is devoted to guiding children to achieve new skills on all levels, and she strives to build self- confidence in every athlete she works with.

Jeni attended Stratton Mountain School for her 4 years of HS. She earned a BS in Kinesiology and exercise science from Western Colorado University. Her alpine ski coaching experience is extensive. She coached in Telluride, CO, for 4 years then directed the Camden Snow bowl Racing Program for many years before joining CVA. In 2019/2020 Jeni moved to CO to coach with Ski Club Vail, bringing back valuable experiences to CVA.

Jeni holds many certificates and licenses some of these include a USCG Captain license, US Ski & Snowboard Level 200 Coach, Wilderness First Responder, and CPR/First Aid.

In the summer months Jeni owns and directs her own summer camp called Ocean Explorer Maine based in Camden. https://www.oceanexplorersmaine.com.
Kirk Dwyer

Special Projects/ Alpine Program Director

207-237-4461

Bio
Kirk Dwyer joined CVA in the spring of 2021. Previously Kirk served as the Executive Director and Alpine Program Director at Ski and Snowboard Club Vail from 2016-2021. While overseeing alpine, snowboard, freestyle and Nordic he continued to coach alpine athletes on the hill. Kirk served as Headmaster at Burke Mountain Academy from 2000-2016. While at BMA Kirk also was president of Burke Mountain Ski Area from 2000-2005, BMA Head J3, U16 and Women’s FIS coach, chairman of the Eastern Alpine Competition Committee, vice-president of VARA, chair of the Eastern Region Development and Youth Committees, and chair of the National Development Committee. Prior to Burke, he worked at the Green Mountain Valley School for 25 years where he served as Assistant Headmaster, Head Women’s Coach, Head Men’s Coach, and Head Alpine Coach as well as an English and Humanities teacher. Kirk was USSA Domestic Coach of the Year in 1989 and is a level 500 certified coach. Kirk and his wife, Robin, live locally.
Sofija Novoselic

Bio
Sofija had extensive experience competing with the Croatian Ski Team from 2007-2015. She skied in two Winter Olympics (Vancouver and Sochi) and five World Championships. She attended Westminster College where she was a four year member of the ski team and graduated with a BS in Psychology. Her coaching experience includes one year at Ski Club Vail as a women’s FIS coach (2018-19) and most recently as Head 16 Women’s Coach at GMVS (2019-2023). Sofija is a dedicated, personable and passionate coaching professional with extensive personal experience in our sport.
Jenny Piot

Alpine Coach

207-237-4486

Bio
Jenny grew up in the small mountain village of Bourg d’Oisans, in the high alps near Grenoble. She started skiing at the young age of 2. Her Mom was a ski instructor and Dad was a ski patroller. At 10 years old she joined the ski club in L’Alp d’Huez, one of the many local ski resorts in the area, famous as a regular stage of the Tour de France in summer. By 15, she had enough success to be selected to the Ski Academy (Ski Etude) Pôle France in Albertville, which only accepts the top 15yr. olds in France. At age 16, she was selected into the French C Team. Jenny skied in her first World Cup at the age of 17 in SG. The next year she was moved up to the B team after her first podium finishes in Europa Cup (one step down from the World Cup) events.

By the age of 20, Jenny made the French A team, and that year, in 2013, won the Downhill at the World Junior Championships at Le Massif, Quebec. At 22 she was selected to compete in the World Championships in Beaver Creek, CO, where she scored her first top 15 result in World Cup events. A few years later, at 25 she qualified for the 2018 Winter Olympics in PyeongChang, South Korea. She continued to ski at the World Cup level in DH, SG, GS, AC & Parallel events until her retirement in 2021.
Travis Plass

Alpine Coach

207-237-4493

Bio
A former high-level racer, after graduating from CVA himself, Travis went on to ski for Colby Sawyer College. Upon completing his degree in Sports Management he remained at CSC as a coach from 2010-2017. During his tenure there, he was vital to the success of the program as it competed at the highest level of collegiate racing. He has worked with athletes at the Nor-AM and NCAA Championship levels.
Jon Wagner

Alpine Coach/ Head U14 Alpine Coach

508-274-9713

Bio
Jon joined the CVA coaching team in 2016 and coached with the Saddleback Ski Club for 6 years prior to that. Jon is a certified Alpine coach and official. He has been involved in alpine ski racing all his life, which started at 10-years-old at Saddleback, Maine. As a teenager he joined Waterville Valley Academy in their early years with former USST coach Georg Capaul, to train at summer camps in France.
As a college athlete Jon raced for Western State College, CO and raced out of Mt Hood, Oregon upon graduation. He then moved to Southern California, skiing out of Mammoth MT, where he ran a successful publishing business. His experience working with athletes of all ages has provided him a diverse understanding of not only their physical abilities, but also the psychological barriers many young athletes face.

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Carrabassett Valley Academy

3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
(207) 237-2250

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