Athletics

Ski Cross

Ski Cross is an action-packed and adrenaline-fuelled sport that made its Olympic debut at the 2010 Winter Games. CVA offers a thriving Ski Cross program, one of only a few academy-based programs in the country. The student-athletes in our FIS and Development groups compete at the highest levels of their sport with a tremendous track record including winning multiple USASA National Championships, invitations to U.S. Ski & Snowboard Project Gold camps, and qualifying for elite-level FIS events, the Youth Olympic Games, Junior World Championships, and World Cup events.

During the 2024-25 season, two Big Dogs represented Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games in Korea, resulting in two silver medals.

The CVA Difference

Located at the foot of Sugarloaf Mountain, our strength is defined by the ruggedness of our surroundings and the dedication of our coaches and faculty. At CVA our student-athletes have access to:

The best training venue in the East Big Dogs enjoy a longer at-home training season, progressive and challenging terrain, and an Olympian-designed cross course, providing the perfect environment to hone racing skills.
An experienced and dedicated coaching staff Our program manager, Michael Phelan, is one of the most seasoned and effective coaches in the sport. In 2024, he was named head coach for Team USA at the Junior World Championships and the Youth Olympic Games.
A supportive community The CVA community is dedicated to helping each of our student-athletes achieve their personal best.

Program Philosophy

The CVA Ski Cross program focuses on long-term athlete development with proven training and performance principles. Competition and training plans are developed to focus on key elements for success:

Maximizing time on-snow
Mastering fundamentals
Building confidence in sport and life
Maintaining a fun and energized environment to foster a life-long love of skiing.

Ski Cross Progression

CVA Ski Cross provides ability-appropriate coaching to help student-athletes reach their goals. Athletic groups are determined based on progression, skill acquisition, commitment, and attitude.

Development Team is focused on the fundamentals of the sport, competing in USASA competitions with the goal of qualifying for USASA National Championships.

FIS Team is primarily for athletes age 16 and older who are ready to delve deeper into technique, competition tactics, and mental performance conditioning as well as learning to maintain and tune their own equipment. This team competes at a higher level, attending FIS/Nor-Am competitions with the goal of qualifying for Junior World Championships and World Cup events.

Year-Round Training

A successful athlete trains for their sport year-round. Attending the Fall and Spring terms at CVA allows our student-athletes to work with trainers and high-performance consultants to get the most out of the competitive season, and become well-established and comfortable in the classroom before the busy Winter Term gets underway. Our off-season training program includes evaluations and goal setting, weight training, cross training, and mental performance training.

List of 2 members.

Mike Phelan

Ski Cross Program Manager & Head Ski Cross Coach

401-787-0683

Bio
Mike grew up in Rhode Island and started ski racing at a young age. He attended Waterville Valley Academy for his senior year of high school and continued racing at the collegiate level. His love of the sport sparked a desire to coach and led him to join the CVA Weekend Program as a Ski Cross coach in 2015. Mike was promoted to Ski Cross Head Coach in 2018, and then named Ski Cross Program Manager in 2021. In 2024 he was named Head Coach for Team USA at the Youth Olympic Games and Junior World Championships. Mike’s experience, training philosophy, and commitment have helped to grow CVA’s Ski Cross program into one of the best Academy programs in the country.
Mazie Hayden

Ski Cross Coach

Bio
- Mazie attended Killington Mountain School for ski cross, graduating in 2018. She graduated from the University of Vermont in 2023 with a B.A. in Health and Society and a Minor in Sociology and Psychology. Mazie is a Vermont native and grew up skiing, biking, and rock climbing at a competitive level. During her ski cross career, she won USASA nationals multiple times, podiumed at Junior Worlds, and had a few top 15 World Cup finishes. Now, she competes internationally in downhill mountain biking. She was able to rediscover her love for ski cross through coaching privately in recent years, and is thrilled to take the next step with CVA!

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Carrabassett Valley Academy

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

Carrabassett Valley Academy prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any member or group based upon age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, categories sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry or other categories protected by Maine or federal law. CVA does not discriminate on these bases in the administration of its admission process, scholarship and aid programs, educational policies, athletics, or other school-administered programs.