Development Team (U10)
Weekends. Gates. Growth. Where it gets real.
Maybe your kid just finished Future Stars and they're hooked. They're asking when practice starts again before the snow has even melted. They want more.
Or maybe this is your first season with LMRT. Your 8-year-old is a solid skier, loves going fast, and you've heard about this team from friends. You're curious. You're here.
Either way, you're in the right place.
Welcome to Development Team. This is where it gets real.
This is full weekends now—Saturdays and Sundays, morning and afternoon sessions, gate training in both disciplines. This is where kids learn what it actually means to be a ski racer. The technique. The tactics. The work. The rush of a clean run. The sting of a missed gate. All of it.
Some of these athletes will go on to compete at the highest levels. Some will race through high school and then hang up their race skis. Some will decide halfway through the season that racing isn't their thing, and that's okay too.
But right now? Right now they're 8 or 9 years old, and they just want to ski gates. Fast. With their friends. Every single weekend.
That's what Development Team is for.
WHAT WE DO
Development Team is LMRT's full-weekend program for 8-9 year old athletes (U10) ready to commit to ski racing. It's designed for skiers who've mastered the basics and are ready to learn both Giant Slalom and Slalom at a deeper level.
Sunday Schedule:
Morning Session: 8:00 AM - 11:00 AM
Lunch Break: 11:00 AM - 11:45 AM
Afternoon Session: 11:45 AM - 2:30 PM
We train Saturdays and Sundays, January through early March. Gate training in both GS and Slalom. Video review. Technique refinement. Course tactics. Building the skills that will carry them through their racing careers—however long those careers end up being.
And yes, we still keep it fun. Because if it's not fun at 9 years old, what are we even doing?
WHAT YOUR ATHLETE WILL LEARN
Giant Slalom & Slalom Fundamentals
How to read a course. How to find the fastest line. How to recover when you blow a turn. How to finish strong even when it's not your best run.
Gate Running Technique
What are they? How do you get through them? Why do they make skiing more fun? We answer all of it.
Race Day Experience
Three local races. Real bibs. Real start gates. Real results. Learning what it feels like to stand in the start, to push out of the gate, to cross the finish line.
Mental Toughness
Bouncing back from mistakes. Staying focused when you're tired. Celebrating your teammate's success even when your run didn't go the way you wanted. This stuff matters.
Commitment & Discipline
Showing up every weekend. Putting in the work even when it's cold or icy or you'd rather be doing something else. Understanding that getting better requires effort.
Who This is For
Development Team is perfect for athletes who:
Are 8-9 years old (U10)
Can ski intermediate terrain confidently in a parallel stance
Ideally have completed Future Stars or have equivalent skiing ability
Are ready to commit to full weekend training (Sat & Sun, Jan-March)
Want to experience real ski racing with local competition
Have families ready to support weekend training and occasional race travel
No racing experience required. Just bring commitment, coach-ability, and a willingness to work.
Time Commitment
Training: Saturdays and Sundays, January through early March
Races: Three local races throughout the season—required participation to build race experience and comfort in competition settings.
This is a bigger commitment than Future Stars. Full weekends. Real races. But still local, still manageable, still designed for families with lives outside of skiing.
If your family needs to miss a weekend here or there, we get it. Life happens. But consistent attendance is mandatory —this is where the real skill development happens.
WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE On The DEVELOPMENT TEAM
On the Dev Team, podiums come in all forms: placing top-10 at a local race, nailing that drill that felt impossible in December, showing up every weekend and loving it. We coach all of it. We celebrate all of it. Because the kid who finishes 30th but improves 5 seconds? That's a podium too.
WHERE THEY GO FROM HERE
After a season (or two) in Development Team, most athletes move into our U12 program—where they'll start competing in USSA-sanctioned races and traveling to other mountains for competitions.
Some kids stay in Dev Team for multiple seasons to build confidence and skill. Some move up after one year. Some decide racing isn't for them but stay involved in skiing recreationally. All of it is fine. All of it is success.
We're not rushing anyone. We're building skiers. The rest will sort itself out.
READY TO START?
Get on our list for tryout notifications, training updates, race highlights, and team news. We'll reach out in mid January with tryout details. Tryouts happen each February/March for the following season. Spots are limited to keep groups small and coaching quality high.
Program Fee: $920 per season
Includes:
Sat/Sun training (Jan - March)
Fall Dryland training
Pre-Season Camp Coaching
Christmas Camp at Liberty
End-of-season picnic
Not Included: Lift tickets/passes, equipment, USSS registration fee, and race fees.
Next Steps:
Fill out the form
Attend a Future Stars Tryout Day in late winter
If accepted, register for the following season
