The Winter Term Program is designed for U-14 and U-16 athletes in 7th and 8th grade (6th grade if coach approved) who have superior academic histories and want to advance their ski racing skills. Athletes will attend the program during the peak of the competitive season; starting January 2nd and ending the last week of March. Athletes are also encouraged to attend the camps offered by GSC in December.
The program affords middle school student-athletes the opportunity to pursue intensive ski training while maintaining an academic program designed to meet the expectations of the students’ sending schools. Coaching will be provided by Coach Josh Bedard. A certified teacher will be hired when enough athletes enroll in the program.
In the 2013-2014 ski season, GSC had 16 athletes participate in a winter term program. The athletes were coached by two GSC coaches and had two teachers working with them on their schoolwork. Overall the program was a tremendous success. Most athletes withdrew from school and attended the winter term program as “home schooled” students. A few athletes however were able to remain enrolled in their schools and received weekly assignments from their schools. Both methods were successful and for future years both methods are available. Upon re-entering their respective schools at the end of winter term, the students found they were well prepared. Some students even found they were ahead of schedule. Each student put together a portfolio (as required under the Home School Act) to demonstrate the work they accomplished during the program. In the 2015-2016 ski season, four GSC athletes participated in winter term with one coach and one teacher. All four returned to school fully prepared to complete their school years’ successfully; and most notably, all four students made the NH State Team and competed in the U14 Eastern Championships at Sunday River. Two athletes went on to compete in CanAms. In the 2016-2017 ski season, three athletes participated in a stream-lined winter term program. Athletes skied three half days mid-week and two full days on the weekend. Two athletes went on to compete in U14 Eastern Champs and Piches. All athletes remained successfully enrolled in their respective schools. In the 2017-2018 season, five athletes successfully participated in the program. One athlete remained enrolled in school while the other four worked as home schooled students with a certified teacher. Notably, several of the athletes this season were in sixth and seventh grade, and as in the past, these athletes were successful when they returned to their regular school programs. In the 2018-2019 season, six athletes participated in the program, five of which were successfully home schooled. One athlete went on to participate in U14 Eastern and CanAms. In the 2019-2020 season, three U14 athletes and one U19 PG athlete participated in the program, skiing only. The three U14 athletes went on to win the U14 State Team Championships.