The U12 Youth Development Full-Time programs are specifically designed for athletes between the ages of 10 to 12 years, the program runs from Wednesday to Sunday each week and has 49 days of on-snow and dryland training.

The program is designed to help athletes bridge the gap between the entry-level U10 and the more intensive Snow Australia Pathway Programs from U14 and above. The program is suited to athletes who are confident skiers all over the mountain(black runs) in a variety of snow conditions and they should have completed levels 5 or 6 at ski school.

The U12 program provides the flexibility to place young people into the right peer-based learning environments, determined by developmental needs and not solely by chronological age.

Building the framework

The U12 athletes do a little bit of everything on and off the snow, with a strong focus on holistic skill development (technical, tactical, physical and psychological), with increased exposure gates training and all-mountain competency remaining the core focus.

The U12 program focuses on rounding out the athlete’s fundamental skills, combined with an increased time in gate-based environments and provides for the introduction of more advanced skiing concepts and equipment maintenance. This typically includes:

• Alpine, Ski-X & Freeride skill drills and courses;
• tucking and gliding techniques;
• bumps and jumps;
• off-piste in trees and powder;
• skiing with and without poles on one or two skis;
• slow, controlled and precise skiing;
• short turns – medium turns – big turns – no turns;
• fast, athletic and fluid movement;
• gate training; and
• specific race techniques.

Maximum Age Level Enrolment

• 32 athletes

Minimum ability

• U12 athletes should be confident skiing all over the mountain in a variety of snow conditions.
• Prior race training experience is NOT necessary!

Snow Australia Registration

All athletes who participate in races (other than Interschools) will be required to be a member of Snow Australia. Families are responsible for the arrangement of their own Snow Australia membership. Please refer to the Snow Australia page for details.