The Alyeska Ski & Snowboard Club (ASSC) is a non-profit corporation working with parents, families, and other youth programs to provide exciting, challenging and character building experiences for Alaskans.  Alpine skiing is an excellent activity for physical and mental conditioning.  However, alpine sports are expensive, and are not part of any school athletic program in Alaska.  To help provide these opportunities for Alaska’s youth, ASSC undertakes many volunteer fund-raising efforts, with proceeds going directly to decreasing training fees, covering operating costs, and assisting to provide the infrastructure for ski racing.  

Our mission: Preparing youth for the future.
Alyeska Ski & Snowboard Club (ASSC) is committed to the pursuit of education and athletic achievement and personal growth at every ability level. ASSC provides a framework and structure offering opportunities for success at every level. We strive to provide, promote, and expand alpine sports opportunities for all Alaskans.  ASSC believes each athlete should be educated, have fun, be challenged, be rewarded.

Our philosophy is that through positive, high quality programs, young Alaskans will have fun and attain the benefits of self-discipline, responsibility, effort, and accomplishment provided by alpine sport competition.  This is to be gained through positive reinforcement of sportsmanship, education, training, racing skills and technique.

Over the past forty years ASSC has helped thousands of children and young adults prepare for life by providing the training and skill development needed to compete in alpine ski racing and snowboarding events.  We intend to continue.  Many of our athletes compete successfully on the international, national, and regional levels.  ASSC alumni include Olympic and World Cup athletes Tommy Moe, Megan Gerety, and Rosey Fletcher.
 
 
Goals of the Alyeska Ski & Snowboard Club
1. Provide high-caliber ski coaching and facilities for Alaskan youth, regardless of ability or economic situation.
 
2. Help our athletes maintain the difficult balance between sports and academics, in an environment free of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs.
 
3. Teach our athletes the skills necessary for successful achievement of their goals.
 
4. Make the experience fun and rewarding for all participants.
 
5. Involve the local communities and businesses in alpine events.
 
 
Alyeska Ski Club Programs

Alyeska Mighty Mites

For 37 years the Alyeska Mighty Mite program has introduced the fundamentals of alpine ski racing to Alaskan youngsters aged 7 to 12.  An all-volunteer staff provides instruction and training in alpine skiing, and introduces racing skills to athletes of all levels of development. Four basic goals are stressed: to have lots of good wholesome fun, to recognize, learn and promote sportsmanship, improve the skiing ability of participants, and promote safety and understanding of mountain terrain. The Alyeska Mighty Mites have proven to be one of the most successful youth ski programs in America.  No mountain in North America of Alyeska’s size can claim to produce better results.  
 
Juniors Program
Glacier Valley Ski Education Foundation (GVSEF)
 
The ASSC Junior program for 11–18 year-olds and is operated by the Glacier Valley Ski Education Foundation, a Not-for-Profit 501c(3) volunteer based corporation.  GVSEF is committed to offering a youth winter program that will provide a safe, healthy, fun environment resulting in a positive experience for each participant of every ability and motivation level.  The junior program is committed to provide high quality alpine skiing and training.  The racing program is designed to be broad based to attract entry level, competitive skiers, as well as highly skilled and motivated athletes striving for national and international level competition.  These athletes compete in sanctioned local, regional, national, and international competitions.  GVSEF believes that the lasting benefits are far reaching, and applicable to many aspects of one’s life. Whether the Juniors are competing at an elite level or simply enjoying a healthy and social lifelong sport the GVSEF Junior Program will strive to instill the core values of commitment, teamwork, discipline, and citizenship in all participating youth.  

Masters
The Alyeska Masters Ski Club consists of alpine skiers twenty-one years or older who are seeking great skiing and training in a fun social environment. Masters racing is designed for every level of skier ability, from entry-level racers through ex-national team members. Masters racing provides the next step for accomplished skiers who are late bloomers, NASTAR and college racers, ski instructors, former professional racers and even ex-national team members.
 

Training Programs

Fall–Dryland Training
GVSEF offers an eight to ten week “Dry land Training Camp” each fall season to promote a continued interest in physical fitness and fun for the Junior’s athletes. Youth participate in directed indoor and outdoor aerobic exercise modules at Alaska Pacific University, and at the ASSC Race Training Center located in Girdwood on a pre-determined schedule. Older youth athletes will gain additional strength training through age appropriate directed free weight activities.  Staff direction for these events is provided by nationally ranked athletes under the direction of the GVSEF Program Director.
 
The Masters Program offers separate training opportunities each fall in Anchorage geared to the over 21-year-old athlete, and is specifically designed to meet their physiological requirements.   
 
Winter–Alpine Sports Camps
Training camps sponsored by GVSEF are offered at Alyeska Resort or other selected US or foreign sports venues.  They are designed to improve the racers overall abilities in alpine skiing and snowboarding core disciplines.  GVSEF traveling coaches are directly responsible for the athletes camp selection, their technical and tactical skills evaluation, and provide overall safety and well being while away.  These camps are an extra line item cost to any Junior athletes yearly budget and are usually paid for by youth and club fund raising activities.
 
Spring/Summer– ASSC Mighty Bike Program
Mighty Bikes is an eight week program for youth and families that teaches fundamental bike handling skills, introduces mountain bike racing, and promotes general fitness through the pursuit of a fun outdoors activity.  Many skills found in the mountain biking experience are directly transferable to alpine and Nordic sports.  Athletes are encouraged to participate in the weekly summer schedule which includes optional overland weekend trips, and racing in conjunction with the Arctic Bicycle Club’s Mountain Bike Division Summer Race series.  This program has become a very successful summer program drawing members of the cycling, alpine and Nordic communities.
 
 
Coaching Certification Clinics
Alyeska Ski & Snowboard Club’s Mighty Mites, Juniors, and Masters programs staff coaches have competed at the collegiate, national, and international level within their respective disciplines and have acquired differing levels of national and international coaching certification appropriate for their program responsibilities. ASSC’s commitment to fund ongoing coaching education and certification is at the core of our mission to provide the very best educational staff to lead our programs.

Volunteers
Like many Not-for-Profit organizations, much of what we do is a labor of love.  Our dedicated volunteer Boards give a great deal of their personal and professional time to ensure that our many programs are prepared to offer “Healthy Choices” to the community’s youth. It is our intent as parents and friends on the Board to lead by example!

We rely heavily on the network of ASSC parents, friends, and sponsors who have self-educated themselves to lend technical and administrative support for our club’s local, regional, and national-caliber events, making those staged at Mt. Alyeska “Best in Class”.

Throughout the year ASSC puts on many Junior races, Mighty Mite races, and Masters races, in addition to hosting several Youth Ski League races and other regional races for the Alaska Division of USSA.  Each one of these events depends on the facilities, volunteers and organization of the Alyeska Ski Club.  Up to seventy volunteers including coaches, judges, gatekeepers, timing officials, course crew and office staff are required to put on each race.  For nearly forty years ASSC has provided volunteers for numerous US National Junior Olympic Alpine Championship and World Cup Alpine Skiing events. 

In the past five seasons ASSC volunteers have directly participated in the 2001 Special Olympics World Winter Games, 2002 NCAA Alpine Skiing Championships, the 2004 United States Skiing Association (USSA) National Alpine Skiing Championship, and the 2006 Arctic Winter Games.  In 2007 Alyeska Resort and the Alyeska Ski Club will again host the United States Skiing Association (USSA) National Alpine Skiing Championships, and also host the F.I.S.Elite Series Speed Event. More volunteers are needed to fill the wide variety of positions to put on these events.  Alyeska Ski Club also holds several fundraising events throughout the year that require the help of volunteers. There are many opportunities to help out, so come join the fun!  Sign up in the Race Training Center.