|
PGS Ski racing has evolved from small beginnings in the junior school, in 2005, to the present, where we now have a number of children across the junior and senior schools who train or race on a regular basis. Racing is still predominantly on dry slopes and an overview of some of the activities is as follows: SASA Interschools Challenge This is an annual interschool ski race, normally held on a Tuesday afternoon in mid-May, organised by SASA (the Southampton Area Ski Association). This is an entirely separate event from any of the ESSKIA events (below). PGS involvement in the SASA Interschools has evolved from very small participation levels to our largest ever entry last year when PGS had 15 competitors (6 in the Junior School Team and 9 in the Senior School Team). The event has traditionally been parent driven, with children individually entered and paid for by parents and absence permission sought on an individual basis (an afternoon off is required). Having got the children into the event they automatically form the school team from which the best three times become the school tem time. This is primarily a team event, although there are individual prizes, and both team and individual events are split into separate Junior and Senior school categories. The school has provided transport to the event in the past with some teacher supervision, but there tend to be parents there as well. An important point is that the Interschools results are very useful guidance when trying to form teams for the ESSKIA competitions later in the year. For some of the children who do not compete on a regular basis this may be the only timed comparison we have, so we are very keen to get a full participation in this. However, participation in the SASA Interschools is not a prerequisite for participation in the ESSKIA competitions, nor is entry limited to those children who are available to participate in the ESSKIA competitions later in the year. ESSKIA (English Schools Ski Association) ESSKIA is an organisation run by volunteers, mostly from the teaching profession, the declared aims of which are:
ESSKIA organise an annual National Interschools ski competition. I’ve attached an ESSKIA Events diagram that shows how that various ESSKIA events fit together. PGS is member of ESSKIA, the annual fee for membership is currently £38 for the whole school ESSKIA Competitions
The ESSKIA interschool competitions all occur at weekends on dry (artificial) slopes as follows:
Schools are invited to enter teams of four pupils in various age bands, by school year, for the Qualifiers; progression onto the other events is dependent on their performance. The school’s teams can be Boys, Girls and Mixed teams. Up to two boys and girls teams can be fielded in each age band – BUT only one mixed team can be fielded per school and Mixed teams cannot progress beyond the National Age Group Finals (the emphasis is therefore very much on either Boys or Girls teams) Shortly after the SASA Interschools in May we canvass any known ski racers (through their parents) to see if they would be available to represent PGS in the ESSKIA National Competitions. We then use the known form of the children from their SASA Interschool performances (or other results if they did not participate in the SASA Interschools) as guidance in forming teams: We try to build teams that will:
The ESSKIA events occur at weekends and thus far entry and affiliation fees have been funded by the school but attendance at the competitions is parent driven (although some school staff have attended as parents). ESSKIA National Squads Each year ESSKIA selects trainees for its National Squads. Selection is based mainly on individual performances in the ESSKIA Championships and Qualifying events. The Squads are split by age bands into two Senior Squads (I and II) and a Junior Squad. Squad selection requires attendance at a week’s training camp on snow, with ESSKIA coaching and supervisory staff (costs are borne by the parents of the invited children).
· The ESSKIA Junior squad consists of about 25 mixed children and has been in Pitztal, Austria, in March for the last few years (time off school is required) · There are two ESSKIA Senior squads, split by age, each of about 25 mixed children. The younger children go to Geilo, Norway the week before February ½ term (time off school is required). The older group goes to the same venue but over ½ term, to minimise impact on their academic activities. · Every other year ESSKIA select children from the Senior Squads to represent England in the biennial ISF (international Schools Federation) World School Ski Championships PGS has been fortunate in having a number of talented skiers that have been selected for the ESSKIA Squads over the last few years. However squad selection is made by ESSKIA selectors in recognition of exceptional individual performance in the ESSKIA National competitions and should not be regarded as the norm. Participation, if selected, is a matter of individual negotiation between the parents and the school.Ski Team Development As far as developing the ski teams is concerned we are keen to get any children who are interested in skiing involved in training at Southampton and then into the Interschool’s Challenge team in May and then the ESSKIA competitions in September / October and ultimately into ESSKIA squad training and beyond if that’s what they want.
From small beginnings we have achieved a good deal of success over the last few years and we want to maintain that momentum. We are particularly keen to recruit some more girls to share in the success achieved by Cameron Manson and Georgia Wright.
Achievements
Highlights over the last few years include:
SASA Interschool Challenge (a Southern regional event) PGS Juniors won in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2010 (runners up 2009, 2011) PGS Seniors won in 2009 and 2011 (runners up 2010)
Portsmouth NEWS Young Team of the Year Finalists 2007, 2008
ESSKIA Competitions PGS team(s) qualified for national finals in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010 PGS team(s) qualified for British schools championships 2008, 2010
PGS team qualified for the British schools indoor snow championships 2011 (7th place)
PGS Won ESSKIA National Boys U12 finals 2008.
ESSKIA Squads A number of PGS pupils have been selected (by ESSKIA) for the ESSKIA national training squads
British Schoolboys Championships A number of children have represented PGS in the British Schoolboys Championships (Les Menuires 2007, Meiringen 2008/2009)
Race Training All of the PGS pupils who currently race have done, or do, some sort of training at Southampton Alpine Centre. There are a variety of race training sessions available: Tuesdays 16:45 – 17:45 SASA Club Training Session Tuesdays 18:30 – 20:00 Southampton Alpine Centre Training Session Thursdays 19:30 – 21:00 Southampton Alpine Centre Training Session
ESSKIA also run a series of Summer Training Days, open to individual school children.
I think most, if not all, of the PGS skiers started off in the SASA Tuesday after-school sessions (mainly encouraged by word of mouth). The PGS Skiing community has close ties with SASA, which is very supportive of schools skiing and many PGS skiers are SASA members. Depending on their commitment, skiers take part in a mixture of these training sessions on a regular basis and some of the skiers have gone on to do training at indoor snow domes and race camps in the UK and abroad.
Matt Williams
May 2011 |