For the 2015-2016 season, the SVSEF Alpine Team restructured the way teams were broken down; instead of dividing groups by age, the team transitioned to an “event series” approach, with each team being managed and each group training according to their particular race series. This allowed for more options and potential growth for each athlete. To further specify and support the FIS Team going into the 2016-2017 season, the Alpine Team has further delineated the programming, and will be adding a Men’s FIS Prep Program. The FIS and FIS Prep teams are differentiated based on USSA points. With this new change, SVSEF has hired a head coach for the Men’s FIS Prep Program. SVSEF welcomes Chuck Harris to the program, who comes to us with over 20 years of coaching experience.
Harris was born in Portland, Oregon, and attended Eastern Oregon University, where he earned his Bachelor of Science in History. He proceeded to direct and lead ski programs across the country, thereby gaining ample familiarity with various programs and with different approaches to coaching and FIS programming, specifically. From 1994 through 1999 he was the Men’s FIS Coach at Burke Mountain Academy in Vermont, and from 1999 through 2002 he coached both Men’s and Women’s FIS for Ski Club Vail in Colorado. He continued his travels westward, acting as the McCall Ski Racing Team Program Director for FIS/U16 from 2002 through 2014 in Idaho and the head U16 coach at Jackson Hole Ski Club in Wyoming from 2014 through 2016.
SVSEF is eager to have Harris on board. Commented SVSEF Alpine Program Director, Scott McGrew, “his attention to detail, adept technical knowledge, and commitment to athletic and character development will be a great value to our club and we are excited to welcome Chuck into our community.”