More Than Tricks: What Off-Season Builds

Every spring, I get asked some version of the same question: "Does my kid really need to train over the summer?"

My honest answer? No, they don't need to. But the athletes who do train come back in the fall as more developed athletes and people. Not just better skiers. Different people.

That's what I want to talk about this month.

The Physical Stuff

Let's start with the obvious. Freestyle skiing is a high-skill, high-demand sport, and the body needs more than a few months of snow to develop properly. Strength and conditioning builds the foundation that keeps athletes healthy and moving well. Trampoline training gives athletes hundreds of reps in a single session, more air time than most get in an entire week on hill. Water ramp work lets them push into new tricks and bigger rotations without the consequence of a hard landing holding them back.

The result? Athletes who come back to the hill in the fall not just where they left off — but ahead of it. Ready to build instead of catching up.

The Mental Side

Here's what doesn't show up on a skills checklist but makes an enormous difference: confidence.

Trying something new, something that feels a little scary, in a safe, encouraging environment and landing it anyway is one of the most powerful experiences a young athlete can have. It rewires how they think about challenge. It teaches them that discomfort and fear is part of the process.

We see it every summer at the water ramp. An athlete is terrified to try their first invert. They talk themselves into it, they go, they come up out of the water laughing. Something shifts. That's not just a skiing moment, that's a life moment. And it follows them everywhere.

Air awareness, body control, learning to trust your body in the air — these skills are genuinely easier to build when athletes are young, while their minds and bodies are still exploring and adapting. The window is real, and summer is the best time to use it.

The Part Parents Don't Always Expect: Community

Something happens when a group of kids spends a week together at camp, away from the competition calendar, just training and having fun. Friendships deepen. Teammates become actual friends. The culture of the club gets stronger.

That matters more than people give it credit for. Athletes who feel genuinely connected to their teammates and coaches show up differently. They push each other. They celebrate each other. They stick with the sport longer, and they enjoy it more. A lot of that connection gets built in the summers, on hot days in Oliver, in the gym, in the car on the way home from a trampoline session.

It's for Every Athlete

If your athlete is in FUNdamentalz, this is for them. If they're just finding their love for the sport, this is for them. Off-season programming isn't an elite track, it's a development track, and development looks different for everyone.

Our coaching team adjusts every session to the athlete in front of us. You don't need experience, you just need curiosity and a willingness to show up.

This Summer

We have some great programs coming — water ramp camps in Oliver, and more in the works. If you're wondering what's the right fit for your athlete, just reach out. We love those conversations.

Let's make this off-season count.

— Coach Lauren