This year Community School has launched the Sun Valley Ski Academy (SVSA), a program open to student-athletes

13 years and older. With Sun Valley Ski Academys inaugural year, the long-standing relationship between Community School and Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation (SVSEF) has been formalized into an institution that ensures that the next generation of student-athletes in Sun Valley can achieve academic excellence and athletic distinction. Not only does this benefit our local snowsport athletes, but because Community School also began a residential program this year, it is possible for athletes from around the country and the world to come to Sun Valley and have the best of the academic and athletic life.

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LEFT: Early morning training session at Dollar Mountain; AbovE: Perry boyle dropping into the terrain park on Dollar Mountain.

The life of a competitive ski racer or snowboarder isnt easy. The travel schedule is brutalsometimes races will take the athlete away for weeks at a time, while he or she lives out of a duffle bag for weeks at a timeand the competition gets tougher every year. Throw into the mix the effort it takes to stay on top of academic loads during extended absences, and you have the perfect storm for a stressed-out teenager. Though local educators and the coaches at SVSEF have long worked together to help the valleys student-athletes excel academically and athletically, intensifying travel schedules and increasing competition in the world of college admissions left some student-athletes feeling like they had to choose between excellence in academics or athletics. Steve Shafran, Executive Director of SVSA says, Sun Valley Ski Academy is about and not orstudent-athletes dont have to choose between their sport or their education. They can have both.

They can have excellence in both. Don Wiseman, the Executive Director of SVSEF, says, Its all about access. Its our job to ensure that our student-athletes Community School has a well-estabhave access to a great educational and lished reputation for academic excellence athletic experience. Whatever the school and individual attention. The school can do and whatever SVSEF can do to facounts among its alumni many accomcilitate the best possible experiencethats plished skiers and snowboarders, such in the best interest of the student. Jessica as Olympians Reggie Crist and Morgan Arritola, to name just a few. These students Wasilewski, the Director of Residential Life at Community School and a former managed the rigors of their academic SVSEF athlete (cross country) and Comlife and their athletic life without a ski munity School alumna (98), agrees The academy, so you might wonder, why Ski Academy is about increasing opportubother? The answer to that question is simple if you focus on what is best for the nity rather than limiting it. While we hope student-athlete. Commuity Schools Head to attract skiers and snowboarders from around the country and the world, we are of School David Holmes echoes Shafrans committed to opening doors for snowsentiments saying, The Sun Valley Ski sport athletes from the Wood River Valley. Academy is about increasing opportunity We are excited about the number of local for skiers and snowboarders from around athletes we have enrolled in the academy the country and in the Wood River Valand the success they have found. ley. Student-athletes dont have to choose David adds, The Ski Academy has between their sport and their education.
LocaL InstItutIons commIt to InnovatIon and FLexIbILIty
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PHoTogRAPHy: CouRTeSy of THe CommuniTy SCHool

Residential life at Community sChool

This year also marks the opening of Community Schools Residential Program. With four SVSA students and six other studentssome from as far away as Chinaboarding, the Residential Hall is a home away from home for those living there. Boarding students are fully integrated with the life of the school and are encouraged to participate in all the extracurricular activities available at Community School; boarding students are also assigned to a local host family that helps the boarding students feel at home and adjust to their new life in Sun Valley. If youre interested in calling Sun Valley and Community School home for your high school experience, contact Katie Robins, Director of Admissions:

krobins@communityschool.org
AbovE: Dorm life at SvSA where students balance their academic, athletic, and social lives.

captured the excitement and imagination of our community. The idea seems to fit the history, situation, and aspirations of those of us who live here. Although David has just begun in his role as head of school, he has a long-range vision for the Ski Academy. Over the next three to five years, our aim is to recruit 40 to 50 skiers, who will live in our Residence Hall, attend Com-

If you live in San Francisco, sure you have access to great schools but you have to drive hours to the nearest mountain. If you live in a ski town, you may have immediate access to a mountain, but your school options may not be up to par. If you want your child to have it all, then the Sun Valley Ski Academy is the answer.
munity School, and train with the SVSEF. These skiers will join with our Wood River Valley skiers, sharing ambitions and drive. We aim to be the best academy in the nation for combining great ski development and a truly outstanding private school education. In 2010 Community School was planning ahead to better facilitate the demands of winter-sport schedules. The school shifted from semesters to trimesters and

introduced the Academic FlexPlana tool that allows student-athletes a way to plan their high school curriculum so that they can compete during the winter term with a reduced course load without compromising the quality of their education. Community Schools adoption of trimestersa move that coincidentally happened just as Wood River High School went back to semestersand the increased summer offerings with the FlexPlan proved an attractive and innovative programmatic shift to many local families and families from outside the valley. But Community School isnt the only institution committed to change that increases opportunity for local youth. Don Wiseman reminds us that SVSA doesnt exist without three partnersSVSEF, Community School, and Sun Valley Company. Don says, The silent partner in all of this is Sun Valley Company. They have been nothing but supportive of our efforts to establish this ski academy and to increase training opportunities for all SVSEF athletes. The decision makers at Sun Valley Company recognize the myriad of ways that having a successful ski

academy and ski/snowboard teams thriving in the valley benefits everyone living here. Don cites many examples of Sun Valley Companys cooperation, including being willingno, excitedto host the firstever pre-season snow-sports training camp the week before Thanksgiving. Don says, Because Sun Valley Company was willing to open the lifts and make preparations for a 5-day training camp, $95,000 dollars came into this valley in that week before Thanksgiving, a time that is normally very slow for local businesses. Don also praises Sun Valley Companys commitment to the development of terrain parks and suggests that there could be some end-of-season training camps at the terrain park on Dollar in the future, bringing another jolt of economic adrenaline into the valley at another traditional slack period. Don adds, It all comes back to access and opportunity. If we all work together, everyone wins.
What svsa means to sun vaLLey?

The development of a local ski academy is good for the valley youth to be sure, but its also good for the valleys economy and the worldwide reputation of Sun Valley. Yes, Sun Valley has 75 illustrious years under its belt, and its important to remember that history and celebrate it. But its also important to look to the future. SVSA is one way to keep Sun Valley relevant and on the map. Don, a longtime valley resident, understands that having snow sport athletes excel on the national stage brings visibility to Sun Valley and ensures that our small community continues to thrive. He says,

Sun Valley is the perfect place for such an academy. We have a top-notch school with a committed and accomplished faculty, top-notch ski and snowboard teams with some of the best coaches in the world, a world-class mountain, and a vibrant town. Truly, its hard to beat. Ive often wondered why no one did this before! That said, as head of SVSEF, Don is quick to remind us that SVSEF serves all of the valleys athletes, no matter if they enrolled in SVSA or not. At SVSEF our focus is still and always has been increasing access and opportunity for all our athletes in the valley, no matter the school they attend. When I ask him what makes Sun Valley Ski Academy different from or better than the long established academies back East, Don asserts, The Academy is going to be unique, just as Sun Valley is unique to all other ski resorts. The vision and mission is to make it so that snow-sport athletes, homegrown or from far and wide, can come here and achieve excellence in sport and achieve excellence in academics. Traditional ski academies grew up around the sport and added in the academics because of necessity. We are taking two well-established institutions and playing to their strengths, which are significant. Parents of potential SVSA student-athletes from outside the valley visit and they are blown away at what we have to offer here.

You can be sure they are going home and singing high praise of Sun Valley. Steve Shafran agrees with Don in his estimation that Sun Valley is hard to beat. When Steve was looking for a place to vacation with his children and then, later, to relocate his family, memories from his own childhood family vacations in Sun Valley led him back here. He is sure that other families considering SVSA will build another generation of Sun Valley devotees. As Executive Director of SVSA, Steve has occasion to converse with many parents looking at sending their children here, and he hears the same thing every time, They ask, Is this place for real? Can you really have the best of all worlds all within five minutes of each other? Steve says that many of the families he speaks with live in areas that dont have immediate access to a mountain, so the student-athlete always has to make a sacrifice. He says, If you live in San Francisco, sure you have access to great schools but you have to drive hours to the nearest mountain. If you live in a ski town, you may have immediate access to a mountain, but your school options may not be up to par. If you want your child to have it all, then the Sun Valley Ski Academy is the answer.

TWo-TImE olympIAN JoINS SVSA TEAm

Theres nothing like having someone who has competed at the highest levels to guide the upand-coming winter sport athletes at SVSA. Jonna mendes, a two-time olympian, a bronze medalist in the World Championships, and a four-time national Champion, has signed on as Director of Recruitment for the Academy. When i ask her what compelled her to take on this latest challenge, she says that she remembered her own struggles when she was growing up on the racing circuit. And while she felt supported by her teachers, she says, By far, most competitive ski racers and snowboarders are struggling. They spend so much time on the road, and so much time training, that if they arent in a school that understands and supports the demands of their schedules, they end up having to choose one or the other. i was drawn to the idea that the Sun Valley Ski Academys mission is to help kids achieve at the highest levels in both academics and athletics. Check out our Center Stage spotlight of Jonna mendes on page 24.

FuTuRE TRAININg FACIlITy AT ElKhoRN

Due to the excitement and support surrounding the Ski Academy, SVSA and Sun Valley Company are in discussions to enhance the training opportunities on the elkhorn side of Dollar mountain. The plan includes the SVSA building a 12,000 square-foot training facility at the base of elkhorn lift to be used by all SVSef athletes.

By ThE NumBERS

SVSef holds one to five events in the four disciplines (snowboarding, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, and freestyle skiing) each year. Because it costs between $75 - $100 for a child to come and compete including lodging, food, lift tickets, SVSef estimates that the events bring in roughly $750,000 a year to the local economy. Add larger, national events (like last years Cross Country long Distance nationals and Super Tour finals) and the economic impact exceeds $1,000,000 annually.
AbovE: A combination of excellent training facilities, world-class coaches, and a top-notch school make SvSA an attractive choice for student-athletes from the Sun valley area or from around the world; INSET: Small classes and individual attention are hallmarks of a Community School education.

if you are interested in the sun Valley ski education foundation programs, visit

www.svsef.com.

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loCAl FAmIly TAKES ADVANTAgE oF SVSA oppoRTuNITy

ToP: Chase Josey flying high in the terrain park on Dollar; RIGHT: The Josey boys having fun at school.

Kris and Bill Josey, residents of the Sun Valley area for 19 years and owners of Arbor Care Resources, have two sons who live for winter sports and have been involved with the SVSef for nine yearsChase, an accomplished halfpipe and slopestyle snowboarder, who probably spends more time in the air than on the ground, is frugal with his words and ranks Stepbrothers among his favorite movies, and Tanner, an up-andcoming alpine racer who loves everything about skiing and respects Bode miller because he doesnt ski to finishhe skis to go as fast as he can. When they heard about the Sun Valley Ski Academy, the Joseys thought it might be time to consider a move to Community School. Kris said, We were intrigued by the fact that Community School was adopting a trimester schedule, and we were encouraged by the fact that the purpose of the SVSA is to accommodate winter athletes; we didnt want our boys to have to choose between their passions for winter sports and their education. Chase, a junior at Community School, reports that the transition has been a good one. He and his brother Tanner, a freshman at Community School, took advantage of the summer school offerings and have worked closely with their academic advisors to plan their academic loads. Tanners favorite thing about Community School and the Ski Academy experience so far? i really like the way everyone wants me to succeed and how helpful my teachers are. They support my passion. His mother, Kris, agrees, Because the teachers are available and willing to help Tanner and Chase before and after their trips, the boys are able to manage their work without me being the middle man. Their teachers are approachable and understand how important athletics are to kids like mine.

JESSIE KNoRI, CRoSS CouNTRy RACER, oN SVSA

Jesse Knori, a senior from Jackson Hole, Wyoming, is ecstatic about her decision to leave home and enroll at SVSA. She says, its hard to express how happy i am that i made this decision. i was sure i loved my old school, but the Community School quickly replaced that thought. i love going to a school that works with the studentathletes to ensure a balance between endeavors. many ski academies expect the student to focus mostly on the athletic side of their high school experience, while the Community School allows for both a challenging athletic season as well as a challenging academic year. At Community School, academics and athletics go hand in hand. i love it!

Jackson Hole native, Jesse Knori

INFoRmATIoN & SCholARShIpS

if you would like to receive information about Sun Valley Ski Academy, or find out about available merit scholarships that run up to full tuition, email Jonna mendes, Director of Recruiting at jmendes@communityschool.org.

ADmISSIoNS

if you would like information about Community School, its academic or residential programs, or the availability of financial aid, email Katie Robins, Director of Admissions at krobins@communityschool.org.

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sun valley ski academy

:: World-class coaching, training, competition and terrain in beautiful Sun Valley, Idaho. :: An outstanding college preparatory curriculum at the established Community School. :: Residential boarding at the base of Warm Springs, steps from the mountain. :: Alpine, cross-country, freestyle skiing and snowboarding.

Jonna Mendes :: Director of Recruitment :: jmendes@sunvalleyskiacademy.org 208.366.4956 :: www.sunvalleyskiacademy.org