Integrity and inclusivity key to TWST success
Taos Winter Sports Team
Registration will shortly begin for Taos Winter Sports Team (TWST) programs and parents of dedicated young athletes
should take note, as spots may fill up quickly.
TWST is designed “to promote development of good
sportsmanship, healthy competitiveness, sound technical skills and a reverence for the ethos of the mountains,” according
to TWST Executive Director Kristi Vine. “The integrity of
the various programs is met by our students’ high level of skiing and snowboarding skills.”
Programming runs the gamut from Alpine racing and Snowboarding to Freeride and Park,
and returning athletes know the rigorous training in which they will participate is a key element
of their future success as competitive skiers or snowboarders.
For those young athletes at least seven years old and high intermediate skiers or riders, enrollment begins with the TWST Development Program (DEVO), noted Vine.
“DEVO ensures each young athlete develops fundamental
skiing skills using a broad scope of available tools including gate
training, free skiing, skills drills, and the terrain park. These are
the fundamental skills that every aspiring young snow sports enthusiast must learn in order to begin competing in snow sports
such as ski racing or big mountain events.”
By the ages of ten to twelve, “advanced skiers are typically ready for more intense terrain
and must select a chosen principal in which to develop specialized skills and adeptness. These are the next steps for kids that are moving towards a competitive venue,” explained Vine.
TWST prides itself on the number of their athletes that have gone on to successfully
compete in national and international competitions including Marion Balsamo for Rail Jam and Slopestyle (Park), and Emma Patterson, a Big Mountain Competitor.
TWST is designed “to promote development of good sportsmanship, healthy competitiveness, sound technical skills and a reverence for the ethos of the mountains.”
Aside from the integrity woven throughout TWST, there is another “I” word that achieves successes of equal importance: inclusivity.
“We’re very proud of both having the only winter Special Olympics program in New Mexico, and having a Special Olympics team that competes annually at Copper Mountain, Colo.,” she said, “Our Adaptive Inclusion Program is donordriven and includes training, coaching and supervision. TWST also offers economic relief for the athletes.”
An adaptive component is also available through Taos Ski Valley's popular school program. TWST supports the adaptive
students from the attending schools, offering ski and
snowboard coaching (requiring referral by the school’s special
education advisors, teachers and counselors). They join other
students from Taos and Colfax counties in five once-a-week sessions of discounted instruction during January and February of
the ski season in coordination with the schools the students are attending.
TWST also offers an Alpine summer camp for adaptive coaches from around the world
to receive specialized training. “Within this camp, candidates for coach training are themselves
on the spectrum and come to be certified as adaptive coaches, taking home with them this valuable training.” TWST also holds Spectrum Camp, a race camp
session for spectrum athletes, at Mt. Hood, Ore.
Another innovation of which Vine is proud is the DEVO Gateway program, designed to
transition athletes and their parents to competitive programs via
additional skill and mental development, and prepares parents for the financial commitment
of competition. “It is a bridge for those who are moving from DEVO and into the selection of
an advanced program.”
“Our success would not be possible without our excellent
team of head coaches,” including: Peter Donahue, Adaptive Inclusion; Julian Lacome, Alpine Race; Eliana Lehrman, DEVO;
Sidney Dunton, Snowboard; Natalie Oaks, Park; Andrea Kre
jci, Freeride; Beth Fox, Special Adaptive Camp administrator; and Rosey Hayett, DEVO Gateway.
“We are all proud to call Taos Ski Valley our home mountain,” Vine emphasized. “Without their
support, we would not achieve the accomplishments we have.”
TWST program registration for previous athletes and legacy
applicants begins on Friday (Sept. 30) at 5 p.m. New athletes may apply beginning on Oct. 7.
Scholarships may be available for all applicants based upon need. “Once an applicant is accepted into TWST, they may then apply for financial assistance,” Vine explained.
TWST is a 501(c)(3) organization that relies on tuition, grants and donor assistance to fund its many programs. The Taos Community Foundation
manages the endowment of Taos Sports Associates d/b/a Taos Winter Sports Team.
– KRISTI VINE
Taos Winter Sports Team PO Box 3011
Taos, NM 87571 Director@TaosWinterSportsTeam.com