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Cooper Spur Alpine Team - Youth Alpine & Freestyle Skiing and Mountain Biking

Cooper Spur Alpine Team

Youth Mountain Biking, Alpine Ski Racing and Freestyle Skiing

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Alpine Coaching Staff

Home » Ski Race » Alpine Coaching Staff
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Shana Sweitzer - Alpine Director and Head U14/U16 Coach
Alpine Director and Head U14/U16 Coach

Shana Sweitzer

Garrett Lodge - U12 Coach
U12 Coach

Garrett Lodge

Mary Gunesch - Head Competition and Training Team Coach
Head Competition and Training Team Coach

Mary Gunesch

U14/U16 Coach

Alice Bouchard

Jessica Altman - U10 Competition Team Coach
U10 Competition Team Coach

Jessica Altman

Allison Anderson

kelsie Erkkila

Jerry Moore

Shana Sweitzer - Alpine Director and Head U14/U16 Coach

Alpine Director and Head U14/U16 Coach

Shana Sweitzer

NICKNAME: Old lady Sweitzer, Shandar, Woman of the hills, Mud Women

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP: St. Marys, ID

EDUCATION: Whitman College, University of Oregon

  • Bachelor of Science: Biology
  • Masters of Community and Regional Planning
  • Masters of Public Administration
  • Teachers Certificate for Secondary Education – Biology and Chemistry

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • US Ski Team Member from 1992-1998
  • Junior National Downhill Champion
  • Noram Downhill Champion
  • PNSA Coach of the Year 2019

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2011

WHY DO YOU COACH?

  • The next 30 years will require leaders with exceptional integrity, grit and a growth mindset. Nothing teaches and prepare you for life like competition and the mountain.

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Level 200 USSS / Level 200 PSIA

SKIING BACKGROUND:

  • I grew up skiing at Ski Bowl with Cascade Ski Club, until my father bought a small skier area in Northern Idaho. In Idaho I skied and snowmobiled until the sun dropped every night.  I went to a ski academy, MBSEF, when I was a freshman in high school until I was named to the USST at age 17.

WHEN I WAS 8 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A – On the US ski team

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS – Being on time is essential to success.

Garrett Lodge - U12 Coach

U12 Coach

Garrett Lodge

NICKNAME: G

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP: Boise, ID

EDUCATION: Linfield

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • 2021 Coach of the Year / 2022 Good Samaritan

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2020-2021

WHY DO YOU COACH? I coach to make sure kids from a younger generation had as much fun as I did

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Level 100 USSS / Level 200 USSS / Level 100 BICP

SKIING BACKGROUND:

  • Ski racing through FIS

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A…cowboy

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS, to stay low and drive your feet

Mary Gunesch - Head Competition and Training Team Coach

Head Competition and Training Team Coach

Mary Gunesch

NICKNAME: Mama G

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP:  Portland, Oregon

EDUCATION:

  • Master’s Degree, Lewis and Clark College
  • Bachelor’s degree with Honors, University of Wyoming

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • Graduated Phi Beta Kappa while competing as an NCAA Division 1 athlete
  • Awarded Pacific Northwest Division’s NORRIE LAMSON AWARD “For outstanding service to Juniors and Jr Race Program over a period of several years.”

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2019

WHY DO YOU COACH? I love kids, ski racing, teaching, and coaching. It’s great to get to help kids accomplish their goals, increase their self-confidence, and learn that, with grit and passion, they can do just about anything!

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • USSA Level 400

SKIING BACKGROUND:

Mary grew up ski racing on Mt. Hood. She was Overall NW Cup Champion,  Junior National  Champion, and went on to race Nor-Ams and NCAA Division 1. After graduating college, she earned a master’s degree in education and started a ski academy. Over the past 30 years she has coached many outstanding athletes, including numerous Junior Championship winners and international competitors.

Mary loves to find creative ways to help athletes accomplish their goals, not only for the sake of their futures in skiing, but also to help them build confidence and skills that enable them to achieve their goals in any future domain.

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A…

A girl who started soccer teams for girls because, at the time, only boys could play on the team.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS :

I researched how to create flexible schooling.

U14/U16 Coach

Alice Bouchard

NICKNAME: Malice

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP: Bend, OR

EDUCATION

  • Mt Hood Academy,  Oregon State University

AWARDS / ACCOLADES

  • CSAT hottest coach 2022/2023, NWC winner 2021, PNSA team 2018-2022

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2022/2023

WHY DO YOU COACH?

  • I coach because I believe children need sports in their key developmental years, and ski racing teaches so many good lessons, both physically and mentally

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Level 100 USSS

SKIING BACKGROUND:

  • Ski racing through FIS at MBSEF and Mt Hood Academy

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A – downhiller on the US ski team.

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS – as long as you think you’re funny, you can do anything.

Jessica Altman - U10 Competition Team Coach

U10 Competition Team Coach

Jessica Altman

NICKNAME:

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP: Welches, OR

EDUCATION:

  • Rocky Mountain College-B.A. Accounting and Finance

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • 2022 CSAT coach of the year

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2018

WHY DO YOU COACH?

  • To pass on my love of skiing. It is also lots of fun to ski with kids. They are full of energy and drive to have fun.

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • Level 100 USSS

SKIING BACKGROUND:

  • I grew up skiing race on Mt. Hood. I raced for Rocky Mountain College. I coached for Mammoth Mountain race team for a couple of seasons. Then I was head coach for the Hood River Ski Team for 5 years.

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A…cowgirl

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS : A love for outdoor activities

 

 

 

Allison Anderson

Role: Devo Coach

Name: Allison Anderson

Hometown: Toronto, Canada

Education: Dartmouth College, Hanover NH

Awards / Accolades: Makes the shoe bubble at Nike

What year did you start coaching at CSAT? 2022-23

Why do you coach? I coach to share my love for the sport of skiing and to help young athletes gain the confidence and perseverance that comes from tackling a challenge. As a young athlete, I was lucky to have some influential coaches who helped me achieve more than I ever thought I could, and I hope to do the same for the next generation of competitors!

Coaching Certifications: US Ski & Snowboard Registered Coach

Skiing Background: I learned to ski when I was about 3 years old and was quickly racing my sisters down the mountain. My love for competition drew me to organized racing which I did for 6 years or so up north of Toronto where I grew up. My family loved travelling to Vermont to get to ski some longer runs and I would sneak away to ski in New Hampshire as much as I could between school and track/xc running practice at Dartmouth. I moved to Portland in 2020 and have loved exploring and learning to powder ski on the bigger West Coast mountains!

When I was 5 years old, I was pretty sure I’d be an: Olympian!

The most important thing I learned before high school was: Dream big and work hard to get there!

 

kelsie Erkkila

Name Kelsi Erkkila

NICKNAME: Killa K

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP:  Corvallis, Oregon

EDUCATION:

  • BA in History
  • MA in Teaching

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • 2022 Cooper Spur Coach of the Year

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT?

WHY DO YOU COACH?

  • I love working with kids and helping them see the joy of skiing.  As the improve their skills, their enjoyment grows and the smiles get bigger.  I feel privileged to be part of that.

COACHING CERTIFICATIONS:

  • PSIA Level II instructor

SKIING BACKGROUND:

  • I grew up skiing in the Pacific Northwest.  I started at 6 at Mount Bachelor and skied with my family through my youth. In high school, I raced for my school and found a love for it.  The deciding factor for choosing my college was that it had a ski racing team that I joined for my 4 years there.  Out of college, I taught skiing at Mount Bachelor for many years and also for Mount Bachelor Ski Education Foundation. When I moved to the Columbia Gorge, I was recruited to work for Cooper and have enjoyed it ever since.

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE A ballerina

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS, to take responsibility for my mistakes and work harder for what I want.

Jerry Moore

Role: The Coach

Name: Jerry Moore

NICKNAME: “Broken”

HOMETOWN / WHERE I GREW UP: Mt Hood

EDUCATION: Majored in Aviation

AWARDS / ACCOLADES:

  • Many wins across the US including Best In the Desert Series, 24&12hr-overall&Ironman, ISDE qualifiers’, Hare&Hound and cross country overall’s

WHAT YEAR DID YOU START COACHING AT CSAT? 2016

WHY DO YOU COACH?   To, inspire, motivate and influence athletes, hopefully making a positive impact in an athlete’s life either on or off the hill. I coach because I love ski racing, enjoy the beauty of the mountains and the positive people Cooper Spur attracts.

  • COACHING CERTIFICATIONS: USSA Level 200

SKIING OR BIKING BACKGROUND:

  • Ski raced in PNSA until college. Made a dream come true, competing off-road on two wheels a good part of my younger adult life.

WHEN I WAS 5 YEARS OLD, I WAS PRETTY SURE I’D BE: An astronaut

THE MOST IMPORTANT THING I LEARNED BEFORE HIGH SCHOOL WAS : Anything is achievable with enough passion.

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