Developing the
Whole Athlete One
Camper At A Time
FORMER USST SPEED SKIER DOUG LEWIS HAS BEEN
COACHING LONG-TERM ATHLETE DEVELOPMENT FOR
21 SEASONS By Dave Pezsek
ELITEAM campers gather at Sugarbush Resort.
At 5 feet and 8 inches, Doug Lewis doesn’t look like your typical speed skier.
“It was my mental strength that allowed me to excel on the World Cup,” he says.
And since 1991, his ELITEAM has been focused building the whole athlete 8
to 14 years old using “relevant, simple, and meaningful training in three areas:
sports physiology, sports psychology, and sports nutrition.” He says that after
eight seasons on the U.S. team, he wanted to share what he’d learned and what
he thought was important.
ELITEAM is not like a typical summer adventure ski camp. Using the Green
Mountain Valley School campus and the surrounding natural environment of
Vermont’s Mad River Valley, the camp focuses on building confident athletes.
“We’re providing lessons that we hope will last for the athlete’s entire ski career, and life in general,” says Lewis. Days are action-packed with cross training and themed to focus on development of similar skills. For example, one day
might consist of visualization, breathing exercises and overcoming stress in a
