TeamToday: Season Review

Here is a short review of the season. You will see that the review of last season blends quickly into plans for this and the next. We are always engaged in analysis. While waxing skis, while skiing, while driving, late night, at meals, via email nonstop we look at this thing and by spring the next summer already has shape, the next season has dates and locations and pencil marks in the margins.

In review we’ll start with facts and then look at the details of those facts. Even some of the most objective information has an important back-story and some facts are only relevant in light of that back-story or in light of other facts. Sometimes the facts that are left out are as important as those listed. With that here are some stats from this year.

USA World Championship Medals: 1

USA World Cup Podiums: 0

Top USA World Cup results: 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th, 11th (x 2), 12th (x2), 14th, 15th.

Top USA World Championship results: 2nd, 4th, 12th, 15th.

US Skiers in the Red Group for fall 2009: 3

World Cup points by the USA: 501

US World Cup points including Worlds: 705

What facts are missing that are as relevant as the ones listed? In the 07-08 season we scored 100 more world cup points then we did in 08-09, unless you include World Champs. In that case we scored 100 more in 08-09 than in 07-08. That is an example of the same fact telling different tales. The reality is that on the world cup we did much better in the 07-08 season and even in the season before that than we did this past season. Our best World Cup results in 07-08 were 1st, 2nd, 4th and two 5th place finishes. The year before we also had podium and top 5 results, the year before that we had our first podium in 23 years. So on the World Cup our results didn’t show improvement. Especially in light of the opportunity we had in Whistler, an opportunity we were not able to capitalize on.

There are plenty of World’s and Olympics over the past few decades to compare our 2009 World’s results to. Obviously the medal is our biggest success and it is our best ever World’s result.

For me that still has to soak in. That is our best ever…

Read the rest on TeamToday.org