New Policies and Procedures

New Procedure for Entries
VARA will be experimenting with a new entry method (email bulk lists) for the 2004-2005 season.
New Entry Policy (rev. 7dec04) Entry Policy.
Entry Form to attach to your email
If you still need a voucher, then you now have two options:
(1) A sheet of four vouchers. Check that each voucher is about 4.5" x 3" when printed. Some computer/printer combinations have been messing that up.
(2) An on-line form that you can fill out and then print the nicely-typed voucher.

Policies regarding the website (rev. 7dec04) Website Policy for Clubs.

Certification Requirements

The new Level 100 (Club) Certification Requirements will go into effect July 1, 2004. All new and current "Club" coaches will need to have successfully completed the following courses to be a Level 100 (Club) Coach:

• Alpine Ski Fundamentals Clinic, Level 1 on snow, or Club on snow
• Coaching Principles (ASEP) Course
• First Aid / CPR Course

The requirements for the other levels will be phased in as curriculum for those levels is developed. Continuing education requirements for each level will ensure that all coaches remain current and up-to-date in the latest developments and advances in coaching their sport. More information

VARA Clinics and Seminars

2005 Coaches Seminar.
2004 Coaches Seminar.
2003 Coaches Seminar. Expo.
2002 Coaches Seminar.

Thelma's Clinic and Other FIS Clinics

Most of you have already received this by email ...

From:    Paul Van Slyke, Eastern Alpine Officials Chairman 
Re:       Regional Clinics 
Date:    September 28, 2005 

On behalf of the Eastern Alpine Official Committee, I would like to 
extend an invitation to our Regional Clinics.  

Much time and effort has gone into the planning of these events 
in order to provide you with the latest information and updates 
available.  Your attendance will help to insure quality events in 
both New Hampshire and New York during the weekend of 
November 12-13, 2005.

Please keep in mind that if you are a Technical Delegate or 
Referee, it is mandatory for you to attend a clinic once every 
other year in order to maintain your certification.  If you did 
not attend an update last year, you are required to attend 
one this year.  These clinics are open to all and it is not a 
requirement to be a currently certified official to attend.  
Please invite any interested individuals in your club to attend.

Please see the attached programs and registration materials. 

FIS Clinic Invitation 2005
FIS Clinic - Motel List 2005
FIS Clinic Registration Form 2005
FIS Clinic Schedule 2005
and of course,
Thelmas RA Clinic Notice

Coaches Guides

The Alpine CompGuide, AO Manual, Master Packet of Forms, Study Guides and the rest of the whole schmegeggie are available from the USSA Forms page.
The FIS Rules and Documents List has all the FIS Rules and precisions from the Officials' CD.
The VARA Rules List has all of the various rules at each level.

Vouchers

VARA will be experimenting with a new entry method (email bulk lists) for the 2004-2005 season.
New Entry Policy (rev. 7dec04) Entry Policy.
Entry Form to attach to your email
If you still need a voucher, then you now have two options:
(1) A sheet of four vouchers. Check that each voucher is about 4.5" x 3" when printed. Some computer/printer combinations have been messing that up.
(2) An on-line form that you can fill out and then print the nicely-typed voucher.

For your athletes

Code of Conduct: Conduct HTML or as Conduct PDF
Scholarship Information: Scholarship Information

Using the Website

Real-time updates: This website has been updated to allow individual clubs (and a few coordinators) to sign-in, to change race data, to update their own information. Please check out your club information in the Club List and make sure that everything is correct. After you get the account information ( write to us: toby@vara.org ), you'll no longer have to jump through hoops to correct your phone number or change the start time on that race in January.
Help Section: Setup Club Data

Tailored Lists: Since the site is run from a database, we can query that big list and just show you the information you want. At the bottom of the club details, you can find links to show all of your athletes who have renewed their VARA membership, or not. You can also see the races that your club is running. Look at the membership lists to see what I mean. Links are automatically made to the points lists at USSA for your convenience. Choose the appropriate season.

Real-time Calendar: Did we mention that the calendar is also real-time? Visit the Event List (big, long list form) or Event Calendar (calendar form). and play around a bit. You or any athlete or parent will be treated as a "guest" unless you Login. You can filter the data so you only get J3 and J4 races, for instance. You can print out event information for posting on the bulletin board. ( The information is as up-to-date as the host club has made it. ) Even has holidays included. Very cool. Results, when available, will be marked by this icon: [R] It will be clickable, and will take you to the results sheet, when we receive results here at VARA. Cancelled and postponed races are just as easy to keep track of.

Real-time Press Releases: You can post a press release / announcement for your racers or for all VARA racers. Council heads could talk about the previous weekend of racing. On the wednesday before your Saturday race, you can post the entry list; it's live for all the world to see, tagged with the date and time. If thursday brings a few more vouchers, simply "edit" your announcement. No more phone calls on Friday afternoon ! Turn on the answering machine and go have a pizza. Racers, parents, coaches, schools, clubs ~ all nine hundred and fifty-two gazillion of them ~ can look at the website instead of calling you in the middle of your dinner. (I told you this was cool.)
Help Section: Posting Alpha-List

If there is anything else you'd like to see, something you'd like us to try and dig up, give us a jingle: toby@vara.org .