Athletics

Our Athletic Programs

Snowboard

Over 25 years ago, Carrabassett Valley Academy pioneered the first snowboard-specific program and remains a world leader. Our coaching covers Snowboard Cross, Slopestyle, and Snowboard Alpine Racing, with athletes competing in Junior World Championships, Youth Olympic Games, and FIS World Cup events. CVA Big Dogs have earned Nor-Am podiums, national titles, and Olympic gold.

The CVA Difference

Located at the base of Sugarloaf Mountain, Carrabassett Valley Academy offers an ideal environment for snowboard athletes. Here's what sets us apart:

Premier Training Venues: Sugarloaf offers five top-tier terrain parks, perfect for slopestyle skill progression, with an expanded Whiffletree area for focused training and high-volume practice. For boardercross athletes, Sugarloaf provides progressive terrain and an Olympian-designed cross course. Snowboard racers benefit from a dedicated high-speed surface lift and advanced snowmaking, ensuring consistent, high-quality training conditions.

Experienced Coaching: Led by Freddy McCarthy ’12, our Snowboard Program Manager and SBX Head Coach, CVA’s coaching team brings extensive competitive and film experience. Freddy’s background includes Junior World Championships, World Cup starts, and USCSA titles, ensuring expert guidance for athletes across all levels.

Supportive Community: CVA fosters a nurturing environment where every athlete is encouraged to reach their personal best, both on and off the slopes.

Program Philosophy

The Carrabassett Valley Academy Snowboard Program is dedicated to long-term athlete development. Our competition and training plans emphasize these key elements:

Maximizing Time On-Snow: Extensive on-snow time to ensure consistent practice and progress.

Riding with Accelerated Pace: Training at faster speeds to build confidence and sharpen reactions.

Freeriding to Build the Snowboarder’s Driving Force: Freeriding refines style, adaptability, and passion - essential components of long-term success.

Specialized Training to Create the Competitor: Targeted training to enhance technical skills and mental toughness.

Snowboard Progression

Carrabassett Valley Academy Snowboard Program offers ability-appropriate coaching to help each athlete achieve their goals. Our athletic groups are based on progression, skill acquisition, commitment, and attitude:

Development Team: For athletes under 15, focusing on fundamental skills and competing in regional USASA series and introductory FIS events.
Travel Park Team: For advanced freestyle athletes specializing in slopestyle and rail jams, with training in technique, competition tactics, and media skills. Competes in Grand Prix, Revolution Tour, and FIS/Nor-Am events.

Travel SBX & Race Team: Focuses on parallel slalom, giant slalom, and boardercross with training in racing techniques, tactics, and equipment maintenance. Competes in FIS/Nor-Am events and elite FIS competitions.

Year-Round Training

At Carrabassett Valley Academy, we develop well-rounded snowboarders through comprehensive fall and spring terms. Our program includes evaluations, goal setting, weight training, mental performance training, and cross-training. Off-season, athletes train at specialized facilities and on-snow venues globally, gaining valuable experience and refining their skills.

List of 3 members.

Freddy McCarthy

Snowboard Program Manager & Head SBX Coach

207-653-8476

Bio
Throughout his competitive snowboard career at CVA, Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club and Sierra Nevada College, Freddy established himself as a dominant SBX racer earning Junior Worlds nods and a World Cup Start. Freddy is a well-rounded rider who won multiple USCSA titles in multiple snowboard disciplines while attending Sierra Nevada College in Tahoe. He served for three seasons as the Head Snowboard Coach at his alma mater before joining the CVA coaching staff in 2019. Freddy graduated from CVA in the Class of 2012.
Ben Elliot

Head Snowboard Park Coach

970-333-1914

Bio
Ben started riding at the age of 5 at the small resort Shawnee Peak in Bridgton, Maine. As his passions for the sport grew he soon left the New England mountains he grew up riding and went to Colorado where he joined the Burton Team along with Analog and Dragon regional programs. Filming, competing in rail jams, slopestyle events, and riding everything from Big Mountain to downtown city streets; from Utah to Oregon. Having a full spectrum knowledge of the sport with a focus on Freestyle, Ben is eager to cultivate a positive environment for our snowboard athletes to reach their best performance.
Goldy Goldschmidt

Snowboard Development Coach

207-670-5256

Bio
A graduate of Stratton Mountain School in Vermont, Goldy was named to the US Snowboard Team in his sophomore year. His resume includes a third place finish in the World Cup in Torino in 2005, first place finishes at the Killington Grand Prix in 2007 and the NorAm Cup in 2009, and many other World Cup and FIS Junior World Championship top finishes in Halfpipe, Big Air, Slopestyle, and Snowboardcross. He competed in the X-Games in 2005, 2006, and 2007, placing 7th, 11th, and 7th respectively, and also competed at World Cups, The U.S. Open, World Superpipe Championships, and Junior Worlds during his career. He joined CVA in 2016 and currently serves as the Snowboard Development Coach.

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Carrabassett Valley Academy

3197 Carrabassett Drive
Carrabassett Valley, ME 04947
(207) 237-2250

Carrabassett Valley Academy prohibits discrimination against or harassment of any member or group based upon age, gender, race, color, religion, disability, categories sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, genetic predisposition, ancestry or other categories protected by Maine or federal law. CVA does not discriminate on these bases in the administration of its admission process, scholarship and aid programs, educational policies, athletics, or other school-administered programs.