The alliance will use a website, social media, and other opportunities to encourage families from out of state (as well as those already in Maine) to better understand the quality of life and educational opportunities Maine offers. Read the press release and watch my interview with WSKI TV 17 on our website.

CVA’s academic reputation in the ski and snowboard academy marketplace is top notch, and it's due in large part to our group of exceptional teachers. CVA's 17 teachers have a combined 150 years of teaching experience. Those with 20+ years in the classroom provide mentorship to our teachers who are early in their careers. Many of our teachers have a Master’s Degree or higher in their field of expertise.

Please join us in welcoming these new teachers to our community:

New teacher: Courtney Schad ’95. Courtney has joined the Humanities Department.

After graduating from CVA, she took her freestyle talents and determination to the US Freestyle Ski Team where she represented the US on the World Cup Tour until 1998.

She then went on to earn a BA in History from the University of Colorado Boulder. Courtney continued her education receiving a Secondary Education Certificate from Black Hills State University and a Masters in American History from the University Of South Dakota where she is currently a Doctor of Education Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction.

Between 2005 and 2018 Courtney taught at Stevens High School in Rapid City, SD. She has experience teaching Government, Economics, Sociology, and English. She served as Economics club advisor, Social Studies Department Head, AP certified instructor & exam administrator, and Debate coach.

Courtney and her husband Shannon are looking forward to moving to the area with their children Grace ’23, Lily ’26 and Grant ’27.

New teacher: Owen VanDerAa. Owen will teach Physical Science and tutor in the Academic Success Program.

Owen graduated from UMO with a BS in Ecology and Environmental Science and a BA in Economics, with a concentration in sustainability, natural resource management and environmental policy.

Owen has worked on the Narraguagus and Machias rivers on Atlantic Salmon restoration projects, where he raised and stocked fish, took daily measurements of the rivers, and implemented post assisted log structures to adjust stream geomorphology.

His interest in education stems from a research project that he worked on aimed towards enhancing rural forest-located economic vitality through K-12 schooling.

In his free time, Owen loves playing music and fishing throughout the summer while he waits for the snow to fly.

New teacher: Leila Hauser. Leila will be teaching Social Studies and Math, tutoring in the Academic Success Program and assisting with residential life.

She graduated from Whitman College in Walla Walla, Washington with a BA in Classical Studies-Greek and Spanish, while running on Whitman's Cross Country team.

Following graduation, she moved to Sun Valley, Idaho, where she completed a fellowship through the Teacher Training Academy at Sun Valley Community School. She is currently pursuing a Masters of English from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English.

Leila enjoys trail running, sailing, backpacking, and adventuring on skis with her husky, Sitka.

At Carrabassett Valley Academy, student-athletes spend the summer preparing for the year ahead, creating balance by challenging their fitness with dryland training, and challenging their minds with reading and writing.

The books on the CVA summer reading list this year include:

📖 Orbiting Jupiter by Gary D. Schmidt

📖 Refugee by Alan Gratz

📖 Barefoot Gen: Volume I by Keiji Nakazawa

📖 Memory Wall by Anthony Doerr

📖 Into Thin Air by Jon Krakauer

📖 Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

After thoughtful strategic planning, CVA has created a new Action Sports Department - bringing Freestyle, Snowboard and Ski Cross under one umbrella. Nate McKenzie has been named as the first Action Sports Director. In this role, Nate will ensure that action snow sports at CVA, both the Academy and the Weekend Program, continue the long-standing tradition of providing year-round, safe opportunities for high performing athletes to develop the skills necessary to compete at the highest domestic and international competitions. Nate’s 20-plus years of experience as a coach and leader makes him the ideal professional to ensure CVA’s action sport student-athletes have every opportunity they need to reach their goals.

Through his positive coaching style, his passion for all snow sports and his connections in the industry, Nate will build a cohesive and strong team of coaches and athletes. He works closely with the coaching staff to keep them at the cutting edge with their training and certifications, subscribing to the belief that the knowledge of the coaching staff, and their ability to impart that knowledge to the athletes, is the backbone of the program. Nate understands coaches must focus on each athlete individually. Goal setting, physical and mental preparation, management of training and competition, and focus on fundamentals are all keys to safety and success.

Nate has a proven track record of creating year-round training opportunities and venues that meet the demands of the sport and keep CVA athletes on the forefront of competition. Over his many years here he has established an excellent relationship with Sugarloaf’s management and personnel, from snowmaking, to grooming, to parks. One of his primary responsibilities will be as CVA’s park, mogul and cross venue liaison. By having Nate as the primary contact for all venues on hill, we anticipate much smoother planning, execution and maintenance of venues.  Hosting all levels, USASA, USSS and FIS, competitions at home are vital and Nate will work closely with the Sugarloaf Competition Department to get competitions on the calendar each year.

Nate will also continue as Freestyle Program Manager and oversee all Freestyle Program direction, expectations and operations. In a shift this year, he is stepping back from day to day coaching of the mogul team and proudly promoting Jesse Lowell to the position of Head Mogul Coach. Jesse Lowell ’14 was a three time Nor Am Mogul finalist with multiple top ten finishes. After graduating from St. Lawrence University, Jesse served as a USSS Freestyle judge for two seasons before he joined the CVA staff in 2020. In the past two seasons Jesse has coached multiple Big Dogs to Junior National and National heights. His passion for the sport, love for the athletes, commitment and attention to detail will carry on the torch of CVA’s deep tradition of Mogul success.

Jesse will be assisted this season by Ron DiGravio. Ron is a familiar name to the CVA and Sugarloaf Freestyle community. He has 15 years of freestyle coaching experience, from the Weekend Program development level, through the Academy. He has extensive experience coaching at the FIS and Nor-Am levels. His athletes have excelled to World Juniors, the World Cup and the US Ski Team. During his years as Head Mogul Coach at CVA Ron kept the fire lit within his athletes and guided them on and off the slopes to achieve their personal best. Ron’s love of the sport is shared by his children, Ron, Jr. ‘03, Dave ‘05 and Alison ‘09 - all Big Dogs who went on to achieve national and international mogul success. In 2012 Ron pivoted his career to organic farming but was never far from the gym or the slopes and is eager to be back working with athletes full-time this winter.

This season Nate will serve as the Head Freeski coach, assisting with event travel and attending practices weekly. Nate founded the Freeski program at CVA over 20 years ago and since has coached six athletes to the X Games. He’s looking forward to sharing his aerials expertise with more athletes this season. Keegan Kilbride ’14 will return for his 3rd season with CVA park skiers. His accomplishments include FIS, NorAm, and World Junior level in slopestyle, as well as Dew Tour podiums and X Games starts. He has been a featured athlete in numerous ski films and won many accolades throughout the Freeski industry. Keegan will serve as a Pilot coach giving athletes that final touch to their tricks and runs. Keegan will coach by utilizing the terrain and training atmosphere, and literally, jumping right in. This will help athletes to find their skills in the park and on the mountain.

Jesse Duncan has coached in the CVA Freestyle program since 2005 and pioneered the Freeride program. He’ll be back this season to guide our four Senior athletes through their final season. The Freeride program that Jesse started years ago, and nurtured to great success, has now been copied by clubs across the country. CVA boasts some of the top Freeride competitors in the East and we couldn’t be more proud of our Seniors and all the Freeride athletes that paved the way. At the conclusion of this season we’ll push the pause button on the Freeride program as we narrow our immediate focus to Freeski and Moguls.

We are very fortunate to once again have Joan Dolan serving as Weekend Program Manager and Coach. She’s looking forward to working with our growing group of junior athletes.

Michael Phelan returns this season as Ski Cross Program Manager and Head Coach, assisted by Patrick O’Rourke '17 as Assistant Coach and Alex Mangini as Weekend Program Coach. With 3 years of coaching the Weekend Program, and 3 years as a full-time Academy coach, Mike has established himself as one of the top Ski Cross coaches in North America. Pat enters his 4th year coaching and continues to bring his own Ski Cross competitive career to bear when working with athletes. Mike and Pat’s athletes have competed at the top levels of the sport including Junior Worlds, Youth Olympics and World Cup. They both have proven abilities to connect with and effectively coach, mentor and motivate athletes in fundamentals all the way to elite racing.

Nate, Mike and Pat will work closely with the snowboardcross coaches on the design, build and maintenance of our home cross course. Sugarloaf has made a full commitment to the course in Sidewinder for the upcoming season.

CVA is pleased to announce the promotion of Freddy McCarthy ‘12 to Snowboard Program Manager. Over the past two years on the CVA coaching staff Freddy has proven his ability to connect with and effectively coach, mentor and motivate snowboarders of all levels in fundamentals, park, alpine and boardercross. He is deeply passionate about the sport and knowledgeable about what it takes to be a world class athlete. Throughout his own 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. Prior to joining the CVA staff Freddy served as the Head Snowboard Coach at his alma mater, Sierra Nevada College in Tahoe.

Michael “Goldy” Goldschmidt returns for his 5th year as Head Slopestyle Coach. With his guidance and enthusiasm Goldy has coached CVA athletes to the podium in USASA and FIS competitions. His athletes have qualified for Junior Worlds and competed in Europe. He is equally skilled at developing the fundamentals necessary for athletes to safely push themselves to the next level. Goldy is a graduate of Stratton Mountain School, where he developed his exceptional freestyle snowboard skills, eventually to be named to the US Snowboard Team. He is a former X-Games, US Grand Prix, and World Cup competitor.

We are thrilled to announce the return of Alex Tuttle as Head SBX coach. Alex, CVA Class of 2009, is a former U.S. Snowboard Team member, He competed on the Nor-Am, Europa Cup and World Cup circuits, and earned a silver medal at the 2014 X Games in Aspen. He started his coaching career at CVA under Mike Mallon, then led the CVA snowboarding program to new levels of success before joining Team USA as head coach of the U.S. Paralympic Snowboarding team. Alex will lead the SBX program here at CVA this coming year while also seeing his para team through the Olympics. Alex is really looking forward to a return to coaching young, driven Big Dogs and bringing all he has learned with Team USA back to the Loaf. His experience with cross courses around the world will be of great benefit as he guides and assists with our home course builds.

Summer training: The CVA Freestyle crew had a super fun and productive camp in June in Mt. Hood, Oregon. The athletes showed real positive progress across the board, and had a great time with house games, team dinners, and many afternoons at the river. Among our successes on the trip, there were a good number of notable firsts to mention!

Kennedy Hicks ’25, First Backflip

Jack Egan ’25, First Cork 1080

Trase Boudreau '25, First 720

Dory Michaud ’23, First Landed Flatspin 360

Lance Dolan ’22, First Back Full

Myles Mckenzie ’22, First Back Full

A huge thank you to our coaches Nate McKenzie, Grace Holstein ’16, Jesse Lowell ’14, master jump builder Carter McQuinn, and builder/athlete/inspiration George McQuinn, for all their hard work and passion for freestyle skiing!

The team also trained on the water ramps in Lake Placid, New York in July and will return for a second training session August 15-17.

Summer training: Coach Freddy McCarthy reports the summer freestyle snowboard training trip was a blast! The weather was a perfect 75 degrees every day and the Mount Hood park was awesome!

Athletes enjoyed snowboarding in t-shirts and sunglasses all week. The vibe was high after meeting and hanging out with the Salomon Snowboard Team including Tommy Gesme, Riley Nickerson, Harrison Gordon and Emma Crosby.

Our athletes dialed in their tricks and learned new ones as well, including boardsliding rails and backside 360's. One middle school athlete spun a jump, he said it was the biggest jump he had ever laid eyes on!

Summer training: U14 Alpine athletes took their on-snow training indoors - yes indoors - during a recent summer session at Big Snow American Dream. This facility is North America’s first and only indoor, real-snow, year-round ski and snow resort.

The focus of the 3-day session was to improve athletes timing of a slalom pole touch and develop the balance needed to make carved 1 ski turns. Due to the layout of the park, athletes were able to spend lots of time on-task on consistent snow surfaces, making about 20 runs in a 2 hour session, resulting in tremendous progress.

When they weren’t in the snow park, coaches brought athletes outside for Rollerblade training and conditioning drills. They also enjoyed the spectacle of the incredible American Dream complex.

Summer training: CVA Alpine U16 and FIS athletes were scheduled to train at Mt Hood in Oregon from August 15th-26th. Due to the unprecedented heat dome in the Pacific Northwest the snowfield had a decline of ten to fifteen feet of snow in four days which led the ski area to announce an earlier closing than usual.

After a week of examining options, the camp was moved to Snowworld-Landgraaf in Holland where our group of nineteen U16 and FIS athletes will have seven days focused slalom training on-snow including five days of double sessions.

This indoor training concept has become much more prevalent over the course of the past ten years. At Landgraaf the ski slope, housing and restaurants are all contained within one facility and the controlled environment eliminates loss of training due to weather related issues.

Landgraaf is similar to the indoor snow facility in New Jersey, but the Landgraaf ski center has been in business longer, has more experience providing a quality surface and offers greater vertical elevation.

Summer update: From Coach Patrick Scanlan: "Our Backcountry athletes and coaches have been waiting patiently for winter to get back into the big mountains to ski some powder and big lines.

We have a lot to look forward to for this fall and winter including a fall rock climbing trip to Acadia National Park or North Conway, NH, a Wilderness First Aid certification course, and a return to international travel for this coming winter!"

And congratulations to Coach Patrick for earning his American Mountain Guides Association (AMGA) Assistant Ski Guide certification this spring!

Summer training: Skiers & snowboarders gathered in Carrabassett Valley in July for CVA’s Big Dog Development Summer Camp. They had their choice of developing individual goals on the trampolines, in the skatepark, in the weight room or in the gym while enjoying a fun and supportive team environment with CVA’s world-class coaches.

Over the four days, campers improved their strength, power, agility, endurance, balance and overall athleticism, the keys to long-term sporting success.

Mornings were dedicated to skill development within a customized focus, and afternoons were spent exploring and playing in the area around Carrabassett Valley. Afternoon activities included swimming, biking, hiking and field games including soccer, kick ball and disc golf.

Please help us welcome Alex Godomsky ’91 to the team as our new Director of Finance and Development.

Alex comes to CVA with a breadth of private school experience. In his 24-year tenure at Hebron Academy Alex has held a number of roles including Assistant Head of School, Director of Student Life, IT director, Math and Science Faculty, and Athletic Trainer.

He is a graduate of Bates College with a B.S. in Physics and is a CVA alumnus from the Class of 1991. A Farmington native, Alex has long been involved in Maine alpine racing and coaching, most recently, in the CVA Weekend Program.

Over the years in his expanding roles and responsibilities Alex has developed a full understanding of the operations of independent schools and student programs. In collaboration with colleagues and board members he has managed strategic plans and financial objectives while supporting his colleagues, the students and being sensitive to the school’s mission.

The Godomsky name is one familiar to CVA and Sugarloaf. Alex and his brother Mark (CVA Class of ’87) grew up ski racing at Sugarloaf. Alex is excited to be back at the Loaf with his wife, Jennifer, and three children Joseph, Daniel ’22, and Ethan ’27.

All of us in the CVA community wish to share a warm thank you and best wishes to Steve Sitz, who will retire from CVA at the end of this month.

Over the past 17 years here, Steve’s contributions to the school cannot be overstated. In his tenure, Steve’s titles of teacher, IT manager and Director of Finance haven’t remotely defined all his roles. No matter what the task or the responsibility, when asked to serve, Steve has always stepped up. His smart, strategic and conscientious financial planning and management is the reason the school is in such a strong position today.

He was honored by the CVA Board of Trustees with the H. King Cummings Service award during the 2021 graduation ceremony, an award that honors those who have performed valuable service beyond normal expectations and have made an outstanding contribution to the growth and development of CVA.

Thank you Steve for your wise counsel and friendship – and your bottomless bowl of candy.

Kaitlyn (Katie) O’Hara will be joining us this month as our new full-time Mental Health Supporter. Katie’s role will be to assess the impact of the students’ mental health needs on learning and school participation, provide on-call duties, and collaborate with the faculty and staff to promote health and wellbeing of the student body. Katie will provide confidential emotional support to our students including short-term, solution-focused therapy, crisis intervention, advocacy, and referral, when necessary.

She will be providing support on campus in the form of pre-scheduled meetings and drop in office hours, as well as conduct group work and activities. Her services will augment the Community Clinical Services Outpatient Counseling our students currently access through telemedicine, as well as our other local mental health resources.

Katie will also deliver education to students on social-emotional topics such as self-care, healthy relationships, suicide prevention, stress and anxiety, and coping skills.

Katie received a degree in Psychology & Art from Sierra Nevada College in 2016 and is completing a M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling at Saybrook University. Katie has a rich and creative history working with and advocating for teens. While living in the west, she donated her time at an integrated horse ranch in Washoe, Nevada utilizing equine and art therapy, as well as interning with Kindred Art & Folk Institute creating art with children with autism in Truckee, CA.

Most recently, Katie has gained professional experience at the Central Maine Learning Center in Belgrade as a Behavioral Health Professional working with at-risk teens.

Katie loves cross-country road trips and has lived in many places throughout the U.S. including California, Nevada, New Jersey, Washington, and Northeastern Pennsylvania, where she originally hails from. Katie decided to put down roots in Maine and now calls Kingfield home.

She loves being in the mountains and is an avid mountain biker, nordic skier, and hiker. Welcome to the Big Dog family Katie!

We proudly welcome Bill Karn ’05 to the Board of Trustees, and look forward to collaborating with him to support the future of student athletics and academics.

Bill has been a resident of Carrabassett Valley since 2020. He moved to the area with his wife, Kim, and daughters, Emmelyn (age 7) and Eliza (age 5).

Bill graduated from CVA, as an alpine racer, in 2005. His favorite part about CVA was how every day was always exciting, whether it be on the hill or in the classroom.

He went on to attend Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI), graduating in 2009 with a dual degree in Computer Science and Computer and Systems Engineering.

Since then, he has primarily worked for large technology companies, focusing on cloud networking and automation.

This summer we welcomed Alex Habig ’16 back to campus as an intern with the Alpine coaching staff. Under the mentorship of Sean Chatellard, Alpine Program Director, Alex learned about how the CVA program runs behind the scenes and helped with off-season equipment management, camp planning and preparations and learned about team management and coaching tactics. He also coached athletes during our Big Dog Development Camp.

He will be returning to Colby Sawyer College in the fall, pursuing a degree in Sports Management. Thank you Alex for giving back to your alma mater - we are proud to be a part of your continued growth and development.

A Tale of Two Sisters: Alums Erica Jenson ’16 and Alex Jenson ’13.

Erica attended Syracuse University for environmental engineering where she competed for four years in the USCSA Alpine circuit. She qualified for USCSA Nationals each year it ran, and earned an All-American title at the 2019 National Competition in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. This June, she returned home to Maine to start her career as an environmental/civil engineer at Acorn Engineering in Portland. She also plans to coach for the CVA weekend program this upcoming winter.

Alex moved to Park City, Utah upon graduating from CVA. She competed on the North American and World Cup circuits with the U.S. Moguls Ski Team, while also going to school part-time at the University of Utah. In 2019, upon a career-best finish of 7th place at the World Cup Finals in Kazakhstan, she retired from competition. She went on to earn her degree in Biology from the University of Utah, and in July started medical school at Tufts University of School of Medicine in Boston.

Congratulations to Erica, Alex and all the Big Dogs who graduated this past year. Best wishes in your next adventures. You started here and you’ll stop at nothing!

Jeff Byrne was honored by U.S. Ski and Snowboard upon his retirement this summer with the John J. Clair Award for service to national teams in recognition of his career as vice president, event for the Olympic Regional Development Authority (ORDA).

Upon the founding of CVA back in the early 80s “Byrnie” was hired as the school’s first Athletic Director, alpine coach, and Assistant Head of School. He is credited for creating the culture of excellence, kindness and spirit the Big Dogs still run with today.

In his long tenure with ORDA, he helped elevate the level of skiing in America through his pursuit of national and international events in Lake Placid. He remained active within the sport at the national and international level during his entire career. Congratulations!

Guiding the Way - Sam Morse ’13 has always kindly shared his expertise on the slopes with junior racers, but this summer he took to the river with a lucky group of Big Dogs for the adventure of a lifetime.

Sam writes “For several years I had been working towards becoming a Maine Guide. I did my apprenticeship [with former CVA coaches] Chip and Lani Cochrane at Allagash Canoe Trips. In October 2020 I passed my Recreational Maine Guide License test which opened the door for leading my own trips.

Working as a guide this summer for Allagash Canoe Trips has been an absolute blast. Getting out into the wild places of Maine like the West Branch of the Penobscot River and the Allagash River with people who have never experienced anything like it has been a dream come true.

My first trip of the summer was our annual teen trip which consisted of many Sugarloafers and athletes in various CVA programs. We put in at Churchill dam on the Allagash for the beginning of our five day trip. After having a clean run through the Class II Chase Rapids the crew rested up for 22 mile day which followed all the way to Round Pond in 80 degree sunny weather. The next morning we woke to a gentle drizzle which was a delight to paddle in and cool the sun burns from the day before.

The teens continued to impress with their stamina and pushed another 18 mile day ending at Allagash Falls (where photo was taken). The final two days were full of swimming, smore’s, and smiles as we made our way out to Allagash Village.

I’ve since gotten to guide young and old, Mainers and outta staters, families and boy scout troops, but guiding skiers from Sugarloaf was certainly one of my favorite trips. These teens never complained and were always up for a few more miles if it meant chocolate pancake peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch.

As technology rules our lives, I saw in the teens a real shift in just a week away from their phones as their creative juices for natural play began to emerge again. Being out in the wilderness and reconnecting with simpler times renews my soul and many of those I have the pleasure of guiding. See you on the river!

Families can get ahead of the fall season rush and order team jackets during the summer. Dryland gear is also for sale during the summer.

More information and links to our online stores can be found at gocva.com/apparel 

Now hiring Alpine, Freestyle, Snowboard and Ski Cross Coaches for our Weekend Program. Great benefits. Please contact Kate Punderson if interested.

Join the Action Sports Coaching Team: Our Action Sports Program seeks Freestyle and Snowboard Coaches for the 2021-22 winter season. Full-time positions with no-cost on-campus housing and meals available. CVA enjoys a strong relationship with Sugarloaf mountain and a 35+ year reputation of excellence in academics, athletics and citizenship. For questions and to submit a resume contact Action Sports Director Nathan McKenzie at nmckenzie@gocva.com.

Also hiring Director of Marketing & Communications: The successful candidate will be responsible for creating, directing, and monitoring the marketing, sales promotion, and internal/external communications for all CVA for departments. This includes but is not limited to enrollment, alumni, development, and auxiliary program departments. Responsibilities include protecting and expanding the brand, website content, social media plan and implementation, writing press releases, newsletters, and assisting with admissions, development and auxiliary program tasks and school events. The candidate must have strong marketing/communications skills, excellent social media skills, and strong project management abilities. Knowledge of ski/snowboard culture is a must. Full benefits including health, group life, short and long-term disability, ski passes, meals. Please forward resume and references to Erin Whipple, ewhipple@gocva.com