Developing Skills & Passion

Refresh page when toggling 'compose' mode on and off to edit.

Recommended Image Size: 1440px wide by 600px tall
(this text will not display with 'compose' mode off or on live site)

Rowmark Junior Program

We foster a lifelong appreciation of alpine skiing and racing, all in a fun, positive learning environment tailor-made for young athletes.

The Rowmark Junior Program develops versatile skiers who understand ski-racing and have a strong technical foundation in the sport. As they grow through our program, skiers become more self-reliant as we increase their level of competition, racing focus, and number of days on snow in order to prepare them for our Academy, if they wish to apply. At every level, we encourage young skiers to have fun and love the sport.

Overview of Program Structure

Team Grades Days on Snow Race Series
U14 Second Year
7-8 ~120 U14 Series and IMD Open Series
U14 First Year
6-7 ~80 South Series and/or U14 Series
U12 SS 4–6 ~60 South Series
U10 YSL 3–4 ~45

Blend within South Series and Youth Ski League

U10 YSL (First Year Only) 3–4 ~30 Blend within South Series and Youth Ski League
U8 1-3 ~15 Youth Ski League

For complete details, see Rowmark Junior Program Structure & Tuition (PDF).

Program Features & Details

  • The Rowmark Junior Program serves Rowland Hall students ages 6–14, or first through eighth grades.
  • The program takes place after school and on weekends depending on the program. The schedule is built around Rowland Hall's academic curriculum. There's harmony between the two schedules—skiers can excel in school while pursuing their ski-racing goals.
  • All dryland training occurs at school as an extension of the school day, eliminating extra parent transportation.
  • We offer transportation from school to the mountain and back for all training and races, with the exception of local races.
  • Our highly qualified coaching staff focuses on fun while enabling the students to build confidence, self-discipline, team camaraderie, and sportsmanship. Athlete to coach rations are very low.
  • Our skiers' safety is our coaches' number-one concern. We promote safety awareness on and off the mountain.
  • Our coaches emphasize mountain rules and skier courtesy.
  • Our program is made up of five different teams: U14 Second Year, U14 First Year, U12, U10 and U8. These teams offer a natural progression of increased commitment and focus on competition as ability, skill, and interest rise.
  • We see skiing as a lifelong sport that can be performed with family and friends of all ages. Our skiers develop skills they'll enjoy long after their young racing careers.

Andrew Hare
Rowmark Junior Program Director get to know Andy

Rowmark has been a wonderful experience for our family. Our children receive instruction from world-class coaches while skiing with their school friends. They absolutely love it. —Pam, parent of two Rowmark Junior athletes

[The coaches] always wanted the atmosphere to be fun because [they] wanted to instill in us the same love of the sport that [they have.]—Sofia Yubero ’17

Read more

Rowmark Stories in Fine Print Magazine

Mary Bocock wins at the 2025 NorAm in Sugarloaf.

It’s been an incredible season for five Rowmark alums competing at the international level.

Four of those alums—Breezy Johnson ’13, Katie Hensien ’18, Mary Bocock ’22, and Elisabeth Bocock ’23—are members of the US Ski Team, and one, Madi Hoffman ’18, is a member of the Australian National Team.

“It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season,” said Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director Todd Brickson.

It’s exciting to have this many alums performing at such a high level at one time, and it’s been wonderful to watch our athletes excel this season.—Todd Brickson, Rowmark Ski Academy program director

The fun kicked off early at the World Cup in Solden, Austria, where, on October 26, Katie Hensien took fourth place in the opening giant slalom event, then won her second run. Less than two months later, at the first NorAm Cup races of the season at Panorama Mountain Resort, British Columbia, Madi Hoffman won first place in giant slalom and second and third in slalom, and Mary Bocock placed third in giant slalom.

The Rowmark community saw gold in February when Breezy Johnson made history by winning the World Championships downhill in Saalbach, Austria. Breezy is only the third American woman to win gold in downhill at worlds. Just three days later, Breezy and teammate Mikaela Shiffrin took gold in the team combined event by 0.4 seconds. Katie Hensien also competed in the team combined event, skiing to 10th place out of 26 teams with partner Jackie Wiles.

Later that month, Elizabeth Bocock raced at the World Junior Championships in Tarvisio, Italy, where she took the bronze in the team parallel event and the giant slalom race. And in March, sister Mary Bocock put a bow on the season by winning both a NorAm downhill and NorAm super-G at Sugarloaf, Maine. What a year!

Congratulations to all on a banner season—it’s been an honor to cheer you on and watch you represent Rowmark on the international stage.

Alumni

A Rowmark Ski Academy athlete on the mountain.

Rowland Hall is pleased to announce that Per Lundstam has been named the new director of Rowmark Ski Academy.

Per Lundstam

Per brings over two decades of high-performance sports experience to the role, as well as a strong background in coaching and athlete development, including for high-level athletes as young as eight years old. This diverse background makes him exceptionally well-suited to lead Rowmark Ski Academy in its next chapter.

Per’s impressive coaching background includes serving as men’s assistant World Cup downhill/super-G coach, men’s assistant World Cup slalom/giant slalom coach, and head conditioning coach for US Ski & Snowboard. He also served as men’s assistant World Cup coach and head conditioning coach for the Swedish Ski Federation. Per earned Level 500 coaching certification, the highest level of coaching credential, from US Ski & Snowboard.

We are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future. He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community.—Todd Brickson, outgoing Rowmark Ski Academy director

Per’s career features significant leadership roles within top-tier sports. He’s currently the alpine sport science director for US Ski & Snowboard, where he drives innovative sports science programming. Prior to that role, Per was director of high performance for Red Bull North America, where he managed performance strategies for a wide array of elite athletes.

Throughout his career, Per has demonstrated a strong ability to build meaningful relationships and collaborate effectively with diverse stakeholders. Again and again, Per’s references spoke about his deep knowledge, his expertise in skiing and coaching, and his commitment to supporting each skier’s athletic and personal progression. He is known as a collaborative leader who listens deeply and leads with kindness.

“As I pass the torch, we are thrilled to have Per guiding Rowmark into the future,” said Todd Brickson, current Rowmark Ski Academy director. “He is a highly respected, exceptionally knowledgeable, and innovative leader in the alpine ski-racing community, and we look forward to the vision and direction he will bring to the program.”

Welcome, Per! We look forward to Rowmark Ski Academy’s bright future under your direction.

Rowmark

Alpine skier Breezy Johnson

Breezy Johnson ’13 is on fire!

The Rowland Hall/Rowmark Ski Academy alum etched her name into ski-racing history on February 8 when she took gold in a stunning downhill performance at the FIS Alpine World Ski Championships in Saalbach, Austria.

Listen to this story | Subscribe on Apple Podcasts

Despite stiff competition, as well as a demanding downhill track, Breezy blazed to victory, clocking 1:41.29—a mere 0.15 seconds faster than the next competitor—to secure her first downhill world champion title.

US Ski Team member, and former Rowmark Ski Academy member, Breezy Johnson

“This victory means everything to me,” Breezy said in a post-race interview with Eurosport. “I’ve been working toward this moment my entire life, and to achieve it on this stage, with my family and teammates here, is a dream come true.”

Raised in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, Breezy, who specializes in the downhill and super-G speed disciplines, refined her skills at Rowmark before joining the US Ski Team in 2014. Since then, she’s represented the United States in multiple World Cup seasons (in addition to this year’s victories, she has seven World Cup podiums to her name) and was a member of Team USA at the 2018 and 2022 Olympic Games.

And even after being crowned a world champion, Breezy wasn’t done. On Tuesday, February 11, she teamed up with fellow US Ski Team member Mikaela Shiffrin for the women’s team combined event, where Breezy had a strong downhill performance, finishing in third. Mikaela then followed with a slalom run time that allowed the duo to secure gold for the US. What a week!

“All of us at Rowmark are so proud of Breezy,” said Todd Brickson, program director, who has for years watched this former Rowmark athlete inspire others with her dedication, persistence, and passion for alpine ski racing.

“Ever since she was at U16 at Rowmark, she had a dream to be a world champion,” Todd continued. “After many years of commitment, injury, blood, sweat, and tears, she has reached this huge milestone. Her perseverance and work ethic are second to none, and now that she has broken through on the highest stage, this likely is the tip of the iceberg for her.”

Congratulations, Breezy! We can’t wait to see what you’ll do next.

Alumni

Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director Todd Brickson, who celebrated 20 years with the program in 2022.

Todd Brickson stands tall as a mountain in the world of ski racing. 

For the past 20 years, he has served as the program director of Rowmark Ski Academy, Rowland Hall’s world-class ski racing program, founded in 1982. An international level 500 coach in the US Ski & Snowboard Association, Todd has worked with hundreds of top-level Olympic, World Cup, and collegiate athletes. But, even with all that experience, those who know Todd don’t immediately bring up his coaching prowess, or his experience on the slopes. Instead, they talk about who he is as a person—and for good reason.

Priority one, before coaching, is to be a very good role model. You need to be the kind of person who young people aspire to be one day. Todd is solid in that way.—Olle Larsson, Rowmark Ski Academy co-founder

“Priority one, before coaching, is to be a very good role model in front of people. If you fail that, it doesn’t matter what kind of coach you are,” said Olle Larsson, former Rowmark program director and the co-founder of the program, who was instrumental in hiring Todd. “You need to be the kind of person who young people aspire to be one day. Todd is solid in that way.”

Building athletes of good character is central to Todd. He makes that clear on the first page of the handbook given to all team members. There, he writes that the main goal of the program is “for each Rowmarker to learn and develop responsible independence.” He emphasizes that there is more to being on the team than just making it down the hill, adding, “This is above all a process, a time of trial and error, a time to learn from mistakes, a time to learn how to win—and learn how to lose.”

The values of responsibility and independence that Todd promotes create a strong bedrock on which he builds exceptional competitors and people. But here is where Todd steps back a bit, to let the athletes find that fire within that’s needed to push themselves farther and achieve more. He’s the iconic definition of a coach in these moments, trusting that his athletes are capable of practicing what to do, and he allows them to do it. That mutual respect is what launches Rowmark athletes into greatness.

Rowmark Ski Academy Program Director Todd Brickson, on the hill in 2005.

   Todd on the mountain in 2005.

“Todd provided me with tools and then didn't put any pressure or expectation on race day. He knew that pushing wouldn’t help, and that I needed to figure it out,” said former Rowmarker and Olympic athlete Breezy Johnson ’13. “He provided me with the means to reach my incredibly high goals, and then was there with a hug and a word of advice, win or lose, at the end of the day.”

Todd does teach competitive spirit, but not in ways you may expect. He meets his students in competition in other arenas to show them that he respects them enough to go nose to nose. It may be on the golf course, in a go-kart, or by the side of a lake with a fishing pole in hand. Todd understands that coaching is a disposition and not contained to a certain time or place.

“There have been times when Todd has played hockey with us on a pond after skiing, or field hockey on dry land,” said Elisabeth Bocock, a senior who currently competes for both Rowmark and the US Ski Team. “He is never afraid to go shoulder on shoulder with us if that’s what it takes. He is super intense and does what he needs to do to win the game.”

And in his 20 years with the program, Todd’s intensity has helped raise the bar for Rowmark as an elite ski academy. Since 1988, there has been a representative from Rowmark at each Winter Olympics, and in 2014, the program became one of the first in the nation to achieve the Gold Certification level from the US Ski & Snowboard Association, and they’ve held onto that certification in the eight years since.

Rowmark’s skiers achieve off the slopes as well. The team currently has a 100 percent college placement rate, and its students are sought after by the best colleges and universities in the nation. “Todd is very involved in our academic success,” said Ian Hanrahan, co-captain of the Rowmark Academy Program. “He and the other coaches do a lot of work to make sure our teachers understand our busy schedules to help us stay on top of school and make sure we are successful skiers while still growing our academic careers.”

And Todd’s concern about the success of Rowmark skiers starts before they are even on the team. From the outset, he makes sure new recruits can thrive in the program. “Todd gives so much time to prospective families,” said Kathy Gunderson, former director of admission for Rowland Hall. “He cares so much about the candidates not only being a good fit for Rowmark but also finding academic success at the school as well. He’s brought recruiting to the next level.”

Todd’s recruiting prowess also extends to the coaches he selects to help guide the team. Every coach on Todd’s team knows they were selected for their excellence and are expected to reach extraordinarily high standards. But they also know that Todd views them as peers and wants them to feel welcome and able to grow as professionals through trial and error.

Rowmark Ski Academy coaches, 2010

Todd, fourth from left, with the Rowmark coaching team in 2010.


“Todd works to develop his staff,” said Rowmark Junior Program Director Troy Price. “Recently, three former staff members have gone on to coach for the US Ski Team. You must have excellent training to get job offers at that level.”

Staff development goes beyond coaching skills under Todd’s mentorship. After all, there is much more to the job than improving skiing skills. There are also all the logistical concerns, financial planning, health tracking, and emotional support needs that must be handled. Then there are the moments that are totally unexpected.

“My first season with the team we had a group of Rowmarkers involved in a head-on car accident while racing in Oregon,” said Troy. “Todd was coaching at another race in Whistler, Canada, yet he made arrangements to get to Portland. He stayed with our injured members during this extremely difficult time and was the glue that held everyone together. His empathy for others and his ability to stay calm in difficult situations is unmatched.”

Todd was a very important person in my development as an athlete. He taught me the tools I needed both technically with the fundamentals, and the greater work ethic required to make it to the highest level.—Breezy Johnson ‘13, Olympian

Todd’s two decades with Rowmark have left an indelible mark on all aspects of the program, and that impact will only continue to grow in the coming years. In 2019, an alpine training addition to the Utah Olympic Park became the team’s primary training facility, giving athletes access to the very slopes where their idols have competed. “This is the most important development for Rowmark since 1982,” said Olle. “The training arena that they now have does not exist anywhere else in the Northern Hemisphere.”

Time will tell what athletes will come off those slopes and into the national and international spotlights, but it’s clear that all of them will have benefitted from having Todd Brickson as a coach, mentor, and friend, just as those who came before them have.

“Todd was a very important person in my development as an athlete,” said Breezy. “He taught me the tools I needed both technically with the fundamentals, and the greater work ethic required to make it to the highest level.”

Rowmark


Todd's anniversary isn't the only celebration for Rowmark Ski Academy this year. Rowmark is also excited to celebrate its 40th anniversary with a celebration weekend, March 10–12.

You Belong at Rowland Hall