Lake Placid, NY - September 22, 2016 - The USA Luge Slider Search is the official nationwide athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge, targeting young athletes, ages 9-13.
The Slider Search will offer free clinics on Sunday, October 2, on the Lake Placid landfill road off Route 73. Youngsters can sign up for one session. Clinics will be offered each day from 10-12 PM and 2-4 PM.
At each series stop, guided by U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes, participants are taught the basics of riding a luge sled, including positioning, steering and stopping. Once these skills are developed, athletes take several runs down a paved luge course on wheel-equipped luge sleds.
Finally, athletes test their physical skills through a battery of fitness tests. Those who show promise in the summer program are invited to Lake Placid, N.Y., Park City, Utah, or Muskegon, Mich. to try luge on ice at a USA Luge sanctioned training site. The top young athletes from this group are selected for the next year’s development team.
The mission of this grass-roots program, established in 1985, is to identify, train and qualify young athletes for the USA Luge Junior Development Team. Athletes who may progress through the six-rung development ladder (Junior Development Team, Junior Team Candidate Select, Junior Team Candidate, Junior National Team Select, Junior National Team, National Team Select) have hopes of one-day becoming members of the National and Olympic Luge Teams.
Over the years, the USA Luge Slider Search has traveled over 220,000 miles and introduced the sport of luge to more than 20,000 eager young athletes.
Currently, most of the U.S. Junior National Team was recruited through the USA Luge Slider Search, so it’s no wonder the USA Luge coaching staff feels future National and Olympic Teams will come from this recruiting program.
Erin Hamlin, 2014 Olympic bronze medalist and 2009 World Champion, was identified in a 1999 Slider Search, while Brian Martin, a 1998 Olympic bronze and 2002 Olympic silver medalist, was discovered at a Slider Search in 1987.
Each participant need only register for one two-hour clinic. Register by phone at 1-800-USA-LUGE, or register online through our secure store site at www.usaluge.org.
The clinics are free. A cool Slider Search T-Shirt is your gift for attending.
The remaining 2016 Summer Schedule:
Oct. 2
Lake Placid, NY
Location: Entrance road to the Lake Placid land fill
Clinic times: 10am-12pm & 2-4pm
For more information on the Fastest Sport on Ice®, log on to www.usaluge.org
