Coaches

At Holiday Race Team, we and our coaches de-emphasize competition and results, letting high athletic performance be a result of proper skills development in a great environment.  While we strive for success on race day, the program is geared to prepare athletes and their respective parent(s) for high school racing and to develop life-long skiers.

Our coaches focus first on SAFETY.  They provide a FUN environment for athletes to learn.  And then they provide HANDS ON TEACHING AND LEARNING for our young racers.  Holiday Race Team is unique due to our commitment to fundamental skiing (racing) based on skills development: Balance, Rotary, Edging and Pressure.  Our coaches incorporate brushes, flex gates, baby gates and other devices for a hands on experience for the athlete and the coach.

Here are our coaches.  They are awesome and they make Holiday Race Team special!

    Eric Shutler, Race Director.    Coach Eric has been a HRT coach for 8 years and was the 2008 Assistant Coach at Traverse City Central High School.  A stand-out skier at TC Central "back in the day", Coach Eric is a USSCA Level 100 Coach and a member of the Nubs Nob Race Team Coaching Staff.

    Ben Ferris, Head Coach.   Coach Ben has been a HRT coach for 8 years and was the 2009 Assistant Coach at Traverse City St. Francis High School; in 2008 Ben was named Division 1 Men's Regional Coach of the Year as he led the TC Central Men’s Ski Team to the  State Championship and the TC Central Women’s Ski Team to win Class “A” Runner-up.  Ben was also named the 2003 Class “A” High School Men’s Coach of the Year.  He is a USSCA Level 100 Coach and a member of the Nubs Nob Race Team Coaching Staff.

    Doug White.   Coach Doug has been a HRT coach for 6 years; he is a Level 2 PSIA certified coach; Head Coach of Elk Rapids Ski Team; Director of the Mt. Holiday Ski School.

Libby Schulz.   Coach Libby is in her 3rd year of coaching and this is her second year coaching for HRT!  Libby skied for Traverse City Central and was a CUSSA racer in the 80's and 90's.

High School Volunteer Coaches:

We are proud of our program to engage stand-out high school ski racers as coaches for young, aspiring athletes.  Our volunteer high school coaches provide an added dimension to the teaching experience for all of our HRT racers.  The 2011 high school coaches will be posted soon.