Inside FIS Development Camps: Planning, passion, and paving the way for the future

Every season, young aspiring athletes or budding coaches descend on FIS Development camps across the globe. While ability varies across each cohort, their ambition to improve and compete on the biggest stages in snow sports is shared.  

Many travel long distances, others use equipment provided by FIS, some coming from nations without so much as a ski jump or cross-country trail. But what they find is a program built for them – something that allows them to progress and make connections in a safe environment.  

These camps don’t intend to be a shortcut to the top of their respective disciplines, rather a foundation on which to build. It is about providing opportunities to athletes that wouldn’t otherwise have their chance on the snow.   

The impact of these week-long events is evident, whether it is the growth shown towards the end or in athletes who rise through the junior ranks and demonstrate real promise heading towards FIS-specific races. Camps are constantly changing and growing to meet the needs of athletes, a process that runs deep through the organization and begins several months in advance.  

What many don’t see is the work that goes in behind the scenes. Coordinators work in tandem with locations and National Ski Associations (NSAs) to secure safe slopes, reliable and accessible facilities, and accommodation that supports both training and recovery.  

It is a long and demanding process to plan these activity weeks, with the athlete at the forefront of every decision made. In their own words, these organizers delve into the origins of a camp, the thought that goes into each decision, and the desired impact on athletes and coaches alike.  

Development camps: Planning the pathway 

Before anyone gets on the snow, development camps exist as a series of decisions. Dates, locations, facilities, coaching availability, travel routes – each one equally as important as the last.  

The work to put these in place begins several months in advance, with coordinators mapping out what is possible within their disciplines.  

For Ski Jumping and Nordic Combined, that planning period occurs almost a year in advance, as camp coordinator Berni Schödler explains: “At that stage, we make preliminary reservations for accommodation and ski jumping facilities, as we want to be a reliable and trusted partner. 

“Summer camps are usually easier to organize, whereas winter camps bring additional challenges due to snow conditions and hill preparation. Our objective is always to provide facilities that best support the development pathway of every participant. Safe progression, individual development, and athlete welfare remain at the center of all planning decisions.”  

Once a location and subsequent venue have been chosen, the planning widens as coordinators work alongside the FIS development team to lock in accommodation, coaches, and training facilities. 

But for all of the time and resources that go into ensuring things run as smoothly as possible, there can still be challenges. These can be anything from the weather to travel, given so many come from all over the world.  

One thing that remains a constant, however, is the support provided to help resolve any potential hurdles that may prevent the camp from going ahead.  

“In a ‘new venue’, the challenge might be to find all the facilities we need,” said Cross-Country coordinator Alberto Rigoni. “While in Val di Fiemme – given that we have been operating there for many years – it is quite easy to resolve any issues that may arise, in a newer venue we need to build excellent relationships and work closely with the local organizing committee (LOC).  

“Fortunately, the LOCs have always provided us with all the support we need.”   

Support runs deep throughout the FIS organization, each coordinator having their own dedicated team to assist with the day-to-day planning of activities, Alberto adds: “They [also plan] theory education and social activities as well.  

“I am responsible for all the logistics – accommodation, facilities, transport, and equipment, and maintain contact with the participating teams.”  

Then there is the FIS development team, spearheaded by Dimitrije Lazarovski, who is the Director for Development Programs. Communication between everyone is constant, Berni describing the team as ‘proactive and committed’ in providing support at each stage of the camp.  

On his own cohort of dedicated coaches, Berni concluded: “Their commitment on site plays a major role in ensuring that each camp is both professionally delivered and enjoyable for all participants.”  

At every stage of the planning process, and delivering on those said plans, is a community of devoted professionals nurturing the next generation of athletes and coaches. It is a collective effort that forms the foundation of these camps. 

Access and belonging: Why development camps matter 

What each and every development camp ultimately comes down to is purpose.  

What does it aim to achieve? Who does it want to impact? What are the lessons to be learned from attending?  

“Our task is to provide young athletes, who otherwise wouldn’t have the opportunity, with the chance to train under FIS coaches and improve their technique,” said Alpine camp coordinator Markus Malsiner.  

It is simple, in theory, but it captures the heart of these camps: access. Access to coaching, to facilities, and importantly, to a tangible pathway within these sports. 

For Schröder, what is equally important is enriching the ‘athlete’s backpack’, helping them leave with new and valuable experiences. It becomes less about performance and more about ensuring the individual has support in all relevant areas.  

“Ideally, [it is] filled with not only technical progress and memorable sporting experiences, but also new friendships and valuable life lessons,” he said.  

“Our goal is to create an environment where athletes feel safe, supported, and well guided as they take on individual challenges. If they return home with greater confidence, new skills, and new positive memories, then the camp has achieved its purpose.”  

With so many different people, all with ambitions of their own, participating in these camps, safety and support are paramount to what FIS offers. It allows attendees to feel completely vulnerable on and off the snow, a space to try new things and meet a like-minded community of people.  

Beneath all of the logistics, the planning of sessions, is passion. It is the beating heart of this operation, something each camp coordinator feels strongly about.  

As Alberto surmises: “The most important thing you can take from our training camps is passion – the passion that I and the entire coaching staff put into this project and into Cross-Country skiing. 

“If you can transmit your passion for your work or for your sport, I think it can be a great achievement. It can be the first step towards success.”   

Development camps: What does success look like?  

If sharing that passion for snow sports is a great step towards success, then what does success itself look like in the context of these camps? There is no single right answer, according to the coordinators.  

There is success during these events – running it “safe and injury-free” for starters, says Markus – but then there is after the camp, and how participants are able to put what they have learned into practice.  

“After the camps, we observe the young athletes’ progress in various NJR and FIS races to see what level of performance they achieve.”  

And, while there is a desire to see those in attendance go on to do well either as an athlete or in coaching, success is equally measured in many different ways.  

Berni, for example, relishes the chance to bring together so many different people who otherwise do not have the chance to mingle and learn from one another.  

“Our camps bring together a diverse mix of nationalities, coaches, and athletes, and that diversity is one of their greatest strengths,” he enthused.  

“Different cultures, expectations, and perspectives come together, creating a unique and energetic learning environment. A camp is successfulwhen every participant feels included, has the opportunity to develop, and leaves with positive experiences, new knowledge, and meaningful connections.  

“The impact of a successful camp often continues long after it has ended, through ongoing motivation, friendships, and personal growth.” 

For Alberto, success looks like engagement from athletes throughout the duration of a camp. Are they actively participating? Are they taking everything on board? And, perhaps most important, are they having fun? 

One thing each of them do agree on, however, is how sport can be used as a powerful tool to forge connection. If those who participate leave with a stronger connection to, and more passion for, their discipline, these camps have done their job.  

“Passion for the sport and hard work can connect people from all over the world, giving every young athlete a real chance to reach the next level,” Markus concluded.  

Development camps are built on care, patience, and the shared belief that access to snow sports should not be defined by geography. Just as they have until this now, the pathway will keep evolving and demands will change but the purpose remains: removing barriers and providing people with a place to learn and connect with others within sport.