The Winter Sports School's congratulatory yard signs in its yard for last nights graduation. Photo: Michele Roepke

PARK CITY, Utah — Yesterday was graduation day for student-athletes of the Winter Sports School (WSS) in Park City. A few students each year are not able to walk in the ceremony as they are already traveling the country, if not the world, as elite competitors.

Classes at the WSS run from April through November to give students time during the winter months to focus on athletic training and competition. They complete a full college preparatory curriculum in 144 days over seven months.

Four-time Olympian and two-time gold medalist Ted Ligity is quoted on the WSS website as saying, “I graduated and made it straight onto the U.S. Ski Team, but I felt like the education here helped me with what I’ve done since then, and I was able to start my own business with Shred and also feel like I’m better equipped for the rest of the world.”
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Sports students specialize in include:

Alpine Skiing,
Freestyle Skiing
Snowboarding
Nordic Combined
Nordic Skiing
Nordic Ski Jumping
Biathlon
Bobsled
Skeleton
Luge
Figure Skating
Speed Skating
Hockey
Curling

Areas of instruction are held to the core requirements for Utah high school graduation and for college admissions and include:

English*
Math*
Science*
Foreign Language*
Social Studies*
Health
Art
CTE (Career and Technical Education)

*Honors available

Physical Education credits and progress towards the WSS graduation requirements are earned by virtue of the hours the athletes spend training and competing with the teams and coaches of their choice; an eligible coach or athletic director must sign off on those hours.

Over its 20 years, WSS graduates have gone on to win Olympic, World Cup, National, Collegiate, and junior titles in multiple sports.

The fully accredited, 9 – 12 grade school began as a private school 20 years ago but approximately ten years ago it switched to a public charter school, to which Utah residents pay no tuition.

Originally, the school was housed in portable buildings at the Utah Olympic Park, buildings that now house USA Nordic.