National Sports Academy is a private preparatory school for winter-sport athletes in Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid, New York

Lake Placid is a village in the Adirondack Mountains in Essex County, New York, United States. As of the 2000 census, the village had a population of 2,638....

, United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

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History

The school began in 1977 as Mountain House, a winter tutorial program for student-athletes. The school changed from a winter-only program to a traditional school calendar in 1981, and changed its name to National Sports Academy on March 17, 1989.

Campus

The school is housed in the former Winterset Inn, which housed Italian athletes during the 1980 Winter Olympics

1980 Winter Olympics

The 1980 Winter Olympics, officially known as the XIII Olympic Winter Games, was a multi-sport event which was celebrated from 13 February through 24 February 1980 in Lake Placid, New York, United States of America. This was the second time the Upstate New York village hosted the Games, after 1932...

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Curriculum

The school's student athletes focus on one of ten winter sports: Alpine skiing, freestyle skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, ski jumping, Nordic combined, biathlon, figure skating, luge, and boys’ and girls’ hockey. Academic studies are addressed by a rigorous college-preparatory curriculum and specialized curricula and tutors for students who travel to compete.

Extracurricular activities

Student groups and activities at National Sports Academy include a community service committee, a cultural arts committee, Coffee Haus, dodgeball club, ping pong tournaments, student council, a sustainability and stewardship council, ultimate Frisbee club, and yearbook.

Notable alumni

National Sports Academy has had 34 National team members, 21 members of the U.S. Ski Team, five Members US Jr. Luge Team, 2 members of the Czech Women's Ice Hockey Team, and its alumni have won five National Nordic Skiing Titles, 5 Nordic Skiing Medalists, eight Jr. National Skiing Titles, and one Women's National Luge Champion.

• A. J. Kitt
  A. J. Kitt
  Alva Ross Kitt IV "A.J." Kitt is a former alpine ski racer. A member of the U.S. Ski Team for over a decade, Kitt retired from international competition following the 1998 season, at age 29. He had 21 top ten finishes and six World Cup podiums, which included one downhill victory...
  
  , alpine skiing
• Duncan Kennedy
  Duncan Kennedy (luge)
  Duncan Kennedy is an American luger who competed from 1979 to 1997. He is best known for being the first American to win a Luge World Cup event when he won at the Sigulda track in early 1991 in the Soviet Union...
  
  , luger
• Cammy Myler
  Cammy Myler
  Cameron "Cammy" Myler is an American luger who was a member of the U.S. National Luge Team from 1985 to 1998 and competed on four Winter Olympics teams - 1988 , 1992 1994 and 1998...
  
  , luger
• Samantha Retrosi
  Samantha Retrosi
  Samantha Retrosi is an American luger who competed from 2002 to 2007. She competed in the women's singles event at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin....
  
  , luger
• Courtney Zablocki
  Courtney Zablocki
  Courtney Zablocki is an American luger who competed from 1997 to 2010. Competing in two Winter Olympics, she earned her best finish of fourth in the women's singles event at Turin in 2006....
  
  , luger