Competition Program
Whether your goal is to develop a lifelong love of alpine, freestyle, snowboarding, or Nordic, or to compete for an NCAA Division I school and beyond, Gould Academy has the coaches, the teachers, the opportunities inside and outside of the classroom, not to mention the passion to help you achieve your goals.
From regional and national competitions to international events at the highest level, the Gould Academy Competition Program provides an unbelievable educational and athletic experience thanks to our training location at Sunday River Resort located only six miles away.
During the summer, many of our student-athletes receive an extensive strength and conditioning manual and are encouraged to participate in our summer camp programs, including conditioning, trampoline, jump, and on-snow camps.
In the fall, those same student-athletes have the opportunity to take part in an intense strength and conditioning program while pursuing their passion for any number of varsity sports, including soccer, field hockey, cross-country running, and mountain biking. We also work to get our student-athletes on-snow or in pools as soon as possible through trips to Chile, Austria, Oregon, and Quebec City.
Coaching Philosophy
For all programs, a commitment to learning is assured by coaches who are experts in both applied training science and adolescent development. Coaches for the Competition Program have worked at all levels, from grassroots to World Cup, ensuring a challenging, supportive and rewarding experience for each student-athlete.
Gould Academy Competition Program
As the On Snow Program Manager, Ms. Costello provides the oversight that keeps the Gould Academy Competition Program (GACP) running smoothly throughout the winter. With her bird’s eye view of the program, she manages the daily operation for the full-time and weekend GACP. Also Gould’s Winter Term Program Coordinator, she is the liaison between Winter Term student’s sending school and Gould Faculty. Ms. Costello is a 1984 graduate of the University of Maine at Farmington and brings to Gould Academy 25 years of experience in managing various programs and departments for both Sugarloaf and Sunday River ski resorts. She lives in Bethel in the Winter Term Dorm and has two children: Meghan ‘11 and Wyatt ’12.
Coach Kimble has been Freestyle/Freeride skiing at Sunday River since the age of 6. After attending the University of Southern Maine, where he earned his athletic coaching certification, his passion for skiing led him to Lake Tahoe, CA, where he skied for the Atomic Freeride Team. He moved back to Maine in 2003 to be closer to his family, friends, and home mountain, and has been coaching at Gould ever since. He has earned his ASEP, EMT, USASA Level II, USSA Level II Mogul, USSA Level III Aerials, and ISSA Strength and Conditioning and Youth Fitness certifications. He has chaired the USSA Eastern Freeskiing Division since 2010. When winter is over, you can still find Coach Kimble working with freestyle/freeride athletes in Gould’s fitness and trampoline training facilities, at the Lake Placid or Quebec training complexes, or on the Mount Hood glacier, coaching summer freestyle ski training camps. Mr. Kimble resides in Newry with his wife, Carrie, their son, Caleb, and daughter, Ellyn.
Head Coach and Gould alumnus Parker Gray ’97 leads the postgraduate GAP Year Alpine Program. Gray is a native of Newry, Maine, and spent three years with the U.S. Men’s Olympic and World Cup teams, serving as an Assistant and Strength Coach.
While Head Coach at KMS, Gray was named Vermont Coach of the Year. As an athlete, Gray was a two-time Junior Olympic Downhill Champion, SG Champion, and overall winner. He is also a member of the Gould Athletic Hall of Fame (2018).
“I thoroughly enjoyed my time coaching the Men’s World Cup team. The experience of working with highly driven athletes and staff opened my eyes to the reality of what a highly motivated group can achieve. I hope to build on that experience at Gould and help our athletes achieve success.” -Parker Gray ’97