Two-time Olympian joins Burke Mountain Academy as athletic program director

By Published On: April 8th, 2017Comments Off on Two-time Olympian joins Burke Mountain Academy as athletic program director

On Wednesday, Burke Mountain Academy (BMA) announced the appointment of Bradley Wall, a BMA alumnus, to the position of athletic program director effective for the 2017-2018 school year.

Brad-Wall-300x225“Brad brings a wealth of ski racing and athlete development experience to BMA, in addition to being a former student with a deep understanding of our school’s unique philosophy and culture,” said Jory Macomber, BMA’s head of school and alumnus from the class of ‘80. “He will be a tremendous asset to our leadership team and coaching staff as we move forward with the implementation of the programming linked to our High Performance Model and U.S. Ski Team High Performance Center designation.”

In his role, Wall will develop and lead a dynamic junior development coaching staff in the successful implementation of BMA’s High Performance Model for adolescent athletes. He will also lead the design and delivery of a year-round junior ski racing program to elite junior athletes, strive for top end international achievement and growth at all age levels of BMA athletes, and provide national leadership for junior ski racing development and adolescent athletic development.

Wall’s responsibilities will also encompass building parent relationships in support of each athlete’s goals, and assisting the admissions process to recruit top athletes to BMA. He will work closely with Macomber to drive the school’s strategic plan.

“This is a really exciting time to be part of BMA,” said Wall. “The High Performance Initiative and our partnership with the U.S. Ski Team reconfirms Burke’s commitment as a leader in adolescent athletic development. The recently completed Ronnie Berlack Center and upgrades to the training hill as a U.S. Ski Team Development Site provide world class training facilities. I am looking forward to bringing my experience in the Australian sporting system to BMA and working closely with the staff and parents to help prepare athletes to achieve their goals in ski racing and life.”

Most recently, Wall held the position of Alpine Program Director with Ski & Snowboard Australia where he led national team athletes to the 2014 Olympic Winter Games, 2013-2017 World Championships, 2012 Youth Olympic Games and 2013-2017 World Junior Ski Championships.

Wall’s ski racing track record includes competing at the 2002 and 2006 Winter Olympics, 2001-2005 World Championships and being crowned the 2003 NCAA Slalom Champion.

A Dartmouth College graduate from the class of 2002 with a major in psychology, Wall is no stranger to the BMA campus, having attended as a student, and then returning as a coach from 2006-2009, serving as head U18 men’s coach and assistant U21 men’s coach. He will be moving to East Burke with his wife Amy and two children, Owen and Sidney .

“I have fantastic memories of my time at BMA both as a student and coach,” added Wall. “Over the past 20 years, I’ve been involved in many different ski programs and communities, so I truly know how unique and special the Burke community is. I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to return to Burke, and I am excited to share this special place with my family.”

The strategic hiring of Wall will allow for Tomas Karlsson, formerly Alpine Program Director at BMA, to assume the newly created role of Director of Burke Racing. In his capacity, Karlsson will oversee the exciting developments and enhancements at Burke Mountain including a new high-speed T-Bar as well as increased snowmaking capacity and training terrain expansions. Entering into the 2017-2018 academic year, Darrell Gray will continue as High Performance Director at BMA.

“I’m delighted we’ve got top talents at the helm of these key leadership functions,” said Macomber. “With the vision, dedication and entire staff, there’s no doubt in my mind that BMA is in a strong position to fully leverage its designation as a U.S. Ski Team High Performance Center and significantly impact the training quality available to Burkies as well as the more than 6,000 Eastern ski racing community members,” concluded Macomber.

Release from Burke Mountain Academy

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