Winter Sports School

What Winter Sports School does

Winter Sports School (WSS) is a non-profit 501c3 public charter school headquartered in Park City, Utah, founded in 1994 and operating under Utah State Charter School status since July 2014. It serves grades 9–12 with a college-preparatory curriculum delivered across 144 instructional days from April through November, deliberately freeing the winter months for athletic training and competition. Current enrollment is 117 students against a stated capacity of up to 30 per grade level.

The school's core product is a single instructor-led academic program accredited by Cognia/AdvancED, augmented by an Elite Athlete Flex pathway for high-performance athletes with year-round travel demands. WSS does not use proprietary technology; it relies on standard educational platforms (Canvas LMS, Google Workspace, Zoom). Unlike integrated ski academies, WSS does not provide coaching, leaving students free to select their own clubs and coaches across all winter disciplines — skiing, snowboarding, figure skating, speed skating, luge, skeleton, and others.

Revenue is derived from three streams: Utah State Charter School per-pupil funding for resident students (who attend tuition-free), non-resident tuition of $19,505 per school year, and private donations via an Annual Fund and a $5 million Reaching New Peaks capital campaign (currently at $2.8M raised). Distribution is direct enrollment through a lottery-based admissions process with four open enrollment periods annually; marketing is primarily community/word-of-mouth within winter-sports networks, supported by the school website, newsletter, social media, and partnerships with youth sport development clubs.

Name

Winter Sports School

Legal name

The Winter Sports School

Website

https://wintersportsschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Winter Sports School is a non-profit public charter school in Park City, Utah, providing a college-preparatory high school education (grades 9–12) for dedicated winter-sports student-athletes, with classes held April through November. It serves ~117 students across skiing, snowboarding, luge, skeleton, and other Olympic-track disciplines.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

College Preparatory Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Pre-College Summer/Winter Academic Programs (High School Students) (EDAIAIAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Interscholastic Athletics (Varsity/JV Teams) (EDAJAJAA), Winter Sports & Snow Training Schools (Ski, Snowboard, Ice Sports) (MPAKAJAI)

Keywords

• College preparatory education
• Winter sports academy
• Charter school programs
• Secondary education services
• Student-athlete programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Park City

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Charter School Funding: As a Utah State Charter School, WSS receives public funding per student from the state. It reports to the Utah State Charter School Board and Utah State Board of Education. Receives Charter School Local Replacement funding.
2. Non-Resident Tuition: Non-Utah resident students pay tuition of $19,505 for the 2026 school year. This is a primary revenue stream for out-of-state student-athletes.
3. Private Donations and Fundraising: As a non-profit 501c3 organization, WSS depends on private contributions through its Annual Fund and Reaching New Peaks capital campaign. Fundraising events and donations support need-based tuition grants, facility improvements, and extracurricular activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Winter Sports School provides a college-preparatory secondary education for grades 9-12 dedicated winter sports student-athletes, delivered on a unique April-through-November academic calendar that frees students to train and compete during winter months. Utah residents attend tuition-free as a public charter school, while non-residents pay annual tuition of $19,505. The program is Cognia/AdvancED accredited and includes honors coursework, college counseling, and an Elite Athlete Flex option for high-performance athletes.

Product overview

Winter Sports School offers a single, unified educational product: a college-preparatory academic program specifically designed for dedicated winter athletes. The core offering is the College Preparatory Academic Program, which runs April through November, allowing students to focus on athletics during winter months. An add-on module, the Elite Athlete Flex Program, provides additional flexibility for elite athletes with demanding competition schedules. The school does not operate a platform-plus-modules technology architecture; it is a traditional educational institution whose 'products' are its educational programs and services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• College Preparatory Academic Program Core college-preparatory academic program for grades 9-12 dedicated winter sports student-athletes, delivered April through November (144 days over seven months), Cognia/AdvancED accredited, with honors coursework, Naviance college/career planning, and ~93% college placement rate. Utah residents attend tuition-free; non-residents pay $19,505/year.
• Elite Athlete Flex Program Add-on academic scheduling program within WSS for national and international-level student-athletes requiring individualized academic pacing due to extensive year-round travel, training, and competition. Application through the regular WSS admissions process.

Quantifiable outcome

• 93% college/university placement rate within two years of graduation
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Lindsey Vonn FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 August 2024WSS became the first school in the United States to integrate the Lindsey Vonn Foundation (LVF) accredited educational program into its annual advisory curriculum. The #STRONGgirls Camp is scheduled for Summer 2025, bringing leadership and empowerment programming to WSS students.
• US Ski & SnowboardcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 July 2024Strategic partnership to support young athletes. WSS and US Ski & Snowboard joined forces to provide educational support for athletes in the US Ski & Snowboard system. WSS has access to world-class training facilities used by US Olympic teams including those at the Utah Olympic Park.
• Park City Ski & SnowboardminorOthersPrimary training club for WSS students. One of the major youth sport development clubs where WSS student-athletes train. WSS does not integrate athletic programs internally - students choose their own clubs and coaches.
• Snowbird Ski Education FoundationminorOthersYouth sport development club where WSS student-athletes train and develop their skills alongside their academic studies.
• Team Soldier HollowminorOthersMajor youth sport development club for cross-country skiing and other winter sports where WSS student-athletes train.
• Wasatch FreestyleminorOthersFreestyle skiing and snowboarding club where WSS student-athletes train for moguls, aerials, halfpipe, and slopestyle events.
• Altabird FreeskiminorOthersFreeski club where WSS student-athletes train alongside their academic commitments.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Sun Valley Ski Academy: Idaho-based academy combining college-prep academics with elite ski racing training. A regional direct peer serving the same dedicated winter-sport student-athlete persona.
• Rowmark Ski Academy: Salt Lake City-based ski academy that combines college-prep academics with elite alpine training, geographically overlapping WSS's Utah/Salt Lake City ecosystem and competing for the same regional athlete pool.
• Green Mountain Valley School: Waitsfield, Vermont ski academy combining college-prep academics with alpine, freestyle, and snowboard training. Directly comparable in product offering and target customer (competitive winter-sport student-athletes).
• Waterville Valley Academy: New Hampshire-based ski racing and snowboard academy integrating competitive winter-sport training with secondary education. Competes for similar student-athletes pursuing alpine and freestyle pathways.
• Stratton Mountain School: Vermont boarding and day school combining college-prep academics with elite ski racing, snowboarding, and freestyle training. Competes for the same student-athlete persona and feeds athletes into U.S. Ski & Snowboard pipelines.
• Burke Mountain Academy: East Burke, Vermont-based college-prep school dedicated to competitive ski racing and winter sports. Closest direct competitor to WSS, with a similar model of combining rigorous college-prep academics with elite winter-sport training, producing numerous U.S. Ski Team alumni.
• Carrabassett Valley Academy: Maine-based ski racing academy offering a college-prep curriculum integrated with year-round ski and snowboard training. A direct peer in the niche winter-sport secondary education market.
• Mt. Mansfield Winter Academy: Stowe, Vermont program providing flexible academic scheduling for elite ski racing student-athletes. Conceptually similar to WSS's Elite Athlete Flex program and serves the same niche market.

Broad incumbents

• IMG Academy: Large multi-sport boarding and day school in Florida serving elite athletes across many disciplines, including winter sports (figure skating, gymnastics, etc.). Operates at much greater scale and broader portfolio but competes for the same college-prep-plus-elite-training customer.

Regional players

• Holderness School: New Hampshire college-prep boarding school with a competitive ski program. Broader curriculum than WSS but competes for the same athlete-families seeking rigorous academics plus elite skiing, primarily in the Northeast.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/wintersportsschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/explore/locations/249354953/the-winter-sports-school-in-park-city
• Xx.com/wsspc1
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wintersportschool

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Winter Sports School