The Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search is the official nationwide athlete recruitment tour of USA Luge, targeting young athletes, ages 11-14.  The mission of this grass-roots program, sponsored by Verizon and established in 1985, is to identify, train and qualify young athletes for the USA Luge Junior Development Team.  Athletes who may progress through the six-rung development ladder (Junior Development Team, Junior Team Candidate Select, Junior Team Candidate, Junior National Team Select, Junior National Team, Senior National Team Select) have hopes of one-day becoming members of the Senior National and Olympic Luge Teams.

Over the years, the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search has traveled over 220,000 miles and introduced the sport of luge to more than 19,000 eager young athletes.  At each series stop, guided by U.S. Olympic and National Team coaches and athletes, participants are taught the basics of riding a luge sled, including positioning, steering and stopping.  Once these skills are developed, athletes take several runs down a paved luge course on wheel-equipped luge sleds.  Finally, athletes test their physical skills through a battery of fitness tests.  Those who show promise in the summer program are invited to Lake Placid, N.Y., Park City, Utah or Marquette, Mich. to try luge on ice at a USA Luge sanctioned training site.  The top young athletes from this group are selected for the next year’s development team.

Currently, most of the U.S. Junior National Team was recruited through the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search, so it’s no wonder the USA Luge coaching staff feels future National and Olympic Teams will come from this recruiting program.  Brian Martin, a 1998 Olympic bronze and 2002 Olympic silver medalist, was discovered at a Slider Search in 1987.  Eight members from USA Luge's 2006 Olympic team (including the entire women's singles squad) were graduates of the Search. 

Each participant need only register for one 3-hour clinic. Register by phone at 1-800-USA-LUGE. A registration fee of $15 can be paid by credit card at the time of registration (VISA, MC, AMEX). Attendees must be present 15 minutes prior to the start of each clinic.

In the event of rain, a clinic may be canceled for safety reasons and will not be rescheduled. A parent or legal guardian must attend the clinic with each athlete. Each participant will receive a FREE Slider Search T-shirt courtesy of Verizon!

To receive information for a future clinic, please e-mail us your name, address, phone number, gender, date of birth, height, weight and clinic you wish to attend at info@usaluge.org, or call1-800-USA-LUGE. 

USA Luge would like to thank Eds' Wheels, www.edswheels.comfor providing high quality in-line skate wheels and bearings for use in the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search.

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