Coaches & Captains

Our coaches bring a wealth of technical knowledge and experience to our ski team. They are constantly striving to increase their technical and tactical knowledge of ski racing through education from the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA), the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA), and the National Ski Patrol (NSP). They ensure athletes’ long-term improvement by providing our high school racers with a solid understanding of the fundamentals of racing techniques and tactics. Skiers of all levels can subsequently improve their involvement with the Sparta Alpine Race Ski Team.

Rodney Calafati

Head Coach

Rod is an inspirational coach that has a great capability to connect with racers and get them to perform at their best. He is fanatical about alpine ski racing and brings a wealth of knowledge to the team. Rod has been involved with the Sparta Ski Team for the past nine years and this is his sixth season coaching the Sparta High School Ski Team. In June of 2022, Coach Calafati was named NJISRA Coach of The Year by his peers.

USSA Alpine Race Coach & Official | VARA Ski Coach | NJISRA Head Coach | NJISRA Council Executive Board | SWSC Stratton Winter Sports Club Alpine Race Coach | SMSS Stratton Mountain Professional Ski Instructor | USSA Alpine Competition Official (CO), Jury Advisor, U.S. SafeSport, CPR, First Aid, AED & Stop The Bleed

coach@SpartaSki.com

Brendian Moriarty

Assistant Coach

A talented alpine skier, Brendan has eight years of coaching experience with the Sparta Ski High School Ski Team. He believes in giving our athletes a solid foundation to build upon so they have a lifelong love for skiing and racing. When he is not skiing with our race team you will find him skiing the Green Mountains of Vermont.

NJISRA Assistant Coach | NJISRA Referee | CPR, First Aid & AED Certified

assistant@SpartaSki.com

Captains are selected as leaders on and off the hill. They are a great resource for new athletes on the team to answer questions and be positive role models. Please seek them out to assist you in any way.
*  Each season one to four ski racers are named team captains. Team captains are announced prior to the start of the new race season. Additional team captains may be named at the end of dry-land training.

From Left to Right: Kanna Pasunuri & Cora Moriarty

From Left to Right: Claudia Calafati & Rachel Young

From Left to Right: Connor McAndris & Olivia Finkeldie

From Left to Right: Brendan Muhs, Joe Russo, Olivia Finkeldie

From Left to Right: Brendan Huff, Valerie Shumskaya, Serena Calafati & Brendan Muhs