YOUTH BIATHLON

Methow Valley Biathlon (MVB) combines cross-country skiing and rifle marksmanship, open to 9-18 year olds (must turn nine by December 31 of current winter). Biathletes complete their ski training through MVNT, and practice marksmanship six to eight Saturday morning practices throughout the November to February season. MVB also provides support for regional and national races during the season.

Juniors on MVB should be comfortable on skis before joining the biathlon team (we suggest biathletes have ski experience equivalent to a season on the Nordic Team prior to joining MVB).  When beginning, biathletes must be accompanied by a responsible adult until approved by a coach or range safety officer.

MVB owns rifles which are available to team members to use during the season.  Each team member is responsible for purchasing their own ammunition, which is available through MVB.

Philosophy

Methow Valley Biathlon’s philosophy is built around long-term personal and athletic development.  MVB’s strong program takes a skier’s stage of development into consideration and guides skiers along an appropriate level of involvement for their long-term development and health in the sport.

MVB’s athletic programming is available to the broader community and unites our small community through sport.  This means keeping access affordable, time commitment reasonable for a range of athletes, and balancing access and excellent programming.  MVB skiers are part of the Methow Valley Nordic Team for their primary physical and ski training.  Practices are conducted according to rules in consideration of the greater Methow Valley community such as wildfire risk, trail and range partners, and land managers.

MVB demonstrates success in keeping biathletes engaged in an active lifestyle, as well as developing competitively successful athletes on a regional, national and world stage.

Practices are open to all eligible kids.  Eligibility includes being in the prescribed age range/ability level for a given training session as determined by coaches, and be currently training for skiing (i.e. to go to summer shooting training, skiers must be active in summer ski training).

All MVB members must also be members of US Biathlon for insurance purposes. Join here.

Biathlon Coaches

  • Elise Putnam, Biathlon Director

    As an alumni of Methow Valley Biathlon and the National Guard biathlon team, Elise brings a deep knowledge of our coaching philosophy to our program. She is a PSIA-certified ski instructor with a contagious enthusiasm for sharing the outdoors. Her youth development philosophy focusing on learning the individual athlete’s goals and motivations while working in a team environment fits right in.

  • Betsy Devin-Smith

    A full-time rancher and retired veterinarian, Betsy devotes her every spare moment to the Biathlon Team. Her accomplishments as a Biathlon coach, advisor, and board member earned her the award of “Volunteer Ski Coach of the Year” by the US Olympic Committee in 2010. Betsy assisted as a Biathlon Official at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics and again at the 2018 World Cup in Soldier Hollow, UT. She is a past US Master Biathlon Champion and a North American Biathlon Champion. She is a Level 1 certified Biathlon Coach and a 4H shooting sports leader.

  • Scott Waichler

    Scott started doing biathlon with his children in 2007. He is a USBA coaching member, PSIA Level 3 cross-country skiing instructor and US Skiing Level 100 coach, as well as a national masters biathlon champion. Scott also coaches skiing in MVNT.