How to set up a high school ski team website

A high school ski team website has one job: give families, fans and sponsors one link that answers where the team races, when to be there, and how the skiers did. Skiing makes that harder than most sports. Races are at ski hills, often an hour or more away, start times depend on the hill and the weather, and a race can be moved or cancelled the morning of.

This guide walks through setting one up in the order that matters at the start of a season: the basics, the schedule, tryouts and the roster, results, sponsors, and who keeps it current. A setup checklist is at the end.

Start with the basics

Before anything else, put these on the first screen:

• the team's full name, including boys' or girls', and every school it draws from if it is a co-op
• whether the team races alpine, nordic, or both
• the season, for example 2026–27
• the home hill or practice site's name and street address
• one team email address that someone reads

The schedule

The schedule is why most people open the site. For every race, list:

• the date
• the time skiers report and the time the first run starts
• the events, such as slalom or giant slalom
• the teams racing
• the ski hill's name and street address

Ski hills are large, and the race hill may not be next to the main lodge. If the host says where spectators should go, or where to park, put that on the site.

Weather changes

Ski races move for weather more than almost any other sport: too little snow, too much wind, or ice on the roads. Post a change on the site as soon as you know, before or with the group text, and put the date of the change next to it. A family deciding whether to drive two hours at 6 a.m. will check the site first, and a schedule that is wrong once teaches them to check somewhere else.

Use the official schedule as the source

If your state association or league publishes the schedule, link to it, and keep your site matching it. A site that copies from the official schedule by hand will drift.

Tryouts and the roster

Before the season, post when practice starts, where, and what skiers need: skis, boots, a helmet, any season pass or lift ticket the team requires, and paperwork such as a physical. Say who to contact with questions, and be upfront about costs like passes, race fees and travel, so families can plan.

Once the season starts, post the roster. Name and class year are enough, and you can note whether each skier races alpine or nordic. Keep each season's roster separate.

Most high school skiers are minors. Leave off birthdays, phone numbers, addresses and anything else personal, and check your school's policy on student names and photos before posting either.

Results

Link each race on your schedule to its official results once they are posted. A short note after each race with team placing and top finishers is something families will share, and it gives relatives who couldn't make the trip a reason to visit the site.

Sponsors

Ski programs carry real costs: passes, race fees, wax, gates and travel. Local businesses are often glad to help if the recognition is visible. A sponsor section with each business's name, logo and a link to its website is something they can point to all season.

Group sponsors into two or three named levels, say what the money pays for, and include a clear way for a new sponsor to get in touch. For what to offer and how to ask, see How to ask local businesses to sponsor your team.

Give every section an owner

Team sites go stale because nobody in particular owns them. Before the first race, pick one person for each part: schedule, roster, results and sponsors. On most teams these are parent volunteers, not coaches. Then have someone check the whole site once a week in season, and on every race morning.

Make sure those people can make changes themselves. If posting a weather cancellation means emailing whoever built the site, it will not get posted in time.

That is the problem OurTeamSports was built for. It gives a team a website in its colors with schedule, roster, sponsor and event sections that coaches and parents update without a developer. To see a live team site, look at the H.H. Dow High Chargers hockey site, where it started.

Setup checklist

• The first screen names the team, boys' or girls', every school in a co-op, alpine or nordic, and the season.
• The home hill or practice site has a street address and a directions link.
• Every race lists the date, report time, first-run time, events, teams and the hill's address.
• Spectator and parking notes are posted when the host gives them.
• Weather changes go up as soon as they are known, with the date of the change.
• The site matches the official schedule, if there is one.
• Practice start, gear, passes, paperwork and costs are posted before the season.
• The roster shows name and class year, one season at a time.
• Each race links to official results when they are posted.
• Sponsors are listed by level, with what the money pays for and how to join.
• Each section has a named owner who can edit it, and someone checks the site weekly and on race mornings.