History
In 1977, a winter tutorial program for elite student-athletes began in Lake Placid. For the first two years, students skied at Whiteface Mountain by day and studied with hired tutors by night. Each spring, students returned to their schools at home, having earned credit for winter classes. The tutorial program was named Mountain House.
For the next four years, the number of students in the program hovered between 20 and 30, and housing for the students changed frequently. After outgrowing hotel rooms at the Mirror Lake Inn, the school moved to a house on Maple Street. In 1981, with encouragement from students and teachers, the school changed from a winter-only program to a 10-month school. In addition to Alpine skiing, Mountain House also offered figure skating, luge, Nordic skiing, ski jumping and speed skating. Mountain House was quickly shaping into a college-preparatory school for a variety of winter-sport athletes.
Mountain House moved to the former Chalet Hotel, located on the shores of Lake Placid and then to the former Winterset Inn, located on the shores of Mirror Lake. Winterset was built to house Italian athletes during the 1980 Winter Olympics and afterwards served as a hotel for a brief time. The building offered Mountain House much-needed space for dormitories, classrooms, science labs, offices and a library. Adjacent to this location is the Olympic Arena, tennis courts, a public beach and the village of Lake Placid.
The school changed its name to National Sports Academy on March 17, 1989. The new name was chosen to reflect the high caliber athletes who attend the school, representing the United States as well as countries throughout Europe and Canada. NSA has offered high-caliber training in 11 winter sports: Alpine skiing, biathlon, boys and girls hockey, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, Nordic combined, Nordic skiing, ski jumping and snowboarding.
Today, while continuing to offer high-caliber training in winter sports, the school has expanded it's mission and has a rigorous sport-based, project-based, and place-based college-preparatory curriculum, and an excellent college placement record.
For the next four years, the number of students in the program hovered between 20 and 30, and housing for the students changed frequently. After outgrowing hotel rooms at the Mirror Lake Inn, the school moved to a house on Maple Street. In 1981, with encouragement from students and teachers, the school changed from a winter-only program to a 10-month school. In addition to Alpine skiing, Mountain House also offered figure skating, luge, Nordic skiing, ski jumping and speed skating. Mountain House was quickly shaping into a college-preparatory school for a variety of winter-sport athletes.
Mountain House moved to the former Chalet Hotel, located on the shores of Lake Placid and then to the former Winterset Inn, located on the shores of Mirror Lake. Winterset was built to house Italian athletes during the 1980 Winter Olympics and afterwards served as a hotel for a brief time. The building offered Mountain House much-needed space for dormitories, classrooms, science labs, offices and a library. Adjacent to this location is the Olympic Arena, tennis courts, a public beach and the village of Lake Placid.
The school changed its name to National Sports Academy on March 17, 1989. The new name was chosen to reflect the high caliber athletes who attend the school, representing the United States as well as countries throughout Europe and Canada. NSA has offered high-caliber training in 11 winter sports: Alpine skiing, biathlon, boys and girls hockey, figure skating, freestyle skiing, luge, Nordic combined, Nordic skiing, ski jumping and snowboarding.
Today, while continuing to offer high-caliber training in winter sports, the school has expanded it's mission and has a rigorous sport-based, project-based, and place-based college-preparatory curriculum, and an excellent college placement record.