PRINCE GEORGE SKI CLUB RIO TINTO ALCAN NANCY GREENE SKI LEAGUE HANDBOOK 2012/2013
RioTinto Alcan Nancy Greene Ski League Prince George Ski Club 2012/2013 PGSC Program Coordinator: Alice Muirhead - 250-552-5288 alicemuirhead@gmail.com Nancy Greene Coordinator: Emily Yao 250-561-1081 ngcoordinator@gmail.com Based on changes implemented by Alpine Canada Alpin, the PGSC is trying a different approach to organizing athletes into age groups. Each age group has a separate training schedule, based on the AIM 2 WIN document produced by Alpine Canada Alpin to guide the long-term development of ski racers. Below is the 2012/2013 schedule. U8 Nancy Greene program (YOB 2005, 2006, 2007): - No Dryland for this group - participating in other sports and being in involved in active play every day prior to ski season is strongly recommended. Skiing (Jan 2 - Mar. 16th): Sat. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 2 pm Sun. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 12 pm Thur. at Hart Highlands - 6:15 to 8 pm U10 Nancy Greene program (YOB 2003, 2004): - Dryland Training (Oct. 10 Dec. 11): Wed. 6 pm to 7:30 pm at Lac de Bois (old Lakewood Junior High) - participating in other sports and being in involved in active play every day prior to ski season is strongly recommended. Skiing (Jan 2 - Mar. 16th): Sat. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 2 pm Sun. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 12 pm Thur. at Hart Highlands - 6:15 pm to 8:30 pm U12 Nancy Greene program (YOB 2003, 2004): -Dryland Training (Oct. 10 Dec. 11): Wed. 6 pm to 7:30 pm at Lac de Bois (old Lakewood Junior High) - participating in other sports and being in involved in active play every day prior to ski season is strongly recommended. Skiing (Jan 2 - Mar. 16th): Sat. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 2 pm Sun. at Purden Mtn, 9:15 am to 2 pm Thur. at Hart Highlands - 6:15 pm to 8:30 pm We have found that with too much flexibility in our program in recent years it has been very difficult to plan for coaching and to keep coaches and athletes interested and enthusiastic. For skill progression to occur, children must attend practices on a regular basis. Similar to piano, swimming, gymnastics or any other activity, for a child s skiing skills to improve, they must
practice regularly in a structured environment, with a coach guiding their skill acquisition. Unstructured play, on skis and elsewhere, is also important- but improvement will be much more rapid when the two types of practice are combined! The Nancy Greene program - as implemented by the Prince George Ski Club -uses the Husky Snow Stars system to guide skill development. Husky Snow Stars is a comprehensive program designed as a component of the Alpine Integration Model (AIM) - a long-term development plan for Canadian ski racing, designed and implemented by Alpine Canada Alpin and the Canadian Ski Coaches Federation. The program is designed to introduce children to ski racing in a safe, fun and structured environment. As children develop, physically and mentally, they are introduced to progressively more complex skills and challenges. In general, the program is designed to develop: Physical capacities and physical literacy Ancillary skills-stretching, nutrition, hydration, equipment care Technical and tactical skills on-snow Competency in ski-specific motor skills. Including: o o o o Stance and balance Timing and coordination Steering and edging Pressure and carving Expose children to a wide variety of ski environments, equip them with the skills and confidence to ski in a wide variety of environments, and, perhaps most importantly, instil a love of sport that they can carry though their lives. This link has more detailed information about Husky Snow Stars: http://www.vivatexte.com/eprep/cscf/husky/husky_home_en.htm Roles and Responsibilities of Parents Encouraging constant activity in many sports is one of the most critical gifts you can give your child. The term physical literacy has emerged in recent years to encompass the development of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills. Just as important as learning to read and write, the development of physical literacy is critical if children are to feel good about physical activity. The ABCs - Agility, Balance, Coordination and Speed are the four skills that underpin physical literacy. Physical Literacy is the mastering of fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills that permit a child to read their environment and make appropriate decisions, allowing them to move confidently and with control in a wide range of physical activity situations. It supports long-term participation and performance to the best of one s ability. Physical Literacy is the cornerstone of both participation and excellence in physical activity and sport. Ideally, physical literacy is developed prior to the adolescent growth spurt. It has been adopted as the foundation of the Sport for Life concept in Canada.
Children should learn fundamental movement skills and fundamental sport skills in each of the four basic environments: On the ground as the basis for most games, sports, dance and physical activities. In the water as the basis for all aquatic activities. On snow and ice as the basis for all winter sliding activities. In the air basis for gymnastics, diving and other aerial activities. Parents, caregivers, coaches, and teachers all play a role in the development of our children s physical literacy. If these people do not fulfil their roles, children will not succeed. Ski club programs typically take up only a few months of the year. However, for all children, particularly between the ages of 5 and 12, a significant window of opportunity exists for the development of physical literacy, a quality that will equip them for a lifetime of sport participation and enjoyment. An understanding of the principles of Snow Stars, the AIM 2 WIN tools and the concept of physical literacy will enhance your understanding and communication with your child s coach and club program. It is equally important for Snow Stars participants to be properly equipped before beginning the program. Please refer to the equipment section of this document for suggestions on equipment needs, sizing and selection. Volunteering Parent volunteers are crucial for successful practices and events. It is appreciated that not all parents will want to volunteer out on skis, but there are plenty of opportunities to help to ensure that practices and races run smoothly. At the start of the season we will have a parent meeting and ask for volunteers for various committees to allow for effective planning throughout the season. Examples of the roles to be filled are, race committee members, assisting with course setting and tear down, and acting as sweep with younger groups. Parental Supervision Parents are expected to ensure that if they are not able to be at the hill during a training session or a race that there is an adult at the hill who has agreed to be responsible for their child(ren); including dealing with problematic behaviours and medical emergencies. There will be a parent coordinator at the hill during all training sessions that you can come and speak with about any concerns you may have or just to ask questions. However, the coordinator is not to be presumed to have volunteered to be in charge of children whose parents are not at the hill. Please ensure that your child comes to training and races well rested, fed, dressed appropriately and with the required equipment. If your child is not one for eating a big breakfast, putting a pocket snack that they can eat on the chairlift before the morning break can help keep them going. It is ultimately the parents responsibility (not the coaches) to deal with behavioural problems that are disruptive to the group or cause safety concerns. Coaches will deal with behaviour issues
that arise out on the hill and during dryland sessions but ongoing problems will be brought to the parent s attention with the expectation that they deal with managing their child s behaviour. Daily Training Schedule Below is an example of the format that most of the training sessions on the hill will take, but will be subject to changes based on the needs of the group and ongoing evaluation of the program. Evening sessions at Hart Highlands 6:15-6:30pm meet coaches outside lodge for warm up 6:30 8:00 pm mix of free skiing and gates as directed by coaches working on skills and fun activities, speed etc. Saturdays 9:15 9:30 am warm up outside the lodge please be on time as the coaches will not wait for stragglers 9:30 12:00 various skill group (U8, U10 and U12) will work on a particular element based on skills from the Husky Snow Stars. This will include a warm up run and basis drill to work on that skill. This will be followed with other drills and games related to the selected skill. There will also be a break for snack, washrooms and warm up as weather dictates. If you are skiing at the same time as your child either ensure that they have a snack with them, or that they can access it without you. With younger children it is recommended that you keep an eye out for when the group comes in so that you can help your child on the break. 12:00 12:30 Lunch in the lodge, please make sure that you are in the lodge at lunch with your child and check with their coach at the start of the lunch break about where they will be meeting. 12:30 2:00 training on dual courses, including drills, and obstacle courses to work on skills worked on in the morning. 2:00 parents meet coaches at the bottom of the course to pick up kids and help with course tear down. Sundays will have a similar structure over a shorter period as the training session will only go until 12 (with the exception of U12). * there will be two or three days scheduled over the season for Snow Stars evaluation days where the coaches will focus on testing on skills that are being worked on for obtaining various levels. * as part of the volunteer duties mentioned above, we will need parents to assist with acting as sweep with the U8 groups to allow for the coaches to stay at the front of the group, and help with managing smaller children on the lifts. If your child still needs help getting on and off the
chairlift it is expected that you will ski with the group to make sure that they are able to ride the lift safely. Volunteers will also be needed to help the coaches set the courses and tear them down. Equipment and Safety Guidelines * Helmets * Skis * Boots The BC Alpine Ski Association states that helmet are mandatory at all times for training and racing. To be considered suitable a helmet must be specifically manufactured for alpine ski racing, and be equipped with hard ear covers; spoilers, brims or other protrusions are not allowed. Cycling or hockey helmets are not permitted. If you need assistance with picking a helmet you can speak with one of the coaches. Helmets specifically designed for alpine ski racing can be purchased locally at NR Motors, Ruckus, or Evolve. No longer than forehead height and should have a soft flex and be parabolic or shaped old style straight skis are not suitable as the child will not be able to perform many drills and skills. Park skis, twin-tips or wide powder skis are also not recommended, as they limit skill progression. Bindings must be adjusted to the child s boot, body weight, and skiing ability. Poles (optional for 5 year olds) must be the correct length right angle elbow when on skis with poles. Flex and fit are very important when choosing boots. Children are growing and their bone and tendon structures are not yet fully developed. Children who are big for their age are often not as strong as they appear; therefore, it is better for their boots to have a softer forward flex. Boots that are too stiff disrupt balance, relaxation, and performance by causing children to compensate for the lack of movement in their ankles with incorrect movement in the knees, hips and upper body. The jump test is a simple way to select an appropriate boot. The child stands naturally in the boots, buckles done up, hands on hips. The child flexes their ankles and jumps forward and up. If the boot is too stiff they will jump up and back. Boot length is also important. Pull the liners of the boots out and have the child stand in the boot shells with light contact between one toe and the shell. Have the child flex their ankles forward, you should be able to insert one finger between the shell and the heel. If you can fit two fingers, the boot is too big.
Adjustments to the liner fit, the boot cant, boot width, footbeds and heel lift can be adjusted and readjusted as needed. This link provides more details about boot fitting: bcalpine.com/filemanager/download/?id=99 * Safety *Temperature RioTinto Alcan and the Nancy Green Ski League have a commitment to safety for all skiers on the mountain. All skiers must commit to the Skiers Responsibility Code as summarized in the back of this booklet. It is summarized as: Ski within your ability, ski within your control, staying within the boundaries, using safe equipment, respecting the safety of others, BE AWARE & SKI WITH CARE If the temperature at 8:00 am is colder than -20 C training will be cancelled. For Purden the temperature as measured at the hill will be used. You can also call the snow phone at 250-565-7777 or check the website to see if the hill is open at: http://www.purden.com/ski/wintersetup.htm For the Hart Highlands, the PG Airport temperature (Environment Canada Info) will be used. You can check if the Hart is open using the snowphone at 250-962-8006. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather, warm ski pants and jacket, good mittens or gloves, face protection and goggles. Skier s Responsibility Code Skiing can be enjoyed in many ways. At ski areas you may see people using alpine, snowboard, telemark, cross country and other specialized ski equipment, such as that used by disabled or other skiers. Regardless of how you decide to enjoy the slopes, always show courtesy to others and be aware that there are elements of risk in skiing that common sense and personal awareness can help reduce. Observe the Code listed below and share with other skiers the responsibility for a great skiing experience. 1. Always stay in control, and be able to stop or avoid other people or objects. 2. People ahead of you have the right of way. It is your responsibility to avoid them. 3. You must not stop where you obstruct a trail, or are not visible from above. 4. Whenever starting downhill or merging into a trail, look uphill and yield to others. 5. Always use devices to help prevent runaway equipment.
6. Observe all posted signs and warnings. Keep off closed trails and out of closed areas. 7. Prior to using any lift, you must have the knowledge and ability to load, ride and unload safely. KNOW THE CODE. IT S YOUR RESPONSIBILITY. This is a partial list. Be safety conscious. For more information please see our website: http://www.alpineski.ca/entry-level.html It is our goal to have a club representative at the hill during training days to answer questions and assist with the program. If you have any questions please feel free to come and speak with us, or if you prefer, please contact the Nancy Greene coordinator by email or telephone as listed above.