What are your goals today, this week and this season? Here are some ideas for you...
FIRST YEAR SKIER:
- Learn the basics to Skate and Classic skiing ("Going through the gears": V1 to V2 and striding to kick-double poling)
- Gain confidence down-hilling
- Skiing on flat skis (...not your edges) both skate and especially classic
- By the end of the season, accelerating on skis
- Learn the basics to ski waxing (Both glide and kick waxing)
- Learn the basics to dressing for weather conditions (i.e. layering, packing for the day)
- Racing goal: finish races!
SECOND YEAR SKIER:
- Gain high confidence on skis going fast (Going through the gears both skate and classic)
- Understand that V2 is the predominant gear in skating; and it has many speeds (easy-medium-hard-freaky fast)
- Understand how powerful you can kick classicalling
- Experiment with V1 weak-side
- Regularly practice skate and classic skills without poles
- Confidence skiing in a "Crowd"; comfortable with mass start races
- Giving regular "Atta-boys" and "Atta-girls" to teammates
- Fluent in basic Nordic ski concepts: V2, weak-side, kick-double pole, flat skis, ankle flexion)
- Racing goal: accelerating in the second half of races
THIRD YEAR SKIER:
- If you're on the ski team to race, this is your first year really "Racing"...go after it and give your best every race
- Develop your race day routine (warm-up, bibs, preview course); encourage solid warm-ups and cool-downs racing
- If you're on the ski team to have fun, you understand skiing well enough to share your abilities and coach first/second year skiers
- Master ability to classic/kick without poles (striding and kick-double poling)
- Practice eating and skiing; learning what to eat, what not to eat, eating enough, eating at the right times
- High confidence open-fielding and V1 left and right
- Ability to herring-bone and flying herring-bone
- Begin communicating with coach(es) directly
- Attend a few morning weight room sessions
FOURTH YEAR SKIER:
- Regularly attend morning weight room; understand how summer and fall fitness will improve your winter performance
- Continue to take advantage of drills about basics
- Master Fast-V1 and Flying Herring-Bone for climbing hills
- Begin to be a leader
- Establish your own personal goals for skiing
- Serious about stretching (in all activities, not just skiing)
- Able to maintain a training pace and race pace; can knock out a 2-hour ski no problem!
- Fluent in advanced ski concepts: fast feet/fast-V1, weak-side races, open-fielding, flying herring-bone)
- Racing goal: consistent racing; reviewing your races; improving all small weaknesses
FIFTH YEAR SKIER:
- Participate in summer ski camp(s); explore racing outside high school schedule
- Balance summer skiing with any other summer programs; perform basic summer weight/core program
- Taking full advantage of your fall sport and fall weight room/core
- Easily communicates one-on-one with coaching staff daily
- Participate in varsity winter camp trip
- Master at transitioning into and out of a hill-climbs
- Ability to adjust technique for changing weather and course conditions; prepare and develop your race strategy
- Willing to ski various positions in the roster; listens carefully to your body
- Knock out 3-hour double pole training ski in the summer (eating and drinking along the way)!
- Racing goal: very familiar with each race course; doing anything during a race that makes you faster
SIXTH YEAR SKIER:
- Itching for first day of Nordic ski practice
- Knows the route to Biwabik without needing a GPS
- Skilled at deciding between Olive Garden and Pizza Luce
- Loves being in the 10-passenger van
- Appreciates the challenges faced in skiing, and ready to take on greater ones