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 Wirth Club Skier Guide.pdf | 66.51 KB |
March 2nd Announcement
Clothing tips for cold weather
Cold feet and hands are the most common issue. Use this checklist for success:
Dry boots: Boots need to be dried out near a heat source between uses. They can’t stay in the car or garage.
Wool socks: No poly blends, no cotton. Really. I mean it.
Dry socks: A dry pair of socks needs to be put on right before you put on your boots. This makes a big difference.
No updrafts: Cold hands can often mean your body is too cool. Make sure jackets are not too big and billowy. To stop drafts, stuff jackets into pants, tighten drawstrings or wear a drink belt.
Put on a hat (and a neck gator): We all know we lose a lot of heat through our heads. But making sure your ears and neck are covered is just as important. I’m not sure how we used to survive without neck gators (buffs, muffs, neck warmers), because they seem like a necessity now.
Good gloves: Good ski gloves/mittens are an investment and can only be found at ski retailers, but they are worth it. Keeping track of these should be in your job description. These should not be your child's school playground mittens.
Hand/Foot warmers: I only use these when I have to, but I’m usually very glad I have a few in my pocket for emergencies. These are oxygen activated and you can “turn them off” by putting them in an airtight container (such as a jam jar). I get about three uses out of each pack.
Calories: A skier that is low on calories will have a hard time staying warm. Bringing back up snacks and drinks is always a good idea.
Ramdev Wudali (Coach Coordinator)
Katherine Kovarik (Skier Coordinator)
Wirth Sunday SkiSparks is now full. We encourage you to register for one of our other SkiSparks clubs if your first choice is full. SkiSparks clubs are more alike than different. All use the same curriculum and coaching philosophy. Additionally, all clubs in the Twin Cities metro area have been assigned a back-up location at a facility with snowmaking (Hyland, Elm Creek, Wirth or Edina).
Some great alternative clubs with Wirth Sunday:
General Information
Schedule and location:
The Wirth Club is scheduled to meet on eight Sundays from 3:00 p.m. to 4:30 p.m., beginning Sunday January 6, 2019 and ending Sunday, March 3, 2019 at the new Trailhead Building on Theodore Wirth Parkway (we take February 3rd off for the City of Lakes Loppet). Please plan on arriving early to find parking and to get your skier dressed, equipped and with their group. Your coach would like to start skiing at 3 p.m.! (The parking lot in front of the Trailhead can fill up on nice days; if it does, you can park in the large parking lot by the history Golf Chalet).
After skiing, the kids gather in the Trailhead for a snack. Please plan on volunteering to bring a snack once throughout the season. We will post a snack volunteer sheet in the back room of the Trailhead. Look for your assigned day (roughly alphabetical) and switch with another family if you need to. Ideas for snacks are: granola bars, oranges, bananas, cheese, crackers, juice. Each family should bring enough snacks so that there is one snack per child. (Note that early in the season and on pleasant days more kids will turn out.) If you are in the mood for a larger snack, we encourage everyone to buy food at the snack bar. Thank you!
We typically hold an awards ceremony on the last Sunday session of skiing. Volunteer to help make this a success.
Registration:
Register online on the MYSL Web site or contact our club's Skier Coordinator if you have any questions. To ensure appropriate class size for our volunteer coaches, registration will be on a first come, first serve basis and will close when we reach our limit of 170 skiers. Register early and volunteer to give our kids a great ski season!
Levels 1 through 4 teach the classic technique and Levels 5 and 6 introduce skating. If you are new to MYSL, use the age ranges as a guide when you register; your coach will help place your child in the appropriate level after the first class.
We require that a parent accompany any child not yet in first grade or any beginner in Level 1; this will ensure a great ski experience, and, you will be able to demonstrate how to ski (or how to fall down, as the case may be . . .)
Ski Passes:
Minneapolis Parks Ski Trails at Columbia Golf Course, Hiawatha Golf Course and Wirth Park are now managed by The Loppet Foundation.
Parents and coaches on skis will also need passes (there is no walking on the trails). These can be purchased here:
http://www.loppet.org/cross-country-skiing/trail-passes/
You will need the:
All Access Trails Season Pass
Q&A:
Q: Is my pass good for skiing at all Minneapolis Ski Trails and at times other than MYSL Club meetings?
A: YES. But you do need to display a pass where ever you are skiing.
Volunteers:
We need you! The Wirth Club is an all-volunteer club. We depend on parents and other volunteers to coach, encourage and help organize our children, and we expect at least one adult volunteer from each family registered. With your participation, we can create a great winter experience for our kids. We need these volunteers:
Weather:
The Club will cancel skiing if the temperature is forecast to be below -10 degrees F or if the wind chill is forecast to be less than -20 degrees F. The Club may also cancel or change locations if snow conditions are poor. A cancellation or location change announcement will be sent by e-mail to the address provided when you registered. Data point: on January 4, 2015 we held MYSL when the temperature was 1 degree and the wind chill was -20 degrees (gusts forecast to be even lower); it was sunny. We had a good turnuot and no complaints.
Equipment:
All children should have their own ski equipment. Wirth Park does rent classic equipment, but the selection can be limited. If you need equipment or have equipment to sell, check out MYSL's ski swap in November. Make sure your skiers are dressed in layers appropriate for the weather conditions and are fed and hydrated. A dry, warm skier is a happy skier! Older children who will be skiing some distance should carry a water bottle.
Each child will be issued a stylish (i.e., white) MYSL bib on the first day and will be required to wear their bib each session. Bibs immediately identify your child as being with our club and help the coaches learn names. Please do your child a favor right now and think of a clever place to stash his or her bib between sessions so you don't forget it--consider leaving them in your car, in your ski bag, or with ski clothing. Please return bibs on the last day.
Curriculum:
The MYSL curriculum teaches skiing with games using an orderly progression through six distinct levels, Levels 1 through 6. Most all skiers (especially at the lower levels) WILL spend two years in each level, e.g., a beginning skier will spend two years in Level 1 at ages 5 and 6. To progress to the next level a skier must reach specific goals at each level. The curriculum is not designed so that a skier spends only one year in each level. Please familiarize yourself with these levels so that you can be aware of what your skier is working on and so that you can offer encouragement. Your coach can always explain the curriculum and goals to you and offer a recommendation for a suitable level.
Looking forward to another great season, and please contact us with questions or feedback, your Wirth Club leaders,
Katherine Kovarik, katherine.kovarik@gmail.com (Skier Coordinator, registration)
Ramdev Wudali, agastya71@gmail.com (Coach Coordinator)
Sandy Zinn, zinneous@gmail.com (612)-655-1072 (Club Leader)
