Caledonia Nordic Junior Racing Team

Parent Manual

At the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club, our values reflect the way in which we conduct our

business operations. Our core values are present and considered as a part of every

decision that is made by a staff member or volunteer on a daily basis. Caledonia

Nordic Ski Club’s values can best be expressed in the following value statements:

Community - We strive to create a happy environment and atmosphere that

promotes Sport for Life.

Accountable – We are open and transparent about what, how and why we

operate.

Collaborative – We work with our members and partner with key

stakeholders to enhance our programs, services and facilities.

Service Oriented – We lead and support our community with passion and

integrity.

Family –Our club fosters togetherness through the appreciation of nature and

love for Nordic sport and summer recreational activities.

As a member of Caledonia Nordic Junior Racing Team, your child will participate in a

more competitive level of cross-country skiing while maintaining the fun, positive

aspects of the sport that keep us all active for life on the snow. By being a part of

the Racing team, they are committing themselves to the roles and responsibilities of

an athlete with goals of excellence in their sport. The Caledonia Nordic coaching staff and volunteers are committed to helping your

child achieve their goals as a skier. Following the guidelines established by Cross

Country Canada and Biathlon Canada, the coaching staff will develop and monitor a

training plan best suited to both the short and long-term goals of your child. You, as a parent of a Caledonia athlete, are also making a team commitment.

Depending on the age of the child, your level of commitment will vary but

regardless, you will play an important role in your child’s success.

Beyond your financial commitment, there is: transportation to practices; encouraging

your child to train, compete, and maintain balance with other activities such as

school work and friends; monitoring their diet and health; helping them with

packing, equipment and other race related logistics, among others. Ultimately you

will play a part in developing a highly trained, highly organized and self-reliant

person. As a parent, you will also be asked to contribute to the team as a whole. On

occasion, your assistance may be required at races, e.g., to shuttle athletes to and

from the race site or grocery runs. You will also be expected to provide support

when we host events such as ski races or camps, e.g., driving, marshalling, billeting,

etc. Fundraising for the team is also a significant role parents play. There are

typically 3 or 4 fundraisers throughout the year. We appreciate the support

throughout the program and recognize this program could not function without the

parents as a part of the overall team.

The Program

Caledonia Nordic Ski Club’s Junior Racing program is designed to build skills and

confidence in our athletes and make the racing experience more fun. We are not

emphasizing goals focused on ranking and medals. Our main mission is to help our

athletes achieve personal success based on their individual goals. You may pick one

of the following program focuses. These focuses are designed to allow you flexibility

in your training depending on what level you wish to perform at. We are encouraging

your goals and will do our best to bring you success in your sport.

1. Level I: Local Focus

● Train with racing team in summer and winter seasons

● Attend local races and school races. Possibly try a local BC Cup hosted in

Prince George. Further BC Cups if interested

● Develop independence and self-reliance when it comes to getting to

training sessions and races on time, clothing for the day’s activities, caring

for equipment, waxing your own skis for training sessions

● Lead a balanced life, spending time with family and keeping up with

school work

● Commit to your own health by ensuring proper nutrition, recovery,

hydration, and sleep

● Be supportive and encouraging of your teammates, treat them with

respect

● Participate actively in fundraising and social events

● Be respectful of Caledonia Nordic athletes, coaches and parents, as well as

other competitors, coaches and race officials

2. Level II: Provincial Focus - All of Local Focus plus:

● Commit to your own progress and train with team

● Attend group dryland and on snow sessions regularly

● Try to follow daily training plan (flexible, taking all of your other activities

into account) This will start beginning of May of this year

● Keep a training log, daily. Use Training Peaks to log training and activity

regularly. That includes all activities and other developments (feeling sick,

illness, etc).

● Understand the importance of recovery periods and follow them

● Keen on attending one or two BC Cups to try higher level competition.

Western Canadians and NorAms are options if you are super keen.

● Carry water bottle belt at every session

● Enthusiasm to ski classic and skate 50/50 and dealing with wax issues on

your own when skiing alone in any conditions

● Setting SMART goals with help of coaches (Specific, Measurable,

Attainable, Realistic, Timely)

● Introduction to learning how to deal with extreme conditions.

● Strive towards Provincial Talent/Development Squads (CCBC Guidelines,

Biathlon BC Guidelines)

3. Level III: National Focus - all of the above plus

● Check in regularly with coaches to discuss training program,

● Travel to BC Cups, NorAms and possibly Nationals (dependant on location

each season)

● Coaches will look at the athlete's volume and intensity more closely.

● Competing at higher level requires a higher amount of confidence. This is

usually confirmed by the ability to set goals and have a good training year

logged with all provided intensity and strength in training plans.

● At this level the athlete will confidently know how to deal with adverse

conditions in training and racing environments.

● Strive towards Development Squad and BC Ski Team (CCBC Guidelines,

Biathlon BC Guidelines)

Program Fees

● $700 (XC Racers), $800 (Biathlon) for Seniors, $600 (XC Racers) $700

(Biathlon) for Juniors, payable with Nordic Club membership. Biathletes

must also purchase a Range pass.

● Athletes must purchase the appropriate club membership, either as part of

a family membership, Junior (without adult) or a Student with ID

depending on their age.

● Program fees provide athletes with dryland and on snow coaching and

instruction, as well as support at races and race preparation.

Additional Costs:

● Wax costs will be calculated on a per race recovery system. Wax will be

recorded for each race and a payment will be made afterwards to cover

the costs for the event. Wax and wax prep provided with this cost.

● Athletes and parents are responsible for their own equipment costs.

● Race fees for races entered, including day race license fees or a race

license (see Races section below).

● Transportation to and from out of town races.

● Overnight accommodations and meals for overnight trips.

Equipment

Equipment Note: If you do not have some, or most, of the following gear, that is ok,

we will help you find something to get going (ie. reaching out to the community,

finding used equipment, etc). It is expected from skiers to be willing to get the

required gear to fully participate in training and racing events. We will announce

before each practice what gear is required. Questions of what gear works best for

you and so on as part of our regular training can be discussed further with coaches

or General Manager.

Fall Sessions:

● Helmet (for roller skiing), water bottle with holder are mandatory at every

dryland practice, high visibility clothing (available from the club for purchase)

● Rollerskis: skate or combi for starters. Poles should be the same as you use

on snow, good quality and stiff. Pole tips should be carbide. You will need

some shorter poles for ski walking and bounding, cheap old poles are fine.

● Running shoes to do nordic ski walking, bounding, running, strength, etc.

Winter Sessions

● On snow you will need an older pair of skate skis, and classic skis. We call

these rock skis, they are essential to train on snow as soon as there is snow

on the ground.

● Warm-up and regular skis could be your rock skis or another pair.

● A good pair of skate and classic skis is required. Top end is not required, what

is more important is the right flex for the conditions you ski in most. For

classic it is important to get skis that work for you right now. Do not buy skis

that are stiff, they do not work for you, maybe never. Please ask your coach

before you buy classic skis.

● A decent pair of waxless skis with a bit of a camber for better glide are great

to have. Classic Zero skis are optional, but are being used more on the racing

circuit. Hairies are also used in racing, they are soft classic skis that are

"rubbed" or sanded in the kick zone for zero conditions.

● You will need to get some basic glide and kick waxes.

● Waxing tools including Groove and flat scraper, a nylon brush, a horsehair

brush, some fibrelene and wax cleaner should be in your box or bag.

● Kick waxes, keep it simple, green, blue, violet, and red for starters (Swix). A

couple of synthetic corks, plus universal klister; and blue, purple and red

klisters, so you can ski well into April if snow allows.

● Invest in a good iron, it will save the ski base. Avoid household irons.

Recommended for Provincial and National Focus:

● Record all your training, setup an account on Training Peaks. This program

works. You and your coach can use this to monitor your progress and

communicate effectively. ( https://www.trainingpeaks.com/)

● If racing on the BC Cup circuit, you will need to get a racing licence

http://www.cccski.com/Events/License-Applications.aspx

● Clothing, snacks and water

● Proper warm clothing is required to be comfortable during practice. Dress in

layers so you can shed layers as required.

● Racing suits work great for racing, over pants and warm-up jackets are

required. We encourage kids and families to be out supporting their local club

colours in their Caledonia Nordic Race and Warmup attire, especially at higher

levels.

● Be well hydrated and fueled before practice. Good food, granola bars, power

bars work well with water to keep your energy topped up. Stay hydrated

during practice.

● Good eating habits become even more important when you are training full

time.

● All that training, the body is cold after a session and starving for fuel. Muscles

have to deliver whatever is left to repair themselves. Eating a snack and

hydrating within 20 minutes after practice speeds up recovery, delivers food

to repair muscle, well, it keeps you healthy. The result is adaptation, you will

improve speed and strength. Make this a habit.

Team Clothing and Accessories

It is a team goal to have all CNSC skiers and biathletes racing in their CNSC Team

Clothing (Race Suit and Warm Up Gear). We have team race suits available to

purchase at the rental office or available through the Jakroo website. They are great

suits that look really sharp when mixed in the racing pack. For years that CNSC has

financial support of ALTA GAS it is required that you will wear a Team Toque with the

AltaGas logo presented on it. We hope that you will wear it with pride, confidence

and represent Caledonia Nordic proudly at home and away.

We will also do our best to have team hoodies available for purchase. We recognize

that many wish to dress like the team, but not necessarily in their race clothing when

they are out for dinner. These hoodies will be available for purchase at the beginning

of the Fall training season.

Roles and Expectations:

We are a team at the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club. Everyone is a contributing member

of that team. When we work together, we create a positive experience for everyone,

especially our young athletes. The following expectations are for all athletes, no

matter what your focus and goals are for the season. Following these expectations

will result in a stronger team and program for all levels.

Coaches Athletes and parents can expect coaches to:

● Design and implement training and racing programs that are compatible with

the long-term interests and development of athletes as a whole

● Design and implement training activities that are safe;

● Act in a professional manner at all times towards all

● Participate in regular professional development activities such as coach

training courses to increase their knowledge and skills;

● Respect the privacy and confidentiality of all Caledonia Nordic athletes and

families;

● Arrive on time and adequately prepared for team training sessions;

● Communicate regularly with athletes and parents about upcoming training

and racing activities;

● Monitor athletes’ Training Peaks Entries and comment when appropriate.

● Be responsive to athlete requests for assistance and feedback, and to parents’

questions and concerns;

● Hold quarterly meetings to discuss the program and how it can be

changed/improved (September, January, April, July)

● Be reasonably familiar with CCC, CCBC, BIBC race rules and regulations;

● Act as your child’s advocate before a race jury in the event of any racing rules

infractions and/or sanctions, whether s/he is the perpetrator or victim of said

infraction;

● Be familiar with and abide by both Cross Country Canada’s Coaches Code of

Conduct (http://www.cccski.com/dbfiles/1002.pdf) and Cross Country BC’s

(CCBC) Coaching Code of Ethics (http://www.crosscountrybc.ca/ccbc-code-conduct-

and-ethics-policy)

Athletes Coaches and parents expect our athletes to:

● Commit to their own goals, progress and success;

● Commit to the training program as designed and implemented by the coaches

related to your goals for the season;

● commit to their own health and well-being by ensuring proper nutrition,

hydration, recovery and sleep;

● attend group dry land and on-snow training sessions on a regular basis;

● develop self-reliance and independence appropriate to their age in matters such as: being responsible for following and completing the training program

as supplied by the coaches; arriving to training and races on time and with all needed clothing and equipment for the day’s activities; caring for equipment; waxing their own skis for training sessions;

● be supportive and encouraging of their teammates, and to treat them with

respect;

● be respectful of coaches and parents, as well as of other competitors, coaches

and race officials;

● lead a balanced life, including keeping up with schoolwork and spending time with family and friends;

● participate actively in team fundraising and social events;

● keep an on-line training log and record daily training activities and other

developments that might affect their training (e.g. illness)

● represent and embody the sporting values of our team, including trying your

best, teamwork, fair play, and respect for others.

● In addition, athletes are expected to familiarize themselves with and adhere

to the Cross Country BC Athlete’s Code of Conduct: http://crosscountrybc.ca/27-athlete-code-conduct

Parents: Athletes and coaches can expect parents to:

● support their child/athlete in a positive and constructive manner as s/he pursues their goals in ski racing;

● be supportive and encouraging of other Caledonia Nordic athletes;

● treat all coaches, athletes, parents, and race officials with respect;

● Let the Coaches Coach; they are trained to provide programs that will allow

your child to reach their goals. If you have any questions related to the

coaching and programs, please do not hesitate to come and talk to us.

● participate in as many team fundraising activities possible per year, but a

minimum of one;

● When in attendance at races, volunteer to assist in some capacity (e.g. bib

pick-up, shuttles, wax recording, wax support, etc.)

● pay program fees and other event costs on time according to the schedule

● offer to volunteer at one club event to show appreciation of club support for

our athletes

We thank you for being a part of the Caledonia Nordic Ski Club Junior Racing

Team. We appreciate all your involvement and will do our very best to help

you reach your goals throughout the season. If you have any questions or

concerns, please do not hesitate to contact us. We can only improve the

program with you input. We look forward to a fantastic season as a team.

Remember that the ultimate goal is for you to have fun and to develop a

life-long passion for skiing and healthy living.

Athlete and Parent/Guardian Agreement Revised September 14, 2017

This athlete and parent/guardian agreement outlines the expectations that the

Caledonia Nordic Ski Club (“CNSC”) has for its member athletes. CNSC holds all

athletes to the highest standard of behaviour in training and competition, which is in

keeping with the spirit of the rules and regulations of our sports governing bodies,

Cross Country B.C., Biathlon B.C., Cross Country Canada and Biathlon Canada.

Athletes and parents/guardians are ambassadors for the CNSC and the Junior

Racers, Track Attack, and Biathlon Bears teams at all times.

Throughout this document, the term “parent” refers to parents and/or legal

guardians.

Athletes and Parents of CNSC Athletes agree:

● To represent CNSC and the sports of cross country skiing and/or biathlon with

a positive and respectful manner at all times, including interactions with the

public, coaches, administrators, volunteers, CNSC staff, officials, sponsors,

teammates, and families;

● To be responsible for the care and maintenance of their own equipment and

team clothing for practices and events;

● To wear the AltaGas team sponsor toque to all BC Cups (biathlon and cross-

country skiing), as per the AltaGas Grant requirements;

● To wear team clothing, wherever possible, during competitions, podium

appearances, media events, and pubic team events;

● To treat with respect all property owned, rented or borrowed from CNSC

including rental vehicles, rental accommodation, rifles, billet’s property and

team equipment;

● Biathletes travelling outside of Prince George need to have their own PAL

(Possession and Acquisition of Fire Arms License) or have a parent with a PAL

at all times to be responsible for the rifle

● To be prepared with the appropriate equipment, heart rate monitor, watch,

clothing, headlamp, nutrition, hydration and attitude for all training and

racing events;

● To participate in, where possible, team functions including training sessions,

camps, courses and competitions; if your athlete is going to miss sessions,

advanced communication with the coaches is much appreciated.

● To compete with pride and to the best of your ability;

● To always demonstrate good sportsmanship; and

● To respect yourself and be inclusive of all members of the CNSC team and

fellow competitors.

Parents of CNSC Athletes Agree:

● To provide a safe and positive environment for all athletes within the CNSC

team;

● To ensure that all athletes under the age of 18 are accompanied by an adult

to CNSC events (see CNSC Policy Manual - Travel Policy 3.4);

● Biathletes travelling outside of Prince George need to have their own PAL

(Possession and Acquisition of Fire Arms License) or have a parent with a PAL

at all times to be responsible for the rifle

● To ensure your athlete has suitable accommodation and adequate finances

available when attending an event with a CNSC team;

● To facilitate effective training and racing by being punctual, taking

responsibility for communicating (ie. checking website and email) in a timely

fashion and equipping your athlete appropriately;

● To commit to being a part of the CNSC team for fundraising, group travel,

accommodation, team meetings, waxing and general communication;

● To support the coaches and provide respectful feedback off the field of play;

● To utilize correct communication pathways for feedback, concerns, conflicts,

etc. If your athlete is struggling with team relationships, please contact the

coach directly.

● To maintain a safe environment as a driver, when transporting athletes to

CNSC events;

● To abide by the rules of competition; described by Cross Country Canada and

Biathlon Canada

● To acknowledge that the success of this program hinges on volunteer coaches

and parent help in a variety of disciplines and to provide at least one parent

helper for children registered in a program. Parents are encouraged to find a

volunteer role that best suits their schedule, interest and abilities (example of

volunteer roles - coach, official, event organizer, Board of Directors,

fundraising coordinator, organizing committees).

We have read the Athlete and Parent/Guardian Agreement, understand its

contents and agree to the terms:

Athlete’s Name(s) ____________________ Signature: ______________________

Parent/Guardian Signature _______________________ Date: ________________

I authorize CNSC to publish my athlete’s name and/or picture in local

newspapers, website, and/or in the Rotary Lodge at the Otway Nordic

Centre

Please circle response: YES NO

Parent/Guardian Signature _______________________ Date: ________________

Race Level

6-9 yrs NF or LF $5 $5

10 and 11PeeWee B/G LF

$5 $5

12 and 13Midget B/G LF- Some NorAm,Westerns?

$10 $10

14 and 15 Juvenile B/GBC Cup+NorAM+Westerns

+Nationals=LF/HF, BCWG LF Only$35 $35

16 and 17Junior B/G Open to HF

$35 $35

18 and 19Junior M/W Open to HF

$35 $35

20+Senior M/W Open to HF

$35 $35

30+Masters Open to HF

$35 $35

HF Break Down Per Pair of Skis

HF Parrifin Only $15

add Powder $20

add Puck/Solid $5

12 and Under NF mostly $5 N/A

13/14 LF $10 N/A

15 and olderOpen to HF

$35 N/A

Sr and Youth BC cupsPaid Upon Registration per race as per BIBC wax Protocol.

Waxing Break Down and Payment Plan

Price Per Race per athlete

(Approximation based on

Highest $$ per wax Job)

Skiing

Biathlon

Skate Day Classic Day