Pacific Northwest Ski Association A Division of USSA Nordic Competition Committee Meeting Minutes Oct 29, 2016

Transcription

1 Pacific Northwest Ski Association A Division of USSA Nordic Competition Committee Meeting Minutes Oct 29, 2016 Attendance: NCC Chair NCC Secretary PNSA President PNSA Executive Director Athlete Representative NCC Rules Subcommittee Bend Endurance Leavenworth Methow Momentum Mount Bachelor Plain Spokane Approval of Minutes, Spring meeting, June 4, 2016: Alan Watson Vicki Longhini Bill Brooks Paul Mahre Dakota Blackhorse von Jess Sam Naney Bernie Nelson Pete Spiegel Leslie Hall Pasha Kahn Dan and Kelly Simoneau Pierre Niess and Rob Whitten George Bryant Motion 12 on wax limitations should have been labeled Motion 13. With that change: Motion to approve Pete, Seconded Leslie, passed unanimously (Motion ) Agenda Approval Changes -add NW Cup discussion Motion to approve Leslie, Seconded Pierre, passed unanimously ( ) JNQ Race Schedule Discussion of whether to have U20 athletes ski 15K at Mt Bach JNQ and Mt Spokane JNQ Makes sense from an experience and competition standpoint but presents a challenge for scoring with the U18/U20 combined Decision to change U20 distance to 10K to match U18 distance; no 15k Minutes, NCC Fall Meeting, Oct Page 1

2 JNQ Race Schedule (distances listed are km for U16 / U18-20W / U18-20M) Date Location Format Jan 7 Bend Classic interval start 5/5/10 Jan 8: Bend Skate mass start 5/10/10 Jan 21 Truckee Classic Sprint Jan 22 Truckee Skate individual start 5/5/10 Feb 4 Methow Skate sprint Feb 5 Methow Classic individual 5/5/10 Feb 18 Spokane Classic mass start 5/10/10 Feb 19 Spokane Skate individual 5/10/10 Motion to approve race schedule, format and distance Dan, Seconded Rob, passed unanimously ( ) Other PNSA races Date Race Format Location Dec 3 Double Prologue 3k classic/3k skate Mt Bach Dec 11 Mass Start Skate 3/5/10k skate Mt Bach Dec 28 Ski Rodeo 1/ 2.5/5/10k skate Methow Jan 1 New Year Relay 3/3/1k classic/skate/skate Mt Bach Jan 14 Ski Rennen 1/2.5/5/10k skate Leavenworth Jan 15 Gunnar Hagen 7.5/30k classic Cabin Creek Jan 21,22 Methow Pursuit 30k classic/30k skate Methow Jan 22 Teacup Classic Teacup Lakes Jan 28 Ski Derby 30k classic Methow Jan 29 Great Nordeen 18/30k skate Mt Bach Feb 11 Stampede 15k skate Cabin Creek Feb 12 Langlauf 10k classic Mt Spokane Feb 24 Plain Valley Various distances Plain Valley Feb 26 Tour d Lowers 25k Skate Mt Bach Mar 4/5 Ozbaldy Kids race/adult 10/50k Cabin Creek Mar 11 Cascade Crest 12/25/50k skate Mt Bach Apr 8/9 Biathlon Mt Bach May 6 Pre-Pole/Pedal/Paddle 8k skate Mt Bach PNSA Cup or Championship Focus is designating a race or set of races that would focus on U14 and/or U14 + not involved in JNs Alan will score the U14s this season Pierre and Rob are creating a Washington Cup series to include the Rodeo, Gunnar Hagen, Plain Valley, Stampede, and Ozbaldy Minutes, NCC Fall Meeting, Oct Page 2

3 All agreed that the Ozbaldy race (Saturday, Mar 4) will be the U14 Championship for PNSA There will not be a U14 Cup, other than the U14 Championship at the Ozbaldy New FIS Rule, Classic Pole Length 83% Race Entries New FIS rule, will be in effect at all USSA races including our JNQs Measured as percent of strap length to pole tip at ski level, to top of skier head to pole tip on ski. Ideally this violation would be caught prior to race start TD and/or race organizer has discretion to pull suspect races at the end of the race Coaches to ensure all racers follow this rule Race hosts can use USSA registration system cost is 4% of fees, provides ease of downloading points, names, numbers Alan requested coaches to have athletes enter their names (when registering) exactly as it appears on their USSA license Question raised on whether we need to set limits on race entry fees; race host fees are similar across the board so no need to set limits but is something we want to keep our eye on Letter of Intent The form is online ( Deadline is Dec 31, late fee of $25 after this date Encourage athletes to complete prior to deadline, no penalty for completing and not going to JNs PNSA Rule Change Proposals Wax Restriction PNSA board did not approve Motion 13 that NCC passed at the spring meeting, as there is no way to enforce and creates an unwanted liability Coaching staff agreed to understanding that for PNSA JNQ races pure flouro waxes can only be used as blocks, no powders or liquids; U14s can only use non flouro or low flouro waxes Race hosts can designate their races as no fluoro races Up to the coaches to enforce Minutes, NCC Fall Meeting, Oct Page 3

4 Out of Division Skiers, Amend Rule 5.B.4.b to say: Any PNSA member who is at school outside the division, and who has declared a desire to be named to the team, and who finished in the top half of the field in at least one race in a prior JN Championship, and who has finished within 5% of the fastest junior skier of the same gender in at least one PNSA JNQ, NorAm, or Supertour race in the current season will be named to the team. The skier MUST provide evidence of meeting these standards by the time of the Selection Committee meeting at the conclusion of the last PNSA JNQ. Motion to approve Dakota, Seconded Leslie, passed unanimously ( ) Increase in Team Size Currently 32, as decided at spring meeting, which includes a minimum of 6 in each gender for U 16 and U18 24 total and therefore 8 additional spots for U20s and additional U16s and U18s Should we increase so that out of division skiers wouldn t take spots allocated to high school skiers Hand vote to remain at 32 skiers but change so that this limit does not include out of division qualified skiers, who will be in addition to the 32 skier limit extra (typically 1-3/yr) Alan will rewrite rules and circulate for approval (motion ) [By vote Nov 11, 2016, the NCC approved 8-3 the following: 1: Move Paragraph 5.B.4.b down to become 5.B.4.e 2: Amend the last sentence of 5.B.1 to read: For 2017 the team size will be 32 plus the number of out-of-division skiers selected according to the criteria in Section 4.e below. ] Junior Nationals Planning Lk Placid, NY Discussed airport selection, most agreed Albany made most sense due to closer proximity Four condos are reserved, Biskup parents agreed to cook Decision to assign one coach for each age and gender group Alan suggested more structure to the athletes down time No tolerance for hazing/haircutting during JNs Advised against the PNSA slow clap during awards Advised against any club only meetings Minutes, NCC Fall Meeting, Oct Page 4

5 Coach Appointments - Alan handed out a list of all coaches and a straw poll was taken to select 8 coaches for the trip, Alan to tabulate and distribute Continuous Improvement for our division Budget Smart training, resist/avoid over training athletes Need to be mindful of athlete additional sports, school pressure, ski goals Important to educate athletes about training and nutrition, make sure they understand concepts like going hard, recovery ski, go easy Coaches requested using PNSA website to link to research, articles on training Paul can help gets these posted if we send to him Review USSA development progression of what to teach and when Alan reminded the group of Lester Keller s insights on sport retention the three main reasons that junior athletes decide to participate in or quit sports are FUN, FRIENDS and A SENSE OF ACCOMPLISHMENT. We need to keep these three in mind every day we coach! Bernie pointed out that we need additional metrics outside of racing to demonstrate improvement Paul and Dan discussed the PNSEF grant process and how athletes and coaches can access scholarship, education and travel financial support (for JNs and other outside division races) PNSEF looks for using grant money that can make the biggest impact Applications start with registration that should be done before Dec 31 May 1st the block grant request for our Nordic section is made Next meeting will be June 2/3/4 in Hood River, NCC meeting on Saturday morning June 3. Minutes, NCC Fall Meeting, Oct Page 5

6 Pacific Northwest Ski Association A Division of USSA NCC Meeting June 4, Hood River, OR Note: Qualification Rules as amended are copied in Appendix 1, and Scott Johnston s USSA Presentation is Appendix 2. Attendance: Chair: Alan Watson Secretary/Sandpoint: Vicki Longhini Bend Endurance: Ben Husaby Kongsbergers: Jeff Hashimoto Leavenworth: Marcia Ostrom, Pete Spiegel Methow: Allison DeLong (representing Leslie Hall) Momentum: Pasha Kahn, Coert Voorhees Mount Bachelor: Dan Simoneau, Kelly Simoneau Plain: Pierre Ness, Rob Whitten Spokane: George Bryant Teacup: Karl Andersson Agenda was approved (Motion Dan, Seconded George), unanimous Minutes of the October 2, 2015 meeting were approved (Motion Allison, Seconded George), unanimous Committee and Sub-Committees: Coaching Committee Ben Husaby; There has been no activity in the past year. Communications George Bryant; There has been no activity in the past year. Sponsorship & Fund raising Dan Simoneau; There has been no activity in the past year. NCC Motion : Nominate Sam Naney to chair Rules Subcommittee, maker Bryant, 2 nd Longhini, passed unanimous NCC Chairman Alan has served 4 years and has agreed to continue in this position, while we did not take an official vote, it was unanimous to have him continue USSA Congress Report (Alan): High Plains (Wyoming) will remain a separate XC division USSA Sport Committee amended bylaws to include a representative from every division Junior National race schedule as follows: o Skate - Individual start o Classic - Sprint o Classic Mass start o Skate Relay Coaches Seminar Scott Johnston gave a paper discussing aerobic power and speed training, (SEE APPENDIX 2)

7 Nordic Rocks program allows up to 5 schools in each division to access 30 pairs of recreation Nordic skis for kids. Applications need to be submitted by June 10 th. Interested clubs include: Sandpoint, Plain Valley, Lake Chelan, Ellensburg, Leavenworth, Bend, Parkdale Summer Camps: U16 National Camp 4 PNSA athletes attending REG Camp 5 PNSA athletes invited, 1 is attending, George Bryant attending as a coach Fire & Ice June 16-21, Dryland camp only Trout Lake July 13-17, camp location changed to Mazama due to permitting issues in National Forest Methow Camp August 10-14, Winthrop (recommended for U16 and older and strong U14 s) Cali Camp August Potential on snow Timberline camp July Coert and Dan met with Timberline management to cut a trail and groom an area at 8500 ft, above the lift. Coert mentioned NNF may be able to cover the $1000 for making the trail and lift tickets would cost about $40 per day. Challenges with housing remain. A decision will be made within the next couple weeks. More information to come. Concern was expressed that too many camps could cannibalize each other s attendance and make all of them less viable. No solution was proposed. PNSA grants are no longer available for camps. Ben asked if we could call 1 or 2 of our camps PNSA camps, could we get any PNSA funding help? May be something to look into for future. Race Schedule Proposals: Two challenges this season will be that Soldier Hollow is not hosting a Super Qualifier and due to date of New Years, the first race cannot be held at the end of Christmas break as in prior years, resulting in potentially having one less week between the final race JNQ and JN s. Auburn Ski Club was recently awarded host of a Super Tour on Jan 21/22 and they are using this as one of the Far West qualifiers. For PNSA, Bend/Mt Bach, Methow and Mt Spokane Nordic are all interested in hosting qualifiers this coming season. Jan will be the Senior Nationals in SoHo. Our First Choice for JNQ schedule is the following: Jan 7/8 Mt Bachelor Jan 21/22 Auburn Ski Club (Truckee, CA) Feb 4/5 Methow Feb 18/19 Mt Spokane Mar 3-12 Junior Nationals, Lake Placid NY Second Choice: Methow race weekend might have to move to Feb 11/12, due to the Methow Derby currently scheduled for Feb 4/5 weekend. Alan to follow up with race organizer on date change. Specifics on distance and format will be finalized at the Fall PNSA meeting. Other Racing Issues: While JN s are already scheduled for the next few years, there is discussion regarding holding this event earlier in the season. Most coaches acknowledged that having our last qualifier race mid-february results in many athletes, not qualifying for JNs, to quit skiing. Most coaches would like to have a division event, i.e. A Northwest Nordic Cup, scheduled later in the season that would motivate athletes to ski train beyond the last JNQ. Another suggestion to keep skiers engaged with racing is to include a novice division at our JNQ races to provide race experience for more novice, less competitive skiers. Interesting idea, more discussion on this to occur at our Fall meeting. Dan asked the group for feedback about what they thought about having Masters racers in the mix with U18/20 skiers at the Mt Bach JNQ. The upside is that having more racers in the pack creates a more competitive field for the young athletes. The downside is that chaos and frustration with passing and blocking can discourage some of the younger athletes. One suggestion was to have Masters start in their own lane or ski a longer distance. No action required. Qualification Motions/Rules:

8 NCC Motion : Add letter of intent requirement to Nordic Rules Chapter 5.B Athlete Selection: Insert between 2 and 3: Each racer who hopes to be named to the PNSA Junior Nationals Team will submit a letter of intent to the NCC Chair, using a format provided by the NCC Chair, by December 31 of the season. No racer will be denied a spot on the team as a result of not meeting this deadline, but may be subject to late fee of $25. Maker Bryant, 2 nd Spiegel, passed unanimous NCC Motion : Establish a minimum of 6 skiers each in U16F, U16M, U18F, U18M in Nordic Rules Chapter 5.B.3: Insert new c between old b and c: The highest ranked U16 girls, U16 boys, U18 girls, and U18 boys will be added to the team until six skiers from each of those four groups have been named to the team. Maker Voorhees, 2 nd Husaby, passed 10-1 (Leavenworth Nay) NCC Motion : Points should only be awarded to and calculated for PNSA skiers skiing in their proper age group, except that U14s who submit a junior nationals letter of intent will be scored as U16s: Append to existing text in Chapter 5.B.2.a: Except for U14 skiers who have filed a Junior Nationals letter of intent, skiers who are not skiing in their proper age group will be not be given JNQ points in that race. Maker Hashimoto, 2 nd Whitten, passed 9-1 (Methow Nay) NCC Motion : JN Selection tie breaker: In Chapter 5.B.3: insert new d between old c and d: If two or more skiers are tied for the final position(s) on the team, total points from the best three races will break the tie; and if necessary from the best two races and then the best single race. Maker Whitten, 2 nd DeLong, passed 6-3 (Mt Bachelor, Leavenworth, Kongsbergers Nay) NCC Motion : Replacements to JN Team: In Chapter 5.B.3: insert after old d: If a skier who has been named to the team declines or fails to accept by the announced deadline for accepting a position on the team, the NCC Chair will promptly name the next eligible skier to the team. Maker Hashimoto, 2 nd Ostrom, passed unanimous NCC Motion : Wax Limitations: Chapter 5.A, Qualifier Races, add Point 4: U16, U18 and U20 racers may use hydrocarbon and solid fluorocarbon (LF and HF) waxes as base layers. For top coats ONLY pure fluoro solid waxes and liquids may be used (no powders). U14 racers and younger may use LOW FLUORO waxes and hydrocarbon waxes only. (No HF or pure fluoros, liquids or powders). U14 racers and younger may not use top coats. Maker Hashimoto, 2 nd Ostrom, passed 9-1. Dan asked if we should try to bring at least one athlete from each club, while several coaches see merit in this as a motivator for the club, it distracts from the competitive goal of qualifying for junior nationals. No motion made. Illness & Injury - If athlete named to the JN team is injured or sick and unfit to race, they will be asked not to attend JN s. Coaches decided to table this motion for now. JN Trip Survey feedback: o More proactive coaching o More coaching time o Meetings open to all athletes o Desire for houses to be located closer together o More structured downtime Lake Placid is the venue; Albany is the best airport. Group unanimous that Alan should be trip leader Alan asked group for ideas on selecting coaches for the trip; current rule directs NCC Chair and Trip Leader (currently Alan is both) to select coaches; Alan would like there to be more input and direction from the coaches themselves. Alan asked all NCC members to think about this and come up with ideas before the fall meeting.

9 Current team size is 32. This number is a reasonable ratio of our total racers, similar ratio to other divisions. Motion Allison, Seconded Rob, Approve 6, Disapprove 4 U14 Cup Call it Northwest Nordic Cup, use our same division point system from best 3 races out of the six JNQ races within PNSA. PNSA Training physiology: Question to the group from Alan asked if our skiers are over-trained by the time they get to JN s. How can we as coaches keep from over-training our kids? There is new technology on the horizon, i.e. First Beat and Training Peaks, that help assess heart rate variability and exertion levels. The caveat with some of these new technologies is that they are based on adult algorithms, youth physiology is significantly different from adult. This is a topic and area of study that deserves further exploration. Rob asked the group if we knew if we were growing our base of skiers, as this is an important metric for us to track. Similarly, retention of skiers beyond U16 is also a metric to track. Merits further discussion Other Housekeeping: Book recommendation from Alan Black box Thinking by Matthew Syed Fall Meeting will be October 8/9, location TBD Next Spring meeting will be in Hood River, likely first weekend in June Sunday 6/5 PNSA Board Actions o Board approved #8-12 unanimously. o Board not willing to adopt #12 without detection and enforcement. Not passed.

10 Appendix 1: Qualification Rules as Amended NORDIC GUIDELINES AND PROCEDURES 5. JUNIOR NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS A: Qualifier Races 1. Each year before the beginning of the ski season the Nordic Competition Committee (NCC) will select certain ski meets, each normally consisting of separate races on two consecutive days, to be Junior Nationals Qualifier Races. Selection will be made according to the following process: a. Qualifier Race hosts will be chosen from those clubs which have submitted a bid. Bids should be submitted to the NCC by the time of the spring meeting held in conjunction with the annual PNSA convention. Bids should include the form in Chapter 10. b. The NCC will consider the likely quality of each meet, including the nature of the courses, ability to offer the appropriate race formats, and the host s ability to provide accurate timing and prompt results. At a minimum, the host club should commit to the following principles: i. Course Marking: Mark race courses early, preferably the day before the race, including clear start zone, turns, lap and finish lanes, and the finish line. A map of the course(s) near the start area is good practice. ii. Bib Numbers: Segregate bib numbers by class, to help ensure that if two or more classes are on course at the same time an accurate finish can be obtained. iii. Start Times: Allow a time interval (5 min?) between classes, which can be used for late entries and late starters. Run ghosts for no-shows. Late to start racers should be timed from their assigned start time. iv. Video: Record the finish to help decide close finishes and for backup in case of timing questions. Consider video for the start as well. v. Timing: Use redundancy, preferably three independent timing systems, at least one electronic and one manual. Each system must be monitored by one official operating a clock and at least one official visually noting finish bib numbers. In addition have a bib spotter and a finish judge within the finish zone. Practice using your timing systems, both electronic and manual, and race officials before the race, until you know how the systems work and are comfortable using them in any conditions. c. When the number of bids that satisfy the above criteria exceeds the number of Qualifier Races to be held in a season, bids will be awarded according to the following rotation system: i. For Qualifier Race selection purposes PNSA will consist of two regions: 1. Northern, consisting of all of PNSA except Oregon, and 2. Southern, consisting of Oregon. ii. For each region the NCC will maintain a list of clubs wishing to host a Qualifier Race. Qualifier Races will be chosen from the top of each list: two from the Northern region and one from the Southern Region. iii. After a club has hosted a Qualifier Race, that club will move to the bottom of the list for its region.

11 iv. For the lists are: 1. Northern: Leavenworth, Kongsberger, Spokane, Methow 2. Southern: Mount Bachelor v. Additional clubs will be added to the bottom of their respective list at any time by notifying the NCC Chair that they wish to be added. vi. If a club at the top of the list does not submit a bid it will remain at the top of the list for one additional year; if a club at the top of the list does not submit a bid for two consecutive years it will be removed from the list, but will be added back to the bottom of the list at any time if requested. d. Notwithstanding the above rules, the NCC may use one meet from outside the division as a Qualifier Race. 2. When poor snow or other conditions make it unlikely that a scheduled Qualifier Race can be successful, the NCC may, in consultation with the selected host club, agree to move the meet to another venue and another host club. If in such a case the originally selected host club does not hold a qualifier, that club will remain at the top of its list for the following season. 3. In case weather conditions or other unforeseen circumstances cause a Qualifier Race to be cancelled or the results to be a poor reflection of racers abilities, the NCC may decide to eliminate a Qualifier Race from the qualification calculations, and to adjust the calculation standards accordingly. B: Athlete Selection 1. Prior to the competition season the Nordic Competition Committee (NCC) will designate eight races, normally on four different weekends and normally including one two-day meet outside PNSA, to be Junior Nationals Qualifier (JNQ) Races. In addition the NCC will decide the size of the Junior Nationals Team for the coming season. [For 2017 the team size will be 32]. 2. Each racer who hopes to be named to the PNSA Junior Nationals Team will submit a letter of intent to the NCC Chair, using a format provided by the NCC Chair, by December 31 of the season. No racer will be denied a spot on the team as a result of not meeting this deadline, but may be subject to late fee of $ PNSA skiers will be ranked according to the following procedures: a. Continental Cup Points: After each JNQ race Continental Cup points (also referred to as SuperTour points: 1st place 30, 2nd 25, 3rd 21, 4th 18, 5th 16, 6th 15, 7th 14, 8th 13, 9th 12, 10th 11, 11th 10, 12th 9, 13th 8, 14th 7, 15th 6, 16th 5, 17th 4, 18th 3, 19th 2, 20th 1) will be assigned to PNSA skiers according to finish order among only PNSA skiers in each of the following four age and gender groups: U16 girls, U16 boys, U18 plus U20 girls, and U18 plus U20 boys. Except for U14 skiers who have filed a Junior Nationals letter of intent, skiers who are not skiing in their proper age group will be not be given JNQ points in that race. In sprint races points will be assigned to the final results rather than just to the qualification round. b. JNQ Scores: At the end of the JNQ series, a JNQ Score will be calculated for each PNSA skier equal to the total of the Continental Cup points earned by that skier in his/her best four JNQ finishes of the season. c. JNQ Ranking List: The JNQ Ranking List will consist of all PNSA skiers ranked by JNQ Score in one list without regard to age or gender. 4. The Junior Nationals Selection Committee will consist of all members of the NCC who attend the final JNQ Race. The Selection Committee will meet immediately after the conclusion of the final JNQ Race. The NCC Chair or

12 his/her designee will chair the committee meeting. The Selection Committee will name the JN Team according to the following procedures: a. Any PNSA skier who has qualified for the JN Team by USSA standards (USSA Rule 70) will be named to the team. b. Any PNSA member who is at school outside the division, and who has declared a desire to be named to the team, and who finished in the top half of the field in at least one race at a prior JN Championships, and who has finished within 5% of the winner in at least one JNQ Race in the current season will be named to the team. c. The highest ranked U16 girls, U16 boys, U18 girls, and U18 boys will be added to the team until six skiers from each of those four groups have been named to the team. d. The highest ranked skiers on the JNQ Ranking List who have not already been named to the team will be named until the total number of skiers named to the team equals the team size previously determined by the NCC.If two or more skiers are tied for the final position(s) on the team, total points from the best three races will break the tie; and if necessary from the best two races and then the best single race. e. If a skier who has been named to the team declines or fails to accept by the announced deadline for accepting a position on the team, the NCC Chair will promptly name the next eligible skier to the team. f. The Selection Committee may at its discretion name additional skiers to the team regardless of their position on the JNQ Ranking List, provided in each case that at least three quarters of the Selection Committee vote in favor. 5. Each skier who accepts a position on the JN Team must meet USSA s eligibility requirements, be a member of PNSA with a USSA competition license, and must be prepared to make the necessary arrangements by the deadlines announced by the Selection Committee, including paying the skier s trip costs to PNSA, having a PNSA uniform, signing required forms, and arranging transportation to and from the Junior Nationals. 6. Appeals Process a. If an athlete or coach believes that the Selection Committee erred in its selection process, the athlete or coach may appeal the decision by submitting a written appeal to the PNSA Executive Director within three business days of the selection meeting. b. The appeal will be reviewed by an Appeals Committee consisting of the PNSA Executive Director, the PNSA President or his designee, and the Nordic Athlete Representative. c. The NCC will abide by the decision of the Appeals Committee. C: Coach Selection 1. The coaching staff will include a Trip Leader, a Chief of Waxing, and additional coaches as determined by the NCC. A Head Coach may also be named. 2. In accepting the position of JN Coach, each coach will agree to: a. Work as hard as necessary to make the trip a success, and not to consider the trip as recreation or a vacation for the coach, b. Represent all PNSA skiers, and not just skiers from that coach s club, c. Work together with the other PNSA coaches to ensure the best possible experience for the racers, and d. Do whatever tasks are required to make the trip a success. 3. Coach selections will reflect:

13 a. Representation of athletes on the team, b. Coaching experience and ability, and c. Experience and training for new coaches 4. Selection Procedure: a. The NCC Chair will appoint the Trip Leader after the conclusion of the previous Junior National Championships. b. The NCC Chair and the Trip Leader will appoint additional coaches at the fall meeting, based on recommendations of the NCC. c. The NCC Chair and the Trip Leader may appoint additional coaches at any time after the fall meeting if warranted by the number of athletes on the team.

14 Appendix 2: Scott Johnston s Paper Presented at USSA Congress Developmental Disconnect in US Skiing Version 2.0 Scott Johnston Some of you may recall that several years back I wrote a paper called Developmental Disconnect in US Skiing that was delivered at the USSA spring congress. This is version 2, seven years later. That paper stimulated a lot of discussion. I hope this one will too. Is the current approach to junior skier developmental best serving our skiers? By this I mean from the best juniors heading off to race in Europe to the kids who will not race past high school. I propose that it is not as effective as we should wish and that there are some ways to improve the situation. These changes will require addressing some fundamental ways we approach training these skiers and race them. The Problem(s) With very rare exceptions our best and brightest are not competitive on the international stage. This is especially prevalent among the men. While recent US women s results may seem to disprove this I can offer an argument that supports my overall thesis. My observations, both domestically and while in Europe over the past 10 years lead me to the conclusions that the reason for this is that our juniors cannot ski fast as economically as they need to be competitive in Europe and as a consequence we send these same skiers, when they are young seniors, into the fray with less than ideal preparation for success. I will address the issue of economy at speed next. An Explanation We all understand that the race goes to the one who covers the course in the shortest time. The skier with the best overall speed endurance wins the race. The development of speed endurance involves the mastery of a large number of individual, fundamental qualities. During a race the athlete will maximally utilize whatever his or her capacities are in these fundamental qualities. If any one of these capacities is deficient the athlete s performance will be impacted negatively. We can generally categorize these fundamental qualities as: Aerobic Endurance, Muscular Endurance, Power, Speed, Technical, and Economy. Our sport may have the highest reliance on the aerobic component of any endurance sport but I submit that it also has the highest reliance on the technical component as well. Because economy plays a huge role in determining the outcome it needs a special training focus, which I contend it is not generally recognized. Economy is the energy cost to move. It has been show in studies to vary by double digit percentages among competitors in sports like running, which has a much lower technical threshold the cross country skiing. Building speed endurance can be broken down into 3 parts. First the development of speed at early ages, then the building of the aerobic base over years to support the high volumes and intensities need to achieve high levels of success and finally he development economical speed so that the speed may be maintained at high levels without exhausting the metabolic energy pathways. Argument

15 I argue that our current development system over-emphasizes the early development of the aerobic component of our sport compared to the economy component; through coaching methods, race format, course design, and race distance. Vern Gambetta has been involved with the USSA as well as several sports in laying out an appropriate course of development for young athletes. He along with many acknowledged experts in the field suggests age appropriate strategies for developing the qualities I have listed above. One thing that stands out across all sports and all these experts is that the development of speed and technique are best done through puberty and post puberty years. That is when the nervous system is still in a very plastic state and the endurance and strength are beginning to become sufficient to allow the prolonged exertion needed to ingrain the technique mastery which can lead to improved economy at speed. If this foundation for economy and speed is not laid early and well it becomes increasingly difficult if not impossible to make similar gains in later years. Our current system rewards those kids who, whether through genetics, training history or early maturity, have reached a higher state of aerobic endurance than their peers. Those skiers get the medals, the camps and trips to Europe. They and their coaches are thus encouraged to prioritize the type of training that has lead to this early success, an emphasis on the development of the one component that has given them these early, good results: Aerobic endurance. Their fitness gives them an advantage over their domestic competition so they seek to maximize that system. Nothing wrong so far except that if the economy portion of the development is not getting adequate attention those skiers will come against skiers in Europe who have not only the aerobic engine to ski hard but also the economy that allows them to ski fast with less energy. Those European skiers will have better speed endurance and thus perform better. This is what I have seen consistently during my time working with both developing juniors as well as top domestic seniors and WC skiers. The cost for the Americans to ski at a WC pace exploits too much of their aerobic capacity and hence they cannot sustain it as well as might be expected if the race were to just go to the fittest. We consistently produce fit, slow skiers and toss them into a sport they are unprepared for. The list of failed attempts to break onto the WC circuit is filled with so many promising young names who went to Europe and finished near the bottom of the results and became disillusioned and discouraged. Don t confuse this argument with one of discounting the importance of aerobic endurance. It is not, as my history of preparing skiers should attest. Instead think of this as asking for us to consider our developmental priorities. I feel we are not serving many of our best skiers as well as we could. This selection based on early aerobic development is certainly winnowing out the junior field too soon of some potentially late maturing kids who may actually have more athletic talent. We have a lot of dedicated and talented kids in our sport. We should be able to field more competitive WC skiers. This is the system I have used with all of the skiers I have coached and I have seen good results using it. Solutions To rectify this situation will require a rethinking of our coaching methodologies to include a more systematic development of skills and fitness. It will require addressing race formats (such as the skiercross event), race distances and course profiles so that speed the development of speed endurance can be rewarded as much as the aerobic endurance. It is through the melding of these that we will produce our most competitive skiers and give them the tools early on that they need later.

16 What I see happening currently is that we treat our juniors as though they were already fully developed WC skiers with high capacities in all those the fundamental qualities needed to race well. We are expecting them to ski on WC courses, which at their early development stage, is going to favor the early maturing, genetically gifted or harder training skier. Historically these have not turned out to be the most competitive skiers when they get to the WC. We can and should address this failure of our current approach.