It was a fun weekend of learning at the Dublin School! Educational offerings included a BKL Coaches Training as well as the US Ski & Snowboard’s L100 and L200 coach practicums. The goal of this weekend was to bring coaches and aspiring coaches together in a welcoming environment so we can learn from each other and better serve the athletes in our respective communities so skiing is a fun and positive experience for them. Our hope is that youth and junior skiers develop many skills through sport and are inspired to be active for life whether they follow a competitive or recreational pathway.
The BKL Coaches Training included a presentation covering a variety of topics including an introduction to the Bill Koch League; BKL Philosophy; a case study on youth sports today; models, methods, and best practices for coaching; and coaching for long term development and success. We had many thought-providing discussions throughout the presentation thanks to the engaged participants who were willing to ask questions and also share their knowledge and experience. Following the presentation we migrated to a wonderfully scenic soccer field where we jumped on real skis and “skied” around on the grass. After an ice breaker in which we all shared our individual opinion on whether crocs are running shoes, we covered some basic drills and exercises for building general comfort on skis and then played a variety of games to further develop those skills. The clinic wrapped up with an optional rollerski session for those curious to try out the summer version of skiing.
This weekend also served as the in-person practicum for the US Ski & Snowboard (USSS) Level 100 and Level 200 coaches certification. The USSS is the national governing body of cross country skiing in the US and their education department delivers high-quality education programs and resources for coaches of all levels in the United States. The USSS coaches certification program is a tiered system with each level building on the previous. The Level 100 program is designed for new coaches working primarily with younger, developing athletes while the Level 200 focuses on coaches working with athletes starting to compete at the national level. Saturday featured the L100 clinic lead by Kathy Maddock of DublinXC and Sunday featured the L200 clinic lead by Bryan Fish of USSS. Click HERE if you’re curious to learn about the USSS coach certification pathway.
We want to extend a big thank you to the Dublin School for hosting us! If you’ve never skied there before, we highly recommend you check out their trails this winter.
Below are some resources for those curious to explore some of the content covered over the weekend.
Bill Koch Youth Ski League Manual (2022 edition)
NENSA Video Library (includes basic instructional videos and drills from the USSS L100 clinic)
BKL Philosophy & Long Term Athlete Development Presentation (from the 2020 virtual NENSA coaches symposium)