K1/ELR Season Update

The ski season is here and the Board of Directors of the Poley Mountain Racing Club has been meeting since late August to make sure that it is a great one for all of our aspiring ski racers.

There are a number of exciting developments that we want to share with you, so that everyone is up to date on our plans for the year.

Program Overview

This year there do not appear to be any changes imposed on us by Alpine Canada or NB Alpine so our program will be much the same as last year. The only difference is that we will not be referring to our advanced 9 and 10 year-old skiers as part of the Nancy Greene Ski League, but will be referring to them as Entry Level Racers ("ELR").

The K1 program is for 11 and 12 year old skiers. The K1 Team continues to work their way through the Husky Snow Stars skill levels and focuses on advanced skiing and racing skills. The K1 race team is a stepping-stone for the Senior race team. This level is referred to as Train-to-Train and encourages the athlete's attention towards learning specific training skills for ski racing.

The ELR group includes 9 & 10 year old skiers who have participated in the Nancy Greene program during the previous season and are looking for an additional challenge. Enrollment is subject to the coaches’ approval. The ELR group will also continue to work through the Husky Snow Stars program. The skiers will be participating in away races at the coaches' discretion.

The ELR team will train and race (in a separate category) with our K1 team, so the combined group will range from 9-12 years of age. This year we have a number of returning and several new members of our K1/ELR group, so it should be a good mix.

2006/7 Program Schedule

The on-snow program will start with two Christmas Camps - included in all registration fees - to be held on December 27, 28, 29 and January 2, 3 and 4 at Poley (weather permitting) with regular weekend training starting on the weekend of January 6-7, 2007. Please confirm whether your child will be attending either or both of these camps by return e-mail.

Our KI/ELR group will be training on Saturdays, and Sundays from 9:00am to noon and from 1:00 to approx 3:00pm. Training will also take place on Wednesday evenings from 6:00-8:30pm. Racers can choose to register for all 2.5 days of training or for 2, 1.5 or 1 day options, with fees being adjusted accordingly.

Our program will continue until the end of March (conditions permitting).

2006/7 Program Coordinator

For the 2006-2007 season, the Poley Mountain Racing Club has appointed me to act as coordinator of the K1/ELR program. I will be doing my best to keep you up to date on everything that you need to know to ensure a successful season for your children.

If you have any questions or comments about this year’s program, please do not hesitate to contact me or our Club President Jennifer Jobe. Our contact information is as follows:

Jamie LeMesurier -
jlemesurier@rogers.com
jlemesurier@smss.com
(506) 632-2776 work
(506) 652-8962 home
(506) 626-0986 cell

Jennifer Jobe -
Jennifer.jobe@rci.rogers.com
pjjobe@rogers.com
(506) 388-8521 work
(506) 855-9957 home
(506) 872-3397 cell

2006/7 Coaching Staff

We are very pleased that Robyn Belyea and Ian McAvity are returning to coach our K1/NGR team this year and will be splitting the coaching duties between them. Both Ian and Robyn are certified Level 2 Canadian Ski Coaches Federation coaches and have several years of experience coaching with the Poley Mountain Racing Club, both at the Nancy Greene Ski League level and each has coached our K1 team in the past couple of years. We also may have additional coaching staff to assist, especially on Saturdays, depending on our numbers. We also hope to have a number of sessions with the new NB provincial coach Jamie Burton.

Contact information for our coaches is as follows:

Robyn Belyea - e6a99@unb.ca (506) 849-2436 home (after Dec 15th)

Ian McAvity - mcavity@nbnet.nb.ca (506) 847-5502 home

Again, please do not hesitate to contact our coaches if you have any concerns or questions about our program, or if you need any recommendations about equipment for your young racers.

2006/7 Registration and Fees

To confirm your child's registration, if you have not already done so, we need you to submit the Alpine Canada and Poley Mountain Racing Club registration forms previously forwarded to you as soon as possible. Please ensure that they are fully completed and that your signature is properly witnessed, as indicated on the forms.

We also ask that an Alpine Canada form be completed for each parent, to ensure that our parent volunteers (more on this subject below) are covered by Alpine Canada’s liability insurance policy.

We have calculated our fees this year, based on the number of training & race days available for each program option. For racers registering for 1 day per week (which includes the Christmas Camps and all race days) the cost is $275, while the fee for 2.5 day racers is $440. If your child decides to join for 1.5 (one weekend day plus Wednesday nights) or 2 days (weekends, but not Wednesday nights) we can adjust the fees accordingly.

You do not need to submit registration fees yet. Be patient! Our Treasurer Eric Overing will be sending you an invoice with all registration fees and race fees indicated. You will simply select the items that are required and follow his instructions regarding payment instalments, etc. Look for this in early to mid December.

All race fees, accommodation and travel costs associated with away races are not included in the cost of the program and will be charged on a user pay basis. K1 racers are required to have a $60.00 Alpine Canada K1 competitor card, while the NB Alpine fees for ELR members is $25.00.

2006/7 Training

As mentioned, training for our K1/ELR group will take place on Saturdays, Sundays and Wednesday evenings, weather permitting. As a general rule, if the hill is open, our program will be running, However, please exercise caution if the weather is inclement and the roads are bad.

The coaches will meet the racers in the PMRC race shack at around 8:45am to review the day’s plan. All racers should be changed and ready to ski when they meet the coaches and are welcome to use the race shack to change and store their belongings. However, to avoid congestion with the Senior Race team, all K1/ELR racers are asked not to arrive at the shack before 8:30am. Also, shack privileges may be revoked for inappropriate behaviour.

Our K1/ELR group will train on-snow from 9:00am to 12:00noon. Typically they will take a break in the Lodge mid-morning and will return to the race shack at noon. Racers are welcome to eat their lunch in the shack or join their parents for lunch. We expect that at least one of our coaches will be on duty in the shack over the lunch hour to monitor the situation.

The afternoon session will start at 1:00pm and finish at 2:30-3:00pm, depending on the conditions and crowds. Please meet your children at the race shack no later than 3:00pm.

Wednesday evening training will get underway at 6:00pm and finish by 8:30pm, Again, racers should meet the coaches at the shack and be ready to go at 6:00pm sharp.

In order to give our kids (and our coaches) a break, we will not have training on the Sunday following a race. Also, there will be no training during the entire March Break period unless there is sufficient demand.

2006/7 Racing

Although it has not yet been finally determined, it appears that our K1/ELR group will be participating in four races this year. These are usually one-day races with both giant slalom and slalom races being run the same day. The current race schedule is for a race at Mt. Farlange on January 20, 2007, at Martock on Feb 3, 2007 and Wentworth Valley, NS on February 10, 2007, and our season finale at Poley Mountain on March 17, 2007. Further details will be forthcoming as these race dates approach.

For our K1 racers, additional training and racing opportunities, including the Eastern Quebec region K1/K2 classic race at Amqui in early April are possibilities. This is a great opportunity for them to get experience in a large race with stiff competition and have a lot of fun. For further information on this, please speak with me.

We are also working with Poley to hold several fun races among our team and other Poley skiers. More details on this will be forthcoming in the near future.
Please note that for the 9 & 10 year old ELR skiers, participation in the races is subject to the coaches’ approval and recommendation. Safety is a paramount consideration.

The race calendar each year goes through many (often 10 or more) drafts before it is finalized prior to the start of the race season. Due to the weather dependence of our sport, last minute changes may still occur. I will advise you accordingly if I become aware of any changes.

PMRC Team Uniforms

Some of our K1 skiers have acquired PMRC team jackets, but it is not a requirement for new members. In fact, our supplier was insisting on a minimum order this year that we could not meet. Some of the former team members may have team jackets for sale and I will circulate information to this effect as it becomes available. I am aware that Reg Robichaud currently has a size 10 suit (jacket & pants) available - if you are interested you can e-mail him at mirerob@nbnet.nb.ca

Poley Mountain has asked that our team members be identifiable as a group. To facilitate this, each K1/ELR team member who does not have a team jacket will be supplied with a PMRC vest to wear over their own jacket. The vest will be issued to your child for the season at no cost, but you are responsible to return it at season end in good condition. Please make sure that your child brings this to each training session.

Parent Volunteers

The PMRC parents traditionally have been a very active and necessary support group for the Club. It has been through their continuous efforts that the Club has enjoyed such successful results. Parents are needed to provide assistance in a variety of ways, particularly when we host races at Poley Mountain. Ski racing is a labour-intensive exercise and help is always needed in fencing and setting courses, gate-keeping, starting and timing, food preparation, etc. The parents of racers at all levels come out for all the races that we hold and we hope to be able to count on your assistance this year.

Poley is hosting a Senior Team race on the weekend of January 6th and 7th, 2007 and we are counting on your help.

You should also be aware that we have arranged for ski racing officials courses to be held for our parent volunteers to ensure that we have sufficient trained officials to meet Alpine Canada's requirements. On Dec 16 & 17, 2006 a Level I and Level II course will be given in Sussex for parents who have some experience volunteering at races , while a Level I course will be offered at Poley on January 13, 2007. Please let me know if you are interested in either of these courses.

Communications

The primary means of communication among coaches, coordinators, parents and racers is via e-mail. Please notify me promptly if there is any change in your e-mail address or accessibility. If you do not regularly read e-mails, please ensure that you or your athlete checks with a fellow parent/athlete for any changes to the training/racing schedule that arise due to weather, etc.

Again, please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns. For now - think snow!

Jamie LeMesurier
K1/ELR Coordinator