Jumping News

Notes:

1. What an amazing sight to see all 200 kids, ages 5-13, out there on the “snow” yesterday! There was some seriously good mojo out there. Thanks to all for being so careful in the parking lot!
2. It is great when kids arrive at practice on time. Our coaches head out promptly in an effort to keep kids warm and use the hour effectively. If your child arrives late, there is no guarantee we will be able to help him/her find his/her group, though we always do our best!
3. On really cold days, it is helpful to have kids arrive with an extra, warm layer – parka, puff jacket- on top of their regular ski outfit. This will help them stay warm until practice starts.
4. For families new to skiing, take a look at the waxing information below today’s grid from Jay Davis.
5. We will have a lost and found box for the program this year. It will generally be on the porch at the Oak Hill cabin (or in the back of Ashley’s car). If your child forgets something, s/he can look in the box. We prefer not to have our coaches be responsible for kids’ clothing, so coaches will place anything they find in the lost and found box.
6. Don’t forget to keep track of the kilometers you are skiing this season! Go to this link to learn about our Ski for K’s program and download the tracking form.  This motivates some skiers and doesn’t make a difference to others. Do what works for your child. https://www.fordsayre.org/nordic/bkl/nordic-ski-for-ks/
7. Garipay is the location for tomorrow. Again, if Fullington Field looks great in the morning, we may change our location. Please check the website in the morning. We will post no later than 7am. It will be skate skiing regardless.

Wax info from Jay:

Hello all,

As we begin the season, a quick word on waxing. There is a wealth of information about waxing on the FS website (along with a whole lot of other useful information), enough to satisfy even the most inquisitive mind.

https://www.fordsayre.org/nordic/bkl/waxing/

My very quick overview targeted to new families is as follows, using some of the info from the website:

4.  We will have recommendations for kick wax (critical if your child is not using no-wax skis and it is a classic day) and for glide wax (not critical, but very good to learn eventually) ​on the website each evening before practice.

5.  The critical component is showing up with skis, boots and poles, and a sense of humor and excitement to ski.  (Oh, and a hat. 🙂 Too many kids did not have hats on yesterday and it was cold!)

Let it snow, and please do check out the website and then ask your lead coaches questions.  We are here to help and to try and make your transition to the ski world as welcoming as possible.

Jay

We had a great kick-off for the season this afternoon, and I am still marveling that we had so many kids try out their skis on only an inch of snow, and start to form relationships with their teammates and coaches!

We couldn’t have done it without the support of a really BIG group of volunteers – from the seasoned Ford Sayre volunteers to those that are new this year! THANK YOU! Please do take a chance to get to know your children’s coaching team and our other volunteers – they are really a fun and energetic group – and their primary goal is to make sure that your children have fun (while learning proper ski technique)!

A few housekeeping items:

• Lost and Found: We had two items show up in our lost and found tonight: a bracelet (if you lost one, please e-mail me a description so that I can find its owner) and a child’s book called “Hug Time”.
• Ski equipment: If your child is still looking for ski equipment, here are a few options. Please ask me for help if you continue to struggle with this.
  1. Thetford Ski & Skate Consignment Sale: December 7^th from 12:30-2:00 at the Thetford Elementary School.
  2. NENSA Lease package: ~$60 plus shipping. https://www.nensa.net/skis/ (They have a very limited supply of skis left – and please note that the sizes of the waxless skis end in a “0”).
  3. Nordic Barn (Stowe, VT) Lease package: ~$79 for beginning skiers. Ph: 802-253-6433; http://www.nordicbarnvt.com/
  4. Middlebury Mountaineer (Middlebury, VT) Lease package: ~ $90 for beginning skiers. 802-388-7245; http://www.mmvt.com/content/nordic-ski-lease
  5. If you want to purchase, check out: Omer and Bob’s in Lebanon; Golf and Ski Center, EMS, or LLBean in West Lebanon; Nordic Skater in Norwich; S&W Sports in Concord – or one of the many online ski retailers.
• E-mails now coming through our Ford Sayre website: In an effort to simplify your lives (and ours), we are changing our communication system. You’re receiving this email through our website. All emails, current and past, will be posted and archived on the site so you can reference them at any time. We also encourage you to USE the site to answer your questions. Check out the menu at the left side of the Nordic, BKL One Day tab. Many of your questions are answered right there.
  • Before every practice, you’ll receive an email showing location, time, technique, and upcoming events – and listing important notes. It should show up on your phone looking the same way, so on strange weather days you can check it on your way to practice to see if anything has changed.
  • We rarely cancel practice. However, IF PRACTICE IS CANCELLED, it will be posted on the site in this location. The notice should also come to you as an email, but you should always check the site if you aren’t sure since the site will be real time.

Please continue to reach out to me with questions and comments. I want to hear about what is working well, what could be improved, and what is still confusing!

Thanks – and we all hope that your children had fun this afternoon!

Aricca, BKL.One.Day@fordsayre.org