Registration status: Registration starts September 9, 2013
Ages: 10 to 13 years (Year of birth: 2000 to 2003)
Season: December 2012 – March 2013
Dates & Times: 1.5 hour session per week for 10 weeks, Tuesday evenings
Location: Canada Olympic Park
Cost: $150 + club membership + COP trail pass
Children are encouraged to take part in an Active Lifestyle from a young age. The Youth Initiation programs target the ACTIVE START and FUNdamental stages of development as outlined in the Canadian Sport For Life (S4L) model. This includes Bunnies (ages 4 and 5), Jackrabbit Levels 1-4 (ages 6 to 9), Jackrabbits Plus (ages 8-9) and Track Attack (ages 9-12) or Marmots (Jackrabbit Level 5+, ages 10-12).
Weekly on-snow sessions will include lots of activity and increasing work on ski skills. Additional activities will be available for the kids in the higher levels of the Youth Initiation programs. Registrations for all sessions will be for the full season (10 weeks for Jackrabbits and Marmots). Our leaders are all NCCP-certified and many are former Jackrabbits themselves.
Objectives:
- Provide a program that allows kids who have graduated from Jackrabbits Level 4 to continue to participate in cross-country skiing on a purely recreational level
- Continue to develop and build strong cross-country ski skills
- Build an active healthy lifestyle in outdoor winter sport
The Marmots program will include group ski sessions to develop and improve on skills attained in the Jackrabbit program. Focus will be on skills for an Active Lifestyle in cross-country skiing. Additional group activities will include the Jackrabbit weekend activities (family or group skis), and may include a basic ski tour (in non-avalanche terrain). The goal of this group will be to provide opportunities for youth to stay involved in cross-country skiing. The focus will be on skills through FUN-On-Skis in a group setting with like-minded kids.
Equipment and Clothing
Participants in Jackrabbits are expected to have appropriate ski equipment and winter clothing. Old three-pin bindings are NOT acceptable, and waxable skis are encouraged for all Jackrabbit levels (mandatory for Level 2 and up). Marmots will do skating, but a combi ski is appropriate.
Rentals are available through Canada Olympic Park (check our COP website at http://www.winsportcanada.ca/cop/ticketspasses/rentalswinter.cfm).
Information on equipment and clothing is available on the forum and there also be information available at the Parent Info Night in late November or early December. Please check out the Jackrabbit Forum for information on deals and swaps at the local cross-country ski retailers.
Cold Weather Cut Off Policy
Cold weather cut off -17 C air temperature at 4:00 pm at COP. COP weather link
Participation Opportunities for ALL
We welcome keen parents with strong basic ski skills (classic and skating) to become leaders – please note on your registration or contact the Jackrabbit Coach / Leader Coordinator if you are interested. We encourage ALL Jackrabbit parents to participate as a volunteer in Foothills, either through the many support roles we have with the Jackrabbit programs (list to be available at Jackrabbit Parent Night in late November or early December) or in the many club activities that take part throughout the year – see Club Volunteer Opportunities.
We encourage kids from families of all economic levels to take part in this awesome winter sport. If you have constraints either for program costs or obtaining proper equipment for your kids, please contact our JR coordinator. Foothills Nordic also encourages families to seek support through KIDSPORT, a local program to help lower-income families with program costs for sport and activities.
http://www.kidsport.ab.ca/index.php?page=calgary_apply
More Information
Please visit the on-line Forum for more information.
Email the Jackrabbit Coordinator for more information: jackrabbit@foothillsnordic.ca