U10/12 Race Day Protocol
Race day for the U10/12 age group can cause fear and be confusing. Our goal will be to make race day as much like any other ski day and make it an integral part of their training. We will achieve this by reducing the hype surrounding race day and keeping it business as usual.
We will:
- Inspect as we do for training, quickly and only once.
- Free ski before, during and after each run.
- Be relaxed and have fun.
We will not:
- Sit in the lodge waiting for our run.
- Create a different scenario in the start area than what we have in training.
- Suggest that the athletes wait at the top of the race course for long periods before their run:
- At the U10/12 level, we the kids to be skiing, and not have them standing in a line at the start. At the U10/12 level, racers are not penalized for missing a start, but that changes at the U14 level.
- As coaches, we will not overanalyze the scoreboard.
We encourage you:
- On the way to the race – be positive – don’t coach – get them fed and laughing.
- To not focus on your child’s times – encourage your children to do the same.
- To not ask your child how they did during their run – instead, ask how it felt, did they have fun.
- To show up at the awards ceremony, iwith your child to demonstrate good sportsmanship and support of the whole team.
Note: If your child has a race suit, we encourage them to wear it to training if they don’t have one – there is no need to purchase one. They are not necessary at this level.