I try to take a moment each evening to write something about that days events. But yesterday, (well really last night...) would prove to be a little busier than normal for me.
Most of the skaters do not realize what coaches do during their dinner break or after we get back to the rooms. Typically we allow time for a "coaches meeting" to go over the days events. We discuss what worked and what did not work. You might think that since USARS has been holding these types of clinics for years that they should have this down to a science. And just when we think that we do... technology changes, technique changes or we find a better way of doing things .... or... we just want to add something beneficial to the clinic. This clinic would be no different. Or would it???
For me, the dynamics of the clinic would change due to the amount of skaters and their ages. Before the clinic starts, each of the lead coaches receive information about the skaters including their name, division and how old they are. This allows us to gear our program to fit the level, age and need of each skater to ensure that they qualify. That is a difficult thing to do when we have never seen these skaters before and we do not now their capability of speed skating.
So.. the best thing to do is let them loose out on the track for a general warm-up by themselves. During this mass warm-up we observed the 65+ skaters and knew that we would need to start by putting them into age groups. With this done it became much easier to assess the skater and decide where they would go for the first day. We explained that these groups may be temporary and that more changes could happen again. And once again they did.
Eventually the skaters and the coaches felt comfortable with each group. We ended up with 6 groups over-all and we usually had 2 groups out on the track at one time. Every once in a while it would be three groups so that the skaters could skate as much as possible. We made sure for day one and two that the skaters had little down time so that we could fill their minds and bodies with nothing but skating!!!However on the third night it became evident to the skaters, parents and coaches that rest would be more important and safer if we skipped the third session and let the skaters go back to their hotel and just "chill". As a coaching staff we felt that if WE were tired, the skaters REALLY must be tired!
Even though they came back to a blizzard... (ok, ok... so I exaggerate just a little! It was 31 degrees outside including wind chill factor). The skaters appeared to be rested and skated much better. The OTC usually requires that we not skate when it gets that cold due to possible injuries, like pulling muscles from not being warmed-up (which is hard to do when it is that cold), or fingers and toes falling off. LOL ;)
As you see above... two moms (I think they are mom's-they are so covered up it's hard to tell!) are really bundled up. The wind came in at 15-20mph (it felt like a 100 mph-I know..another exaggeration), and the skaters would complain a little but continued to work hard. I found teams of two skaters facing each other and practicing their "rocking back and forth with arm swing and keeping their shoulders parallel. Over-all the staff felt it was a very successful clinic.
Thank you to all of the parents who sent your children while you stayed home and worked. Thank you to the parents who brought someone else's child and thank you to the coaches who guided your skaters our way, even if you were not able to make it yourself. Finally I would like to thank all of the coaches that flew or drove out at their own expense. Each of you were instrumental in making this clinic happen!
And last but not least, of course I cannot forget our demonstrators and our helpers. You guys were the icing AND the cherry on the cake! Great job to all of you. If you have any questions and would like to contact me, you may do so by sending me an email at : woodsk8@hotmail.com
Take care and check out the new photos. Linda
p.s. click on the "SPRINGER & SPRINGER SHOW" below, and after you have watched it the first time, come back and watch the first part again where THE CHAMP is in the background getting his "2.5-seconds of fame" LOL Linda
