Training
Our youth program offers three main tracks (represented as geographical regions) because our program serves three main constituencies: new skiers, recreational skiers, and racing skiers. In each track, skiers are grouped with other athletes their own age, even for first time skiers.
In all groups, we use three main approaches to teaching skiing: skiing (of course) and providing feedback to our athletes on their skiing, drills and exercises intended to help athletes focus on a specific aspect of their skiing, and games. Our skiers love games and enjoy playing with their friends. But we use games as a training component because athletes forget what they are doing and inherently use the fun and competition of the game to find new ways of moving on their skis, leading directly to technique improvement.
A number of our coaches have come to the club with a significant skiing (often racing) background. Other coaches have improved their skiing by starting as an assistant coach and performing all of the drills and playing all the games alongside the youth. We offer fall dryland coaching training to all of our coaches, informal mentoring by more experienced coaches, and a number of our coaches have obtained training and coach certification through US Ski and Snowboard. (If you want to become a better skier, volunteer to coach!)
Racing
Our club hosts a skate sprint-format race in late January/early February of each winter. We encourage all of our athletes to participate in our "Carnival". This race offers a fun way for children to try racing in a low-pressure environment doing a very short race (about 1.5 minutes to 4 minutes, depending on age). EMXC Juniors also host "Race for Snow," which raises awareness and money to combat climate change. We travel as a group to the NENSA Bill Koch Festival held in early March each year. This Festival-format race offers opportunities for athletes to race with others in clubs from New York through Maine, with both skate and classic formats. For older youth who want more racing opportunities, coaches can advise on appropriate races throughout New England.
In the warmer months, we offer summer U14 rollerskiing and a 5-week fall rollerskiing for skiers who are 11+ on December 31st. Please visit our rollerskiing page to learn more.
Events
Our club also provides social opportunities for athletes and their families, making connections that we hope will last for years. We host an opening celebration and a closing celebration each season, with a chance to share club information, recognize our graduating athletes and volunteers, share a meal together, and get a workout. We have also held other social events, including visits from elite skiers and opportunities to watch the Olympics together.
