Battle Creek Sunday SkiSparks Club

Welcome to Battle Creek Sunday | MYSL Ski Sparks

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2024 season for our youth skiers in the Battle Creek Sunday SkiSparks Club. Whether your family is new to cross-country skiing or you're a veteran SkiSparks participant or volunteer, we are excited to have you in our club.

Since SkiSparks is volunteer-led, its success depends upon family involvement and we encourage adult family members to help in some capacity. (Please see below for volunteer information.)

Season Schedule

We meet eight Sundays between January 7 and March 3. We are not meeting on February 18 and encourage everyone to cheer on your favorite skiers at the FIS World Cup at Theodore Wirth Park! If needed, our makeup day is on March 10. 

2024 Adult Learn-to-Ski With EU

Parents who ski are more likely to have kids who stick with the sport, so if you've never skied before or are still a relative beginner, take advantage of Endurance United's four-week “Learn to Ski” course for adults. The course meets at the same time as Battle Creek Sunday SkiSparks. Sessions will be on 1/7, 1/21, 1/28, and 2/4, with a backup date reserved for 2/11, if needed. More information and registration is on the Endurance United website. 

Equipment Rental

Children grow quickly and so we are happy we can offer quality rental equipment for a low fee ($55/classic, $100/skate) for the entire season.  The club typically distributes equipment in early December and collects it once the snow melts in the spring. That means that your children can take their equipment home and ski whenever they want. 

You can rent equipment at the same time you register for SkiSparks. Supplies, especially larger sizes, are limited, but we try our best to secure rental equipment for all skiers who request it. Our rentals fit skiers up to 110 pounds and European size 42 shoe and skiers outside those size limits must provide their own equipment. If you pay for rental equipment when you register and we ultimately cannot outfit your skiers, we will reimburse the equipment rental fee.

Equipment Purchase

If you plan to purchase skis this season, we encourage you to do so early (October is not too early) because the ski equipment shortage is ongoing. You can also purchase used equipment at MYSL's annual ski swap + expo on November 12, 2022 in Bloomington.

Clothing

Dress warmly, but dress to move! It's best to dress in layers and avoid cotton or cotton-blends. Suggested layers*:

• Base layer (underwear layer) wicks sweat off your skin: polypropylene or lightweight wool long underwear top and bottoms
• Middle layer (insulating layer) retains body heat to protect you from the cold: a second long-underwear top, a long-sleeve (non-cotton) t-shirt or a lightweight fleece
• Outer layer (shell layer) shields you from wind and snow: heavy fleece or jacket on top and fleece pants/leggings or pants designed for xc skiing on bottom

*Please use your discretion and take into account your child’s activity level and the outside temperature/wind chill. Often winter jackets and snow pants or a snowsuits are too warm once children get moving. However, kids in levels 1 and 2 and older beginners don't move as much and generally wear winter coats and snow pants/snowsuits.

Other tips for staying warm:

• Wool socks: Invest in a pair of wool (or non-cotton wool-alternative) socks that come up to mid-calf.
• Cover the head, ears and neck: We lose a lot of heat through our heads, so cover up with hats (that cover the ears), neck warmers, balaclavas or headbands.
• Dry boots: Cold, wet boots are no fun to put on. Bring ski boots in from the car and let them dry out between uses. Before driving to SkiSparks, have your kids put their boots on at home where it's warm.
• Mitten/gloves: Mittens will keep fingers warmer than gloves. Most kids where their waterproof snow gloves, but more advanced skiers may be more comfortable wearing breathable gloves designed for cross-country skiing.
• Hand/Foot warmers: For when it is really cold, hand and foot warmers are helpful. These are oxygen activated and you can “turn them off” by putting them in an airtight container (such as a glass jar) to get multiple uses.
• Calories: A skier who is low on calories will have a hard time staying warm. Bring extra snacks and drinks.

Volunteering

This is a volunteer-run club. The success and affordability of this program comes directly from your contributions of time, energy, and talent. Review the volunteer roles and contact us at battlecreek@myxc.org to sign up or to discuss how you can help. 

Please consider coaching as it is our number one need!  You do not necessarily need to coach at your child’s level. And you do not need to have a child in SkiSparks. If you have a friends or family members who would make a great coach, (or other volunteer position) please send them our way.

Coaching

We really need your help!  This is our biggest need and is one of the most rewarding ways in which you can help the club.  Kids get more out of the program when the coach-to-kid ratio is low, and coaches need not be an elite skier to volunteer as a coach. What you need most is a desire to work with children and a commitment to sharing your love of skiing with them. 

The MyXC SkiSparks program makes it easy for a coach to know what to do by providing an eight-week curriculum level and each day's lesson is printed on a card that can be carried in your pocket. The pocket guide also provides many helpful tips and games to keep classes enjoyable and interesting. 

Junior Coaches

High-school aged skiers, we need you!  We rely heavily on high school volunteers because you are fun, friendly and in far better shape than most of us.  Coaching for Battle Creek MYSL qualifies as a service commitment for NHS and will look great on your college applications! 

Assistant and Substitute Coaches

As an assistant coach, you can support a coach by accompanying the group on the trails and helping skiers.  If you feel like your skiing level is at the same level as the level your kids are signed up for, you would be a fantastic assistant coach!  You are not in charge of the instruction, rather you are there to make sure the kids are safe, have an adult to bring them to the bathroom, and can assist with activities.  

If you are a substitute coach, you can fill in when a coach isn’t able to make it to ski club.  

Communications

E-mail: We communicate with Battle Creek Sunday SkiSparks families via email so it is important that you provide us with an e-mail address you check frequently when you register your child(ren). 

Facebook: Both the MYSL and Battle Creek Sunday SkiSparks are on Facebook!  "Like" us to get general announcements, photos and videos from MYSL and our club.

Questions? E-mail us at battlecreek@myxc.org.