Central Minnesota SkiSparks Club

Welcome to the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club at Riverside Park in St. Cloud, MN.

Riverside Park Cross County Ski Trailhead (Shelter):
1725 Kilian Blvd. SE
Saint Cloud, MN 56304
Geographic Coordinates:  45.545577, -94.143235  (Lat./Long.)  /
 UTM Coordinates:  x:410754.882812,   y:5044195.556640 

Signup to receive text updates from the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club by texting @2hb8d8 to 81010 or 240-297-4477.

Date web page last updated: February 20, 2023 at 12:15 p.m.

Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club Sessions:

1:45 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. every Sunday, January 1, 2023 until Sunday, February. 26, 2023 (except January 22, 2023 where we will attend the 15th Annual Sons of a Norway Barnelopet instead).

Welcome to the all-volunteer lead Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club!

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  We will be holding the eight and final session of the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club's 2023 Nordic ski season on Sunday, February 26, 2023 from 1:45 pm to 4 pm at Riverside Park. Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club sessions are held Sundays from 1:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. in January & February 2023 at Riverside Park, Saint Cloud, MN. The only exception was Sunday, January 22, 2023, where we attend the 15^th Annual Sons of Norway Barnelopet instead. Full schedule/times can be found at https://www.myxc.org/clubs/central-minnesota-skisparks-club

MyXC Skill Level Card & Pin Distribution: 

The Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club will be distributing Minnesota Youth Ski League level participation pins to each Club member along with a skill level card filled out by their volunteer coach demonstrating what they believe your child has successfully completed so far and what skills they still need to master before moving to the next level. These MyXC skill cards are to help volunteer coaches provide some recommendations to parents and guardians of where their child is in relation to what was covered during the eight Club sessions within the level they participated. It is perfectly acceptable for a child to repeat a level before moving up a level to ensure they can safely enjoy participating at the next level. 

Minnesota Youth Ski League (MyXC) Festival, Sunday, March 5, 2023 from 1 to 3 p.m.

Duluth Youth XC Festival registration here: https://www.myxc.org/events/ dxc-youth-ski-festival

Location:
Spirit Mountain Trailhead
8551 Grand Ave.
Duluth, MN 55808

Duluth Cross Country Ski Club, Spirit Mountain, Minnesota Youth Ski League and DXC SkiSparks invite children age 4 - 15 to join them for a special year-end celebration of skiing. Have fun on skis and test your skills on our terrain park of bumps and rollers, scavenger hunt, ski games, and Fish Scale Frenzy. Snacks will be provided, and food is available at the Grand Avenue Chalet.

There is no charge for this event, but pre-registration is requested so that DXC can plan ahead and have your special Spirit Mountain Nordic Day pass waiting for you.

Make a weekend out of it and participate in DXC’s year end celebration: the “Tour DuLuth.” Ski all of Duluth’s ski trails, join them for a candlelight ski (Saturday night, March 4, 2023), and social events throughout the weekend.

Cross Country (Nordic) Ski Equipment Rental & MyXC Bib Collection:
The Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club will have access to the Riverside Park shelter on Sunday, February 26, 2023 from 1:45 p.m. to 4 p.m. and we will be collecting Central MN Youth Ski Club Nordic ski bibs and rental sets from youth skiers Sunday, February 26, 2023 at the end of the Club session for those families that rented ski equipment when they registered for the Club, if they don't plan to utilize them for the Minnesota Youth Ski League (MyXC) Festival listed above on Sunday, March 5, 2023 in Duluth, MN. 

All rented Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club equipment must be returned between Monday, March 13, 2023 through Thursday, March 23, 2023 to Club Coordinator Nicholas Snavely's home at 805 17th Street SE, Saint Cloud, MN 56304 by texting Nicholas ahead of time at 763-232-4921 or emailing StCloud@MyXC.org with details on when you plan drop off the Club's rented Nordic ski equipment. A MyXC purple yard sign will be posted on this NE corner residence next to a fire hydrant at the intersection of 17th Street SE & 8th Ave. SE, which is located one block east and one block north of the Riverside Park shelter parking lot entrance or one block east of the Riverside Park playground equipment. The home has white painted wood siding on the west side with a two stall tuck-under garage and red painted wood siding on the west side with pink brick façade below white painted wood siding on the south wall. If you see the red barn mailbox, you'll be at the right place!

Similar to how you received the rented Nordic ski equipment earlier, please return them by following the tips below and ensuring there is still a piece of electric tape attached to each piece of rented Nordic ski equipment with your child's name:
1) Rubber band the top and bottom of Nordic ski poles together with electric tape displaying child's name still below ski pole handles.
2) Rubber band the top and bottom of Nordic skis together with electric tape displaying child's name still on tips of skis.
3) Attached Nordic ski boots to ski bindings with electric tape displaying child's name still attached on heal of boots.
4) MyXC bibs should have Velcro straps nicely overlapped horizontally to bib bottom with name tags left inside.

Special Note:
Please ensure rented Club Nordic ski equipment is not used on ski trails in poor condition or off trail resulting in the potential damage to the ski bases. This is a big concern when Nordic ski trail snow conditions typically worsen in March with the oncoming Spring. We want these rental Nordic skis to last for years to come!

Family Snack Signup for Club Sessions:
We need two (2) more Club families to bring snacks Sunday, February 26, 2023. With this being the last session with a festival atmosphere, S'more supplies would be a nice added touch, including marshmallows, cinnamon graham crackers, and Hersey's milk chocolate bars, as well as marshmallow sticks to roast them over the fire. Please visit this web page link below to sign up your family to provide snacks at one Club session. 

Central MN Youth Ski Club 2023 Snack Sign Up List is online at:
https://www.signupgenius.com/go/20F0F4AAEA92FABFE3-central1

We are looking to have four families each week to provide healthy snacks each session. Please plan on 91 children, as well as extra for 10 coaches, parents and guardians. Ideas for healthy snacks include clementines, granola bars, fruits and vegetables, etc. Skiers have been known to enjoy cookies too! Especially good are mint Oreo cookies! Kids may have peanut or other food allergies, so ideally the snacks will not contain peanuts and other food allergens (i.e tree nuts, eggs, etc.)

Hot cocoa and water will continue to be provided by the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club, however families need to provide cups for hot liquids. Families that bring snacks during the week they sign up for are responsible for providing the styrofoam cups or equivalent cups that can handle hot liquids needed for hot cocoa, as well as taking care of preparing one pot of hot cocoa (heat water, pour hot cocoa, fill up a separate container of cold water, etc.) and snacks prior to session break starting at approximately 2:45 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. and clean up after kid’s snack break. Club volunteer Marge Bates has been gracious enough to assist with this preparation, so please work with her when it is your turn to provide snacks.

Riverside Park Nordic Ski Trail Conditions:

A large amount of new snow is forecasted to fall from Monday, February 20, 2023 through Thursday, February 23, 2023 so traditional classic and freestyle skate Nordic ski trails will likely be in great shape once groomed by Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota volunteer groomers later this week for our end of season Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club session!

Weather Forecast:
Sunday, February 26, 2023 Weather Forecast: 24 degrees F & 11 mph SW winds making it feel like 13 degrees F. These are ideal cross country ski weather conditions. Ensure you prepare your children with the appropriate clothing to be outside, such as dressing in layers, so layers can be taken off or put on, if needed, if they get too warm or cold. 

Typically, when air temps are below -10 degrees F or -15 wind chill, the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club will cancel or shorten that Sunday's session. If there is ever a need to cancel a session, it will be communicated via email to members. The Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club specifically meets around the warmest part of the day, which usually occurs from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m.

Parents and care givers are the ultimate decision makers on what weather conditions for they are comfortable allowing their youth skiers to participate in. Parents and care givers should use discretion, as they know their child best. Please note to dress your youth skiers properly for the weather each club session. If a volunteer Coach sees a youth skier without the proper winter attire, such as missing a hat, gloves, etc. on very cold days, they have every right to send that skier back to the parent/care giver or to go inside the Riverside Park shelter until they have the proper clothing to have fun safely outside with the rest of their group.

MyXC 30 Year Anniversary Buff Distribution for all Club Members:

MyXC 30 year anniversary buffs will be distributed to all Club members on Sunday, February 26, 2023 that have not yet received one. This will be your final opportunity to pick up your free buff for the season. 

Thank you to all volunteer Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota ski trail groomers!
Thankfully, we had a good amount of snow this season! The Nordic ski trails were groomed multiple times at Riverside Park this season. If you see one of the volunteer Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota groomers, please thank them! Without them, we wouldn't have these wonderful cross country ski trails to ski upon at Riverside Park!

Join the Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota!

Consider joining the Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota at http://www.nordicskiclubcentralmn.org/ They charge a nominal $20 family membership and you even get a Nordic Ski Club of Central Minnesota winter hat obtainable from a local ski shop in town, such as Revolution Cycle & Ski or Fitzharris Ski, Bike & Outdoor. Club outings are posted on their Facebook page, along with tons of other related Nordic ski information for the local area in and around St. Cloud listed in their annual meeting handout.

Thank you volunteer Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club Coaches!
The Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club will be recognizing our volunteer Coaches, Assistant Coaches, Junior Coaches (high school Nordic skiers) and Sweepers at the final Club session for the season.

If you are interested in volunteering in anyway, visit the following web link to signup as a volunteer:

https://www.myxc.org/training-requirement

Remember, the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club is only as successful as those that volunteer their time assist the 91 youth skiers that have signed up this season to ensure they have fun with you while learn the fundamentals on how to cross country ski. 

Check out the Minnesota Youth Ski League's (MyXC) YouTube Channel for recordings of our virtual Welcome Sessions and Coach Training. Please take a look at the Ski Games video as well to see examples of games and FUN (and to get psyched for the season).

Here are some video playlists to watch beforehand:

https://www.youtube.com/@minnesotayouthskileague6367/playlists

The new Minnesota Youth Ski League (MYSL) SkiSparks curriculum is now available in web app form at https://mirthful-sticks-7121.glideapp.io/
You will have to enter an email and get a pin for access. 
1. Most volunteer coaches will use it in App form.
2. PRINTING: You can also put this on a desktop and if you change the view to 80%, you get a nice one-page print per lesson. 

3. There is a chat function for general coaching discussion.

Total children signed up for the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club as of February 20, 2023: 91

SkiSparks Level 1, ages 4-5: 15

SkiSparks Level 2, ages 6-8: 20
SkiSparks Level 3, ages 7-10: 25
SkiSparks Level 3*, ages 11-14 (beginner): 2
SkiSparks Level 4, ages 8-14: 15

SkiSparks Level 5, ages 9-14: 8

SkiSparks Level 6, ages 9-14: 6

How to be a great youth Nordic ski coach video!

Central MN Youth Ski Club is looking for volunteer cross country ski coaches! We welcome more volunteers and are in most need for volunteer coaches, assistant coaches or junior coaches! Sign up to volunteer today at https://www.myxc.org/training-requirement

We use a games-based approach and have daily lesson plans by skill level. NO prior ski coaching experience is required. You bring the enthusiasm, a pair of ski equipment for yourself and we provide you the curriculum! No experience is necessary, as there are activity plan booklets for each level available for review before each session with MyXC curriculum also available online.

Virtual training videos available at
https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLoeAE4UwAavBUPtYoxmCCYYp1KI0f1Hm0

Parent & Guardian Attendance Required at Club Sessions:

All youth skiers require a parent/guardian present while attending. Just to be clear, don’t plan on dropping your child off and picking them up after each session, since parents/guardians are expected to participate in some fashion, such as assisting with coaching. Once again, we stress that this is a very friendly, family oriented program that is built around the kids having fun while also learning skills and techniques needed to become better cross country skiers.

Special Note to SkiSparks Level 1 Parents and Guardians:
Parents and guardians of SkiSparks Level 1 skiers need to have one parent or guardian with their youth skier, but don’t have to have skis to assist. Just avoid walking on ski trails as much as possible. Level 1 skiers are required to have a caregiver with them. If you have a Level 1 skier, you must register as a Level 1 attendant, coach, assistant coach, or sweeper for Level 1. Register as a volunteer by logging in online to your account you setup to join the club at https://www.myxc.org/clubs/central-minnesota-skisparks-club

Minnesota Youth Ski League Kilometer (K) Counter:

Skiers can log their Kilometers skied anytime they ski this winter. MyXC K Counter is operational and links should be working (Ks) on header and footer of homepage. MyXC has been working on a few other improvements like being able to see your log history when you log in. Look for the logo (Ks).

The top 20 skiers on the SkiSparks list (on the www.MyXC.org web page) will also be featured on Facebook. We will be requesting a picture from families. Skiers that are in a Skiwerx or TrailKids program will be pulled off of the SkiSparks list (and added to the Skiwerx list) the last week of February.  There will be a top 20 list across all MyXC clubs, as well as a club leader boards for the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club. To receive a K pin from the Central Minnesota Youth Ski Club, please enter your child's Ks by February 25, 2023, so they can be recognized on Sunday, February 26, 2023 during our last Club session for the season. The top 20 MyXC SkiSparks skiers across the organization will be announced on March 5, 2023, so please have Ks entered by March 4, 2023 to be considered for this additional recognition later.

Award levels are now listed on the main page as well and we’ll hand them out at the end of the season. Skiers will qualify for these awards through their clubs: 25k, 50k, and so on.