Wirth Sunday SkiSparks Club

NOTE: The start time is delayed until 330pm for this week's session (2/19). The session will run until 5pm. 

Welcome to the Sunday MYXC Club at THEODORE WIRTH PARK in MINNEAPOLIS

The MYXC Sunday Wirth Club is an all-volunteer club that teaches cross-country skiing to children at Theodore Wirth Park in Minneapolis. Children ages 4-15 and their parents are welcome, as are other volunteers who share in our goal of generating a love for Nordic skiing in youth and having fun in the snow.  Our club welcomes families brand new to skiing as well as dedicated ski families.  

PARKING:  There are two lots near the Trailhead and they fill up fast.   You may need to park just north of the Trailhead in the Chalet parking lot.   We will have an MYSL greeter in the circle drive of the Trailhead if you need to drop off kids and gear and go park in the Chalet lot.   I highly recommend you avoid parking on the medians in the Chalet lot and in the circle at the Trailhead - the Minneapolis Park Police have been known to ticket people.   

SKI PASSES: A MPRB (Minneapolis Parks and Recreation Board) Ski Pass is required on groomed trails in the MPRB system (Chain of Lakes, Columbia, Hiawatha, and Theodore Wirth Regional Trails). This must be visible at all times.  Volunteers and SkiSparks/Skiwerx Wirth members qualify for a discount on one adult All-Access Ski Pass. Everyone that uses the MYSL group discount code must be a registered volunteer or skier at a SkiSparks or Skiwerx program at Wirth Park. 

The All-Access Ski Pass has two age categories:
Adult (Age 12 and older)
Child (Age 11 and younger)

The discount is only for the initial pass purchased for an adult (skier age 12 and over). There is no discount for additional adult passes or for the child pass. With the discount code all adult passes are $50 and all child passes remain $30.

To purchase the pass please follow these steps:
Go to: https://www.tempotickets.com/event/vvQnid

Enter the discount code: (will be provided at a later date)

Click apply.

Select the appropriate MPRB All-Access Ski Passes for skiers in your family.

Check out.

After you have paid for the passes online, print your check-in pass. Bring the check-in pass to The Trailhead (main building at Wirth) where you can pick up the physical pass which needs to be with you when you are skiing.

HATS: We will have hats for our brand new members - they will be available where we hand out the bibs and snacks.   Replacement hats for returning members are available as well for $15.  

CHALET ATTENDANTS: Even though we aren't using the Chalet any more, we need generally need a couple of parents to volunteer as Chalet attendants each week, but we have it covered this week. For future reference if you can volunteer as a chalet attendant, all you need to do is come in when ski club starts and check in with me at the Trailhead and I (Sandy) will get you set for the day. Basically you will hang out in the Trailhead in case any kids need to come back early (because they are cold, not feeling well, etc.  and they don’t have parents around to meet them yet), set up the snacks, and after the skiers head out for their lessons go grab the yellow level markers and put them away. The kids start coming in between 4 and 4:30, sometimes a little later from skiing, so you just want to have the snacks ready around 4 pm. For this first session, I will be your Chalet Attendant. Please let me know what weekend you can help do this - we really need your help. 

WATER BOTTLES: Consider whether your older children skiing farther (Levels 5 and 6) should carry a fanny pack with a water bottle. 

Volunteers: We need you! The Wirth Club is an all-volunteer club. We depend on parents and other volunteers to coach, encourage and help organize our children, and we expect at least one adult volunteer from each family registered. With your participation, we can create a great winter experience for our kids. We need these volunteers:

·       Club Leaders: - After several years of leading this amazing club, the largest youth club in MYSL, it is time for Ramdev, Katherine and I to move on at the end of the season. Over the years, long before we were leading the club, this club has produced some of the top skiers in the region and transformed families into lifelong skiers. This is your chance to be part of that. MYSL looks for a 3 year commitment and it takes just a few hours each week, including coming out on Sundays. We would love to use this year as a transition year to make the change easier.

·       Coaches: – Coaching is one of the most important and enjoyable ways you can volunteer. While the Club is fortunate to have some of its coaches returning this year, we need more adult coaches to keep our coach-to-skier ratio high.  Anyone can coach – you don’t need to be an expert skier to volunteer. MYSL has an excellent week-by-week curriculum, which includes many games on skis. Also, MYSL typically holds training opportunities for new coaches in December.  Please contact our Coach Coordinator if you can make this valuable contribution.

·       Junior Coaches: - In addition, junior coaches have made a real contribution to the Club. If you are a high school skier and would be willing to serve as a junior coach, we need you! The skiers LOVE the junior coaches!

·       Chalet Attendent - We like to have a parent or two available in the Trailhead in case any skiers need to come in early, as well as to set up snacks - contact the club leader to volunteer.

·       End of Season Party Coordinator: – Would you like to help plan the end of season party?  Please contact the club leader.

·       Parent skiers: – The Club encourages parents to ski with their kids – they love to see you doing the same thing and being able to show you what they can do!  We encourage you to ski with your child's level and to help with games and exercises. You may learn how to coach!

·       Activity Leader - Help prepare a fun (crazy?) activity for the kids to enjoy during the class, such as a treasure hunt, face painting, a destination ski to find a special treat, ski acrobatics, or anything you can think of.  A fun activity is a great way to teach skiing without the kids knowing they are being taught. We have built snow forts, served S'Mores on the trail, had costumed mascots make appearances. We are always open to new ways to make skiing fun.

·       Photographer - We'd like to capture pictures of our skiers for sharing at our end-of-year potluck.  Are you tech-savvy and able to organize a slideshow? 

Weather:

The Club will cancel skiing if the temperature is forecast to be below -2 degrees F or if the wind chill is forecast to be less than -10 degrees F. The Club may also cancel or change locations if snow conditions are poor. With Snowmaking and access to shelter we typically have our sessions in almost any conditions. A cancellation will be sent by e-mail (to the address provided when you registered). 

Curriculum:

The MYSL curriculum teaches skiing with games using an orderly progression through six distinct levels, Levels 1 through 6.  Most all skiers (especially at the lower levels) WILL spend two years in each level, e.g., a beginning skier will spend two years in Level 1 at ages 5 and 6.  To progress to the next level a skier must reach specific goals at each level. The curriculum is not designed so that a skier spends only one year in each level.  Please familiarize yourself with these levels and goals (posted on the MYSL site) so that you can be aware of what your skier is working on and so that you can offer encouragement.  Your coach can always explain the curriculum and goals to you and offer a recommendation for a suitable level.

We look forward to another fun season!