New Podcast: Top Cross Country Topics

In a new podcast, First Chair catches up with PSIA Cross Country Coach, Emily Lovett, and PSIA Cross Country Team members, David Lawrence and Greg Rhodes, about the clinics they had planned for Cross Country Academy 2020. While the event is postponed, you can still learn from Emily, David, and Greg about the clinic topics they were going to present. Listen in to get some great tips then read about the three top clinics they planned for members.

“Get Forward!” – What the H?%$ Does That Even Mean?

You’ve heard it. You’ve said it. You may or may not do it. What does “get forward” really mean? What does it look like? How do you do it? How do you teach someone to “get forward?” In this clinic, David planned to break “getting forward” apart like you’ve never done before. This fun and highly interactive activity based clinic was to include the following activities: ball of the foot skiing; do it wrong to do it right; 1-2-3 drill; and an up versus forward drill.

Building XC Fundamentals through Skills and Drills

What are the characteristics of great skiers?  In this clinic, Emily planned to present on how the XC Fundamentals outline how body movements affect ski equipment performance. Tuning into XC Fundamentals is a great way to explore skill development for maintaining effective body position, creating propulsion, ski to ski weight transfer and glide. Some sample activities included: tuning into the XC Fundamentals while skiing them; identifying, sharing and practicing skills and drills that help students build XC Fundamentals; slalom drill, long glides, and tempo changes.

The Language of Coaching: Your Cues Influence Your Student’s Focus

Coaching cues are what we use to quickly adjust the focus of our student’s to make the changes we want to see in their skiing. Greg planned to present on how the words we use to create coaching cues impacts the outcome we see in our students and how our word choice influences our own skiing. The clinic would have increased participants “Language Locker” to use when teaching others. The clinic would have used the following activities: developing an understanding about how attentional focus influences performance in our own skiing; connecting internally focused cues to externally focused; working in pairs to develop creative analogs to build our own Language Lockers (Teaching Tool Boxes).