Dec. First Meet Postponed.

Our Tuesday Dec. 1st meet is postponed as result of limited snow at Trollhaugen. I'll post more info on possible make up date when possilbe.

We Need All the Boosters We Can Get (Letter Below)

We sent this letter home with the students last week. I hope they all made it into the parents' hands. Just in case, here is the info again.

Also, we have several students who are missing fees and other eligibility paper work. Our first race is scheduled for next Tuesday, Dec. 1. Please ask your skier if they have turned everything in. They have been told and should know if they need something.

Dear Parents of the Nordic skiers,

My husband Steve and I realize that the Nordic ski program is in need of funds so
our skiers can train on a course and Simley can host home meets. Therefore we are willing to start a booster club for the Simley Nordic ski program. We will be having the first meeting this Sunday evening November 21st , 7:00 pm at Caribou (by Wal-mart) to elect officers and to get input from the parents, please come, we need your help to grow the program. This is our daughters third year in skiing, and we realized after last year the school only can fund so much. The needs of the program are growing, while budget cuts
are being made.

We have been involved in many sports and activities at Simley, we feel this fundraiser is the most effective and least costly. It is called a Kilometer-a-thon and consists of sending a sponsor form to friends, family, neighbors or local business, asking for their support,

Attached are five “Kilometer-a-thon” letters, which we are asking each skier to fill in their name, who they are sending it to, and a message like “ Aunt Tracy, hope you can support me in skiing this season”. On the other side fill in the address it is being sent to.
Return the forms to Coach Anderson or Coach Sedler by Wednesday, November 25th. We will fold and stamp them and send them out so we can see some results.

Also, we are hosting a pasta dinner to start off the ski season at our home on Monday November 30th, the night before the first meet. We live two blocks from school, so the whole team can all walk here together after practice, get their carb intake, do some team bonding, and be picked up at about 6:30/7ish.

This is our third year doing this and the kids seem to enjoy it.

Thanks for your support, raising money is never easy.

THINK SNOW

Sandy and Steve

Here Comes the Groomer.

Hurray! The groomer arrived in boxes today. I hauled it home to start assembly tonight. The Tidd Tech 4' Trail Tenderizer with track setter, say that 4 times fast, will give the students well groomed snow to develop their skills on. This is the same groomer that Henry Sibley uses on their course. It works well. Bring on the corduroy.


We're working on a snowmobile. Look for future posts on a booster club being organized by the Klimas family.

End of Week One

Welcome to the new and returning skiers. Coach Sedler and I are pleased with the effort and attitude of the kids this year. Keep up the great work! Here are a few pictures from practice on Friday. Clicking on the pictures will expand them. Comments are encouraged.

First team photo of the year,

BIG GUNS and SMILES too.

Group stretch at the start of practice. The shadows are lengthening as well.

Meet Schedule 2009-2010

Here is a link to our meets this year. Please notice I have the link under points of interest on the right side of the site too. That way it will always be easy to find.
Classic Suburban Conference Schedule.

Simley Nordic Forms

We have three important forms we need from athletes before starting practice next Monday, Nov. 9th. Click on the first two for printable versions.

1.Physical
2.District 199 Eligibility Form
3.Team rules contract. See below. This can be cut and pasted into a Word document for printing.

1. Being a member of the Spartan Nordic Ski Team is an honor and a privilege. It provides a chance to develop your body and mind. It is both hard work and lots of fun. All athletes need to demonstrate a positive attitude towards coaches, teammates, and officials. You are expected to cooperate with all. No form of insubordination, hazing or harassment will be tolerated, while fun is expected.

2. Practice begins at 3:00 and runs until 5:00. Do not be late. Daily attendance is expected.

3. Practices and ski meets are mandatory for all student/athletes whether you are participating or not. If you miss a practice or a meet, you must have an excuse signed by your parent. Absences for academic reasons require prior approval and a pass from a teacher. An unexcused absence will make you ineligible to compete in the next meet. Detention will be an automatic unexcused absence. Work is not an excuse for missing meets or practices.

4. Care must be used with all Spartan Nordic equipment. School skis need to be protected and kept clean. Students who use school skis will need to put a $50 deposit down to partially cover costs for damage or lost skis. This deposit will be returned if skis do not suffer more than normal wear and tear. The Nordic room must be kept clean and free of wax build up. All skiers need to help clean on waxing days until the room is cleaned. Wax on; wax off.

5. Practices are a time to improve your fitness level and to develop your skills. All team members are expected to remain around the ski practice area at all times. You must ask permission from a coach to use the bathroom, go to a locker, or leave practice for any reason. Friends do not belong at practice unless they are on the team.

6. You live in Minnesota! Anticipate snow, cold, wind or rain everyday. Be prepared to add or remove layers of clothing to stay comfortable. Proper winter dress is a safety issue. If you are not dressed for potential cold, wind, etc. weather you will not be allowed to practice or travel to meets. Boots, hats and gloves/mittens are required on all bus trips. Proper clothing does not need to be expensive. Skiers need to get in the habit of checking the weather forecasts.

7. Academics are at the core of your educational experience. All athletes must be making good behavior and academic choices to stay active on the team.

8. All team members must abide by the MSHSL rules and #199 district athletic policies. These are minimum standards; we, of course, expect better!

9. Communication is an important part of any team. Short notice changes in meet times and locations often occur due to weather conditions. Parents and students/athletes should feel free to discuss concerns with coaches. Please make sure you have contact information on the Emergency Contact sheet. Check the Simleynordic Blog (http://simleynordic.blogspot.com) and watch for emails.

10. If any student/athlete is behaving inappropriately the following steps will be taken. First, the student athlete will receive a verbal warning. Second, the student/athlete will not compete in the next meet. If a student/athlete has frequent or severe behavior issues, the coaches will take actions to remove the student /athlete from the team.

11. The coaches will determine the eligibility of skiers lettering. Skiers who are skiing competitively at the varsity level will be eligible. Seniors who have been on the Nordic Ski Team for multiple seasons or other students who demonstrate extraordinary contributions to the team will be considered for lettering.

12 As many of the skills and the attitudes learned in athletics are applicable to all aspects of life, it is an overt goal of the Spartan Nordic Ski Team to develop students to be happy, hardworking, goal oriented and ethical adults. Learn, try and have a great season!

Big Mama of Nordic Ski Swaps (so says MYSL)

6th Annual MYSL Ski Swap
Start: Nov 14 2009 - 10:00am

at Dunwoody College of Technology, Minneapolis
818 Dunwoody Blvd. (near the Walker Art Museum)

Friday, November 13th 5:30pm-7:00pm Check-in
Saturday, November 14th 8:00am-9:00am Check-in
Saturday, November 14th 10:00am-12:30pm Sale
Saturday, November 14th 2:00pm-3:00pm Pick-up

The Best Swap for Good Quality, Used Kids & Students Equipment!

The Minnesota Youth Ski League is pleased to host this big event, open to the entire public. The sale is being held as a fundraiser for MYSL and provides skiers, of all sizes and ages, the opportunity to sell outgrown and little used equipment and clothing. We request that sellers limit merchandise to items that are directly related to cross country skiing. No three-pin bindings, downhill gear or bicycles, please! 20% of the sale price, or a minimum of $1 per item, will be retained by MYSL.

The following merchandise is considered appropriate for this sale:
¥ cross-country skis, boots, bindings and poles
¥ ski related clothing
¥ roller skis and roller blades
¥ car racks
¥ waxing irons and benches and other waxing paraphernalia

All merchandise must be in good, serviceable condition. We are especially looking to sell used children's and student's gear since there is a real need for affordable kids' stuff. High school racing gear sells very well. And adult equipment sells well also.

Sellers: Please check-in your used equipment from 5:30-7:00 pm on Friday. If you can't make it Friday, there is a check-in period from 8-9 am on Saturday. You will receive a tag for each item. At this time you will be charged a $1 service charge per item. We request that you price your merchandise reasonably (whole dollars only). If you are unsure of how to price a particular item, someone will be available to advise you at check-in. You may pick up your money and/or any unsold equipment from 2:00 to 3:00pm on Saturday. Any money or merchandise not claimed by 3:00pm will be considered a donation to the Minnesota Youth Ski League.

Directions:
Dunwoody Institute
818 Dunwoody Blvd, Minneapolis
Coming from the West (heading South) on 94, take the Lyndale Ave Exit (231A/231B)
Coming from the East (heading North) on 94, take the Lyndale Ave Exit (231B)
Coming from the West on 394, take the Dunwoody Blvd Exit (8A)