Welcome to Western Nordic Ski Development Centre Society
We work hard to provide coaching assistance to developing and high performance
cross country skiers and their coaches.
The Society was the result of collaboration by parents located throughout BC
whose common interest was to enhance the coaching capacity beyond that provided
by ski clubs and Cross Country British Columbia.
Please select from the menu on the left to read more about us and our
activities.
December 3, 2007
The first on snow ski camp for the 2007/08 season consisted of a productive week of training brought by our coach Petr Jakl currently working at the University of Maine in USA. The WNSDC is grateful to Spearhead Timberworks from Nelson to sponsor Petr’s trip all over from east.
We, Heather and Josh, were joined by Norwegian native Sturla Lie as well as Adrienne Underhill from Salmon Arm, BC. Both of them made training all the more enjoyable. The camp consisted of long slow skiing with a lot of technique mixed in, in order to be properly set up for the season. Mae, Heather’s mom, worked hard on the food arrangement and fed us excellently. Both Heather’s parents provided accommodation that worked out very well. Thank you!
At the end of the camp we felt everyone had improved their technique.
Sturla and Heather brought a bonus after all this hard work as they successfully attended NorAm held at Sovereign Lake world class ski centre. Both of them achieved the podium in each race they have made. Congratulations! All is set we are looking forward to the upcoming races.
September 1, 2007
The third summer camp was hold from Aug 30 to Sep 2 and focused mostly on
running specifics. The participants spent many hours on running with or without
poles, ski striding, developing core and specific strength as well as enjoying
team spirit at soccer, volleyball or basketball. As a positive, during the camp
time for our team, we got accompanied by some of others athletes from around
the BC.
Looking back, five the most important training cycles of the year were very
well done. All what it was planned it is carried out. "Good job!" Athletes -
Heather and Josh - avoided an injury and illness, gained necessary training
hours and now they are ready to tune up their condition for upcoming ski
season. Good luck to them from their coach Petr Jakl.
August 18, 2007
Complex dry-land cross training is giving the athletes variety of skills to
succeed at another sports.
Heather and Josh are showing their performance in local triathlon and track
competitions.
Heather won the Kelowna Apple Triathlon 2007 in junior open.
Congratulation!
May 17, 2007
A top cross country skier is peaking in his/her career around ages 25-27 years.
Coach-expert is aware of the 15 year and longer time horizons needed for
systematic development, and in having the patience required to allow the
age-dependent progressions in athletic development to occur. For each athlete
involved with cross country skiing we need to examine what we do throughout 15
years of systematic, progressive training, not simply the last five.
 From this perspective Petr has coached number of athletes
that mostly skied top in the Czech Republic or Canada in their categories, also
some of whom went on to become members of the Czech National Ski Team and
represented at the World Cups, Junior and Under 23 World Championships or at
Paralympic Games.
Demonstration of Petr’s expertise is Ondra Horyna (20 years old), recently
owner of silver medal from 20 km pursuit at the World Junior Ski Championships
2007 in Tarvisio, Italy. Petr was his coach as well as of all the junior group
in 1997 through 2002. He says: “Ondra was not the best one when he had came as
a novice in our training group, however he was keen and patient to work on
himself.”
In spite of it Ondra is at the beginning of his career, the toughest step to
succeed senior category is ahead of him. Good luck, Ondra!
May 10, 2007
First year of the society existence is behind. It is time to evaluate. Since
the idea of our society had started out a few expectations were met. We were
successful with providing of compact year-round cross country ski coaching
program to keen and committed young athletes. The society brought high level of
coaching ski service to clubs in British Columbia interested in. Also our
athletes made the society visible on a provincial cross country ski map and
elsewhere in Canada. And last but not at least the coaching attitude has
demonstrated deep commitment by young athletes can bring both, fun and success.
Also a few unexpected things were brought out like a need to include a masters
coaching program as undivided part of the society program or to put effort to
ensure a fund to let the society exist and develop.
Not everything was positive at that time. The presumption to start training
activities with an acceptable number of young cross country skiers based around
Kelowna was not met. Not everyone from athletes who participated in the program
during year was that personality to stand coaching attitude or training effort
based on systematic long-term program and internal discipline. Also some of
young athletes and their parents did not understand the philosophy the society
arrangement is based on framework of live-long activity not on quick (and
short) success in youth age.
All those positive and negative experience showed the way to go. We will learn
from it.
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