Junior Nordic

The Junior Nordic program provides an opportunity for children to enjoy the Anchorage winter while learning the sport of cross country skiing. Children ages 6 through 14 of all abilities are welcome to join and learn a sport they can pursue for a lifetime. The emphasis is on having fun and learning proper technique rather than competition.

Program Structure for 2022-23 Season

Based on results from the post season surveys from the last two years; the Junior Nordic program will be structured a little differently this season. Instead of two sessions; there is only one big session with two breaks for both the Anchorage School District winter and spring breaks. Additionally, by observing the ASD calendar breaks, we have the opportunity for make up practices should the weather force us to cancel some earlier in the season. The program will also run longer than it has in the past; in order to enjoy more of Anchorage’s awesome spring skiing conditions. The final change we have made is to split the practices into both weekday and Saturday only times.

Waitlist

Program

Important Dates

We’ve got all the practice times, breaks, and dates to be aware of on the calendars below. Please choose from the list which calendar you want to either add to your Google calendar or download a pdf version for your fridge.

Junior Nordic 2022-23 Season Dates

November 28th-April 1st

Junior Nordic Holiday Break Dates

December 24th-January 7th
March 11th-18th

Junior Nordic Gear Pick Up

Sunday, October 23rd

After School M/W 4:30PM-5:30PM Calendar

After School T/R 4:30PM-5:30PM Calendar

Evening M/W 6:30PM-7:30PM Calendar

Evening T/R 6:30PM-7:30PM Calendar

Saturday 10:00AM-11:30AM Calendar

The calendar below has only start, end dates and holiday breaks listed on it. You get to fill in the rest as you need to.

2022-23 Junior Nordic Calendar for the fridge

Practice Times

Hillside/Hilltop Trail System

Practice meets outdoors behind Service High School at the Little Gym. Some Saturdays, we meet at the Hilltop Trailhead, which is at the far north end of the Hilltop Ski Area parking lot, off Abbott Road. Check your Remind App before practice for updates.

Kincaid Park

Practice meets outdoors in the area of Kincaid Park (9401 Raspberry Road). Some Saturdays, we meet at the Jodphur Trailhead at Kincaid, which is on Jodphur Road (West on Raspberry Rd to Sand Lake Rd, South on Sand Lake to Kincaid Rd, West on Kincaid to Jodphur, South on Jodphur to the Trailhead). Check your Remind App before practice for updates.

Russian Jack Park

Practice meets in a slightly different location near the Lidia Selkregg Chalet at Russian Jack Springs Park (ie, in the upper golf course, in front of the chalet, or near the sledding hill) – more details to come. The Chalet is South of Debarr Road between Bragaw and Boniface, in Russian Jack Springs Park. Check your Remind App before practice for updates.

PLEASE NOTE THIS HAS CHANGED FOR THE 2022-23 SEASON. In an effort to decrease the normal Saturday group size, the practice day/times have been split into both weekday and Saturday only practice options.

Choose Location/Days:	Practice Start Time
Russian Jack (M/W)	M/W: 6:30-7:30pm
Russian Jack (T/R)	T/R: 4:30-5:30pm*
Russian Jack (T/R)	T/R: 6:30-7:30pm
Russian Jack (Sat only)	Sat: 10:00-11:30am
Kincaid (M/W)	M/W: 4:30-5:30pm*
Kincaid (M/W)	M/W: 6:30-7:30pm
Kincaid (T/R)	T/R: 4:30-5:30pm*
Kincaid (T/R)	T/R: 6:30-7:30pm
Kincaid (Sat only)	Sat: 10:00-11:30am
Hillside (M/W)	M/W: 4:30-5:30pm*
Hillside (M/W)	M/W: 6:30-7:30pm
Hillside (T/R)	T/R: 4:30-5:30pm*
Hillside (T/R)	T/R: 6:30-7:30pm
Hillside (Sat only)	Sat: 10:00-11:30am

*4:30 – 5:30 After-School is for Polar Cubs (1st time or beginner skiers) and Otters (beginner skiers) only.
6:30 – 7:30 Junior Nordic is for ALL levels (1st time skiers, Polar Cubs, Otters, Wolverines and Hawks).

Arrive at least 15 minutes early so that your skier can find their group, wax skis, and receive necessary information from coaches.

Skiers arriving late will not be able to find their group without assistance from their parents. It is the responsibility of the parent to find the proper group if late. Do not drop off your child or expect a coach to find the right group. Junior Nordic will not be responsible for skiers who arrive late for practice. On occasions when you know you will be late, it is best to ski with your child until they connect with their group, or miss a practice.

Fees & Registration

Practice fees

Weekday Practice Sessions: $300
Saturday Practice Sessions: $150

Rental fees

$90 per child for ski rentals. Parents must provide boots and poles for their children. For more information about equipment, please go to the Parents Tab.

Deposit fees

A deposit fee is required for all Junior Nordic gear (jacket ($65) & skis ($125). As part of your registration confirmation, there is a link to a docusign form for you to fill out. This docusign gear rental form is due before gear pick up. Your credit card will not be charged unless the gear is damaged or not returned at gear drop off.

Registration

A current NSAA membership is required in order to register for the Junior Nordic Program. If you and your family are trail users, please consider supporting NSAA with a family membership. Your membership DIRECTLY supports the trails that Junior Nordic Program use weekly, and helps NSAA continue to provide youth skiing opportunities for all ages and abilities.

For the 2022-23 season you will see several options for registration in the list of upcoming events in your account. Weekday and Saturday practices are separate, so the registration is separate. Please select the practice that works best for you.

Junior Nordic is a Member Only program.
If you need to renew your membership for the 2022-23 season, please click here before trying to register for Junior Nordic.
Not a member yet? Join Here.
Registration for the Junior Nordic program will open on Saturday, Oct 1st at 10am.
Log into your account then select ‘Upcoming Events’ from the portal pages on the left.
Select the practice that you want to register for.
Similar to last year, there will be a waitlist button on the website as of Saturday that you can add yourself to once spots begin to fill up.
Please be ready beforehand by following the steps in this document. (Updated as of 9.27.22)

Parents

COVID-19 Mitigation Plan

NSAA will follow all CDC guidelines and adhere to any changes of the Anchorage municipal code. Currently there is no mandatory COVID restrictions with any of our outdoor programs. For indoors masking is welcome and optional for any families making that choice. If any health climate changes, NSAA may update and change this policy.

If you are positive with COVID or have any symptoms please stay home and do not participate in any NSAA activities or events until recovered. Please follow CDC guidelines for return to activities.

Skill Level

POLAR CUBS: Younger beginners learning to feel comfortable on skis, basic diagonal (classical) technique, safety and etiquette.

OTTERS: More advanced beginner skiers learning skate skiing and mastering classical technique, along with safety skills and etiquette.

WOLVERINES: Intermediate skiers learning to put together the techniques of classical and skate skiing to move fast and effortlessly along the trail. Wolverines have more independence on skis, emphasizing group cohesiveness, etiquette and physical stamina.
HAWKS: The most accomplished skiers, learning advanced diagonal and skate techniques as well as racing techniques and strategy. Hawks are the elite, and as such wear the distinctive Hawks jacket. They must demonstrate discipline, cooperation, and desire.

Equipment

Skis

NSAA rental skis are available on a first-come basis. Parents must provide boots and poles for their children. If renting NSAA skis, please provide boots compatible with NNN bindings. NSAA rental skis are combination skis—they work for both diagonal and skate skiing, but if you want high performance skis for an advanced skier they may not be appropriate.

If buying skis, do NOT get the NO WAX variety (fish scales on the bottom) since they will not work when your child starts to skate and they are SLOW for learning skiers. The best bet is a combination ski which is designed for both diagonal stride and skate techniques. If you already own waxless (fish scale) skis, it will be harder for your child to learn to skate ski when he or she becomes an Otter. It is recommended at that time that you rent NSAA skis.

IMPORTANT! Put your child’s name on their skis by writing it on a piece of electric tape and affixing to the topside of both skis. We provide tape for names when you pick up your skis at Kincaid.

Junior Nordic provides kick wax for when the kids are skiing classic technique. When the Otters, Wolverines and Hawks switch from classic to skate technique, the kick wax must be cleaned off the skis. We have wax remover at all of the venues, but you can also do this at home, with wax remover and a plastic scraper and rag or paper towel.

Ski Return: Returned skis need to be cleaned of all wax!

Boots

NSAA does not provide boots, even if you rent NSAA skis.

Boots must match the ski bindings.

NSAA skis have the New Nordic Norm (NNN) bindings.

Boots are specialized like skis, but a combination boot, which is designed to work for both the traditional diagonal and the skate techniques, is the best value. Remember to get boots that have a little extra room to accommodate wool socks and some foot growth during the season. Feet that are squeezed into boots that are too small are often COLD feet. Please be sure BEFORE you bring your child to ski that the boots fit and stay in the bindings.

Poles

NSAA does not rent poles. POLE length ideally varies with the technique.

Polar Cubs: poles should come just above the armpits.

Otters and Wolverines: poles that come almost to the child’s chin. Hawks: skating poles should come up to the mouth when standing on flat feet. Diagonal (classic) poles should come up just above the bottom of the arm pits.

See the Ski Sizing image above for reference.

Clothes

The key to a happy skier is being warm enough for conditions, but not so bundled up as to prevent movement. The secret is to make sure you have the following LAYERING system:

VENTILATION—closest to the skin to allow perspiration to move away from the skin. Breathable polypropylene or other synthetic long underwear provides the ventilation layer. NO COTTON!

INSULATION—to trap the warmth generated by your body. Fleece, wool, or other synthetic material provides the insulation layer. NO COTTON!

PROTECTION—the outer layer that protects you from wind and wet. Junior Nordic jacket, a pullover type shell, provides the protection layer. Wind pants are often necessary during periods of wind or extreme cold. NO COTTON!

HEADS AND HANDS – Wearing a hat is a must. NO HAT, NO PRACTICE! For hands, mittens work much better than gloves. On cold days a neck warmer keeps both the neck and the lower face warm and is required for children with asthma. A neck warmer can easily be carried in the pocket of the Jr Nordic jacket.

You’ll need to vary the insulation layer based on the temperature, keeping in mind that skiers warm up when they are moving but cool off when they are not. Keeping the extremities warm is the biggest challenge when it is cold. Wool socks over polypro socks will help keep the feet warm. Large wool socks with a hole cut in the toe to put over the boots or boot covers are essential during cold weather.

All skiers must be well fed and should take their medications before practice or as prescribed. A water bottle is required for Wolverines and Hawks and all children with asthma. It is also highly recommended that Otters and Polar Cubs carry water bottles.

MARK ALL OF YOUR CHILD’S CLOTHING, SKI BOOTS, POLES AND SKIS. Write your name on a piece of tape and tape it right on to the skis and poles.

Hat

First time participants receive a free Junior Nordic hat!

Where to Get Gear

Local businesses have experts to help you buy the best fitting skis, boots and poles for your child. If you already have skis (or are renting Junior Nordic skis), bring your skis in with you when you go to purchase boots. If you already have boots, bring those with you when you go to purchase skis.

Ready 2 Race

Because the philosophy of Junior Nordic is to encourage children to learn and enjoy cross country skiing as a lifetime activity, competition and racing are not the focus of the program. The Ready 2 Race is a program geared towards Junior Nordic skiers who are interested in learning more about racing by offering clinics and race support during the season. The Ready 2 Race is $25 per session and can be included in the regular season registration. This program is recommended for Wolverines & Hawks only.

This program is great for skiers looking to participate in middle school ski team or community races, such as the AMH Anchorage Cup races. Ready 2 Race coaches will provide race support at AMH Anchorage Cup races including course preview, help with waxing, answer questions, and lead warm-ups.

Financial Assistance

NSAA offers scholarships to local families who are interested in getting started with our Junior Nordic Program. In order to be considered for an NSAA Junior Nordic Scholarship, families still need to be current NSAA members for the season they are applying for. Just click on the scholarship button and download the application from this page and send your application to the NSAA office before October 15th to be considered for the current season. The office will notify the winners by October 20th. Please contact the NSAA office with any questions.

Junior Nordic Scholarship Application

Coaches

Interested in coaching for NSAA’S Junior Nordic Program? If so, you’ve come to the right place!

We’re always looking for three categories of coaches:

“Full Time” Regular Coaches

A regular Junior Nordic coach attends three practices per week. Possible times are as follows:

Monday & Wednesday from 4:30-5:30PM
Monday & Wednesday from 6:30-7:30PM
Tuesday & Thursday from 4:30-5:30PM
Tuesday & Thursday from 6:30-7:30PM
Saturday from 10:00-11:30AM

And note that our practice times are organized so that a person can work as a regular coach for both an afternoon (4:30-5:30PM) and an evening (6:30-7:30PM) session. We teach sessions at Hillside, Kincaid Park, and Russian Jack Park.

Substitute Coaches

Substitute coaches step in when our regular coaches can’t make practice for any reason. If you sign up as a sub, you’ll be added to the list of people who can help with a practice when a regular coach can’t attend. During the sign-up process you can indicate both days and sites that you’re available to help.

Required Experience

All you need in order to coach for Junior Nordic is a pair of skis, a fun-loving attitude, and the ability to wrangle a group of kids! We teach kids ages 6 to 14, and skill levels range from kids who are on skis for the first time, to middle school kids that are beginning to race at a more competitive level. We certainly need some coaches who are experienced skiers who can help kids refine and improve both classic and skate technique. However, we also need coaches who can with with complete beginners. So don’t worry if you’re not an “expert” skier. If you love spending time on trails with kids, then there’s a place for you as a a Junior Nordic coach!

We also love to teach! We’ll work with you to help develop your coaching skills, through day-to-day mentoring and through formal certifications with organizations such as PSIA.

Application

Nordic Skiing Association of Anchorage

9170 JEWEL LAKE RD
ANCHORAGE, AK 99502
(907) 276-7609