Educating & Inspiring Young Athletes
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Hello ELITEAM Families,
We hope you're enjoying the sunshine and warmer temps. We've been hitting the mountain trails daily! Those warmer temps also mean ELITEAM is right around the corner!!! In less than 3 weeks, we kick off our first camp of the summer season with the World Cup 1 athletes. So excited!
Since many of you are ski racers, you may be headed off to Mt. Hood soon. It's a special opportunity to get on-snow in the summer, so below are some tips on how to get the most of out of your summer ski camp. While there, treat yourself to a Huckleberry shake and say Hi to Fuxi for us! Fuxi is that crazy Austrian who loves ELITEAMers. In fact, he loves us so much, we're giving away two ELITEAM-FUXI Race Suits at camp this Summer!
Summer is a great time to work on your flexibility and mobility. Know the difference? Read Coach Kalen's article below. Be sure to include dynamic stretching prior to your workouts, then focus on static stretching afterwards. Making an effort to improve your flexibility and mobility can help prevent injuries and make you stronger... and who doesn't want that?!
After reading this newsletter you may be inspired to eat some strawberries. While you're eating them, read about ski racer and college athlete Colby Jordan who reflects back on his time at ELITEAM and how it changed his life.
There are still a few spots left for boys in our VT overnight camps. Our day camps in Vermont and Park City have openings as well. Tell your friends and teammates! Come join us for some ELITEAM action this summer! That means... lots of hard work, learning and FUN!
Best,
Kelley & Doug Lewis
ELITEAM Camps
802-793-5055
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Flexibility and Mobility with Coach Kalen
Do you know the difference between mobility and flexibility or do you use the words interchangeably? The two are related, but not the same. Flexibility is passive and refers both to the ability of a muscle to be stretched and how far a joint can move through its range of motion. Mobility, on the other hand, refers to your ability to actively move your body to various positions using your own dynamic strength and control.
But what does this really mean?! In order to have good joint mobility, muscle flexibility is extremely important. When your body is restricted by inflexibility and you can’t move through your natural range of motion, not only does performance suffer, but you will suffer with injury and pain as well.
Sometimes, muscles are overactive (tight) and people think that they just aren’t flexible. In actuality, their muscles are overactive because they are trying to make up for a lack of mobility elsewhere in the system. This happened to me. I was always under the impression that my hamstrings and hip flexors were “too tight” when in r
eality, my core and hips weren’t doing their jobs efficiently. By starting from scratch with bodyweight exercises, I have improved the overall mobility in my hips drastically. As a result, I find that I am able to hold a plank more easily and longer because my glutes, hamstrings and core can stabilize my lower back more effectively. My flexibility, however, is still a work in progress!
I talked to USA Nordic Athlete and World Cup Ski Jumper Nina Lussi about her favorite mobility and flexibility exercises. She told me that she loves doing the Lizard Pose Hip-Opener. This can either be done as a static stretch or in the form of a crawl either on hands or elbows. When making it into a crawl, be sure to walk your hands out first, keeping your hips low and then matching your next leg/foot to your hands, hold for 2 seconds and continue for about 20 meters. She does recommend when you begin to stretch in more advanced ways, to always have a coach, trainer or parent present to prevent any injuries.
TIMING IS IMPORTANT- Use dynamic stretching prior to your workout to improve your mobility. Flexibility training should happen after workouts when you are warm and can gently relax into each stretch.
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Summer Ski Camps: How to get the MOST out of them!
Summer ski camps are supposed to be fun! Athletes need to remember that not only are you there to ski and get stronger, you're also there to make new friends, jump out of your comfort zone by being away from home, and by extension, learning to rely on yourself.
Tips on succeeding at ski camp:
- Have a goal written out going into camp!
- Shoot for one technical goal and one tactical goal. Stay focused on those goals to ensure that you make the most of your time on the mtn each day.
- If you’re going to test new equipment, write down what you thought about each ski you test each day.
- Making new friends can be difficult. A goal to make one or two new friends by the end of camp is a great start.
- Make sure to be prepared!
- Bring a notebook and a pen/pencil to keep goals current.
- Make a packing list for the mountain and check it each day before you head out the door. You don't want to forget your boots!
- Bring an alarm-clock and a wrist watch to always be on time.
- If you need help, speak up! Talk to your coaches. They're there to help.
- Reflection:
- At the end of camp make sure to go through and REFLECT on the goals from the beginning to see how you did.
- At the beginning of next season, it will also be helpful to look back on the goals you wrote at camp and see what needs more work.
Bring your A-game the same way you would to an ELITEAM Camp, fall dryland or ski training in the middle of the season. If you mentally prepare yourself to work hard and persevere, you’ll end up getting more out of camp and become more organized and ready for the upcoming season! Last but not least, do not forget to have lots of fun! Learn Lots, Laugh Often, Work Hard and Be Grateful for the awesome opportunity that you get to be there!
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Fresh Picked Strawberries
June is the month of strawberries! Strawberries are the first berry of the summer, marking the beginning of harvest season. Have you ever been strawberry picking? If not, do yourself a favor and make it a point to go this summer!!! Eating a ripe, juicy, freshly-picked strawberry is something special indeed. And if you're like everyone else, it will go something like this... eat one, pick one, eat one, pick one, etc. In true ELITEAM style, you can even make it into a workout... eat one, pick one, do a burpee, eat one, pick one, do a burpee!
Not only do fresh summer strawberries taste amazing, they pack a nutritional punch too.
- Strawberries have more Vitamin C than 1 orange
- There are ~200 seeds on the average strawberry (Dietary fiber!!!!!)
- They contain a flavonoid called quercetin which is a natural anti-inflammatory compound.
- They’re packed full of antioxidants.
Enjoy this delicious fruit in smoothies, granola, oatmeal, greek yogurt and salads. One of our favorite ways is with homemade ice cream. HOW TO: Take some frozen bananas, let them sit a bit to soften, mash 'em up, add in some almond butter, a splash of vanilla and sprinkle of cinnamon. Mix it up until super smooth. Then top off with those insanely delicious fresh-picked strawberries! So tasty, so healthy. WIN-WIN.
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Colby Jordan - Camper, Counselor, Coach and now NCAA Racer
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Colby Jordan is an ELITEAMer now attending and racing for Saint Michael's College in Vermont. He grew up skiing for the GMVS Ski Club and then attended the Mt. Mansfield Ski Academy. At ELITEAM he fully embraced the themes of pushing his limits and helping others. His leadership and positive attitude stood out so he became a Counselor and then a Coach. Here are his thoughts on ELITEAM and how it changed his life.
What did you love about ELITEAM?
Some of my best childhood memories come from my time at ELITEAM. Not only were the activities that we did fun, but they helped me break out of my comfort zone. I think what I did at ELITEAM still inspires me to take on new challenges today. I think ELITEAM also really helped me to enjoy fitness as a whole. We did so many different things that showed me how rewarding it can be to wake up and push yourself to the limits every day.
What was your favorite activity at camp?
My favorite activity I ever did at ELITEAM had to have been the ropes courses. Being someone who wasn’t so comfortable with heights when I was little, these ropes courses really helped me overcome that fear.
What was your favorite Funky Dance move?
My favorite dance move I think has to be The Sprinkler.
As an ELITEAM coach, what amazed you about the campers?
As a coach, watching some of the kids push and challenge themselves was really amazing to see. Yes, I did some of the same things that the campers were doing when I was their age, but now having the perspective of a coach and watching them climb to the top of the ropes courses, pushing themselves in the relays, and carrying boulders and jugs of water to the top of a mountain, it amazed me. It really made me appreciate what ELITEAM did for me when I was a child.
How did ELITEAM help prepare you to pursue your ski racing dreams?
Two things that I think ELITEAM really helped me with in ski racing is the joy of competition, and pushing myself to and beyond my limits. My time at ELITEAM still helps me to strive to be the best, and step out of my comfort zone to do so.
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ELITEAMer Sonja hanging with Fuxi at Hood!
To all ELITEAMers headed to Hood to ski, please stop by the Fuxi Shop in Government Camp and say Hello! Fuxi’s shop is the place to be when you have some down time at camp. Pick up a shirt, buff or sweathshirt but for sure say Hi and take a photo with him.
Also, we're excited to announce that Fuxi will be selling an ELITEAM Fuxi Speed suit. We'll have a couple suits on-hand at camp to try on. You can order one any time!
Check it out here on this cool 3D link.
FUXI SUIT
We'll also have a drawing for two ELITEAM Fuxi speed suits during camp this Summer! All World Cup ELITEAMers are entered automatically just by coming to camp!
Check out more FUXI products
here
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ELITEAM Camps & Clinics
Kelley & Doug Lewis
802-793-5055
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