TEAM BIRKIE CHAMPION’S CORNER
Athlete Education Series
Athlete education plays several key roles in sport development for several reasons.
First, it empowers athletes to master skills necessary to optimize their performance on their own. Understanding training principles, nutrition guidelines, and proper technique enhances athletic abilities, reduces the risk of injury, and fosters a mindset of continuous improvement. When athletes learn sound principles, setting and pursuing athletic goals, they learn how to maintain a balanced approach to training and competition.
Athlete education also cultivates valuable life skills such as discipline, resilience, and time management, which are transferable to various aspects of life. Ultimately, investing in athlete education shapes successful competitors and nurtures well-rounded individuals poised for success both in life and competition.
Team Birkie Champions Corner is an athlete education series featuring Team Birkie Ambassadors, David Norris and Jessica Yeaton. A monthly Zoom meeting designed to empower junior athletes of all levels by interacting with the “First Couple” of the American Birkebeiner, Norris and Yeaton will share with participants, a wide array of critical insights, anecdotes, and advice, on the numerous big-picture themes and details that are crucial to becoming an elite ski racer.
From training logs to training zones, to strength training and injury prevention, to optimizing nutrition, ski technique, and race day tactics, these sessions will offer guidance anyone interested in improving their ski racing will value, from unbeatable sources.
Zoom sessions will encourage interaction and engagement with your world class hosts. All sessions will be recorded and made available for on-demand viewing for those unable to attend live or simply for review.
Parents and coaches are encouraged to register as passive participants, allowing them to listen in and gain valuable insights to support their athletes' development journey. The series is designed for young athletes interacting with the Champions. We want parents to be excited about the content, but fundamentally expect parents to observe more than interact.
The Champions Corner is an outreach fundraiser for Team Birkie. We want you to enjoy, learn and grow from this resource and we’ve priced the program at what we feel is a great value. Please respect individual log-ins for each paid registrant.
THE CHAMPIONS
David Norris is a two-time winner of the American Birkebeiner and one of the most consistent distance racers on the World Cup and at the World Championships for the United States over the past decade. Norris also competes as a professional trail runner in the summer, and coaches juniors while working and training at his home with partner, Jessica Yeaton, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
Jessica Yeaton is a Birkie winner, two-time Olympian, and a successful multi-endurance sport athlete. Born in Australia and an Australian citizen, Yeaton grew up in Alaska where her talents as a skier developed along with a love for being outside and active. Yeaton competes as trail runner, mountain biker, on top of being one of the most formidable distance ski racers in the United States. She works and lives with her partner, David Norris, in Steamboat Springs, Colorado.
REGISTRATION:
https://donorbox.org/events/601525
SCHEDULE AND MONTHLY TOPICS
Thursday, May 16th at 7 PM: Training Log, Training Zones, and Goal Setting
How to keep and utilize a training log properly
What are training zones and why do we use them?
What percentage of my training should be in L1, L2, etc.?
Goal Setting
Tuesday, June 11th at 7 PM: Nutrition
Overview of nutrition for Nordic skiing
Nutrition for interval day or over-distance workout
Nutrition for race days
Tuesday, July 9th at 7 PM: Technique Training
What are some of David’s / Jess’ biggest takeaways regarding technique work they’ve done? Any tips, tricks, etc.
How can my technique / form become more efficient?
Tuesday, August 13 at 7 PM: August: Strength Training
Why is strength training important and how do I incorporate it effectively into my training?
Different skiers need different strength?
Specific strength - useful, how to incorporate etc.
Tuesday, September 10th at 7 PM: Race/ Training Camp Travel
How to stay focused and healthy when traveling to race events or training camps
How to prepare / what to bring
Tuesday, October 8th at 7 PM: Cross Training
David and Jess both do a lot of other activities and racing (biking, running, etc.). Why should athletes cross train and not just focus on skiing all the time.
Tuesday, November 12th at 7 PM: Injury Prevention / Rehabilitation, Illness
How to deal with illness when training or racing
Ways to bounce back from illness
What are steps I can actively take to avoid injury (ex. Overuse injuries)?
Should I keep training when I’m injured? (When can and can’t you continue training with an injury?)
Tuesday, December 10th at 7: Race Day Tactics / Strategy
What does David / Jess do the day before/during a race?
How do you pace races? How do you pace a 5k vs a 10k?
Tuesday, January 14 at 7 PM: Endurance Sports and Mental Health
Tuesday, February 11th at 7 PM: Nordic Skiing in College / Club Team
If athletes want to ski after high school on a college or club team, what steps can they take now to get on the right track?
How should they communicate with college or club coaches if they’re interested in joining their team?
Tuesday, March 11th at 7 PM: Best Practices for the “Off Season”
What are some of the things I can do/ what should I think about during the off season?
