April 22, 2009 – Here’s the latest news from the Central Cross Country Ski Association regarding their upcoming training camps including the Birkie Masters Camp and Michigan Junior Development and Masters Camps plus the launch of a new XC Coaches Education Certification program.

Training Camps

Birkie Masters Camp - Looking for your best jump start for the season and a great vacation as well? CXC now offers a training camp for master skiers of all abilities and levels. This camp is filled with technique group instructions, individual lessons, presentations, and a lake side evening barbecue with the CXC Elite Team. Other activities include road and mountain biking, paddling, water skiing, running and hiking on the Birkie Trail and evening seminars – keep reading here.

Michigan Junior Development and Masters Camps - Central Cross Country Ski Association is pleased to announce new addition of Lower Michigan Junior Development and Masters Program. Program will be led by Igor Badamshin and Yuriy Gusev. Igor (born 1966) is a former Soviet/Russia cross country ski racer who competed from 1989 to 1997. Program is limited to 12 junior and 12 Masters skiers in order to provide good coach to athlete ratio and high quality sessions – keep reading here.

Coaches Certification

XC Coaches Education Certification Launched - U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) has launched a cross country coaches level 100 certification. This is the first level of a multi-level cross country-specific coaches education certification system. The curriculum is based on up-to-date practices used by the U.S. Ski Team in the quest for Olympic medals. The course material comes directly from the Team’s coaches and several of their key partners – keep reading here.