Academy - Update 004 - Words form our Den Mother

Greetings from the glorious Canadian Rockies!

It is 8.30am and the sky is now becoming quite light.

The kids have left for another day in training paradise (as Sophie has christened Nakiska) and the place is now as quiet as a mouse.

Wake up time is 6.30am and eggs are ready at 6.45. Sometimes I see some tired faces but always I see eagerness and anticipation.

I have to remind myself that these kids are only aged between 11 and 17 – they are solely responsible for the drying of their gear and packing for the hill each day. They are laundering their own clothes and managing their sleep & nutrition/hydration needs by themselves.

Certainly, the meals are provided for them and supervision and help for anything at all is close at hand.

I know many would think that it is not too much to expect but, I challenge many kids I know back in Aus to manage as independently and competently as your kids all do.
The morning ritual of loading the van in the pitch dark, carrying down the esky (full of sandwiches and fruit) has taken place, snacks have been distributed and rooms cleaned ready for the ‘Den Witch’ to make her inspection.

I watch all the kids rush out of the building, laden with packs which are festooned with shinnies & boots –
I often see a few false starts as someone rushes back inside to collect a forgotten item. Sometimes breath steaming in the frosty air.
I have 2 vantage points in my apartment that I use to see the team off in the morning – I stand at my lounge room window – with the lights off of course, don’t want to embarrass Lexxy – as they distribute all the skis on the van roofs (we have 2 large vans) ready for departure and silently wish them a happy, productive (and because I’m a Mum, safe) day.

I then rush to my bedroom window and watch the vans disappear for another day at uncrowded, perfectly groomed Nakiska.

Today they are expecting a high of -13, currently with wind chill it is -21, and some cloud.
The temperatures are very mild now and the veterans of -40 have to be convinced that -13 is still cold!

All are well prepared and know what to wear and what to expect on the hill. Luc, Trent & Jamie always keeping a watchful eye.
Nakiska is equipped with a fabulous day lodge and the kids change into their ski boots there. All gear is left in the day lodge and it is a great place for lunch or refuge from the weather.

Most days some time is spent on free skiing but those drills and gates are ever present – as you would expect, they are ski racers in training after all.
Unless someone is home studying or off colour that is the last I see of the team until sometime between 3 and 4.30 pm when the stairwell and corridors come alive with animated and ravenous athletes.
Fruit and homemade soup awaits them and sometimes the timing is tight and I barely get a word out of them except grunts and monosyllables which indicate they had a great day, are too busy to talk now and just want to eat before heading off for dryland.

Gear is abandoned in their rooms – it isn’t going to go anywhere for an hour or so, after all. The rooms look like bombs have exploded in them – just like home!
If it is hockey for dryland the eagerness to swap ski boots for skates in palpable – they LOVE it! And when

I say they, I include Luc, Trent & Naren – hockey tragics to say the least!
Jamie supervises the younger team members with their tuning & waxing before dinner (older athletes usually tune after dinner)and some head off to work on their studies, jump in the spa, watch a little TV or get on to Facebook (wish I’d invented Facebook!)
Dinner is 6.30pm with the girls eating in my room and the boys split between two rooms upstairs on the second floor. The food is wonderful – Elsa is a real gem and a great find.

We have had some kids a tad unwell over the last couple of days and we have made lights out a little earlier in an attempt to get them all back on track after an awesome Christmas break where we all indulged a smidge too much on the sugar and a little, too little on restful sleep – but, hey! It was Christmas!

And what a Christmas! No doubt you will have heard about our unbelievable, fairytale Christmas. What an experience for all of us. It was a picture perfect day and the setting simply sublime. I think it will be a long time, if ever, before the kids forget brunch in glorious Chateau Lake Louise and skating on the lake in a winter wonderland. It looked like a postcard and they lived it!

Not that you should be surprised, but your children were real ambassadors for their families, their race clubs, IR and most importantly themselves.

It was a truly memorable day and I know many photos were taken so hopefully we can pull those together for you all.

Everything is going along very well. The training seems to be very productive (not my area of expertise!)and all the team is interacting positively and happily.
There will always be day to day adjustments on the side of both the athletes and staff as well as monitoring of our systems and practices. These are kids after all and, as parents I know you are all well aware that parenting is a daily event. Just so here at camp.

Kids are dynamic, as is ski racing, and we need, and indeed endeavour to be flexible, fair & responsible – we do listen to them and we are proud of them.

The team looking after our kids is fantastic. While training is the focus of this camp, the level of commitment to the health, happiness and well being of each of our kids is not like any I have ever experienced in any ‘camp’ arena.

For me, working on the other side of the fence this year, it has been a real eye opener.

I did not know Luc, hadn’t even spoken with him before I arrived here in Canmore as may well be the case with some of you. I am so happy to say he is a very caring and knowledgeable person and an awesome coach. The kids have so much respect for him and are learning so much from him – even if they are not in his group on the hill.

Trent many of us know well – and he has past history with many of the athletes here.
His group is just so focused and productive together and he looks awesome in the hat we gave him for Christmas J

Jamie is great and the kids are so impressed with what he knows about ski tuning and training. He is easy to spot on the hill in his canary yellow ski pants!

Whilst it is fair to say this is not a laze about ‘holiday camp’ it sure is one fantastic opportunity that will continue to develop life skills such as resilience, persistence, independence, motivation and engagement in our children that is so sadly lacking in so many of their generation – it is also going to see them arrive back home as formidable competition on the hill.

As a parent of an attending athlete I am so thrilled to see all the competencies Lexxy will be taking home with her.

Even though I haven’t as yet been able to spend much time on the slopes I am thoroughly enjoying being here with your children. They are an ever changing view of the world that constantly entertains me and keeps me on my toes.

Well, I must away, I need to go and do my rounds of the rooms.

We have a competition going on which room can be the cleanest & tidiest – the older boys are on track for a huge victory but there are still many days to go so the prize is still up for grabs.

I am available for a chat on my mobile wherever I am but you can always catch me around the building here somewhere between 6.30 am and 9.30am and 3pm and 10pm (Alberta time).
The very best time to contact your kids is between 8 and 8.30 pm (around 2pm Sydney. Melbourne time) as this is their quiet time in their rooms just before bed and they will be more focused on speaking with you than attending to their tasks and meals. After 3pm Sydney/Melbourne time they will be asleep.

My skype address is susan.brial
Email is (susanbrial)@(gmail.com)
Mobile +61 417 653 648
Room telephone number: 403 678 4926

I wish you all a very happy new year and I hope you celebrate in style – we are off to Banff for the fireworks tomorrow night and a sleep in on New Years’ Day.
Take care,