Coaching Resources

While Nordiq Alberta ensures that each coach receives the best quality training we can offer, we also recognize that coaches may want more information to supplement what they have learned in their training. If you are looking for additional resources, please visit Nordiq Canada.

Nordic Ski Lab

Nordic Ski Lab is a member-supported website with beautiful, high quality cross-country skiing videos that teach classic and skate ski techniques.

You’ll find hundreds of videos, including step by step beginner ski lessons, skate and classic skiing drills, discussions of race techniques, and slow motion demos by World Cup and Olympic athletes. There’s also a private members forum, where skiers and coaches from around the world connect with and support one another.

In addition to the member-only content, the website has free content, especially for coaching children and for dryland training. Check out these free video collections:

Nordic Ski Lab – 3 Week Free Membership Special!

Thanks to Nordiq Alberta’s partnership wth Nordic Ski Lab, you can enjoy a free 3 week membership to Nordic Ski Lab. No obligation or credit card required. Terms apply.*

What’s Included?

  • Step by step beginner lessons
  • On snow and off snow drills
  • Slow motion expert demos by World Cup and Olympic athletes
  • Video technique analysis
  • Vibrant and friendly member-only forum for additional support

Sign Up for a Free 3 Week Membership!

 

Terms of Offer

  • No credit card required.
  • No cash value.
  • Code may be updated at the discretion of Nordic Ski Lab.
  • New Nordic Ski Lab customers only – if the customer already has a Nordic Ski Lab membership or had one in the past and it’s now expired, they are ineligible for the offer.
  • Offer expires May 31, 2024.

Ski Playground

Ski playgrounds are where aspiring young athletes can develop and learn common skills together. The following resources are intended to be used anywhere there is snow and a bit of space, adaptable to your local surroundings, needs and imagination.

Ski Playground Guidebook

Ski Playground Signs

How to Build a Ski Playground

Ski Playground Drill Appendix

As clubs, coaches, instructors, learning facilitators, etc., the key is to let the environment teach. Set up the challenges so that young skiers are challenged to explore and discover the possibilities. The information contained in the above documents is intended to help coaches cue in on key developmental benchmarks and to adapt the challenges and environment to bring these forward, not to have the skiers think or become self-conscious of “doing it right”. The environment will do the teaching. So step back, ensure that the space is safe, encourage exploration and watch the skiers progress!

Nordiq Canada’s Athlete Development Matrix

The Athlete Development Matrix provides guidance on how to build performance factors at every stage of development. It includes specific benchmarks and standards, as well as additional resources.

The Matrix also includes recommendations for additional factors affecting performance, such as the supporting role of parents, good coaching, balance with academics and/or part-time work, financial considerations, accessible training facilities and equipment.

Dryland Training and Testing

Be sure to check the Document Centre for Run-Jump-Pull testing and roller ski resources.

Run-Jump-Pull is a very simple set of dryland tests to measure athlete fitness. The program gives athletes a set of straightforward goals to work to improve.

Roller skiing is fantastic sport-specific training for the off-season. Rollerski training can be introduced as early as Learning to Train (9-12 years).

 

Learning to Train (9-12 years old)

Roller skiing can be introduced at the end of this stage.

 

Training to Train Part 1 (12-14 years old)

Introduce athletes to roller skiing (skating to start with) by the beginning of this stage and give them enough opportunities to develop and refine their ski-specific skills in the off-season.

 

Training to Train Part 2 (14-16 years old)

In addition to ski striding, athletes are significantly increasing their time on roller skis during the off-season.

 

Learning to Compete (16-20 years old)

By now, athletes will need to roller ski a few times per week throughout the off-season and progressively increase training volume throughout the stage. By the end of the Learning to Compete stage, athletes should have acquired a High Performance level of technical skills at high intensity in all conditions.