US Biathlon Coaching Conference

U.S. Biathlon Coaching Conference 

May 19-21, 2021 via Zoom

 

Registration at: https://www.skireg.com/us-biathlon-virtual-coach-conference

 

 

Dear biathlon community, 

 

We are pleased to announce that registration is open for our annual coaching conference coming up in a couple weeks, May 19-21! 

 

We have a great lineup this year with world-class coaches Sverre Huber Kaas (Norwegian Biathlon Team) and Matt Emmons (U.S. Biathlon Team and Olympic Medalist in precision shooting) sharing insights on ski technique and strategic shooting training plans. I am really looking forward to the discussions that follow our panel of stellar junior elite program club coaches from across the country, who have graciously volunteered to share their own experiences of how they balance high quality endurance training with multi-sport participation for high school-aged athletes. This topic is so near and dear to our hearts as coaches of all kinds at the junior level--- I hope to see many of you there! 

 

Registration for speaker sessions and panels are open to the public. The Annual Meeting is designed for U.S. Biathlon Club Coaches only. See you there!

 

Danika Frisbie

U.S. Biathlon

 

Schedule

 

 

Session Descriptions

 

Annual Updates and Roundtable for U.S. Biathlon Club Coaches

Hosted by U.S. Biathlon Staff

 

Wednesday, May 19 at 3:00pm-4:00pm ET 

 

This is an opportunity for club coaches to come together (virtually again this year!) to listen to annual sport updates from U.S. Biathlon Staff, and to propose and discuss development topics or questions that have come up for you in the past year. 

Topics include: 

• Season review: U.S. competitiveness and programs

• Criteria for 2021-2022 season

• Calendar of major races

• SafeSport club certification updates 

• Roundtable discussion on development topics (please submit questions or topics for review during registration!) 

 

Full agenda to be emailed to participants ahead of meeting time. 

 

 

Speaker Session: Ski Technique and Strength Approaches in Norwegian Biathlon (60 minutes)

Sverre Huber Kaas, Women’s National Team Coach, Norwegian Biathlon Federation

 

Thursday, May 20 at 11:30am-12:30pm ET 

Norwegian biathlon dominated the World Cup scene this past season. With standout seasons from individual stars like Tiril Eckhoff and Sturla Holm-Lægreid, the team also managed to take home double the medal count of any other nation at the World Championships event. We know Norway is a big biathlon nation. But how do you keep pushing for that extra 1% gain in ski technique and success when you are already at the top of your game? 

 

Women’s National Team Coach Sverre Huber Kaas joins us to share some ideas on ski technique work that has become a regular part of the training in his past 3 years with Norwegian team, including technical and strength elements. He also talks about the importance of working with individual differences, and what athletic attributes best prepare athletes to adapt and develop their ski technique skills when they get to the top levels. Welcome, Sverre! 

 

Panel and Discussion: Balancing the Multi-sport High School Athlete with Endurance Training (90 minutes) 

Moderated by Danika Frisbie, Sport Program Manager, U.S. Biathlon 

 

Panelists:

Adam Terko, Head Coach and Executive Director, Mansfield Nordic Club (VT)

Seth Hubbard, Head Biathlon Coach, Crosscut Mountain Sports Center (MT)

Rick Kappala, Head Coach, Sun Valley Ski Educational Foundation (ID)

 

Thursday, May 20 at 1:30pm-3:00pm ET 

American high school-aged athletes face strong cultural pressure to specialize in sport and achieve success early, often to show something special that prepares them for college or a fruitful career. Yet we know through research that engaging in multiple sports and enjoying the strong social camaraderie found along the way is far more important for long-term success---both in sport and in life. How do we balance this with our goal as coaches to start building up endurance training experience and hours in high school?

 

In this panel, we will hear directly from three seasoned elite junior coaches from cross-country and biathlon clubs about how they manage this dilemma in real-life. Panelists will share how they structure their programs currently, and what considerations they think about when designing programs to balance the competing demands of the high-school student athletes as it applies to skiing and biathlon. We’ll go into breakout rooms to further discuss challenges and best practices we face as coaches to encourage holistic development, using the examples shared in the panel as a launching off point. 

 

Bring a coffee, bring a coaching friend, this should be a great session of shared-experience! 

 

 

Speaker Session: Shooting Plan Periodization for Development (60 minutes)

Matt Emmons, Head Shooting Coach, U.S. Biathlon National Team 

 

Friday, May 21 at 12:00pm-1:00pm ET

Everyone knows that biathletes and skiers are built in the summer: long hours of physical training, layered blocks of strength and power, and building intensity throughout the season into the competition season. Why not treat your shooting training plan the same way? 

 

In this session, Matt Emmons (3x Olympic Medalist in precision shooting and Head Shooting Coach of the U.S. Biathlon Team) will discuss the value of thinking strategically about how shooting volume and intensity plays a large role in athletes’ preparation for competition season and development. He will outline a general framework for how to plan shooting training into periods throughout the year, and how clear goals can guide those periods.  

 

National Education: What you need to know about everyday medications and anti-doping (60 minutes)

Grayson Potter, Educator, U.S. Anti-Doping Agency

 

Friday, May 21 at 2:00pm ET 

Doping is traditionally associated with the big leagues in sports: celebrity athletes caught taking illegal substances. But did you know there are thousands of substances banned by the World Anti-Doping Agency in everyday medications and supplements? Did you know there are restrictions on the use of inhalers?   

 

Practicing fair play and clean sport in biathlon and cross-country skiing starts in high-school, with awareness and education for athletes, coaches, and parents to build the right habits. As soon as international competition becomes an option for an athlete, knowing how to navigate simple decisions of what foods and medications to take is essential. We invite all coaches to join us in understanding the fundamentals of clean sport habits! 

 

###

DOWNLOAD PDF

Registration at: https://www.skireg.com/us-biathlon-virtual-coach-conference