Top Under 14 skiers from Central Cross Country Skiing (CXC) clubs across the Central Region will have a special training opportunity this summer. The sports organization has announced its lineup for the invitation only 2019 CXC Dream Camp for athletes 12-13 years old.
The CXC Dream Camp is set for July 7-11 at Gogebic Community College in Ironwood, Mich. The top 12 U14 boys and top 12 U14 girls from the final CXC Youth Cup points list received invitations. The camp provides an opportunity for young skiers to train with their peers from around Central Region, learning valuable technique skills and meeting fellow athletes.
“One of the key benefits of the CXC Dream Camp is breaking young athletes out of their comfort zone and learning new skills,” said CXC Sport Development Director Joe Haggenmiller. “Dream Camp is a lot of fun, but it’s also about exposing these talented young skiers to a new level of training, which will help them when they transition to the Junior level of racing.”
As an added bonus, CXC’s Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp will be in Ironwood at the same time, creating a scenario for the Dream Camp athletes to also train side-by-side with REG athletes. The ability of the younger Dream Camp athletes to see how the older elite athletes train is a big benefit for U14s.
The objective of the Dream Camp is to bring together top U14 boys and girls to train and receive feedback, educational materials, while offering a glimpse at the bigger picture of cross country ski racing. These collaborative camps provide a motivating environment for the athletes to positively push and improve together.
The CXC Dream Camp is a natural next step progression from the CXC Igor Camps, which are open to any athletes. Last summer CXC saw a marked increase in quality of participation in the Dream Camp thanks to the introductory training offered in previous years with Igor Camps.
“I have loved to see the progression of athletes over the last few years from the Igor Camps up to the Dream Camp,” said CXC Dream Camp Head Coach Kris Hanson of 4591 Sports Development. “At camp, we provide age appropriate workouts that will keep each athlete challenged. We can see their strengths and their weaknesses, and guide them through both.”
The inclusion of athletes of different ages within U14 from around the region gives those skiers an opportunity to gauge themselves against their peers. One of the long range goals of athletes at the Dream Camp is to build their skills to eventually work up to the Regional Elite Development camps in subsequent summers.
“Our region can benefit from getting these athletes together to train and learn as they are potential teammates down the road,” added Hanson. “It is also a great travel experience and life lesson learning opportunity for the athletes. They get to work with new and different coaches and new workouts or training ideas.”
Invitations for the CXC Dream Camp came from results in the CXC Youth Cup. Each of the invited athletes participated in multiple Youth Cup events through the winter.
Ironwood’s Gogebic Community College has been an excellent camp location in the past. Campers spend time meeting new friends in the college dorms and at meals. Training includes a wide range of activities from roller skiing on local roads to hiking nearby mountains. Training is broken up with trips into nearby downtown Ironwood.
CXC DREAM CAMP
Date: July 7-11, 2019
Location: Gogebic Community College, Ironwood, Mich.
CXC DREAM CAMP ATHLETES
NOTE: Some top 12 athletes in CXC Youth Cup may have declined invitations, which were then passed on to next eligible athlete.
Boys
Lachlan Chambers, Bay Nordic
Aidan Ecker, Chippewa Valley Nordic
Josh Frett, Loppet Nordic Racing
Jace Haerter, Loppet Trail Kids Wirth
Kristian Hudacek, Chippewa Valley Nordic
Davis Isom, Minneapolis Ski Club
Benjamin Mulford, Mora Ski Club
Jonathan Nemeth, Loppet Nordic Racing
Isaac Nowak, Bay Nordic
Will Poppleton, Endurance United
Eddie Snider, Skiwerx Minneapolis
Hayden Zoll, South Suburban Training Group
Girls
Margo Nightingale, Loppet Nordic Racing
Rachel Poppleton, Endurance United
Grace Kern, Lakeland Nordic Ski Team
Fran Peterson, 4591 Sports Development
Raina Hess, Bay Nordic
Evelyn Hudrlik, NordicWerks SkiKlubb
Olympia Sparks, Loppet Nordic Racing
Lucia Haggenmiller, Duluth XC
Ursula Beitz, Skiwerx Minneapolis
Aria Peng, Math & Science Academy
Sage Resh Chimner, Copper Country Ski Tigers
Lola Schwinghamer, Mora
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