The Devo Program is an early development program for cross-country ski racing. The goal of the program is to introduce and develop cross-country ski skills, promote general fitness, and create a love of the sport to last a lifetime.

It is important during this early stage of development to start ski specific training and to participate in a broad base of activities. Development of motor skills and coordination is ultimately very important if the athlete decides to concentrate on skiing. Program activities include skate and classic skiing, running, mountain biking, ski walking, bounding, roller skiing, games, and strength training. Training sessions are held three days a week to allow athletes to participate in multiple sports. Our coaches design practices that are challenging and FUN! As the athletes mature training will become more ski specific.

Involvement in our program is a great opportunity to be exposed to and learn from top skiers and coaches. APU currently has some of the best in the US and the world. APU skiers dominate US National Competitions and former junior APU skier Kikkan Randall brought home the first ever World Championship Silver Medal. The Devo program is a great first step!

**The APU Devo program is not for beginners who wish to learn how to ski! Our program is meant to serve as the step after “graduating” from Junior Nordic. All of our skiers must prove that they already have the basic skills of cross country skiing. Athletes enrolled in this program should be motivated and excited to come to practice. For those new to the program we require 1-3 “trial” practices before official enrollment in the program. After the trial practices our Devo coaches will let you (the parent) know if your child is an appropriate match for the program. For developmental purposes and the safety of those involved in the program it’s important that all kids display a similar skill set.

Year-round Session (May 3 to April 8) Our year round program is geared towards kids who to love ski and the training involved in being a skier. Sessions are 3 times a week leaving kids time to participate in other activities while “staying in touch” with skiing throughout the majority of the year. This program is recommended for athletes who wish to race well in middle school, high school, Besh cup races, and beyond. Sessions are on a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule from 4pm-5:15pm in the summertime and 5:15-6:30 during the Anchorage School District calendar year. For a three week period during the month of May (until school gets out) sessions will be held one time per week as many of our Devo athletes participate in middle school track. Once school is out, practices will resume at 3 times/week.

Spring (May 5, May 12, May 19) These three sessions are 1-time/week (on Wednesdays) from 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM. The short spring session is a great way to bridge the gap between our “spring break” and the upcoming summer session. Activities are focused on dry land training for cross-country skiing and largely depend on trail conditions.

Summer Session (May 24 to Aug 17) Sessions are 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 4pm to 5:15pm (This is a change from the past.) Activities are focused on dry land training for cross-country skiing which usually include one on-foot/strength day, one mountain bike day, and one roller ski day. An example summer training session is as follows:

Monday 4pm strength work, running, and soccer at APU
Wednesday 4pm roller skiing (both skate and classic) at Kincaid Park
Friday 4pm mountain biking on the Hillside trail system

Fall Session (Aug 24 to Oct 29) Sessions are 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM. The fall session is typically dry land training with the hopes for early snow so we can ski!

Winter Session (November 1 to April 8) Sessions are 3 times a week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday from 5:15 PM to 6:30 PM. The winter session focus is purely on cross-country skiing. Athletes will be introduced to classic and skate technique, ski specific training, racing, waxing, ski play, and equipment. We support and encourage participation in the middle school racing program during the months of January and February. Many of our athletes continue to attend APU practices during the middle school season. This allows participation on the school team while benefiting from the skill development and training within the club atmosphere. An example winter training is as follows

Monday Skating at Hilltop - downhill practice

Wednesday Classic at Kincaid - learn how to wax/double pole practice

Friday Skating at Hilltop - V2 practice

Camps This summer will feature the return of the ever-popular Devo Girdwood Camp June 13/14-16th. Our group stays at the Challenge Alaska building at the base of Alyeska and participates in many different dryland training activities. Camps fees are in addition to program fees and in order to participate, athletes MUST be signed up for either the year round or summer session.

• Registration payments are due in full before the first day of the session.
• For those new to the program we require 1-3 “trial” practices before official enrollment in the program. After the trial practices our Devo coaches will let you (the parent) know if your child is an appropriate match for the program. The trial is for safety and proper grouping for development.
• Payment plans are available for year round participants. The first ½ of the fee is due on the first day of practice with the second ½ due on October 1st. Please choose the “Year round payment plan” option on registration sheet. By checking this box you are authorizing APUNSC permission to run the SAME credit card on 10/1/10.
• We are offering family discounts once again this year! To be eligible you must have three or more family members signed up for APU programs, two of which must be year round members. After purchasing two year-round memberships, all additional memberships are half price.

We look forward to your participation in our program!