Rules for Racing Parents!!These guidelines are primarily for the racing camps when pressures and tempers are high.
ON THE MOUNTAIN
1. Unless the trainer specifically requests your help, please do not interfere whilst training is in progress. We are certain you would like to discuss your child's progress at some stage, however, the hotel is the place for this.
2. On the longer camps, the trainers may well feel that it is necessary for the children to have a break. We appreciate that their time on snow is expensive and it is important to get as much snow training as possible, however, when there are races at the end of a camp they will not give their best if they are tired. The British teams need rest days and the racers are older and probably fitter than our children.
3. To gain maximum benefit from the camps it is essential that the children are fit. Kevin is always prepared to provide a fitness programme though most parents, we are certain, are aware of the type of training necessary from Sunday morning fitness.
OFF THE MOUNTAIN
House-parenting is not always easy, especially when there are 24 children from minis to juniors! We always appreciate your help and frankly with so many young trainees, we are relying on the parents who stay at the hotel to give general backup if needed. However, there are just one or two areas where we request your assistance.
1. When Parents are staying with the camp, they must remember that the house-parent is in overall control of the children's routine and mealtimes. It is very important that she has total control of the trainees' timetable, whether training or racing, because any individual disruption may well be at the expense of the group as a whole. Remember it is not easy for a house-parent to look after your child under your gaze. Please help by not interfering.
2. All parents have their views on bedtime (and so do the children!), however, the camps are very busy with skiing, fitness and ski preparation and by the end of the day the children are generally exhausted, even the older ones. Although a bedtime of 8.30 may seem early, it must be remembered that a 6am rise is also early - in effect the clock has changed a few hours. Tired children do not win races.
3. Once the children have been sent to bed, we request that parents do not visit them in their rooms until after breakfast the next morning. This is to prevent other children in the room being disturbed
4. Although the house-parents have details of any health problems, we have decided to give all the children an identification label in case of an accident on the hill. This is to ensure that their name, hotel and any medical problems are known immediately. These labels will be worn around their necks, under their outer ski clothing.
5. Banned Substances. It is necessary to remind parents that banned substances in the form of medication will NOT be administered to any child on any of the camps by the house-parent or by the trainers. Parents should update themselves on which substances are banned and which medications include them. Drugs like Night Nurse, Lemsip and some cough mixtures have a concoction of drugs (including banned substances). If parents on the camp insist on administering a banned drug it is totally their responsibility and nothing to do with Sandown. None of the house-parents will be allowed to administer a banned drug at the request of the parents at home in England. There has been drug testing in the past and there will be in the future. Any child can be asked to take a test.
6. Allocation of Bedrooms. There is always going to be a problem but parents have to realise that it is not always easy to put their child with his/her preferred friend. This move may affect other children, may create a disruptive room, or mix age groups (we try to keep juniors away from children during races as they have a different timetable). A lot of time is spent organising the rooms and experiences from the past are taken into consideration. However, the final decision is totally left to Kevin and the House-parent during the journey to the resort and we would like parents to accept these final decisions in the interests of all the children.
7. It is the responsibility of the parents to make it plain to their children that they are on a race camp not a holiday. The use of cigarettes, alcohol or drugs will not be tolerated. The children on the camp are there to race and any child who is breaking these basic rules may be asked not to come on any future camps.
GENERAL
1. Ski Preparation. Please make certain your child goes on the camp with his/her own ski preparation equipment. This includes if possible their own irons, clamps and stands as tables for attaching clamps are generally in short supply. Please make sure all equipment is named. The children need there own waxing equipment as it cannot be guaranteed that they can borrow somebody else's equipment. In any case, if a child is selected for the British Children's Team that child will be expected to have its own equipment.
2. Insurance and Registration. Please ensure that the insurance is for race training and that your child is registered with the ESC.
3. Helmets. Helmets are compulsory for Giant Slalom and Super-G. No helmet means no race!.
These small points are to ensure the smooth running of the camp. You are very welcome to stay in the same hotel as the children, subject to availability, but we must ensure that the children's |
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