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| Winter Feels Good News |
December, 2008
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Introduce Your Students to Winter Fun!
Winter Feels Good in so many ways for your students. They can explore on snowshoes or cross country skis, or cruise down a hill on skis or snowboard. Whether you start a snowshoe or cross country ski program right at your facility or tie into an existing ski or snowboard program at a local area, we have many resources to help you. This e-newsletter highlights some of the resources available to you. For more information, visit winterfeelsgood.com. |
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 Winter Trails Day is Jan. 10, 2009
Free Snowshoeing, XC Skiing Nationwide
Winter Trails Day will be held Jan. 10, 2009, at about 80 locations in North America. This event offers snow sports newcomers the chance to try snowshoeing and cross country skiing for free and discover the great fitness and social benefits of these easy-to-learn winter sports.
The one-day event is great for school groups, youth organizations and families. Programs and activities include the basics on getting started, how to dress, picking the right snowshoe, kids activities, and more. Free equipment demos, tours and seminars occur throughout the day. For more information on scheduling a field trip to a location near you, go here. To register on-line for an event, go here.
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Free CD-ROM Now Available!
Help Children Prepare for Snow Sports
A Winter Feels Good learning tool kit is available free to anyone who is helping introduce elementary-age children to snow sports. The kit is on a CD-ROM and you can order it FREE at winterfeelsgood.com.
The CD-ROM includes:
>Interactive learning tools, featuring the animated Snow Monsters characters, that show how to dress and physically prepare for snow sports.
> Follow-along lesson plans for alpine skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
> Informative flyers to send home to parents.
> Customizable field trip posters.
> Videos to get children excited about snow sports.
CD-ROMs are also being distributed free at the Winter Feels Good booth at state AHPERD conferences and at the national AAHPERD Convention in Tampa, Florida. The
CD-ROM is Mac and PC-compatible, and no special software is needed.
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January is "Learn A Snow Sports Month" 
Great Deals, Packages Offered Nationwide
In addition to Winter Trails Day for snowshoeing and cross country skiing on January 10, 2009, there will also be many special learn-to-ski and learn-to-snowboard packages offered in January at ski areas nationwide as part of "Learn A Snow Sports Month."
Ski areas in 22 states will be having special packages throughout January that include rental equipment, lift tickets and lessons. For more information and to find a ski area near you, go here.
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 Join Free, Affordable 'Passport" Program in your State
Ideal for Learning to Ski, Snowboard
There are hundreds of free or affordable learn-to-ski and learn-to-snowboard programs at local ski areas for school children in 4th, 5th and 6th grades. Many of these programs are called "Passport" programs and offer free or reduced-price lift tickets, lessons and rental equipment.
States that offer these Passport programs include: Colorado, Idaho, Maine, Michigan, Montana, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania, Utah, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. In addition, there are numerous other school programs at local areas across the country. Call your local area for more information. For complete information on Passport and other school programs, go here.
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Winter Sports Help Tone Muscles, Burn Calories
Active Children Do Better in School
Participating in outdoor winter sports will help your students tone muscles, build cardiovascular endurance and burn calories. Your students will be learning healthy habits that will help start them on a lifetime of fitness and fun. Children who are physically active also do better in school. See the study here, showing that higher levels of fitness directly correlate with improved academic performance. For a chart showing how many calories your students will burn participating in snow sports, go here.
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 Do You Need Snowshoes or XC Ski Gear for Your School?
Companies Will Work With School Programs
There are a number of snowshoe and cross country ski companies that will work with school programs. Go here for more information and how to contact the companies. And go here to download lesson plans for snowshoeing and cross country skiing.
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WINTER FEELS GOOD is a national grassroots public  awareness
initiative from SnowSports Industries America that promotes the health, fitness and social benefits of snow sports. |
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