Author Archives: robertjmcmahon

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

I know.  I know.

You watch your kids having fun skiing with the Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits and you say to yourself, “Self:  Gosh, this looks like fun!  All these kids zooming around.  I like to zoom around too on my skis!  And I have been skiing a while.  Gee, I also have pretty decent technique.  Hey, if I became a coach, I could zoom around with all of these great kids on skis, and we would all have have great skiing fun.  I could even teach them a skiing technique or two (or dozen or more).

So, you say, how could I become a certified cross-country ski coach?  Easy!  First, take a two-day course with like-minded skiers, in the comfy Sport For Life Centre building located just kind-of-a-stone’s-throw from the Manitoba Museum (you know, another fun place for both kids and adults alike).  This course, “Introduction Community Coaching (ICC)” is conveniently scheduled for Friday evening, 14 November 2014, and Saturday, 15 November 2014.

See the Cross Country Ski Association of Manitoba (CCSAM) website for details (http://www.ccsam.ca/event/intro-community-coaching-icc-workshop).

Contact Coach Rob (or any of the coaches you already chat with) if you are kind-of-sort-of-interested but want to talk first to find out what might be involved, or if you are already to register.

And yes, we do indeed have enough certified coaches to run the club, but we can always use more!

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Just a reminder that today, Sunday, 2 November 2014, is “Dryland Fun 3”, again meeting at the Assiniboine Park Duck Pond Shelter at 13:30.

Remember the “fall behind” time change that occurred early this morning.

Temperature is forecast to be a balmy +8 degrees Celsius at play time today!  So, please remind you kids to dress in layers so that they may remove clothing once they warm up.

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

This Sunday:

• Join us this upcoming Sunday, 19 October 2014, between 13:30 and 15:00, in and near the Assiniboine Park Duck Pond Shelter, for the Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits Ski Club’s “Orientation + Dryland Fun 1”, our first non-snow session of the 2014-2015 cross-country skiing season!
• Bring your whole family. Bring your friends. Bring your friends’ friends. Forward this information to anyone who might be interested. Everyone is welcome!
• Bunnyrabbits, Jackrabbits, and Track Attack skiers should all come prepared to run around in the great outdoors for most of this session.

Some highlights for the upcoming 2014-2015 season:

• Twenty-four (24) sessions have been scheduled for the whole club.
• An additional seventeen (17) sessions have been scheduled for keen Jackrabbit and Track Attack skiers looking for even more skiing.
• Two (2) fun, out-of-town, come-if-you-can, day trips have been scheduled for the whole club.
• Hot chocolate and wagon wheels will again be supplied as après ski refreshments most snowy Sundays.
• Cost is still only $45 per child. Same price for your second child. All additional siblings are $10. Parents and caregivers are free!
• Coaches Ihor, Robert, Katherine, and Jeff return this season for more skiing fun.

Interested?

• Visit our overhauled website for more information.
• Please immediately go to the bottom right-hand corner of your web browser and single-click + Follow. Up will pop a dialogue box that says, Follow “Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits”.  Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.  Enter email address.  Then click Sign me up. You may add additional email addresses as needed.
• Please note that for the 2014-2015 season it is the intent of our club that all ski club information will be posted only to our website. By clicking on + Follow you will then be automatically notified via e-mail of any changes made to the website.

Thanks,
Coach Rob
(on behalf of Coaches Ihor, Katherine, and Jeff)

Thanks to everyone for the great potluck food today! It was scrumptious and well enjoyed! 🙂

We ended up with a few spoons that belong to ??? Can you verify if they are yours from the attached photo? If so, let me know. They’re at our house now. If we don’t hear back from anyone, we’ll assume they belong to the Tuxedo Community Centre’s kitchen and return them there this week. Thanks.

Have a safe and wonderful summer and see you in the Fall.
Gina

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Tomorrow, Sunday, 25 May 2014, between 13:00 and 16:00, is not Picture Day, but rather Hand Out Picture Packages Day!

Yep, come to tomorrow’s Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits Wind Up, eat a variety of foods, play, chat, and receive your bundle of photos.

Thanks,

Coach Rob

(on behalf of Coaches Ihor, Katherine, and Jeff)

Hi all,

You should have received a separate email this afternoon via “PerfectPotluck.com”. If you did not receive it, let me know.

The coaches are still working on a venue… (I’m only in charge of the food part.)

One more thing… if anyone attending the potluck wind-up has any life-threatening food allergies, please email the entire group so we can all be made aware. We want to be sensitive only to serious concerns.

Potlucks tend to offer a huge variety of food items which entertain all kinds of eating preferences and sensitivities. We do not expect each family to accommodate special requests so please only respond if there is a serious concern that cannot be overlooked.

Thanks,
Gina

Hi everyone,

This is Gina here – Coach Jeff McMillan’s wife. I’ve volunteered to help organize part of our APJ wind-up.

The wind-up party is planned for Sunday May 25, 2014. So please mark your calendars now so you won’t miss out on all the fun!

The plan is to have a potluck lunch along with awards, games, and generally some time to get to know one another in warmer weather.

The venue is still TBA but the hopeful plan is that we will hold our event outdoors.

I will be emailing a potluck sign-up sheet in a separate email, but for now, mark your calendars with the date and plan to attend. 🙂

Chat later,
Gina

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Tomorrow is Picture Day! Will your skier be able to attend for the group photo(s)?

One reply from each family is required.

If not enough families reply by 12:00 Sunday, I will likely have to cancel Picture Day.

Based on the long-term weather forecast (hot!) tomorrow may be the very last Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits ski session for 2013-2014. As such, we likely will not be able to postpone Picture Day.

Sunday, 6 April 2014 is “Sunday Session (20)” (also Picture Day) at Assiniboine Park! Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits will be photographed between 14:00 and 14:45 by Stafford Studios.

Based on (hopefully good) recent input from Coach Rob, Stafford Studios has created cross-country skiing specific photo packages, similar in nature to what they have done for other sports (see http://www.staffordstudios.ca/p454668180).

Print the attached “Ski Order Form 2014.pdf”. Select from packages starting as little as $10.00. Bring the completed paper to the session.

Latest weather forecast predicting a fabulous +7 degree Celsius air temperature with no windchill at ski time! Attendance is strongly encouraged!

Thanks,

Coach Rob

(on behalf of Coaches Ihor, Katherine, and Jeff)

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Ahhhh… Yes, Virginia, you can ski, and be warm, at the same time in Winnipeg!

While the official schedule (https://assiniboineparkjackrabbits.wordpress.com/assiniboine-park-jackrabbits-2013-2014-schedule) hasn’t changed, here is some important additional information:

• Thursday, 3 April 2014: “Fast Rabbits Thursday 15”. Please read this carefully. The Windsor Park Nordic Centre clubhouse is now closed for the season. The Windsor Park Nordic Centre ski trails are open until the snow melts. As such, both Coach Ihor’s and Coach Rob’s groups will meet on the “Training Grid” (not in the locked clubhouse) at 19:00 (not 18:30 nor 18:45!). Park your car in the southeast portion of the parking lot and walk directly to the ski trails that lead to the “Training Grid”. Technique likely to be free technique (skate). Latest weather forecast predicting a -3 degrees Celsius air temperature with a -8 windchill at ski time.
• Sunday, 6 April 2014: “Sunday Session (20)” is also Picture Day at Assiniboine Park! Assiniboine Park Jackrabbits will be photographed between 14:00 and 14:45 by Stafford Studios. Based on (hopefully good) recent input from Coach Rob, Stafford Studios has created cross-country skiing specific photo packages, similar in nature to what they have done for other sports (see http://www.staffordstudios.ca/p454668180). Print the attached “Ski Order Form 2014.pdf”. Select from packages starting as little as $10.00. Bring the completed paper to the session. Latest weather forecast predicting a fabulous +2 degree Celsius air temperature with no windchill at ski time! Attendance is strongly encouraged!

Thanks,

Coach Rob

(on behalf of Coaches Ihor, Katherine, and Jeff)

Hello Jackrabbit Managers,

Just a reminder that today’s session (Sunday, 30 March 2014), “Spring Break Sunday (19)”, sees the venue moved from Assiniboine Park to Windsor Park Nordic Centre.

For those of you who have not been there, it is located at 10 Des Meurons Rue (https://maps.google.com/maps?q=Windsor+Park+Nordic+Centre,+Winnipeg,+Manitoba,+Canada&hl=en&ll=49.859899,-97.099657&spn=0.009171,0.022724&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=45.8712,93.076172&vpsrc=6&hq=Windsor+Park+Nordic+Centre,&hnear=Winnipeg,+Division+No.+11,+Manitoba,+Canada&t=h&z=16).

Rationale for location change is that today is the last day the Windsor Park Nordic Centre clubhouse will be open for the 2013-2014 winter (http://www.ccsam.ca/windsor-park-open-another-week). Meet at 13:30 on the snow within 50 metres of the clubhouse. Latest weather forecast predicting a -3 degree Celsius air temperature with a -10 windchill by the end of ski time (warmer at the beginning).

Thanks,

Coach Rob

(on behalf of Coaches Ihor, Katherine, and Jeff)