1. Q - What is "Jackrabbits"?
   A - "Jackrabbits", which is now called the Skills Development Program (SDP), is a volunteer-based learn-to-ski program created by and endorsed by Cross Country Canada and monitored by its provincial affiliate - Cross Country British Columbia. The program introduces children to cross country skiing, fitness and winter fun. "Jackrabbits" is named after and was inspired by Jackrabbit Johannsen, the godfather of cross country skiing in Canada (please read the article on Jackrabbit Johannsen's life in the History section of this website). The actual Jackrabbit program is now the part of the SDP that is specifically for six to nine-year-olds.

2. Q - What programs do you offer and what age do you need to be to participate in the club's programs?
   A - Our program structure starts at ages 4 and 5 with the Jackbunny program, the initial stage of the Skills Development Program (SDP). This is the introduction stage and children at this level will require a parent to ski with them in the program. At age 6, the children take part in the Jackrabbit program, which consists of four different skills levels. The final stage of the SDP is the Track Attack program for children aged 10 to 12 or 13 years. The options for teens aged 13 to 18 that have completed the SDP are either the recreational Teens on Skis program or, for those that want to ski at a more challenging pace, the Hollyburn Racing Team.

3. Q - Can my son or daughter who isn't 4 yet but is very advanced register for the program?
   A - We find that children any younger than 4 are generally not ready for the program that we offer. We do not accept children younger than 4 years old (as of the December 31st before the sessions start). We do however encourage you to take your young children out on your own to get them to start enjoying the snow and getting the feel of being on skis.

4. Q - Is it too late for my 12-year-old to start in the program?
   A - A child can start the program at any age, although they may be placed with younger, more experienced children initially. We do ask older beginner skiers aged 9 to 13 to take a Christmas kids camp with Cypress. If the numbers warrant, we will attempt to place all older novice skiers together in the same group.

5. Q - My child is only 4 or 5 years old and I am a new skier - can we participate?
   A - As 4-year-olds must have a parent accompanying them, the parent must be a comfortable enough skier to ski confidently to the Hollyburn Lodge and back down. If the parent is unable to do this, it is best to wait until your child is 6 years old and can ski without parental assistance.

6. Q - How does the awards system work?
   A - Cross Country BC provides booklets and stickers, which are based on a skill progression system, are awarded at the end of the season. There are separate age-appropriate booklets and sets of stickers awarded for various stages of the program. The first stage is the Bunnyrabbit program for children aged four and five years old. This is followed by the Jackrabbit program which is directed at children in the FUNdamentals stage of development aged six to nine years old. There are four levels of progression in this stage. For children aged 10 to 12, we offer the Track Attack program. Much like the progression system in swimming, skiers will receive their specific sticker when they can demonstrate the required skills at that level. If a child does not receive a specific level at the end of the season, it does not mean they failed. The emphasis is on safety and fun.

7. Q - Are there "report cards"?
   A - Yes, Progress Cards are provided to each skier on the last session that details what skills they are good at and what skills need further work. The skier will receive the Progress Card and a sticker based on the level that they have earned.

8. Q - What is the difference between Jackrabbits and Cypress Mountain's Kids Camps?
   A - The Jackrabbit program is a parent-participation, volunteer-run club. Our goal is to introduce kids to cross country skiing and to hopefully inspire them to continue with life-long participation in the sport. Being a club, we encourage the kids to make lasting friendships and the parents to share experiences in a social atmosphere. The Jackrabbit program is based on a progressive system of attaining badges when certain skills are acquired. The intention is for the children to return each year from ages 5 to 13 to build on their skill levels and friendships. For information on the Kids Camps, visit http://www.cypressmountain.com.

9. Q - Are you part of Cypress Mountain Recreation?
   A - We are completely independent from Cypress. We do, however, work closely with them to ensure the best use of the public facilities and discounts provided by Cypress allow us to offer our program at a discounted rate.

10. Q - What comes after Jackrabbits?
    A - Although our Club's Skills Development Program ends when the children are 12 or 13 years old, we do have the Racing Program and Teens on Skis available for teenagers. As well, other clubs that offer youth programs locally include the Nordic Racers Ski Club and West Coast Nordic Club, which offers biathlon in conjunction with our programs.

11. Q - Does the club offer any other programs?
    A. The club does try to arrange adult lessons through Cypress from time to time so that parents can improve their skills while their children are doing the same. We also provide training and skills improvement sessions for coaches.
    
    The West Coast Nordic Club offers biathlon in conjunction with our programs.

12. Q - What is "CCBC"?
    A - CCBC is Cross Country British Columbia, our parent organization that has provided us with the program and guidelines to follow and that provides the club with insurance. Check out their web site at http://www.crosscountrybc.ca for more information.

13. Q - Can I ski with my child?
    A. For safety reasons, if your child is a four-year-old Jackbunny, it is a requirement that parents ski with their children. Optionally, parents of older Jackbunnies can also ski with their children. However, in order to provide the best teaching environment for all children, parents of Jackrabbits are asked not to ski with their children. As well, volunteer coaches normally do not lead the groups in which their children are placed.

14. Q - I would like my child to be in a class with a friend. I would like my child to ski in a higher-level group. Can he/she be moved?
    A - Although we make every effort to accommodate parents' and children's wishes, the final placement decision is left to the coaches and session coordinators based on the skiing ability of the child. Although some groups can accept a wide range of skiing abilities, others cannot. And in order to meet safety guidelines, it is necessary to arrange groups to meet a certain adult to child ratio.

15. Q - Where do I go each session?
    A - Ensure you arrive early, at least fifteen minutes before your scheduled start time and much earlier if you have ski rentals to pick up or if your session is on a sunny afternoon. Parking on some busy weekends has resulted in long walks to the ski area. After picking up your skis if you have rented them, look for the Jackrabbit banner on the right just past the main entrance to the ski area. Look for the session coordinator under the Jackrabbit canopy. They will provide direct your child to their coach. They can also any questions that you may have. Remember to pick up a white, numbered bib for your child. For the first session, your child will be placed into a group appropriate to his or her skiing ability. For safety's sake, new skiers should keep their skis off until instructed to put them on by their coach. For subsequent sessions, your child should find and meet with their coach.

16. Q - How many sessions are there?
    A - There are nine regular scheduled sessions (seven in 2009/10). We also offer other trips and special events, as listed on our program schedule. As well, the some programs ski additional weekday evening sessions and the racing team takes part in trips to races over the season.

17. Q - What happens if the mountain is closed?
    A - If the cross country ski area is open, even if the downhill area is closed, then the club will be operating. Call the Cypress snow line at 604-419-SNOW (7669) to find out if it is open. In the event of a cancellation, there will normally not be any make-up sessions. Due to the costs and logistics difficulties, we cannot offer refunds for any session cancellations. The club incurs certain operating costs (like coach training and operating overhead) that exist regardless of whether or not sessions are cancelled. It is rare event, however, for a session to be cancelled.

18. Q - What is the club's refund policy?
    A - Refunds are only provided for medical reasons (doctor's note required) on a pro-rated basis. Contact Cypress Mountain directly for information regarding refunds for any trail passes or rentals purchased from them.

19. Q - Does the club have ski equipment for the Rabbits?
    A - Ski equipment must be supplied by the participants or rented on the hill from Cypress Mountain. You can also pre-purchase rental of classic skis for the season, at a reduced rate, from Cypress (information is provided at registration time). For skate ski sessions (Jackrabbit Levels 3 and 4), the club owns enough skate skis (with Salomon bindings) for one group per session to use. Your coaches will organize ahead of time at which session they will introduce skate skiing (this is typically for Jackrabbit Level 3 and higher). If the Rabbit has good quality Salomon compatible boots it will allow them to try skating. Cypress rents skate boots (usually small women's sizes for children), which makes the skating experience more enjoyable.

20. Q - I have pre-purchased rental skis from Cypress. Where do I pick them up?
    A - Well before your session starts each week (give yourself at least half an hour, much more on sunny weekends), go to the Cypress Ski Rental building. Show them your child's ski session and rental pass. Cypress staff will then supply your child with skis, poles and boots for the session. Note, only classic equipment can be supplied; skating equipment must be rented separately at your own cost. You can keep your equipment until the end of the day if you wish. When you are done with them, please return the skis, boots and poles to where you rented them. Note that the club is not involved with rentals, so please discuss any issues with Cypress directly.

21. Q - How do I find out more about the Hollyburn Jackrabbit Ski Club?
    A - Browse this web site or check our contacts page for our e-mail address. Someone will respond to your e-mail within a few days.

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1. Q - Why is it necessary for at least one parent to become a member?
   A - We require at least one adult member from each family to we ensure that we have enough adult voting members to meet the requirements of the B.C. Society's Act. Because membership in the club provides the member with liability insurance, all volunteers and anyone wishing to participate in any club event are required to become members.

2. Q - What does club membership entitle parents to?
   A - Membership allows parents to participate in club events. Discounts on certain items (e.g. seasons passes, bus to Cascade Cup at Manning) or value-added lessons are also offered to members. All members receive a 10% discount at Sigge's Sport Villa and North Shore Athletics. Part of the membership fee goes directly to paying for liability insurance.

3. Q - Why do parents need to sign the liability waivers before special events?
   A - CCBC requires that any event sanctioned/sponsored by the Jackrabbit Club must have all participants (including parents responsible for their children) accepting the terms of the CCBC waiver.

4. Q - What does the program fee pay for if we have to purchase our own trail tickets and rentals?
   A - The program fees cover your child's insurance, registration with CCBC, the CCBC accessory/souvenir, poster, program booklets and stickers, and the progress card. The bulk of the program registration fee is used to cover the cost of training the new coaches, manuals, program equipment and updating returning coaches' skills. The registration fee alone is not enough to cover the costs of the program and we depend on fundraising to keep the registration fees reasonable.
5. Q - What is the "Raffle Fee"?
   A - Because registration fees are not enough for the operating costs of our non-profit club, we hold a raffle each season to raise additional monies. Each family is charged the raffle fee for one 15-ticket raffle booklet that they are given during the second session. The fee can be recovered by selling all the tickets. Alternatively, if you do not want to sell the tickets, put your name and contact information on each ticket as if you were purchasing them for yourself. All booklets must be returned as per the instructions from the fundraising committee.

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1. Q - I would like to help out but I don't ski very well. Can I still help?
   A - We provide training and try to partner new coaches with experienced coaches. This is the perfect opportunity to improve your skiing. We also have many other non-coaching positions that need to be filled. For example, we are developing a group of cross country competition officials, for which we pay for training.

2. Q - What kind of training is provided for volunteer coaches?
   A - All volunteer coaches are required to take the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP) Introduction to Community Coaching course to meet insurance requirements, which allows you to coach the younger six and under Jackbunnies. They are also strongly encouraged to take the Community Coaching course to be available to teach children older than six years (Jackrabbits). In subsequent years, we provide training at the beginning of the season for returning coaches and weekly skill upgrade sessions on a regular basis. We also pay for higher-level NCCP courses.

3. Q - I would like to help coach but I can't fit the required courses and sessions in this year. Can I still help out with the sessions?
   A - You can help out as a group assistant (help to organize the children but not actually teach), assistant session coordinator or session coordinator. There are also many other volunteer positions that help us in the organization of the club.

4. Q - What am I expected to do if I volunteer for "some volunteer position"?
   A - Have a look at the detailed Hollyburn Jackrabbit Organizational Positions document for a description of each position. Further descriptions, and a link to this document, are on our Volunteers page.

5. Q - What kind of time am I expected to commit as a coach or race committee member?
   A - In addition to the nine 2½ hour sessions (2 hours for bunnies), for first-year coaches there will be a required day-long Introduction to Community Coaching course that allows you to coach children up to six years of age and a weekend Advanced Community Coaching course that allows you to coach the older Jackrabbits. In addition the club puts on skills sessions every season for all coaches before the sessions start. All coaches must attend an evening pre-season all-coaches meeting where time is spent with the Program Coordinator and Session Coordinators to organize the groups and discuss how the sessions will unfold.
   
   First-year race committee members are expected to take the Cross Country Canada Level 1 Officials course and assist with club events and at least two out-of-town races. Take a look at the required commitments for coaches and officials at the bottom of our volunteer page. Also see our coach and officials training schedule and detailed schedule for additional information.

6. Q - I would like to coach this year but, due to earlier commitments, will have to miss several sessions. Will that be a problem?
   A - Although we would prefer that you attend every session, we do understand that personal and business commitments do from time to time occur. We would like that you miss no more than one or, at most, two sessions over the season. You will need to inform your session coordinator well ahead of time of the day(s) that you will miss and help to make arrangements for a substitute during your absence. If you know that you may miss more than this, please consider volunteering with the club in other capacities.

7. Q - Why are you asking for the ages of volunteers and adult members? I would rather not give you that information.
   A - CCBC requires this information for insurance and government funding purposes. This information is kept completely confidential and is only shared with CCBC. And we promise not to ask you for your weight.

8. Q - How old do I need to be to be a coach?
   A - Coaches need to be a minimum of 16 years old, comfortable on skis and have a fun-loving, enthusiastic attitude.

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1. Q - What is the Hollyburn Racing Team about?
   A - The Hollyburn Racing Team is an accelerated program designed for kids that love to ski and are interested in racing. The focus is on skiing better and faster. The Youth Racing program (ages 13-18) is for those that want to ski two times per week from September to March. Our Performance Racing program is a full, year-round program for those that wish to develop their full potential in a fun team environment.

2. Q - Who can join the Hollyburn Racing Team?
   A - Any Jackrabbit who are skiing at Jackrabbit Level 4 (Level 3 has been achieved) or higher that meets the minimum age requirement.

3. Q - What kind of equipment do I need for the Racing Team?
   A - The skier will need contemporary, good quality classic and skate equipment. The sessions will be divided approximately 50/50 between classic and skate technique. It is recommended that the skier have his/her own set of equipment to allow for sufficient practice time (club skate skis will not always be available, as they will be being used by the regular Jackrabbit program). If you require assistance in purchasing ski equipment, please contact the coach.

4. Q - What if I can't make all the Racing Team program sessions?
   A - The racing programs are a carefully structured progression of classes and training. If too many sessions are missed then the skier may be asked to move to the Youth Racing program (if they are in the Performance Racing program) or the Teens on Skis program so as to not hinder those skiers committed to the racing program.

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