TriJuniors Now Provides Bikes!

When we started the TriJuniors program, we knew the challenges we would face with kids and the sport of triathlon. The sport is financially challenging, considering the costs of equipment. Parents don't want to drop $1000+ just to see if their kids will like the sport.

Many families who have kids who might very well love the sport, might never be able to give their kids the opportunity to try it, simply because of cost.

I am very proud to announce that as of today, we can offer a Focus road bike to any kid in our program, FREE OF CHARGE! Any child who wants to be on our team, and is a member in good standing, has a bike to ride, if they need it.

We'd like to thank Focus Bikes for their generous sponsorship, in making this happen!

Looking forward to growing the sport even more!

Coach Vance

Lava Magazine Article on TriJuniors Athlete

Lava Magazine did an online piece on TriJuniors athlete, Tristan Bunch, after his 2nd place finish at the Ironkids National Championships. Congrats to Tristan!

"On our way to my 11th race on the Big Island the ancient Roman saying, "All roads lead to Rome" became clearer to me. Thousands of years ago Rome built an empire that drew all of Europe (and much of the rest of the world) to a central citadel. As we made our way back to Kona—our "home away from home,"—we again became aware how this tiny Kailua village has done much the same today.

It starts when we get on the plane. Fate and the fickles of frequent flier miles would take us first through San Diego, where we would meet IronKid Tristan Bunch returning from his second-place finish at the nationals in Florida. When we saw the fit young man, tall beyond his years, we thought he might be on his way to Kona to race. But at only 14, he is definitely still a kid in Iron terms."

Read the rest of the article here at Lava Mag.

Coach Vance

TriJuniors Video from Surf Town Tri

Incredible day at the Surf Town Tri in Imperial Beach last weekend for TriJuniors athletes!

Jasen Missailidis - 1st, Men 16-19, (1st overall male out of the water!)

Katarina LaJeunesse - 1st, Women 16-19, (1st overall female out of the water, 2nd female overall at finish!)

Tristan Bunch - 1st, Men 13-15

Raegan Correll - 1st, Women 13-15

Jordan Houri - 3rd, Men 13-15

Damian Figueroa - 4th, Men 13-15

Enjoy this great video one of the parent's made...

Coach Vance

Article on TriJuniors at Finishline-Multisport

Here's a great article on the TriJuniors program, on what is happening with it, the vision of the program, and more on the coaches.

http://www.flmstri.com/component/content/article/1204/1204

Coach Vance

TriJuniors at USAT Junior National Championships!

In a word, epic! This photo sums up exactly what our team is about, competing.

The kids had an incredibly fun weekend, and I will post more photos here soon.

Solana Beach Triathlon 2010

Solana Beach Tri was easily the best result of the TriJuniors program yet, with 5 of our 10 athletes competing, and taking two 1sts, two 2nds, and one fourth. One our athletes also was awarded the Dave Martin Scholarship, which is awarded in memory of Dave Martin, a triathlete who lost his life in a Great White shark attack in 2008. Katarina LaJeunesse was awarded this great honor!

What can I say? I love teaching. Here Katarina and Allison study the surf with me, as I point out a small rip current.

The girls get after it above. I love that everyone else is in wetsuits, and they still were right with the leaders, 3rd and 4th out of the water!

The team has also been working on their skills in the velodrome! Here Jordan and David prepare to come off the rails to start an interval! Special thanks to the San Diego Velodrome Association for their partnership with TriJuniors!

Next is Nationals! VERY EXCITED!

Coach Vance

Aquathlon July 2010

Great fun for TriJuniors this past Thursday, at the Tri Club of San Diego's July Aquathlon! Highlight was Coach Vance winning overall, and Allison Steitz finishing 2nd overall for the women! Allison was actually beat out of the water by her teammate Katarina... Team gets better every week!!!

Coach Vance

Flatlands Tri 2010

This past weekend, 4 TriJuniors athletes competed in their first draft-legal triathlon, the Flatlands Kids Tri-Fest in West Des Moines, Iowa. They competed against hundreds of kids from all over the nation, and finished 10th, 12th, 36th and 16th, in each of their races!

This was a great experience for the kids, who all stated it was the hardest race they've ever done, but it was also the most fun triathlon they've ever experienced. We are looking forward to using this experience to better compete at Nationals here in San Diego in about 5 weeks time. Below are a few photos from the weekend.

Coach Vance

TriJuniors Team Photos 2010

The summer and triathlon season is well under-way, and we are excited about the upcoming races for TriJuniors team members! Flatlands Kids Tri-Fest and Carlsbad Tri this coming weekend, then Solana Beach, and Jr. Nationals here in San Diego!

If you know kids who will be between the ages of 13-19 as of December 31st of this year, please pass our team info onto them, as we'd love to continue growing our great group of kids! Here are some photos for this season so far:

Coach Vance

50 Tips for Parents of Athletes

Here are 50 great tips for parents of athletes, which comes from a top-level coach in Australia, Wayne Goldsmith, (Coaching Brain).

Fifty tips for parents of young athletes, to help them get the most out of their chosen sport.

1. Love them unconditionally.
2. Support their coach.
3. Accept that they can not win every time they compete.
4. Allow them to be a kid and to have fun.
5. Help them to develop as a person with character and values.
6. Turn off as a sporting parent. Don’t make sport the one and only topic of conversation at the dinner table, in the car, etc.
7. Don’t introduce your child as “This is my son the swimmer or Rugby player” – their sport is just something they do – it does not define them.
8. Don’t do everything for them. Teach them responsibility and self management.
9. Reward frequently for success and effort but make them small, simple, practical, and personal things. Kids don’t need a CD or $20 just for playing sport.
10. Best of all reward them with what they really love…….your time!
11. Be calm, relaxed and dignified at competitions and games.
12. Accept that progress in any sport takes a long time: it takes at least 7 – 10 years after maturation in most sports for any athlete to achieve their full potential.
13. Believe it or not, kids can learn to pack and unpack their training bag, clean their own training and competition clothes, fill their own water bottle – teach them and encourage them to take control over their own sporting careers. A little manual work and helping out with household chores are important lessons in developing independence.
14. Don’t reward champion performances with junk food!
15. Skills and attitude are the important things. Don’t waste money buying kids the latest and greatest equipment and hope to buy a short cut to success.
16. Encourage the same commitment and passion for school and study as you do for sport.
17. Avoid relying on “sports foods” or “sports supplements” – focus on a sensible, balanced diet which includes a variety of wholesome, healthy foods.
18. Allow your kids to try many sports and activities.
19. Don’t specialize too early!!! There is no such thing as a champion ten year old winger or opening bowler or halfback.
20. Junk food is ok occasionally. Don’t worry about it.
21. Praise qualities like effort, trying hard, attempting new skills, the execution of a new skill in a game and similar values rather than winning.
22. Love them unconditionally (worth repeating).
23. Have your “guilt gland” removed. This will help you avoid phrases like “I’ve got better things to do with my time” and “Do you realize how much I have had to give up for you to play football”. Everyone loses when you play the guilt game.
24. Encourage activities which build broad, general movement skills like running, catching, throwing, balancing, agility, balance, co-ordination, speed and rhythm. These general skills can then have a positive impact on all sports.
25. Encourage the occasional “down time”. No school or sport – just time to be kids!
26. Encourage relationships and friendships away from training, competition and school work – it’s all about balance.
27. Help and support your child to achieve the goals they set, then take time to relax and celebrate and enjoy their achievement as a family.
28. Never use training or sport as a punishment i.e. more laps / more training.
29. Do a family fitness class, yoga or martial arts or another sport unrelated to their main sport. Everyone benefits.
30. Car pool! Get to know the other kids and families in your child’s team then in turn you can allow your child to be more independent by doing things with other (trusted) adults.
31. Attend training regularly to show you are interested in your child’s effort and the process rather than just the win / loss of the outcome.
32. Help raise money for the team, club and kids: even if your own child is not involved in the target of the fund-raising.
33. Tell your kids you are proud of them for being involved in a healthy activity.
34. Volunteer your time to be on the committee.
35. Volunteer your time to help out at training and competition but…….try not to work directly with your own child. This helps teach your kids the importance of “team” where working together and supporting each other are important attributes.
36. Even if you were an athlete or a player, and even if you are a trained coach, resist the temptation to coach your own child. It rarely if ever works.
37. Be aware that your child’s passion for a particular sport may change.
38. Also be aware however that skills learnt in one sport can often transfer to another sport.
39. Accept flat spots. Times when your child does not improve. During these times encourage participation for fun, focus on learning skills and help them develop perseverance and patience – two life skills that will help them throughout their lives.
40. Believe it or not, Australian kids are unlikely to die from drinking tap water.
41. Cheer for your child appropriately. Don’t embarrass yourself or them.
42. Make sure each week includes some designated family time, where you do family things and talk about family issues, not about sport.
43. Take a strong stand against smoking and drug use (both recreational and performance enhancing).
44. Set an example with sensible, responsible alcohol use when your kids are around.
45. Don’t look for short cuts like “miracle sports drinks” or “super supplements” success in sport comes from consistently practicing skills and developing an attitude where the love of sport and physical fitness are the real “magic”.
46. If one of your kids is a sporting champion and the other kids in the family are not so gifted, ensure you have just as much time, energy and enthusiasm for whatever they are doing.
47. Eliminate the use of the phrase “well what we did when I was playing”.
48. Encourage your kids to find strong role models but try not to let this decision to be based on sporting ability only. Look for role models who consistently demonstrate integrity, humility, honesty and the ability to take responsibility for their own actions.
49. Encourage them to learn the qualities of leadership and concepts like sharing, selflessness, team work and generosity – sport teaches life lessons.
50. Don’t compare the achievements of your kids to any other kids – good or bad. It only creates barriers and resentments between young people and the world can do without more of that!

Wayne Goldsmith and Helen Morris

© 2010, Sports Coaching Brain. All rights reserved. This post can not be reproduced in full or in part without the expressed consent of the author Wayne Goldsmith.

Coach Vance

TriJuniors at the TCSD June Aquathlon 2010

Last night TriJuniors competed in their first full event with every member of the team competing at the Tri Club of San Diego Aquathlon. All 8 members, and the two coaches raced, had a blast and the learning continues. Look for us at many local events in San Diego, as well as nationally at the Flatlands Tri Fest in Des Moines in July, and Nationals here in August, and even beyond!

If you're looking to get involved in the sport, and you'll be 13-19 years of age as of December 31st of this year, contact us about joining!

Coach Vance

Personalized Tech Tees for Each TriJuniors Team Member

Special thanks to Mizuno and Zoot, for their donation of tech tees for our team! Each TriJuniors team member gets a tech tee PERSONALIZED with their last name on the back. So far, the kids on the team love it! Here is a photo of Coach Vance's tee, with "Coach" also on the sleeve.

We want every team member to feel like they are a part of something special, and are a valued member of the team, and this is just one of the ways we do that. If you see a young person wearing this shirt, cheer them on!

If you're interested in coming out to a practice, or have a son or daughter 13-19 years of age, and want them to be a part of a team environment, enjoying the sport of triathlon with other kids their age, let us know and we'll be happy to have you out for a practice to see what you think. Our team is growing in size every week, and we're excited for more to join us!

Coach Vance

coachjimvance at gmail dot com

3rd place overall Relay at SuperSeal Triathlon

Coach Vance teamed up with two of the athletes on TriJuniors, Tristan and David, to form a relay at the SuperSeal Olympic Triathlon. The team finished in 2nd place in the All-Male Relays, and 3rd overall out of 32 relay teams! Well done TriJuniors!

Help us spread the word!

TriJuniors practice session for the 2010 season have begun, and the kids involved so far are doing great!

Our practices have had a lot of bike skill work, transition work and competitions, and FUN! We are growing, but would like to grow even more! If you know someone who might be interested, please share with them this flyer.

All athletes 13-19 years old are invited to join us for a practice session, with no commitment. Come on out and see what you think!

Don't forget to check our website for the latest info, our Google Calendar with practice times and locations, Twitter updates, and more!

Coach Vance

TriJuniors Night at Nytro - January 26th, 2010!

Nytro Multisport will be hosting TriJuniors Night for those who would like to learn more and take part in the program.

TriJuniors is committed to promoting and developing the sport of triathlon among high school age youth, (13-18), in a team atmosphere, from beginner to elite ability levels.

There are many ways to be involved in TriJuniors. Parents can come, bring their kids and learn more about what TriJuniors has to offer. We will have 2 - 20 minute presentations on the TriJuniors program, our coaches, practice times, places, race schedule, draft-legal triathlon, goals, discounts from our sponsors, etc. This will be followed by a short Q&A session.

The triathlon community is invited to find out more about how they can be involved in recruiting efforts for TriJuniors, volunteering and assisting with the season.

TIME: 5:30pm - 8pm

Orientation sessions will be at 6pm and 6:45pm

Food and drinks will be served

PLACE: Nytro Multisport

940 South Coast Highway 101

Encinitas , CA 92024

(760) 632-0006

www.nytro.com

COST: FREE!!! We will be raffling off items that night and will be holding a raffle to raise funds for the team.

Raffle items will be displayed at the event and you can bet they will be awesome! Complete details

about the raffle and items forthcoming.

RSVP: Orlanda Vance, Team Coordinator at ovance@trainingbible.com

For more information about the program, please go to our website at www.trijuniors.com, or follow us on twitter @TriJuniors.

We look forward to seeing everyone there. Don’t forget to RSVP!

Coach Vance

Now Hiring Volunteer Assistant Coaches!

Volunteer Assistant Coach Job Description

Our mission: TriJuniors is committed to promoting and developing the sport of triathlon among high school age youth, in a team atmosphere, from beginner to elite ability levels, in San Diego County.

Athletes in the TriJuniors program will build skills and learn goal setting and pursuing goals. With hard work and fun, young triathletes will build a healthy lifestyle from their experiences in this positive environment for personal growth both in the sport, and in life.

POSITION INFORMATION:

Objectives:

• Develop a positive relationship between yourself and all participants of the team

• Encourage positive behaviors and reinforce good self-esteem

• Facilitate program with objectivity

• Follow programming workouts to ensure that each junior triathlon team member can complete the schedule

• Provide and ensure a safe environment for team training and activities

Job Summary:

Time commitment:

• Full commitment to the program from February – September 2010

• Weekly time commitment is 6-8 hours of at-practice time

• Attend mandatory preseason coach training meeting, date TBD

Responsibilities:

• Assist Head Coach in leading program participants through weekly training sessions

• Serve as a role model and mentor

• Be able to prepare, organize, and lead training session

• Assist Head Coach in organizing and planning activities and training sessions

• Understand and believe in the mission of the organization and act as a spokesperson for the program

Qualifications:

• A strong commitment to triathlon and the sport’s development

• Excellent verbal communication skills

• Excellent organizational skills

• Experience working with youth a plus

• Flexible / ability to accommodate to a changing environment

• USAT Level 1 Certification or higher – HIGHLY PREFERRED

• USA Swimming Coaching Certification – highly preferred

• USA Cycling Coach – highly preferred

HOW TO APPLY:

Please email your resume to:

Orlanda Vance, Team Coordinator - TriJuniors

orlanda.vance at yahoo dot com

Coach Vance

TriJuniors 2010 Race Schedule!

TriJuniors 2010 is here! The TriJuniors 2010 season will begin with official practices on Sunday, February 7th, at noon. We are thrilled to announce the following race schedule:

• TCSD Monthly Club Races
• TCSD Monthly Aquathlons
• SuperSeal International Triathlon, April 11, 2010 – Coronado, CA
• Spring Sprint Triathlon, May 2, 2010 – San Diego, CA
• Encinitas Sprint Triathlon, May 16, 2010 – Encinitas, CA
• San Diego International Triathlon, June 27, 2010 – San Diego, CA
• Carlsbad Triathlon, July 11, 2010 – Carlsbad, CA
• Solana Beach Triathlon, July 25, 2010 – Solana Beach, CA
• USAT Junior Elite Nationals, August 14, 2010 – San Diego, CA
• San Diego Triathlon Classic, September 18, 2010 – San Diego, CA*

*Other races may be added, or removed, depending on experience and ability level of kids on the team, as well as availability of space at events.

More news to come!

Coach Vance