Cape Cod Youth Triathlon Clinic

Taking place in the Cape Cod YMCA's, Camp Lyndon, youth will learn the "ins and outs" of triathlon.

• Triathlon swimming vs. Pool swimming
• Bike safety and handling skills
• Off-the-bike running form 
• Transition tips and tricks (swim to bike, bike to run)
• Mental skills for focus and confidence

The day will end with 2 mock triathlons -

Juniors (8 -12yrs. old) / Seniors (13 - 16 yrs. old).

* Minimum swim competency of Red Cross level 4  and a bike are needed to participate.

Participants will rotate through 3 stations: swimming skills, bike handling skills and transitions. As youth tend to be natural runners, running will not be a separate station.

Youth will then break for lunch while parents will be included in an informational session that will cover local triathlons suitable for kids,  USA Triathlon's development pipeline, team and coaching opportunities.

After lunch, participants will set up their transition areas with guidance available, if needed.

"Senior" mock triathlon starts with 13 -16 year olds. Once the last person crossed the finish line, the "Junior" triathlon will start with 8 -12 year olds.

This is a great opportunity for participants to put all that they learned during earlier sessions together!

Like the sport itself, this clinic is inclusive; kids of all shapes, sizes and levels of fitness are welcome. They do need to swim in water above their heads, though…more on this later. And they need a bike, but any kind—road, gravel, mountain, or cruiser—is fine.

SWIM:

For youth in particular, the swim is often the scariest part of a triathlon. Scott Brown is a is a veteran triathlete, US Masters Swim level 2 coach and an assistant coach for the Cape Cod FireFish.  Participants will learn basic open-water skills such as:

• Siting
• Swimming around buoys
• Swimming close to others
• Entries and Exits
  

BIKE:

TRANSITIONS:

Anyone who participates in triathlon knows the race can be won or lost in transition.

Learn from the best, former Regional Athlete Development Coordinator for USA Triathlon Northeast and USA Triathlon Level 2 Coach, Matt Valyo of T.A.F. Racing, will teach his secrets to a successful transition.

Participants will learn how to rack their bikes and set up a transition area that is most effective for a speedy exit.

9:00 am      Introduction

9:20 am      First station rotation

10:00 am     Second station rotation

10:40 am     Third station rotation

11:20 am      Lunch and Parent discussion

12:15 pm      Transition setup

12:45 pm     Senior mock-tri begins

1:15 pm        Junior mock-tri begins

1:45 pm      Closing remarks

Juniors (8-12yrs):

Swim  80 meters

Bike 1.5 miles

Run .5 mile

Seniors (13-16yrs):

Swim 150 meters (optional: 300 meters)

Bike 3 miles

Run  1 mile

This is a USA Triathlon sanctioned clinic.

This is Triathlon's governing body and the source of event and participant incident insurance.

In order to be covered under this insurance (mandatory for all participants) you must purchase an annual youth membership ($10) for your child if he/she doesn't already have one.

The USAT membership will be good for 12 months so if your youth decides to participate in triathlons this season they'll already be a step ahead!

Lifeguards and staff from Cape Cod Swim Club and AquaSafe Cape Cod will assist with lifeguards and to answer any questions you may have about youth swim teams.

Bike experts from Sea Sports Cyclery & Outdoors will be available during the clinic. Bring your best bike questions or get your tires pumped up.

You are in Level 4 – Stroke Improvement if you can:

• Swim front crawl with rotary breathing
• Demonstrate backstroke, elementary backstroke & breastroke
• Enter water by jumping from the side
• Dive from sitting and kneeling position
• Tread water
• Demonstrate bobbing while moving forward
• Retrieve underwater objects with eyes open

• Swimsuit
• Goggles
  
• Towel
• Running gear and sneakers
• Bike (road, gravel, mountain, cruiser, anything is fine)
  
• Bike Helmet
• A smile :)

We will provide swim caps, water bottles and Tri t-shirt.

New England Endurance Events produces 7  triathlons, primarily on Cape Cod. Encouraging youth to be active and have fun through participation in this great support is our goal.

Riptide Running Cape Cod is a USA Track and Field-recognized competitive youth running team for ages 10 - 18, on Cape Cod.

T.A.F. Racing (TAF Junior Triathlon Development) is a non-profit,   

USAT High Performance triathlon   program which provides a training group for junior triathletes that will give them a solid foundation from which to improve their skills no matter their ability.

YMCA Cape Cod is an inclusive organization of men, women and children joined together by a shared commitment to nurturing the potential of kids, promoting healthy living and fostering a sense of social responsibility.

Cape Cod Swim Club

Cape Cod YMCA

FireFish Cape Cod

Riptide Running

SeaSports Cyclery & Outdoor

TAF Racing