Andy Newell,4x Olympian and professional skier,now brings his experiences from international racing to the world of coaching, consulting, and online training materials.
Newell (34) has raced at the highest level since 2004 starting well over 200 World Cup races and reaching the World Cup podium several times. When he doesn’t have a race bib on, Newell has always been drawn to teaching others about ski training though his Speed Camp clinics, training camps, and online technique videos.
“I’ve always considered myself a student of the sport,” says the 16-year veteran of the US Ski Team. “I really enjoy teaching people how to improve their technique, strength, and fitness for skiing because it forces me to reflect on my own approach and break down what really works. I’ve been racing internationally for a long time, so it has been crucial that I continue to learn and refine my training techniques in order to stay relevant. I like to find ways to incorporate the newest World Cup caliber training with traditional ideas so that ski workouts are simple yet productive, but most of all fun.”
Nordic Team Solutions gives Newell a platform to do just that allowing him to be hired for training camps, clinics, presentations, and consulting by teams and individuals. “I can work with anyone from NCAA teams to National Teams to local training groups” explains Newell,“Either by working directly with the athletes or consulting the coaches on new training ideas and approaches.” It’s a model that is new to the cross-country skiing world but one that Newell fully embraces.
“I love fitting into the role of athlete-coach. I’m still a competitive ski racer so when I come to a training camp I’m excited to train alongside the athletes for every session no matter what their ability level. You build a lot of respect and trust with one another doing that and it makes for some incredibly productive workouts.”
Andy Newell has already experienced this first hand working alongside the US Ski Team for several of their development camps this year including the NTG, REG, and NEG junior training camps. “It’s been really fun to connect with the elite juniors in the US this year, I really enjoy working with young motivated athletes. One of my goals with Nordic Team Solutions is to be more involved with the North American ski circuit after being secluded on the World Cup for so many years. I’ll be based domestically more this winter so working with everyone from masters groups to college teams is an opportunity for me to re-connect with the ski community. It’s all about sharing knowledge and working together to get better.”
Knowledgeable training material is a huge part of what Nordic Team Solutions offers on the new website with an online database of resources available to members. For a small monthly subscription members gain access to elite training articles and recommendations covering aerobic training, strength, technique, periodization, mental training, race preparation, nutrition, and team building all written specifically for cross-country skiing. Contributing partners on the site include Tad Elliot and sports physiologist Tom Cuddy.
“Our Member Resources section is perfect for individuals who train themselves or coaches who want some new ideas for their team. In fact, much of the material revolves around the team aspect of ski racing,” emphasizes Newell. Within the Member Resources Newell, Tad Elliot, and Tom Cuddy submit specific training explanations and recommendations relevant to the time of year including examples of training weeks, workouts, technique videos, strength plans, and more.
“If you are someone who writes your own training plan I think this a great option,” explains Newell. “ To me it doesn’t always make sense to pay someone hundreds of dollars a month to write a plan remotely for you. What we provide for a fraction of the cost are all the resources and knowledge to make your own plan to fit your schedule and racing needs. Instead of following blind advice we make it super easy to understand WHY you are doing certain types of training given the time of year and how to incorporate it into your routine. In a way it allows you to become a student of the sport too, and for me that’s what Nordic Team Solutions is all about.”
