Welcome to our website – we are happy you are here! Please take some time to learn more about 3GNordic. We are an off-season training program for ambitious high school skiers – the only one in the Twin Cities designed exclusively for girls. Whether your goal is to make your school’s varsity team, to make all-conference, or to compete at the state level, we are excited about your goal and will do everything we can to help you achieve it.
Our Mission
3GNordic was founded with one purpose in mind: To help high school women bring their talent and confidence to a level that allows them to compete at the best of their ability.
Why Choose Us
Our coaching staff is passionate about helping each skier to bring out their best. Skiers can expect that every coach will know them by name, know their strengths, know their goals, and know how to bring their skiing to the next level. We are Minnesota’s only training program specific to high school women and have tailored our curriculum to best meet the needs of the aspiring female athlete. Our practices are designed to be fun and have a focus on team camaraderie, peer support, and self-confidence.
Why a Women’s Only Program?
The most frequent question we’ve received so far is, “Will you open your program for guys to enroll too?” While it is possible that we will launch a corresponding men’s program in the future, at this point we are choosing to remain a women’s only group. Why? For starters, we feel there is a great benefit to this. As a St. Kate’s graduate and social services employee, Allison understands better than most how much more comfortable and supportive an all-women’s learning environment can be and the great value that comes from that. Secondly, that’s where our experience lies. Alex has spent the last 5 years as a Women’s Coach, first at Minnetonka High School and more recently with 3G – through this experience he has become familiar with the sometimes different approaches needed when instructing women as opposed to men. Third, as a smaller program, having only one gender allows us to better create training groups amongst those of equal ability, resulting in a better training environment. At this point, Alex & Allison agree that the decision to remain a women’s program is the best fit for 3G.
What does 3G stand for?
3G, while chosen partly because I (Alex here) like the way it rolls off the tongue, is my chance to brag about my background and why I am excited for this program. 3G is short for 3rd Generation. The first generation is my grandmother, Judy Rykken, who helped introduce skiing to our family many years ago. Grandma (dad’s mom) served as a high school coach for years, first at Edina and then at Lakeville (yes, there was only one Lakeville back then) before moving on to coach the University of Minnesota through the late ’80s. During Grandma’s time at the U, they won 4 consecutive national championships – cool! My mother and father actually first met when my mom was being coached by my grandma! That brings us to 2G, my mother. My mother just finished her 13th season as Head Coach for the Minnehaha Academy Nordic Ski team (congrats to her team on a 3rd in state finish last year!) and taught me her enthusiasm for the sport. Before her time at Minnehaha, Mom was a co-founder of the Minnesota Youth Ski League and grew the organization as its Executive Director for almost 20 years! The MYSL is now America’s largest youth cross-country ski organization and recently earned mom the MN Nordic Ski Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award. What will happen with 3G? I don’t know yet but there sure is a lot to live up to! Skiing runs through my family tree and I’m excited for a chance to pass it on.
Check out this video to see last summer’s group training and having fun!
Thanks for your interest! With any further questions, please contact us for more information.