Ishpeming ski club hires a new coach

ISHPEMING - Officials of the Ishpeming Ski Club have announced the hiring of a new coach for their junior program.

Oleg Glyvka, 42, comes to Ishpeming from the Norge Ski Club in Fox River Grove, Ill.

Glyvka learned to jump in his home country of Ukraine, where he learned the sport as a youth.

He developed a passion for ski jumping, along with his two brothers Andre and Vladimir.

In 1992, Glyvka graduated with a bachelor of science in ski jumping.

He coached at the university level throughout the 1990, working his way to the World Cup coaching ranks.

Vladimir, meanwhile, had become quite a successful jumper on the Ukrainian national team, going to Nagano, Japan, in 1998 and the Salt Lake City Olympic games in 2002 with Oleg as his coach.

After the 2002 Olympics, Oleg made the decision to stay in the United States and started coaching for the Norge Ski Club junior program near Chicago.

With his experience, he coached several junior jumpers to regional and national success.

Coming to Ishpeming, Glyvka has the same goals.

"I want to bring jumpers first to the central (USSA) level, then national and ultimately Olympic."

He said if taught the correct fundamentals from the start, youths will quickly learn the feel and control it takes to ski jump.

"The ages 5-7 is a good time to start," he said, "by building muscle memory early, they gain a better understanding of the sport."

The Suicide Bowl Ski Area in Ishpeming/Negaunee will be the site of the Ishpeming Ski Club 2009 Junior Ski Jump Tournament on Sunday.

Competition begins at 12:30 p.m. There will be four competitions, using the K10, K20, K40 and K60-meter jumps.

This will be a United States Ski Association Central Division event, with junior jumpers from across the Midwest competing.

Practice will be held from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. today and from 9-11 a.m. Sunday.

Competition will start at 12:30 p.m. on the K10 meter hill and progressing to the K60 meter as each event concludes.

Admission is free.

For more information contact Tom Petersen at (906) 485-4522, or Bob Hendrickson at (906) 631-8226.