Young athletes who want to experience the thrill of luge and train under the guidance of U.S. Olympic and national team coaches and athletes can do so when the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search rolls into Portland on Sept. 20-21.

The clinics will be held on both days from 9 a.m. to noon and from 2 to 5 p.m. on the eastbound lanes of Spring Street, near Center Street, in downtown Portland, opposite the Cumberland County Civic Center.

Each three-hour clinic is designed for boys and girls, ages 11-14. USA Luge national team coaches and athletes use a traveling ramp and wheel-equipped sleds to teach youngsters the basics of riding a luge sled including proper positioning, steering, and stopping.

Each clinic concludes with young athletes testing their physical skills through a battery of fitness tests. Those who show the most promise at the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search clinics will be invited to train on ice next winter. They will also be considered to the 2008-09 USA Luge development team.

The entry fee for the Verizon-USA Luge Slider Search is $15 per child (includes a souvenir T-shirt). For more information or to register a youngster, log on to www.usaluge.org or call 1-800-872-5843.