We will be announcing our 2020 NENSA Award Recipients over the next month and are kicking things off with the BKL Leadership award. Read on and stay tuned!

The Bill Koch League Leadership Award is given out every year to someone from our ski community who we feel embodies the fun, community minded, lifelong approach to skiing. This could be a coach, a parent, a club leader, a volunteer, or an official; the New England Bill Koch League is sustained by a large group of adults who give their time and energy to the sport that they love. This year we are thrilled to be giving the award to Kate Parrott of Chesterfield, MA and the Berkshire Trails BKL Club.

If you’ve been to a New England Bill Koch League Festival in the past few years, chances are you’ve seen Kate in the vicinity of the start corral. Whether helping skiers to get lined up in the correct order, or leading those skiers in a group dance or jumping jacks routine to keep them warm before their start – her calm and commanding presence helps skiers feel at ease in what could be an otherwise stressful situation, and has been a welcome addition to the stadium area.

On top of being a coach and Club Leader for Berkshire Trails, Kate serves as NENSA’s BKL District Chair for Western Massachusetts, a volunteer position that has her serving on a committee with NENSA staff and other chairs from around New England. The committee acts as a sounding board for NENSA’s decisions on BKL philosophy, a decider for the festival location, and a direct link to the coaches within the different districts and clubs. Kate’s voice on the committee is always thoughtful and focused on keeping the spirit of fun alive within the New England Bill Koch League.

When she’s not serving on the BKL committee, coaching, or parenting (Kate’s daughter Sophie will be an 8th Grader this year, and skis for the Berkshire Trails BKL Club), Kate is a middle school science teacher in the Northampton, MA school district. She also runs a farm specializing in sustainably healthy products, with the intent to provide a platform to share agricultural experiences and demystify food production.

We feel lucky to have Kate in our New England Bill Koch League community – congratulations Kate on the 2020 New England Bill Koch League Leadership Award!