We are excited to kick off our 2022 NENSA Award announcements with the Bill Koch League Leadership award!
The Bill Koch Youth Ski League is sustained by a large group of adults who give their time and energy to the sport that they love and every year the Bill Koch League Leadership Award honors one of these coaches, parent/caregivers, club leaders, volunteers, or officials from our ski community who embodies fun, community, and a lifelong love of skiing. This year we are thrilled to give this award to Rosemary Shea-Cobb of Westford, VT and the Mansfield Nordic Club (MNC).
Rosemary has been in the ski world for many years as a competitor and leader within the Northwest VT BKL District and the Catamount Trail Association. She is currently the head coach of MNC’s youth programming, a position she has held since 2015. In 2021, Rosemary spearheaded the collaborative charge to host Northwest Vermont’s BKL Mini-Fest in a challenging year when the regional Festival wasn’t able to take place due to the pandemic. On top of being a coach and program leader for MNC, Rosemary serves as NENSA’s BKL District Co-Chair for Northwest Vermont (NWVT), a volunteer position that has her serving on a committee with NENSA staff and other Chairs from around New England and New York. Rosemary brings incredible drive, energy, perspective, and experience to her duties and is always focused on keeping the spirit of fun alive within the Bill Koch League Youth Ski League.
MNC Junior Head Coach, Adam Terko, shared, “Rosemary’s dedication to planning and organization is what kept our BKL programs running as smoothly as possible prior to the pandemic, during the toughest parts of it, and beyond. She’s able to apply that to NWVT in terms of developing engaging programming and events throughout the season. We’ve got a large group of skiers and coaches to manage, and Rosemary is able to bring the right kind of fun atmosphere to every session whether it’s a long ski day, a mock Olympic event, or lots of props and homemade snacks to add to the excitement!”
Rosemary’s NWVT Co-Chair, Britta Purrung, says, “Rosemary’s enthusiasm and love for coaching young people is contagious. Her skiers embody the dedication, drive and just plain fun that she fosters in her club. She is super organized and knows EVERYTHING about hosting BKL races and is happy to share her knowledge. We are so very lucky to have her!”
NENSA’s Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith, expressed, “Over the past several winters I’ve had the pleasure to work with Rosemary in NENSA and NWVT BKL capacities. She undeniably loves sharing this sport which gives her so much joy. She also has incredible networking skills that guarantee top notch events, often drawing in local legends to serve in key roles. The New England community is certainly lucky to have Rosemary!”
NENSA is incredibly grateful to work with Rosemary in our ski community and thrilled to honor her years of hard work and dedication with the 2022 BKL Leadership award. Congratulations Rosemary!
