2024 New England Team
U.S. Ski & Snowboard Junior Nationals Championships
Lake Placid, New York — March 9th – 17th, 2024
JN Athletes / Parents / Coaches,
Congratulations on being named to the 2024 New England Junior National Team. Thank you for your communication leading up to this point – to make the best experience for this Championships we kindly request you complete the following steps by February 27th.
- Please Check / Update your NENSA Profile HERE.
- The 2024 Trip Cost is $1985. Preferred payment method is to pay via credit card ($1985) HERE — if you would like to purchase a Team Jacket the price is $2110. Swix and NENSA partnered to make a unique 2024 suit which will be provided to all athletes. Please pay attention to sizing questions on the response form.
- Complete NE JN Team Acceptance Form
Questions: [email protected]
Trip Dates: Saturday March 9th – Sunday March 17th.
Logistics & Travel:
Team members are responsible for their own transportation to Mt Van Hoevenberg (drop off) by noon on the 9th and (pickup) from Ampersand Bay Resort anytime after awards the evening of the 16th. (Our reservation includes the night of 16th but no Team Breakfast on the 17th). Pick up on the 17th must be prior to 10am.
Four staff will be arriving with rental vehicles, two from Concord, NH and two from White River Junction. We will work to facilitate carpooling in those vehicles as needed. Again please provide this info in the response form.
New England Team Housing:
Ampersand Bay Resort
31 Bayside Drive
Saranac Lake, NY 12983
518.891.3001
Please bring cash (and/or credit card) for meals/snacks on travel days. NE Team hotel reservations and food service start with Dinner on 3/9. Athletes will arrive in their Age Group vehicles after dropping ski equipment at the venue and easy workout / inspection.
Our first team meeting will be Saturday evening. Leadership will then break into age groups, and course previews.
Venue Location: 31 Van Hoevenberg Way, Lake Placid, NY 12946
Event websites: Official Event Website.
Team naming will be after the races at Holderness on the 25th – we will take a Team Picture, have uniforms to see for sizing, and answer any other questions. Alternates will also be named at this point and those athletes/parents/coaches are encouraged to attend Team Naming.
Trip Health Information:
NENSA is committed to making this the safest trip – New England plans to bring a full team size of 42 athletes (plus autos) and 14 staff. During the event we will be traveling as a Team, lodging together in a unique Adirondack Cabins and Townhomes, eating, and training together. With that in mind, we want to share our Health mitigation plans with everyone.
Please note that all participants on the 2024 New England JN team (athletes and staff) are encouraged to be vaccinated. More importantly, we encourage best Health Practices, and conscientious outside interactions during the event, including wearing masks when appropriate. If you are not feeling healthy please inform your Age Group Coach so they can assist you.
If your child/athlete becomes too unhealthy during the trip we will quarantine the athlete and support them until travel arrangements can be made.
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New England JN Staff:
Trip Leader | Justin Beckwith | [email protected] | 802-345-6720 |
Head Coach | Matt Boobar | [email protected] | 570-594-7555 |
Trip Leader Intern | Olivia Ester | [email protected] | 617-429-3223 |
U16 Boys | Adam Terko | [email protected] | 802-355-6871 |
U16 Girls | Mia Shifrin | [email protected] | 207-357-1545 |
U18 Girls | Audrey Mangan | [email protected] | 585-519-3506 |
U18 Men | Evan Kendall | [email protected] | 207-650-4381 |
U20 Men | Andy Rightmire | [email protected] | 603-443-3598 |
U20 Women | Rob Rothe | [email protected] | 603-290-7017 |
Head of Cabin | Alex Jospe | [email protected] | 617-610-2387 |
Lead Kick | Anna Schulz | [email protected] | 802-760-0569 |
Lead Glide | Colin Rodgers | [email protected] | 802-398-5122 |
Kick | Avery Ellis | [email protected] | 802-309-9293 |
Glide | Chris City | [email protected] | 617-797-7820 |
Event Logistics:
All athletes are required to stay with the team throughout the entire competition. In case of emergency, call Justin, Trip Leader (802-345-6720) and/or Matt, Head Coach (570-594-7555).
Meals:
Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner will be served at Ampersand, bag lunches or event banquets. Special dietary requests will be accommodated and should be requested in your response.
From Head Coach Boobar:
Dear New England Beasts of the East,
Welcome to the 2024 New England cross country skiing national team. After a winter of crisscrossing New England and some even headed out to Utah the team is ready to rock and roll. As you plan to head over to Lake Placid let’s recognize a few things. As the defending Alaska Cup Champions and hosting in our Eastern division we have a big target on our backs. Is that pressure and expectation? Yes it is. Remember you are the strongest skiers in the strongest division in the nation, so yeah that is pressure. Embrace it and use it to thrive, motivate and focus. Be grateful for your fellow competitors. We need them to race and showcase all of our hard work. As you think about the race week, think how well you will employ grace under pressure. Trust your process, your team, your coaches and personal best finishes will be yours.
Despite the high expectations of being a New England skier we do head into the championships with a lot of advantages. We can drive there, the service team can easily bring everything including the kitchen sink, and we have raced at the world class venue at least once and many of the team several times. We race well in any and all conditions, Snow, sleet, rain, ice, powder slush, warm and cold. We see it all and love it. Our greatest strength of all is assembling the greatest skiers in New England along with the region’s top staff for the ultimate collaboration. This collaboration fuels our success above and beyond.
Arrive confident, rested and organized. Once on the trip be a great teammate, be proactive, and ready to rip. Come Monday March 11th 2024 everyone is super stoked to witness the release of the “Beast of the East.”
Transportation:
Transport for all athletes will be facilitated by club and rental vans driven by the above listed staff. Equipment will reside in New England’s two wax cabins and the NENSA trailer.
Coaching:
The coaches for your age group will work with you on all aspects of this competition week, including organization, strategy, and waxing.
The age group coaches will work with the head coach and team leader in a variety of different roles to meet the needs of the group.
A daily schedule will be shared electronically and posted to a white board/bulletin board at our hotel. Each nightly team meeting will focus on both general race preparation and specific information for the next upcoming event.
Tips on traveling and working with a large team:
Organization is based on age groups, please understand that with over sixty athletes and coaches on our team, being on time is very important! All athletes and coaches should have a watch in addition to a phone.
What to do in preparation for racing:
A well rested body is important leading up to a competition week. Work with your coach – and any personal learnings – to figure out the best balance of reduced volume and intensity to arrive at peak fitness. Increase the volume of fluids consumed. Increasing the amount of carbohydrates during competition week has been proven to assist in both recovery and energy levels. Also, very important – ski EASY on training days. With all of the energy and excitement of having friends and competitors around, it is easy to go too hard on your easy days. Have confidence in your level of fitness and YOUR plan and stick to it. Use the couple of days prior to racing to help you get comfortable with your new surroundings and the venue race trails.
Parents & Home Coaches:
Parents and home coaches are encouraged to spectate, to participate, and to support the team. Parents, who will be in Fairbanks and wish to help, contact Trip Leader Justin Beckwith – [email protected].
Packing & Living:
In the time between now and departure, be sure to get lots of rest, follow the plan you have set with your coach, and get all your homework assignments ahead of time so that you won’t be behind when you get home.
Dress Code:
Bring a nice shirt or sweater, pants or a skirt, and your team jacket for the awards. Proper dress at an awards ceremony displays team pride.
Free Time:
While we have a full race week, there will still be some down time. Be sure to bring homework, books and/or music to fill quiet free time. The age group coaches will be checking out some of the local sights and points of interest ahead of time, to share with you during your week in Fairbanks. There will also be study hall periods built into the schedule.
Packing List Suggestions:
Skis, Boots, Poles – In Lake Placid we could see any snow condition — but expect there to be some manmade in the mix. Think about what skis have run well there for you over the past seasons. To get the best from your Service Team try to limit the number of skis you travel with. Questions to Age Group coaches (above).
JN Team uniform Typically we are required to have matching tights and jackets for the whole team. This season we have a special home uniform provided to you by Swix — you can wear your club top during races — but we will look distinctive if folks wear the whole suit. Please either purchase or borrow a Swix Jacket so we are a team (jacket is the classic snowflake design) – if ordering new this year they will be shipped to Beckwith and handed out at MVH on 3/9.
Packing List:
Additional ski suit and warm-ups
Hats, gloves, buffs, eye wear, sunglasses
Sun block & lip balm
Polypro underwear
Extra race day layers – base layers, gloves, socks etc.: (You warm up, sweat, wait, cool down, then if you race with wet layers = not good).
Wool socks
Running shoes for morning warm-ups
Respectable clothes for awards (see above)
Warm winter coat, hat, gloves, and boots
Toilet kit
Some things to read
Homework
Drink Belt (water bottles)
A sharpie (for putting your name on your new uniform and belongings!)
Personal wax/tools for training days (see note in wax section below)
Money for food on travel days and any snacks or items you want to purchase during the week — we are minutes from large grocery stores and Saranac Lake.
Extras:
Ear Plugs: Will your roommate snore…?
Team Uniforms:
NE JN Team members are expected to wear at least NE tights in all races, and a team jacket to wear at all awards ceremonies. Athletes will receive Team Items: Swix Team Hat at Team Naming, and suit / racing gloves at MVH.
Skis:
- Skis should be clean and free of any kick wax or klister, with kick zones well marked, for both hard wax and klister zones (keep it simple!)
- Each pair of skis is identified (“classic hard wax” “classic klister” etc.) (grind tags are great)
- Tips of skis marked with your name for identification purposes.
If you have two pairs of race skis for classic and skate you should be fine for warmup and training. If you own zeroes, bring them!
Suggestion for preparing skis:
- Brush ski surface, then apply cold wax to harden the ski (Swix Marathon recommended), iron temperature 147. Always only make one continuous pass with the iron (no back and forth).
- Regardless of which preparation you choose, all skis should have the same final layer of glide wax to make ski-testing decisions easy and minimize work for the wax staff. Swix Marathon, PS6 or Toko BP Blue. Please mark which wax on the skis.
Personal Wax/Tools:
NENSA and the Service Staff cover ski service for the entire week. Athletes will be responsible for kick waxing their own skis on training days. We will have scrapers, irons, and wax remover for you there. Please put your name on all your ski and wax equipment.
NENSA CODE OF CONDUCT for Junior National Trip and REG Camps:
NENSA looks to maintain values of fairness and honor in all aspects of cross-country skiing. To these ends, NENSA expects licensed athletes, coaches, officials, and members of NENSA-sponsored teams to maintain high standards of honesty and sportsmanship by, among other things:
- Respecting the health and safety of other competitors.
- Respecting the rules of competitions.
- Respecting the role of race officials, volunteers, and spectators.
- Respecting the guidance of coaches and trip leaders on NENSA-sponsored teams and trips.
- Refraining from disruptive behavior while on a NENSA-sponsored team or trip, including, zero tolerance on underage drinking, use of illegal drugs, tobacco, vaping, rowdiness, or repeated non-cooperation.
- Abiding by the rules of NENSA sponsored trips (JN’s, REG camps, U16 camps) set forth for that trip, including team lights out time (bedtime), remaining in your own room, and not having visitors in your room after team lights out time.
- Zero tolerance on the use of banned substances in cross-country skiing, racing, and training (See USOC list of banned substances). Subject to the procedures below, serious violations of these standards of conduct can lead to sanctions including suspension or loss of competition license, and in turn may result in being barred from NENSA sanctioned events or suspension or dismissal from NENSA-sponsored teams. Inquiry into any potential violations and sanctions will be made by the NENSA Judicial Committee, in consultation, where appropriate, with coaches, and leaders of NENSA teams.
It is a privilege to be on the New England Junior National Team and we expect all athletes to behave as such. The coaches and wax techs are volunteers, many using their vacation time to be a part of this team with you all. We expect everyone to be kind teammates, and set a great example to the rest of the nation.
Disciplinary Procedures:
Applicable procedures depend on the type of sanctions in question. “Non-competition sanctions” encompass any form of discipline that does not preclude the person involved from participating in future competitions but may affect participation or placement in a competition or trip during which a sanctioned violation occurs.
Any violation of the above, but especially #5, #6 & #7 above will result in being immediately sent home from the team trip/camp, or potential loss of your spot on a future camp or trip.
Please update your personal on-line data on your NENSA membership profile, acknowledge waivers and pay by no later than Wednesday, February 22nd at 9pm.
- Log into your NENSA membership profile to complete / edit all required information including: 2024 NEW ENGLAND JN TEAM (roommate preferences, medical / allergies, insurance information), PARENT/ ATHLETE INFO ( emergency contacts).
- The 2024 Trip Cost is $1985. Preferred payment method is to pay via credit card ($1985) HERE — if you would like to purchase a Team Jacket the price is $2110.
- Complete NE JN Team Acceptance Form
Questions: [email protected]
*Registration for EISA skiers who may qualify for NCAAs and are waiting on the last races, or EISA skiers who may qualify via the EISA Junior Quota. Deadline for acceptance and paperwork for these college athletes (top 5 juniors on East NCAA list and those who may have an option to go to NCAA’s), is Tuesday February 27th, at 5pm with Payment due at that time. Those skiers should be in touch with Justin Beckwith immediately.