Justin Beckwith

2018 NENSA Fall Symposium at the Dublin School – Sept. 22-23

Justin Beckwith · September 4, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Join NENSA, guest coaches and speakers, including US Ski Team Staff, Bryan Fish and Matt Whitcomb for a full weekend of cross country ski education and information sharing at the Dublin School in Dublin, New Hampshire. Registration and detailed notes on the event can be found by clicking here.

We have built upon our traditional offerings from past Coaches Symposiums to create engaging programming for all of our adult members. In addition to offering US Ski and Snowboard Educational programs (L100 clinic and L200 coursework) we have tailored our technique clinic to our broader masters community and added an evening of guest speakers.

The technique clinic on Saturday afternoon from 2:00-5:00pm will feature four instructors including Matt Whitcomb (USST), Justin Beckwith (NENSA), Rob Bradlee (CSU) and Kathy Maddock (Dublin XC). Attendees will be led through dryland progressions and rollerski drills for both classic and skate. Learn to find a dynamic body position and challenge yourself to improve or update your technique. Whether you aspire to inspire the next generation of World Cup skiers or you just want to improve your placement in the Zak or Marathon Series – this clinic is for YOU!! And if that wasn’t enough come see what the “rollerski bicycle” is all about – learn to be a better skier through “skill based” or “games approach” activities.

Bryan Fish, 2018 US Ski and Snowboard “International Coach of the Year,” and recently promoted, Cross Country Sport Development Manager, will lead the in depth Level 200 curriculum throughout the weekend. The course is presented as chapters covering a broad range of topics from psychology to equipment. Discussion, group work, and a challenging “open book” exam make this a fantastic opportunity to build your coaching skills.

On Saturday evening we have created a social setting that begins with a Q and A with our Eastern TD Regional Coordinator, Jim Rodrigues. Participants should send potential questions or topics of discussion to justin@nensa.net and be prepared to be rewarded with fun schwag for correct answers! We will then have a dinner and beverages hosted by Dublin before an exciting evening of presentations. Matt Whitcomb, the USST Women’s Coach who was integral in building the Team Culture that for now has culminated with an Olympic Gold, will present for one hour on, “Coaches Philosophy and Building a Team.” He will be followed by Adam Terko of Mansfield Nordic, who will share his experiences and offer insight into “Club Development.” Our own Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith, will wrap up the evening speaking to his experiences leading World Junior and Junior National wax staffs, and “Playing Defense in the Wax Room.”

Whether you are looking to advance your coaching credentials or just want to have a great outing with your XC buddies getting inspired for the winter — you don’t want to miss this weekend. NENSA will have a table set up to purchase T-shirts from our ongoing Rollerski Programs and we will have several raffles throughout the weekend to celebrate our skiers and generous sponsors.

Details about lodging and specific program offerings on SkiReg.

Please direct additional questions to justin@nensa.net

Directions: Dublin, NH.

*Dublin is the host to of the seventh and eighth (of nine) Eastern Cups this season — use this weekend as an added opportunity to get a sneak peak at the courses. Kathy Maddock will take runners on a tour and give them a sneak peak of the proposed EC courses 7:30am on Sunday morning.

Four Eastern Skiers Named to National Elite Group

Justin Beckwith · August 31, 2018 · Leave a Comment

Four New England Club raised skiers have been selected to join the National Elite Group (NEG) due to strong performances at the Regional Elite Group camp this summer and their National Rankings. Adam Glueck (Ford Sayre/Dartmouth College), Elliot Ketchel (GMVS/Bowdoin College), Gabby Vandendries (CSU/Bowdoin College) and Rena Schwartz (Craftsbury/GMVS/Dartmouth College) have been nominated for this honor and invited to participate in NEG camp, held in conjunction with the U.S. Ski Team camp in Park City, UT in October. All four skiers have risen through the ranks of their junior programs, to race together at Junior Nationals, and now matriculated to Eastern Colleges.

The NEG Camp is designed to bring together the best U20 athletes from throughout the nation for the opportunity to train with one another as well as the U.S. Ski Team. There will also be elite clubs and National Training Group (NTG) athletes at the camp. It is the largest U.S. Cross Country elite training camp each year. This year the camp runs from Sunday, Oct 7th through Sunday, Oct 14th. Andy Newell and Bryan Fish will be the coaches for this camp.

NENSA is proud to send these amazing athletes and fine young adults to represent our region at the highest level national development project of the US Ski Team. Look here to see some of the results that qualified these athletes for this program.

2018 NENSA Club of the Year – Stratton Mountain School

Justin Beckwith · July 26, 2018 · Leave a Comment

SMS athletes accepting the 2018 Club of the Year award at Eastern Regional Camp in Lake Placid, NY

NENSA is pleased to announce Stratton Mountain School as the 2018 Club of the Year. 2018 was a defining year for cross-country skiing in the United States – and there is only one eastern club that can claim an Olympic Gold medal. While Jessie Diggin’s win in South Korea was the most visible success – the Stratton Mountain School has consistently been a leader in New England and beyond with skiers thriving at all levels of competition.

Stratton has flourished under Sverre Caldwell’s guidance for 38 years, with programming that spans from Bill Koch through the professional SMS T2 racing team. Many Stratton skiers are local kids who start gliding on snow in the West River Bill Koch League – however the program attracts athletes from throughout the US and abroad. Stratton skiers become immersed in a culture of success, many before they know what competition is, by following the lead of coaches and peers – many of whom are National and International Champions.

One telling statistic of Stratton’s success is boasting 23 consecutive years of winning at least one gold medal at Junior National Championships and qualifying at least one athletes for the Junior World Championships team. Stratton skiers and coaches are a staple of our New England Junior National and US World Junior Trips.

During the 2018 season Stratton skiers won six National titles and 12 individual World Cup events. During the FIS Junior World Championships, Ben Ogden was a member of the historic silver medal relay team in Goms, Switzerland and his sister (and Stratton alum) Katharine, won both races at NCAA Championships. Stratton skiers are found at all levels of racing within New England, spanning local Bill Koch club races, Zak Cups, Eastern Cups and low key events like the Cochran’s Skier Cross.

Andrew Newell, four-time Olympian describes his relationship with his home club: “I’m a proud member of the Stratton club so I’m always rooting for other Stratton athletes from wherever I am on the World Cup. To me that really signifies what the ski club model is all about. I came up through the SMS junior camps, attended SMS, raced for the SMS elite team, and will always consider SMS my club no matter what capacity I am racing. Stratton has done a great job welcoming to new skiers of all ages and abilities and because it’s so fun to be a part of a community like Stratton old guys like me enjoy sticking around, I know I’m always welcome at SMS training.”

Congratulations to Stratton athletes and coaches past and present – keep up the good work!

Nathan Alsobrook – 2018 NENSA Coach of the Year

Justin Beckwith · July 18, 2018 · 1 Comment

NENSA is pleased to announce Nathan Alsobrook of Bowdoin College as the 2018 Coach of the Year.

Last winter Alsobrook led the Bowdoin Polar Bears to one of their most successful Carnival seasons – where every weekend either the male or female team placed in the top-six. On individual Carnival days the women’s team placed fourth, four times and the men’s team pulled down two fifth place finishes. These excellent results qualified three freshman skiers, Gabrielle Vandendries, Renae Anderson and Elliot Ketchel, for NCAA’s in Steamboat Springs, Colorado – a historical benchmark for the Polar Bears.

Over the past years, Nathan has been active in NENSA Programming, including serving as a coach at Eastern Regional Camps, chairing the Coaches Education Committee and running L100 Technique clinics for the state of Maine. Through his dedication to these programs he has made the Bowdoin Nordic Team a visible and attractive institution for skiers to continue their careers. The Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) is a valuable pathway for athletic and personal development and we applaud the excellent job Nathan has done to support his skiers, and it will be exciting to watch the Polar Bears continue to succeed in the coming years.

Christian Gostout ’20, from Rochester, Minnesota describes Alsobrook as someone who, “offers his thoughtful attention and advice equally to every single skier on the team, coaching everyone in the unique way that works best for them. I think this is what allows the team to focus on and achieve both individual goals and team goals, regardless of what level any skier is at. Whether you’re trying to balance college racing with qualifying for JNs, ski All American at NCAAs, or just have well executed carnival races, Nathan will share his enthusiasm for every ambition his athletes have within and beyond the sport.”

Elliot Ketchel ’21, from Warren, Vermont describes Alsobrook as a well rounded leader, “Nathan is much more than a coach to all his athletes, he is an amazing mentor and friend. He cares about everything every one of us does in skiing and outside of it, and he is fully supportive of our pursuits, whether they are athletic, academic, or something else.” Ketchel was awarded the Bowdoin Outstanding First-Year Male Athlete award this spring.

It is an exciting time for Bowdoin Skiing with the hiring of two-time Olympian (’80 & ’88) Leslie Krichko as assistant coach, and during the winter of 2019 the Polar Bears will be debuting their new wax trailer. You can stay up to date with the team at www.bowdoinnordic.blogspot.com.

Congratulations Nathan Alsobrook on your hard work and fantastic accomplishments!

2018 Gallagher Cup and Eastern Cup Champions

Justin Beckwith · June 4, 2018 · Leave a Comment

In 2014 NENSA began the tradition of honoring the top ranked male and female Eastern Cup skiers with the Gallagher Cup. NENSA is honored to announce that Rena Schwartz (GMVS) and James Kitch (CSU) are the 2018 Eastern Cup Champions – their inspired efforts are a perfect way to celebrate Mike Gallagher’s legacy as an athlete, coach, and community leader. The two skiers who win this award each year do so by being consistently dominant in New England’s premier race series (winners are determined by averaging points from 7 of 8 EC events).

Schwartz receiving a feed from coach Colin Rodgers during Super Tour Finals at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center.

Rena Schwartz skied for the Green Mountain Valley School, raced in seven Eastern Cup races, with one victory and three podiums, and ended the year atop the New England Junior National Ranking List. She competed at Junior Nationals with a top finish of 4^th place in the 10km freestyle event. Schwartz also competed at US Cross Country Championships and Super Tour Finals ending the year the 51^st ranked female skier in the country.

Coach, Colin Rodgers, describes Schwartz as a leader, “Rena is an impressive role model for all of the student/athletes on the team, and her drive for success motivates those around her. Not only does she have extraordinary competitive results, but Rena is a pleasure to spend time with, exuberating kindness, honesty, and dependability. If you ask anything of Rena, you can expect it to be done with focus and attention to detail.” Outside of skiing, Schwartz was the Vermont cross-country running champion and a Gatorade Runner of the year, where she won a $10,000 spotlight award to donate to her club of choice (Craftsbury Outdoor Center).

Kitch with Coach Rob Bradlee at the finish of a Eastern Cup race at the Rikert Nordic Center this season.

James Kitch, from the Cambridge Sports Union, competed in all eight Eastern Cup races, where he was consistently in the top-10, and finished 5^th on the year-end New England Junior National Ranking List. Kitch saved his best game for the 2018 Junior National Championships in Soldier Hollow, Utah where he had two top-ten distance finishes, scrambled for the winning U18 relay team, and won his first National Championship in the freestyle sprint. At the conclusion of the 2018 season he is the 82^nd ranked male skier in the country.

CSU coach, Rob Bradlee, describes James as someone, “who correctly assumes that everyone would like to be his friend and so treats everyone regardless of age or status with equal respect and affection. He has been a leader in CSU and on Team New England in creating a positive team vibe. He pushes himself hard to be his very best and competes not to beat others but to explore how fast he can be. I think he became a national champion because that attitude kept his mind open to possibilities and he could see opportunity when it presented itself.”

We congratulate these skiers and thank them for reminding us of Mike Gallagher’s competitive spirit. Mike was a three-time Olympic cross-country skier and the Head Coach of the US Ski Team from 1980-86. You can read more about Gallagher here on fasterskier.com