NENSA, and the entire national TD community is thrilled this award has been bestowed upon Jim, we only wish he could have been here to receive it – he would have been very honored. It it a double whammy that with the pandemic, US Ski & Snowboard Congress was virtual, so the annual dinner and gala where these awards are given out was cancelled too…another lost opportunity to honor Jim, even posthumously, with his life work. I want to share this letter with you all today, with some of the thoughts from his friends and colleagues, sent into U.S. Ski & Snowboard, for Jim’s nomination this year.

A letter from Tiger Shaw, U.S. Ski & Snowboard:
May 15, 2020

I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate Jim Rodrigues on having been selected to receive the 2020 Al Merrill Nordic Award, which is presented to the individual or group involved with any aspect of nordic skiing (cross country, nordic combined or ski jumping), who demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment, leadership, and devotion to excellence.
Each nordic sport committee submits a nominee with the final selection being made by the sport committee chairs. The committees were unanimous in recognizing Jim’s lifetime efforts.

The following was provided for the nomination:
“Jim was a current FIS TD for U.S. Ski & Snowboard, and has been for many years – working with colleges across the US, Canada and South America, on both cross country skiing and rollerski competitions.”
“Jim was planning to retire from his work as a TD and Chief of Competition, and mentor to all, this spring, when he died unexpectedly. But he still made some very major contributions to our Nordic ski community this past season, and even more importantly, in his lifetime.”
“His continued commitment to the annual NENSA TD & Event Organizer training, held the weekend of September 22 & 23. Jim’s presentations and perspective on all matters of TD’ing – as a mentor to our newer group of TD’s in training, and as a colleague to his TD friends, was always inspiring and appreciated.”
“Chief of Comp/Chief of Course for both the first ever Harvard Carnival (January), and for the NENSA Dublin Double Eastern Cup Races (February). A mentor to the Dublin School helping them improve and expand their trail system and start snowmaking there (this past year)”
“Chief of Stadium for the NENSA New England Bill Koch Festival held at Great Glen 2/29 & 3/1 – Jim was there with his dear friend Mouse (Dan Warner – TD for the event) helping him in any matters that needed to be done that weekend. We have no official Chief of Comp or Chief of Race for that Festival, but Jim was there all weekend doing whatever needed to be done, setting up the entire stadium, and helping with all the races.”
“Jim was packing his bags, on his way to be the TD in Lake Placid for a collegiate competition, when he died very unexpectedly.”
“Jim’s passing leaves a huge hole in both our New England Nordic Ski community, as well as with friends and colleagues from across the country, and beyond. We lost a great friend and colleague. Jim was a dear friend to so many. He worked for NENSA for many years as an Event Organizer, as well as a U.S. Ski & Snowboard FIS Technical Delegate official, Chief of Competition, trail designer, coach, mentor and friend to so many of us.”

I am so sorry for this loss.
Sincerely,
Tiger Shaw President & CEO

Most of you started your 2021 training season this week – some might be testing, others getting back on rollerskis or enjoying time on the bike.  Despite not being able to gather in groups your resourcefulness and focus are inspiring to us!  And we thank all of you for participating in our Virtual Programming – whether it was the Video Challenge or our ongoing #25KinMAY.  It’s clear to me whatever the next weeks, months and even years look like we will get through it together!

**Next Wednesday evening we are psyched to announce our second live conversation with Andy Newell and Will Koch**

Speaking of Video Challenge – we received over 20 entries from across New England – with clubs and individuals coming together to share the spirit of their team culture, training and lifestyle.  It was hard to pick a winner but,  David & Mathew Northcott from Putney XC impressed both the NENSA judges and our social media followers by combining rock n’ roll, skillful skiing and a HUGE fun factor!  We look forward to hosting a Rollerski Event in Putney of David and Matthew’s choice, when we can all get back together!  Hats off to Declan Rogers and to Dublin XC ski club who were named our two Runners Up!  You can find all the videos here.

This month we are well into #25KinMay Rollerski Challenge with close to 100 participants so far — from Alaska to Michigan, North Carolina to Ontario, and even Taiwan!  The premiss is simple: challenge yourself to get out and ski 25 kilometers (or more) in May!  The goal of the event is to provide excitement to our broader cross country skiing community and continue the momentum of NENSA’s Rollerski Programming despite our current travel and social distancing restrictions.  For event specifics read here.  We’re getting close to skiing 500km together already!  We’ve added a fourth category: Rockstar, Speedy Repeater, On My Own and #KeepUpWithBeckwith – whether you want to ski 25 or 200 km there’s something for you and each category will be eligible for raffle prizes from Swix, Enjoy Winter and Salomon.

In June our Virtual Programming will turn towards community wide testing – with some historic tests including a 3000m run, a SkiErg and rollerski test and a strength component.  There will be categories for junior athletes, recreational skiers and prizes will be awarded to clubs.  Stay tuned as we roll out that program.

July we will be focussing on a “World SuperSprint Virtual Championships.”

As you continue to plan your training and adventures stay up to date with our developing programs on our Virtual Resources tab.

Be in touch and have a great weekend!

Justin Beckwith

https://conta.cc/2W8Oozb

Local Clubs Unite in First Virtual Challenge

As April is drawing to a close and the start of the new training year is just around the corner we are inspired by the resiliency of our community. Coaches and athletes from around the region are taking this time to put extra energy into reflections on the past season and goal setting for the next. Teams are gathering virtually to train, conduct meetings and share laughs. NENSA like you is adapting to these times and we intend to be a hub for clubs to share information, events (in whatever form they may be over the next months), and a resource for the cross country ski community.  Stay up to date on our evolving COVID Resources page.

Monday we will be announcing an interactive conversation with a panel of top New England athletes that will be hosted next week via NENSA youtube.

Mansfield Nordic Club is hosting the first Virtual Challenge event on our calendar coming up next weekend. Read more about how to participate here: Mansfield Nordic – Quarantine Uphill Challenge 

U.S. Ski & Snowboard is offering both a Club Excellence Conference and an Athlete Development Symposium May 4, 5 and 7 in conjunction with annual Congress. This is a neat opportunity to see the US Ski Team share information typically only available by traveling to Park City.

We are optimistically planning for next winter’s competition season with awesome race bids coming in from our Event Organizers. NENSA committees are continuing to meet and critique our programs.

Stay tuned as we continue to share and develop programming: including an opportunity for the region to participate in standardized testing coming in June, ongoing challenge events and content from athletes, coaches and sponsors from throughout the region.

We continue to share awesome Video Challenges through the end of the month – with the winner earning a custom rollerski event for their club once we are able to see each other safely again. If you’ve been missing out check out our Intsagram feed.

Enjoy your weekend!

Venues and Event Organizers:

Bidding for our growing Popular Race Series is open for the 2019-2020 season.  We have extended the window for submitting bids until June 1st this year to give organizations time to adapt to our current health crisis.  We encourage venues and organizers to bid with the assumption that we will be able to host events as normal next winter although all events on our calendar could be subject to future stipulations for the safety of our community.  NENSA will constantly re-evaluate the viability of our event calendar and keep our membership up to date with any decisions.

Last winter our Popular Races showed strong growth with nearly 3000 racer finishes, with an average of 100 skiers per event.  We applaud the efforts of our venues and event organizers this past winter despite a slow start to winter and an abrupt end to the season.  Damien Bolduc, the Chair of the Masters Committee had this positive report, “The series saw remarkable growth in racers and points awarded.  The effect was incredible for the health of the sport as venues began competing with each other to attract athletes to their events, making improvements and doing what it took to host an event, even in challenging circumstances that in the past have been a reason to cancel.  They snow-farmed, groomed, modified, and in some cases, were blessed, making for one weekend after another of bluebird conditions!”

Although the window for bidding has been lengthened to June 1st we encourage you to submit early and reach out to NENSA with any questions.  The Masters Committee will be meeting during this coming weekend (April 18th) and be constantly reviewing bids as we try to determine the best possible schedule for 2020-2021.  We hope you will consider hosting one of these great race events for the New England Nordic Community!

Link to detailed Popular Race information. (Zak/Club and Marathon)

Direct link to Popular Race Bid Sheet.

Detailed information for Event Organizers including anticipated dates for major events.

Please note Eastern Cup and SuperTour bidding is open and closes on May 1st.  Eastern Cup events will be determined during the NENSA Board Meeting by the Athletic Development Committee the weekend of May 2nd and 3rd.

Direct link to Eastern Cup Bid Sheet

For those intending to host an Eastern Cup or Major Championship NENSA requires sending a representative to attend the TD / Event Organizer Clinic, typically held during September or the first weekend of December.  All other race organizers are encouraged and welcome to attend.  We will be make this date public in the coming weeks.

For Eastern Cup, Zak/Club and Marathon questions: [email protected]

Thanks for making your bids early and we look forward to planning next years events with you!

The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) seeks to find a dynamic, outgoing individual to be our next full time Youth & Introductory Program Director. This individual will be responsible for NENSA’s Youth programming, including the New England Bill Koch League and Festival, the Nordic Rocks for Schools program, Bill Koch League coach and parent trainings, U16 and Eastern High School Championship events, the New England Women’s XC Ski Day, and summer programming. This person should be familiar with NENSA and the New England Nordic ski scene. If interested, please read more below:

Youth & Introductory Program Director:
This position will directly manage NENSA’s Bill Koch League and Nordic Rocks programs and position NENSA as a central resource for the New England youth skiing community. The ideal candidate will bring a high level of collaborative energy to work with the Competitive Program Director to promote and have a presence for all ages at selected Popular races, with State team leaders to put on U16 and EHS Championships, and with the BKL District Chairs to put on the BKL Festival. Applicants should be incredibly self-motivated and able to work independently from home. This role requires strong, inspired leadership with a synergetic spirit to galvanize and work with our Nordic community. This position will work closely with many community stakeholders including venues, event organizers, clubs and the NENSA staff team. Lively and instructive engagement with potential and existing NENSA sponsors and contributors is another job requirement. The Youth & Introductory Program Director is an empowered position, requiring energy, vision, attention to detail, and the ability to multitask, in advancing NENSA’s youth and introductory programs.

Duties include but are not limited to:
Establish NENSA as the go-to resource for youth skiing information, events, and resources for the northeast region.
Providing leadership, education, instruction and guidance to District Chairs, coaches, club leaders, event organizers, parents, and athletes.
Work closely with the BKL Committee and Juniors Committee to facilitate communication in support of and between the youth ski clubs of the region and the broader community, and the State Team Leaders and coaches involved with U16’s ane EHS.
Support a wide base of parent-volunteers and club leaders focused on building an inclusive community through club visits, workshops, and parent trainings.
Manage all of NENSA’s youth programs, including the annual Bill Koch League, the New England Bill Koch Festival, and the Nordic Rocks for schools’ program.
Oversight and coordination of all aspects of New England Women’s XC Ski Day, U16 Eastern Championships, and Eastern High School Championships.
Collaborate with NENSA Competitive Program Director on Coach Education initiatives.
Work alongside and with the Competitive Program Director to fulfill and advance all NENSA summer programming including rollerski races, clinics, coaches education and camps.
Manage community communications via email, social media, and via regular newsletter as well as maintaining the youth program sections of the NENSA.net website.
Collaborate on additional community building programs, events, and projects, as part of the NENSA staff team.

Additional Key Priorities, including, but are not limited to, the following:
Work closely with NENSA staff and Board of Directors.
Maintain program-specific content on NENSA website.
Engage NENSA’s Bill Koch League, Women’s Day and Juniors Committees.
Obtain or have a US Ski & Snowboard Coach Certification of L100 or higher (which includes SafeSport certification and background checks) by start date.
Obtain Technical Delegate Certification  (this fall with NENSA).
Track and share relevant news and updates via NENSA.net and social media.
Assist NENSA Executive Director with writing grant applications pertaining directly to youth programming.
Other duties as assigned as being part of the NENSA staff team.

Qualifications:
Bachelor’s Degree.
Familiarity with the New England cross country skiing community.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.
Ability to lift and carry 50 lbs.
Comfortable working on a computer, including proficiency with Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Google Docs, WordPress, and NEON (will train).
Savvy social media user with demonstrated ability to effectively use Facebook and Instagram to help tell the NENSA story.
Demonstrated ability to work in a fast paced multidisciplinary team environment.
Must be eligible to work in the USA.
Must have a valid driver’s license and vehicle.
Passion for the sport of cross country skiing and the ideals of the NENSA mission.

Conditions:
This is a remote position that requires the ability to work and communicate regularly and effectively from a remote home office.
Frequent and extensive regional travel in and around New England.
Work will often be done outdoors, in varying and winter weather conditions.
Must be able to work weekends aligning with NENSA programming.

The Youth & Introductory Program Director is a full time salaried position. Salary for this full time position is $37k – $45k commensurate with experience. Benefits include paid vacation, a Health Care Stipend contribution, a matching IRA fund, and travel expenses. This position reports to the Executive Director. Start date is negotiable, but we seek to fill this role as soon as possible. Interested candidates should send a letter of interest, resume, and three references by no later than May 1st, 2020 to Amie W. Smith, Executive Director via email at [email protected]

NENSA is proud to continue celebrating the athletic accomplishments of this winter by introducing the 2020 Elite and Development Team nominations and give you some updates looking into the future.  While we don’t know our exact calendars for the next few months we do know that our skiers are healthy and will be resilient to whatever challenges they face.  We will best navigate this important moment by staying calm and optimistic.

Read on for the: 1) 2020 Elite and Development Team Nominations, 2) insight from U.S. Ski & Snowboard (including Regional (REG) Camp / U16 National Camp updates and selections), and 3) an outlook on how we are approaching NENSA rollerski programming.

1. The criteria set forth to name the NENSA Elite and Development Team represent a pathway to regional, national and international success.  The number of athletes named to these teams each year demonstrates the depth of the Eastern region in cross country skiing.  Athletes named to these teams are invited to regional training camps and races, and part of a broader team that continues to excel at all levels.  Further Elite Team / Development Team information.

2020 Elite and Development Team Nominations

ELITE TEAM	20 men	DEVO TEAM	26 men
Top 15		SR (4-8)
Kyle Bratrud		Ian Moore	EISA
Benjamin Lustgarten		Raleigh Goessling
Simeon Hamilton		Carter Hall
Adam Martin		U23 (4-8)
Ian Torchia		Elliot Ketchel	EISA
Ben Ogden	EISA / JWC	Finn O’Connell	EISA
Karl Schulz	EISA / Mid – A	Daniel Streinz
SR (top 3)		Christian Gostout	EISA
Akeo Maifeld-Carucci		Adam Glueck	EISA
Benjamin Saxton		U20 (4-8)
Braden Becker		Peter Moore
U23 (top 3)		Anders Sonnesyn
Peter Wolter	EISA	Griffin Wright
Zane Fields	U23WC	Sam Hodges
Bill Harmeyer	EISA	Josh Valentine
U20 (top 3)		U18 (4-8)
Scott Schulz	EISA / Mid-A	Aidan Burt
Isaac Freitas-Eagan	EISA	Mathias Boudreau-Golfman
James Kitch		Jack Christner
Gregory Burt	EISA	Linden Niedeck
U18 (top 3)		Jack Young
Will Koch	U18	U16
Brian Bushey	U18	Trey Jones
Finn Sweet		Jack Lange
		Fin Bailey
		Nate Livingood
		Tzevi Schwartz
		Clint Macy
		Cormac Leahy
		Caden Cote
7 REG		18 REG	25 REG

ELITE TEAM	22 women	DEVO TEAM	23 women
Top 15		U23 (4-8)
Sophie Caldwell		Abigail Drach	EISA
Jessie Diggins		Erin Bianco
Julia Kern		Lauren Jortberg	EISA
Caitlin Patterson		Lizzie Larkins
Katharine Ogden	EISA	Lucy Hochschartner	Mid-A
Kaitlynn Miller		Jackie Garso	EISA/Mid-A
Sophia Laukli	EISA / JWC	Marin Coletta	EISA
Alexandra Lawson	EISA / U23WC	U20 (4-8)
SR (top 3)		Lucinda Anderson	EISA
Evelina Sutro	EISA	Anna Lehmann
Alayna Sonnesyn		Sofia Sanchez
Elizabeth Guiney		Phoebe Sweet
U23 (top 3)		Lillian Bates
Annika Landis	EISA	U18 (4-8)
Gabrielle Vandendries		Quincy Massey-Bierman
Renae Anderson	EISA	Camille Bolduc
U20 (top 3)		Samantha Nolan
Waverly Gebhardt		Elsa Bolinger
Margaret Gellert	EISA	Emma Strack
Callie Young	JWC	U16
Charlotte Ogden		Sofia Scirica
U18 (top 3)		Evelyn Walton
Nina Seemann	U18	Mica Bodkins
Amelia Tucker		Emma Charles
Shea Brams		Hattie Barker
U16		Maggie McGee
Ava Thurston	U18
8 REG		16 REG	24 REG

 

2)  From Bryan Fish, U.S. Ski & Snowboard, Cross Country Sport Development Manager:

“Winter 19-20 was once again historic in year.  Thank you for being such an integral part of this success.  I am reaching out to provide U.S. Ski & Snowboard insight for the upcoming summer camp season during this time of uncertainty.  Our first goal is to ensure health and safety of our whole ski community.  We also want to continue to motivate and engage our up-and-coming cross country skiers.  Our REG, National U16, NEG, and NTG camps are a critical opportunity to do motivate, engage, and progress our junior athletes.

Covid-19 continues to spread across the USA.  More states are implementing mandatory stay-at-home policies in an effort to slow the spread of this pandemic.  We will return to normalcy, however it is challenging at this current time to know when that will be.  We would like to propose the following guidance:

We are anticipating normalcy will return at or before late July/August, therefore we are planning (hoping) that National junior camps in late July and August can remain as scheduled.  Please note that we have received notification (below) that the 2020 Equinor International Junior Camp (IJC) in Norway is scheduled to be held.  Norway will re-evaluate the decision to host in early June (as outlined in the invite below).  We would like to keep this camp a part of our development pathway by participating in this every other year.  We had planned on taking part in the IJC camp prior to Covid-19 and we hope to maintain this plan.

Our guidance is that we should wait to schedule Regional Elite Group camps.  Initial regional planning of REG should take place with a the understanding that dates are tentative.  We propose re-evaluating REG dates on May 1^st and determine if normal REG dates (mid-June through early-July) are appropriate OR if REG camps should be postponed and held later in summer – immediately before U16 camp, during U16 camp, or possibly in August.  U.S. Ski & Snowboard/ USST staffing would do its best to support REG, however we believe each region is highly capable of hosting a great camp without  U.S. Ski & Snowboard/ USST if necessary.  That said, we feel that creative options should be considered such as multiple REG camps held on the same dates.

PROPOSED PLAN:

• Regional Elite Camp dates: re-evaluate appropriate dates to host REG camps May 1^st.  Have later dates considered in advance of May 1^st.
• June NTG  Park City, UT June 7-14^th – re-evaluate feasibility to host this camp on May 1^st (recognize this camp might be cancelled due to Covid-19)
• 2020 National U16 Camp is slated to be held in Sun Valley, Idaho July 18-25
• 2020 Equinor International Junior Camp – (Lillehammer, NOR Aug 7-14) (USA – 2weeks – Aug 2-14)

Thank you for your continued hard work, patience, and persistence in keeping our athletes safe, healthy, and motivated. “

Bryan

—————-

Proposed 2020 Eastern REG Camp – Stratton Mountain School
June 23-27 — feasibility of this date will be re-examined May 1st
Backup dates: August 17 – 21

—————-

New England Nominations for 2020 U16 National Camp – Sun Valley, Idaho
July 18-25 — feasibility of this date will be re-examined mid-May / early June.

Below is the information regarding the National U16 Camp Selections for 2020. The calculations  were determined using the posted U16 selection procedures with the  exception that only the first two races were able to be utilized for scoring. In some ways, though we were fortunate in that we had one race in each technique.  Remember that a skier can score either their prelim or their final result from the sprint but not both.

For your reference:  National U16 Camp Selection Criteria

https://usskiandsnowboard.org/sites/default/files/files-resources/files/2020/U16%20Development%20Camp%20Selection%20Criteria.docx%282%29.pdf

Rankings as Calculated via National U16 Camp Selection rankings

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1sn2f1PGnj-KSkF4u2N1-3FoEB3rvOTHKvMfyWiB2yqA/edit#gid=796743291

Girls:
Sophia Scirica
Ava Thurston
Emma Charles
Hattie Barker

Boys:
Trey Jones
Fin Bailey
Jack Lange
Cormac Leahy
Clint Macy

3)  Our 2020 Rollerski Programming is currently in a holding pattern as we want to ensure the safety of our community before trying to publish dates for programming.  We are optimistic we will be able to offer clinics, club outreach opportunities and competition before or during the fall.  We can’t wait to share exciting events with our population again and will be in touch with updates as soon as they are available.

• You can look forward to a “how to build” a bicycle ramp video in the coming weeks – so find carpenter / builder in the and we can help build some fun remotely.

 

Dear Nordic skiing community,

The respirators that many of us own to keep us safe while waxing skis, like the one in the attached photo, are now of great use to our healthcare industry, which is in desperate need of personal protective equipment (PPE). Just as these respirators keep us safe while waxing skis, they can now help keep our frontline healthcare workers healthy as they battle COVID-19.

I have been in contact with two PPE coordinators at two Boston hospitals. They are both accepting used respirators similar to the one in the below photo. I expect that many other hospitals are accepting other models of air-purifying, half-face respirators as well. I encourage you to reach out to your local hospital to gauge their interest and need.

If you have a respirator and are willing to donate it, see this spreadsheet. It details instructions for donating to two Boston hospitals, as well as instructions on how to find other hospitals, across the nation, that would be happy to accept your respirator.  (See the “How to Donate” tab at the bottom of the Google Sheet. This spells out the basic how-tos.)

Additionally, please mark your donation down on the spreadsheet so that we can track the Nordic ski community’s contribution to this crisis.

Let’s spread the news and amass as many donations as possible, as quickly as possible! Please share with your teammates, coaches, clubs, Nordic centers, and anyone else who you think could be of help.

I recently relocated to St. George, Utah, where I’m working as a community health worker.  I’m enjoying the beautiful outdoors out here, but I am missing New England’s colder winters!  I hope all are staying active, healthy, and sane through this crazy time.

Best,

Jacob Meyerson

Harvard Skiing Alumnus

Cambridge Sports Union Alumnus

Concord-Carlisle High School Ski Team Alumnus

Above: the image of a respirator that I sent to 2 Boston Hospitals.  They will accept similar respirators as well.