NENSA News

(Thank you to Cami Thompson-Graves for this synopsis – Cami is the USSA XC Sport Committee Chair)

We just returned from Utah where we had some productive meetings at the U.S. Ski & Snowboard annual congress.  I have highlighted some of the major take-aways here.

1. There was much discussion around the Super Tour.  The schedule for 2017-18 was approved and is close to final now.  The staff still need to confirm the start date of U.S. National Championship and the Al Qual races, which should happen soon.  The final calendar will be posted at http://my.ussa.org/joinnordic. Please note that the local organizing committees will no longer be required to provide complimentary housing for the top athletes.  A committee was also appointed to look at the future of the Super Tour, Bryan Fish is spearheading that group.
2. Exciting things are happening with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s education programming.  Be on the lookout for updated online learning opportunities in the not too distant future.  Along with the regional L100 and L200 clinics, there will also be a symposium in Park City on October 27-29in Park City.  There is more information, and you can register here: http://ussa.org/cross-country-programs/coaches/clinics.
3. The issue generating the most heated discussion this year is the Junior National Championships.  There has been much discussion over the last few years regarding the cost of the event.  The Cross Country Sport committee voted to shorten the event by one day, the particulars of what the means and how it will be accomplished are still being discussed by junior representatives from all the divisions.  Adam St. Pierre is heading that effort, along with a representative from each division.
4. Selection criteria for the Olympic team as well as the U18, WJC and U23 teams were approved with only minor changes from last season.  Those will be posted soon as well.
5. There were some rule changes which will be updated in the 2018 Comp guide.  USSAcoaches/official’s members will receive those in late summer.

NENSA is proud to announce the 2016-17 Gallagher Cup Eastern Cup Champions!  This years overall Eastern Cup winners are (drum roll please)…Alexandra Lawson, a U20 from the Craftsbury Nordic Ski Team, and, Elliot Ketchel, a U18, from Green Mountain Valley School.  CONGRATS to you both!

Our champions are determined by overall season ending best Eastern Cup points.  The male and female atop the Eastern Cup points rankings at the conclusion of all eight Eastern Cup races are our Gallagher Cup winners.  Eastern Cup overall winners have been named since 2008.  At the conclusion of the 2014 season, NENSA began awarding the Gallagher Cup to the champions of the season long Eastern Cup series.  The Eastern Cup circuit is New England’s, and one of the nation’s, premier race series and NENSA felt the competition and community behind the series speak to Mike Gallagher’s legacy as an athlete, coach, and community leader.  We thank the Gallagher family for supporting us in our approach to honoring Mike’s legacy for NENSA.

Go to http://nensa.net/point-standings/ to see a full list of all the year end Eastern Cup Standings.

NENSA Board of Directors 2017 Spring Meeting

Sunday May 7th, 12:00–5:00PM   

To be held at:  Room 101 in the Collis Center, Dartmouth College, Hanover, NH

12:00-12:15 Welcome & Introductions  (Carol)

Introduction of new Competitive Programs Director Hire

Approval of Fall 2016 Minutes / Set Fall 2017 meeting

12:15-1:00 Treasurer’s Report  (Peter H.)

  End of Fiscal Year 2017,

  FY2018 Budget  

1:00-1:15 Board Development:  Nominations and Voting  (Cami)

1:15-2:15 Executive and High Performance Director Report  (Amie)

  Resource Development & Fundraising  (Lucian)

  Auction and Annual Fund

2:15-2:30    Break

2:30-3:00   Website and IT operations (Laura)

3:00-3:30   Community Development & BKL (Amber)

3:30-4:00   Committee Report Summaries and Related Board Action Items

4:00-4:15   New Hire: Competitive Programs Director  (Justin Beckwith)  

4:15-4:30   Break

4:30-5:30   Executive Session

The New England Nordic Ski Association Board of Directors and Staff are pleased to announce Justin Beckwith of Warren, VT to the team as the new Competitive Program Director. “I believe in a holistic model of athlete development that encourages lifelong participation in the sport” said Justin on his new position with NENSA. “In this position, I will share my passion for adventure and competition with the entire NENSA community from the youngest BKL skier to the most veteran Master.”

A New York native and lifelong skier (and avid kayaker), Justin grew up skiing for the Holland Patent School and competed at Junior Nationals for both Mid-Atlantic and New England.  He graduated from the Stratton Mountain School and went on to attend Middlebury College, earning a BA in Environmental Studies and Nonfiction Writing. Justin has a strong competitive background as a world class athlete, skiing for the Middlebury College Ski Team and represented the US Team at the 1999 World Juniors held in Saalfelden, Austria, and competed at the 2001 Pre-Olympic World Cup in Salt Lake City.

With a successful career from 2006-2015 as Program Director and Head Nordic Coach at Green Mountain Valley School, Justin has a diverse background as an athlete, coach and trip leader. Justin has a long list of experience with competitive trips from the J1 Scando trip leader in 2009, World Junior Coach in 2012 and the New England Team Wax Tech 2009-2012 and most recently, the Leader of wax staff for the World Juniors and OPA Cup Finals in 2016 and 2017. Justin is known for his calmness through the inevitable storms of wax testing and making the right calls, consistently putting out the competitive skis on the best skiers day in and day out during a busy week.  During his tenure at GMVS, Justin has also ran NENSA’s Eastern REG Camp, so stepping back into that role will be a natural for him.

In keeping with the NENSA mission, the Competitive Program Director is tasked with positioning NENSA as a central resource for our community and as a national leader in coach, athlete, and club development. Beckwith will be guiding and creating resources to support NENSA’s athletes and coaches and will work closely with community stakeholders including USSA, EISA, local clubs, and the NENSA staff team. As CPD, Beckwith will also support NENSA’s Eastern Cup race series, the New England Junior National team, Eastern REG Camp, our Elite & Development teams, Coaches Education, Masters programing, and manage scoring and competitive rankings.

Amie Smith, Executive Director of NENSA, says of this new hire “We are thrilled Justin will be joining the NENSA staff, and our organization.  Justin will bring a wealth of knowledge and a breadth of experience – regionally, nationally and internationally, as well as his love and enthusiasm for the sport, to NENSA and to our New England skiing community.”  Justin takes over this position from Amie (former High Performance Director, 2015-17) who will remain at NENSA as the Executive Director.

Justin resides in the Mad River Valley with his wife Brie and their new pup, Mr. Benham.

Our Annual Fund is STILL OPEN until midnight tonight ~ Monday May 1st ~ there is still time to give! Thank you to all who have given so far, and to those of you able to make a donation today, on our final day of the fund drive.
http://nensa.net/giving/annual-fund-2017/