Checkout all the latest news in this week’s KickZone ~ enjoy!
NENSA News
Cate Brams named the 2022 Coach of the Year
In just two years Cate Brams has become a fixture of the New England coaching community. In 202o, after racing for Middlebury College and the Sun Valley Gold Team, she returned home to Boston to help lead the Eastern Mass Cross Country (EMXC) program. In May of 2021, she was hired as the clubs first full time Head Coach. Her youthful energy and extensive racing experience, along with the knowledge of growing up in the Eastern Mass Bill Koch and CSU Junior Program (now known as EMXC) made her a perfect fit for the job.
Not only is she a beloved coach for EMXC, but she has jumped headfirst into NENSA programming, including regional camps, coaching at Junior Nationals and leading Coaches Education clinics. We are indeed lucky to have such engaged coaches like Brams — made in part by increasingly sophisticated clubs — that provide awesome development opportunities for cross country skiing here in the East. Read on below for accolades from her athletes, peers and coworkers!
EMXC summer coach and incoming UVM assistant coach Brandon Herhusky:
“This past year has been my first opportunity to work alongside Cate Brams in the coaching world. I feel very privileged to have worked with some of the best coaches in the country as either an athlete or a fellow coach; and despite Cate being a younger coach she easily ranks as one of the best I’ve ever worked with. Cate is constantly in pursuit of perfecting her craft as a coach. Whether talking about waxing, technique, or training philosophy I can always count on Cate to bring something new that she’s learned or thought about to the conversation. In her day to day running of EMXC she continually strikes an incredible balance of being very detailed oriented with everything she does having a purpose, while also having the ability to quickly adapt on the fly for the many individual athlete’s needs she manages.
Seeing the respect that all of Cate’s athletes have for her is truly the testament of her as a coach. She coaches one of the largest clubs in New England and every single athlete from age 13 to 20 absolutely worships the ground she walks on. She creates an environment in which everyone can succeed while growing a passion for the outdoors and developing lifelong healthy habits through cross-country skiing.”
Mansfield Nordic Club Executive Director and Head Coach Adam Terko:
“After working with her in the wax room for a number of championship events ranging from US Nationals to JNs, I can confidently say that some of my most productive, fun, and memorable days at a wax bench have been with Cate. She’s an awesome communicator, whether it’s making stressful wax decisions, helping athletes find their best selves on race day, or humorously roasting me over something I’m wearing, saying, or doing. Cate’s ability to seamlessly and quickly transition between coach, wax tech, friend, mentor, and leader is something that allows her and her team to thrive in any situation.”
NENSA Executive Director and former volunteer coach with CSU juniors Amie Smith:
“Cate Brams is a phenomenal Head Coach and leader for the EMXC juniors team. She stepped into that roll several years ago with grace and maturity beyond her years. Cate has both the perspective as a former CSU junior athlete herself, but also the skills and knowledge to bring her athletes both a calming balance while also challenging them to be their best. Cate has also been invaluable as a volunteer coach and wax tech for New England Junior National team and at our REG Camp.”
EMXC Junior Sofia Scirica:
“Cate is an incredible coach who cares so much about her athletes and helping them succeed in skiing and beyond. Her energy and humor make her an amazing coach to work with and the entire team benefits from her leadership and dedication, as well as her coolness 🙂 It is extremely difficult to get thirty 14 to 18 year olds to focus on training, but Cate manages to do it while also making sure that we are having fun as we improve.
From May to March, Cate works tirelessly to ensure that the entire team has all of the resources they need to feel confident going into the starting gate. It is incredibly impressive how hard to she works to give every athlete what they need to do their best. There’s no way to summarize everything that Cate does for the team because I can’t even begin to understand all of the work she does to make our team run smoothly, but if you want to see how dedicated Cate is, look no further than the wax bench at an Eastern Cup. From waking up long before the sunrise to test dozens of waxes to staying and cheering until the last athlete of the day has completed their race, Cate is always ready to support the athletes in every way she can. Her pre race pep-talks and post race debriefs are consistently one of the things that I look forward to most on race days.
Not only does Cate take the time to talk with her athletes about warmups and race strategy, but also our mental health. She cares so genuinely about how we are doing, and she recognizes that mental health is a crucial aspect of the sport. Having a coach that really cares about how her athletes are doing makes a huge difference in her athletes’ performance and their overall mental well-being.
I feel so lucky to have been able to learn from her coaching the last few years and I am so grateful for all of the support that she has given me and the team. Cate is one of those amazing coaches who cares so deeply about her athletes and team, and I can’t think of anyone more deserving of Coach of the Year!”
NENSA welcomes Heidi Lange as our new Executive Director
July 5, 2022
To the New England Nordic Ski Association Community,
NENSA is pleased to announce that Heidi Lange will be NENSA’s new Executive Director starting this month. Heidi lives in Lyme, NH and brings a wealth of experience in community work and non-profit fundraising to her new role at NENSA. She has been connected to NENSA for many years as Co-Head Coach of the Bill Koch League and as a member of the Nordic Committee at Ford Sayre Ski Club. Heidi also served as Vice President and Programming Director of the Upper Valley Rowing Foundation as well as working on multiple New Hampshire school boards and committees. Heidi has led Hanover High School’s Novice Crew team where she created an incredibly successful youth fundraising campaign that raised funds for The Prouty, the largest fundraising event in northern New England. More recently, she coached at Stratton Nordic Center and West River Sports in Vermont.
Heidi’s professional experience, proven leadership skills, successful fundraising efforts, and enthusiasm for the cross country skiing community will make her an effective Executive Director for NENSA and a passionate advocate for cross country skiing and skiers. The NENSA staff and Board is excited to work closely with Heidi to continue to advance NENSA’s mission and provide diverse, engaging programming to the New England ski community.
“I am looking forward to working with Heidi to bring cross country skiing to new communities and new heights,” said NENSA president Ellen Chandler. “Heidi understands NENSA’s operations and organization from the inside and out, as a coach, racer parent and participant; and her professional and civic experience align with NENSA’s needs seamlessly.”
“The value of NENSA’s mission has felt especially apparent to me during the covid pandemic when the skilled and dedicated Director and staff have worked creatively and resolutely to serve the New England ski community,” said incoming NENSA Executive Director Heidi Lange. “I have such belief in NENSA’s work and the powerful experiences and lessons possible for its participants at all levels. I am thrilled to be joining this team, building upon the many successes achieved under Amie’s leadership, and continuing to help NENSA grow and thrive.”
Heidi will succeed current Executive Director, Amie Smith at the end of this month. Amie has been NENSA’s Executive Director since 2016, and on staff since 2015, where she positioned NENSA as a leader in North American cross country skiing. Amie recruited and supported a strong and talented staff and developed donor relationships that leave NENSA in good financial standing. Amie will continue her involvement with NENSA and U.S. Ski & Snowboard as a Technical Delegate and will also help coach her local BKL club at Prospect Mountain in Woodford, VT, where she has also joined their Board of Directors.
“I was thrilled to hear that Heidi Lange was chosen as my successor. She will be a phenomenal next Executive Director for NENSA. Heidi cares deeply about our cross country ski community and that will shine through in all she does for NENSA moving forward.” said current Executive Director Amie Smith.
We thank Amie for her many years of excellent leadership and we are excited to welcome Heidi as NENSA’s new Executive Director.
With Regards,
The New England Nordic Ski Association Board of Directors
Heidi can be reached at [email protected]
2022 Lost Nation Roll Race & Clinic Recap
It was a glorious of day for the first rollerski race of the 2022 NENSA Summer Series! A big thank you to the Craftsbury Outdoor Center staff and volunteers for all the hard work they put into hosting this event. It was extra exciting for this race to overlap with the Eastern Regional Elite Group (REG) Camp so we had top juniors in attendance from all across the East. In addition to competitive racing action, the day also featured a Learn-to Rollerski clinic for skiers of all ages looking to try rollerskiing for the first time and wrapped up with REAL skiing down in the Craftsbury village courtesy of saved snow from the Outdoor Center. So if you saw a Piston Bully driving down the road last Sunday, you were not hallucinating!
See below for a synopsis of top race results, check out full results HERE, and get excited for the next race of the summer which is the Rollins Roll Hill Climb up Mt. Kearsarge in Warner, NH on August 21st. See our full summer calendar HERE.
U16 Girls:
- Ruth Krebs, Craftsbury Ski Club
- Julia Thurston, Mansfield Nordic Club
- Kate Carlson, Mansfield Nordic Club/EABC
U16 Boys:
- Micah Brunner, Stratton Mountain School
- Ellis Slover, Quarry Road Ski Club
- Anders Linseiesen, Mansfield Nordic Club
Open Women:
- Margie Freed, Craftsbury Green Racing Project
- Evelina Sutro, Stratton T2 Team
- Kelsey Dickinson, Craftsbury Green Racing Project
Open Men:
- Ben Ogden, Stratton T2 Team
- Brian Bushey, UU Ski Team
- Finn Sweet, Craftsbury Ski Club
Photos: Paul Bierman & NENSA
The Killington World Cup Foundation Awards over $289,000 in Grants to 31 Nonprofits Across the Northeast
NENSA is thrilled to be included in these Grant Awards from the Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF) for our 2022-23 season. Our grant from KWCF will help fund our Nordic Rocks program which provides elementary school students with an opportunity to experience cross country skiing during the school day with their teachers and classmates, and to learn the health and lifestyle benefits associated with exercise and outdoor fun.
NENSA assists Nordic Rocks school with a skiing curriculum, equipment acquisition, and teaching support. The curriculum is easy to follow and offers teachers learning ideas with both outdoor and indoor activities.
The Killington World Cup Foundation (KWCF) awarded 31 grants totaling $289,000 to Northeast area nonprofits in eight states. KWCF also donated $160,000 to support athlete housing at the Killington Cup. These grants were made possible as a result of the 2021 Homelight Killington Cup. In the last four years KWCF has donated almost $2,000,000 in incremental resources to the winter sports infrastructure and youth snow sport programs in the region.
The Killington World Cup Foundation grants ranged from $1,500 to $25,000. All of the grant recipients are registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations or have a fiscal sponsor. Awarded projects included: supporting and expanding youth community snowsport programs in rural North Carolina and Maine, helping to grow the program for the Share Winter/Association of Africans living in Vermont, and providing trail expansion and equipment for Nordic, Adaptive, Alpine, Snowboarding and Ski Jumping youth organizations. Over half of this year’s grantees are new to the Killington World Cup Foundation. Grants were awarded June 15, 2022 and funding begins September 15, 2022.
“The KWCF is critical to not only the success of the Killington World Cup events each year, but it has changed the lives of so many young ski racers across the Northeast with its goal of benefitting local and regional youth development programs. KWCF continues to provide opportunity and critical help to clubs to help them support the dreams of their athletes,” states Doug Lewis.
“Thank you so much for the generous grant! We look forward to continuing our work to support local children in our area and providing access to snow sports. This would not be possible without the support of KWCF.” – 2022 Grantee
“Thank you very much for the terrific news on our grant from KWCF supporting Phase 2 of the Andover Outing Club’s year-round Ski Jumping Initiative! That’s a huge help as we continue to move forward and gain momentum with Phase 2. This initiative is so important to our youth ski jumpers here in the northeast!”
Grant applications were reviewed by a committee that included: Tiger Shaw, CEO Wasatch Peaks Ranch Club; Tom Karam, founder of T2 Foundation and a U.S. Ski & Snowboard trustee; Grace Macomber Bird, Volunteer, Kelly Brush Foundation; Harry Ryan, Facey, Goss & McPhee, P.C.; Victoria Hone,Facey, Goss & McPhee, P.C; John Casella, Chairman and CEO of Casella Waste Management; Kenneth Graham, Founder and Chairman of Inverness Graham and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors; and Phill Gross, Managing Director, Adage Capital Management and U.S. Ski & Snowboard Board of Directors.
A list of all of 2022’s grant recipients as well as details for organizations interested in applying for future KWCF grants can be found at kwcfgivesback.org.
About the Killington World Cup Foundation:
KWCF was created to support the Women’s World Cup at Killington and to benefit local and regional youth development programs. KWCF will consider and award grants to qualifying 501(c)(3) organizations to facilitate training infrastructure in the Northeast and SARA region (ME/NH/VT/CT/NY/MA/RI/NJ/PA/NC/VA/WV) and to increase participation in competitive winter sports programs throughout the Northeast. Fundraising is a year-round effort. For more information, visit kwcfgivesback.org.
About NENSA:
The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is the umbrella organization for Nordic skiing events in the region. We are a member-supported service organization that promotes the culture of cross-country skiing by creating opportunities for youth, athletes, coaches, officials and skiers of all levels. NENSA provides the support structure necessary to bring cross-country skiers to their highest potential at regional, national and international events.