NENSA News
Mansfield Quarantine Challenge
Local Clubs Unite in First Virtual Challenge
Adam Terko and his Mansfield Nordic Club are leading the way with innovative programming as we head into a new training season. Athletes were challenged to:
“Run your own uphill test, on foot, as fast as you can. The requirements for this test?
-Race must finish higher than it started: a net elevation gain. No minimum or maximum on the elevation gained…it can even finish just going up your driveway if that’s higher than the surrounding road!” Full Details on Mansfield Site
All told 41 folks took part over three days and representing seven states or provinces, and seven clubs!
A few result highlights:
Most Elevation | Silas Brown | Mansfield Nordic | 2803 |
Most feet-per-mile | Theodore Mollano | Dublin XC | 2833.3 |
Longest run | Andy Grab | Mansfield Nordic | 12.2 |
Shortest run | Theodore Mollano | Dublin XC | 0.03 |
You can read more and see some fun photos on the MNC website here. Bravo to all – we are adapting and thriving!
Don’t forget we are in the fourth day of the NENSA #25KinMAY Rollerski Challenge – there are currently over thirty competitors and participants signed up – our first goal – to ski 2,500 kilometers together! Competitors have already completed challenges from North Carolina, Michigan, Ontario and throughout New England.
Anyone can join us – Great Prizes including rollerskis and poles from Swix, Swenor, Enjoy Winter and Salomon.
NENSA Friday Round Up
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!
NENSA seeks full-time Youth & Introductory Program Director:
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]
Development Camps and Rollerski Programming Update
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.
- 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 1st 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 1st. Have later dates considered in advance of May 1st.
- June NTG Park City, UT June 7-14th – re-evaluate feasibility to host this camp on May 1st (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
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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
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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
Rankings as Calculated via National U16 Camp Selection rankings
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.