New Paltz Nordic Team Meeting

Nov. 14, 2011

“A tradition of excellence continues…”

What exactly is Nordic Skiing…is it REALLY a varsity sport?

(click the snow flakes to find out)

…you may … have never been on skis before.  That was the case with me freshmen year.  I fell down so much.  I would remind the skiers that it is ‘okay’ to fall down.  You just get back up again.  You might even have to put your skis back on but you know how to do that so do it.  Eventually, you will fall less and one day, you might even have a race without a single fall.  I vividly remember that day in Lake Placid, the first time my bum was dry.  We even took a picture of it! 

 Kristin (Matter) Nason ‘93

So you want to ski for New Paltz…

I'd like to share my memories of cross county skiing at New Paltz High School, where I was a member in my sophomore, junior and senior year. I remember running through the orchards and writing my name in the dusk on that weird water tank. And trying out my skiis for the first time, running with the group, graduating to the front of the pack. We knew the competition, even the names of the best of each team. Skiing gave me a strong sense of commitment, and kept me busy when I wasn't in class. I made new friends and it was some of the best times in my life.I worked very hard during ski season, and each year I was getting closer and closer to the top ten. My senior year I was ranked 6th in section 9, but I missed the bus to the sections race. I didn't race, and never made it to Lake Placid. To this day I remind myself of that story... and how hard it was to spend three years working toward a goal and to lose it in such a ridiculous way. I remind myself of that story because it has shaped me more than any other single event. I learned that success may not come in the way you plan. In fact, many things don't come the way you plan. That is hard for many people to deal with, but you can choose to embrace the unknown, and even enjoy excitement of it. Perhaps missing the opportunity to ski at Lake Placid was hard to deal with. But it turned out to be a blessing in my life. I was able to learn from that, and marvel at the way such events can steer your life. I am sure that each of your students can pinpoint a single event that had it not happened, or happened differently, would have caused them to be sitting somewhere else right now. That is why you don't need to judge events as "good" or "bad". Some things you just can't control. But for the things that you can, always put your best foot forward and try your hardest. I always work as hard as I can on anything I do because I decide how I live my life, and I learned that you have the least amount of regrets when you can truly say you did all you could and tried your very hardest.

Kyle Chapman ‘99

•train hard

•train smart

•develop good technique

•be disciplined (on time, communicate, take personal responsibility)

•support their teamate

•promote the sport

•get exposure to high quality races

•extend their season as far as possible

A New Paltz Skier is expected to…

It wasn't too long ago that Section 9 was the laughingstock of the skiing state championships.  We were an afterthought, routinely taking the last ten spots in the state meet, failing to beat even a single person from another section.  It was embarrassing, but never enough that we wanted to do anything about it. After all, what was better than missing school to hang out in Lake Placid?  To most of us, skiing was a nice way to stay in shape between the cross country and track seasons. 

The culture began to shift my senior year (1999).  We started to follow the snow, rather than letting it come to us.  We rollerskied.  We refused to snowplow on the steep hills (usually).  We wore the tight uniforms without embarrassment.  We were determined to beat someone from another section!  In the end, our hard work paid off.  We weren’t just runners anymore; we were skiers.  At the state meet, Mike Reid and I, as well as Ali Geiser, Mary Kelso, and Gwynne Matter on the girls side, all beat a bunch of non-section-niners.  We were still a far cry from a podium finish, but I like to think we gave the first flake of snow to what has become part of the giant snowball of today’s flourishing program, where top-10 state meet finishes are not just a dream, but an expectation.

Chris Garvin ‘99

Qualifying for States

Qualifying for States

•Sectional champion team qualifies 3•Individual section champ and runner up•Up to 2 unanimous coachs’ selections•Remainder of State Team determined by points

(top 2 skate races + top classic race + 2xSections)

•Only 6 boys and 6 girls + alternate will qualify from Section 9

I think it was my junior year, 2005-2006 season (but it might have been my senior year), and we were building our state relay teams from the twelve qualifiers. The coaches made the decision to have the New Paltz team be the A-team instead of our A-team as the fastest all-section team. Me, Katie Reid, and Kayla Koonz were the three fastest on the New Paltz team and were right in the mix with Andi Palen and Amanda Pazian, if not ahead. Kathleen Carroll was the fourth member of our team. She was so nervous about the relay because throughout the whole season she had only finished ahead of Amanda once and Andi never. The girls from Walkill were upset because they thought their chances were shot at a strong relay; Kathleen really wanted to do her best to prove she deserved to be on the relay. On the day of the state race Kathleen was really nervous. I had the first leg and she had the third. I had a great race and after my leg of the race I went to the bottom of the final hill and waited for Kathleen. I saw her turn the corner and started cheering and yelling. I skiied up the slope with her, on the other side of the ropes, pushing her and encouraging her. We were all exhausted. But when the results came in, Kathleen had the fourth fastest time from our section. She had beaten both Amanda and Andi and proved that she truly deserved to be on our team. It just goes to show what a strong, close-knit team and some stubborn determination can accomplish.

Dara Aber-Ferri ‘06

Extend Your Season

Entending Your Season

•Qualify for Sections (Feb 15)

•NYS HS Championships (Feb 27-28 Lake Placid, NY)

•J2 (born ’96 or ’97) Champs (Mar 9-11 Black Mtn., ME)

•Eastern HS Champs (Mar 16-18 Mtn. Top, VT)

•Junior Olympics (Mar 2-10 Soldier Hollow, UT)

Hey all,

Hello from a four year graduate of the New Paltz Nordic Skiing program. I hope that all is well for you and that you are all very excited about the soon to come snow. Up here in Minnesota we are having the warmest end of fall we have seen in a long time, but up here weather can change  in an instant. I just wanted to wish you all best of luck in the up and coming season and say that I am very excited fo you. To the first time skiiers; whether it be the beautiful trails of Minnewaska, the thrill of a race at Fahnestock, or a bowl of chili at a lodge in Vermont, you are in for something special.

Good luck!

Dylan Linet ‘05

What’s up with Ski Camp?

What’s up with Ski Camp?

January 27th-29th in Lake Placid

Open to all, but Varsity is given preference

Cost is expected to remain the same as last year ($165)deposit due Dec 9th

We will likely need parents to drive

1. One time we had a big meet at Old Forge and my uniform's zipper broke.  These were the really old uni-tards.  Most were maroon, but sometimes when you went down into the creepy basement for uniform selection--where John Ford, the AD, was logging names and uniform numbers with a toothpick in his mouth--you came out with a decidedly red one, which was a bummer.  I also seem to remember that Freshmen got last pick of the uniforms, and you can bet Lia Pileggi and Ilana Tabak weren't taking the crappy ol' red ones.  Anyway, my reddish maroon uniform had a shoddy zipper that totally came off its track right before the big race.  Luckily, Mike Reid's mom was there and came to my rescue.  First she told me to go pee, and STOP drinking water.  Next she took out her sewing kit and stitched the length of the broken zipper from crotch to chin.  Finally, I was ready to race with an intact uniform!  I think I had the usual sort of race...pushing myself hard, but also enjoying the view of snow covered trail and woods when no one was around.  And of course, snowplowing down the big hill because I figured as long as I'm gonna crash at the bottom where the trail makes a 90 degree turn, I might as well crash softly.

2.  And speaking of crashing at the bottom of hills!  One time during a practice with Wallkill skiers (The Wallkillians, I believe Morgana dubbed them), I was followed closely down a hill by Randy Wilson.  I think he just wanted to get close to me, if you know what I mean. Well, it turns out we both crashed and he landed nearly on top of me.  Upon impact he began moaning about injuries to his nether regions saying "I don't think I'll ever be able to have children!"  The jury is still out on that one, as far as I know, but I think he learned his lesson that the ski trails are not the place for hitting on girls (literally!).

3. Here's a memory that I savor to this day: Waking up at Lysek's in Lake Placid for the State meet, I headed downstairs with the rest of the NP girls and slid onto the U-shaped bench in Mama Lysek's beautiful breakfast nook.  The bench seemed to hold the whole team, but if you got stuck in the middle, you couldn't get out without everyone on one side exiting, which was funny, but also very cozy.  Anyway, when I learned that breakfast was my choice of plain, blueberry, or chocolate chip pancakes, I felt like I was in heaven.  Oh yeah, and you were allowed to have seconds, which I'm sure I did.

I hope the team has a great season, and since I'm not pregnant this year, I'm up for the challenge of an alumni race.

Thanks, Mary Woodburn (Kelso) ‘00

How Do I Get A Letter?

•You must attend 95% of all practices (about 5 absences)

if you are not in school it is not considered an absence

you may “bank” days by going to optional practices

•To get a varsity letter you must qualify for the Sectional Meet

you must ski in 3 varsity meets to qualify for Sections

Starting out cross country skiing, I never took it very seriously. But as I spent time with the team, and really learned the technique. I fell in love with it. This sport is something that will stay with me for my entire life. My first year away from the sport, and I'm already itching to get on that snow. Ever since it sparked my interest, I worked at it. I worked hard, listening to coach and expanding the season to a year round sport. I couldn't believe the places it took me. Racing at Junior Olympics multiple years was amazing and it was probably some of the most unforgettable racing and snow I have ever skied. Skiing has also taught me how to mentally stay in it. When everything is giving out, the snow is sloppy, the wax isn't sticking the right way, and some how I fight through the race giving 110%. I learned how to push my body to new limits and I discovered what my body can really handle. When you are skiing, and you start hurting, or your wax isn't working, this isn't a time for you to turn to coach and start complaining. Get in your head. Fix your technique. If you're struggling with the wax, there is a very good chance everyone else is as well. The person who skies the fastest, is the person who is stronger and can get in their head and stay positive and push. Good luck New Paltz Nordic '09-'10!!!Miss you and love you guys!!!!!!! Go show New York how it's done. 

Kayla Koonz (Captain) ‘09

Assorted Announcements1. Parent meeting on Thursday at 6:30pm…right here.

2. Fundraiser continues

3. Jacket money ($50 deposit due Nov 15th, see Coach to try on sizes)

4. Kingston Roller Ski Race…let’s put some teams together.

5. Register for the New Paltz Turkey Trot

6. Check my voice mail for practice changes

7. Check out the website

Equipment and Clothing

•Rental OptionsCatskill Mountain Multisport

Rock and Snow

•Water bottle, gloves, training pants, wicking layers

Treat your equipment properly…

(click the snow flakes for a fun video)

XC skiing meant a lot to me. It was an amazing way to spend time with friends, to condition all parts of my body, test my endurance (physical AND mental), and see all sorts of beautiful places around the area and around the state. Our team is an especially special (?!) one.  Being from the southernmost section in NY state, we had to have pluck to compete--we had to learn to ski in slush or travel to fresh powder.  Being from New Paltz, we had an amazing set of endurance athletes from XC running and track trained at Mohonk, Minnewaska, the college, and in the Apple Orchards--when I graduated our team had won many sectional events in both XC running, skiing, and track.  Today, though I cross country ski less frequently (come on, I did live in California for 3 years), when I do ski I feel invigorated. It is an amazing way to move through the fields and forests--to skate, glide, almost fly!  Plus, some of my team mates are still my best friends and we meet up in New Paltz to explore the rail trail or Spring Farm whenever we can.  I hope you enjoy your NP XC Ski experience as much as I did--keep the tradition alive!!!

 

XC skiing meant a lot to me. It was an amazing way to spend time with friends, to condition all parts of my body, test my endurance (physical AND mental), and see all sorts of beautiful places around the area and around the state. Our team is an especially special (?!) one.  Being from the southernmost section in NY state, we had to have pluck to compete--we had to learn to ski in slush or travel to fresh powder.  Being from New Paltz, we had an amazing set of endurance athletes from XC running and track trained at Mohonk, Minnewaska, the college, and in the Apple Orchards--when I graduated our team had won many sectional events in both XC running, skiing, and track.  Today, though I cross country ski less frequently (come on, I did live in California for 3 years), when I do ski I feel invigorated. It is an amazing way to move through the fields and forests--to skate, glide, almost fly!  Plus, some of my team mates are still my best friends and we meet up in New Paltz to explore the rail trail or Spring Farm whenever we can.  I hope you enjoy your NP XC Ski experience as much as I did--keep the tradition alive!!! 

Tom "Moose" O'Dowd ‘01

…time to get to work

It won’t be long before the snow flies…

I was never even remotely good at skiing but no one made me feel like less of a team member for that. Over the month that it took me to understand skate skiing, both my coaches and teammates took time out of their practice to give me advice and to work with me. No matter how many times I fell no one gave up on believing that I had some hidden abilities. I always felt just as much a part of the team as the best skiers. The coaches cared just as much about one teammate as they did about another as did my teammates, there were no cliques but one united team, every member of whom became a friend. I had some of the best laughs and most fun of my entire high school career while skiing through the mountains of Lapland Lake or sitting in the bus on the way there. It was awesome to be a part of such a close team, to see the reactions of others when I told them what sport I was in because it has a reputation for being difficult, to feel strong from the great workouts. Being on this team will give you tools for the rest of your life and I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to do so myself.

Sarah Harrison ‘06

And finally a word from Katie Reid (Captain) ’06