KickZone eNewsletter ~ October 7, 2020 Edition

October Greetings NENSA Community ~

If there is one thing this pandemic has taught us here at NENSA is that we have to remain nimble and flexible ~ and we are doing just that to be sure the programing we do for our New England community is safe and accessible to as many of our members as possible.

We did that with our NENSA Fall Coaches Symposium - presenting two days of great virtual content with speakers and presentation on a variety of topics. We want to be able to share that great content with everyone during this time, so we have posted all the talks on our NENSA YouTube Channel (see box below for link).

This week, it was decided that we would not go ahead with the usual New England wide BKL Festival, but instead, do smaller regional Mini-Festivals. Our Youth & Introductory Program Director, Kait Miller, will be working with our BKL District Chairs, and together with them, NENSA will be helping support a number of these Mini-Festivals all around New England. Keeping our community as safe as possible, minimizing travel, but still offering opportiuntes to gather responsibly and share in the joy of winter and cross country skiing!

On October 25, we will be hosting a rollerski race with the COC, The Lost Nations Cup. NENSA and the COC will work together to provide a safe race expense for some of our athletes in New England. We know not everyone will be able to attend who wants to, but we will continue to strive to work within state and local guidelines to provide racing starts both this fall and this winter.

On November 14th, NENSA will host our annual TD and Event Organizers training virtually via zoom.

Our plan is to continue the programing you have all come to know and love, but in the safest way we can these days. We thank you for your continued patience and support as we navigate COVID, and offer you various different opportunities to connect and participate, even with a full blown pandemic.

NENSA would also like to take this opportunity to both welcome and welcome back some of our wonderful Sponsors! Please remember to thank and support all our NENSA Sponsors!

Welcome to our newest NENSA sponosors: Cabot, Mountain Road Outfitters in Stowe, Cross Country Skier Magazine and Gould Academy!
Welcome back and THANK YOU to our long time NENSA sponsor partners ~ L.L. Bean, Concept2, Salomon and the Dublin School!

Here's what we have in store for you in this week's KickZone in the boxes below ~

Recap of our NENSA Fall Coaches Symposium, including links to all the virtual presentations on NENSA's YouTube channel.
Hot off the press update on the New England BLK Festival: We are moving to a state by state Mini-Festival model ~ read more below
Registration is now open for The Lost Nation Roll ~ a rollerski race at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center on October 25th ~ see box below for full information & registration
Save the Date: Saturday November 14 for our virtual NENSA Technical Delegate (TD) and Event Organizer training.
SWIX gear deal for our NENSA BKL Clubs and members
Updates from our NENSA Partners: including Concept2 virtual World Sprints training; TOKO athlete interviews continue with Bill Koch and Andy Newell!

NENSA's winter programing is fast approaching, what better time than NOW to renew your NENSA membership! Please take a few minutes to do that and support the organization that supports XC skiing here in New England, and beyond! NENSA is here for you, running programing for you, our ski community ~ we need your support this year, more than ever!

Click here for MEMBERSHIP: RENEW or JOIN today, and thank you!

Be sure to check out the full calendar listings at the bottom of this newsletter.

I hope this finds everyone safe and well ~

Best,

Amie

Amie W. Smith

Executive Director

New England Nordic Ski Association

Amie@nensa.net

781-864-0545

www.NENSA.net

GIVING: DONATE to NENSA today, and thank you!

MEMBERSHIP: RENEW or JOIN today, and thank you!

Be sure to follow us on fb, Twitter and on Instagram @nensa_nordic

NENSA News from the Field

Highlights and Notes from NENSA and the Nordic World

NENSA Fall Coaches Symposium Recap

NENSA recently hosted our fall Coaches Symposium with both in-person and virtual program offerings that allowed over 100 coaches from far reaching areas of New England and beyond to engage with each other and learn from our knowledgeable presenters, clinicians, and panelists.

All of our presentations are now available to our community on NENSA’s YouTube. Please take the time to subscribe to our channel as we continue to build content on this platform.

The in-person clinic took place in southern Vermont at the Ball Mountain Dam and Stratton Mountain School, and featured classic and skate technique progressions that wrapped up with some run throughs of the Rollerski Ramps! SMS coach Alex Jospe and NENSA’s Youth and Introductory Program Director, Kait Miller, headed up with classic portion of the clinic while NENSA’s Competitive Program Director, Justin Beckwith, and SMS T2 Athlete Bill Harmeyer ran the skate portion. Virtual offerings included presentations, webinar footage from the Equinar Junior Camp in Norway, and discussions with guest panelists, NENSA staff, and U.S. Ski & Snowboard representatives.

The virtual presentations kicked off Saturday evening with the notoriously speedy Ludvig Jensen sharing his knowledge and experience live from Norway. Next we learned about Injury Presentation, Strength, and Mobility by watching some webinar footage from the Norwegian Junior Camp featuring a discussion with Doctor Petter Soerensen along with demonstrated exercises. We also heard from U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Cross Country Sport Development Manager Bryan Fish and enjoyed an informative discussion with experienced Physical Therapists Pete Dickinson and Brie Beckwith. The evening wrapped up with a recorded presentation on The Female Skier by Guro Stroem Solli, a current researcher and former Norwegian National team member. This presentation was followed up with an enlightening experience-based discussion led by coaches Maria Stuber and Alex Jospe as well as current US National Team Biathlete, Kelsey Dickinson.

Sunday’s virtual programming consisted of three presentations beginning with An Overview of L100 Coaching Certification: Content and Process with U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s XC Sport Coordinator, Adam St. Pierre. Next up we heard from Bryan Fish about BuildingComprehensive Community & Club Engagement & FAQ’s about North American Fluoro Free Policy. The symposium wrapped up with a presentation from Kait Miller on BKL Philosophy and Long Term Athlete Development with a special focus on mindfully coaching in a pandemic.

We are grateful to all our panelists, presenters, clinicians, and attendees for taking the time and energy to make this symposium a fantastic learning experience for all involved! Stay tuned for updates about potential U.S. Ski & Snowboard L100 certification opportunities and NENSA’s new L50 Regional Coaches Education Certification that is currently in the works!!

2021 BKL Festival Moves to Regional Model:

Enter the Mini-Fests

The decision has been made with the wonderful folks at Quarry Road Trails and the Quarry Road Ski Club that the BKL Festival will move to a regional model of operation for 2021. Our goal with the BKL Festival is for our young skiers to enjoy a fun, safe, and inclusive capstone to their winter season, and we believe this can be best achieved through a district/state-based model where each region hosts a Mini-Festival.

NENSA will work with our dedicated BKL District Chairs and Leaders in each state or region to host a Mini-Fest event that fits safely within their state or region’s COVID guidelines. Goody bags and graduation certificates will be mailed to District Chairs for distribution. More information will be available at the beginning of November. In the meantime, stay tuned for the upcoming 2021 Mini-Fest theme announcement! We appreciate your flexibility and understanding with this change.

NENSA will be releasing Event Host Guidelines and BKL Club Best Practice Recommendations soon. You can read through our current COVID Considerations and Event Contingency Plans HERE.

Join NENSA and the COC for

The Lost Nation Roll

on the new Craftsbury rollerski loop

October 25 @ 9:30 am - 1:00 pm

Registration is OPEN here.

The Craftsbury Outdoor Center is excited to invite racers to attend the first open rollerski race on our freshly paved rollerski track. In the early portion of the summer of 2020, the Outdoor Center paved a 3.3km portion of their trail network in order to provide off-the-road rollerskiing for their athletes and the greater community. After hosting a series of time trials and smaller biathlon races, they are excited to open the track up to the public for a race.

Race Details:

U16s will race two figure 8 laps for a total of 5.6km
Open women will race three figure 8 laps for a total of 8.4km
Open men will race four figure 8 laps for a total of 11.2km
Start intervals will be 30sec, with women starting at 10:30am and men at 11:30am. U16s will be mixed in amongst the rest of their gender.
You can find a course map here and stadium map here. The course will close at 10:20am and will not open again before the men’s race.

The race course includes the challenging Dennis’s Nemesis downhill once per lap. If you are not comfortable on rollerskis, this may not be the right event for you. This downhill is high speed and includes an S-turn (or chicane) at the bottom. Please arrive early enough to preview the course.

COVID-19 Precautions and Mitigation Measures:

First and foremost, please familiarize yourself with the state of Vermont’s A.C.C.D. travel guidelines. Out-of-state visitors must live in a county with fewer than 400 cases per million residents as counted by the A.C.C.D. Competitors from non-approved counties who register will be turned away without a refund. The state updates its maps Tuesday and we will be using the October 20th map as our guideline. If you have questions or concerns, please email race director Ollie Burruss.

Further COVID-19 rules are below:

Face coverings (masks, buffs, etc.) are required to be worn by all competitors and volunteers up until the competitor toes the start line. Face coverings are not required during the race, but must be carried on one’s person in order to be worn promptly upon finishing. This means wearing a mask while warming up.
No indoor space will be open to competitors, so plan accordingly to stage out of your car. We will have portable toilets in the upper and lower parking lots.
Physical distancing is expected amongst all participants. No close socializing or congregating. It is all of our responsiblity to stop the spread of COVID-19.
Violations of these rules will result in competitors’ loss of participation privileges or disqualification.
No spectators! Sorry, parents, relatives, friends, and fans, but we cannot allow spectators due to the pandemic. You can stay in your car or go for a walk or ride, but we cannot permit trackside spectating.

More details will be emailed to competitors, including information about bib pickup and any further COVID-related precautions. Please be sure to provide a working email address and check it frequently leading up to the race.

Save the Date:

Saturday November 14

NENSA's Technical Delegate & Event Organizers Weekend (Virtual for 2020)

Calling all TD's, Chief of Comps and all Event Organizers! Save the date ~ Saturday November 14 from 10am-2pm ~ registration and agenda coming soon. No need to travel far, this year NENSA will be hosting a virtual TD&EO Training to get our TD and Event Organizers all the info and updates you need for this coming season!

THANK YOU to rk Miles for the lumber donation to help NENSA build some new ramps and supporting our rollerski programing here in New England! Check out this video NENSA made on how to build your own set of ramps (and be sure to stop by r.k. Miles for all your lumber needs on this fun project!)

Swix Gear Deal for NENSA BKL Skiers

NENSA is excited to be partnering again with Swix! This year Swix is offering discounted outerwear (training jacket, puffy coat, and training pants) to all NENSA-affiliated BKL Clubs. If your club is interested, please email Kelley Roche at kelley.roche@brav.com so she can get an online shop set up for you. Online club shops will be open for a few weeks for club members to place orders as supplies last. One shipment per club will then be sent to a club coach who will distribute the gear. All items will be embroidered with the NENSA logo. Reach out soon if you want orders to arrive before the holidays!

NENSA COVID-19 Considerations ~

Contingency Planning

for our Events and Races

this coming season

The Covid-19 pandemic poses significant challenges to NENSA’s 2020-21 winter event schedule. We are committed to hosting races and will make every effort to safely put on events in whatever form they might take. Our first objective is to ensure the health of our community in New England. Our second objective is to host our major events: Eastern Cups, Popular Races, U16 and Eastern High School Championships, the Bill Koch Festival, and Women’s Day as scheduled. To further foster excitement and an inclusive and community-centric atmosphere around skiing, NENSA will also be organizing some new fun season long challenges and goal-oriented activities. Skiers are encouraged to limit their travel and attend events that are within their region and state.

....click HERE for the current NENSA plans for Eastern Cups, Popular/Citizen Racing, U16 & EHS Camps, BKL Festival and Women's Day

From our NENSA Partners

Get Ready for the

12th Annual SkiErg Sprints

This year’s edition of the SkiErg World Sprints takes place November 12–15, 2020. Get ready to throw down your best 1k SkiErg time to see where you stand up against others around the world!

The 1000 meter race distance offers a good challenge that is a reasonable training goal for almost everyone. It will most likely take you somewhere between three and six minutes to complete. A little training will go a long way towards improving your performance and making the race more enjoyable. Training will also help you to dial in your optimal pace: fast enough to get you a personal best, but not so fast that you start too hard and “fly and die.” ...read full story HERE