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BKL Ski Coaches Needed

By on 30 September, 2025 in BKL Race Blog, Uncategorized

Consider becoming a BKL Ski Coach with MNC.  We currently need a few more coaches for our Jack Rabbits (grade 1-4) and Arctic Foxes (grade 5-8) programs. Coaching is fun! You will learn a lot more about skiing, get great exercise every week, and give back to the community.

We teach our coaches how to teach skiing and provide detailed lesson plans to help guide every practice. As a thank you, coaches receive a credit to use towards any MNC program, a MNC coaching jacket and discounts on ski gear and supplies.

Coaching is a great for parents of BKL skiers, MNC masters, recent college graduates and anyone in our community who loves Nordic skiing and is interested in helping the next generation get excited about skiing.

We start the first week of December and go to mid March. Practice is at Tomasi Meadow in Underhill Center on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 3:45 to 5:15, with coaches ideally arriving at 3:30. You can choose to coach one or two days a week. Coaches work with the same group of skiers through the season.

If you are interested in coaching please reach out before registering yourself or your children for programs. Contact Liz Hollenbach at: bkl@mansfieldnordic.org

2026 NENSA BKL Festival Location Announcement

By on 15 July, 2025 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

This just in from NENSA: The New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA) is excited to announce that the 2026 New England Bill Koch League (BKL) Festival will be hosted by JacksonXC BKL and JacksonXC in Jackson, New Hampshire from February 28 to March 1, 2026.

The BKL Festival is the marquee event of the Bill Koch Youth Ski League, whose mission is to introduce young people to the lifelong sport of cross-country skiing—and the many associated health, fitness, and social benefits—in a fun, inclusive, and safe environment.

The BKL Fest is open to all MNC BKL skiers and families. It’s always an amazing weekend of skiing that includes some races, ski adventures, games and activities on skis. Here are a few tips from Coach Liz if you are thinking about going to the Fest this year.

Lodging There are lots of lodging options in the Jackson, NH area including hotels, condos and houses. Some MNC BKL families are staying at the Eagle Mtn House. MNC families typically stay wherever works best for them and we don’t have a specific team hotel. Here is a great list of lodging options from the NENSA website. And even if we don’t all stay in the same place we spend all day together at the event and we’ll plan to have a team dinner one of the nights we are there.

Registration will begin in December. If your family is considering going we encourage you to register for a NENSA Membership soon. NENSA memberships are required to register for the BKL Fest.  Once you your child has a NENSA Memberhsip you will begin to receive information about the Fest. We will also post registration reminders on the MNC website and in MNC Club communication.

 

Sleepy Hollow Mtn Race on May 4th – Race or Volunteer

By on 8 April, 2025 in BKL Training Schedule

Calling all runners and uphill enthusiasts…the Sleepy Hollow Mountain Race is a fun, challenging, local mountain race. For a third year in a row this race is at Cochran’s.

Oh…and there will be pancakes for all, much like at Nordic Cross! Check out photos from last year’s race to get psyched!

The kids trail race is the perfect spring adventure for BKL skiers. Kids races are free, but online registration is encouraged. There is a lollipop race, half mile race and 1 mile race.

  • Race Date is Sunday May 4, 2025  kids race at 11:15 and 10km at noon
  • Registration  Link Here
  • If you are curious who else is registered Link Here
  • Online pre reg is $30 + reg fee (late rate after 4/26 $40); Under 18 is $25 + reg fee
  • www.sleepyhollowmtnrace.com

This race is part of the USATF-NE Mountain Running Series, the oldest mountain running circuit in the US.

Volunteers needed! Help support this homegrown local race. Coach Liz is looking for a few more volunteers to help make the race run smoothly. If you want to get in some training while volunteering, try course monitor. Other volunteer jobs include parking, registration, timing. We also need some parent and kids volunteers at the water station (right next to the Cochran’s lodge). Email us if you are interested in volunteering

We hope to see you at the race!

Liz Hollenbach and Kasie Enman

sleepyhollowmtnrace@gmail.com

BKL Summer Ski and Bike Camp at Sleepy Hollow

By on 1 April, 2025 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

Our friends at Sleepy Hollow BKL host a couple great camps each summer. This year there is an Outdoor Camp and a Ski Camp. Heather LaRocca, director of Sleepy Hollow BKL, has extended her camp invitation to any MNC BLK families that want to join. All the info is below.

Sleepy Hollow Summer Camps 2025

SLAMMIN’ OUTDOOR CAMP: Get outside and adventure in Sleepy Hollow’s 850 acres of forest and trails! We head out on the trails every day to explore the natural world around Sleepy with a new outdoor theme every day, including forest, stream and pond studies. We also do fun outdoor activities every day- hiking, mountain biking, swimming and more!  Campers can expect a fun week outside packed with activities, art projects and games.

Ages: 8-12 years old

Cost: $350 per camper

Weeks: July 21 – 25 OR July 28 – August 1

Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

SUMMER SKI CAMP: Spend the week outside at Sleepy Hollow’s 850 acres of forest and trails, with running, hiking, mountain biking, rollerskiing*, swimming and more! The camp is geared towards kids that are excited to try some summer nordic summer training. We get out on the trails every day and do activities, art projects and games too, all with the focus of summer fun outside! *Rollerskis not needed- we team up with NENSA for rollerskiing, and they provide a fleet for us to use.

Ages: 10-14 years old

Cost: $350 per camper

Weeks: July 14 – 18

Time: 9:00 am – 3:30 pm

Go to the Sleepy Hollow Summer Camps webpage for the registration link.

Questions? Contact Summer Camp Director, Heather LaRocca at laroccabeal@gmail.com or 802-345-7837

BKL End of Season Fun – Olympics and Awards Day

By on 19 March, 2025 in BKL Race Blog, BKL Training Schedule

We celebrated the end of the ski season with two really fun days at practice.

MNC BKL Olympics Day was Thursday, March 6th. The warm weather and deep snow on the Tomasi trails made for a fun day with some tricky conditions for the Olympic Events.

Teams included a couple skiers from each of our groups (JackRabbits, Arctic Foxes and Racers). Countries represented this year included Austria, Finland, France, Germany Italy, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

Team Sweden and Team Norway

 

Teams competed in Dual Slalom, Ski Volleyball, Cone Shuttle Relay and Tennis Ball Biathlon.

Ski Volleyball was a new event this year and it’s fun, but tricky.

The Dual Slalom is always one of the favorite BKL Olympics events!

With very warm temps in the forecast the End of Season Celebration and Awards Day was moved up a couple days to Tuesday, March 11th. Skiers arrived at Tomasi to find t-shirt skiing weather and quickly shed gloves and hats as groups took off for some skiing and games ahead of awards.

The Penguins group with Coaches Nancy and Isabel and Scott.

At the end of practice coaches and skiers gathered in small groups to hand out paper plate awards, our new BKL sticker and gingerbread edible medals. It was a fun atmosphere with skiers, parents and coaches all celebrating together.

Thanks to all the BKL Coaches for making great paper plate awards for all the skiers!

Congratulations to our 8th Graders that have graduated from BKL – Adrianna Bibeau, Greta Carroll, Logan Cichanowski, Emma Connell, Linnea Daily, Fiona Repp and Ansel Sprague. We also had a couple 8th graders that were old enough to practice with the MNC Juniors this winter and joined us at the end of the season to participate at the New England BKL Festival – Sylas Weaver and Liam Vile.

We celebrated the end of the season with edible medals and new stickers!

A huge thanks Catherine McIntyre for designing our cool BKL sticker and Sarah and Greta Carroll (Better Baked Vermont) for making gingerbread edible medals for everyone.

We love edible medals. Thanks to Sarah and Greta Carroll for making one for each skier!!

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