The MNC Junior program has grown drastically in the past few years, and I often make reference to the days when I would snap a picture at the Range when there were 10 kids because it represented a “huge” day and warranted documenting.
With over 40 athletes signed up for summer training and an “average” Tuesday or Thursday consisting of 30 skiers, it’s rewarding to see how far we’ve come and also a reminder to not take engagement and participation for granted.
However, at a meeting this spring I did say that, in terms of evaluation and goal-setting, we are at a point (as a club) where success is not necessarily measured in growth or participation numbers. Those participants should be happy, achieving goals, and growing as athletes and people…a deeper kind of increase than attendance alone.
While Mountain Camp filled up so fast that it temporary broke our web server, Mini Mountain Camp was strangely quiet…a few athletes signed up, some of whom have been looking forward to this camp for years. But it was quite a stark contrast to Mountain Camp. I have a couple of theories for this deluge at one camp and this trickle into another…and at some points I debated cancelling the camp or not making a big show of the trip…after all, when you have 40+ skiers regularly attending practice, wouldn’t it be a little demoralizing to share stories from a camp with only three athletes?
Well, the stories are going to be told, because this camp was a blast and there’s so many takeaways and positives that had nothing to do with attendance (just like the goals referenced above). This camp really represented a new generation of skiers entering their years as Juniors, and also a unique transition. I’ve known WHO these skiers were, and have watched them at races and events for a while, but only at this camp got a chance to really work with them in the same way as the older Juniors in a traditional training/camp environment.
This crew of Kate, Ryley, and Brooke all grew up involved in MNC programming at the BKL level, and they’re great friends. That made things pretty simple in terms of team cohesion for Coach Emily and I! We did have a new location to explore, and while many people might not think of Ludlow, VT as a Nordic destination, it is definitely what I’d call an “under-rated” Vermont town. Affordable lodging, an alpine mountain with some fun uphill roads and hiking trails, and close proximity to more traditional training spots like Killington, Stratton, and Woodstock. From classic intervals to distance runs this camp had it all.
Can’t train in Woodstock without running through some quaint bridges and dirt roads
We also happened to hit training camp in the hottest, most humid week of the entire summer. For example I believe it was 87 out and 93% humidity for this photo above. We did a point-to-point run starting at this covered bridge and ending at the White Cottage snack bar for ice cream and swimming. In fact we spent a lot of our post-workout time exploring the various ice cream options in Ludlow, Woodstock, Mendon, and more as we tried our best to keep cool.
Tough classic intervals up Okemo Ridge road! This was the first classic rollerski intensity ever for some!
I’m really impressed with the balance this group hit between relaxing and working hard. We talked a lot about “Type 1 Fun” (fun while it’s happening) and “Type 2 Fun” (hard in the moment, but fun upon reflection). These skiers got to experience both types, and it felt like just the right amount for U14 and U16 athletes…there’s plenty of time in the coming years to engage with the whole “grind, hammer, hurt, work, thrash” mentality, and instead of an intense ski training camp, this felt more like a fun summer camp that happened to be ski-themed.
Ryley, Kate, and Coach Emily
It just so happens that these three athletes are also biathletes, and they were missing some rollerski races back in Jericho to be at this camp. While it wasn’t USBA-sanctioned, we did have a BB gun on-hand for this camp, and set up some targets as well as creating what I dubbed the Vermont River Biathlon race…it involved running down to the nearby river behind the house, swimming across and picking up a cone from the other bank, returning to the house for a shooting stage involving seltzer cans, and a pushup-penalty-lap station.
Just some bb gun biathlon things
Did this camp fill all of the spots available? Not even close. I hope that next year we see the servers explode just like they do for Mountain Camp…but was this camp a success? Absolutely. Some real tough challenges were taken-on by these young athletes, and new skills in training and beyond were added to the toolbox of complete skiing.
As always, I was incredibly impressed by the focus and work ethic when it was called-upon, as well as the fun and camaraderie 100% of the time. I say that a lot about these trips and the athletes involved with MNC, and I’m lucky to be able to say it! There is a bright future ahead for this crew.
