This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, and I want to give a shout out to some of the BEST and most encouraging coaches in the universe! Our kids are damn lucky to be part of the Lin-Wood School and Loon Race Team ski community.  Throughout this journey, not knowing where it might lead, I think it’s important to pause and reflect after the ski boots have been put away.  Here is edition one, written back in 2018, when our kids first entered the ski racing universe. Our 7 year old daughter overheard another mom tell her daughter at the finish she could never beat her friend because she was an “academy kid.”   Then there is edition two, written in 2022, when we knew a little more but we were still far from knowledgeable, we observed a dad make an absolute ass of himself filming his daughter loudly narrating words I hope she never heard.    

But now here we are 7 years into the Loon Race Team, 4 years into the LW ski team, and just wrapping up our 5 years in the U12/U14 age group, between our two children, which I consider to be the youth “sweet spot.” There are cowbells and cheering and signs made for teammates.  Our dear friend and kids’ Lin-Wood School ski team race coach, Aaron, often tells me I should write a book about ski racing and parenting.  I’m not sure I have enough material yet to fill a book, but maybe one day.  Until then, I’ll share some recent observations and gratitude for this past ski season.  And I certainly don’t pretend to be an expert, but I figured someone might learn something from our experience which has been incredibly positive thanks to the very best coaches and mentors.

Here’s the thing, when your kids are little and you sign up for ski racing, we assume you (meaning your family) likely went into it for the right reasons.  This experience will teach my child how to be a strong technical skier; they will learn to be tough in the most difficult of weather situations, how to be brave, how to grow, how to fall, how to fail, how to take constructive feedback, and how to get back up again.  Then your kids grow from there– some stick with ski racing for years to come; others will continue with high school racing but not their clubs; still others will learn to share their love of ski racing with little ones through coaching.  But the goal is always to understand that skiing is a sport for a lifetime, and that means a lot, especially for a family like ours.  For those of you unfamiliar with our family, my husband Geoff suffered a spinal cord injury 30 years ago, but he still skis sitting down using a mono ski.    

What you can’t imagine when they are little is that one day you might find yourself in Canada trying to ski to the finish of the race course because your daughter is seeded early in the equivalent of junior national championships.  What you can’t imagine is the hard rain freezing into tundra turning any steep slope into a sheet of rock solid ice, which your worn to hell edges can’t grip.  Your 13 year old daughter is calm and smiling, having the time of her life skiing around with her coach, while you are knocking on death’s door, terrified of getting hurt, tensing each muscle in your legs, back, even the grip on your poles can do nothing to help you in these moments.  

But I make it to the finish just in time to see our girl ski, and she is amazing despite the ice, poised, fearless, and really damn fast.  Her skis are sharp, and her coaches have prepared her for all conditions and taught her “to control the things she can control.” I say this as a mantra over and over in my head all season long because it seems to work for both our children, even when they aren’t entirely pleased with their performance.  She has become friends with the girls from other clubs, including the ones from the ski academies, the ones she wondered years ago if she could ever catch on the snow; she wonders aloud how they will like their choices for high school.  But watching her truly compete with these other amazing racers brings tears to this momma’s eyes (and I know coach Jesse comes close) because we know how hard she works to be at this level.  

Our son transitioned to the world of U16 racing, and while he is holding his own, watching him seem to “start over” is hard.  Yet, his confidence, resilience, and work ethic has improved with every race regardless of “points earned” or overall results.  His coaches also really understand him and his energy, embracing his sense of humor, ability to talk to any and all ski racers and coaches ANYWHERE, coupled with his race day intensity.  With Geoff’s accident this winter, both kids’ coaches and racer/friends’ parents stepped up with rides to and from races I could not be at, and our race village supported our children so that they never missed a beat.  Thank you will never be enough!  

Yet, where our kids also truly “win” out is with their school ski team.  Their midweek training is magical both at our Kanc Rope Tow under the lights and Loon Mountain in the afternoons.  They seriously ski every day, and their coaches have to ask them to take a rest day when appropriate.  But here is the thing, they don’t tire from ski racing because they still just love to ski so much.  This is due in large part to the mentors they have on the slopes. They just skied the Stubai glacier in Austria with their Aunt Allison over spring break and, of course, happened to find some GS gates to play in.  

This year, especially, people ask if our kids will continue at Lin-Wood Public School, nestled in the heart of the White Mountains, given their ski racing success.  Our school (teachers and administrators included) supports their passion and allows many of their absences when many places would not.  Their coaches between Lin-Wood School and Loon Race Team collaborate on their training, communicating and suggesting when time off or rest might be needed. Why would we change a thing?  They love their coaches, and their coaches have taken the time to learn about them as individuals.   Like most siblings, what works for one kid doesn’t always work for the other.  Their mental health remains positive despite the challenge of many missed school days and keeping up with their studies.  They have good humans for friends, and they still love to ski most importantly.  

And if the time comes when they need something different, I trust the people who know more about ski racing, their coaches, to let me know when a change might make a difference.  I can not recommend the Loon Race Team and their coaching staff enough for helping our family to find the right balance for our children to pursue their passion. Lin-Wood Public School supports kids like ours so that they can remain in public school and aim for the stars.  Until then, we will see you on the slopes.  Thank you especially to these coaches, as well as the ones who came before and the ones who will come after– Edry, Aaron, Jesse, Marina, Brett, Mike, Tom, George, Megan, Pez, Harry, Burton, Corey, Dana, the JEFFS (Clermont, D’Agostine, and Bratz), Marcus, Bailey, Keegan, Kim, Michelle, and Kyle.  Thank you for what you bring to our children’s lives.