November 27, 2013 – New England Coaches, it’s that time of year when rollerskis get packed into their garaged hibernation, and reflective vests get switched out for Gore-Tex. As coaches we stop worrying about road safety and transition to on-snow drills. It is probably one of the best times of year, where athletes’ waning fall motivation gets replaced with instant wintry exuberance the second skis hit snow.

This season features the long-awaited return of Junior Nationals to New England! This week-long racing event takes place March 1-8 at Trapp Family Lodge in Stowe, VT and features the very best American Juniors vying for the title for National Champion. Because of the home-trail advantage and close proximity for regional coaches, Team New England is offering internship opportunities to a few coaches. Intern duties will feature assistance with age-group coaches, race day team operation assistance, among other various duties.

Personally I can attribute a lot of my coaching success to tips, tricks, and lessons I’ve gleaned from my experiences racing and coaching at Junior Nationals. Even just being present in the wax room when a wax rep swings through will result in furious note scribbling, and the realization that you will inevitably double your wax budget for the next year. The communal knowledge and expertise that exists in the New England coaching staff is unparalleled, and even a discussion in the lunch line can have a tremendous impact on your coaching skills or philosophy.

So if you are interested in this fantastic opportunity to be part of the New England Junior National Team and augment your coaching acumen, we strongly encourage you to contact Janice Sibilia at janice@nensa.net with the following:

A brief letter including your racing and coaching experience, what you hope to get out of this opportunity, and what you value you can bring to the 2014 NE Team. Keep under 500 words.

Let’s bring back the Alaska Cup and show the full strength of New England athletes, clubs and schools!

– Cam MacKugler, NE Junior Nationals Head Coach

NENSA Annual Fall Auction Fundraiser!

Bidding opens this Friday, November 29th. Now that is some Black Friday shopping you can feel good about!
This year’s auction features an exciting mix of items from great holiday gifts to training gear to signed skis and we’ll be adding new items all week. Join the fun at www.32auctions.com/NENSA2013.

NENSA’s annual fall auction is a key fundraiser and all proceeds directly support NENSA programming. All of the products, services, and experiences up for bid are generously donated by local businesses, artists, craftsmen and members of our New England Nordic community.

Bid early, bid often, and be generous. This is Black Friday shopping you can feel good about!