With the alpine ski season right around the corner, the St. Michael’s College men’s team has high hopes for the 2009 season. A new training program with an accomplished new assistant coach gives the team reason to be optimistic about the upcoming season.
Recipe for change
2008 brought mediocre results for the team. As a Division 2 team, it is difficult for St. Michael's to compete against schools like the University of New Hampshire, the University of Vermont, and Middlebury, who are Division 1, and offer scholarships, and recruit nationally and internationally.
Junior Kris Ochs, a member of the alpine team, is optimistic about the upcoming season.
“We look better this year; there seems to be more of a team feel,” Ochs says. "We have trained harder and there seems to be more focus among the guys.”
Junior Brad Harden shares Ochs’ optimism.
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Junior Peter Benedetto barely avoids the gate as he flies through the course.
(Photo courtesy of Brad Harden) |
“The team has very high hopes for the year; the added depth should make a significant difference,” he says.
The depth of the team serves as a key point for the high hopes of the team. A complicated scoring system awards points not only to the fastest skier of the race, but also the top end of the field of racers, Ochs says.
The addition of a large group of first-years will add to team depth in a big way. Nearly half of the team is first-year students, Harden says.
A fresh face
Another source of confidence for the team is the addition of assistant coach Tyson McGinty. McGinty developed a morning workout program for the team. In past seasons, the skiers worked out individually.
McGinty, a Vermont native, is also an accomplished collegiate skier. McGinty skied for the University of New Mexico and Sierra Nevada College, both Division 1 schools. Before getting the position at St. Michael's McGinty spoke with the University of New Hampshire as well as many prestigious ski clubs in the region about coaching positions, he says.
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Junior Sam Wunsch makes the mountain cry for mercy.
(Photo courtesy of Seth Cole) |
In the past, the team had worked out on their own time. This year the team’s off-snow training which is referred to as “dry-land” happens four days a week for an hour-and-a- half starting at 6:30 a.m. These workouts have not only brought the athletes to a new level of fitness, but also built a team camaraderie among the skiers.
These workouts can be brutal so early in the morning, Harden says. They work a great deal on the core, as well as cardio, balance,and flexibility.
“The main focus of dry-land is injury prevention, ultimately we want to walk away from the season where everyone is successful and healthy,” McGinty says.
Keeping balanced
McGinty is fully aware of life beyond ski racing and stresses the importance of staying healthy for life after competitive skiing.
“Almost everyone in ski racing eventually does something else with their lives,” McGinty says. “Most people don’t ski race for the rest of their lives. It’s not worth ruining your body now for maybe a year of excitement while you still have the rest of your life and don’t want to be plagued with an injury.”
McGinty also acknowledges his role as a contact between the athletes and head coach Warren Palmer. Palmer is not involved with the team on a daily basis, McGinty explains. McGinty tries to stay on the athletes’ case on a day-to-day basis so Coach Palmer doesn’t have to drop the hammer himself when a situation grows to a bigger problem. McGinty feels his proximity to the age of the athletes helps him connect and relate to them.
Ochs, Harden and McGinty are all satisfied with the attitude of the team this year.
While the collegiate season does not start until January, there are some United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA) races coming up. Athletes compete in these races individually with no association with their schools or the NCAA. Assistant coach McGinty stresses the importance of these races.
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Harden has high hopes for this season.
(Photo courtesy of Brad Harden) |
“It’s not a college race, but a lot of collegiate athletes will be there which is why it'js good to participate in these early season races to get in touch with other racers on the circuit,” McGinty says.
There are challenges for the team this year. Ochs noted the difficulty of competing against some of the powerhouse schools in their division. McGinty dismisses the challenge as a very achievable.
“The attitude of the team has been unmatched this year,” Harden says. “We just arrived back from our Thanksgiving camp in Mont St. Anne, Quebec and were overwhelmingly successful.”
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