MA Nordic skiing community brings in record setting amount of athletes
The glimpse of the sun is just rising, it peeks through the pine trees on an early Saturday morning. The skis in the car rattle against the poles as the car pulls up to ski practice. The bitter cold bites skin as soon as the skiers disembark from the warm car.
The coldness makes skin burn, but nothing is better than the reward at the end of the freezing practice: bagels and chocolate milk. That is what Amanda Lindskoog said is her favorite Nordic skiing memory.
“I was sitting there and eating and of course I didn’t want to go to practice when I woke up, but afterward it was like a reward getting to eat bagels and chocolate milk.”
The Nordic season is coming to a start and more and more people are joining Nordic every year. This year’s team membership includes 81 girls and boys from grades 6 to 12 making it the largest sports team Minnehaha Academy has.
“The growth of the team is amazing, and I think it’s because everybody comes to Nordic for their own reason and they feel important no matter what that reason is,” said Britt Guild, who has been a Minnehaha Nordic coach for seven years now with the last four as head coach.
Coach Guild has always been willing to help the new skiers every year and goes out of her way to do that.
“Britt Guild is so easily willing to help kids that want to do Nordic. There’s a lot of kids that do it and a lot of new skiers every year,” said first-year Maise Magnuson.
Guild impresses everyone more and more every year because of her excitement and dedication to the sport.
“Britt has a very big impact on all of the team because her energy is amazing,” said Lindskoog. “During races she has a megaphone and she’ll be screaming at you and encouraging you.”
Most of the skiers interviewed said that they really enjoyed the Nordic community of Nordic and how much the community impacts their love for the team. Why else would people work so hard in frigid temperatures?
“Nordic has a strong community and everyone knows or meets new people, so that’s why I joined it.” Said by first year Wyatt Johnson.
“I love winter sports and Britt is really nice, and I just have a lot of friends on the Nordic team and I have made even more friends because of how great the community is and how nice everyone is.” Said by Nevis Hill.
Coach Guild introduces nordic to lower schoolers right at grade one. “I start them in first grade and get them excited, but I also think that the best recruiters are the participants of the nordic team.” Said by Guild.
When captain Finn Christiansen first joined the team there were no other middle school boys. So he took matters into his own hands and recruited half of the middle school orchestra for the next Nordic season “Finn back in seventh grade, wanted to have friends on the team so he recruited people from orchestra that wanted to be part of the team, and then it just built and built.” Said Guild
Coach guild is extremely proud of this growth and how big her team has gotten throughout the years she’s coached. “Everybody comes with a different goal in mind, and then it’s up to the coaches and captains to be able to honor everyone’s goal and make them feel part of the community.”