TO: Racers & Parents 2020/2021 (48 subscribers)
Sparta Ski Team Update | Nov. 21, 2020
FROM THE COACHES CORNER
Hello Sparta Ski Team !!!
I hope everyone is well and getting stoked for the ski season. Just the other day we received a great big ski team delivery from Patagonia. Some of you are aware, that this year we faced a major challenge of limited supplies changing hourly - Not Fun. But thank God, we had Therese Calafati persistently fighting for you. Between Therese pulling all strings possible and Patagonia Corporate stepping up their support for our ski team, even upgrading jackets to make it work, they were able to make it happen. We will soon be driving up your ski team jackets to Winning Image Graphix in Pittsford, Vermont to be professionally embroidered and customized.
Why are we driving your jackets all the way up to Vermont you may ask? Because Winning Image is the best! Their customer support and quality craftsmanship are exceptional. Not to mention, I am certain Kim dusts our ski team jackets with "Winning Magic" that helps our racers ski fast, strong, and achieve podium placement. We expect to get them out to you in time for our first mountain practice in mid-December. On behalf of the Sparta Ski Team, I want to thank Patagonia, Winning Image Graphix, and Therese for all the hard work and for getting it done!
Although nothing can be written in stone, I am thrilled to announce, we now have a race schedule! The Race Schedule can be viewed on our EVENTS PAGE and on our CALENDAR PAGE, which also displays our practice schedule. This season our boys and girls varsity ski teams will compete in 5 scheduled conference races plus the Petro Race and hopefully State Championships and the Race Of Champions. The boys and girls JV ski teams will compete in 4 scheduled conference races and finish the season on Feb. 2nd.
I am working on scheduling 2 to 4 (mid-week) practices at nearby mountains (Blue Mountain, Camelback, and Mountain Creek) on days not covered by the NJISRA schedule. As you will see, our race season is significantly shorter. Dryland is starting three weeks later than normal and the season is scheduled to end three weeks earlier by February 12th.
As I have previously mentioned, all races and gate training practices will be held at either Winter 4 Kids in Vernon, NJ, or Mount Peter in Warwick, NY. The associated NJISRA fees to race and train at these mountains INCLUDING lift tickets are being submitted to the Sparta High School. Pending approval of this year's NJISRA invoice which covers the team cost of $800 and individual racer fees of $450 each; some portion of the NJISRA racers fees may be the responsibility of the racer. This year the NJISRA racer fees have increased and now INCLUDE lift tickets and even meals at W4K. This year a season pass is not required. You may only need to purchase a few day tickets and cover a portion of the NJISRA racer fees.
I will soon schedule a Zoom meeting to review the upcoming schedule and answer any questions.
In the meantime, have a wonderful Thanksgiving and start conditioning for dryland practice; which is now scheduled to start on Monday, December 14th.
Pre-Season Conditioning: Racers now is the time to start conditioning for dry-land practices. You should be working on cardio, strength, and agility equally. Preseason conditioning plays an important role in preparing for the ski season. When you do your part, both you and your teammates benefit from your dedication. Be prepared to commence practice with a 1-mile warm-up and cool down jog (4 laps around track = 1mi.), plus four rounds of mini Leg Blasters, consisting of 10x Air Squats; 10x In-Place Alternating Lunges; 10x Alternating Jump Lunges; 5x Jump Squats with a 60-second break in between sets.
Mountain Creek Passes: Anyone interested in purchasing a Mountain Creek season pass can get a discounted all-access student pass for just $249 (The offer expires at the end of November). Click here for our team discount code and for the link to purchase your pass. You will need to login into your account to view the page.
Stay safe and be well. See you soon!
Coach Calafati