This winter brought cold, cloudy days with a light covering of snow. Nevertheless, ski team definitely did not lack enthusiasm for the start of their season. On January 15, Ski team had their first race of many. It was a chilly night, so “the snow was slick which meant everyone went super fast on the course,” recounts Haley McLaughlin. “Girls ended up finishing second overall which is extremely impressive and exciting for our first race.”
When the ground had little to no snow in the early weeks, the team started out with exercises varying from running to “Keefer exercises” to volleyball. “It is a great way to start the season because all the kids are just getting to know each other and the coaches really make each workout fun. Then once the mountain opens up we train there every day of the week except Fridays,” Haley McLaughlin explains.
In addition, I was fortunate enough to talk with THE Coach Keefer, as everyone calls him. Knowing that Coach Keith was a passionate skier himself, two parents asked him to create a racing program thirty two years ago. Back in Germany when Coach Keith was in the army, he was intrigued by the learn-how-to-ski program at the German-Swiss border. It was “cheap for a week” and that’s when Coach Keith first learned to ski at twenty two years old. Coach Keith was able to learn great skiing technique because of his intense ski instructor, a mountain climber who would make his students climb back up the mountain. Being a skier himself, Coach Keith has skied all over the world, but his favorite place to ski is Zimat, Germany.
Skiing brings Coach Keith joy as well as seeing the camaraderie built among each member of the team. He is excited about each teammate’s dedication and individual talents that always shows in unexpected ways. If Coach Keith had to pick a favorite memory from all his years of coaching, it would be winning the championship five times. He says it is very intense when there are the last two skiers racing for the best time.
Like all sports, ski team offers many opportunities on and off the slope to bond with your teammates. Haley McLaughlin, who is a junior and a captain of the MLHSST says that their best bonding happens on the way up to the mountain when the team is jamming out to music on the bus. Halle Kimball, a senior and also a captain of MLHSST says how music helps bring up the morale of the team. Ski team “encourages us to our best and get on the slopes as much as possible,” comments freshman Isabel Reinebach. Senior Wesley Hemgreen adds that “there is always room for improvement.”
Many teammates, including junior Rowan Menard feel that “it’s more relaxed and less intense than other teams and it’s different than other sports because everyday we’re skiing and we don’t just have to go to practices in a gym or field.” When asked how it feels to be racing down the hill, Halle Kimball reveals how “the feeling of adrenaline and accomplishment after a race is always an unimpressionable feeling” After a race, Halle “loves how the team is so positive and are just as happy as you are when you do well in practice or a race.”
Another aspect of what makes ski team special are the coaches who push the team members to do their best and care deeply for each and every member. Haley McLaughlin shares that the coaches are all so helpful on and off the mountain. “I’m not sure if there is another Coach in the High School who cares as much about their students as Coach Schmidt. She is always there helping us out and has the biggest heart in the world. She is a big reason why I continue to race and love it so much.”
With many more races to come, ski team has had a very successful season so far. Everyone joins a team sport or activity because of the bonds built, the support, and the lessons learned from joining the sport. Ski team is filled with people who support everyone, welcomes people old and new, and form bonds “unlike those of any other sport at MLHS.”
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