Team Together: Hanover Cross-Country Skiing
By Liz Haas
Joining a high school sport that you have never played before may seem scary, but joining the cross-country ski team for the first time was far from that. As a sophomore who needed a break from running, I chose cross-country skiing easily. I already knew many people on the team from cross-country running, and I was looking forward to getting in some good cross training. However, there were some small problems: I did not know how to classic nor skate ski, and I did not own my own skis. After rummaging around in the dark corners of my garage, I was able to locate an ancient pair of poles and my stepmother’s classic skis. One of my friends loaned me an old pair of her skate skis, and I was ready to go.
Now, if you are under the misconception that cross-country skiing is easy, or that “it’s just like walking, except you happen to be strapped into skis,” you are very wrong. At the beginning of the season, we participated in copious amounts of dry-land training that consisted of everything from running to Occum Pond and doing strange muscle-building exercises that involve jumping up hills, to core, strength, and yoga sessions. Having just completed my second cross-country running season, I was in relatively good physical condition, so for me, the hard part of skiing came when the snow fell.
After about two inches had accumulated on the turf field, we had our first practice on skis. Tom, one of our coaches, spent time with us newbies, teaching us different poling techniques and what one must do with his or her legs to actually move forward. We all looked rather silly, tripping all over ourselves and demonstrating all the different ways not to double-pole. But Tom never gave up on us. Instead, he gave us his half-hour lesson and set us free to figure out the rest on our own while the more experienced skiers
I should mention one very important thing about Tom: he is very relaxed. No one is ever cut from the team, and he does not mind working with those of us who have conflicts, such as driver’s education twice a week. There is no penalty for coming in last from practice or falling at the bottom of a large hill. What Tom and our other coach, Mr. Picconi, care about is how hard you try. It does not matter to them if you come in last in a race; as long as you gave it your all, they are happy.
Another great thing about skiing is that you do not have to race if you are not ready. Some people on the team never race, and others go to every single one. I fall somewhere in between, having competed in three races.
Now, do not be mistaken, I have not come out of this season a pro skier; we leave that to captain Emily Nice. I have learned a great deal, however. I may have come in somewhere in the middle of the B—ski name for JV— races, but my teammates were there cheering me on all the way. My coaches have shown me that it is not just about being the superstar of the team, but putting in the time and effort to improve. Cross-country skiing for Hanover really is what you make it. Some people are on the team to stay in shape, others just love to ski, and then there are those who have been skiing since they could walk. Cross-country skiing is for anyone and everyone who wants to get out and have some fun while exercising during the winter months.
Over the course of the season, I have come to see that being on the ski team is about much more than how fast you can V2: it is about being a part of a team, working together on the course, and hanging together at Friday night team dinners. We encourage and support each other on and off the snow, whether we are number one or number forty-seven, freshman or senior, first year or captain.
So if you wish you had participated in a sport this winter, or you feel like you could have used a change of pace, consider joining the cross-country ski team next year. I know I will be back.