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Greetings NENSA Community,
If you’ve had a chance to visit Oak Hill recently, you’ll appreciate that even on a frigid night, a warm glow and thriving community await. In that community are skiers of all identities, adventurers to Olympians. Through an intentional approach to welcome and support the unique needs of the masses, incredible success has emerged; not because that is the guiding principle, but because it naturally follows those that are. We’re thrilled to recognize Hilary McNamee as NENSA’s 2025 Coach of the Year. Under her direction, Ford Sayre skiers have earned both 2024-25 Gallagher Awards (stay tuned for that announcement next week), contributed to Team NH’s U16 Championships victory, earned several All American finishes at Junior Nationals, and qualified for US Ski Team development projects. Equally impressive are the hundreds of skiers and volunteers involved in Ford Sayre’s Bill Koch League program and the beehive of activity they bring to the trails of Hanover on winter afternoons. Congratulations and thank you, Hilary, for cultivating (to continue the wonderful metaphors in the full announcement below) such a vibrant and inclusive ski community in the Upper Valley and beyond!
Speaking of Ford Sayre, we’re excited to be co-hosting the first NENSA Community Day of 2025 in Hanover next Friday. Community Days are a new focus of our summer and fall programming at NENSA, designed as opportunities for everyone to connect, explore, and learn together. Activities range from a play park and technique clinic to a community run and BBQ. Whether you’re new or seasoned, young or wise, near or far - we hope you’ll join us! Stay tuned for more details in the coming days on the event page and across our channels.
Enjoy the rest of your week!
All my best,
Heidi
Heidi Lange
Executive Director
New England Nordic Ski Association
heidi@nensa.net
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In this week’s Kickzone
Job Openings
Partnership Corner
In the News
| | NENSA News From the Field | | 2026 U16 & Eastern High School Championship Venues Announced | | |
NENSA’s Eastern High School and U16 Championships are highlights of the racing season for junior athletes. Skiers qualify for the events through their state’s qualification system and then spend a weekend in March representing their state and racing against New England’s fastest skiers. Top overall performers at the two Championship events will qualify for NENSA’s Regional Development Group Camp in summer 2026.
We are pleased to announce that the 2026 Eastern High School Championships will be at the Gore Mountain Nordic Center in North Creek, NY and the 2026 U16 Championships will be at the Oak Hill Outdoor Center in Hanover, NH.
| | Regional Development Camp Recap | |
Over the weekend, 30 athletes from across New England descended upon the Craftsbury Outdoor Center for three days of ski training. Skiers qualified for the Regional Development Group Camp through three different avenues: being a top overall performer at the NENSA Eastern High School Championships, qualifying for Junior Nationals as a U16, or being a top overall performer at the NENSA U16 Championships. Having three distinct pathways to camp meant that each athlete only knew a handful of other skiers before coming to Craftsbury. For three days, skiers were able to be part of a community larger than their home club or state. By the end of the weekend every camper knew the names of all of the athletes and coaches – this winter the New England skiing circuit will feel a little less daunting, a little more close knit, and will be filled with thirty more friendly faces.
| | THANK YOU TO OUR GOLD SPONSORS | | Hilary McNamee is 2025 NENSA Coach of the Year | | |
This award is given annually to honor a NENSA coach for their achievements and contributions in working with athletes, in support of NENSA’s mission to sustain a vibrant and active Nordic skiing community in New England.
Ski coaches get used to working in metaphors. Those refrains to skiers to “break the ice,” and help athletes chase their goals “down the road.” It follows then, that a great metaphor about a coach from their skiers must be the sign of a great coach.
At their end-of-season banquet this spring, the members of Ford Sayre Junior Nordic Ski Team (FSJNT) offered up just this honor for their Head Coach, Hilary McNamee. “One of the athletes compared Hilary’s abilities as a coach to her abilities as a flower farmer,” says Ford Sayre Assistant Coach Isabel Seay. “He described how just as she successfully grows a wide variety of flowers by knowing how to tend each of them, she successfully develops athletes of all levels by meeting them where they are at, understanding their goals, and providing them with the support they need (and more).”
| | NENSA Community Day at Ford Sayre | | |
Come one, come all — it’s time for a NENSA Community Day with Ford Sayre! Whether you’re a BKL skier, a curious newcomer, a parent, a coach or a masters athlete, this is your chance to come together with the ski community for an afternoon of movement, learning, and fun.
From rollerski games and biathlon to ski jumping, trail running, coaches education, and a delicious BBQ dinner, there’s something for everyone. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to connect with friends old and new, try something new, and get inspired for the season ahead.
| | THANK YOU TO OUR SILVER SPONSORS | | Skiers on 30 Years of NENSA: Sadie Graham | | |
NENSA is celebrating our 30th anniversary in 2025. As part of the occasion, we’re gathering reflections from skiers across New England on the people, moments, and values which have defined the NENSA community. Each week, we’ll feature a different member’s reflections in the NENSA Community in Kickzone. This week, we are featuring Sadie Graham, one of our dedicated Nordic Rocks coordinators located in Western Massachusetts.
When Sadie first strapped on a pair of cross country skis in 2015 as an adult, she had no idea how much the sport would come to mean to her, or where it would take her. Growing up, skiing wasn’t something that was easily accessible, even though it was all around her. But when she finally had the chance to try it as an adult, it quickly became a favorite way to stay active, enjoy winter, and connect with the outdoors.
| | Skiers on 30 Years of NENSA: Project | | |
30 years into NENSA, John Caldwell’s voice crying out in the wilderness is now a community which makes the wilderness its gathering spot and home. On the occasion of our 30th anniversary, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the pieces which have powered that transformation. The racers, organizers, coaches, innovators, leaders, and above all, skiers, which have made NENSA a dream which extends far into, and beyond, the New England winter woods.
Each week, we’ll feature a member of the New England ski community reflecting on what NENSA has meant to them and their journey in the sport of cross country skiing.
We want to hear from you!
Read more and find a collection form at the link below:
| | THANK YOU TO OUR BRONZE SPONSORS | | |
Assistant Coach of Nordic Skiing
Williams College, a Division III institution and member of the Eastern Intercollegiate Ski Association (EISA) and New England Small College Athletics Conference (NESCAC), is seeking applicants for the position of Assistant Nordic Ski Coach. This is a 40 hour per week, 10-month position with a full meal plan and a benefit package spread over 12 months, and also provides full tuition-remission of graduate school after six months of employment. Full job description and application instructions here.
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Graduate Assistant Coach for Men’s & Women’s Nordic Ski
St. Lawrence University is currently seeking applicants for a Graduate Assistant Coach for Men’s & Women’s Nordic Ski to begin Fall 2025. This 9-month position (August to May) is targeted toward graduate students seeking a master’s degree. Remuneration includes a very competitive coaching stipend, student health insurance, and eligibility for tuition remission (6 graduate classes per year in the University’s graduate program). St Lawrence offers a Master of Arts in Leadership. Full job description and application instructions here.
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Lead Snowmaker/General Maintenance
The General Maintenance and Service Worker maintains and cares for Bread Loaf campus grounds and facilities. This position is a full-time, benefit eligible position working for the Rikert Outdoor Center from December to March. From April to November picking up and delivering materials, furniture and equipment to campus buildings and facilities. The hiring range is $19.26 – $23.59/hour with an anticipated increase July 1. Full job description and application instructions here.
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Welcome Red Elephant Racing
We're excited to welcome Red Elephant Racing as our newest NENSA Sponsor! Their dedication to helping masters skiers and all endurance athlete achieve their performance goals through tailored coaching and skills development aligns with our mission of supporting skier development at every age and level of the sport. Red Elephant Racing also aims to cultivate community training opportunities for masters skiers through camp offerings that blend ski training with fun and adventure in beautiful places. If you're looking to meet more skiers and jump start your fall training, check out Red Elephant's all inclusive Park City Fall Camp in September featuring rollerskiing at Soldier Hollow and trail running and riding in Park City.
We're also excited to share that Red Elephant has extended 10% off the purchase of one camp and/or a free initial coaching consultation and 15% off the first three months of coaching services to all NENSA members. Learn more through the NENSA Member Portal under the Benefits tab.
| | Scenes from the NENSA Community | | Sprint heats at the Regional Development Group (RDG) Camp last week at the Craftsbury Outdoor Center. | | |
Southern Maine Snow + Trails Raffle
July 9, 2025
Several NENSA members are working with local cross country ski enthusiasts in southern Maine to launch a new trail system in the Greater Portland Area with snow making. Southern Maine Snow + Trails is on a mission to provide reliable snow conditions and extend the season in a region that is rich in nordic racing history, close to two competitive college programs, and home to a significant population of current and potential skiers. They are currently organizing a fundraising raffle with the opportunity to win a pair of Fischer skis. Learn more about Southern Maine Snow & Trails and enter the raffle here.
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National Nordic Foundation: Summer Auction is Live
July 7, 2025
The National Nordic Foundation (NNF) is a grassroots effort by American skiers to support American skiing. Their work is driven by their mission to power the opportunities that bridge the gap to World Cup and Olympic excellence for development Nordic Skiers from the United States. Read more about NNF and support their work through their summer auction here.
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New England Nordic Ski Association
P.O. Box 97
Lyme, NH 03768
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