Every year when the snowflakes start flying, Essex High School Nordic skiers get excited for the long, grueling, but above all, rewarding season ahead.
While Essex might seem like it has a disadvantage in the sport, being located further away from more reliable snow pack and the spine of the Green Mountains, EHS athletes find a way to make it work.
“The grit and resilience these athletes show is truly remarkable, and we simply love supporting the team,” coaches Matt Wignall and Yves Dubief said by email.
Those traits are vital to the success of a team especially with Vermont’s unpredictable weather patterns. The coaches said one of the last two State Championships was “t-shirt weather,” and the other was “near arctic conditions.”
“We have to train in all conditions,” Wignall and Dubief said. “The flexibility of our parents/guardians, the athletes and the athletic director is really what makes it all possible when the rain/warm temps try to get in our way.”
The EHS team trains mainly at Sleepy Hollow in Huntington and the Ethan Allen Firing Range in Jericho. The coaches are grateful to the people who help run these training spaces.
“At both locations, the trail maintenance teams are absolutely amazing with their snowmaking and grooming,” the coaches said. “We are so lucky and grateful to have access to these facilities.”
Since December, the EHS team has competed in several races – either skate style or classic, of varying distances. Athletes can choose to compete at either the varsity or junior varsity levels.
For the remainder of the season, the team’s goals are simple.
“We are not competing for the podium, but have a goal to move up the rank this year,” Wignall and Dubief said.
On top of that, the team has a bright future.
“We have several impressive athletes, but what stands out this year is that our top athletes are spread among each class,” the coaches said. “In a given race, our top athletes may come from each grade level. This has a very positive effect on the team overall, and for continued growth in years to come.”
This sport has valuable lessons that the athletes can carry with them for life.
“No matter where these kids go in life, they will know that hard work works, and that they’re capable of doing challenging things,” Wignall said.
What draws Dubief to coaching is the commitment of the players as well as their ability to have fun.
“They are serious and are not afraid to challenge themselves during workouts,” Dubief said. “But they also know how to enjoy the company of their teammates using any opportunities to ‘send’ jumps or play ‘sharks and minnows’ games on skinny skis. They also have really interesting choices of music that make Matt and me feel less old.”
