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Mpls Alpine Ski Team
Update #2: September 6, 2018 Subject: State Fair Re-Cap; MAST Registration Update; MAST BBQ Picnic and Annual Meeting, Equipment, Parent Social and More… Dear Athletes and Parents: THANK YOU TO ALL who helped clean the goat barn on Monday evening. We finished in record time. Our supervisor from the State Fair had this to say: “your group is flippin’ amazing.” I’ll take that as a compliment. He told me that the last group to clean it didn’t finish until 11PM. Everyone just started digging in, working together to get the work done and do it well. I was really impressed by the number of NEW families and athletes who helped. I picked up a blue Henri Lloyd jacket from the bleachers after everyone left. Please give me a call if you would like to retrieve it: 612-275-8392. Registration Update Thank you to ALL 79 of you who have registered to ski with MAST as of this morning. Thirty of you are new to MAST, so “Welcome.” Returning athletes and families: I suspect that most of you are planning to register since so many of you already purchased a season pass back in March. If you still need to register, here is a link: 2018-19 MAST Registration. If you are waiting to register for some reason that is fine, but please send me a note to confirm your intentions: markrobertconway58@gmail.com. If you need instructions about the MAST 2-STEP REGISTRATION PROCESS CLICK HERE. One small clarification about payment: you have the option of paying the MAST team fee ($175) and MPS Activity Fee ($75) by credit card or check. If you do pay by check, please make the check payable to Mpls Alpine and mail to: Mpls Alpine Ski Team, c/o Mark Conway, 4800 Harriet Ave S, 55419. MAST BBQ Picnic and Annual Meeting: Sunday, September 23, 2018 This annual event at Beard’s Plaisance (44th and Upton Ave S) runs from 4:30PM to 6:30PM or sunset, whichever comes first. The BBQ and Picnic will allow athletes, parents and coaches to meet one another, to share information about the upcoming season, to kick off the MAST apparel sale and fundraising activities, and to hold the Annual Meeting of the Minneapolis Alpine Ski Team (our 501c3). MAST will provide charcoal and light the grills located at Beard’s. Families should bring something to share with the team and something to throw on the grill for your family. If your last name begins with: A-G: Bring Salad or Side Dish H-M: Bring Dessert N-Z: Bring Beverage(non-alcoholic) or Chips SENIORS: please arrive early (4:00) to help with set up. JUNIORS: please plan to stay a bit longer and help with clean up duties. PLEASE NOTE: At 4:45, the Captains, Coaches and Board Members will start a short presentation covering team finances, training and camp plans, apparel sales, fundraising, and parent volunteer needs. It will be riveting. Print the attached flyer as a reminder of this fun and informative event. MAST Team Fundraiser: Pierce Skate and Ski Oktoberfest-- October 5-7, 2018. Once again, MAST will be grilling and serving hot dogs at the Pierce Skate and Ski Oktoberfest from Friday, October 5 through Sunday, October 7, 2018. Shifts are a little over two hours in length and require a minimum of two people per shift. One adult is required per shift to supervise the work. Note that shifts are available during the school day on Friday. Parents, we will need your help to fill these spots since the athletes are in school. A big thank you to Roger Finney who has already signed up to staff a couple of Friday morning shifts. Please sign up for the 2018 Pierce Oktoberfest Team Fundraiser HERE! [To help recruit and organize volunteers during the season, MAST uses SignUp.com. It is easy to use. Just enter your email address and select your shift. You will NOT need to create an account on SignUp.com. SignUp.com will send you an automated confirmation and reminders.] MAST Equipment Check and Swap: Saturday, September 29 We are holding our second annual equipment check and swap the morning of Saturday, Sept 29. Location: 4800 Harriet Ave. S. (across from Fuller Park) Equipment drop off: 8am-9am. Swap: 9am-Noon If you are unsure about whether it is time to switch out your boots or skis, bring them to the swap for a coach to advise. Save The Date: Sunday, October 14, 2018--MAST Parent Social and Training Once again, we will be gathering on the scenic shores of Cedar Lake at the home of Lisa and Doug Tanner for an afternoon of food, drink, mingling and alpine racing education. More details coming soon. For now, reserve the afternoon/early evening of Oct 14. You won’t want to miss it! Equipment First, all returning athletes to should TRY ON YOUR BOOTS to see if they still fit. If they are tight, know that a ski shop can stretch and cut boots so that you can get one more year out of them. Not always, but frequently. Make sure you are trying on boots with a ski sock. If you are wearing a medium or heavy weight sock, try a lightweight ski sock. It might just make a difference and you will not sacrifice warmth. If you are new to ski racing, you will want a pair of racing boots. They will give you a better position over your skis and the ability to flex your boots properly. Recreational boots do not serve ski racers well once we get into a race course. Caution: your feet do not need to be uncomfortable in ski boots, but ski boots should not and will not feel like tennis shoes either. Second, everyone should have SLALOM race skis. Slalom race skis will serve you well once you get into a slalom course. They will hold on ice (provided you keep them sharp); they will execute a tight radius slalom turn (provided you have learned the proper technique and tactics); and they will handle the high speeds you will attain without rattling your brain matter. Third, ski swaps are starting up soon. Buck Hill holds one the weekend of Sept. 28-30; Afton Alps will be held October 5-7 and 12-14; Team Gilboa at Hyland Hills holds one the weekend of Oct 26-28. If you plan to purchase your skis or boots at a ski swap I have two pieces of advice: 1. Know your sizes and preferred models/brands beforehand. The sales help at swaps has been hit and miss—mostly a miss. 2. Bring the phone numbers of your coaches (they should be listed on our website) so that if you have any questions, you can give us a call while you are making your decision. In addition, you can find used equipment for sale at several sites on the worldwide web. Check out this link to our Equipment page on our website for more information. Explore other pages on our website for more information about the equipment you need and the proper size. Attached is the MAST Guide To Buying Used Ski Equipment. If you are in the market for used skis or boots, you should download and read this document before making a purchase. And if you are buying new for the first time, this document might be useful to you as well. You will at least know whether the salesperson has sized you properly. Finally, attached is a letter from Bart Pierce, the owner of Pierce Skate and Ski. In my opinion and in my experience, the staff at Pierce Skate and Ski does a great job fitting and matching our athletes into the best boots and skis possible. If you are looking for new equipment, Pierce offers a special pricing program to our athletes on most race equipment (boots, skis, bindings, poles and even waxes) from now through the middle of October. See the letter for details. Also know that Bart has an inventory of skis from last season that he has specially priced for high school racers. The skis are adult lengths and models and come with bindings, mounting and a race tune included in the package price. This will save you a few hundred dollars over buying this year’s model. The shop gets busy this time of year, so if you are looking for new equipment, I suggest making an appointment. A proper boot fitting usually takes 90 minutes to complete at Pierce. Be sure to tell Bart and his staff that you ski for MAST. And if you are a returning skier with MAST, download your best Sprongo video clip so the staff can see how you ski. This will help the salesperson determine which models are best suited for your ability level. Raise the MAST Signs If you are in possession of a MAST Lawn Sign, feel free to set it out in your yard. If you are new to MAST, a lawn sign will be delivered in the near future. If you are a returning athlete and you do not have a sign, please send me an email: markrobertconway58@gmail.com. Hyland Season Pass Fee Payments If you ordered a Hyland Season Pass this fall, please remember to send payment in the amount of $424 to: Mpls Alpine c/o Mark Conway 4800 Harriet Ave. S. Mpls, MN 55419 As always, please contact me by email or phone if you have any questions. Mark Conway 612-275-8392 markrobertconway58@gmail.com Minneapolis Alpine Ski Team
Update #1: Friday, August 31, 2018 Subject: MAST Registration OPENS Saturday, September 1, 2018! Dear Athletes and Parents: Although the official start of the high school ski season is still a full two and a half months away, registration for MAST opens on Saturday. Why Is Registration Opening Now? Simply put: large pool of returning racers, lots of interest from new skiers, limited roster spots. We need to know just how big our team is going to be this Winter so we can plan properly and give you the best athletic experience possible. Let’s get started. Who Should Register Now? You should register NOW if you can answer YES to these two questions: 1. Are you willing to make a commitment to attend practice a minimum of three to four times a week? 2. Are you will to work hard in practice to improve your skiing skills? If you answered YES to both of these questions, you are invited to register now. If you can’t answer YES to both questions, you might want to wait and gather more information before making a final decision. How Can I Learn More About MAST Before I Register? 1. Download and read the MAST FACT SHEET. The MAST Fact Sheet should cover most of the fundamental questions you might have about the team: costs, training times, general race information, equipment, etc. 2. Website: www.mplsalpineski.org. Certain pages on our website take a deep dive into different aspects of our sport and team. For instance, you can learn how to tune your skis or how to buy used skis and boots. The website will be updated continuously now through the end of the ski season, so it is worth checking back several times a week. 3. Call Mark Conway at 612-275-8392 if you have a more involved question. If the question demands more than a three or four sentence response, please call over email. If you have a simple question, email me at markrobertconway58@gmail.com. What Is The Registration Process? Actually, it is a TWO-STEP PROCESS. The first step is to register with MAST. The second step is to register with your high school athletic director. Attached is an important document that will guide you through this two-step registration process in detail. Please download, print and read carefully. You can complete Step One at your convenience online starting Saturday, September 1. Here is a link: MAST Registration You may be able to complete Step Two (registering with MPS/MSHSL) this early in the Fall, it depends on your athletic director. I suspect that most of the ADs are not yet accepting forms for the Winter sports season, but, if you really want to get this done now, it doesn’t hurt to ask. Some final notes:
c/o Mark Conway 4800 Harriet Ave S Mpls 55419 Unfortunately, registration is a bit complicated. Please take your time so that we have all the information we need and that it is accurate. And go through the MPS Athletic Registration Packet carefully, making sure that all initials and signatures are affixed. Remember, the athletic director must CLEAR every athlete to participate before he or she can begin practicing with us on November 12. Every year, someone is held back from participating because the athlete or a parent missed a signature line—or because a physical examination clearance form had expired. Don’t be THAT person THIS year. That’s all… for now! I look forward to seeing many of you Monday night at the Goat Barn. Mark PS. Step One Link: MAST Registration Step Two Link: MPS 2018-19 Athletic Registration Packet We hope you have had a wonderful summer.
We are closing in on everyone's favorite MAST event: The State Fair Goat Barn Cleaning Fundraiser. Monday, September 3, 2018.... 5:30PM-8:30/9PM? Anyone who can shovel, pitch, push, and sweep is welcome. For your service, you will gain free entry to the State Fair and experience the joy of working as a team to accomplish what at first glance appears to be a daunting task. And you will be helping MAST generate revenue to cover some of our race fees during the season. Look for an email later this month with information about how to sign up for this fundraiser and pick up State Fair Tickets. If you know people who are interested in joining MAST, please encourage them to visit our website to sign up to receive MAST Updates. I want to take a moment to say THANK YOU to all the parents who came and helped at Spirit Mt on Thursday. Your willingness to work the race made a good impression with the race organizer and others from the northern conference. In fact, the Hibbing coach would like us to race in the Hibbing Invitational next year when we are at Giants Ridge over winter break again. Our athletes also had a very good day on the hill. The Southwest girls took first place and the Washburn boys took third. Last week I told you that the coaches had seen a lot of breakthroughs in practice. Those breakthroughs were on display at both the Cloquet Invitational on Thursday and the JV race on Friday. Keep up the hard work. And THANK YOU to all the athletes who got up very early to race that day and to all the coaches who supported you. THANK YOU.
We also had fantastic early morning training sessions on both Friday and Saturday. Athletes had to contend with warm temps, soft snow and ruts on Friday and then rock-hard snow on Saturday. A nice contrast. Lift lines were short, so everyone made a lot of runs. We have two Saturday morning training sessions remaining. If you are not going to Wild Mt for Supplemental Training on February 3, you should be at morning training at Hyland. And I want EVERYONE to attend on February 10 since there will not be any supplemental training that day. We do not get a lot of opportunities to train in daylight. Take advantage of it. Plus, these morning sessions are really fun. If you don’t believe me, ask Blaise Noble-Schueller. He has some very profound thoughts about Saturday morning training. I. Race Vs Hastings, Rochester and Northfield: Thursday, February 1 Our last DUAL MEET of the year is Thursday at Welch Village. Here are the details.
Supper Plans: I believe we have a plan in the works to provide some nourishment to athletes on Thursday during the race. Details to come. A list of athletes who have stated their race intentions for Thursday, Feb 1 was emailed. Please look it over to see if the information is accurate. If you are not on this list, please state your intentions TODAY. State Your Welch Race Intentions HERE Parents: we could use race workers. If you are available to help work the race, please send me an email. And feel free to indicate your job preference(s). I will plug you in when the Chief of Race lets me know what he needs from us. I’m certain we will need gate judges, but also course workers, bib collectors, and scoreboard recorders. markrobertconway58@gmail.com Athletes: talk with your teachers on Monday. Ask for Thursday’s homework in advance. Do Thursday’s homework in advance. You will not have much time on Thursday for homework since we are getting back late that evening. So, use your time well on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday to get it done. You will race better on Thursday if you do not have homework hanging over your head that evening. II. Hyland JV Race: Friday, February 2 MAST will support athletes who want to race in the JV race at Hyland on Friday, February 2. State Your Intentions Here: February 2 JV RACE Intentions 3:45PM: Inspection Opens 4:30PM: Race Start Time ATHLETES: Please stay after the race to slip in the courses and help with tear down. Early release: This week, I will request a 2:45PM early release for athletes who are pre-registered for the February 2 JV race. Given that you are running the same course twice in the JV races, you don’t need as much time for inspection as you do for dual meet races. III. February 3 Wild Mountain Supplemental Training The last Supplemental Training session of the year will be held on Saturday. Sign up is now available at Sport Illustrated Play. If you have an account credit, it will show up at check out. Everyone who signed up for the Jan 27 Supplemental Training session at Welch has been issued an account credit. Feb 3 Wild Supplemental Training Sign UP IV.Section IV Championships The Section IV Championships will be held on Wednesday, February 7 at Wild Mountain. This is a day-long event. We will depart early in the morning by bus from Washburn. The coaches will announce the Section IV Championships squads Thursday night after the race at Welch. Once again, we have some tough decisions to make. Each school can only enter six boys and six girls at Wild. Many of our seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth seed skiers are good enough to ski in the third, fourth and fifth seeds for most other schools. So, I want to thank everyone for working hard in practice and pushing each other to improve. If you make the team, you are better because you had someone pushing you all season long. If you don’t make the team, I know it will sting, but please know that you are an integral part of that section team even though your name will not be on the run order. Without you, that team would not be as good as it is today. V. Week 12 Schedule Monday, January 29 6:30PM (Varsity/JV) Directed Free Skiing South Chair 7:15-8:45PM Gate Training Lanes 7 and 8 (Wear Rope Tow Gloves) Tuesday, January 30 5:00-7:15PM Session I (Varsity): Gate Training Lane A 6:30PM Session II (JV): Directed Free Skiing South Chair 7:15-8:45PM Gate Training Lanes A Wednesday, January 24 NO PRACTICE …tune your skis, get your homework done, go to bed early, tell your folks how much you love them for supporting your ski racing adventures... Thursday, February 1 Race at Welch VS Hastings, Rochester, Northfield Friday, February 2 3:45PM Hyland JV RACE: Inspection Opens 4:30PM First Run Starts 5-7:15PM Gate Training Lanes 4, 7 and 8 (wear rope tow gloves) Saturday, February 3 7:45AM-10:30AM Gate Training Lanes A, B, and C 2:45PM-10:30PM Supplemental Training at Wild Mt It sure is fun for all of us coaches to watch you train and race. We are really proud of you for your strong work ethic, positive attitudes, and graciousness. And there is nothing that makes my heart leap with joy than the sight of you in the FLYING REVERSE V at the end of practice. You are good stewards of the hill. Keep all of those good things going. And thank you. Mark 612-275-8392 We are already in Week 11 of our season. Week 10 was a breakthrough week for many of our athletes. The hard work is paying dividends now. Athletes are starting to bring the strong technical skills they possess in their free skiing into the race course. They are utilizing better tactics. They are becoming accustomed to the higher speeds that good technique and tactics create for a racer.
I. Announcing a TEAM GOAL for WEEK 11 While everyone is working on their personal technical and tactical goals in week eleven, I want everyone to also focus on one TEAM goal this week: proper pole usage. I challenge all of you to MASTER the pole plant THIS WEEK. A quick review … The coaching staff has been drilling all of you to master the six fundamentals of ski racing technique. These six fundamental skills form a pyramid that lead to FAST SKI RACING. If a racer fails to develop one of these skills, improved racing performance is markedly hindered. What are the six fundamentals? Hopefully you have this memorized, but here they are:
I would like you to watch the video linked below of Marcel Hirscher at age 14. He is now the best male skier on the World Cup. At age 14, he possessed all six fundamentals of the pyramid and they are all on display in this video. The video includes both slalom and gs runs at The Topolino games in Italy. Watch and study his skiing in both disciplines. Utilize the like “gear box icon” in the lower right corner to run the video in slow-motion. Topolino is considered the Childrens’ World Championships. In particular, examine Marcel’s pole plant. Notice his hand/arm position: 10 o’clock and 2 o’clock; chest high; disciplined to help maintain balance; hands forward and outside elbows; elbows forward and outside shoulders. Notice the direction of his pole plant (down the fall line). Notice the timing of the pole plant (immediately following the gate clearing motion). I want you to have Marcel’s image firmly planted in your brain this week. Once you do, then begin to visualize yourself skiing the same way. It works. Try it. You can use this video to help you master any of the other fundamentals that might be your personal focus this week. Marcel Hirscher at 14 Years Old: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FpR0VyCarmQ&feature=em-subs_digest-vrecs II.Cloquet Invitational Update—PLEASE READ AND ACT IF YOU/YOUR ATHLETE IS ATTENDING Attached is a list of MAST Athletes attending the Cloquet Invitational on Thursday, Jan 25th. If your name is NOT on this list and you would like to attend, email me today: markrobertconway58@gmail.com Thursday’s Schedule 6AM Bus Departs Washburn HS 8:30AM Lifts Open 9:15AM Inspection Opens 10AM 1st Run Starts 12:15PM 2nd Run Inspection Opens 1:15PM 2nd Run Starts 3PM? Awards in the Chalet (ASAP after the race) 6PM? Bus returns to Washburn? Spirit Mountain Waiver Attached is a Waiver that Spirit Mtn requires all parents to sign for children under age 18. Please print and sign this waiver for your athlete and turn it into me at practice this week. Athletes: if you are 18 years of age, you need to complete and sign the waiver. Meals Bring your own lunch or money for lunch. We will NOT stop for breakfast or dinner. So… eat breakfast before arriving to meet the bus or bring a breakfast on the bus. I suggest that you bring a couple of lunches or enough money to stayed properly nourished all day. I was at Spirit a few weeks ago and their menu selection is not as robust as it used to be, so I suggest bringing your own food as much as possible. Parents-- Race Workers Needed I am really excited for the opportunity to race in this meet. The northern schools race in invitationals on Thursdays during the winter. Each school appears to sponsor its own invitational, just like the NCAA ski teams do with their winter carnival circuit. It is nice to get invited to participate and it especially works great for us since our athletes are out of school. If the race goes well, I would like to earn another invitation for MAST to join one of these invites in the future. If we can provide a supply of race workers for this race on Thursday, there is a good chance we will get invited back next year. So... PARENTS: If there is anyway you can join us on Thursday and offer your help on the hill, I would be most grateful. I know they need course workers and gate judges. If you have not been trained as a gate judge, please know that this is something I can teach you the day of the race. I can also send you educational materials in advance. There may be other roles to fill but for now I know the race is in desperate need of gate judges and course workers. A FREE Spirit Mountain lift ticket is your reward. You can either drive yourself, car pool with other kind-hearted parents, or ride the bus. IF YOU CAN WORK THE RACE, PLEASE SEND ME AN EMAIL: markrobertconway58@gmail.com III.Hyland JV Race: Friday, January 26 MAST will support JV athletes who want to race in the JV race at Hyland on Friday, January 26. State Your Intentions Here: Jan 26 JV RACE Intentions 3:45PM: Inspection Opens 4:30PM: Race Start Time Please stay after the race to slip in the courses and help with tear down. IV. Welch Race vs Hastings, Northfield, and Rochester: Thursday, February 1 Our last DUAL MEET of the season is scheduled for Thursday, February 1 at Welch Village. This race is open to ALL MAST athletes. It will require an early release from school on the 1st. Transportation: If we have enough athletes to warrant two buses, one bus will depart from SW and the other from Washburn. I will request a 2PM early release for SW and Washburn students to meet the bus at 2:15 and a 1:45PM early release for South and Roosevelt students who will need to car pool to meet the bus at Washburn. State Your Welch Race Intentions HERE Many of you have already stated your intentions to race at Welch. If you have not stated your intentions, please do so by Wednesday, January 24th. I need to know YOUR intentions so that I have time to create run orders and plan transportation and the other race day logistics. Tentative Schedule: 2:15PM Load Buses at SW and Washburn 3:30PM Arrival 3:45PM Warm Ups 4:15PM Inspection Opens 5PM First Run Starts Meals Bring your own sack supper (recommended) or money to purchase a light supper. There will not be a lot of time to eat a meal which is why I recommend bringing a couple of sandwiches—you can eat them on the fly. V. Week 11 Schedule Monday, January 22 5:00-7:15PM Session I: Gate Training Lane 8 (Wear Rope Tow Gloves) 6:30PM Session II: Directed Free Skiing South Chair 7:15-8:45PM Gate Training Lanes 7 and 8 (Wear Rope Tow Gloves) Tuesday, January 23 6:30PM Directed Free Skiing South Chair 7:15-8:45PM Gate Training Lanes 7 and 8 (Wear Rope Tow Gloves) Wednesday, January 24 *5:00-6:30PM Gate Training Lane 1 FOR Cloquet Invite Athletes Only 6:30PM-8:45PM Gate Training Lanes 1 *If you are skiing at Spirit on Thursday, you may attend the 5PM training session until 6:30 at which point you need to head home, tune your skis, pack your lunch and go to bed. Thursday, January 25 6AM-6PM Cloquet Invitational at Spirit Mountain 9:15AM-Noon Gate Training Lanes A and B Friday, January 26 9:15AM-Noon Gate Training Lanes 1, 2 and 3 3:45PM Hyland JV RACE Saturday, January 27 7:45AM-10:30AM Gate Training Lanes 4, 5, and 6 That’s all folks…. Keep working hard everyone. You are getting better every week. Mark 612-275-8392 Next week is finals week. Your first priority is to study hard and finish the semester with top grades.
For this reason, I did not schedule any races next week while school is in session. On the calendar, you may have seen a race scheduled for Afton next Thursday when you are out of school. The AFTON race is cancelled. That is the bad news. Here is the good news. MAST has been invited to send athletes to the Cloquet Invitational at Spirit Mtn on Thursday, January 25. YOU ARE NOT IN SCHOOL. We cannot take the entire team, but we can send varsity squads of boys and girls from Southwest and Washburn and MAST and possibly a small contingent of racers to race as JV entries. I do not have all the details about the day, but I do know it will be an early start (6AM bus departure from Washburn) and a late afternoon return (not sure exactly when). You will need to bring money to purchase meals for yourself on the way up and back. MAST will not be providing any meals. If there is enough interest and if I can secure a coach bus for transportation, we may take a few extra skiers to enter as JV racers. Parents: let me know if you would be interested in attending. I know that the Cloquet coach is looking for race workers. A free lift ticket is your reward. Please email me if you can join us. Please consider helping. We can help make it a great race. We also need parent chaperones. So…. I need ALL MAST athletes to State Your Race Intentions for Thursday, January 25th here: https://www.mplsalpineski.org/cloquet-invitational-race.html Do this TODAY PLEASE!!! There will be practice at Hyland next week. Evenings Monday-Wednesday. Mornings Thursday-Saturday. There is also a Hyland JV race on Friday, January 26 for those who do not race at Spirit. Finally, we are CANCELLING Welch Supplemental Training on Saturday, January 27. If you already registered, you will be issued an account credit. There is still room to attend the Supplemental Training session at Wild Mt THIS Saturday, January 20. Sign up here: http://minneapolisalpineskiteam.siplay.com/site/ Thanks, Mark Dear MAST Athletes, Parents and Coaches:
This is a long one-- everything is IMPORTANT so read carefully and take action. We are in the heart of the competition season now. Giants Ridge Recap and Thank You! We had a fantastic four days of training at Giants Ridge this week. Here are some of my highlights….
I need to say THANK YOU to our coaches: Daniel and Matthew Polland, Jack Strand, Gary Griffin, Kelly Bent, Christine Smalley, and Charlie Smith. I need to say THANK YOU to our parents who kept us fed and fueled and organized: Michelle Smith, Dave Paulson, and Julie Flaskamp. I need to say THANK YOU to the coaches and volunteers who stayed in MPLS and offered training all week to those who could not attend camp. Finally, THANK YOU athletes for making camp a fantastic experience. You were terrific as athletes, as friends, and as teammates. I am very proud of you. Next year: We are booked into camp from Dec 31-Jan 4, 2019 for our 12th Annual Giants Ridge Camp. We are considering three options within this timeframe. a. Depart early morning Dec 31 and return later in the evening on Jan 3. b. Depart early morning Jan 1 and return later in the evening on Jan 4. c. Depart mid-afternoon on Dec 31 and return late afternoon on Jan 4. Please mark these dates in your 2019 calendar. We also need and seek more parent and family participation and involvement next year. Monday, January 8. Hyland Race vs MWT, Armstrong-Cooper, AHA If you haven’t done so already, please STATE YOUR INTENTIONS here: Hyland Race Intentions. If you can work the race, please sign up here: Jan 8 Race Worker Sign UP
Friday, January 12. Welch Invitational Our second race this week is the Welch Invitational on Friday, January 12, 2018. Attached is a list of MAST athletes entered in Friday’s Welch Village Invitational. If you are not listed but would like to race, please send me an email. I will put you on a substitution list. Schedule for the Day · 6:10AM Buses Load at Washburn HS · 8:00AM Warm Ups · 8:45AM Inspection Opens · 9:30AM Opening Ceremony · 9:40AM First Run Start Time · 12:45PM Second Run Start Time · 2:30PM Team Photos · 3:00PM Awards · 4:00-4:30PM Bus Departs Race Workers Needed We need to supply several race workers for the day. · Course Workers · Gate Judges You can sign up to help HERE: Welch Race Worker Sign UP Return Transportation Plan Okay… here is one more SIGN UP. For those attending the Welch Invitational, please let me know if you will be riding the bus home after the race or riding home with a parent. We are chartering two buses to bring all 76 athletes TO Welch. In the past, many athletes have opted to ride home with a parent. If enough athletes plan to ride home with a parent this year, I would like to save money and have one bus return home after dropping us off in the morning. Week Nine Training Schedule and Saturday Supplemental Training at Welch Tuesday, January 9: Hyland Training 6:30-8:45PM Meet on Center Chair for Directed Free Skiing. Gate Training on Lanes 3 and 4 at 7:15. Wednesday, January 10 5:00-7:15PM Varsity/JV-- Gate Training Lane 7 6:30-8:45PM Varsity/JV-- Directed Free Skiing on Center Chair at 6:30. Gate Training Lanes 7 and 8 at 7:15PM. Thursday, January 11: NO PRACTICE. Tune Your Skis. Go To Bed Early. Friday, January 12: Welch Invitational. Load Bus at 6:10 at Washburn. Saturday, January 13 Hyland Training 7:45-10:30AM: Hyland Training on Lanes 4, 5, and 6. 2:45-10:30PM: Supplemental Training at Welch Village. Supplemental Training Sign UP Here. MLK Day MAST Team Fundraiser—Dine Out For MAST at The Lowbrow Join us for “Dine Out/Give Back Mondays” at The Lowbrow When: Monday, January 15, 2018—4PM-10PM Where: The Lowbrow, 4244 Nicollet Ave. South, Minneapolis What: MAST will receive 10% of ALL sales from 4-10PM on Monday Jan 15—including sales on “TO GO” ORDERS! There is one caveat… sales must exceed $3000 for the day. Why: Our team fees and MPS subsidy do not come close to covering the expenses we incur to run MAST for a season. Fundraising helps close this financial gap and allows us to bring more Minneapolis students into the sport who might otherwise find the sport unaffordable. The owners of Lowbrow tell us that we have a good shot at setting a record for money raised given the size of our organization. Tell your friends and family or come enjoy a burger yourself. Let’s get that number 1 spot! Reservations: If you have a party of 6 or more, you can make a reservation, otherwise it is first come, first served. You can also call ahead before you arrive to be placed on a wait list. This is a very family friendly place and has some great burgers and atmosphere. Optimal times (with less waiting) are before 6 p.m. or after 8 p.m. Lowbrow Phone: (612) 208-0720 Here is a link to the menu: http://thelowbrowmpls.com/menu/ Refreshed MAST Web Site With the new year comes a new look for the MAST web site! The change-over will take place TONIGHT, Sunday, January 7, 2018. We hope you like the contemporary design and find the navigation intuitive. As part of the new site launch, we would appreciate it if you can do some additional testing for us. Please take a moment to do some familiar tasks on the site, as well as explore other areas that aren't familiar to you. (And please do this on both laptop and phone, if that's how you typically use the MAST site.) If you encounter any challenges, or have any suggestions for us, please share your feedback using the feedback form highlighted on the home page To-Dos and under About MAST and reference the page names or addresses. We will continue to evolve the design, so your input is valuable and welcome! www.mplsalpineski.org Let’s all keep working hard, supporting each other, and having fun. Be sure to talk to your teachers about your absence from school on Friday. See you Monday afternoon. Mark Conway 612-275-8392 Happy New Year! Big week ahead. Camp and Hyland Training—2 venues at once.
Hyland Training Schedule: Week Eight Monday, January 1, 2018, 7:45-10:30AM, Lanes 1, 2, 3 Tuesday, January 2, 2018 6:30-8:45PM, Lanes 7, 8 Wear Rope Tow Gloves, Meet on Lane 7 at 6:30PM Wednesday, January 3, 2018 6:30-8:45, Lanes B, C, Meet on Center Chair for Directed Free Skiing at 6:30PM Thursday, January 4, 2018 NO TRAINING AT HYLAND. Friday, January 5, 2018 5:00-7:30PM, Lanes 4, 7 Wear Rope Tow Gloves Saturday, January 6, 2018 9:30AM-12:30PM, Lanes 1, 2 Daniel Haberman will be the lead coach all week at Hyland. He will have one or two assistants each day but will also need the help of athletes to set up, tear down, slip ruts, etc. Please note that Saturday’s practice begins at 9:30AM. Race: January 8, 2018 Our next race is NEXT Monday, January 8th. Please State Your Intentions Here: January 8, 2018 Hyland Race Parents: Once again we will need your help to run this race. Thanks to everyone who helped with the first race. Please sign up to work the Jan 8 Hyland Race Here: https://signup.com/client/invitation2/secure/1993660/false - /invitation I will send out an email regarding Giants Ridge Camp this afternoon. Please look for this. Mark 612-275-8392 Good Evening MAST Athletes, Parents and Coaches:
Hope your Holiday was fantastic. A quick update: 1. The Temps Are Cold This Week... But Nothing Like The Old Days! Be sure to dress with LOTS of layers. Bring a face mask. Mittens are warmer than gloves. Everyone should wear their snow pants this week. You need to keep your legs warm. 2. Training all week.... Starting at 7:45AM Tuesday morning. Tuesday, December 26, 2017 7:45-10:30AM -- On Snow Training @ Hyland Lanes B, C 5:00-7:30PM -- Alumni Race @ Hyland Wednesday, December 27, 2017 7:45-10:30AM -- On Snow Training @ Hyland (Lanes 6 and 7-- wear rope tow gloves). 2:45PM-10:30PM -- Supplemental Training at Welch -- Thursday, December 28, 2017 -- Race Vs Jefferson, AHA, MoundWestTonka 3:30PM Inspection 4:30PM 1st Run Starts Friday, December 29, 2017 7:45-10:30AM -- On Snow Training @ Hyland (Lanes A, B, C) Saturday, December 30, 2017 7:45-10:30AM -- On Snow Training @ Hyland (Lanes 3,4, 5--Bring Rope Tow Gloves) Monday, January 1, 2018 7:45-10:30AM -- On Snow Training @ Hyland (Lanes 1,2,3) 3. Supplemental Training at Welch Village on Wednesday. 2:45-10:30PM Test and hone your skills on the steeper pitches and longer runs available at Welch. Registration is still open for our Supplemental Training at Welch on Wednesday. Sign up here: http://minneapolisalpineskiteam.siplay.com/site/ See you all Bright and Early. Mark Dear MAST Athletes, Parents and Coaches:
I apologize for getting this update out so late, but it was a busy weekend for me with some long days at USSA races. I was too exhausted last night when I got home to think clearly, so I had to wait until tonight to get all this ready for you. Not sure I am thinking any more clearly now, but here goes.... Tomorrow, we race. This first race is against…ourselves… and will serve as a time trial to determine team selections for the Wild Mountain Invitational on Friday, December 22. For our new racers, this is a great way to learn how a race runs and what we do to prepare ourselves on race day to perform at our best. For our returning athletes, it is a great opportunity to test out your improved fundamentals in a competition environment. Here is how it will work.
Washburn and South/Roosevelt Girls: Coach Matthew Southwest Boys and South/Roosevelt Boys: Coach Joel Southwest Girls: Coach Daniel H. If you know you will NOT be racing tomorrow, please send me an email at markrobertconway58@gmail.com. Race workers: Parents, if you would like to help with the race, please send me an email and I will plug you into a job. Love to have the help if you are interested and willing. markrobertconway58@gmail.com Wild Mountain Invitational The Wild Mountain Invitational is THIS Friday, December 22. Unfortunately, not everyone gets to race in this one. We are entering teams of six boys and six girls from Washburn and Southwest, plus one alternate for each team. We are also entering a team of six boys from South/Roosevelt. The coaches will make final team selections after tomorrow’s race. I will need to send a run order to the Chief of Race immediately following our race tomorrow. So, I need to know that you are able to attend the Wild Mt Invitational on Friday, December 22 IF SELECTED. Please State Your Intentions Here: Wild Mt Invitational Race Intentions. Transportation We have a bus chartered to bring us to the race but we will be asking parents to car pool and bring athletes home afterwards. No bus for the return. The schedule for the day begins early. 6:10AM Load bus at Washburn. 8:00AM Warm Ups, Course Inspection, Opening Ceremonies. 9:30AM First run start. 1:15PM Second run start 4:00PM Awards Ceremony Food We try to feed all athletes, coaches, and parents well on these long race days, but we need food contributions from everyone who is attending. Once you know that you are invited (after the race tomorrow) please sign up to bring something to share here: Wild Invite Food. Welch Village Supplemental Training The Next Supplemental Training Session in Wednesday, December 27 at Welch Village. We will depart from Washburn HS at 2:45PM and return at approximately 10:30PM. This is a great opportunity to train on steeper and longer pitches. Sign Up Here: http://minneapolisalpineskiteam.siplay.com/site/ Here is the schedule for Week Six: Monday, December 18, 6:30-8:45PM -- RACE: MINNEAPOLIS CITY CHAMPIONSHIPS 6:15PM Bib Distribution 6:30PM Warm Up with Team and Coaches on South Chair 7:15PM Course Inspection 7:35PM Run 1 8:05PM Run 2 8:35PM Hill Clean Up Tuesday, December 19, 5-7:30PM(Varsity) and 6:30-8:45PM(Junior Varsity) 5:00PM Varsity: Warm Up and Gate Training on Lanes 3. 6:30PM JV: Direct Free Skiing on South Chair for JV 7:15PM JV: Gate Training on Lanes 4 and 5 for JV. Wednesday, December 20, 6:30-8:45PM 6:30PM Varsity/JV: Directed Free Skiing on South Chair. 7:15PM Gate Training on Lanes A, B, and C. Thursday, December 21, 5:00-7:30PM 5:00PM Varsity/JV: Warm Up and Gate Training on Lanes 7 & 8 (wear rope tow gloves). Friday, December 22, Wild Mountain Invitational—NO TRAINING. Saturday, December 23, 7:45-10:30AM 7:45AM Varsity/JV: Warm Up and Gate Training on Lanes A, B, and C . See you tomorrow evening. The earlier you arrive, the better. Mark 612-275-8392 |
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