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MAST Update #12
Sunday, November 29, 2020 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: As communicated in Update #11, all in-person high school sports are on “pause” through December 18. The MN State High School League is allowing “virtual” practices. The coaches recognize that you are also engaged in virtual learning, forcing you to look at a screen far too many hours of the day. For this reason, we are going to offer short “virtual training” sessions of 45 to 60 minutes, Monday through Thursday, through the “pause”. You won’t be skiing, but we will prepare our bodies and minds for skiing as best we can. For the first week, our start time will be 6PM. We will shut down at 7PM. After school, I encourage you to get outside after school, get some exercise, maybe a run, breath in fresh air, and take a break from staring at a screen. Then join your coaches and teammates with fresh eyes, fresh energy at 6PM. Since we have never done something like this, the plan may change. We will be learning right along with you. You will need to log in with your MPS email address. Here is a link to follow to access the MAST Virtual Training Sessions for each day of week one (Nov 30-Dec 3): meet.google.com/jgj-gnvo-pfv Here is the schedule and plan for the MAST Virtual Training Sessions. 6-6:25PM Workout of the Day
Objectives: A. We will introduce you to the six fundamentals of alpine ski racing technique.
C. You will learn how to perform the drills that we will use in training to build and improve our fundamental skills through the season. D. You will rehearse the movements of each fundamental as best we can in a dryland setting. The coaches hope that by taking a deep dive into the fundamentals virtually, we will be able to talk less and ski more once we do get on the hill to ski. So, be sure to tune into each virtual training session so you can be fully prepared to make the most of each on-snow training session once the “pause” is lifted. See you Monday at 6PM. Be ready to work out and learn and engage with your coaches and teammates. Here is the link again to access Week One Virtual Training: meet.google.com/jgj-gnvo-pfv Mark Conway (and the Coaches) 612-275-8392 [email protected] Good Afternoon Again:
Shortly after sending Update #11, I received two notifications. One from Hyland and one from MPS Athletics. 1. The MN State High School League is allowing virtual practices. These can begin as early as Monday, November 23. I am leaving for Montana on Monday to pick up Luke and won't get home until November 25. So, we may need to wait until Thursday or even the 30th to begin. But at least we can hold virtual practices. Watch your emails for more information. 2. Hyland IS Opening just for the weekend but with limited terrain and MANY changes. You can read Hyland's announcement below. I will be back in touch very soon. Consider yourself blessed. You received TWO emails from me today. Some would say that makes for a great day. Mark Hyland AnnouncementOur maintenance crew has been hard at work, and Hyland Hills Ski Area will be open with limited hours and operations on Saturday, November 21 and Sunday, November 22. Based on Governor Walz’s most recent executive order and the Outdoor Recreation and Facilities guidelines laid out by the DNR, we have made adjustments to our operations. We know that some of these changes are significant, and we ask for everyone’s cooperation and help in following them so that we can provide an enjoyable experience throughout the season. The following changes will be in place at Hyland Hills through Friday, December 18. operational updates & remindersShuttle service is limited to 1 household per ride. We will run shuttles as often as possible, but wait times will be longer.
Sunday, November 22, 9 AM-5 PM Monday, November 23, Closed Tuesday, November 24, Closed Additional hours will be posted early next week; check hylandski.com for updates. Lift tickets will be $25 per day. what will be openThe Small Park, Big Foot, Tattle Tale, Kinderwaltzen and Bunny Hill will be open. Check the ski runs and terrain park webpage for updates. Visit the FAQs webpage for more information and operational updates. If you have any questions, please email us at [email protected]. See you this weekend! And if you received two emails from Mark Conway today you have already had a great day! Sincerely, Hyland Hills Ski Area Staff MAST Update #11 Thursday, November 19, 2020 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: As you know by now, Governor Walz has issued Executive Order 20-99, which has imposed a stop to all in-person youth sports programming including alpine skiing through December 18. The order does encourage Minnesotans to get outside and enjoy the outdoors, but to do so only in small family groups. Ski areas remain open, but with strict restrictions on operating procedures. I want to address a number of topics here: 1. I am postponing the Webinar that was planned for Sunday, November 22. With in-person practices delayed until at least December 19, we simply don’t have a clear idea of what our season will look like at this point. As soon as we know our in-person start date, we will reschedule the “Orientation to the 2020-21 Season” Webinar. 2. I have attached Executive Order 20-99 as well as some supporting documents that are referenced in 20-99. I also attached a pdf containing “relevant excerpts” from the order that pertain to outdoor recreation and our team. The health situation we are facing is very serious. Our healthcare system is stretched to its limit and the Governor’s goal of significantly reducing the rate of spread is vitally important. To this end, the Governor is asking us to maintain a social distance of six feet even when we are outdoors. Although he encourages us to get outdoors, he also wants us to do so only with family members. Here is an excerpt from Par. 6.b: “Individuals must not engage in outdoor recreational activities where they will come into close proximity with others from different households.” 3. Hyland is slated to open on Saturday. At least that was the plan a couple of days ago. You have a season pass and you and your family have to decide whether you can ski safely and abide by the Governor’s guidance on outdoor recreation. To ski at Hyland without the supervision of the MAST coaching staff is to risk skiing in an uncontrolled environment. Here is where I see the risks:
Remember, we are told to enjoy the outdoors, but to do so in the close proximity of family members only. It will take some effort to honor this restriction at Hyland. As much fun as it is to ski with friends, I do not recommend it and it would violate the Governor’s Executive Order. If you are going to ski, go when the area is less crowded. No teams are allowed to practice, and lessons are cancelled so these two developments should reduce the crowd size on the North Chair at least, maybe South as well. Saturday and Sunday mornings are often the least crowded times on the North Chair when teams are not practicing. Use the chalet to warm up only. I don’t think they will allow any bag storage or even allow you to store your shoes in the chalet. I was told that Hyland will not be offering any food service per the Governor’s order. Should you decide to ski, please do so safely. Wear a mask, even under your buff. Wash your hands whenever you can. Even carry hand sanitizer in your jacket just in case you need an emergency application. Keep your guard up; be aware of your safety at all times; strictly follow the Governor’s orders on engaging in safe outdoor recreation. 4. Our season is slated to open on November 30. There is a chance that this date could be pushed back into December or even January. But I doubt this will happen. Should the MSHSL retain Nov. 30th as our season start date, the coaches are preparing a plan to hold virtual practices. There is a lot we can accomplish virtually. Ski racing is a complicated sport. It requires movements that are coordinated, somewhat unnatural, and precise. We use highly engineered equipment that allow us to make quick and extreme direction changes at very high rates of speed in all kinds of snow conditions. That is what makes the sport so fun. Through virtual meetings we can introduce and review the six fundamentals of proper ski technique, we can watch video and explain the drills we use to develop these fundamental skills, we can study the tactics of slalom racing and we can get to know one another as best we can via a screen. By doing so, we will be able to eliminate a lot of “talking time” once we do start skiing and instead just focus on skiing. The coaches are working on a virtual practice schedule. Look for details in the next MAST Update. 5. Should this “pause” to the start of the season change your thinking about getting involved with ski racing this year, the MAST Board of Directors is offering families an opportunity to withdraw from MAST. No Board member or coaches want anyone to withdraw, but we understand if the pause in our season has changed your thinking about diving into this sport at this time. MAST will refund your team fee and activity fee (if paid to MAST) in full less a 4% processing fee. Hyland has agreed to refund your season pass fee as long as your season pass remains unused. If you purchased your season pass through MAST, Hyland will refund MAST and MAST will refund you. If you purchased the pass directly from Hyland, then Hyland will refund you directly. But you would need to return your pass to Hyland first and you cannot have used your pass to ski. At this point, the deadline for withdrawing and receiving a refund is November 30th. All you need to do is send an email to me or Jodi Mkaouri, the MAST Board President, notifying one or both of us of your desire to withdraw from the team and a request for a refund.
Whew. This is not easy for any of us. As one of our esteemed board members put it so well in our meeting last night, we are experiencing a shared trauma and we have a shared responsibility to see our way through it. Please be safe. Stay healthy. Embrace your family members. I believe that good can come from difficult times. We need to dig deep and draw out that good. This process begins by following the Governor’s orders, doing everything we can to stop the spread and keep our families, our neighbors, and our larger community healthy. Please reach out if you have questions. Best wishes always, Mark Conway 612-275-8392 [email protected] 
MAST Update #10 Monday, November 16, 2020 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: We are two weeks away from the start of our season. We have a few new announcements to make and some reminders. I. MAST Apparel—Now On Sale! To begin, here is a letter from Gail Arnold who has been working with the captains to design and arrange our MAST apparel offerings for the 2020-21 season. Hello MAST Athletes, Families and Friends: Your MAST apparel is finally ready! The captains have designed a super cool T-shirt! Go to minneapolisalpineskiteam.sportssignup.com/MySportsStore to check out the 2020 apparel. I apologize for the delay. There is a global shortage of team apparel products. Hats were not available this year. I would like everyone to order as soon as possible in hopes that we can get what we want. I will close the store on December 1st. Get your orders in! There will not be an additional second order. A few tips for this year: We needed to use 2 different vendors for T-shirts this year. For clarification on the T-shirts: If you need a youth large you can order an Adult XS T-shirt in the Bella and Canvas. Bella and Canvas T-shirts come in Adult XS-L Champion T-shirts come in Adult XL-2XL. The Champion T-shirt costs more. I In general, the Team Jackets run small. You have the option of personalizing your jacket with your name on the back. We are not able to personalize any other apparel items this year. We have joggers this year instead of the Champion sweatpants offered last year. The Classic Champion Hoodie is in a Silver this year. Totally Iconic. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me [email protected] Let It Snow! Best- Gail II. Athletes Cleared To Participate as of Nov 16 The high school athletic directors are busy processing the MPS/MSHSL participation forms. Attached is a roster of those athletes who have been cleared to participate in alpine skiing as of Monday, Nov 16. If you have turned in your forms, I’m confident the ADs are working hard to process them. If you need to turn in forms, please do so this week. Check with your high school athletic director about the best way to submit forms. Remember, if you played a Fall Sport for your high school, you only need to submit a new Emergency Contact Form. Everything else is on file. III. MAST Orientation Webinar: Sunday, Nov 22 7PM Get the popcorn popping. Our next webinar is scheduled for Sunday, November 22 at 7PM. We have a lot of information to share. All team members need to participate, and it would be really valuable for at least one parent to attend as well. Please log in using your MPS email account. The coaches will be sharing information about how we will be training and racing this year in the midst of a pandemic. There is much to discuss. I will be sending a link to the webinar as we get closer to Sunday. I will post the webinar on our YouTube channel sometime during Thanksgiving week in case you cannot attend in person. IV. Thank You For Your Donations I want to say thank you to all the families (and there are a lot of you) who made a donation to MAST when registering for the season. You were incredibly generous. We have recorded over $4700 in donations just from current MAST families. On Saturday, we also receive a generous (unsolicited) donation from Pierce Skate and Ski. V. Give To The MAX and MAST MAST participates in the annual Give to the Max campaign, which is Thursday, November 19th. A separate email was sent to our larger MAST community and alumni. If you would like more information on MAST's 2020 Give to the Max campaign please see here. Hopefully, everyone is finding the equipment you need. Attached is a fresh inventory of equipment that is being offered on our website. Please let me know when something you have posted is sold so I can take it down. Stay safe please. Social distance. Wear a mask. And be sure to get in a workout daily. Mark Conway 612-275-8302 [email protected] 
MAST Update #9 Monday, November 9, 2020 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: We are only a few weeks away from the start of our season. Please read this update carefully so you don’t miss something important. Season Pass Photo Night: Monday, November 9, 6:30-7:45PM @ Hyland Hills Ski Area MAST athletes are scheduled to pick up season passes tonight. Who should attend: All athletes, including those who purchased a pass through MAST, purchased a pass directly from Hyland, or purchased a family pass. If you cannot attend tonight, you can pick up your pass directly from Hyland during business hours on another day. Please arrive during the timeframe associated with your last name as follows: 6:30-6:45PM ABEL TO CUMMING 6:45-7:00PM DAHMES TO HUNT 7:00-7:15PM ISENSEE TO LUEPKEN 7:15-7:30PM MACKIMM TO RULF 7:30-7:45PM SHOWALTER-LOCH TO WHITMAN If you absolutely cannot make it during your assigned timeframe, come during the one that works for you. Please wear a mask and maintain good social distancing. Attached is a Hyland Waiver that you and your parents will need to print, sign, and bring with you to Hyland. If you are driving yourself or riding with another family, be sure to bring this waiver with you. If you are over 18, you do not need a parent signature. If you have wrapped up your fundraising efforts (selling coffee and/or salsa), you may turn in your payment and a copy of your printed order form tonight at season pass photo night. Keep reading for more information about these two fundraisers that are wrapping up this week. Also available tonight at Hyland, MAST Swag. We will be selling MAST Coffee Cups, Ski Straps, and Buffs at Hyland. Bring cash or a checkbook if you would like purchase anything. Urban Ventures Coffee Sale Orders and MinneSalsa Orders Due This Week For Urban Ventures Coffee Sales:
For MinneSalsa Sales:
MPS Athletic Department Registration If you have not filled out and submitted your winter sports registration forms to your HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETIC DIRECTOR, please get this done this week so that the athletic directors have ample time to review your documents and clear you for participation by November 30. Here is a link to more information about STEP TWO of the registration process: Registering with MPS Athletics. Remember, if you paid the MPS Activity Fee when you registered with MAST, you do not need to pay it a second time. Almost everyone paid this fee already to MAST. Equipment We still have equipment available on our website. If you are selling or donating an item and it sells, please send me an email so that I can remove it. If you have questions about equipment, please call me this week. Time is running out to find used equipment. If you are buying new, ski shops need time to tune the skis give the skis a race tune and mount bindings, so don’t delay any longer. See you tonight. Mark Conway 612-275-8392 [email protected]
MAST Update #8 Thursday, October 29, 2020 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: Good evening everyone. Hyland took advantage of the cold weather to make snow. Even though the daytime temps over the next week will heat up a bit, the snow should hold up pretty well. Temps drop at night. Trollhaugen and Wild Mt have already opened. Incredible start to the season. I have only skied one time in MN in October before. Let’s hope the freezing temps return soon. In the meantime, you should be EXERCISING VIGOROUSLY EVERY DAY. I. Monday Nov. 9: Hyland Season Pass Photo Night and Pass Pick Up MAST is scheduled to pick up season passes on Monday, November 9 from 6:30-8PM. All MAST Athletes are welcome to pick up your pass this evening, whether you purchased your pass through MAST or directly from Hyland. [If the 9th does not work for you, you can pick up your pass from Hyland during business hours. Note: if you purchased your pass through MAST, you will need to tell the customer service rep that your pass is listed under the Mpls Alpine Ski Team.] For those who will be picking up your pass on the 9th, please arrive during the timeframe associated with your last name as follows: 6:30-6:45PM ABEL TO CUMMING 6:45-7:00PM DAHMES TO HUNT 7:00-7:15PM ISENSEE TO LUEPKEN 7:15-7:30PM MACKIMM TO RULF 7:30-7:45PM SHOWALTER-LOCH TO WHITMAN If your designated time doesn’t work for you, come during one of the other designated times. But be sure to arrive no later than 7:45PM. This actually goes very fast so once everyone is served, Hyland staff will shut down. See the attached spreadsheet for a list of athletes who have purchased a season pass through MAST. If you have not purchased a season pass yet, you will need to do so through the Three Rivers/Hyland Hills website: Hyland Pass Purchase Online. If you think you paid MAST for a pass and your name is not on the list, please call me at 612-275-8392. II. Equipment Swap Update The Equipment Swap moved online and will be active through the season. Here is a link: MAST Equipment Swap. Attached is a spreadsheet listing all the equipment for sale on our website with the contact information for the families offering the equipment. If you have equipment posted and it sells, please contact either Cyrus Vahhaji at [email protected] or myself at [email protected]. We would like to delete any sold equipment from the website. III. MAST Webinars: Orientation to the 2020-21 MAST Season I moved the Orientation to the 2020-21 MAST Season back to Sunday, November 22 at 7PM. We are hoping to have clear guidance from MPS and the MSHSL by then so we can communicate our plans with you as accurately as possible. IV. Fundraising Update: Urban Ventures Coffee and MinneSalsa Just a reminder that we are in the middle of our two big fundraisers right now. A big shout out to Mr. Jason Bunay who has already turned in $597 in coffee sales fundraising. And he is still selling. Jason has what folks called “gumption” in the old days. I hope you are participating either to raise money for your own needs (Urban Ventures Coffee Sales) or to help the team (MinneSalsa). ALL FORMS AND MONEY NEED TO BE TURNED IN NO LATER THAN NOVEMBER 11. If you missed the Fundraising Webinar or the Orientation to Ski Racing Webinar, you can watch them HERE on the MAST YouTube Channel. V. Registration STEP TWO: Registering with MPS/MSHSL It is now time to register for Alpine Skiing with your high school athletic director. Here is a link to our instructions on how to register for alpine skiing with your high school athletic director. Registration with MPS/MSHSL. Be sure to scroll down the Step Two. All four MPLS High Schools are offering a Winter Sports Registration Day on Wednesday, November 4 from 6-8PM. I am sure you can register anytime, but this is a great opportunity to get all your forms into the correct hands at your high school. Remember, if you paid MAST for your $75 MPS Activity Fee, do not pay the same fee again to your high school when you turn in your forms. MAST will be sending a check to MPS Athletics for the sum total of all the activity fees we have collected. Don’t pay this fee twice. If you did not pay the fee at the point of registration with MAST, please pay it when you turn in your MPS/MSHSL forms. Listed below are links to the Athletics Website of our four high schools. Do NOT turn forms into your middle school athletic director. These go to the HIGH SCHOOL Athletic Director only. If you are in middle school and don’t know your high school attendance area, please check with MPS. Southwest Washburn South Roosevelt VI. Missing Race Bibs We are missing several race bibs. If you have a Mpls Alpine Bib, please bring it to Hyland on Nov 9 or turn it in with your fundraising money. Stay socially distanced. Stay masked up. Stay healthy. All the best... Mark Conway 612-275-8392
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