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SUNDAY, DECEMBER 31, 2023
Calling All Athletes.... Have you stated your race intentions for ALL of our races over the next three weeks? Please check each tab to see that you have accomplished this task. Deadlines have already passed and many of you have failed to state your intentions. Coaches need to start submitting run orders in the next day or two. GET THIS DONE TODAY!!! HERE IS THE LINK. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1wd8dZLgYyXofHxPtDDPjLmb7MUzmY4ty/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=104897266214364412095&rtpof=true&sd=true MARK MAST Update Week Eight
Sunday, December 31, 2023 Dear MAST Athletes, Families, Coaches: Although our training plans were disrupted by warm temps and rain, we made the most of the poor snow conditions and abbreviated training schedule. Please know that the drills you performed and the discipline you embraced in lieu of training in gates resulted in massive improvement to your technical skills toolbox. Hopefully you will have a chance to test those skills in a course sometime this week. I’m sure Hyland will be letting us know soon when we can expect to resume training in gates. Let’s hope it is Tuesday, but if not, keep your focus and resolve. The advantage is yours because we make the most of every run out of the course to keep you improving. Other teams do not do this so THEY are falling behind, not you. The RACE season begins. Please complete ALL Race Intentions for the remainder of the year this week. Click This Link For Stating Your Race Intentions Here. I. Races A. Who Is Racing When? 1. All athletes are invited to race in the races scheduled at Hyland this season. 2. Race starts are limited for the races at Welch (Jan 4), Afton (Jan 10), Giants Ridge (Jan 13), and Wild Mt (Jan 15). Your head coach will notify you of the his or her team selections for each of these three races sometime on Monday. B. Transportation for Races—PLEASE READ. URGENT CHANGE. Normally, MPS provides transportation to AWAY Races. I have been informed that they are unable to secure bussing for our races on Thursday, Jan 4 at Welch, Wednesday, Jan 10 at Afton, and Thursday, Jan 30 at Welch. Parents, we will need you to drive your athlete or work with other parents to form a carpool to these races. Most urgent is the need to find transportation for the athletes competing at Welch on Thursday, Jan 4. C. Race Schedule and Details. Thursday, Jan 4 at Welch NO Buses... need to carpool. Schedule: 2:00 Early Release to change and depart. 3:30 Arrive at Welch... Ticket. Bib. Boot up. 4:00 Warm Up 4:30 Inspection 5:00 Run One Race Workers Needed
Volunteers need to complete the Welch Waiver HERE. Monday, Jan 8. Hyland Race with Wayzata. 2:30 Early release. 3:45 Inspection Opens. 4:30 Run One Jan 8 Hyland Race Worker Sign Up Here. Wednesday, Jan 10 Metro East Conference Race at Afton 2:00 Early Release to change and depart. 3:15 Arrive at Afton... Ticket. Bib. Boot up. 3:30 Warm Up 3:45 Inspection Opens 4:30 Run One Race Workers Needed. Volunteer SignUp- Afton Alps Varsity MEC #1 Race- Jan 10. Saturday, Jan 13. MLK Invitational at Giants Ridge Sunrise Race 7:15AM Arrive at GR. Ticket. Bib. Boot Up. 7:30 Warm UP. 8:10 Inspection Run One 8:45 Run One 10:00 Inspection Run Two 10:30 Run Two Sunset Race 11:30AM Arrive at GR. Ticket. Bib. Boot Up. 11:45 Warm Up 12:30PM Inspection Run One 1:00 Run One 2:15 Inspection Run Two 2:45 Run Two 4:45PM Awards Monday, Jan 15. MEC Race #2 at Wild Mt 8:30AM. Load Bus at Washburn. 10:00 Arrive Wild Mt... Ticket. Bib. Boot Up. 10:30 Warm Up. 11:15. Inspection Run One. Noon. One Run Start Race Worker Sign Up Coming Soon Wednesday, Jan 17. Hyland Race with St Cloud Breakaways. 2:30 Early release. 3:45 Inspection Opens. 4:30 Run One Jan 17 Hyland Race Worker Sign Up Here. III. Training Week Eight Monday, Jan 1: REST Tuesday, Jan 2. 3:45-6:00PM Pods 10, 11, 12. Lanes 4,5,6. 5:00-7:15PM Pods 7, 8. Lane 6. 6:30-8:45.PM Pods 9. Lane 6. Wear Rope Tow Gloves. Wednesday, Jan 3. 3:45-6:00PM Jan 4th Race Varsity Athletes. Lanes 4,5. 5:00-7:15PM JV Athletes. Lane 5,6. Wear Rope Tow Gloves. Thursday, Jan 4. 5:00-7:15PM All Pods. Lane 5,6. Wear Rope Tow Gloves. Friday, Jan 5. 3:45-6:00PM Pods 11, 12. Lanes A,B,C. 5:00-7:15PM Pods 7, 8, 9, 10. Lane A, B, C. Saturday, Jan 6. 7:45-10:15AM All Pods. Lanes 1,2,3. Finally, please watch Mikaela’s two runs from her latest record setting world cup victory. This might be the most dominating sports performance of her career. She made a very difficult second run course set look easy. Watch it at 25% playback speed. Study her ankle flexion, matching edge angles, high edge angles, pressure in the fall line, direction her skis are pointing in the transition, direction her skis are pointing when she contacts the gate, how she consistently contacts the gate with her inside shin guard, how she keeps her upper body facing downhill of her outside ski tip, how she keeps her shoulders level as she enters the fall line and completes the turn, how she makes a pole plant on every turn, how she bends the ski to create the tight arc back to the gate....World Cup Victory #93 Happy New Year! Don't be stupid in celebration. See you Tuesday for Training... Mark Good Morning MAST Racers:
Two videos to watch today... if you can before practice. Inside Leg for Parallel Turns Mikaela Does It Again! See you soon. 8:45am. Mark Good Afternoon:
Today I learned that Wild Mt also lost too much snow for us to set gates on Saturday night. Consequently, I am canceling Saturday's supplemental training session. I will refund those of you who already paid. I am adding back the Saturday morning training session for December 30th. 8:45-11:15AM. I know that your expectations are to ski gates this far into the season. Unfortunately, we have to make the most of what we are given right now and what we are given is enough snow to develop our skills through directed free skiing. Please take advantage of these practices this week. Every turn you make with intention and focus and a goal in mind will help you be faster when you get back into the courses. Improvement comes by working the drills outside the course. So, three practices remain this week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday- 8:45am-11:15am. Off Sunday and Monday. Hopefully we will be back in gates on Tuesday next week. Mark Hello MAST Families:
The rain did some damage to our training venue. Hyland just announced that they will be open from 9am-5pm everyday through January 1. They will be making snow when temperatures allow. Team are not allowed to set gates, stubbys, brushes. So, I am canceling all afternoon training/racing sessions at Hyland this week. With this in mind, here is our revised schedule for the week. WEEK 7 REVISED TRAINING SCHEDULE Tuesday, Dec 26: All training is canceled. Wednesday, Dec 27: Directed free skiing on North Chair with coaches from 8:45-11:15AM. Thursday, Dec 28: Directed free skiing on North Chair with coaches from 8:45-11:15am. Friday, Dec 29: Directed free skiing on North Chair with coaches from 8:45-11:15am. Saturday, Dec 30: Morning training at Hyland is CANCELED. SUPPLEMENTAL TRAINING AT WILD MT IS STILL A GO AS OF TODAY. Register Here for Dec 30 Supplemental Training #3, 2:30-10:30PM. Sunday, Dec 31: Off Monday, Jan 1: Off (morning training at Hyland is canceled.) Please know that should Hyland adjust their hours of operation and allow gate training over the next week, we will most likely add practices back onto the schedule. For now, the above stated schedule is our new schedule going forward. RACE INTENTIONS Please be sure to state your race intentions for the following races: Jan 4 at Welch Jan 8 at Hyland Jan 10 at Afton Jan 15 at Wild Jan 17 at Hyland Click HERE TO STATE YOUR RACE INTENTIONS. That is all for now. It is entirely possible that I will be sending out a second email later today. Hope to see you in the morning to work on some skills. Not ideal, but we will make the most of our situation. Mark 612-275-8392 Good Afternoon:
Due to the rain and continuing warm temperatures, I am canceling morning practice tomorrow (Tuesday). I am not YET canceling the afternoon practice (5PM-7:15PM). The forecast suggests that the rain will cease around noon tomorrow and temps will steadily drop during the day tomorrow. Hyland sent an email to coaches suggesting that they may suspend gate training after all of this rain until they can make more snow. They will be assessing the conditions in the morning and will make a decision then. If we can't ski gates, we can still work on skills so stay tuned. Check your email before coming to the hill on Tuesday afternoon. Hope you are having a wonderful family day. Mark Good Evening MAST Families:
In case your athlete was too tired to tell you, we did have one athlete test positive for COVID on Thursday morning at camp. The athlete drove to the hill Thursday morning in a vehicle separate from the rest of the team and isolated in the chalet, masked, while everyone trained that day. For the coach bus ride home, we isolated the athlete and those who slept in the same cabin on one bus, and sent the athletes from the other three cabins on the other bus. I purchased masks for everyone on the sick athlete's bus in Cloquet. All athletes had the opportunity to mask on the way home after we stopped in Cloquet. The COVID positive athlete was masked in the chalet and on the bus. Mark Friday Afternoon and Saturday Morning Training Cancelled Due To Extremely Soft Snow Conditions12/22/2023
Good Afternoon:
Snow conditions for morning training today were extremely soft. We only had a handful of athletes skiing the course yet they created some very big ruts. Temperatures are not forecasted to drop below freezing until sometime after Christmas, so I am cancelling the practices scheduled for this afternoon and Saturday morning. Rain is in the forecast for December 26th, but I am not yet cancelling training for Tuesday morning....yet. As Tuesday draws closer, I will make a decision about Tuesday morning and afternoon training sessions. Enjoy the break. Have a blessed holiday. Mark Good Afternoon MAST Families: I. Welch/Wild Waiver Listed below are the athletes who still need to sign the waiver for Welch Village and Wild Mt. If you think you might want to attend a race at Welch (Jan 4 and Jan 30) or a Supplemental Training at Wild, you need to sign these waivers. This is my last call to get your attention to sign these. Here is a link: Welch and Wild Release of Liability: skiandboardmn.com/23hsrace
II. Giants Ridge Camp A couple of last-minute requests and reminders for those athletes and coaches attending the Giants Ridge Camp. Please read carefully. Meet The Bus: Please meet the bus Monday morning at 6AM at Washburn in our usual spot on 49th street. Skis will go in the trailers that Joel and I are pulling. Girl’s skis go in my trailer(U-Haul Rental) and Boys’ skis go in Joel’s trailer (MAST Trailer). Giants Ridge Waiver: I am told that the following people still need to sign the waiver:
Select and sign the Competitive Event Participation Agreement): https://waivers.edgeauditor.com/auto-setup/giant/wak4vo Peanut Free Camp: Please remember that we have several athletes who have severe peanut allergies. Please DO NOT bring any food products with nuts or peanut oils. Snacks/ Treats/ Fruit: The Packing List suggests that people bring a healthy snack or fruit to share. Any food you bring up needs to be stored in the lodge. No food is allowed in the cabins. Food attracts mice and ants so please don’t even think about bringing any food into the cabins. Talent Show: We will be holding the MAST Talent Show on Wednesday evening. Bring your talent or lack thereof and be ready to share. Past talents on display: piano, singing, dancing, poetry, storytelling, jokes, magic, guitar, fiddling, and skits. Don’t be shy. Start talking to buddies about what you can do together. Joel just told me the Jack ‘piano man’ Bajek is providing us with an electric keyboard to use in the talent show. Thank you Jack. Option to watch video with a coach on the bus ride: We will have coaches on the bus and if you ask them nicely they might just be willing to watch a video of your skiing with you. Download the run you would like to analyze to your phone. Ask a coach to analyze your skiing with you. If the coach has a computer, you should be able share the video with him/her or just watch the video on your phone. Packing List: Attached is a packing list. Please pack the clothing you will need for skiing on Monday morning either on top of your bag or in a separate bag. We will be stopping very briefly at camp to drop off our bags, change into our ski clothes, and then head to the Ridge. Also, don’t forget a sleeping bag, pillow, toothbrush. Bring a water bottle. Showers are available in the cabins. Electronics: You have four days to focus on your skiing and to interact with your teammates. Keep your phone and other electronics hidden away please. If you want to use them for a period of time on the bus, that is fine. In camp, use your time to engage with other human beings instead of your electronics. Drugs, Alcohol, Tobacco, Vaping are strictly forbidden. If you feel a need to indulge in any such activity, stay home. If you are caught engaging in any such activity, you will be sent home. Remember, this is a training camp. We will work hard, but have fun doing so. See you bright and early. Mark 612-275-8392   MAST Update Week Six Sunday, December 17, 2023 Dear MAST Athletes, Parents, Coaches, and Friends: The next two weeks gives you a steady diet of quality training opportunities. Take advantage of these opportunities. Not only are you able to attend a four day camp, but there are daily practices at Hyland – sometimes two sessions in a day- and a Supplemental Training scheduled for the last Saturday of break. Work with your coaches to set your technical and tactical goals for these two weeks. After break, we enter an intense period of competition. I. MAST Goal Setting Weeks 7 and 8 Attached is a Weeks 6 and 7 Goal Setting document. Please take a look at the team goals and then add your personal goals to the document. Print this off and put it in your pocket to share with you coach on the hill. II. State Your Race Intentions for January Races Thank you to all of the athletes who stated your race intentions for our race last night. It is now time to state your intentions for our races in January, specifically the races on January 4, 8, 15 and 17. Intentions for ALL four of these races are due by Friday, December 29. Please, please, please... only click in the cell associated with your name. Enter a Y if you are available. Enter a N if you are not. If you fail to state your race intentions, you will be placed at the end of the run order or, if it is an away race, you will be excluded from the run order. Each race is a separate tab in the spreadsheet. Find your team, your name, and make your selection for each race. Make sure you check your schedule (family, school, work, spiritual) for that day before stating your availability. Here is a link: STATE YOUR RACE DAY AVAILABILITY HERE. III. SPRONGO Do you have your account set up with Sprongo? Are you watching your videos on Sprongo? If you are not familiar with how to use Sprongo, please reach out to your coach for assistance. Sprongo allows you to watch yourself skiing. You can see just what it is that your coaches are seeing and get a better idea of how to make the necessary improvements. You can also watch video of our more advanced skiers to study how they do things. IV. Ski Area Waivers Please make sure you complete the ski area waivers THIS WEEK. 1. Afton: https://Afton-Competition-Waiver-23-24.eventbrite.com 2. Giants Ridge (Select and sign the Competitive Event Participation Agreement): https://waivers.edgeauditor.com/auto-setup/giant/wak4vo 3. Welch and Wild: skiandboardmn.com/23hsrace V. Supplemental Training #3 at Wild Mt on Saturday, December 30, 2:30-10:30 Take advantage of our third supplemental training. Get ready for the longer course sets that you will be facing at all of our away races. Here is a link to register: Dec 30 Supplemental Training Registration VI. Week Six Training and Race Schedule A. Giants Ridge Camp Monday, Dec 18- Thursday, Dec 21. Meet the bus at 6AM Monday morning. Eat before you arrive or bring food for the bus. B. On Snow Training @ Hyland 1. Monday, Dec 18 6:30-8:45PM: All Pods. Lane 6 Meet your coaches at the TOP of South Chair at the designated START TIME of your practice session. Wear Rope Tow Gloves 2. Tuesday, Dec 19. 5:00-7:15PM: All Pods. Lane 7. Meet your coaches at the TOP of South Chair at the designated START TIME of your practice session. Wear Rope Tow Gloves 3. Wednesday, Dec 20. 5:00-7:15PM: All Pods. Lanes 4,5. Meet your coaches at the TOP of South Chair at the designated START TIME of your practice session. Wear Rope Tow Gloves 4. Thursday. Dec 21. 5:00-7:15PM: All Pods. Lanes 4,5. Meet your coaches at the TOP of South Chair at the designated START TIME of your practice session. Wear Rope Tow Gloves 5. Friday, Dec 22. Session I: 9:30AM-12:15PM. Lanes 1,2. All Pods. Session II: 5-7:15PM. Lanes 1,2. All Pods. 6. Saturday, Dec 23. 7:45-10:30AM: All Pods. Lanes 1,2,3. Rest up. Spend some quality time with your family this weekend. Help with chores around the house. Tune your skis. Watch Sprongo videos. Watch Deb Armstrong Instructional Videos. Watch all 91 of Mikaela Shiffrin's World Cup Victories. And I will see 66 of you bright and early on Monday morning. Mark Conway 612-275-8392 [email protected]  |
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