MAST Update 6: October 26, 2018

Mpls Alpine Ski Team
Update #6: Friday, October 26, 2018
Subject: Captains’ Practices, CityKidsJava Fundraiser, MPS Alpine Registration, Chipotle Fundraiser and Season Pass Pick Up Night, Dryland, Team Roster, Team Gilboa Equipment Swap
 
Dear MAST Athletes and Families:
Captains’ Practices Begin NEXT Week:  Captains practice will be at Lynnhurst Park (across from Burroughs) 4:30-5:30pm on Monday (10/29) and Wednesday (10/31) next week and Monday (11/5), Wednesday (11/7) and Friday (11/9) the following week. Make sure you bring a water bottle and appropriate and warm clothes (not jeans or nice shoes) as its often muddy/cold and we will be running around. Captains is a really great way to ease into dryland and to meet new people and to get excited about skiing and it’s just really fun. We are SO excited, see you there!
- Anna, Ahnika, Rachel, Augie, Luke, Ryan 
 
MPS Athletic Forms and Registration:  We are only a few weeks away from the start of the season.  Please be sure to get your MPS/MSHSL FORMS into your high school athletic director.  All the forms you need are attached.   You want to get those forms in NOW so that your athletic director has time to review them and clear you to participate.  Keep in mind that the ADs have to review and clear hundreds of athletes from all the winter sports.  An easy way to turn in your forms is to bring them to the Winter Sport Registration Night at your high school on Monday, Oct 30 between 5 and 7PM.  Otherwise, you can drop them off with your Athletic Director at you high school.  We have had a handful of incidents in which Athletic Directors have mixed up Alpine and Nordic, so  I suggest putting them in a manila envelope and marking the envelope with the word ALPINE REGISTRATION in large letters.  DO NOT write SKIING on the forms… most athletic directors interpret ‘skiing’ as Nordic. Remember, if you played a high school fall sport, you only need to submit a new Emergency Card.     Click HERE for the MPS/MSHSL Athletic Forms Packet is attached or you can pick up forms directly from your AD.     
 
City Kids Java INDIVIDUAL Fundraiser:  The time to raise money for YOUR skiing expenses is NOW.  If you would like to raise money for supplemental training, Giants Ridge Camp, or any other MAST expense, you will want to participate in this excellent fundraiser. CLICK HERE for more details.
 
Monday, November 12:  Season Pass Pick Up Night (7PM) & Chipotle Fundraiser (5-9PM):  The official start to the high school Alpine ski racing season is Monday, November 12.  We are combining two events in one night.  We are raising money for MAST by eating out at the Edina Chipotle location between 5 and 9PM.  Chipotle returns a percentage of our sales that night to MAST.  This has been an important fundraiser for MAST in previous years.  I hope you will participate and spread the word to family, neighbors, friends and enemies.   We are also picking up our Hyland Passes from 7-7:30PM.   This means that you can either eat before you pick up your pass or afterwards.     The pass pick-up goes very fast.  We are usually in and out in 45 minutes.  All I ask is that you arrive at Hyland no later than 7:30 to pick up your pass.  
 
Dryland Begins: Tuesday, November 13 at Washburn High School from 4:30-6PM:  Until Hyland opens for skiing, we will hold dryland training at Washburn High School from 4:30-6PM when school is in session.   Unless it is raining or sleeting hard, we will be OUTDOORS in the Washburn Stadium or in the neighborhood.  This means that you need to dress for OUTDOOR exercise.    Yes, you will get hot and need to shed clothes, but make sure you have multiple layers of outwear plus a hat and gloves/mittens.  Sweatpants, not jeans.  And make sure you have good quality athletic footwear.  Skateboard shoes won’t cut it.   You will be running and cutting and jumping.  
 
Team Roster Attached:  The 2018-19 Team Roster is attached.  Registration is still open, so a few more athletes may be added in the next two weeks.  But this should give you enough information to start connecting with other families in your area to form carpools to and from practices.  I only ask that you keep this roster private. I consider the data contained to be sacred and personal.  I don’t want this information to find its way into the public domain in any way.  It is for internal use as a club only.  Thank you.
 
Equipment:  We had a great turn out at both the Pierce MAST Equipment Night and the MAST Equipment Swap back in September.  I know some of you might still be in need of skis or boots or ski suits.   The Hyland Swap begins today at 5PM and runs through Sunday morning.   I encourage you to attend today if you need skis or boots.   Know that there is a separate section set aside for race boots and race skis.  Ask somewhere where these sections are in the chalet.  The slalom skis sell quickly.  
 
One of our volunteer coaches, Thorn Turner, will be at Hyland for a short while starting at 5.  He may only stay an hour or so.  He has offered to help any MAST athletes find appropriate equipment if they can be there close to when the sale opens today.  Here is Thorn’s phone number (612-743-4929) in case you want to take him up on his offer this afternoon.  I also know that he has two GS suits he is willing to sell to a MAST athlete.   They would fit a younger athlete I believe. 
 
Finally, if you do find equipment that you think might work, feel free to reach out by phone to me.   I suggest sending pictures via text but also calling me to alert me to the text message.  I will do my best to respond as quickly as possible this weekend.

Hyland Season Passes
If you have not purchased a Season Pass yet and wish to do so through MAST, please drop off a check made payable to Mpls Alpine in the amount of $424.  My address is 4800 Harriet Ave S.   Please put it in an envelop and slip it in my mailbox no later than Saturday noon tomorrow.  

Have a great weekend.
Mark Conway
612-275-8392