Thursday Practice Canceled! Friday's Schedule.

Good Evening:

First, I am CANCELING Thursday's practice. I know this will disappoint many of you, but you have had a stressful week with a race and end-of-quarter academic responsibilities. I want you to tune your skis on Thursday, eat a healthy dinner, help clean the kitchen, play a board game with your little sister who you haven't seen for the last 10 weeks, and go to bed EARLY. You need to rest your mind as well as your legs for one night. You need to be to Washburn at 7:25AM to meet the bus, or arrive at Afton between  8:30 and 8:45AM if you are driving with a parent. If you are really upset about missing a practice, come to morning training on Saturday and then train again Saturday evening at Wild Mt.

Second, here is the schedule for tomorrow  A formal schedule from race headquarters is also attached.   
7:25AM.                      Meet the buses at Washburn. Wear a hat and gloves to the bus.  No more bare heads and hands. Wear a mask on the bus, in the chalet.
8:30-8:45AM.             Unload. Bib up. Secure your lift ticket.
8:45AM.                      Warm Up--Direct Free Skiing
9:45AM.                      Varsity Racer Meeting Finish Area Inga's Run.
10AM.                          Inspection Opens Varsity Courses (On Inga's Run)
10AM.                         JV Race Meeting Finish Area Inga's Run.
10:15AM.                    Inspection Opens Junior Varsity Courses (On Heidi's Playground)
10:30AM.                    Varsity Run 1 Start.
10:45AM.                    JV Run 1 Start.
1:00PM.                      Inspection Opens Varsity Run Two.
1:15PM.                      Inspection Opens JV Run Two.
1:30PM                       Varsity Second Run Starts.
1:45PM.                      JV Second Run Starts.
4:30PM.                      Awards.

Additional Instructions

• Come to the bus DRESSED in your race gear.    
• Pack skis in a ski bag, if you have one. MAKE SURE YOUR SKIS ARE STRAPPED. TWO STRAPS. Matthew, Joel and I will be carrying skis and poles in our vehicles.
  
• Bring your boots onto the bus.  
  
• Boot up on the bus when you arrive--or in the parking lot.  
  
• You can store your bags in our truck beds during the race. Our trucks will be in the parking lot by the race hills so you can access your bags during the race if needed.  Afton is not allowing anyone to change in the chalet or store bags in the chalet. If you think you will want to use the cafeteria or go upstairs in the chalet, you will need to show a COVID vaccination card to access those spaces.
  
• MAST is providing breakfast snacks, but I recommend that you eat a hearty breakfast at home if possible.
  
• MAST will be serving lunch on the hill at our tent between runs.   
• During the race, the coaches expect you to watch and cheer on your teammates.  You should NOT be hanging out at the tents during the race. The only exception to this rule would be if lunch arrives during the first run and we need some of the athletes to start moving through the food line.   
  
• I also expect teammates to carry jackets down for each other. Middle and late seed athletes can carry jackets down for early seed athletes and early seed athletes can carry jackets for late seed athletes. No one should have to ride the lift to the top to retrieve their own jacket.   
  
• You are wearing a MAST Jacket: represent our team responsibly. Be respectful, gracious, and courteous.   
  
• Make sure YOUR name and PHONE NUMBER are printed clearly on all your gear, including your jacket and snow pants. With 500 athletes in attendance, the odds are high that someone will ski away with someone else's gear--unintentionally of course. Who doesn't have Leki poles? Or black training shorts?
  
• Tune your skis... oh, I said that already. Go to bed early. Get a lot of rest. Can't say that enough.
  

No practice Thursday (or Friday).
Sleep well.
Mark