Notes from the Spring meeting organized and held jointly by the Central Collegiate Ski Assn and the Midwest Junior Committee at Telemark Resort on Saturday April 23, 2005.
Coaches in attendance included: Joe Haggenmiller-MTU
Sten Fjeldheim-NMU
Jenny Ryan-NMU
Morrey Nellis-Macalester
Christopher Schmidt-Finlandia
Scott Jerome-UAF
Dave Johnson-St John’s/St Benedicts
Jeremy Frost-St Cloud
Bryan Fish-UWGB
Kevin Brochman-St Olaf
Jed Freidrich-Gustavus Adolphus
Lara Etnier-MW Juniors
Jack Jeffery-MW Juniors
Karen Cook-MW Juniors
Bonnie Kask-MW Juniors
Dave Kask-MW Juniors
Kevin Johnson-MW Juniors
Bill Pierce-Birkie
Scott Wilson-CXC
Dennis Kruse-CXC
Yuri Gusev-CXC
9am-12pm CCSA/MW JR Committee Joint Session:
- Welcome from Telemark Lodge and CCSA/MW JR executives, Call to Order/Introductions/Review Agenda
- 9:20 – 9:40 Issues spotting
- 9:40 – 11:00 Issues discussion/analysis re: Central Region Junior/College Skiing – Using SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) – 20 minutes each.
- 11:00 – 12:00 list and setting goals for the next 5 years, detailing the ingredients it takes to meet those goals, comparing them to our assets, and then try to find what we need and where we can improve
- 12:00 – 12:30 – Discuss 2005-6 Schedule for JOQs and CCSA Qualifiers (including distances and seeding)
- 12:30 – Break for lunch
Attendees met in joint session for the morning. They worked through a process of evaluation with comments as outlined below. Line items within categories are not in any order of priority.
Strengths:
- Interest
- Passion
- Commitment
- Venues
- Participation/Potential
- Progression/Program Infrastructure
- Experience
- Money/Can afford equipment
- Interest
- Passion
- Commitment
- Venues
- Climate/Terrain
Weaknesses:
- Direction/Organization
- Tunnel Vision
- Infrastructure/ Institution Funding
- Club Sport – Expensive to be competitive
- Standards
- Fragmentation
- Ethnocentricity
- Junior Fitness compared to National/International
- Giving Back to Sport by the experienced and retired
- Tapping into Funding
- Thought in Non-uniform
- We can’t relay on USST consistency and developing regional talent
- Shifting Tide
- Post College Opportunity
- Media
- NCAA/NSL Rules
- Fear of Trying
Opportunities:
- Change
- WI Clubs
- Set a Course
- Planning
- MN Cohesiveness
- Regional Cohesiveness
- Funding
- Raise Standards/Develop Standards
- Educate on Standards
- Pipeline & Plan
- Integration
- Tap Experience
- Transfer Information
- Personal Motivation & Initiative
- Compromise
- Focus/Loose Distractions
Threats:
- Distractions
- Climate degradation
- Lack of Visibility
- Apathy
- Lack of Rewards
- Lack of Funding
- Selfness/Ethnocentricity/Lack of Common Cause
- Talent Export
- Lack of Results Analysis
- Over Emphasis of Socializing
- Diluting Resources for Elite
- Not Seeing Big Picture
Issues:
- USST Funding
- Results Accountability
- Results – National for Region
- Meshing things together/ Program Continuity
- What is Success?
- Results don’t Match Participation
- Standards
- Focus/Priorities
Short Term Goals (12 months):
- CXC Training Manual
- Set a Course
- Follow Up
- Buy in by those not here
- Competition Opportunities (Improve)
- Media Exposure
- Fundraising
- Publish Performance and Training Standards on the CXC website
- Publish Available Opportunities
- Get U.S. Nationals in Central for 07 and 08
Long Term Goals (3 years):
- Teach Athletes to be Professional
- Lifestyle/ Priorities
- Elites Give Back to Community
- Train Consistently/Properly
- Know what it takes – Sacrifice & Suffering
- Market Selves
- Funding Elite Seniors (enough to make living)
- Raise results back up and start producing top Juniors and Seniors Nationally/Internationally
- Sport Marketing/Media Education
- Organized Long Term Fundraising
- Monitor Goals
- Accountability – Athletes + Coaches
- Teach Coaches to be Professional
- Post Collegiate Program (Park City Alternative)
- Exposure to Top Skiers Training
- Figure out Geographical Strengths and Weaknesses
- Support Twin Cities Snowmaking w/terrain to expose our elites to metro areas vice versa
- Win Alaska Cup Again/Increase JO top 10’s, 5’s, 3’s and wins
- Dominate U.S. Junior World Team + Scando Team
- CXC J1 Trip + other European Racing Opportunities
- Increase CCSA Membership
- J2/J3/J4 Championship at level to prepare for JO’s and beyond
- Coordinate + Recognize Volunteers
- Increase Number of Female Coaches
- Increase Female Participation on all Levels