Introduction to the Junior Nordic Team

The Ford Sayre Junior Nordic Team is a program of the Ford Sayre Memorial Ski Council, which supports recreational and competitive skiers of the Upper Valley region of Vermont and New Hampshire. The Junior Nordic Team (JNT) is for J2, J1 and OJ cross country skiers who are looking to step-up their training and racing to the next level. The program’s coaching staff stress smart training and long-term skier development to allow the skier to reach their full potential and personal goals. The team trains in the Hanover, NH area and races the Eastern Cup/JOQ circuit on the New England Nordic Ski Association schedule. In addition, all members of the program also ski and race on the their local high school teams*. The championship schedule includes the New England J2 Festival, the Eastern States High School Ski Championships, and the Junior Olympics. A quick outline of program details from the Ford Sayre Program Brochure can be found here.

2009/2010 Season

The JNT this season is composed of 13 athletes from the Upper Valley. The skiers are all between the ages of 14-18, competing in the J2, J1, and OJ age groups in NENSA and USSA sanctioned races.

Many of these high school age skiers have developed their cross country skiing and racing experience in Ford Sayre’s Bill Koch League program for elementary and middle school students.

What we do

For most of our skiers, our program begins with summer dryland training. Ranging from long trail runs to roller skiiing and strength work. After the local high school  fall sports programs complete their seasons, our program starts up again in early-midNovember. We are on snow as soon as Mother Nature allows and our racing season begins with the first Eastern Cup races the weekend before Christmas and lasts through the championship season in  mid-March.

Our Resources

Our most important resources is our coaching staff that care about each and every skier on the team. Scottie Eliassen, Dennis Donahue, and Jay Davis each bring a special set of coaching skills and experience to the program and work to create a well crafted, season-long training and racing plan for our skiers. The program owns and operates its own van, allowing us to travel to training locations and races together, with plenty of room for our wax boxes, skis, poles, and other gear.

An Option for High School Skiers

The Ford Sayre Junior Nordic Team is one option for skiers as they enter high school. The Ford Sayre Bill Koch League program is for skiers in 8th grade and younger. Following 8th grade, skiers have various options - which option to choose depends on the individual skier’s goals and commitment to racing and training. A short description of these options can be found in this document: hs xc ski options.pdf.

Looking for More Information

If you are interested in learning more about this program, please contact Greg DeFrancis, the Program Head at 802.649.5738 or click to email.