Ford Sayre Memorial Ski Council in Hanover, NH is a 501(c3) established in 1950 to promote the sport of skiing in the Upper Valley of Vermont and New Hampshire. Ford Sayre is a volunteer-based organization that supports Alpine, Jumping, Nordic and Ski Mountaineering. The Nordic branch supports over 350 skiers, making Ford Sayre one of the largest Nordic programs in the United States.
Description
The Junior Assistant Coach will work closely with the Nordic Head Coach to support all aspects of the U16-U20 Junior Nordic Team (JNT). The JNT consists of 25-30 area high school skiers whose primary athletic focus is Nordic skiing. The JNT program offers fully-supported race travel trips (transportation, lodging and race support) to these skiers, creating a unique environment for team bonding and personal development. The right candidate will be community-minded, committed to adolescent development, and have exceptional communication skills.
The Junior Assistant Coach is expected to coach 5-8 training sessions per week (Jun-Mar). Summer and winter are the busiest seasons for in-person obligations. In the fall, the number of coaching sessions is typically 5-6/week in the after school block or on weekends. As a key member of the Ford Sayre coaching team, this position will also be requested to provide some administrative support to our adult and youth programming.
The ideal candidate would also be interested in pursuing this position for more than one season.
Primary Responsibilities
Lead or support at 5-8 practices per week
Collaborate with Head Coach to write group and individual training plans
Regularly review athlete training logs
Draft and send regular written and in-person communications with athletes, parents, coaches and other stakeholders
Travel with the JNT to all supported races including overnight Eastern Cup weekends and at least two training camps
Plan and coordinate logistics for overnight trips, including two training camps: summer camp and Thanksgiving Camp.
Maintain and inventory team equipment and rental uniforms
Coordinate merchandise and uniform orders
Make regular web, social media and newsletter updates
Assist with back-end administration of program registration
Attend monthly Ford Sayre Nordic Committee meetings
Skills & Qualifications
Extensive knowledge and passion for Nordic skiing and ski racing
1 year experience coaching or experience racing at collegiate or professional level
Proficient rollerskier
Basic ski waxing knowledge and proficiency
Excellent planning, organizational, and communication skills (written and verbal) are critical
Valid driver’s license with a safe driving history. Must be comfortable driving a 15-passenger van. Towing experience is a plus.
Compensation
This is a full-time exempt position beginning as early as June 1, with some flexibility in start date. Salary is negotiable, with an anticipated starting annualized salary of $40,000.
Additional benefits include:
Season pass to Oak Hill Outdoor Center
USSS and NENSA Membership and Coaching Clinic/Certification fees covered
Flexible vacation time
If interested, please send a cover letter, resume and references to Hilary McNamee (NordicHeadCoach@Fordsayre.org) by April 24, 2026
With the leaves changing colors and the temperatures starting to drop, we wanted to take a moment to look back on what was a really great summer for Ford Sayre’s Nordic Programs. From Bill Koch League (BKL) to the Junior Nordic Team (JNT) to Masters’ Club, everyone was out there improving their fitness and technique alongside teammates.
BKL
Rising seventh and eight grade BKLers had the opportunity to participate in two practices a week lead by Coaches Blaine Ayotte, Corinn Bryant, and JNT Alumnae, Sarah Glueck and Katie Davis. Monday practices focused on rollerskiing and often included thrilling agility courses, while Thursday practices were a combination of running, on-foot games, and strength. The eight graders were also invited to join JNT on Wednesdays for some inspiration from the big kids!
A highlight of summer programming for Ford Sayre as a whole but BKL in particular was, without a doubt, Ford Sayre Community Day, which was put on in collaboration with the New England Nordic Ski Association (NENSA). The event occurred at Oak Hill and included a coaches clinic, a community group run, and three youth activity stations (rollerski agility, laser biathlon, and the chance to try out the skiing jumping simulator) followed by a barbeque potluck. Check out a full recap from the event here.
Scenes from Ford Sayre Community Day with NENSA: Staying hydrated while riding the ramps (left) and trying out the laser biathlon rifles with guidance from JNT athletes (right).
JNT
With just less than 40 athletes, this was our largest group involved in JNT Summer Training yet, a trend we are excited to continue into this fall and winter. Great skiers are made in the summer, and the group met four days a week to put in the work. Tuesday mornings generally involved an on-foot workout followed by strength training in the evening. On Wednesdays, the athletes would be challenged with rollerski intervals, and Fridays mirrored Tuesdays with a morning session focused on aerobic development and strength training in the evening. Each week would conclude with an overdistance workout on the weekend in which the athletes would complete three to four hours of rollerskiing, running, or a combination of the two over the best terrain that the Upper Valley has to offer. Coaching was led by Head Coach Hilary McNamee and Assistant Izzy Seay with support from Nick Mahood, Jack Schrupp, Andy Rightmire, and Welly Ramsey.
Major highlights of the summer for JNT included continuing the traditions of Home Camp, Mountain Camp, and hosting the Fundraising Dinner in the Flower Field. We were also excited to finish Ford Sayre Clubhouse renovations at Oak Hill, where we now have our own weight room and no longer have to make the drive up to Thetford Academy to use their gym. The Clubhouse also includes four waxing benches and an office space.
Celebrating the final strength session at Thetford Academy and the completion of the new Ford Sayre Clubhouse with swimming in Jay’s backyard (left) and ice cream at the Lyme Country Store (right).
Home Camp
It has become tradition for JNT to kick-off Summer Programming with Home Camp, a long weekend of training, classroom sessions, and teambonding in the best spots the Upper Valley has to offer. This year, Home Camp included the following activities.
Thursday started with athletes completing the Canadian Strength test. The test involves completing as many pullups as possible in a minute followed by a minute rest. This cycle is then repeated with situps, pushups, box jumps, and dips. At the end of the summer, we repeated the test to see the strength gains made over the summer. Afterwards, everyone enjoyed pizza and ice cream together in the lodge at Oak Hill.
On Friday morning, the athletes met at Oak Hill and started the day with a distance skate rollerski that took them up East Wheelock Street to Tresscott Road before crossing Partridge Road and making their way to Dogford Road. During the session, coaches gathered video, which the group used to analyze technique afterwards. After lunch, the afternoon was filled with classroom sessions in which we talked about how to read a training plan and the importance of keeping a training log, learned about basic principles of physiology and training, and got to have a Zoom Q&A with Olympian and Vermont-native Ben Ogden!
Saturday morning the team met at the Ompompanoosuc Boat Launch in Norwich and classic rollerskied their way up Route 132 to Strafford. Then they met with Anna Terry of Total Athlete Care for a mobility session and learned techniques they can use to keep themselves healthy and moving well. Following lunch, they had a virtual meeting with Erin Ayala, PhD, CMPC of Skadi Sport Psychology in which they discussed how they can incorporate specific mental strategies to support their training and racing. The day concluded with a short run, a high-energy game of speedball, and swimming in the river.
Camp wrapped up Sunday with a point-to-point overdistance run on the Appalachian Trail. Everyone started heading north from where the trail crosses VT Route 12 in Woodstock, and younger athletes finished when they reached Cloudland Road while older athletes continued down Cloudland and Barber Hill Roads to reach three hours of moving time.
Mountain Camp
At the end of July, for the second year in a row, the team made the trip to Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley, ME for Mountain Camp. The focus of the four days was to finish out Summer Programming with lots of training hours and quality team time before pre-season for fall sports started. Downtime was filled with lots of pingpong, puzzling, dips in the river, and watching the Tour de France.
After arriving on Thursday afternoon, everyone headed out for an exploratory run and game of soccer while Izzy and Hilary prepared burgers, hotdogs, corn, and watermelon for dinner.
Friday included two training sessions. In the morning, the team did a long point-to-point rollerski on Long Falls Dam Road with a focus on double poling–this became extra challenging when they hit the big hill 15 km in! The afternoon session included an easy run on the Narrow Gauge Pathway followed by a game of sand volleyball and trying out the slackline.
On Saturday morning, the team did a skiwalking intensity session up the access road to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain. In the afternoon, they did a skate rollerski with technique work in the surrounding neighborhoods.
Mountain Camp concluded on Sunday with a big run in the Bigelow Mountain Preserve. Everyone started together and headed up the Appalachian Trail. Younger athletes peeled off to complete a shorter, ten mile loop with 2,500’ of climbing that took them by Horns Pond, while older athletes continued on across the ridgeline to Mount Bigelow and Avery Peak to make a longer, 14 mile loop with almost 5,000’ of climbing. We of course had to stop for ice cream on the way home!
Scenes from Mountain Camp: Picnic dinner and s’mores around the campfire (left), everyone at the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain after a hard skiwalking session with the Bigelow Mountains in the background (middle), and smiling for ice cream after a fun and tiring weekend (right).
Fundraising Dinner in the Flower Field
On Saturday, August 2, JNT hosted their annual Fundraising Dinner in the Flower Field. At the event, ticketholders were treated to a locally-sourced meal prepared and presented by JNT athletes, and all the proceeds went towards the Athlete Travel Fund, which helps offset trip expenses for qualification-based events, such as Junior Nationals, Eastern High School Championships, and U16 Championships. This year’s event was the most successful yet, as tickets sold out, and we were treated to a perfect summer evening.
Scenes from the Fundraising Dinner in the Flower Field: Guests enjoying their meal (left) and JNT athletes serving their homemade pies and Strafford Creamery ice cream (right).
MASTERS’ CLUB
For the fourth year in a row, the Ford Sayre held a camp in August for master skiers from across the region. This year was the biggest so far with 12 people attending and included three full days of training.
On the first day, the group was guided through rollerski technique drills by Hilary McNamee and Ben Theyerl, the Competitive Program Director at NENSA, on River Road in Lyme, NH. The next day, everyone looked to apply these lessons as they completed an over 20 mile rollerski up to Lake Tarleton. Much of the ski was uphill with grades as high as 14%, which made lunch and swimming afterwards extra enjoyable. On the final day, the majority of the group did a trail run up Mount Mossilauke, while three athletes made their way to to compete in an uphill running race up Stratton Mountain in Vermont alongside Jessie Diggins and other members of the SMST2 team.
Scenes from the Ford Sayre Masters’ Camp: Working on technique with Hilary and Ben (left) and at the summit of Mount Moosilauke (right).
Relay Day at Junior Nationals always occurs on the last day of a full week of racing. By design, it’s meant to focus the individual efforts of an entire winter by placing them in the context of a Team. Drive to the heart of our sport: a wintertime, cold, individual pursuit, made wonderful by the warmth of pursuing it together.
For Team New England this year, Relay Day represented another opportunity. After a sometimes frustrating week of near-misses on All-American finishes (top 10), there was a tangible way for skiers who had already accomplished much in the week of racing to boost their teammates to their goals. A strong relay leg, a last burst of speed against a tired field, by any one skier could be the difference.
As it would turn out on the day, those race-defining, team-boosting efforts would begin and end with two skiers who had led their peers in the Eastern Cup all season: James Underwood and Lea Perreard, both out of Ford Sayre Ski Club in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire-Vermont.
At their end-of-season banquet this spring, the members of Ford Sayre Junior Nordic Ski Team (FSJNT) offered up just this honor for their Head Coach, Hilary McNamee. “One of the athletes compared Hilary’s abilities as a coach to her abilities as a flower farmer,” says Ford Sayre Assistant Coach Isabel Seay. “He described how just as she successfully grows a wide variety of flowers by knowing how to tend each of them, she successfully develops athletes of all levels by meeting them where they are at, understanding their goals, and providing them with the support they need (and more).”
To tend the metaphor then: as the seeds she planted for Ford Sayre have hit a full bloom, we’re honored to recognize Hilary McNamee as the 2024-25 NENSA Coach of the Year.
The Liatoppen is the world’s largest youth Biathlon festival with 1,100 U16 athletes competing in 2025. Isaac Fellows was a member of the US team of 22 biathletes from across the country who travelled to Norway for 3 days of training and 3 days of competition. This year there was almost no snow at the venue and they moved snow by truck up the mountain from a local downhill ski area to hold the competition.
Friday: Relay race 3 1K loops with 2 shooting sessions. Isaac (lane 26) skied the second leg of the top seeded US team with Lance Smith from AK and Elin Lunoe from AK placing 13th in the mixed relay category.
Saturday: Individual start. 2 x1x2 K loops with 2 shooting sessions. Isaac placed 52, 4/10.
Sunday: Mass start with 30 athletes in a wave. 3 x 1.5 K loops with 2 shooting sessions. Isaac placed 37, 6/10.
Q: How was your experience in Norway?
Isaac: The trip to Liatoppen, Norway was super fun, super cool, and a great overall experience. It was really cool to be in Norway for the first time where the ski culture is just everywhere and everyone is super friendly. What made the biggest impression on me is how focused on skiing the country is. A shopping mall will have 5 ski shops with a vast selection of equipment. Everywhere you look there is a ski area that includes a biathlon range. There was a school near the venue that trained Nordic skiers and biathletes with a range right beside the school.
The race venue was on top of a mountain with great views, and a really nice place to ski. It was great to meet everyone on the team and become friends with people from Alaska to Washington to Maine. The races were so much fun and even if you didn’t do well, everyone was happy to be there and enjoyed the beautiful sunny days. The weather was impeccable all week with sun and warm temperature everyday, so this combined with the amazing racing, stunning views, and new friends, made my week in Norway an incredible experience that I’ll always remember.
James Underwood and Lea Perreard are Celebrated as 2025 Eastern Cup Champions with Mike Gallagher Award – New England Nordic Ski AssociationDownloadContinue reading →
