** Editors note: This will be a twice-monthly column highlighting our ski coaches from around the country… including elite coaches, college coaches, high school coaches, volunteer coaches, and learn-to-ski coaches. This is an effort to sample a diverse group of coaches and recognize the people who are the backbone of today’s skiers. If you would like to nominate a coach for an interview, please email rob@fasterskier.com. Please give coach’s name, email, and a several paragraph write-up of the nominee.
 with a junior group,</font></center></p>
<p>Eileen resides up in Fort Kent, Maine.</p>
<p><I>1. Tell the readers about yourself, some background info. </I></p>
<p> I started in skiing in 6th grade with a friend who got a kick out of giving me challenges to do on skis. Doing cartwheels, handstands, and jumps definitely got me comfortable on skis. I can’t say that getting my tongue stuck to the football goalpost at -10F for a half hour really contributed to my love of skiing, but I did learn a lesson and from then on, which channeled my competitive energy to slightly more productive pursuits (although I still have a hard time turning down anything that starts with “betcha can’t…â€). I started competing around that time and got totally hooked. I went on to race at Dartmouth, battling a hip injury and taking a lot of time off from racing throughout the four years. I wanted to stay in the ski world after that so I moved to Colorado and coached there for a couple years and then moved back to the east and started working at Maine Winter Sports Center.</p>
<p><I>2. What's new with MWSC this year, and what's your capacity at MWSC? </I></p>
<p> I work with all levels of skiers in my job at MWSC. Our goal is to provide year-round active outdoor opportunities for people of the communities of northern Maine. Our focus is on skiing but we also do a lot with mountain biking and other off-season sports. I coach in the junior race program but I also spend a fair amount of time playing “sharks and minnows†on skis with 3rd graders, organizing learn-to ski and shoot programs, planning coaches’ clinics for area ski coaches, coaching youth and adult racer programs, and working with local ski clubs. The scope of the projects we work on can be overwhelming but it is always challenging and exciting.<br />
Over the past year I have been working on developing a youth wilderness program. We had our first trips last summer and many of the junior athletes helped by assistant leading the trips. It was great to see these athletes in a leadership role. It is easy to get caught up in the technique and training of coaching but it can so easily transcend those bounds and the wilderness trips were a great reminder of that for me.</p>
<p><I>3. You raced college for Dartmouth, then coached in Colorado, and now are back in Maine coaching. What observations do you see in 'how it's done' in the East compared to the Rockies? </I></p>
<p> The club system is stronger in Colorado than it was in New England (especially Maine) when I was growing up. In Maine, clubs are totally separate from high school teams and the schedules are often dueling. This makes for a lot of challenges for both club and school coaches. The racing schedule in Colorado tries to combine the high school and JOQ races when possible, which was helpful as a coach.<br />
The differences in weather are huge (shocking, I know…). In Colorado you just don’t get the opportunities for skiers to experience different snow and weather conditions. When I coached in Colorado I was once asked if we were not going to have practice since it was snowing outside. We were lucky if we got to use klister once a year. I like fast, icy conditions and being able to coach athletes in all types of conditions. What can I say, I’m an Easterner through and through.</p>
<p><I>4. Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Ski coaching? </I></p>
<p> Well 10 years ago I wouldn’t have predicted being here so I honestly don’t know where I’ll be in 10 years but I hope ski coaching is part of it.</p>
<p><I>5. Favorite ski venues?</I><br />
Most of my favorite venues are the places I have skied at a million times. I always loved racing at Black Mountain. I love the trails and the volunteers there put on such a good show and are so supportive. Oak Hill (Dartmouth’s home course) is a great course and will always hold a special place in my skiing heart for helping me learn to ski downhills well. Spring Gulch in Carbondale, Colorado is definitely up there. There are very few races there, but if you are ever in Aspen for a race, you should to zip down to Carbondale to ski there. Great trails and amazing views! There are 28 trail systems in Aroostook County as well. I haven’t gotten to them all yet, but so far they are all great. </p>
<p><I>6. What are your favorite parts about ski coaching? </I><br />
The process and challenges of ski coaching are probably what draw me to it the most. Working on a simple technique issue can be such a process for the athlete and for me as a coach. Sometimes it is like a puzzle trying to figure out what coaching tip or drill will work for that particular athlete. Working through that process also teaches so many valuable lessons: persistence, determination, and also learning how to train well and listen to your body. That “lightbulb†moment can be rewarding as well, but without the process it is not worth as much. As a young coach, I am always learning a ton and I am fortunate to be able to collaborate with other coaches on a daily basis to problem solve and share ideas.<br />
I have to say it is also pretty great that acting like a kid is an asset in this job!</p>
<p><I>7. Do you predict that Dartmouth will take it all this winter at NCAA's, again? </I></p>
<p> I am not going to be the one to jinx it but I’ll be cheering for the Big Green!</p>
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