DEVELOPMENT COACH OF YEAR Ski Jumping./Nordic Combined Coach of the Year Mike Holland Ford Sayre Ski Club
A World Cup winner and one of the past stars of his sport, volunteer coach Mike Holland (Norwich, Vt./Ford Sayre Ski Club) is making a difference for the next generation of ski jumpers. Under his leadership this past season, Ford Sayre qualified five young athletes to the Junior National Championships – the most ever for the venerable jumping club in Brattleboro, Vt. which has a long history of sending athletes to the Olympic and national team.
Mike Holland and his brothers grew up in the Olympic-rich town of Norwich, Vt. Brothers Mike and Jim were ski jumpers, while Joe skied nordic combined – three Olympians in one family. Mike became a ski jumping legend, winning the Bischofshofen, Austria Springertournee event in 1989 – still today the only American World Cup win.
Holland is a tireless volunteer, working to improve snowmaking, upgrading jumping facilities and recruiting kids from local schools. After retiring as an athlete in 1990, he went into business with his family. He was thrust into coaching temporarily around a decade ago, and it stuck. Now, you can often find him out early packing the hill for jumpers all the while negotiating on the phone for a used winch cat or snowmaking equipment to help make the jumper better.
Today he coaches with brother Joe, working with around 50 kids each year at Ford Sayre in Hanover, N.H., as well as with the Lebanon Outing Club jumps in neighboring Vermont. Using his engineering skills, he also developed a portable roller ski jump which is being used as a recruitment tool by clubs around the country.
“Ski jumping, as a sport, teaches key life lessons. I realized it for myself as an athlete, but more so now as a coach. When you confront your fears, you see a transformation in kids’ personalities. You know it’s going to help them in everything they’re going to do the rest of their lives.”
To get more information, please check out our Registration page. To learn more about our various programs, please go to the home page, and select the desired program.
Junior Nordic Team (JNT) registration will open in November.
If you have any difficulties or questions, please send an email to info@FordSayre.org.
With the hiring of its first full-time Nordic Head Coach, Ford Sayre is having to say goodbye to two beloved coaches. Scottie Eliassen and Dennis Donahue have been synonymous with our program and the Upper Valley nordic ski community for 25 years, and we are incredibly grateful for their dedication and for the program they built. The impact they had on hundreds of skiers in their program extended far beyond fast skiing, and was evidenced by the character of their Junior Nordic Team. They inspired a life-long passion for the sport through their own personal examples, and instilled in their athletes a level of personal responsibility, empowerment, respect, and sportsmanship that was the hallmark of their program and noted by many, far and wide, over the years. This mark is indelible and their legacy continues through the ongoing journeys of those athletes.
We at Ford Sayre will miss them dearly.
Follow this link for a full description of the remarkable accomplishments of our Junior Nordic Team over the past 25 years.
Join the Dartmouth XC Ski Center & Ford Sayre Wednesday, Jan 30, 2019 6:00–7:45 pm
NH High School (NHIAA) Ski Jumping Competition Park at Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center, Oak Hill Drive, Hanover Free Admission
Watch top Male & Female High School competitors from around the state soar over 100 feet under the lights
Music, Hot Chocolate, Campfire, Marshmallows, Athletic Courage
DIRECTIONS
From downtown Hanover take Lyme Road (Rt 10 North to the first rotary just before the COOP Foodstore).
Take the first right off the rotary onto Reservoir Road.
Reservoir road comes to a “T” after roughly 0.7 miles.
Take a left on Oak Hill Drive toward Storrs Pond and the Dartmouth Cross Country SkiCenter.
Park at the Dartmouth Cross Country Ski Center. The jumps are up the hill to the left(hidden by a few trees). From the parking lot you’ll see the lights from the ski jumpingcomplex shining through the trees. If this lot is full, more parking is available close by at the Ray School on Reservoir Road or at the Garipay Field parking lot closer to Route 10.
Ford Sayre, a growing ski club that supports nearly 300 Nordic skiers in the Upper Valley of New Hampshire and Vermont, is seeking a full-time head coach to provide leadership and coaching continuity across the club’s cross-country skiing programs (Youth, Juniors, Masters). The head coach will have primary coaching responsibility for the club’s high school (U16/U18/U20) age group.
Ford Sayre Memorial Ski Council is a 501(c3) established in 1950 to promote the sport of skiing in the Upper Valley. The Nordic Club has historically been run by a dedicated group of part-time coaches and volunteers. This new full-time position, reporting to the Ford Sayre Nordic Committee, creates an opportunity for the right individual to engage and leverage this group while establishing a unified, consistent coaching approach across the club’s offerings. Ford Sayre Nordic primarily skis at Oak Hill in Hanover, NH, the ski venue of Dartmouth College. The club includes members from a number of area towns and schools.
The main areas of responsibility include:
Coaching
Lead a team to oversee the delivery of quality coaching to each of Ford Sayre’s program offerings and to develop new and/or expanded offerings. Currently the program has three main components: Youth (Kindergarten through 8th grade; approximately 225 skiers and 55 volunteer coaches), JNT (Competitive High School Program; 14-20 skiers and 3-5 coaches), and Masters (50 registered skiers).
Assume direct coaching responsibility of the JNT program
Develop annual, period-based training plans for use by athletes and run training sessions throughout the year
Demonstrate a strong knowledge of the physiological, technical, emotional and mental demands of Nordic skiing and the ability to incorporate this knowledge into individualized training planning, execution and assessment
Run at least one summer and one fall training camp for club and out-of-town athletes
Coordinate the plans and provisions for the team’s requirements for out-of-town competitions including transportation, accommodation, wax and equipment, and race entries
Management
Train and recruit coaches to ensure that the club has sufficient high-quality coaching resources for each of its programs
Work closely with Ford Sayre volunteers and two Ford Sayre employees (administrative and IT staff) to administer day-to-day operations of the club
Plan and implement several dryland and on-snow coaching clinics
Coordinate coaching plans with lead coaches of Youth and Masters programs to ensure Ford Sayre is providing a consistent experience across the spectrum of its programs
During the offseason, develop an annual plan for each of the programs in collaboration with lead coaches and supported by members of the Ford Sayre Nordic Committee. This plan will include the development of a draft budget
Communication
Keep the club’s various constituencies informed with regular verbal and written communications. Constituencies include athletes, coaches, the Ford Sayre Nordic Committee, non-coach volunteers, parents, and the local ski community
In all communications within and outside the club, represent the club in a positive and professional manner
Implementing Vision & Strategic Direction
The full-time coach will collaborate with the Ford Sayre Nordic Committee to set the strategic direction of the overall program and implement programming in accordance with Ford Sayre Nordic’s Guiding Principles.
Skills & Qualifications
Demonstrated ability to create a positive, athlete-centered, team experience working with a dynamic group of part-time coaches, volunteers, Nordic Committee members, and community members
Demonstrated leadership skills and the ability to lead and motivate athletes, coaches, and volunteers
Exceptional planning, organizational, and communication skills
USSS (or equivalent) coaching certification
Extensive knowledge and passion for Nordic skiing and ski racing
High level of ski waxing knowledge and proficiency
This is a full-time exempt, salaried position. Compensation range of $35,000-$45,000 annually based on experience with room for growth, with contribution toward healthcare benefits.
