It was a really busy weekend at Dublin for the last Eastern Cup, and when you take into account some of the added stress and pressure of a “final weekend” experience there’s definitely some extra energy expended for many.
That said, everyone skied great. The last weekend is always something that seems to go well for us, and having that happen is very representative of how much everyone has developed and improved throughout the season.
Our in-season intervals often reflect either a skill that I identified for us to try working on after the previous race, OR a skill/technique element that I think will be beneficial to spend time on leading into a particular course or weekend. By the end of the season, that all adds up to a skiing skillset that allows MNC skiers to handle anything the weather, uphills, downhills, corners, or competition throws at us
A wise MNC alum (Meredith Stetter, who is not necessarily that old or that far removed, let’s be real) once said “results are inevitable, but how you process them is your choice”…with skiers on the verge of making or missing a championship trip, it can be hard to see the bigger picture of all the growth, and appreciate it, in the stress of moment. The fact that so many of our athletes stayed around for the final races to cheer super loud, run alongside athletes with the speaker and deafening shouts, and generally be excited for the races of others regardless of their own races, means a lot.
It also takes a lot of self awareness and interpersonal navigation to know how to best support teammates through the good times and the bad times…not to mention using those same traits to handle your own reactions to everything going on. I’m super proud of the way all everyone handled themselves this weekend, with emotions that certainly ranged from joy, to disappointment, to indifference, and everything in between.
Sometimes the best thing to say is nothing, and sometimes the best thing to have is a long conversation. Sometimes what you need is a hug, and sometimes what you need is a walk alone in the woods. Despite the heckling this young generation may receive for being “screenagers” and such, this team deserves credit for the human connections and empathy they’ve built.
Congratulations to everyone on a great Eastern Cup season, and our 6 JN qualifiers and 2 alternates:
Rye MacCurtain
Niko Cuneo
Emma Page
Gillian Fairfax
Julia Thurston
Virginia Cobb
Kate Carlson (Alt)
Rosalie Brown (Alt)
And thank you to our coaches who helped make these Eastern Cups a success…Sara, Rosemary, Kristen, Tom, Danny, Dana, and more!
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