 Thirteen state
championship titles. Eleven State runner-up titles, 38 Section
Championship titles, and 38 Conference Championship titles.
Very impressive statistics for one man, but in my opinion, not
his greatest coaching accomplishment. Twenty five years of the
largest, most inclusive cross country ski program in the state
is an even bigger accomplishment than such an amazing winning
record.
I have always admired Bill and have often tried
to identify what it is that he has – what he does – that makes
him such a special person. I have been privileged to know Bill
in many capacities: as a skier, as an assistant coach, and as a
friend. And, I believe that he has several characteristics that
have most profoundly and consistently affected me in each of the
capacities I have known him, most notably: his respect for and
consideration of each individual and his profound loyalty to his
community.
I remember my sixth ever day of ski practice. I
was an eighth grader and was tired of running up and down the
streets of Stillwater on overcast November afternoons. I’d
barely spoken to anyone on the team, and given that there were
120 kids at practice, I was pretty sure that Coach Simpson
wouldn’t have any idea if I took a break and skipped practice.
But I was wrong. The next day he cornered me in the hallway and
asked where I had been the day before and then proceeded to
reprimanded me for not keeping my commitment to the team and
working up to my potential. Later that year, halfway through
the season, Bill put a star by name on the results poster at
school, indicating that, in his estimation, I’d had a good
race. I don’t know that I ever cracked the top 30 on our team
that year, but with his scolding in November and with his
placement of a star by my name after that race, Bill let me know
that I was a contributing, valued member of the team. An
individual, worthy of respect and consideration despite the fact
that I’d never raced before that year.
I have seen this part of Bill over and over in
the years I’ve been lucky enough to coach with him. Unlike many
coaches, Bill’s enthusiasm for his skiers doesn’t stop at the
top 2 or top 5 or the top 10. He is as likely to be excited
about the finish position of the 33rd place skier as
he is by the skier who finishes first. He considers each
individual and the performance of each individual within the
context of that person’s goals and previous accomplishments.
It’s an amazing person that can do that year after year for
every kid on what has grown to be the largest high school ski
program in the country.
After high school, I left Minnesota for a time
and one of the things that drew my husband and me back here to
live was our desire to be part of a community. A community
defined as a group of people with common interests and similar
goals who contribute to a common vision for living together in
society. Bill is one of the strongest community builders I have
ever met. When I was in high school, I remember being amazed at
the number of ex-skiers and parents that came to support the
Stillwater team at the state meet. At the number of citizens
out skiing at O’Brien during our Saturday practices that would
cheer encouragingly for us as we raced by during a grueling set
of intervals. At the number of people that contributed to our
success by donating time, equipment and experience. I naively
believed every community had this much enthusiasm for their
cross-country ski team. I didn’t realize just how special the
Stillwater ski team is. That sea of red and black supporters,
cheering in the wind at our races, enthusiastic claps muffled by
heavy mittens, is the foundation of lots of positive things for
life in the St. Croix Valley.
For a year before joining the coaching staff at
Stillwater, I coached at a different school and I was amazed by
the number of people who shook their heads at the mention of the
Stillwater ski team: “No wonder they’re so good! Have you seen
how many coaches and parents they have helping them out?” It’s
true that our team is blessed with an abundance of people who
give their time and knowledge to our team despite the fact that
their kids have long since graduated from it. Other folks
volunteer tirelessly although they have never had kids on the
team. But it’s not just good luck that our team has such a high
density of saints. It is due to Bill; his leadership inspires
generosity and selflessness in people and his enthusiasm for
skiing and his openness to every person channels his strength
into our community.
The community that Bill inspired as head coach
transcends one race or one season or one year’s team and
inclusion in that community, now 25 years old, is open to anyone
who wants to participate. Since his retirement 2 years ago,
Bill continues to work with our ski program on a daily basis, as
a volunteer technical coach.
Kris Hansen, November 2002
Co-head coach, Stillwater Area high School Nordic
Ski team
Member Stillwater High School Ski Team 1982-1987
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