State Meet Proposal
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State Meet Proposal |
Proposal Written by Roland Ring-Jarvi - Former Elk River Nordic Ski coach/now meet official for conference, section and state Nordic meets in 2008-9.
I hope to stimulate ideas about high school skiing for changes
to help skiing grow and develop in the future. This is for discussion at the
spring meeting and beyond. PLEASE DISTRIBUTE TO MORE PEOPLE. HERE IT IS:
Nordic skiing is a wonderful sport ! Is the current state meet format
restricting development and growth of the sport?
The current two race pursuit format has problems: wastes time, is 50% boring, is
primarily for super fit year round dedicated affluent athletes and discourages
beginners and skier development.
1. Wastes time in the time used to run the two race pursuit you could
have 3 separate events.
Meet officials could spend time running 3 exciting races rather than doing
clerical work, new bibs and two starts and two finishes for one race result..
2. Boring and unfair the first race with interval starts is boring. A
mass start would eliminate the second start and finish. Skiers would constantly
know where they rank. If a skier got a bad start he or she would have the rest
of the race to make it up. Skiers would learn how to do the equipment
transitions smoothly with practice.
3. Fan and athlete interest would ski rocket with the opportunity to
participate or watch the shorter races even the longer continuous pursuit would
be exciting right from the start.
4. Training and development for the current format is diff icult. Kids
ski one race all season until the last couple meets of the season - then the
distance is doubled. It is difficult to prepare and train for the two races
during the regular season.
5. Financial burden for first year skiers. The sport should be able to
offer the first year skier a better opportunity to participate and develop in
the sport. Learn to ski fast and short first. A relay and sprint option does
that with one technique and one set of equipment.
Two stimulus packages - For the two ideas presented below Skiing already has
everything in place to make these changes in one season, the meet time necessary
to do it, enough meet officials and meet sites that could accommodate the
changes. You could gradually and incrementally change the state meet but a
complete change would also be possible.
Stimulus package phase one -3 Event State Meet
1. Distance event continuous pursuit run with a mass start - the distances
could be 5k skate and 5k classic or shorter. Limit the number of skier per
section going to state to 6 7. Total skiers doing pursuit would be 48 to 56
skiers at the state which I know is logistically very feasible.
During the ski season kids could actually do meets with a continuous pursuit
with shorter distances 3k/3k to work up to 5k / 5k. Rather than having do an
abrupt distance increase at the end of the season.
2. Relay race 4 by 3k. Two classic legs and two skate legs
Mass start would
be easy perhaps allow two to three teams per section to qualify so you could
have 8 or 16 or 24 teams skiing for a relay. Exciting race that is easy to
score and time.
3. Sprint Race skiers ski a short qualifying 1k to 1.5k from which they are
seeded into the sprint race. Not all skiers will qualify - only the fastest.
Skiers ski numerous races in head to head competition to become the state
champion.. Fan/skier interest is very high for these races.
Note: Skiers will be limited to the number of races they can do. Athletes doing
the sprints and relay can double up but continuous pursuit skiers can only do
one race.
Reasons to do it now!
1. This format has already been done successfully with a point system, scoring
and time schedule that worked in the Northwest Suburban conference.
2. Gives more kids (with a variety talents) a chance to compete at the state
meet. You have multiple state champions - which will help excite teams,
communities and coaches. Kids can specialize in one technique and set of
equipment.
3. All the races are exciting and intense with head to head competition.
4. Size of the team is not necessarily bigger but a few more skiers will
score.
5. These 3 races allow a skier to develop over the years without requiring them
to do two techniques immediately. The relay and sprint allow a different type
of athlete to succeed in skiing.
6. The ski season would automatically have more variety and fun with the 3 event
state meet coming up skiers would be able to try out the 3 types of events
during the regular season.
Stimulus - Phase two Two classes
Here is a radical idea
two classes based on merit not school size.
Get over it - small schools cannot compete with the large schools - on a regular
basis unless you have a whole community obsessed with a sport like Roseau in
hockey. Hockey is a big deal in Minnesota and to change the traditions was
difficult. But the two class system has injected new and more enthusiasm in
hockey across the state. Skiing could use such a stimulus as well - especially
the smaller teams and they could still opt to go up a class.
The merit system is for larger schools to be able to move down a class. If
you have not won a section or conference in the last 20 years, the large school
will be allowed to move down. While in the small school class if a large school
wins their conference or section then the school must move up..
If you cannot stomach the merit approach - at least use school size to determine
the two classes. This is fair and will increase the appeal of skiing for more
kids, communities and coaches. Skiing should join cross country running and
track and have two classes. The goal at the high school level is participation.
With two classes some worry that their skiers will not be able to compete
against everybody. They will have opportunities in the big invitational meets
and outside the high school programs the elite skiers ski against each other all
the time.
How to do this major change?
A small group could set it up and then present the whole system to the coaches
for feedback and ideas. Keep the high school league in the loop so they know
where you are heading. The 3 event meet wont be perfect and can certainly be
modified and changed along the way. Two of the races are extremely easy to score
and officiate. The sprint race takes more organization but it is not as complex
as the current pursuit format is to set up and administer. All the details can
be worked out and done efficiently. Since skiing has long been considered a
team sport by the high school league - the 3 event meet with a team score should
appeal to them.
I know two class concept was previously voted down however I believe that it
should be reviewed again.
Bottom line: More skiers having fun.
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