A letter to the editor about the Camden Snow Bowl Racing - TopicsExpress

A letter to the editor about the Camden Snow Bowl Racing Program: Something special is happening Something special is happening in Camden and it takes place at the Camden Snow Bowl. Kids in the ski-racing program are learning so much more than just how to ski fast. Led by Jen Conover and supported by a team of accomplished and dedicated coaches including Weber Roberts and Mike Bridges, the racing program has created a group of kids who compete against each other but also support each other in a way that no parent could. When a kid misses a gate or falls in a race, it is their teammates who lift them up. What was very clear at the States where the Camden Hills Middle School boys won first place in the Class B competition, was that our kids not only know how to win, but most of all, how to have fun. While other coaches were reprimanding their kids for not skiing fast enough, our coaches were asking, “How did it feel?” The racing program is unique in another way: kids of all ages – from U10 to U16 --hang out together. There aren’t many sports like that. The Zoomers see the kids in Devo or Breakaway and know that someday they will be skiing like that. The older kids know that they are a role model for the younger kids: how they win and lose races, how they handle pressure and disappointment, how they support each other and have fun together – they are setting an example for the younger racers. Ragged Mountain will be undergoing facilities improvement in the not too distant future. I would like to propose that the current lodge be tuned into the Race Training Center. The Snow Bowl could then host other schools during the race season, something that would be difficult to do now when the Snow Bowl is open to all skiers. We could improve upon an already excellent program by having the space to show training videos, have guest coaches/lecturers and a place for the kids to hang out and keep warm on very cold days. The downstairs could have facilities for kids to tune their own skis. We already have a winning team, and from what I can see, there are Zoomers and Carvers who will be a force to be reckoned with once they are in middle school. People should not mistake a low-key approach to the racing program for one that is not serious and rigorous. Also worth mentioning is that the coaches have a tremendous support system in the Ragged Mountain Ski Club and the parents who volunteer their time for the races held every week at the Snow Bowl as well as the Family Fun Race, the Seacoast Classic and Sally Deaver races and the Box Car Derby (March 8th). Parents who dedicate their time and energy to preparing for and working these events deserve the support of the community as much as the kids who race. There is a spirit on the mountain that is special and should be supported by the community at large. After all, kids spending winters outside, doing sports, learning life lessons and having fun – that’s what it’s all about. Lori Traikos Lincolnville