Like everything else, the pandemic has affected the Cook County High School Nordic Ski team. In-person practice will begin, over a month later than usual, on Monday, January 11 in Cook County. But while gathering as a team has been delayed, it hasn’t stopped our skiers from preparing for the season.
There is a lot of enthusiasm for cross country skiing this year. It’s been exciting to see community members exercising, having fun in the crisp air and socially distancing while enjoying each other’s company on the trails. This enthusiasm is also reflected in the growth of our team this year. All six team members from last year are returning and they are joined by seven new members.
Team members have been making the most of their time by exercising and skiing on their own. Their individual creative workouts have ranged from ice skating (before the snow fell!), meeting on Zoom for core exercises, indoor biking, skiing the trails at Bearskin, and even developing their own trail systems around their homes. All in an effort to be ready when the Nordic ski season formally begins.
Cook County ISD 166 has 13 kids who came out to participate on the Nordic Ski team this winter. While the warm temperatures have been depleting the trails, a fairly significant snowstorm is expected this week, which should replenish the local trails with a good bedding of snow that will hopefully hold up for the rest of the winter. File photo
To help create a bit of team atmosphere, the athletes have been tracking kilometers skied and workouts online. There has been a friendly competition between coaches and the team – currently the coaches lead in the kilometers skied category!
The coaches have been busy as well. Skiing, of course, but also preparing for the season. We have had a number of Zoom meetings to plan the COVID- 19 protocols to ensure safe participation. The great thing about skiing is it takes place outdoors, and the skis and poles help keep us distant!
Future updates about the team’s progress will be submitted. Until then, why not join in the fun? One of the activities we created for the team was a Skiing Bingo sheet, challenging them to cross off as many items as possible. The goal is to keep moving, so join the challenge, and we’ll see you on the trails.
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