Coaches' Page

Welcome!

The Chisholm Ski Club and Black Mountain of Maine welcome you to the 2011 U.S. Cross Country Championships! We are very excited to host these events again as they return to the East.

If you have not been to our venue since we last hosted the U.S. Championships in 2003 and 2004, you are in for a treat. Since Maine Winter Sports Center acquired Black Mountain of Maine, we have a new lodge, paved parking and--for those so inclined--a much expanded alpine skiing facility.

For those of you who have participated in races as recently as last season, you will notice several other dramatic upgrades and additions to our facilities. We have converted our old lodge to a waxing facility with 20 wax cabins. Our stadium has been expanded to accommodate starts and finishes for all race formats (including mass starts). And our two timing buildings have been replaced with a new timing building to include both electronic and hand timing, jury room and an announcer booth.

Out on the trails, you will see many improvements--to the sprint courses especially with widening, straightening and grading to make them more competitive in the heats. Similar work has been done on key sections of the distance courses to remove potential choke points and provide more opportunities for overtaking.

What hasn't changed is the ongoing tradition of dedicated "Red Army" volunteers committed to keeping up with the evolving standards for international level racing. The Chisholm Ski Club was founded in 1919--the same year our own Chummy Broomhall was born. Chummy, club president Ray Broomhall, Muriel Arsenault (of Muriel's Kitchen) and many others of their generation are still "leading the charge" to make these the best Championships ever. We couldn't be more proud of the living legends on whose shoulders the rest of us still stand.

All that is missing is you and your athletes. We eagerly await your arrival . . .

Coaches Registration Online

All coaches must be registered to access key venue facilities and events [click here to register]. Your coaches' credentials/bibs will allow you access to:

•  Stadium and race courses

•  SMS messaging service

•  Team Captains' Meetings

As we provide the security and access limits required by USSA, we will have course, stadium and facilities marshals who will deny entry to those not credentialed. Please register online and early to help us prepare your credentials in advance so they are ready at your arrival.

NOTE: As this is a USSA event, you must be a USSA member to be credentialed. If you are a credentialed coach with USSA, and you have not yet renewed your membership for this season, we urge you to do so immediately as this may be your year for a background check renewal (re-screening is required every three years). It can take weeks for that process to complete. Help us make this process smooth for you. If you need help getting through the process at USSA in time, contact Lois Benevento in the Membership Department: [email protected], 435-647-2017. If your USSA membership is up to date, register online now [click here ]

SMS Messaging Service

One of the services we will provide for credentialed coaches and USSA Pool Supplier service personnel will be an SMS text messaging service for timely information updates and notices of changes to the schedule, courses, etc. When registering online, provide the mobile phone number for the device you want to receive these updates. You must be registered to access this service.

USST Official Suppliers: Please note that USSA will be supplying us with your names and contact information. Bibs are being prepared for you to use during the event. You do not need to register online; but when you arrive and check in at Headquarters to receive your bib (see below) you may want to make sure we have the correct phone number for you if you want to receive the SMS messages.

New Waxing Facility

If you have not been to Black Mountain in the last few years, what you remember as the lodge has been replaced by a new lodge to the north of the old lodge. The old lodge has been converted to a waxing facility with 20 wax cabins, 10 on each of two floors. Each cabin is lockable to secure your equipment; a marshal will be available to assist those who have reserved cabins in this facility when it is open, 6:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m.; and it will be secured at night.

These cabins vary in size from 9'X12' to 11'X12'; are equipped with broom and dustpan, trash bin and coat racks; and rent for $200 for the event, plus a $50 key and cleaning deposit.

Suggestion for those of you renting these cabins: Since we have located the electrical outlets on the ceiling in the center of each cabin to minimize tripping on electrical cords, you will be well-served to bring one power strip with 6' long cord for each wax bench that you bring. Power strips will make use of your wax irons much easier to manage.

NOTE: The old wax building will not be available for team use if you do not rent a wax cabin. The rooms in the old wax building are reserved for the Adaptive skiers and for the Supplier techs that have reserved them.

Wax Cabin Decoration Challenge

As our wax cabins are new and in need of acquiring some character, we challenge teams reserving these cabins to personalize them with team photos and posters (hopefully signed by team members) on the door, a picture of your home venue, team memorabilia (e.g. an old pair of skis or poles to attach to the ceiling), etc. At the awards banquet, a prize will be awarded to the cabin deemed best decorated. Don't miss this chance to have one of our new wax cabins known henceforth as, "The _________ Team Cabin"!

Wax Testing and Speed Traps

Designated wax testing and warm up areas are provided adjacent to the wax cabins (behind the old wax building) and also below the stadium behind the new timing building. Racer access to the stadium prior to and during races will be through controlled access gates at each of these two locations. Only Bibbed Racers and credentialed/Bibbed Coaches and Suppliers will be allowed entry to the stadium.

Speed traps may not be set up on race courses. Speed traps are only allowed in the wax testing and warm up areas. Please help us manage the use of the race courses so the athletes can properly warm up and have the best race experiences possible.

Course Closures

Courses will be closed from 10 minutes before the start of each race until the last racer has finished. Only bibbed coaches and Suppliers will be allowed on course during races.

Coaches: We know your women racers want to be out cheering the men, and vice versa. We are counting on you to let them know that the Spectator Trails are available for them to access many of the best vantage points to watch races in progress. These Spectator Trails will be clearly marked on the maps and flagged at the venue. No athletes on closed courses.

Wax Techs: We know you are only trying to do the best job possible when you are testing skis on courses. But please remember that (a) speed traps are allowed only in wax testing and warm up tracks, and (b) you must be off the day's race courses when courses are closed.

Skiing backwards on the courses is never allowed, even for Bibbed Coaches and Suppliers. As this is a U.S. Championship event and we expect up to 500 racers skiing multiple laps on distance days, our course marshals are instructed to be very firm about this and report violators. Violating this rule is the most likely reason for pulling credentials. Help us make this as smooth as possible for the safety and fairness for all athletes. Thank you.

Schedule of Team Captains' Meetings

All TCM will be in the Lodge on the Main Floor:

[ click here to register ]