Sara Sandstrom-Kobi, Nederland. When you were 12 and 13 years old were you spending your time learning how to ski slalom and giant slalom racecourses? There are 29 middle schoolers on the Nederland Middle School Alpine Team, and they are doing just that. They are dedicated to their team and the sport and they have had a fantastic season. 

The Nederland Middle School Alpine Ski Team is open to all middle schoolers in the school district. There are some students who come from the Boulder area to be on the team. The athletic fee is $85 for all the practices and coaching at Eldora and the five meets that the team participates in. The previous races were held at Keystone, Ski Cooper and Eldora. The middle school racers come from Summit County, Lake County, Vail Mountain School, Clear Creek and Nederland. 

The student athletes come to the team with a variety of skill level and experience. Coaches Krista Crabtree and Cheree Stover are there to coach and encourage each skier. The skiers are honing their race techniques for the giant slalom and slalom races. 

Coach Krista Crabtree has been coaching for 30 years and is the director of the women’s programs at Eldora. She loves coaching the middle school team and says, “I love how the boys and girls work together. Skiing is not a gender specific sport.” 

The team’s biggest strength, according to Crabtree, is teamwork. They really care about each other. They cheer each other on and are always willing to help another up after a fall. 

Because ski races are on Fridays, with practices during the week, these students really have to be organized, responsible and learn to self-advocate. They have to learn to communicate with their teachers and make up the schoolwork that is expected from them. 

The Nederland team hosted a middle school alpine ski race at Eldora on January 24, 2020. Coaches Stover and Crabtree are extremely appreciative for the help of the volunteer parents, Matt Tomasko, the executive director of the Eldora Mountain Ski Club, and bus driver Eric Stone, who helped make the Eldora meet a success. 

This article cannot be closed without mentioning Nederland eighth grader Trinity LeBlanc. Trinity has been on the top three finishers podium every meet this year. She is currently training for the USSA U14 Champion Race. We hope she has a great race and knows that her school and community are supporting her. 

Congratulations to all the student athletes on the Nederland Middle School Alpine Team for a great season!

Team members are: Jayden Abookire, Leah Beaudin, Mateo Beauvineau, Devi Burnett, Zander Burnett, Charlie Davis, Maeve Dufton, Emily Geels, Jacob Geels, Spencer Knierim, Jessica Kramer, Glen Kress, Trinity LeBlanc, Loic Masters, Aya Pelkum Donahue, Keahi Pelkum Donahue, Sawyer Ruddick, Sullivan Ruddick, Chayton Sampson, Anna Grace Schroer, Nina Serbinin, Anastasia Serdinsky, Alexa Sharp, Cedar Shupe, Grayson Shurr, Jesse Siegal Gane, Shaiann Stover-Winter, Sophia Waldman and Ty Williams. 

(Originally published in the February 20, 2020, print edition of The Mountain-Ear.)