Improving the Hockey Program

By Brittany Moorehead

Courtesy of google.

            National Sports Academy has been nationally recognized for its superb athletic programs. Although the recognition began with the incredible ski program, the school is beginning to attain a good reputation with its hockey program as well. The hockey program was introduced to the school in 1997 and since then has grown tremendously. The programs now include international students from Sweden, Finland, Canada, and the Czech Republic. With the growth of this program, improvements are necessary in order to help both the boys and girls hockey teams to be successful.

            Purchasing a portable skate sharpener would be extremely beneficial to the hockey program. They are relatively affordable and can be purchased for about $4,500 a piece. If NSA were to purchase one for each team, the cost would be approximately $9,000. This is a small price to pay that can be covered by the cost of tuition to the school. When traveling for games, the hockey teams can utilize this machine and not be annoyed with the hassle of finding a pro shop. Also, if a player happens to lose an edge in the middle of a game the skates can conveniently be sharpened in between periods.

            “I think a portable skate sharpener would be really beneficial for the team,” said Beth Hanrahan. “Having dull skates could be fatal.”

           Another way the program can be improved is by hiring a power skating coach. The coach would be hired to come out on the ice twice a month and conduct skating drills. He would be paid $80 an hour which would end up costing the school $1,920 for both teams to have power skating for the entire hockey season. The benefits of having a power skating program would tremendously improve the overall skating ability in the program. Incorporating this aspect is extremely important because even the best hockey players can develop more efficient skating techniques. This addition would make the hockey teams faster and stronger skaters.

           “Power skating is an essential aspect for a team to progress,” said Kaitlyn LaGue “there’s always room for improvement; nobody possesses a flawless skating style.”

            By purchasing a skate sharpener and introducing a power skating program, I think NSA will see a lot of success with the hockey teams. I believe that this will be a huge draw for the kids that are considering attending the school in the future. They know that they will save money in skate sharpening and won’t have to worry about finding a pro shop.  When parents hear that their child can receive instruction on how to improve their skating, they will be more confident when deciding to send their kids to NSA. Both of these aspects will entice more kids to attend school and play hockey at NSA, which is beneficial to the school.

Jack Trice

                                                                                            Jack Trice Stadium

                                                                                                  Jack Trice

Most people have heard of the Jack Trice stadium at Iowa State University, but do not know the story behind it. It was erected in 1975 in honor of Johnny “Jack” Trice.

            Jack Trice was a football player at ISU. He was born in 1902 in Hiram, Ohio. He was the first African-American athlete at ISU. He played tackle for ISU. He studied animal husbandry.

            On the 5^th of October 1923, he wrote a letter; 

            “My thoughts just before the first real college game of my life: The honor of my race, family & self is at stake. Everyone is expecting me to do big things. I will. My whole body and soul are to be thrown recklessly about the field tomorrow. Every time the ball is snapped, I will be trying to do more than my part. On all defensive plays I must break through the opponents' line and stop the play in their territory. Beware of mass interference. Fight low, with your eyes open and toward the play. Watch out for crossbacks and reverse end runs. Be on your toes every minute if you expect to make good. Jack.”

            On October 6, the scheduled game against University of Minnesota took place. Trice broke his collarbone in the second play of the game.  He insisted that he was still fit to play so he went back out to the field. Later on, in the third quarter, he went to make a tackle. He was on the ground and trampled by three Minnesota players and sent to the hospital. After doctors declared him able to travel he came back to Ames with the team.

            October 8, 1923, he died from internal bleeding and hemorrhaged lungs.  4000 people attended his funeral held on October 16, 1923. The funeral was held on ISU campus.

Minnesota and ISU would not play again until 1989.

            In 1973 his legacy resurfaced and a promotion began to name the stadium after him. The student government body voted unanimously to support this effort. However, in 1984 they named the stadium “Cyclone Stadium” and the field was named “Jack Trice Field”.  In honor of Trice the student body deiced to raise money to erect a statue of him in 1987. Finally in 1997 after years of persistence on the student governments part and in part by public figures such as Paul Newman and Hubert Humphrey the stadium was renamed “Jack Trice Stadium”.

Jack Trice Stadium holds approximately 55,000 people. On September 7, 2007, the attendance record was set at 56,795. They played Northern Iowa.

In 1997 a three-story press box was added to the west side of the stadium.

In addition to the football team playing there, they have also had some concerts (including: The Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, U2, Pink Floyd, and Genesis).

This stadium has a lot of history and is something special for the people who grew up in Ames. A Saturday afternoon in Ames is a special occasion. The town comes to life supporting the ISU football team. Businesses make more money because of the flood of people both ISU fans and away team fans. The Jack Trice Stadium is a valuable part of the community.

            

Northwood Tournament GIrls Wrap up

Lake Placid, NY

This past weekend, in the Olympic heart of Lake Placid, the Mountaineers battled their way to the semifinal game of the Northwood tournament. 

“Were starting to play better,” said the head coach, Bill Ward. “But we’re inconsistent.”

Since after the winter break, the girl’s hockey team has struggled to put the puck in the net.  This weekend they turned the tides and began to hoist themselves out of their slump by scoring a total of 17 goals in four games.

They started there weekend on Friday playing OHA white, a team originating from Ontario.  The first half was tough; the team was sloppy and they could only lock in one goal, compared to OHA’s two.  Although they began with a struggle, they came out flying in their second half, scoring 3 goals to take a 4-2 lead.

"The team finally figured out how to put the puck in the net,,"
said NSA sophomore Megan Whiddon.

“We let OHA play with us too much,” said post grad student Gwen Schultz. “ We should have creamed them.”

            After winning their first game, the girls headed out to Saranac Lake arena to play an 8:00am game against Cornwall on Saturday.  Six goals were scored over the course of the game and hats flew to the ice when Senior Beth Hanrahan scored the fifth goal giving Hanrahan her second hat trick of the year.  Also the new sophomore goalie at NSA Lenka Craigova, received her first shutout of the year, which was celebrated with many high fives and cheering following the final buzzer of the game.

            Later in the day, the Mountaineer’s returned to their home rink to play a 4:25pm game against Rice.  The second the NSA girls team stepped on the ice they dominated the game.  Scoring a total of six goals in the two halfs they played, which advanced them to the semi finals with a number two seed.

            The last game on Sunday morning was a battle against NAHA (white), known to be the number one team in the nation.

“I’ve never seen our team want to win so bad,” said senior goalie Sarah Quigley. “I think were starting to really see what playing true hockey is all about.”

Game versus OHA (white)  Those present: Jaclyn Arbour (19),
Kaillie Goodnough(6), and Carmen Aguirre (1)

The team was mentally prepared for the game and it showed in the first half, when Junior Piper Moles snipped the first goal of the game giving us a 1-0 lead.  The pace continued strong and fast. Passes were tape to tape for both teams and the second we had a moment of weakness, they scored bringing the game to a 1-1 tie. 

The buzzer sounded and as the NSA team got off the ice and headed to their locker room, NAHA did not; they stayed in their bench and looked up at the score board until the second half started.   It reflected in how they played because within the first 10 minutes of the second half they scored two more goals pushing the NSA team to being down 1-3.  They scored a final goal with 2 minutes left and the game ended with a 1-4 loss for National Sports Academy.

Even though the Mountaineers did not advance to the Championship game they played a solid weekend.

“I think we played well,” said senior Brittany Moorehead. “We just need to play better.”

The 17 goals scored over the weekend span were scored by Beth Hanrahan (6), Brittany Moorehead (3), Emily Lawrenzi (2), Jackie Arbour (1), Alyssa Parke (1), Nicole Giannino (1), Kaillie Goodnough (1), Piper Moles (1) and Gwen Schultz (1).

Also Senior Beth Hanrahan was named All Tournament team by the NAHA, Vermont Team.  Next weekend the Girl’s hockey team is headed for Arlington, West Virginia to compete in the JWHL Challenge Cup.

 ~Carmen Aguirre

Athletic Result: Boys Hockey

                                                            Norwood/Norfolk Game
                                                                   by Zach Stein

LAKE PLACID

The National Sports Academy boys’ hockey squad took home a win last week by beating Norwood/Norfolk high school in a 7-1 game on January 19^th, 2011.  NSA’s impact players of the game were senior captain Tyler Simmons, senior Alex Fukes, senior Joey Fuca, junior David Russell, and junior goaltender Mike Mcdaniels.

Fukes scored the first goal for the Mountaineers, opening up a 1-0 lead.  It was a great shot making the goal tender move back and forth, but Fukes made him look like a fool putting the puck right by him on the low stick side.

The Icemen responded right back with a late goal in the first, ending the period with a score of one to one.  The Icemen gained momentum, and things weren’t looking very good for the Mountaineers.

However, when the puck dropped for the second period, the Mountaineers looked like a whole new team, scoring three quick goals making the score 4-1.  The Mountaineers stole the momentum from the Icemen and kept beating them to every loose puck.  NSA also scored two more goals at the end of the period by Simmons.  Simmons showed some great steeze with his combination of moves, goal, and goal celebration.

David Russel bringing his A game.

Russell generated NSA’s offense by scoring the second goal of the game for his team.  Not only generating good offensive breaks, he also contributed to back checking every rush helping out his defense, goaltender, and his team. 

“He really brought his a game to both ends of the ice, separating every opponent from the puck and battling throughout the whole game” Coach Curly said.

After the game I interviewed some players from the Mountaineers to get their input on today’s game.  “We took the game lightly”, said Sam Bloom.  “As a team we were not focused, or prepared for this game.  In these types of slow paced game players tend to pick up bad habits”.  I asked Bloom to expand on this statement.   “Everyone tried to do it their selves, and not play as a team”. 

“Mike Mcdaniels had an outstanding game said Joey Fuca.” “ He really came up big at key moments, exspecially in the first period.  We were not ready to play, and Mcdaniels really stood on his head.  In the first period there were way too many odd man rushes but Mcdaniels was there to back us up.

I interviewed further and got the inside scoop why NSA came out a different team in the second period.  “During the ice cut, we realized that those high school benders thought they were just as good as us.  They think they can play at this level” Simmons said. 

NSA is on a three game winning streak and hope to continue their streak going into the Northwood Tournament in Lake Placid NY on January 21.  This is a tough tournament, but the Mountaineers have been excelling as a team, and they are confident to keep the streak alive.  

“I truly believe were a whole different team from before Christmas break, and were ready to take on the second half of our season” Coach Simmons said.  

Athletic Results---Boys Hockey

Northwood School Tournament

By: Frederick Halle

 

LAKE PLACID-

Last weekend, the NSA boys’ hockey entered the Northwood School Tournament confident, but left with a record of 1 win and 2 losses. Parents and friends were in town for the weekend.

Friday morning, NSA played The Hill Academy losing by a score of 3-1which included an empty net goal.  The boys spent most of their time defending themselves well, creating many 3 on twos but just could find the back of the net. Goalie Eric Goneau gave a strong performance to keep the game close. Doing that he deserved the Hardhat, which is given to a player that has shown hard work, and that have been outstanding during the game. The following game, the new hardhat is given by the previous winner.

Friday night, the boys came out with a strong 3-0 win. One more time, Goneau showed that he could play at the next level in the near future. The first line scored two amazing goals. Both Alex Fukes and captain Tyler Simmons made opponent defensemen and goalie look like peewees. The hardhat has been given to one of NSA’s newest player, defenseman Zack Stein.

‘’He cleared the front of the net so well,” Goneau said when explaining why Stein deserved it, ‘’ it made my life easier in the crease.”

Goalie Éric Goneau getting ready for a shot.

Saturday afternoon was a different scenario when coach Simmons didn’t have a choice but to allow some of the less experienced kids play. The fourth line watched the game from the stands. Playing a Junior B team, the younger kids had trouble keeping up with what most fans considered to be a rather dirty opponent.   Every whistle, the opponent would find fun to start scrap even pushing goalie Goneau. Brandon Patraw and Alex Fukes as well as 2 opponents and their coach saw themselves kicked out of the game.

“It wasn’t a fun game to watch for parents and faculty member’’ said John Spear ‘’ they didn’t have upstairs’’. One more time Goneau received the hardhat allowing only four goals on 45 shots.

While the boys saw their tournament end after the third game, the girls went to semi-final losing to the North American Hockey Academy white.

Stanstead College from Quebec, Canada won the tournament in the boy’s pool. NAHA white won it for girls.

National Sports Academy was proud of student athletes this weekend. It was a cold weekend in Lake Placid both parents and student enjoyed their weekend.

‘’It’s always great to see that everyone gets along so well’’ he said. “We can definitely say that NSA is a big family.”

Disappointing Eastern Cup at Sugarloaf

Men’s alpine skiers ventured to sugarloaf a couple weeks ago and had a few disappointing results and race cancelations.

Racers Matthew Saehrig, Arron Taylor and Pieter Van Ingen, left NSA looking for some solid finishes at the second eastern cup series of the year. 

Their were two Giant Slalom and two Super G events scheduled.

In the first race Saehrig and Taylor did not finish.

Van Ingen finished but did not have the race he was looking for.

The second GS Arron Taylor put together two sold runs after started dead last and scored his first Fis GS points.

Saehrig did not finish again and Van Ingen had another decent result.

The next two days were Supper G’s that were cancelled.

Ski racers and coaches commonly said “Welcome to Suagarloaf”.

The first race was canceled because of freezing rain that made it impossible for racers to see and the next day was canceled due to a foot of fresh snow that covered the supper G track.

Although the Sugarloaf race crew did their best to get the two supper Gs running it was an impossible feat and left the NSA racers disappointed. 

NSA was victorious at USSA races this past weekend.

Piet Van Ingen, Logan Mackie and Matthew Saehrig raced at White Face Saturday and West Mountain Sunday in two GSs.

Piet took the podium both days, with four exceptional runs. Logan took a second place at white face and a third at west. Matty didn’t find the finish at white face in his second run but was able to pull it together and finish at west in second place.

The hills were flat and the courses were short but there was some good sets that allowed the NSA races to perform at a level that the other races couldn’t compete with.

The temperature were below zero at times so the races had to attend to their body and make sure they didn’t get any frostbite.

The weekend was successful for the three races and should supply a good platform for the three races to build on for the rest of the season.

Athletic Result: Alpine Women's Trip to Sugarbush

Disappointing Results at the MLK Cup

By Kathryn Dawson

Sugarbush Mountain, VT

At 4:30 a.m. on Monday, the alpine women’s team piled into a minibus and began a futile trip to Sugarbush Mountain for the MLK Vermont Cup GS race.

            “Moments of brilliance followed by piles of shit,” was coach Beatty Schlueter’s summary of the race.

            Each girl had a few strong turns, but none could overcome sleep deprivation, cold, and soft snow to reach their “peak performance”. Of the six women who raced, only rookies Kenzi Dignes and Catherine Wilcock finished, placing 37^th and 42^nd respectively.

            Despite the unimpressive results, the mood remained light. Coaches Schlueter and John Norton reunited with their previous athletes from Green Valley Mountain School, while the women’s team puzzled over which unidentified coach had yelled “tuck!” at Giorgia Nagle during her first run.

            The course was longer than those that the women had been training; the winning combined time for both runs was 2:20.49. Dignes and Wilcock finished with times of 2:32.21 and 2:34.07 respectively.

            Wilcock alone improved her points, the basis for skiers’ rankings, from this race. This was her first GS race as a JII, so she was previously unranked and began with 990 points. On Monday, she scored 155 points.

 

Athletic Results: Girls' Hockey

JWHL UConn Weekend

By Gwen Schultz

NSA celebrates after a goal against the Colorado Selects

Storrs, CT—The Girls’ hockey team spent the weekend in the beautiful Connecticut and played four JWHL games.

All of the games in this league weekend were played in the University of Connecticut  Freitas Ice Forum.

The competition started Friday night at 9 pm when the Mountaineers played the Boston Shamrocks after a long day of practice and traveling. NSA came out on top with a 4-1 win, which got the weekend off to a good start.

On Saturday, NSA started the day facing off against the JWHL powerhouse NAHA. The team’s newest member, Lenka Craigova of the Czech Republic, started in net for the Mountaineers, but unfortunately had to get off the ice early due to a groin injury.

The team’s other new goalie, Carmen Aguirre, took the ice and played an impressive two periods, especially when considering she did not expect to play.

Despite NSA’s efforts, the game ended 9-0 in NAHA’s favor.

Later on Saturday, NSA faced off against the Colorado Selects and lost 5-3 after going into the third period with a 3-1 lead. Sarah “Quigs” Quigley played a solid game in net.

Finally, the girls finished up the weekend with a 6-5 loss to the Washington Pride. Although it was frustrating to end up on the losing side of a one-goal game, the team took it as a learning experience.

Even after some bumps and bruises and a possible concussion, NSA returned to Lake Placid on Sunday night ready to work hard the next week. Although the weekend did not show the capabilities of the NSA girls’ team, they look forward to performing better in the Northwood Tournament this coming weekend. 

Ping to the Pong

Here in Lake Placid, the weather has been less than titillating as of late, however; that has not dimmed the spirits of many aspiring Ping-Pong players at our National Sports Academy. For many years now, NSA has held an all school table tennis tournament and it has become a standing tradition that elicits every sense of school spirit and pride.

As NSA students, we are all weary of our grades, our fragile mental state when considering the pressures of our sport and performance, our peers and our health: all natural feelings when attending this elite school. This constant pressure would eventually take its toll on any individual, no matter how resilient and could lead to certain repercussions in itself. That is why; at NSA we believe adding a hint of Table Tennis to the equation could possibly rectify this fragile issue and add some “ping” to our “pong”.

Table Tennis is a chance for students to socialize whilst relieving themselves of some of the daily stresses. This however valiant in intent is not what actually happens.  As the tournament approaches every waking free moment is dedicated to Ping Pong practice, strategizing and intense mental training.  Alliances are made, friendships are tested, and relationships are strained.

The “ping” in this “pong” is that since all of us are elite, competitive athletes at heart, this tournament itself, becomes an obsessive training opportunity for all participants.  Participants have been seen “pinging” and “ponging” in their sleep, while walking down the corridors from between classes, during their lunch breaks and some, even during their hockey practices.

Many are developing related injuries such as the well known “ping-pong elbow”, “ping- pong-eyetis”, and the dreaded “ping-pong-wristitis”, better known as PPE, PPEY and PPW. The unfortunate few who develop all three painful conditions have what is better known as the PP syndrome (PPS), a dreaded injury that takes its toll. 

The tournament itself, competitive indeed, requires the players to bring their top game to the table. Healthy engagements of Ping Pong occur not only for bragging rights, but a mystery prize as well. Curious students muster every ounce of skill and wit in their possession and hope to achieve victory that will not only instill a sense of pride but for recognition amongst the students as being the top Ping Pong player.

NSA vs OHA

By Brittany Moorehead

Nicole Giannino takes control of the puck.

POTSDAM, NY--- The National Sports Academy girls hockey team faced Ontario Hockey Academy on Saturday afternoon. The puck dropped at 11AM at Clarkson University’s Cheel Arena, which is located directly on campus. This game was National Sports Academy’s first game coming off a two week Christmas Break which made for a rusty game to start the new year.

The shots were fairly even throughout the game, with OHA outshooting NSA 31 to 28. In net for NSA was Sarah Quigley, who was able to block 23 of the 28 shots leaving OHA with 5 goals in the game. OHA’s goaltender was able to defend 30 of the 31 shots allowing NSA with only one goal. NSA’s goal was scored by Brittany Moorehead with an assist from Kali Flannagan.

Despite their slow return from the long break, NSA hopes to pick up their game as they have a JWHL league weekend January 14^th-16^th. They travel to the University of Connecticut on Friday to play their first game of the weekend. The Mountaineers will face the Boston Shamrocks at 9PM.

Editorial-Milk

Skim Milk: 2% of the Whole Issue

By Gwen Schultz

Skim, 2 percent, or whole?

Photo from Google 

My past four months at National Sports Academy have been absolutely delightful. However, there has been one glaring exception: there is no skim milk in the kitchen.

Being a cereal lover/addict and a generally picky eater, one can understand why I might feel strongly about this shortfall in NSA’s kitchen.

But it is not just me who feels this way. Many students around the school have mentioned a preference for skim milk over 2 percent or whole, and a lot of us keep a carton of skim milk in our dorm rooms—which we buy on a weekly basis.

The reason that having options in the milk machine is necessary is that tastes for milk vary significantly. Skim milk drinkers such as myself are vehemently opposed to going anywhere near whole milk, while many whole milk drinkers find skim milk revolting.

Even if some of us don’t care whether our milk has the consistency of water or that hearty, straight-from-the-cow taste, I argue that skim milk would actually be beneficial for the NSA community.

At this school, student-athletes try to attain peak performance. Part of staying in shape is maintaining a healthy weight and fueling our bodies well for training and competition.

From a simple calorie-counting point of view, the nutrition facts speak for themselves. For one cup of milk, skim milk has 80 calories and no fat, 2 percent has 120 calories and five grams of fat, while whole milk has 150 calories and eight grams of fat.

Since the fat content of 2 percent and whole milk is more than half saturated fat—and there is no difference in the amount of protein—there is no nutritional justification for drinking them.

The 40 calories that make up the difference between skim milk and 2 percent “reduced fat” milk are no small matter. Drinking skim milk instead of 2 percent for five cups of milk per week could save 800 calories per month—an amount that no one who spends time on cardio machines would find negligible.

Regardless of the nutritional facts, it is reasonable for the kitchen to at least provide options. With the milk machine the way it is now, there are two open spots for the three milk options (I would not condone the removal of the chocolate milk option, which holds the third spot in the milk machine).

Offering skim milk as an option would not be any serious stress on NSA’s budget. Skim milk costs the same—if not less—than the other milk options.

At the very least, the milk options could rotate so that at least sometimes skim milk drinkers can enjoy watery milk without having to spend their own pocket money.

We students at NSA pay a good amount of money to make sure we get everything we need to perform, and a simple demand such as asking for a healthier option from the kitchen really should be met. It’s not like we’re asking for deep-fried Oreos at snack time.

I admit that I am biased because I have a strong preference for skim milk, but I find it unusual that skim is not an option. Being a member of the Healthy Choices Council, I have taken part in several conversations to urge the kitchen to buy skim milk, and it seems weird that the kitchen still does not comply.

In the end, NSA, it would be dumb for me to hate you because of the lack of skim milk in the kitchen, but you have to understand that skim milk is a part of my life that I cannot change. After all, it is the simple things in life that matter the most.  

College tuition

Money doesn’t grow on trees.

By Frederick Halle

Knowing that buying a luxury car would cost approximately 75 thousand dollars, people would only buy it if their income was high enough, so why would you pay 42 thousand dollars a year to go to a private college/prep school, when your income does not allow you to pay so much?

Look at things this way. A parent making a certain amount of money is more likely to pay a higher price for their child’s education per year than buying a car or any other material products. Isn’t the human being exceptional?

You are probably asking yourself where I’m going with this. The main point of this is that you end up paying more than you actually were supposed to pay. Why isn’t every expense included in your tuition? The ones that aren’t included are called indirect cost, which is books, supplies and travel, as well as personal expenses such as a cell phone or food.

I’ll give you an example. A young man has been accepted to college x and he gets the y award. Therefore, he has to pay a total of $20,000. It includes his room and board, supplies and books. Some parents would pay that really easily but in this case, the parents have to make a huge sacrifice, which is to have a bank loan or an increase in their house mortgage. We all agree that this is an extreme situation. So imagine being this parent that did everything they could to pay that much money. In this case, where you’re limited in your expenses, you need to make sure that you count how much you will spend on the indirect cost. If you have to take a plane, for example, it could represent another grant.

Money is your education.

This is not only for an average incomes family; it’s also for a well off financial family. It is never pleasant to reach down your pocket and put more money on the table when you did have that plan in your budget.

Wherever you go or whatever you do, there is always more expense than the announced ones.

In average, other than the school fees, you might want to add between a grant to five grants. You understand that the 5 grants are if you have to take the plane many times over the year.

Knowing that many families make huge sacrifices, it would be great if all expense could be included in the school fees so that you wouldn’t have to spend one more dollar but it is just not an option.

Unfortunately, colleges can’t do that because some kids don’t live on campus, kids don’t have meal plans, and some kids don’t do laundry at school and not everyone needs the same amount of personal items.

Instead of buying a luxury car, you decided to pay for your children’s education, but once they’re done with school, you might want to buy this luxury car that you have been dreaming of all your life so you might want to make sure you don’t get screwed paying more than what you thought. 

Washing Away The Problems

By Brittany Moorehead

Jon Symons attemps doing laundry in the current crowded room.

   At National Sports Academy, a preparatory school located in Lake Placid, New York, there is a continual issue related to the laundry situation at the school. Being a second year student-athlete at NSA, I have heard multiple complaints from numerous individuals about the laundry program here.

   One complaint that has been made clear is that the laundry room is too small for the growing student body. The room is 12 by 8.5 feet, or 102 square feet, which is plenty of size to fit the two washers, two dryers and the folding table. However, fitting people in there seems to be nearly impossible.

   Since all the students are very busy during the week, they seem to do their laundry on the same days. Due to this coincidence, some students are not able to wash their clothes on their “non busy,” days but rather in the middle of the week. There can be anywhere from one to five people in this tiny room either washing, drying, folding, or gathering their clean clothes. Whether there are two people or five people in the room, getting in each others’ way is inevitable. Everyone is either bumping elbows or smacking one another with dryer doors.

   Another common complaint concerning the laundry room is that it is located in a bad spot. The girls have to travel down two flights of stairs, while the boys living in main building have to travel down three flights of stairs. The boys living in Mountain House are forced to carry their laundry outside and down the street to main building and then down a flight of stairs. This may seem like a minor complaint, but many student-athletes value convenience due to their busy and rigorous schedules. When doing two loads of laundry a week, it is time consuming to travel back and forth to check on and change your laundry.

   A great solution to both of these issues would be to put a washer and a dryer on both the boys and the girls’ floors. Also, a washer and a dryer would be installed in Mountain House for the hockey boys. This of course would cost the school some money but it’s definitely an affordable option. With the increasing number of students attending the NSA, finding money to buy more washers and dryers shouldn’t be too difficult.

   Along with the addition of these washers and dryers, there should be a quarter dispensing machine on the first floor so everyone has access to it. This quarter machine would ensure that each student has quarters to do his laundry rather than searching every pocket in hopes of discovering some.

    As a result of school and training, students’ clothes accumulate very quickly in their hampers. Making this minor adjustment will allow students to wash their clothes on a consistent basis and without having to cart their baskets too far from their room. This is a change that I believe every member of the NSA community would be enthused about.

exeter room mayhem

            Academic common space or social common space: that is the question. There is no academic common area at this school unless you consider the Exeter room a common academic space. Even then, it is usually loud and full of people so it’s hard to concentrate on what you are trying to accomplish. Since the Exeter Room seems to have multiple functions, we should to figure out how to use the Exeter room more effectively.

            Currently, the Exeter room is a quality social space because the windows and all of the computers allow for entertainment when in a big group. A lot of people congregate there; or they meet in the dining hall near the television and ping-pong table.  There is no good social common space at this school that is specifically meant for social space either.            

            A good social space consists of one or more televisions, games like ping-pong or pool, some couches and chairs, and open space. A social common space is supposed to provide relief from academics and athletics while stimulating conversation and group activity; moreover it allows for a temporary cure for boredom.

            There are a few solutions to this problem. First of all, we have made an addition to the school that none of the students are exactly sure how that space will be used and how it will function. It would be a good idea to convert that into a social common space. Second, another solution would be to clear another room for social space.

            A good academic space consists of books, computers, and tables where students can work. It also has to be well lit and quiet. Usually we call these spaces libraries. Libraries offer all the services above. Libraries also offer help finding books. The Exeter room has the books, computers, tables, and it is well lit. The only problem that it has is that it is very loud. People that are trying to work often have to wear headphones to drown out the other people in the room.

            A sensible solution to the noise in the Exeter room would be to make it a silent work area. However, that presents another problem. Where would people go if they wanted to hang out somewhere besides the dining hall? In their rooms? The problem with people’s rooms is, although a lot of people hang out in their rooms, they cannot converse with people of the opposite sex.

            No solution is perfect and every solution has its consequences. We need to find a good balance between academic space and social space in the Exeter room. Maybe have it a silent room during school hours.  Some how we need a social space, and we need an academic common space.

Editorial by Zach Stein

The NSA Mission Statement is:  “National Sports Academy is dedicated to providing academic and athletic programs that meet the individual needs of committed student-athletes as they prepare themselves for national and international winter athletic competition, college, and life.”

 If NSA expanded/improved their facilities, then more student athletes would be more attracted to come there.  Currently, there are many facilities that students use to their full advantage.  These facilities include class rooms, dorms, the hockey rinks, and Whiteface Mountain.  Consider the advantages of NSA:  class size, the dorm rooms and the facilities offered by the greater Lake Placid region. 

The average size class room is 5 students per class at NSA, which is a huge attraction to prospective students.  This is an advantage for young students who wish to pursue their education to the next level.  They accept individual challenges, and seek individual attention from teachers when necessary.

Here at NSA, dorm rooms are much nicer than college dorms, and other prep school.  Students have an individual bathroom, a couple roommates, and can bring anything they want, but have to follow all school rules.  The rooms are usually bigger than most schools, giving the students more space to feel  more at home.

Students have more freedom at NSA than most prep schools, and that’s why National Sports Academy is unique in their own certain way.  Ice hockey players and figure skaters get to experience what it feels like to step on the 1980 Olympic hockey rink, the 32, and the USA rink.  Also there is an outdoor rink called the box, which is right outside campus.  Alpine Skiers, Nordic Skiers, Snowboarding/Free ride, and Luge enjoy spending their time at Whiteface Mountain.

                However, despite these attributes I have listed above, NSA could do more to be attractive to other student-athletes.

NSA is possibly expanding the hockey team into two teams.  In order to do this, dorms would need to be expanded along with the cafeteria.  The school would not have enough room for another team.    NSA would need to purchase property of another house or two for the following year, so students could all fit.

 Athletes that come to NSA expect to meet their goals academically and physically.  The gym at the hockey rink is always locked, or a teacher has to be present.  The school should offer a program to show students how to use the weights, and sign a contract that the school is not responsible if they get hurt.  Therefore, students could work out on their own time, and the school wouldn’t be held liable for injuries.  If the school suggested this program and allowed students to go to the gym on their free time, they would use this opportunity to be competitive.  They wouldn’t need a teacher or facilitator to watch over them.  Also students would excel in their sport, and make NSA stand out that much more. 

Finally, there is a storage room for hockey bags near the classrooms.  Hockey bags have the worst stench, and it’s very hard to get rid of this odor.  If they could make a storage room outside of the school, or have their own locker rooms at the rink, then more classes could be taught at NSA, and you wouldn’t have that smell in the basement.  This would also attract more student athletes who want  the opportunity to go to this school. 

The simple truth is that more student athletes would be more attracted to the school if the facilities were updated.  If facilities were expanded and improved, National s ports Academy would stand out that much more.  Its NSA’s mission to educate student athletes, make them compete, prepared for college, and life.  By improving facilities, they would accomplish their mission to a higher satisfaction.

Editorial: NSA's Best Hire

NSA’s Best Hire:

Why Beatty Schlueter is a Great Asset

By Kathryn Dawson

 

          

 

National Sports Academy has made numerous recent improvements, but the most valuable has been the addition of Beatty Schlueter as the alpine women’s head coach. While NSA’s women’s JI-II alpine team is small - just seven skiers, only four that board in school - the new position will be profitable because it will attract new recruits. Schlueter is more than just an asset to NSA’s profile; she is strengthening the women’s program so the athletes and their results will speak for the school.

 

Beatty Schlueter (right) with athletes (left to right) Veronica Gaspar, Aylin Woodward, Kathryn Dawson and Annie King at a training camp in Saas Fee, Switzerland.

             

            Some students may object to NSA hiring another alpine coach, since there are currently six alpine coaches for 28 athletes and five hockey coaches for 54 athletes. Their objection indicates that NSA must rethink the dispersal of their coaches, both between and within sports.   Nonetheless, creating Schlueter’s position was a necessity because despite two coaches for five JIII athletes, the women’s alpine team lacked a coach before this year.

 

 Schlueter teaching an art class on the color wheel 

(making Christmas cookies)

NSA has traditionally countered the growing expense of coaches and faculty members by asking employees to perform multiple jobs. Schlueter doubles as an art teacher, a class which didn’t exist before; Denja Rand facilitates the “winter-term” program that attracts new athletes; and Dave Wenn acts as Head of School. The cost of hiring a disproportionately large alpine staff is offset by the other contributions that they make.

Due to its disorganized women’s program and apathetic recruiting, NSA hasn’t attracted many female racers; only one new woman, Catherine Wilcock, joined the JI-II team this year. Furthermore, two racers, Catherine Masson and Amee Pierson, left the team when they graduated last year and two more, Aylin Woodward and Giorgia Nagle, graduated but remain affiliated with the school because of the coaching that is now available to them. Even including Woodward and Nagle, who don’t live or study at NSA, the women’s team has barely been able to maintain its numbers.

Having Schlueter will appeal to potential students, not only because she exists but also because she excels at organization, communication and inspiration. Unlike previous years, the women have access to their coach throughout the day, since Schlueter has an office at NSA. Within her first week of school, Schlueter had made a distinct women’s agenda and contacted the entire team via text with schedule updates. Women were no longer left wondering where exactly their program fit in with the men’s program.

By taking care of the details and fostering communication, Schlueter is in tune with the team’s needs and she improves their ability to focus by assuming responsibility for the minutiae of planning. Hopefully Schlueter’s expertise, with the women’s hard work, will produce strong results this year and create an impressive reputation for NSA’s women’s alpine team. 

Athletic Result: Boys Hockey

Zach Stein on the forecheck.

Boys' Hockey Competes at EJHL Showcase

Zach Stein

This weekend we went to Marlborough Mass to play in the EJ showcase at the New England Sports Center. Even though we went 0-3, we had a pretty good turnout due to the fact the level was so much higher than we are used too. We bonded more as a team, and started playing better breaking some parts in our slump.

We headed on the road Thursday around 1:00 for a four and half/five hour drive. The drive was really long, and the buses were very crowded. We had fun on the bus talking about high school conversations. We arrived at the Holiday Express around 6:30 and had dinner reservations at 7:00 at Applebee’s. The dinner was not good at all. I had a Riblet basket with honey barbecue sauce on it, fries, and water. Fucas and I split Buffalo wings as an appetizer, which was the only good part of my meal. The Riblet basket was very petite, and had a lot of the bones. We went to bed at 11:00 because we had two games in the morning. We woke up at 7:00 and ate breakfast as a team. I had a bacon egg and cheese on a bagel. The breakfast was pretty good, but we had a tough game against the Junior Flyers. The final score was 4-0, but they scored a couple of week goals.

I felt we played much better as a team, than the Northwood game. We were really moving our feet out there, passing the puck, and hitting bodies. Unfortunately we did not put the puck in the net, and we made a couple mistakes that were capitalized in the Flyers favor. My mom ended up coming to the game and wanted to take me out for lunch after. We went to get a quick bite to eat at a sushi bar, and had to be back for 3:30 because we had a team brunch at 4:00. We ended up going to subway down the street. It looked like the workers were mad that out whole team was in there, and they had to serve us. The subway was so small that we all didn’t fit in the store. After subway we went back to the hotel and hung out for a little. We left for the rink around 5:30 because our game was at seven. We did some dynamic stretches as a team to warm up for the big game against the Junior Springfield Pics. We knew they were good, and we were going to have to work extra hard to keep the score down. Our forward were really moving out there, but our goaltenders were having an off game. The score resulted in a 9-1 loss, but haze broke our little scoring slump with a goal. My mom and dad both went to this game and saw me after for ten minutes. I knew they were coming to final game Saturday, and I could see them after. It was nice to see them even though it has only been a week. We had curfew at 11:00 again. It was Saturday morning and we woke up at 9:30 to get something to eat. For today’s breakfast I had a bagel with cream cheese, and some toast. After breakfast I went up to my room, and watched TV and layed down. Around 3:00 we warmed up outside the hotel room. We ran, stretched, and got the blood flowing. After, we went to a restaurant for lunch. I wasn’t that hungry, but got a balsamic chicken wrap. It was very good, and filling. Our game was at 7:00, and we were playing a good empire team. My brother, mom, dad, and uncle were coming to watch me play and I was already sore from the previous games. Our team was playing really good in the beginning but fell apart. The final score was 8-2, and our coach was a little upset with the way we played. He said we are going to have a tough week at practice. I went to Olive garden with my family after the game. It was nice to go out as a family and enjoy a fantastic meal.

In conclusion, we had our ups and downs this weekend, but I feel like were tending to break our slump. We are doing certain things right as a team and getting better at some areas. It’s like Coach said we need the whole package not just some areas. Next weekend we play in cape cod, and hopefully it’s a better turn out.

Whiteface Opening and NSA Winter Term Program

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