With support from the newly formed Women Ski Coaches Association, BSF is proud to send two female Nordic coaches to represent the club at the National Cross Country Coaches Symposium in Minneapolis, September 27-29. Jessie Kay, Head Nordic Development Coach, and Julia Hayes, a BSF Comp Team Coach, will both attend the symposium and further develop their leadership and coaching skills.
The Women Ski Coaches Association (WSCA) is sponsoring the cost of one BSF coach, and BSF is covering the cost for the second to attend the Minnesota event.
According to U.S. Ski & Snowboard, men outnumber women 2:1 in cross country ski coaching positions in the U.S. (and that ratio is much worse among college and elite teams). WSCA hopes to "encourage more women to enter, remain in, and advance through the cross country ski coaching profession and bring women's representation at all levels of coaching closer to 50 percent."
We look forward to being part of the change.
For a passionate editorial on the topic, read: "Inequity is not Self-Correcting."
It's worth noting that two women with BSF connections are making some big moves in the coaching world:
Former BSF Elite Coach Bernie Nelson was recently hired as the U.S. Cross Country Ski Team's D-Team Coach, making her the first and only woman on the national team coaching staff. Go, Bernie!
Former BSF Elite Athlete and, most recently ,BSF Coach Jennie Bender has accepted a position as the interim assistant coach at the University of Alaska, Fairbanks. We're going to miss her, but we're excited to know that she'll be part of the only all-women xc ski coaching team on the NCAA circuit.
