Sports – The Mirror

New Equipment a Major Upgrade for Ski Team

October 27, 2021 by Leah DeFilippo

The Wintersteiger Jupiter is a fully automated tuning and service system for skis and snowboards (Photo: Wintersteiger Company)

The Northwood Ski team will soon get a massive upgrade: a Wintersteiger Jupiter, a fully automated tuning and service system for skis and snowboards.

“The Wintersteiger will grind the base of the ski, put a pattern on creating a fresh layer, take side and base edges down, and will allow taper beveling,” U19 Head Alpine Men’s FIS Coach Mr. Thomas Vonn ’94 said.

“We will no longer have to outsource to other ski shops who aren’t as high tech as we’re looking for,” Vonn added. “Having the Wintersteiger will show up in the team’s results. Everyone’s skis will feel more consistent, so athletes will be able to push more. It’s like having a car that you know you trust and know you can push to the limit. ”

This is good news to Kieran Delay ’23 is a ski racer known for extreme attention to his equipment. “I’m super excited that we now have the opportunity to keep everything in-house and not have to outsource,” Delay said. “This makes the turn around almost instant.”

Mr. Tommy Bisesmeyer, Director of Alpine Skiing thinks the new equipment will be a competitive advantage for Northwood’s ski program. “In the current state of ski academies, there’s an arms race to see who has the best equipment. The Wintersteiger Jupiter puts us in the lead,” Biesemeyer said.

Neil Lande, Northwood’s new Ski Technician. (Photo provided)

Mr. Neil Lande, Northwood’s Ski Technician, will be responsible for operating the new equipment. Lande is excited to be running the Wintersteiger. “With the addition of the Wintersteiger Jupiter, we will be able to precisely discuss plans in every variable of our athlete’s skis, allowing them to take their skiing to the next level,” Lande said.

The Wintersteiger will be located in the former girls’ hockey storage building, and is set to arrive early November. The Girls’ Hockey team is now using the former art studio the basement of Bergamini to store their equipment.

Filed Under: Sports, Top Story

More Dispatches from the Hintertux Glacier [with Playlist]

October 20, 2021 by Leah DeFilippo

Be sure to check out Leah’s other dispatch from Hintertux.

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Wednesday, October 6th, 2021. Yet another weather day. Major bummer, but we made the best of it. After study hall, I did an “Insanity Workout” with Hillary, Norah, and some of the FIS boys. We’re all big Shaun T fans. Then I went to an indoor climbing gym about 20 minutes down the road with Coach Patrick Purcell, Cara Dempsey ‘25, and Bodhi Boeschen ‘24. It was cool to see how different climbing is compared to the US. When you go indoor climbing in the US, there’s mats everywhere on the floor, someone is putting you on the auto-belay, and there’s typically an age limit. In Austria, there are no mats, you put yourself on the auto-belay, and there are six-year-olds going up the same climbing wall as you. It was a fun change of pace climbing. Shoutout Northwood Outing Club.

Song of the day: “My Tears Ricochet,” by Taylor Swift 

Thursday, October 7th, 2021. I would count today as half a weather day. We headed up the glacier, took one look around, saw nothing but white, and left. It was one of the weirdest conditions I’ve ever skied. When it’s snowing in the US, there are trees, so there is never a complete whiteout. But this was just white. Nothing but snow and fog. I had clear lenses on, and the white was so bright that it was burning my eyes, so I closed them on the t-bar. We got back from the mountain around 2:30 pm. The FIS girls went to a pool 30 minutes from our hotel and hit the water slides and whirlpool. The FIS boys did yet another Insanity workout. I haven’t had to tune my skis since Monday, I definitely miss that part of my day.

Song of the day: “pride . is . the . devil,” by J. Cole & Lil Baby (been on repeat all day)

Friday, October 8th, 2021. Finally, we got to go skiing again today. The weather was perfect, it was sunny and just the right amount of cold. The snow was a bit soft, but that’s good for us because we typically ski on hard snow. We got around six runs in on the course and hit the free ski lane for some soul shredding. There were literally dead birds just in the middle of the trail and along the T-bar. Just straight up dead birds. Deceased. No longer living. To the birds: “You clearly haven’t adapted to living at this elevation if there are this many of you dying all at once, so why are you up here? Just go down lower.” On our way back, we made a quick stop at the grocery store. Grocery stores in Europe are so much smaller than grocery stores in the US. They still have the variety that the US has, but the shelves are higher so more items can fit. There also seems to be no store brand products (Great Value, Walmart Wegmans, etc.). I got to tune my skis today, I missed the sound of my machine tuner.

Song of the day: “Lord I Know,” by Kid Cudi

Saturday, October 9th, 2021. We went back to slap some plastic today. It was sunny and hot. I got around six runs in on the course, and around 7 free ski runs. The free skiing was really good; the snow was perfect. We headed back to the hotel, ate dinner and tuned our skis. Overall, a pretty mellow day. But “Praise God” and “Off the Grid,” by Kanye West made my day. (To be completely honest I write my diary entries the day after so I can reflect better, and I hit my head on Sunday, so I didn’t go to study hall, and I forgot a bit of my day.)

Song of the day: “Praise God” and “Off the Grid,” by Kanye West

Sunday, October 10th, 2021. Today started out strong. We had team photos on the overlook of the glacier. Then we set a slalom course and started training. I got in two runs, but on my second run I fell and hit my head, so my day consisted of sitting at the bottom of the course figuring out if I hit my head hard enough to call it a day. I did, so I headed back down to the van and chilled. Coach Worm told some stories on the van ride back, and once we got back it was sitting in a dark room for me. I took a nap, woke up and wasn’t sure where I was. But I eventually figured it out. Coach Jeremy “Worm” Transure said I had a minor concussion. Then I talked to my coaches, and we decided that I would be off snow for the rest of the camp. 

Song of the day: “everything i wanted,” by Billie Eilish (pre-fall)

Monday October 11th, 2021. No skiing for me today, just whiplash and naps. When I fell yesterday, I hit the back of my head on the snow, then flung it forward. Let’s go live laugh love whiplash. I just have a tension headache and some pain in the front of my next. Maris VanSlyke ‘15 also got a concussion a couple days before me, so we both walked into town for lunch and a grocery store run. That’s really all that happened today.

Song of the day: I didn’t really listen to music today.

Tuesday October 12th, 2021. Let’s go another day of pretty much nothing. The other girls are skiing on a Europa Cup lane this morning. If you don’t know what a Europa Cup lane is, it’s just a really good lane. I’m just chilling in study hall. My neck still hurts, but not as bad as it did yesterday. I’ve been having trouble falling asleep before 1:30 am but it’s fine because I don’t really have anywhere to be. Today everyone’s packing up their skis and duffels. We hit the road tomorrow at 4:00 am. 

Song of the day: “High Today (feat, Logic),” by Wiz Khalifa

Wednesday, October 13th, 2021. I woke up at 3:30 am and was on the road by 4:00 am. We made it to Munich, checked our bags and boarded our flight to Newark. When we landed in Newark, one of our international students got stuck in customs, but he made it through. When I was going through customs, I had around 40 pounds of bindings in a little duffle, my school bag, and my ski boots. Obviously, I look like I’m struggling, but trust me, I got it. This man that was behind me just insisted upon carrying my boots, but I kept telling him “No thank you I got it.”

Eventually he took the boots out of my hand and in my head, I was like “Dude, lay off. I got this.”

I get to the customs agent and this man literally comes up to the agent with me and hands the agent his passport as I’m handing the agent mine. The agent asks, “What’s the relation?”

I say, “I don’t know this guy.”

The agent is obviously suspicious and tells the man to go back behind the yellow line.

I answer the typical questions and then the border agent asks me, “Are you ok?”

“Yes,” I say.

“Are you sure you’re ok? You can tell me if you’re not ok.”

I say “Oh, that guy was just really insistent on helping me carry my boots.”

In conclusion, if a random man offers to carry your ski boots in the customs line, be more assertive about your answer: no.

All our ski bags made it to Newark, and we started our drive back to Lake Placid. It was really cool to see the foliage.

Song of the day: “Fine Whine (feat. Joe Fox x Future x M.I.A)”

Here is the playlist of Songs of the Day from both of Leah’s dispatches:

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Dispatches from the Hintertux Glacier [With Slideshow]

October 6, 2021 by Leah DeFilippo

Leah DeFilippo ‘22 (Photo: Mr. Michael Aldridge)

Be sure to check out Leah’s other dispatch from Hintertux.

Staff writer Leah DeFilippo ‘22 is an alpine ski racer who is currently at a training camp in Hintertux, Austria organized by NYSEF. Each day she logs a diary entry that she shares occasionally with the readers of The Mirror.

Monday, September 27th, 2021. It is currently 11:56 pm EST. time, I am currently flying over the Atlantic Ocean. It’s been a long day, but a good travel day. We efficiently loaded our ski bags, boots bags, and duffels into two Northwood buses and two NYSEF vans. Obviously Ikuo Toishi’s van took the dub [win], Jimbo Johnson’s van in second, Tommy Biesemeyer’s bus in third, and Thomas Vonn’s bus in dead last on the NYSEF/Northwood race to the Newark airport. I personally hit a record low for baggage fees, and everyone else did fairly well too. I had around 40 pounds of bindings in my carryon bag, and the TSA agent was suspicious of them to say the least. Let’s pray all of our ski bags made it to Munich, Germany. 

Song of the day: HIGHEST IN THE ROM by Travis Scott

Tuesday, September 28th, 2021. I’m tired today because I didn’t sleep at all on the plane. But all our baggage arrived on time and in one piece which was a win. We drove from Munich, Germany to Finkenburg, Austria after our flight. Then we unpacked our gear, and I took a trip to the grocery store with Liz Creigton ‘24, Hillary Larsen ‘22, Dominick Deguardia ‘24, Norah Dempsey ‘21, and Joey Galperin. Fun fact: gummy bears are better in Europe. They’re simply built differently.

Song of the day: Horizon by Malz Monday

Wednesday, September 29th, 2021. Today was our first day on snow! It was raining down by our hotel, but on the glacier it was snowing lightly. There was a bit of discontent with the conditions, but I thought it was fine. Any skiing (that is not flat out dangerous) is better than no skiing. A lot of people’s ski boots were causing them foot pain, so shells were taken off on the glacier. We are all currently grinding our homework at study hall. 

Song of the day: Life Goes On by Lil Baby (feat. Gunna & Lil Uzi Vert)

Thursday, September 30th, 2021. We had a flip day today. There was study hall from 8 am-10 am, and we skied from 11:30 am to 4:30 pm. Today I hit a rock on my skis and got a gauge right along the edge. Rest In Peace to the 773 SL skis. They were on their last legs anyway, but they were my favorite pair of skis. Besides that, it was a good day. It was sunny and bluebird skies on the glacier today. I am excited for the weekend so that I can catch up on my schoolwork. Peace.

Song of the day: Moonwalking in Calabasas (feat. Blueface) [Remix]

Friday, October 1st, 2021. On our way to the glacier this morning, we had to stop because there were cows that needed to get across the road. It was the FIS girls’ first day on GS skis today and we spent the day free skiing. The FIS boys slapped some plastic and ripped some slalom turns. I went on a run after skiing and met some friendly goats and sheep, I did not touch them because you must declare that when you go through customs. There is a dog at the hotel we are staying at, but it does not like people. I put my hand out so that it could smell and it snapped at me. It also snapped at Dominick, and Lincoln, so it’s just not a “people person”. 

Song of the day: People Watching by Conan Gray

Saturday, October 2nd, 2021. Today was a long day. I got around 10-13 runs in our GS course, and 6 free runs. Coach Jeremy “Worm” Transue’s van got stuck in some mud and had to get pulled out by an Austrian homie. My van stopped at a ski shop and got back to the hotel around 5:20 pm. After dinner I hit the tuning room and waxed some skis. 

Song of the day: Hurricane by Kanye West

Sunday, October 3rd, 2021. Today is our fifth consecutive day skiing (day five in the trenches), which isn’t a lot back home, but at the elevation we’re at it’s a lot. I am definitely feeling it this morning. The FIS boys took today off, but the U16s and FIS girls chose to go the extra day because we’re supposed to get three feet of snow tomorrow. I know what someone ready this maybe be thinking, “Three feet of snow? That sounds awesome!” Wrong. When it snows three feet, trams, gondolas, and lifts do not run. But our training day was pretty good! Clouds would go in and out making it hard to see, but still a productive day. Because of the fog, I got a bit lost with Jeremy “Worm” Transue coming down to the gondola. Pro tip: if you’re ever by a bunch of parked snow cats on a mountain, you’re lost. Go back the way you came. 

Song of the day: DNA by Kendrick Lamar 

Monday, October 4th, 2021. Day one out the trenches, today is a rest day. We started our day off with a productive two-hour study hall. We headed into the “Main Street” of Finkenberg and had lunch. After that, we made a quick run to the grocery store to stock up on some snacks for the week. Overall an uneventful day but fun and relaxing. 

Song of the day: Kings Dead from the Black Panther Sound Track

Tuesday, October 5th, 2021. I’m currently in study hall, and I’m having Wi-Fi issues. I can’t even load my assignments on Teams let alone do my assignments. I’m typing this in the notes app because I can’t even load Microsoft Word. Looking at the web cam of the glacier, it’s just gray. I can’t see anything. According to Mrs. Fagan, “It’s like water skiing up there.” So we will not be skiing. This will be the boys third rest day and the girls second. We went into Innsbruck and walked around the city. It was cool to see the architecture. It was hard to tell the difference between residential buildings and stores.

Song of the day: NDA by Billie Eilish 

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Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports

Artificial Turf Field Nearing Completion

September 28, 2021 by Colter Cheney-Seymour

A new artificial turf facility is currently being constructed at Northwood School is expected to have a transformative effect on the school’s soccer program, but construction delays have stalled the field’s opening. Initially, the soccer team hoped to do most of their fall training and have their fall games on the new field. Now they hope to get in one game before the field is covered with snow.

Bette & Cring Construction Group from Albany is the general contractor on the project and began construction this past summer with the hopes of having it finished by early September. However, upon renovating the site they discovered traces of asbestos in the old tennis courts. Abatement of the small amounts of hazardous asbestos set the project back several weeks as a separate company had to come in and remove the asbestos from the site.

Artist renderings of the completed turf field. Note: these drawings include the former tennis courts and basketball court, which have since been removed.

The construction site has been busy the last couple of weeks. (Photo: Colter Cheney-Seymour ’22)

According to Associate Head of School Mr. Tom Broderick, who updated the school community on the project at a recent school meeting, construction is expected to be finished in late October.

The field will primarily be used by the Northwood U17 and U19 soccer teams that are associated with Black Rock FC. Since the start of the year-round soccer program at Northwood, the team has been training on campus and at a variety of grass fields off campus.

This new facility is seen as a major upgrade by Program director and U19 head coach Jon Moody. “The addition of the new turf field at Northwood School is an exciting next step for the development of the soccer program,” Moodey stated. “This will provide the team with a high-quality surface for regular training while also enabling us the team to extend the fall season and start the spring season earlier,” Moodey added.

Weather plays a large role in soccer training in the Adirondacks. And the turf field, which can be cleared of early- and late-season snow, will allow the squad to maximize the team’s training opportunities.

The field is also expected to benefit the surrounding community. “This new field can become a great resource for the surrounding communities in the Adirondacks,” said Moodey, making it evident how the turf may be used for local activities or sports in the future.

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

Ski Racers Off to Austria for Pre-Season Camp

September 28, 2021 by Leah DeFilippo

For the first time in two years, the Northwood Ski Team will be traveling to Europe. Seventeen Northwood ski racers will join other athletes from NYSEF for an early season camp on the Hintertux Glacier.

The team flew out of Newark on Monday morning and landed in Munich Germany, then took a bus to Finkenburg, Austria. For two weeks they will train in the Zillertaler Alps.

Photo credit: Leah DeFilippo ’22

Photo credit: Angelica DeGuardia

Photo credit: Kate Broderick ’22

Because the delta variant has caused a spike in COVID cases across the Europe and the US, staff attending this trip have been examining COVID protocols for months. NYSEF/Northwood head U16 coach Patrick Purcell said “COVID wise, we have researched all the necessary guardrails, restrictions, and guidelines that are required for travel. We have met all the requirements. It’s been exhaustive. We have put every safety precaution for our athletes and staff possible, but there’s always that risk. We feel confident that we’ve taken every precaution to continue our athletic training.”

The skiers are excited to resume training, “I am very excited to go to Austria, to get back on snow, and to see how much I can improve from last year,” said Lincoln Norfolk ‘24. Senior Hillary Larsen said, “I’m really excited to be returning to Europe. I missed the early season training that’s pretty rare in the US.”

A ski camp in September may seem excessively early to those unfamiliar with ski racing, but the pre-season training is crucial to have a successful ski season. “We can’t sit back and wait for the snow to fly. By doing competitive athletic training camps like this, we’re expanding on what we do year round. Our sport is on the snow and we need to travel,” said Purcell.

Coach Jeremy “Worm” Transue added that “The trip to Hintertux will provide the athletes with the opportunity to strengthen their fundamental skill set through varying events and terrain while gaining valuable lessons in the European cultural experience.”

Filed Under: Northwood Life, Sports, Top Story

Soccer Splits with So. Kent in Philly

September 24, 2021 by Colter Cheney-Seymour

Northwood Boys’ Soccer continued their regular season play by traveling to Philidelphia to play prep rivals South Kent. The U17 team pulled off a 3-1 comeback win with the first goal coming from Lokaoh Paye ‘24 and two goals Cedric Lemaire ‘24. The U19 team fell 2-0 to the Cardinals in a highly anticipated matchup. The older boys had a goal called back due to offsides and several opportunities to score throughout the match.

Artiste Gry, a postgraduate student and goalkeeper for the U19 team, explained how he thought there were positives to be taken away. “The result doesn’t fully reflect the effort and quality produced on gameday by the team,” said Gry.

The soccer team watched two college matches in Philadelphia (Photo provided).

In addition to the games, the team was able to attend two division one college matches in Philidelphia. On September 17th, the boys arrived in the city and watched a match between the University of Pennsylvania and Mount Saint Mary’s College. The next morning, the team fit in a light training along with a short scrimmage against Western Reserve Academy from Ohio. Later that day, the boys saw an exciting game between Southern Methodist University and Temple University which was seen by the team as a great showcase of top division 1 talent and athleticism.

Kendin Basden ‘22 said “It was important to see the level of play that we all aspire to be at one day.” While in the city, the team was able to appreciate some local tourist attractions as they went to The Reading Terminal Market and ran up the world famous “Rocky Steps.” The Huskies will travel to Albany this weekend as each team plays two games in the NXT LVL invitational.

Filed Under: Sports

2021 Senior Athletic Awards

May 19, 2021 by Mackenzie Hull

Normally reserved for the Senior Awards ceremony at the annual senior banquet held the night before commencement, the 2021 Senior Athletic Awards were announced during the Co-Curricular Coach’s Awards ceremony today in a virtual ceremony.

The following are the awards and recipients.

LINDA FRIEDLANDER AWARD

This plaque is presented in recognition of outstanding achievements in academics and in women’s sports. The recipients are chosen for their accomplishments and enthusiasm in developing both their intellectual and physical beings.

Norah Dempsey ’21

Kathryn (Kate) Hagness ’21

TIM HYDE HOCKEY AWARD

This is an award given each year by Mr. & Mrs. F. Stillman Hyde and his family, in loving memory of Tim Hyde, who graduated from Northwood in 1962. It is given to the hockey player who, in the opinion of the coaches, best exemplifies Tim Hyde’s love of the game and his “never quit” attitude, no matter how stiff the opposition.

Marina Alvarez ’21

CHARLES HOLT HOCKEY AWARD

Charlie Holt served as a teacher and coach at Northwood School from 1955 to 1962. After Northwood, Charlie was hockey coach at Colby College and the University of New Hampshire. Considered one of the “true gentlemen” of the game, Charlie Holt embodied the best qualities the game has to offer. A plaque is awarded annually by Northwood School to the members of the boys and girls hockey squads who have shown the best sportsmanship in practice and in games.

Ashlyn McGrath

Michael Leone ’21

MALCOLM SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD

The permanent trophy was given by the late Herbert L. Malcolm, former Headmaster of the Lake Placid School now Northwood School, and the individual plaque is awarded each year to the male and female students who, in the opinion of the faculty Athletic Committee, have shown the best sportsmanship in athletics throughout the year. The award recognizes qualities of character that enhance the excellence of the teams on which the individuals participate and that reflect positively on Northwood as an institution during athletic competition.

Gabrielle-Catherine Cote ’21

Calil Neme Filho ’21

MARK “DILL” DRISCOLL SKI AWARD

Mark Driscoll, Class of 1970, was the complete skier, competing in cross-country, jumping, and alpine events. His legacy is one of extraordinary enthusiasm and dedication. As an athlete, a student, and a student leader, Dill was one of the school’s most positively influential characters. The school named the premier ski team award in his honor.

Benjamin (Ben) DeGirolamo ’21

TIM SMYTHE AWARD

This award is given to the student-athlete of the North Country who best displays Tim Smythe’s leadership and courage and who inspires their teammates to rise to any challenge.

Madison (Maddie) Kostoss ’21

WARREN WITHERELL SOCCER AWARD

The Warren Witherell Award is the top award given to a member of the soccer program. Like Mr. Witherell, the recipient of this award has consistently represented Northwood and the program in the finest manner possible as an athlete, student, community member, and leader. This player embodies the full spirit of the Northwood community and the soccer program and has consistently endeavored to improve himself while always setting the highest standard possible for his teammates and classmates to follow.

Tomas Restrepo Gaviria ’21

(All photos by Mr. Michael Aldridge)

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports, Top Story

Twenty Students Take Home Co-Curricular Awards

May 19, 2021 by Mackenzie Hull

Twenty students received 21 awards at the annual co-curricular awards ceremony on May 19, which was held online for the second year in a row. For Northwood’s co-curricular activities and sports, the “Coach’s Award” is given to the student who characterizes the notion that there is no “I” in “team.” Both on and off the field, rink, hill, etc., they lead by example. They are a consummate team player who goes above and beyond to make a difference for their team. Their leadership, ability to communicate with teammates and coaches are critical to the team’s success. The award is given to the student that best demonstrates the true spirit of activity throughout their season. It is provided for hard work and personal improvement and for a willingness to understand and learn to achieve one’s potential. The following students are the 2020-2021 recipients:

Rock Climbing Haley Donatello ’21
CARE Service Award Haley Donatello ’21	Chase Ormiston ‘21 Ellie Colby ‘21
U18 Soccer Sebastian Green ‘22
U19 Soccer Andrew Mazza ‘21
Boys Alpine Skiing Wyatt Wardlaw ‘24
Girls Alpine Skiing Audrey Higgins-Lopez ‘21
Freestyle Skiing Maximilian Oechsner ‘21
David Phelps/Kimbal Award/ Ski Awards Caroline Purcell ‘24
Ski Jumping Adeleine Swanson ‘24
Crew David Garvey ‘22
Prep Hockey (formerly Juniors) Mark Monaco ‘21
Whitewater Lars Kroes ‘21
Varsity Hockey (formerly Prep) Ryan Cielo ‘21	Lars Kroes ‘21
Girls Hockey Olivia McLean ‘21
Mountain Biking Macie Eisenhart ‘23
Robotics Zach Zientko ‘21
Drama Anja Martin ‘22
Dance Kaiya Belisle ‘21
Rec Skiing Eli Jean-Francois ‘21
Yoga Hillary Larsen ‘22

Congratulations to these recipients!

Filed Under: Northwood Life, People, Sports, Top Story

Girls’ Lacrosse Games Postponed

May 4, 2021 by Rachel Hinkley

Adria Tebo ’23 at a recent girls’ lacrosse practice. (Photo: Facebook/Northwood School)

The Girls’ Lacrosse team was supposed to travel to Potsdam last Wednesday and Massena on Saturday, but the games were postponed due to an outbreak of coronavirus at school. The Girls’ Lacrosse team is usually outside everyday practicing and having fun, getting prepared to play a few scrimmages. However, now with them being postponed, players and coaches don’t know when they’ll be able to practice or play games again. While in quarantine, the girls can’t practice as a team, but are still having fun passing within their cohorts. Coach Broderick, Coach Weaver and all the girls are hopeful that we can reschedule these scrimmages to have a fun season amid this quarantine.

Filed Under: Sports

Soccer Team Mixes Business and Pleasure in Arizona

April 22, 2021 by Andrew Mazza

After a hard-fought week of non-stop soccer in Texas at the Dallas Cup, Black Rock FC | Northwood Boys Soccer arrived in Phoenix, Arizona. The rest of Northwood School had just been released for Spring Break, so the boys of the soccer team were looking forward to the chance for some ‘relaxation.’ Many believed this meant sleeping in, time by the pool, and no additional strenuous exercise. Head Coach Jon Moodey had other plans.

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Day 1 consisted of an early morning wake up for a hike of Dixie Mountain in the Phoenix Sonoran Preserve. Hiking in the desert around Phoenix is only safe in the morning and evening because of the extreme mid-day temperatures (soaring to 100F, even in April). The desert landscape is stark and lifeless to the untrained eye, but wildlife and plant life flourish there. Owls, rattlesnakes, scorpions, and towering cactuses were all on display.

The next week saw a mix of fun and work. The team trained and toured at NAIA Ottawa AZ, a 4-year-old University that focuses purely on athletics. The college coaching staff welcomed Black Rock into their weight room, locker room, and allowed the team to practice on their home turf. The U19 and U18 teams also got the chance to play 80–minute friendly matches against Del Sol FC and Real Salt Lake FC. This totaled 4 games in Arizona.

The highlight of Arizona for the team was a road trip to the Grand Canyon. The group broke up and hiked the Southern Rim. They then descended the canyon on the South Kaibab Trail passing Ooh Aah Point before eating lunch at Cedar Ridge. Views were panoramic as it was truly a day to remember.

A final memory for many of the boys was the Fossil Creek Waterfall. Cliff jumping and swimming in the crystal-clear water proved to be a fulfilling reward for the long trek.

Arizona was a great second leg to the month-long journey. It provided great balance during a soccer specific trip.