Maine Winter Sports Center Enters 10th Year with New Staff Assignments

The Maine Winter Sports Center (MWSC) has emerged as something of a training ground for national and Olympic programs. Max Saenger left last year to work on venue development for the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee. Now USSA has tapped John Farra to take over as Nordic director from Luke Bodensteiner.

John Farra, formerly of the MWSC and now with USSA. (Photo courtesy USSA)

"It is never easy to lose people like Max and John Farra," said Andy Shepard, president of the MWSC. "But their departure allows others a chance to grow into leadership roles. Over the years we have been blessed to have continued to attract a remarkably talented group of coaches to our staff."

The MWSC is not quite 10 years old. It was founded to promote skiing as a way to improve the health of Maine residents and as a way to increase economic opportunities in rural areas of the state. The center now operates four Nordic center – two with full biathlon facilities – including the 10th Mountain Center in Fort Kent, the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle, Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, and Black Mountain in Rumford.

The center’s competition programs produced seven of the 10 members of the 2006 U.S. Olympic Biathlon Team, and eight of the 10 members of the 2008 World Championship Biathlon Team. MWSC athletes have also posted strong results in regional and national cross country ski events.

The stadium at the 10th Mountain Division facility in Fort Kent, Maine (photo from MWSC web site)

The center also focuses on recreational skiing, with the goal of integrating a skiing lifestyle to make communities healthier. The center has Healthy Hometowns outing clubs in 90 communities across the state. Started as ski clubs, many have evolved into year-round outing clubs, including canoeing, kayaking, hiking, mountain biking and trail running.

MWSC’s new program coordinator, Eileen Carey, will focus on the Healthy Hometowns program. She was a member of the Leavitt High School team that won four Maine state ski championships and was the captain of the Dartmouth Nordic ski team.

Carey will lead the team that will continue developing the Healthy Hometowns program as a year-round effort. This includes getting thousands of elementary and middle school kids on skis on a nearly daily basis throughout the winter, as well as promoting high school racing

The lodge at the Nordic Heritage Center in Presque Isle (photo from MWSC web site)

Will Sweetser has been named director of cross country development. Sweetser is also a Dartmouth Graduate and coached at Bates College, Carrabassett Valley Academy and the Jackson Hole Ski Club. He will continue to lead the competitive cross country programs and will also assume responsibility for increasing access to those programs.

"Will has been with us since our first year and has made a profound difference in every program he has taken on for us", said Shepard. "Over the past few years he has also demonstrated that he is one of the top development coaches in the country.”

Gary Colliander has been named director of biathlon development. Colliander is a graduate of University of Minnesota - Duluth and, together with Piotr Bednarski, was instrumental in the growth of the Minnesota Biathlon Club. His teaching skills and professionalism has helped make him one of the top development coaches in the United States.  In addition to his
current coaching responsibilities, he will also assume responsibility for efforts to create a statewide network of biathlon clubs in Maine

"Gary's athletes are having outstanding results at the international level," said Shepard. "He has clearly shown that the path to the U.S. Biathlon Team goes through Maine."

For more information about the Maine Winter Sports Center, go to www.mainewsc.org.