JHSC Core Values: Celebrating Sportsmanship, Honoring Competition
It's been a big month for us in terms of JHSC Core values, and, dare I get a bit sappy, some of our kids' athletic achievements and demonstrations of sportsmanship bring tears to the eye as we watch winners celebrate their competitors and kids from different programs compete together, try out new disciplines, and cheer one another on throughout the month.
As many of you know, we celebrate SPORTSMANSHIP each February, and it feels serendipitous that our youth Nordic participants (through the Junior level) brought home the team SPORTSMANSHIP AWARD from the Intermountain Youth Championships in Soldier Hollow last weekend! JHSC student-athletes were seen cheering on their own teammates and members of other Clubs, and they were at the finish to cheer on the final racers coming across the line.
Quite possibly the winner for "Cuteness" in Sportsmanship is the Nordic Lollipopper Team, who made a spell out to celebrate and cheer on Prep Team athlete Lena Poduska, while she competed at the Nordic Nations Cup in Finland:
We see sportsmanship in action among our kids in so many different ways: if you've never been to a race or competition, you're missing out on one of the most amazing things JHSC participants take away from their time with the Club: the ability selflessly to focus on and celebrate others' successes as equal to if not more exciting than their own. When you see that kind of excitement and joy for others in a kid's face, you know it.
If you're following our Results Recap, you know that we've had MULTIPLE podium sweeps by kids of all ages, in all programs, this month, as well as top overall winners. Here are just a few highlights:
- Lena Poduska finished 11th at the Nordic Nations Cup in Jyväskylä, Finland, Feb 17-19
- Mattias Wilson finished 1st in both the Downhill and the Super G at the Schweitzer FIS Speed Series, Feb 12-17
- Taryn Moe finished 1st in the Super G as a first-year U14 at the Brundage Mtn. qualifier, Feb 10-13
- Coach George Cartwright had 1st-place finishes at the 28th Annual Moose Chase at Trail Creek and at the open division of the Intermountain Youth Fest in Soldier Hollow, Feb 25-26
- Ellis Swain won the Beverly Hay Snowboard Cup, the award to the top overall snowboard athlete of the weekend, at the USASA Ski/Boardercross and Slopestyle event at Dollar Mountain Feb 9-12
- Taylor Moe was the overall Female Winner (as a first-year U16!) at the Laura Flood Memorial Race (3rd U16 qualifier) in Sun Valley, Feb 24-26
Follow our weekly recap for all events our athletes participate in HERE (linked on our homepage each Monday with links to all event results!)
As we enter Championship season, we celebrate the Core Value of COMPETITION. When we talk about competition at JHSC, we are entirely focused on the process of preparation to perform at one's best, rather than the outcome or result. As a staff, we do everything in our expertise and experience to prepare the kids to learn, acquire new skills in their sport and in life, and put those skills to the test. Competing always involves risk—no one can ever be certain of success—but it also involves great reward. Win or lose, we grow, so we encourage our athletes at every age and prepare them to try, when they feel ready, to compete in their sport. Competition comes with some vulnerability—venturing into the unknown—but as we watch the kids face the uncertainty of success or failure that comes with every worthwhile endeavor in life, we are proud to see that they continually rise to the challenge and always emerge stronger. We celebrate our victories, honor our champions, and learn and grow for the next challenge.
I've shared some of their material before, but I encourage you to read and consider the blog entry by East-Coast Karate Club Kaizen Karate on the Value of Competition. Some good stuff to mull over, thoughtfully challenge, and reflect on for yourself or your child.
Alumni Spotlight: a Throwback to the 2017 Nordic Program IYC Sportsmanship Award Winners
JHSC is not new to this honor: the squad won the award in 2017!
How many current and former or alumni athletes and coaches in this photo can you name? Send a list of names to gtirapelle@jhskiclub.org by Monday, March 6: the person who correctly names the most will win one of our new JHSC Sweatshirts!
Next SAS Eligibility Check: March 8
A reminder to all student-athletes and parents as we enter championship season that JHSC requires students to maintain a 2.5 GPA with no Ds or Fs. Please be sure to stay on top of your academic responsibilities during this busy season and alert the SAS Director of any challenges to meeting this threshold as early as possible so we can make a plan to get you on track!
