Sports information intern Ben Beinner '21 shares his first team spotlight of the winter term: 

I was fortunate to be able to watch one of the most exciting teams this season. That of course is the Nordic ski team. As I arrived at their first race of the season, a scrimmage of sorts with other Lakes Region schools, it was very impressive to see all of the new comers really already looking like seasoned veterans in the way they skied and cheered on their team. With such a larger number of kids on the team, the group has really thrived during these first few weeks of the winter season, and look to be a threat in the Lakes Region.

On any given day, we ask our students to manage a remarkable amount of independence. They are expected to monitor sleep hygiene, get to class on time, choose to engage with or lead clubs, eat a balanced diet, complete homework assignments, attend extra help, not to mention prepare for competition and performances each afternoon. The life of a boarding school student is complex, which is why Proctor has launched a performance initiative that seeks to identify ways to support our students’ optimal performance in the classroom, on the athletic field, and in their daily lives.

Whether it is the evolution of off-campus programs (read more about Proctor in China here) or the addition of new athletic programs like crew or track and field, Proctor’s institutional willingness to remain dynamic in how we pursue the constancy of our mission is notable. Within this context, Proctor is excited to share the further evolution of its alpine ski program through a new partnership with coaches Peter Anderson and Parker Spear to launch the Proctor Gap FIS Program for ten athletes this year.

Proctor Academy is excited to announce it has received a grant from the Killington World Cup Committee to construct lighting on Proctor’s Bill Paine ‘51 Nordic Center in time for the 2018-2019 winter season.

For Bob Beattie ‘51, a post-graduate year at Proctor Academy in 1950-1951 was just what he needed to propel him into his collegiate years at Middlebury College and a career coaching and promoting the sport of alpine skiing. Beattie passed away at the age of 85 on April 1, 2018. Today, we recognize his unparalleled impact on the sport of alpine skiing and his connection as an alum of Proctor Academy.

Campus is quiet as an early March Nor’easter marches up the coast today (our skiers are excited for the anticipated snowfall of well over a foot forecasted in Andover). Spring sports begin in two weeks (with four spring teams traveling to warmer weather for spring training trips next week), but in the meantime, Proctor’s USSA/FIS ski program’s 40+ skiers are entering their busiest stretch of the season as March Championship Series are upon us. After a record-setting season, Proctor’s skiers look to continue their strong performance on the national stage over the coming weeks. Read more about Proctor’s USSA/FIS program and their results this winter below.

It’s the mountain that clanked and rattled and almost shut down. The t-bar gears clattered so much you could hear them across the valley. The cement slabs across the Hameshop Brook, the “bridge”, was slowly settling to become a beaver dam accessory. The “groomer,” better suited to smoothing snowmobile trails, labored up and down the hill, coaxed along by Garry George. The snow making was first generation, vintage at best, and when the lights flickered on at dusk, dusky corners held their ground. A dozen years ago this was the question on everybody’s mind: Why keep the little big mountain going?

Proctor's ski jumping program is as storied as any high school jumping program in the country. Built through the hard work of former faculty member Tim Norris over the past fifty years, the jumping program is now under the guidance of Chris Jones '04, one of Tim's former jumpers. At their first home meet of the 2018 season, first year jumpers Ezra Taylor '21 and Peter Koumrian '20 put forth a great effort, including a first place finish by Ezra! Read more about the ski jumping program's rejuvenation from the coach's perspective in this week's team spotlight.