6 Questions with PSIA Cross Country Team Coach Emily Lovett

Catch up with members of the PSIA-AASI National Team, and the candidates who have been invited to 2021 Team Selection, as they discuss how they are staying in shape this summer, making goals for next winter, and creating new educational resources for the association. This week, we talk to PSIA Cross Country Team Coach Emily Lovett.

Listen to Emily discuss ways to encourage participation in the cross country skiing discipline.

How are you staying busy?

Without really realizing it at first, I’ve developed a new routine. I’ve embraced slow mornings, writing in my journal, meditation and reading (sometimes the news, other times a book). I’m reading Brene Brown’s Dare to Lead and Ann Patchett’s Dutch House.

I get outside in the morning for exercise, which these days is either skiing, biking, or hiking depending on the weather. My local gym, @manic4life, posts strength workouts to do at home so I jump on those a few times a week as well.

I typically have at least a few hours of work to do each day, and work or social Zoom calls seem to come about often. I’ve also been enjoying cooking. I made a sourdough starter and am obsessed with baking with it these days. I’m staying comfortably busy.

Big goals for next season?

Creating great experiences for our members and the ski community will remain our number one goal. Another important goal is to continue to collaborate on best practices among divisions as we work towards strategic alignment and new standards and processes.

Having all eight divisions working together has created new momentum for the PSIA cross country community and has given us a bigger team of talented educators to work among. We’ll continue to roll out new strategic alignment information to members and the cross country ski community. Next April, selecting leaders and team players for the PSIA-AASI National Team.

Which digital resource would you recommend for other members right now? 

The Delivering the Beginning Experience – Cross Country course. Although created for beginner instructors, this course is great for all level ski instructors.

I think some of the current webinars are super.  I recently joined an MA webinar that Jim Shaw and Josh Fogg facilitated.  It was interesting and thought provoking. I recommend checking out the list of webinars available.

What’s your favorite ski/snowboard movie? 

I loved watching Warren Miller’s 2018 Face of Winter because it includes clips of cross country skiing and because PSIA-AASI National Teammate Brennan Metzler was a star in it.

What educational initiative or taskforce project are you working on right now? 

The Cross Country Task Force is working on finalizing the new cross country technical standards. I’m focused on making sure we get all divisions’ input so what we come up with is usable and solid. We just started taking a closer look at the Performance Guide, which will be the “on snow” level detail that supports the technical standards. We have created some project groups and have new momentum to dive into this detail over the summer.

I’ve also been working on a short video outlining some exercises that I like to do in the off season to keep my core stabilization muscles and balance in tune.

Any shout outs you would like to share?

Patti Banks, the PSIA-RM XC Chair who helps coordinate the Cross Country Task Force. She’s so committed to working with both the RM Education Staff and the Cross Country Task Force. Many processes and materials we use for PSIA-RM XC, are also being used by other Divisions. This is really kudos to Patti, who ensures that this information is available and clear for our members.  Anyone who has worked with Patti knows she’s a joy to work with.