Created in 2017, the Saline-Chelsea Co-operative Ski Team has been a great way for students in both communities to compete in skiing as a varsity sport.
The team’s season, which is governed by the Michigan High School Athletic Association, takes place in January and February.
With the season now wrapped up, the coach and some of the team took time out to talk with the Saline Area Schools Board of Education about who they are and what they do. They went before the school board on Feb. 24.
Coach Elizabeth Johnson, who coaches both the boys and girls, said their team is a nice mix of students with 17 on the team, 12 from Saline and 5 from Chelsea. Johnson said they are a unique sport and team that is both fun and welcoming.
On the ski hill, you will find the team practicing together with those they will be competing against, sharing time and then racing each other. From sharing a ski lift seat to trying to go faster, the ski team has a different connection with their competition than most other sports do.
Johnson said they are their own little community.
According to the team, the co-op means that the two schools have agreed to combine athletes for a single team. They said this is a fairly common thing in ski racing, which is a bit of a niche sport in this area. Saline and Chelsea have agreed to a co-op as they build this program, which is run by Saline, but all eligible athletes from both Saline and Chelsea are allowed to join.
The team has two disciplines: Giant Slalom, which involves higher speeds, larger turns and a heavy reliance on timing and Slalom, which uses smaller, more technical turns, quick reflexes and a high level of focus.
They had 8 races this season. Their home hill is at Mt. Brighton.
The team’s goal is to “improve every athlete’s skiing. Period. When your skiing improves, your race times improve, and your enjoyment of the sport increases.”
Going before the school board, to talk about the team were Jillian Hayes of Saline and Tessa Smith of Chelsea.
Being a seasoned skier with seven years of experience, Smith said she wasn’t sure about joining the team, but she did anyway as a sophomore. She said she likes it, a lot. Speaking on behalf of the Chelsea contingent, she thanked everyone for their support and said they all very much enjoy being a part of this great team.
Photo 1: Slalom and Giant Slalom are the two disciplines for the team. Photo: Saline Chelsea Ski Team
Photo 2: Coach Johnson at middle with Jillian Hayes of Saline and Tessa Smith of Chelsea. Photo: Saline YouTube Channel screenshot
Photo 3: A look at the team. Photo: Saline Chelsea Ski Team
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