Marshall Nordic Team Structure

Marshall Nordic Varsity Ski Team.

              Each sport and coach has their own way of assembling a varsity team, one that will represent Marshall at varsity races through out the year. All are designed with the hope of placing the athletes that are best suited to race at the varsity level on the varsity team. The system used by the Marshall Nordic team is outlined below.

              At the beginning of the season the skiers that will be named varsity are those skiers that ranked in the top 7 positions at the end of the previous season. This decision will be cumulative, based upon the races throughout the previous year.

              As the current season progresses, skiers who are on the junior varsity team can challenge a position on the varsity team by asking to race an upcoming race in the varsity class. If through their posted times they are beating other varsity skiers, a switch in the team will occur. As the season progresses we compete in more races. If a skier wants to be on the varsity team he/she will have to ski faster than others on the team at more than one race. After the challenger is successful in two consecutive races the change in ranks will occur. If the racer being challenged is absent at the same two consecutive races the challenger is racing in the switch will occur by default.

              To decide the ranks within the varsity team we will use a numerical ranking method keeping track of the skiers points. The individual who finished first for Marshall at a race will receive one point, the second skier two points, and so on. These points will accumulate with the season. This same system will be used for JV races. JV points however won’t carry over onto the varsity team, so a JV skier with 6 points won’t replace a varsity skier with 12 points unless he beats him in the two consecutive races in which case he will then take the number 7 position on the varsity team.

              This format seems to be the most fair and effective to have both skiers who deserve to ski varsity skiing it and also have a competitive ski team. In addition to it being fair, this style will hopefully stir some inner team competition which will push all skiers to strive to be that much better.