Introducing Zach Russo

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GRP Skier Liz Guiney did a great interview with new Craftsbury Junior ski coach Zach Russo. Thought I’d share it here as we all get to learn Zach better.

Tell me a little about skiing for Clarkson in the USCSA, since it’s a bit different from your typical NCAA skiing program.  Was there something in particular about the program that made you want to pursue coaching? Or any aspect that prepared you for a coaching position like this one?
Yes, USCSA is different than your typical NCAA program in a couple ways. USCSA athletes usually pay most of their attention to their education, and participate in sports whenever it fits into their course schedules. Although in itself the league is competitive, the atmosphere is fairly relaxed. This attracts a lot of new skiers. Because the USCSA is the Division III league (for some reason there is no DII per se) a lot of the teams are underfunded, leaving the athletes more or less on their own to train themselves. I was lucky enough to be part of the largest team in the league, which allowed us a coach: Jim Allott. He is a great coach, but he couldn’t always attend practice since he was also the local high school biology teacher and no one could meet at the same time. To make sure the new skiers learned how to ski, veteran skiers (such as myself) stepped in. As captain, I spent as much time as I could helping the new skiers as well as more seasoned skiers with whatever they needed, be it basic form or tweaking more advanced technique. So to answer the second part of your question, I didn’t go to Clarkson to learn how to be a coach, but it taught me nonetheless.

You’re from Harwood originally and skied for Harwood Union. Are you excited to come back to the Vermont junior skiing scene?
I’m wicked excited to be back! I’m proud of my Vermont ski roots. Vermont is known for producing great skiers. Being part of that process now is an honor, and having such a great group of kids is icing on the cake.

What do you think will be the best part about coaching at Craftsbury? The food? The kids? The ski trails?
Oh man, this is a tough one. I’ve been lucky enough to stay at Craftsbury for some races. I’ll never forget the first time I had the cooking. I wasn’t sure what to expect, but as soon as I looked at my plate I felt like I was at Thanksgiving. Now I’ll be eating Thanksgiving for breakfast, lunch and dinner until well past turkey day. The trails are also some of the best I’ve ever skied on, and I’ve skied all over. They are so well done that even the little 2K loop early in the season is a joy. But all that would be a waste for me if I couldn’t go in some direction. The food and the trails will be tools for me to help the kids achieve great things.

The Craftsbury juniors are pretty fast, among the best in the state. What’s your training plan going to be like to stay in front of them in workouts?
Luckily, I’ll be able to walk out my door and put my skis on every day, and I plan on doing so.  I’m also going to utilize the weight room as much as possible. Since I’ll have the time to spend my day training, I think I’ll be able to stay ahead of the juniors. But if they can dust me at by the end of the year I’ll know I’ve done something right.