Pay Your Dues

While most of us think of paying our dues monetarily, the most valuable dues we pay is with experience. Tiger Woods did not wake up one morning and decide to join the PGA tour. Katarina Witt did not give skating a "try" and join the professional ranks the following day. Jeff Gordon did not take his driver's test and say this is fun; I'm racing at Daytona next week. Anybody who has earned a level of achievement in anything has thus "Paid their dues."

Historically speaking, the Ski Hawks have not taught people to ski. We have had a lot of younger people come to the club this past year who must learn to ski better. We are glad to do this with a couple of stipulations. One, we ask for both patience and support from the parents. In return for your patience and support, you will get a skier who gains confidence in themselves. Second, if you want your child to learn to ski, let US teach them if they are doing so at a club practice. One of the most rewarding experiences we a have as a more experienced skier on this team is seeing the less experienced skiers grow and learn as we did years before. We collectively have literally centuries of skiing experience on the team; let that experience work for you and your child.

Just as the US Olympic teams have a number of athletes who do not make the competition teams, so do we. Our goal as a team is to be a competitive force in our region. We structure our competition team for that purpose. We need you to understand that each and every skier is very important to us now and especially for the future. We want to see your child's ability and confidence grow in a safe and healthy environment. Skiers are placed in acts according to the team's needs and the ability of the available people. Skiers will be placed in acts where the team wants to see them. If an individual is placed in and act and not performing well in it, that means that we have given them the opportunity to grow into that position. It is the role of the Show Director and the Act Committee to make personnel changes if needed. Any discussions regarding an individual's performance should only be brought to the attention of the Show Director and Act Committee. If changes need to be made, they will be addressed in this forum.

This organization is not simply a club, but rather a team. At a baseball game the players don't point out one another's weaknesses or shortcomings. When we gather together as a team we should cheer each other on. Look for the positive in everything that goes on at practices and shows. No matter how terrible something appears to have gone, there will be some small positive part that you can point out. If something comes up that needs attention, point it out to someone who can constructively find a solution to the problem. This kind of situation should be discussed with the Show Director or another person who has the experience to solve the problem. When landing back at the beach after an act, ask yourself how you did. Be honest with yourself and give yourself a pat on the back if you feel you deserve it. It is a great idea to ask someone else how you did too. Understand that they may say something you do not want to hear. Do not argue, or defend your actions, but be honest with your performance. Take their advice if it applies and again ask the Show Director or someone else who can help you to do the right thing.

We need to know who is available for the Regional Event as early as possible. From those who are available, a group is selected based on individual assets that the team requires. Each skier is going to be assessed for their "on water aptitude", ability, and many other aspects that we look at for our Regional Competition Team. Skiers not competing this year are paying their dues for next year. All are welcome to join us, and share in the excitement at Regionals, we always can use cheerleaders. The lake shows allow us to showcase our younger skiers in many different ways, so family can come and see their little stars on our regularly scheduled show days. Please work with us in teaching the value of delayed gratification. In a day when everyone wants everything now, we have a chance to teach that good things come to those who wait. Ask the parents of last year's new skiers where their children are today. In most cases you will see those individuals are an important and integral part of our team now, just one year later. We're glad to have you join our team, and look forward to a long and successful relationship.

The Trustees.