JAY — To college skiers, the idea of coaching is not much different than the thought of becoming a parent or taking on a mortgage payment.

Sure, sounds great. Get back to me in a few years.

In the life-on-the-edge that is the alpine world, however, careers are short.

Lindsey Jacques learned that as a freshman at the University of Maine at Farmington, when she suffered a concussion. Not the variety that so many athletes in less enlightened times used to fight through, either.

“It was the first really serious one I’ve had,” Jacques said. “I decided it was time to stick to smaller college races and tone down the intensity.”

Ever the competitor, Jacques knew she would need to find an activity that would empower her to remain involved in the high school and college skiing arena.

That led her back to a familiar place.

Precisely a year-and-a-half after graduating from Spruce Mountain High School, Jacques, 20, has returned as its alpine ski coach.

Not a volunteer assistant or occasional guest motivational speaker. Head coach.

“It’s something I anticipated doing someday, and it’s great to get an early start,” Jacques said. “I couldn’t have picked a better place. It’s great to come home and be part of the program that I grew up in.”

Amazingly, Jacques is not the youngest alpine coach in the tri-county region. Nate Nicols, 19, has taken over the program at his alma mater.

Maine Principals’ Association regulations require any coach under 20 to get a waiver before being put in charge.

In an era when coaches are hard to find and harder to keep — Winthrop’s alpine coach for the season is still pending school board approval, according to athletic director Chris Moreau — the youth movement is here to stay.

Jacques believes that the advantages, especially her recent success as an athlete, will outweigh any drawbacks.

“I think I’ll be able to connect with the kids in a different way and to come up with some new ideas,” she said.

Spruce Mountain skiers would be hard pressed to find a better role model, especially when it comes to accomplishment on the slopes.

Jacques swept the Class C slalom and giant slalom state championships in 2011 by a combined margin of nearly seven seconds.

She also won the slalom title in 2010.

The career detour notwithstanding, Jacques’ year skiing for UMF was valuable.

“It was a great experience. I met a lot of really talented coaches and skiers,” she said.

Jacques said that Tim LaVallee, a 2008 inductee into Maine Ski Hall of Fame, has been her greatest mentor and resource in preparing for the next step of her career.

One important part of the transition is getting accustomed to the psychology of coaching.

“There’s so much to learn. Every day is a new learning process,” Jacques said. “Every athlete is different. You need to figure out how to get the most out of them. I know that no one thing works for everybody.”

Jacques remains enrolled at UMF.

She’s a sophomore in the community health program, pursuing minors in fitness and coaching.

“This is what I want to do with my life,” Jacques said. “It’s a great fit.”

koakes@sunjournal.com

Copy the Story Link