The Vasa-Raptors represent the competitive junior Nordic skiing program within the Vasa Ski Club. With the support of the Club, the Vasa-Raptors offer top-tier training and race assistance across local, regional, and national skiing competitions. The dedicated coaching staff of the team is devoted to mentoring athletes of all skill levels and instilling a passion for the sport in the generations to come. The team aspires to be the leading junior development squad in Northern Michigan, serving as a sought-after hub for skiers seeking the pinnacle of training, race support, development, and coaching expertise.

Values

Fun: Share the enjoyment that skiing can bring through community, hard work and sport.
Excellence: The drive to succeed at whatever the desired level
Passion: Promote skiing as a sport for life through healthy competition and community

The Winter Season

The Winter season begins the second week of November with dry-land training. During dry land training the athletes build on the fitness they gained during the off-season to prepare for when the snow fly's. As soon as the snow sticks to the trails the team will start skiing at Hickory Hills, which boasts some of the most technical trails in Northern Michigan. The trails are perfect for preparing athletes for the local, regional and national races that they compete in. The team focuses on fostering a love for the sport through hard work, competition and a lot of fun!

Off-Season Training

The Vasa-Raptors offer a comprehensive off-season training plan that is broken up into three training periods: Spring, Summer and Fall. The Spring training period focuses on recovery and maintenance after a long, hard competition season. Summer training focuses on increasing the athlete's fitness level and prepare the athlete for the season ahead. The Fall training is meant to supplement, not replace the Athlete's fall sport. The coaching staff encourages all athletes to participate in a Fall sport while supplementing with ski specific training.