13DEC20_CC_Departments_Draft_12_CMS_Features_2018 12/13/2020 10:57 AM Page 34
Draft 12 (13DEC20)
from mArrion fielD
A Focus on Fun and Having a Blast Entering its second decade as
In a 2011 Chronicle article, Lisa Drummond
and encouragement necessary to suc-
an organized sport at Cardigan,
P’11,’13 recounted the last race of the
cessfully develop the program.”
the Mountain Biking Team is
“The rain was coming down so hard and
train has expanded as well. Countless local
thriving, thanks to the
fast that part of the race course included a
networks have sprung up throughout the
raging brook rolling down boulders. The
region and, during a normal season, at
boys raced down through this trail that
least once a week the boys get off campus
coaches and athletes who
looked more like a river, and despite others
and challenge themselves on the single-
continue to build trails,
flipping over their handlebars, all the
track labyrinths that snake their way
teamwork, and support for each
Cardigan boys made it down without diffi-
through the New Hampshire and Vermont
culty…At the end of the race, the boys were
forests. But the boys also now train on
all mud—soaked, freezing, hungry, and
their own eight-mile network of trails right
tired—and they looked happier than ever.”
on campus. Designed and constructed by
enthusiastic dedication of the
other. Even a pandemic hasn’t slowed these boys down.
Mountain Biking Team’s inaugural season:
Not much has changed in the ten years
the coaches during summer vacations and
since former history teacher Mike
long weekends, the trails are a combina-
Fitzgerald started a mountain biking team
tion of machine-built and rake-and-ride,
at Cardigan. The boys continue to have
winding through the fields and woods sur-
grit and perseverance, and fun continues
rounding the School. Students also help
to be their focus, no matter the weather,
out, taking a break from riding once a
no matter the terrain.
week to maintain and upgrade the trails.
What has changed is the size of the
“When Mr. Fitzgerald was first building
team. In 2010 with only two coaches (Mr.
the trails,” says Mr. Nevins, “he took note
Fitzgerald and English teacher Alex Gray
of the features on other courses he was
H’12, P’14,’16), the team was limited to only
riding and incorporated them into the
12 riders, but by the fall of 2019, the pro-
Cardigan trails. We’ve tried to maintain
gram had grown to accommodate 30 plus
that tradition. It means that the kids get a
riders; with four teams and eight coaches,
lot of practice on technical terrain and
there was room for every kind of rider from
learn how to ride just about everything.”
beginner to advanced. Even the pandemic
While there are some trails on the Point
has not slowed its momentum; this fall 34
and adjacent to Clancy Hill, the majority of
student-athletes were sending it with the
the Cardigan network is located just north
team every afternoon.
of campus on Prospect Hill Road. The
The growth of the team, says Mr. Gray,
34
The trail network on which the boys
trails begin with a series of loops through
is in large part due to Athletic Director
grassy fields that feature sweeping turns,
Ryan Frost: “He has been unbelievably
epic jumps, and plenty of fun rollers. The
supportive, providing the resources, tools,
surrounding woods are where the trails
From mArrion FielD
Cardigan Mountain School Winter 2021 Cardigan Chronicle magazine.
