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jgills88

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  1. jgills88
    This week on "We Love College Waterski" I talked to Collin Spradlin from Connelly Watersports! We discussed skis, college programs, and possible future events for waterski as a sport! You can find podcast highlights on Instagram: @WeLoveCollegeWaterski: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CK33e8chCux/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link You can also listen to the audio version of the podcast on Spotify, Apple, and Google Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  2. jgills88
    I did something a little different in addition to my normal interview this week. Watch at three teams from across the Midwest compete to answer Ski Jeopardy questions!
  3. jgills88
    Loved the most recent episode, there was a ton of great insight that I'm hoping to bring to the kids i coach for lacrosse. I really liked the "competence, confidence, autonomy, competitiveness" part near the end.
  4. jgills88
    I'll chime in and say that honestly, most Ski teams that I've seen at tournaments lean conservative, so I wouldn't be too too concerned about that. There are state schools across the country that lean conservative and have teams (Bowling Green in Ohio comes to mind), but honestly I'd recommend just finding out what she wants to do and guiding from there, I've told every athlete that I've come across the same thing. If you are not being paid to go to the school, pick a school for academics and figure out your sport later. Not every school has a ski team, but every skier can start one. There's a ton of resources and people that can help start an NCWSA team, even if it is one skier for 4 years, they'll still have fun!
  5. jgills88
    This week on We Love College Waterski, I talked to the founder of Oklahoma State's Waterski Team. We talked all about the process that goes into starting a team, the help he received from skiers across the country, and what it was like to compete as a young team! This one has been my favorite interview by far, so there were enough highlights to warrant two videos. You can find both sets of highlights at the podcast's instagram page @WeLoveCollegeWaterski Highlight #1 https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKlzW1bhA1Y/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Highlight #2https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKkUkushYYB/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link You can find the full podcast on youtube (linked above), Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/57l56OQznJpzlM8Dc1wc4d, Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 Google Podcasts: https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  6. jgills88
    As someone who's talked to a lot of college teams, basically across the country teams are "hibernating". They (for the most part) can't ski per university rules, but they've been recruiting from friends and friends of friends. Very few teams are on the water, which means that we might get some new teams at NCWSA Nationals this spring, and next fall (assuming there's a normal season) there might be a drop in talent. Hopefully new teams (namely Akron, Georgia Tech, Lander, and Oklahoma State) will stick around after their initial runway of an experienced skier being in school. If you want to help out, please reach out to your local team! I'm sure they'd appreciate any help from AWSA skiers who can provide the stability of team leadership that extends more than the 4 years of college.
  7. jgills88
    This week’s episode of "We Love College Waterski" features three teams Ohio University, University of Dayton, and my school the University of Akron. These three teams do everything together, both at tournaments, and in the off-season. If you want to hear more about the social side of collegiate skiing, you can find the full episode on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Google Podcasts https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKTudZvhKz1/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link Episode Highlights are available on the podcast's instagram account @WeLoveCollegeWaterski https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  8. jgills88
    @Broussard they actually are a pair of Pro Tracs from the 80s, i picked em up for $30 on Facebook. I agree that i should keep an eye out for a different ski. Thanks for the drill! I've done that once before and I think it really helped for a set or so, sounds like I should do that more consistently to make the benefits stick
  9. jgills88
    @skispray @chrislandy thanks for the advice! I'll see what I can do about coaching this season! It might even convince me to head down south this winter to jump start it and get the basics before I would be able to at home
  10. jgills88
    I have been trying trick on and off for 4 years now and can't do anything on aside from slippery slalom a pass or two and very occasionally I can do a S, and a Full Back, but fall before I can turn back to the boat. I don't feel like I've given it a very fair shot because I give up on it in favor of working on the other two events whenever tournament season rolls around. That said, I bought a trick ski (actually a pair of them if I should "reset" all the way to 2 skis) last fall and I want to give it a genuine try when the weather starts cooperating. What can I do to give myself the best chance at actually progressing this year (besides more water time with it)?
  11. jgills88
    For this week’s episode of We Love College Waterski I talked to KJ Miller from Cal Poly! We talked about her waterski experience, Olympic aspirations, and all of the effort that went into hosting the 2019 NCWSA Nationals! You can find her team on Instagram: @CPWaterski Episode Highlights are now hosted on Instagram at the podcast’s new account: @WeLoveCollegeWaterski https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ_-GMaFjbH/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and more platforms! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  12. jgills88
    This week on “We Love College Waterski” I interviewed THE Ohio State University’s most recent recruiting class. They talked about what the first year is like on a ski team, goal setting, and some of their favorite memories from their freshman year! Find them on Instagram: @OSUWaterski Here are a few highlights from the episode! You can also listen to the podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and more platforms! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  13. jgills88
    @AmandaLR thanks so much for the encouragement!! If you (or anyone else reading) have anything that you'd like to see, please let me know!! I'm always looking for ways to improve the podcast
  14. jgills88
    This week I talk to my old team the University of Cincinnati! I brought in Brayden Patton, Drew Bigler, and Conner Hoagland to cover their team, the strong connection that they have to their alumni, the volunteer work that they do, and then we finish out the podcast talking about one of the Midwest Region's oldest traditions https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  15. jgills88
    Im gonna try to have more fun while I'm skiing. Last year every set I took was with the purpose of getting a better tournament score. I ended up plateauing in every event. Instead, I wanna take time to just have fun on the water, take more slippery slalom sets, take huge cuts on my jumpers in open water (the kind of cuts that would kill me if a ramp was on the other end of them), and try to get a huge spray on my slalom ski, anything to keep having fun with the hope that when I do take serious sets they end up benefiting me more than last year
  16. jgills88
    Good Morning and Merry Christmas Eve Ballers! I have another episode of the "We Love Waterski Podcast" released this morning. This week I talked to the Texas A&M Aggies about what it's like to ski in the "Dirty South", how they have built their team, and what it means to be an Aggie! I've also done something a bit different this week and made a pair of highlights for the episode if you want a taste of WLCW: In addition to the video version of the podcast, you can also listen to it on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, and many more platforms! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419 https://www.google.com/podcasts?feed=aHR0cHM6Ly9hbmNob3IuZm0vcy80NDM0YjBiOC9wb2RjYXN0L3Jzcw==
  17. jgills88
    @6balls the start of your team sounds super similar to mine! The guys who brought back Akron's team started up 3 years ago from scratch. One had skied for Ohio University (green Ohio for those unfamiliar), the other two were wakeboarders who he met and convinced to go to tournaments. Now we're at the stage with a full men's team that could have a shot at nationals (not amazing scores, but definitely par or better than some teams in the D2 tournament), and a very small women's team made up of people we know and are willing to get in the water! I whole heartedly agree with you that having local "sponsorship" really makes or breaks a team's potential. In the Great Lakes at least, you can see the difference it makes. Ohio State, Cincinnati, and Miami all have had long term, local coaches who can help guide their teams and keep continuity that comes from building an actual program, rather than a group of friends who graduate and leave a team empty.
  18. jgills88
    @Clydesdale thanks for the encouragement! That intimidation is exactly why I wanted to do this! And it's a big reason why I wanted to talk to IU so early, they're a fun group of people who like to be on the water. Yes they like to compete and do well, but nobody on their team is an "elite" skier to the point that they might seem unreachable
  19. jgills88
    Hi all, "We Love College Waterski" is now a weekly podcast on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google, and many more! This week I talked to the Indiana University Waterski and Wakeboard Club. We talked about their team, wakeboarding, their first trip to Midwest Collegiate Regionals a few years ago, and much more! Check it out if you want more of a perspective on college waterski! https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/we-love-college-waterski/id1544822419
  20. jgills88
    Hi y'all, just wanted to give a quick update on this series. I decided to put it on spotify for anyone who'd rather listen to it as a podcast: Also, I already have interviews with Indiana University and Texas A&M recorded and scheduled. Episodes are gonna come out every Thursday at 5:30pm EST!
  21. jgills88
    @6balls thank you so much!
  22. jgills88
    Hi everyone, I decided to start an interview series with the goal of talking to every collegiate ski team in the country as a way to highlight more of collegiate skiing than just the top 5 teams (ULL, ULM, Bama, Rollins, and Florida Southern). To do that, I wanted to start off with the reigning D2 National Champions Miami of Ohio. I sat down with their new president to talk all about their team and why they love skiing. If you're interested in hearing about the way that people who aren't top level skiers experience the sport. This might be for you!
  23. jgills88
    I just wanted to chime in again and say that I 100% agree with @unksskis there's no reason to buy a super expensive helmet to learn with. I (and many others) learned while using a Bell ATV helmet. They offer great protection, and nobody needs their helmet to be specifically aerodynamic while they are plopping over the ramp or learning to single. Hell, the only reason that I bought a Phantom X helmet was because it was heavily discounted ($100 on ebay, brand new ones are always going up so keep an eye out for those for anyone else looking for a helmet), and I thought it looked cool. Keeping entry points to each discipline as inexpensive as possible is key to getting more people into the sport.
  24. jgills88
    @buechsr I imagine that unk was talking about the ATV style like the ones you can see here: https://www.motosport.com/atv/youth-off-road-helmets They work great for jump, and if they do get a little waterlogged, you can squeeze out the pads after the set. The only thing that I would recommend (aside from taking the visor off) is making sure to get a helmet with ventilation, that way any water that's inside the helmet can pass through it
  25. jgills88
    Reading through the article, a lot of it can definitely be applied to skiing (and much of it already has from what I've seen!). Putting skiers ahead of skiing (especially at young ages) is a great way to retain people in the sport as they grow past just doing it with their parents, or as part of a collegiate club. Making sure every skier is having fun and cared about really helps retain people in the sport. I forget who said it, but someone announcing last year's NCWSA Nationals made a point to be excited for the first rounds of each D2 event. They mentioned that even though many of those skiers are not going to run a pass, do a sideslide, or land a jump, they deserve 5 minutes of attention just as much as the Jaimee Bulls of the tournament. Making the experience of just being on the water fun can create lasting memories! And hopefully someone who has fun even though they aren't great will continue to have fun and stay in the sport, where they will inevitably get better. They may never cross the big milestones, but they will keep participating. As far as adapting official rules to people new to the sport (whether they are young, or just getting into skiing), my state has started a "novice rule" for tournaments that I think really helps people feel that slaloming in a tournament it worth it, even if they have never run a pass. Basically, if you have never run a pass in a tournament, your opener counts for your score, and if you don't run it, you still get 3 more unscored passes to ski. It helps keep kids on the water, and gives the fresh adults more worth for their tournament fee
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