Freshman Paul Dufays says this commitment carries over to the team: "Labs, lectures, papers and exams come first, and we can make up the practices on our own later."
Beyond the term-time practices, Sapp also attended and coordinated the team's training camps over Christmas break and intersession.
Two weeks ago, when the team competed in the Division II championships, Sapp had planned to go to Washington, D.C. to see his fiancee. Usually, the Nordic team would travel to carnivals in a van rented and driven by Sapp. But no one on the Nordic team was over 21 years old and could rent it that weekend.
Sapp delayed his trip and went to the athletic department to convince them to rent a van for his skiers to get them to the championships in Putney, Vt., on time.
NOT a Club
Sapp has some fundraising events in the works for the team to make them more visible and hopefully shatter the mistaken notion that the ski team is a club sport. He also hopes that the fundraisers will be successful enough to get some roller skis for pre-season training.
Some of his other ideas for the squad include a skate-a-thon, where the skiers would be sponsored for each mile that they roller-skied, a ski clinic, a Warren Miller comedy ski film in the Science Center and a ski sale.
Sapp intends to continue coaching the team next year, even though he will be working in Washington, D.C. with the Army Corps of Engineers Honors Program doing environmental law to pay back his debt to ROTC. He hopes to coordinate the team's training over the phone and attend the carnivals on weekends.
A Stompin' We Will Go
This year's squad was strong enough this year to have three of the top 10 Division II skiers in the East and the top women's relay team, and with everyone returning next year, Harvard looks to stomp all over the competition. The Crimson also is expected to enjoy the luxury of having last year's Division II women's champion, Woden Teachout--who took the year off to ski in Sweden--and two outstanding members in the Class of '94 on next year's team.