*All coaches are SafeSport certified to create a healthy, supportive environment for all participants
Jasmine Wiley (High School Head Coach) – Coach Jasmine grew up skiing recreationally with her family and re-discovered her love for the sport in college and medical school. A USSA level 200 certified coach, she enjoys teaching people of all ages the sport of nordic skiing. She joined Bay Nordic in 2019 and previously coached with various teams across the state during her travels as a medical student and resident. “Skiing brings so much joy to my life and helped me find a different level of confidence in myself; coaching lets me foster these same things, as well as a love of nordic skiing and being active in others. I love seeing athletes’ excitement as they develop new skills, shave a few seconds off a prior time trial or race, and have fun with their teammates and friends!” Outside of skiing, Coach Jasmine is a family medicine physician in Shawano, WI, enjoys all outdoor activities, and keeps a “micro farm” with a thriving vegetable garden, goats, chickens, and one sassy dog.
Dave Hess (Middle School Head Coach) – Coach Dave started skiing as an adult 1987 and completed his first Birkie a couple of months after buying his first pair of skis. At that time, Dave’s dream was to find someone who loved skiing as much as he did and now he has a whole family of skiers: his wife Stacy Hess, and daughters Spirit and Raina who are both on the team. A USSA Level 100 certified coach, Dave says “I love coaching. For me the number one thing is for the kids to have fun while learning to ski and race well. Year after year I see the wide ranging benefits. . . kids learning the life long skill of Nordic skiing, getting lots of fresh air and exercise, gaining confidence, and making great friends.”
Mark Chambers (High School Assistant Coach) –Coach Mark grew up occasionally blazing a trail through the woods, but gradually learned to ski as an adult and developed a passion for the sport while skiing with his kids and wife. He provides support for the team both on and off the trail, helping the athletes developing technique through instruction and feedback, as well as the master agility course engineer. He is married to team manager Sara and they have two boys, Beckett and Lachlan who are both on the team.
Sara Beno-Chambers (Team Manager) – Sara’s superb organizational skills and upbeat personality landed her the role of manager of high school and middle school teams since 2015. She keeps us all on track, collecting registrations and forms, creating team apparel orders, organizing all race weekends, and is generally the glue that holds the whole team together! Sara has found a passion for nordic skiing herself and skis the Korteloppet, and enjoys staying active outdoors year round. She is married to Mark Chambers and they have two sons, Beckett and Lachlan.
Stacy Hess (Assistant Coach) – Coach Stacy learned to ski as an adult from her favorite ski coach, her now husband Dave! Dave and Stacy loved to ski together long before they had kids and now it is a dream come true that they get to ski with their daughters and help coach the Middle School and High School team. Stacy strongly believes in a multisport lifestyle to enhance strength and avoid monotony. She loves running and doing triathlons in addition to nordic skiing. Stacy skis American Birkebeiner every year and enjoys the camaraderie of the entire Birkie weekend. Stacy has been involved with Bay Nordic since 2009, starting with coaching the youth program.
Robyn Lauritsen (Assistant Coach) – Coach Robyn is a member of the Women Ski Coaches Association to advocate for women leadership in sports. She is an exemplary role model for others and dedicates time to empowering young women through the sport of cross country skiing. Robyn enjoys nordic skiing because it has given her confidence, amazing friendships, and the balance of physical, mental and social well-being. She is a UWGB Nordic Ski Team alumni and continues to ski in the American Birkebeiner every year as an elite wave skier. Robyn has been a Bay Nordic coach since 2012 and has enjoyed guiding athletes in developing skills of nordic skiing as well as the life long love for the sport.
Melanie Hammerbeck (Assistant Coach) – Coach Mel grew up in Green Bay, WI where she learned how to ski shortly after she could walk. In high school she was a two-time Wisconsin State High School Nordic Ski Champion (2005 and 2007), and an All-American Skier at Junior Nationals in Anchorage, Alaska (2008). She attended Michigan Technological University where she was a member of the Nordic Ski Team as well as the Women’s Soccer Team. After graduating as an orthodontist from Marquette University in August 2019, she returned home with her husband Adam for the long haul. Mel enjoys working with the Bay Nordic kids, and also loves helping new adult skiers fall in love with the sport. Melanie is an elite wave Birkie skier and enjoys all that this nordic lifestyle has to offer with Adam. In her spare time she also enjoys cake pop making and spandex sewing.
Nick Reckinger (Assistant Coach) – Coach Nick learned how to nordic ski in high school and then went on to play Division I soccer at UWGB. He continued to ski through his soccer career as a way to keep him motivated and to stay active in the wintertime. In grad school he began coaching High School nordic skiing, but with young kids at home, he became the Head Coach of our Bay Nordic Youth Program from 2017-2019. Now, as 100 Level certified coach, he will join his three children as they enter middle school, providing excelling technique and training skills. Nick competes in the American Birkebeiner every year, both classic and skate disciplines, making him very versatile in this sport.
Phil Nelson (Assistant Coach) –Coach Phil has been coaching since 2004, stating that teaching young people to ski has been one of the great satisfactions of his life. Phil has loved skiing since touring on wooden skis as a kid in Minnesota. He says he “loves skiing, often with friends but also many times alone, enjoying a time of year that so many people dread because of the cold”. He is a USSA Level 100 certified coach and also a member of the Wisconsin Nordic Network (WINN), representing cross country skiers to federal, state, local park and land managers along with many other user groups. When he isn’t skiing or training, Coach Phil is an Independent software architect- part time musician with his wife and various jazz groups around Northeast Wisconsin.
Rob Page (Assistant Coach) – Rob Page can normally be found helping Head Coach, Dave, with whatever he needs on the Middle School team. He enjoys encouraging beginner skiers as he tries to keep up with them himself on the trails. His favorite time of the year is the middle of Winter when youth group sessions and team races fill up the weekends with Nordic skiing. Rob is the Bay Nordic Ski Club Treasurer and has been with the club since 2014. His son Henry is currently an athlete on the HS team.