Ski practice on a mountain. Workouts alongside your friends. Bus rides to competitions. These are all things that the ski team is missing.

The season, which normally includes six races, was cut down to three, and the team has missed all on-snow practice opportunities because of the Jan. 25 COVID-19 sports shutdown and the lack of snow on the mountains. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic, the ski team has overcome its challenges and maintained their close-knit community.

Dance teacher and ski coach Mayra Hernandez said her team is facing new challenges this season.

“It has been hard; it has been a bummer. My skiers are really good at staying engaged and have been showing up to every practice and been working hard. You just have to be very accommodating and sometimes that means that your passions have to be put on pause,” Hernandez said.

Senior Andrew Subach, one of the team’s four captains, said that there was such camaraderie at team dinners before night races on the Blue Hills.

“We spend so much time together throughout a very short two-month season. You get really close with the people, and then you have them to talk to, and excellent friends that will be there for you,” Subach said.

Despite the January shutdown, Subach said that the ski team held onto their closeness through Zoom workouts and collective activities while holding out hope for the season to continue.

“We are still doing some kind of team building activities over Zoom. We are trying to plan that out. Most of all, we are really hoping to get ready for the season when it comes: race hard, support each other and have a good time,” Subach said.

Sophomore Olivia Sheehan said that she is grateful for the self-discipline and bonding the workouts have provided her throughout the pandemic.

“I don’t know if I would be able to have the mental discipline to keep working out every day because it gets hard when it is over Zoom. It’s you alone in your house, so having a group of people to do it with has been really helpful,” Sheehan said.

Students have been looking towards strengthening the team for future years.

“We are going to have to plan, we are going to have to carry on, to keep doing what we are doing and make sure that there is still a community ready for next year, when it is hopefully better,” Subach said. “It is a responsibility that I feel towards the team because it has given me such a great time. I want everyone else to be able to experience that.”

Even with the limitations of COVID-19, the skiers have kept up a positive attitude towards their season and their opportunities.

“I think that is really all I can hope for.” Sheehan said. “We keep working out, keep putting in our effort and, even if we don’t get to race, it helps our physical health and it definitely helps our mental health.”