Junior Erin Boucher knew that she wanted on the Tufts alpine ski team even before she enrolled for her freshman year. Although she had been skiing since the age of three, Boucher had never skied competitively before college, but was intrigued by the idea.
Since she is currently third in the Thompson Division individual rankings, it is safe to say she has done a little more than "try it out."
An Engineering Psychology major from Amherst, NH, Boucher considered coming to Tufts mainly because of its size, but the exceptional softball program and the presence of a ski team clinched the deal. She played varsity softball as a freshman, but soon realized that she would not be able to properly focus on both skiing and softball, and was forced to choose one sport over the other. For Boucher the choice was difficult, but it ultimately came down to a choice between winning and passion.
"My philosophy is that there is a difference between loving a sport and loving to win," Boucher commented. "Skiing is my passion in life."
After spending just 30 minutes as a women's ski team member, Boucher knew she had made the right decision, and that skiing was her passion. The team itself has also served a major source of her motivation.
"I'm really excited about the team because it is so much fun," Boucher said. "We're all really close and we have great team building and bonding. Since anything can happen in ski racing, it's good to know that someone is right there to fill in for you if something does."
Not that Boucher needs backup often. During the summer following her freshman year, Boucher went to Mt. Hood in Oregon - a mecca for off-season training in the United States - to train for two weeks. In the company of many top level skiers from the US and Canada, she worked hard preparing for her sophomore season.
But her real improvement occurred this past summer, when she worked as a counselor for a race camp at Mt. Hood, allowing her to get paid while doing what she loves. She also trained non-stop, performing "tedious, tedious drills" and practice runs. Her efforts have not gone un-rewarded - she has made a huge impact on the team this season with one top-15 finish after another. However, she doesn't let the numbers get to her head.
"It comes down to performance versus outcome goals," Boucher said. "You've got to try to keep improving and focus on the skiing rather than focusing on the ranking."
For this season, Boucher hopes to strengthen her ability in the giant slalom (GS), which has never been her strong event. Despite her veteran status on the ski team, she says that the GS is "still alien to [her]." Even with her strong ranking, Boucher also admits she wants to continue to work on consistency.
"The faster you go, the more likely you are to fall," Boucher commented. "Consistency is key."
Above all, her main goal is to avoid injury. And she certainly knows what that is like, having taken three trips to the emergency room last year alone.
"My grandma says I should just slow it down," Boucher said.
But it doesn't look like that will happen any time soon.
