Grile twins skiing toward success with the Portage alpine ski team
PORTAGE, Mich. — Daniel Grile is a Senior at Portage Central, and part of their Alpine Ski Team. He also skied for Bittersweet with the Junior Development Program. Daniel’s goal for 2022 was to be the best version of himself on and off the field/hill. His biggest challenge this season was to remain consistent and avoid crashing!
Daniel, individually, came in 1st place in this year’s conference, and qualified for the state finals in Boyne for the second year in a row. He finished 14th which made him All State – 2nd team. Being part of a team has taught him lessons in leadership, teamwork, and sympathy. His favorite element of skiing is the environment. It puts him in a great mood, which makes it difficult to have anything other than a smile on his face. When he isn’t gearing up for competition, Daniel likes to spend time with family and friends, listen to music, and participate in a plethora of outdoor activities.
Daniel got into racing when he was six years old, on a family trip to Boyne where they discovered a racing camp that sounded just like the challenge Daniel was up for. When they showed up he was nearly ten years younger than the other participants, but didn’t let that stop him! He spent the week learning how to race and inevitably developed a passion for a lifelong sport. The coaches at the camp grew very fond of Daniel over that week and highly encouraged his family to drive him to Boyne every weekend for training. His parents soon discovered that Bittersweet had a racing program, and ultimately decided it was best to stay close to home. Recently, Daniel’s journey came full circle when he took his last run as a high school competitor on the very hill where he started his racing career 12 years ago.
Daniel’s twin sister, Emma Grile, is a Senior at Portage Central, and part of their Alpine Ski Team. She also skied for Bittersweet with the Junior Development Program. Emma’s personal goal for this year was to improve as much as she could, and to try her hardest! She worked hard, placed 4th in the conference, individually, and her team placed first!
When asked what she loves about the sport, Emma shared, “I love how fast you can go on skis. I also lovethe feeling when you are skiing and the conditions are good, it makes skiing a lot more enjoyable.” Skiing has taught her to believe in herself, and to work as part of a team. Although skiing is more of an individual sport, Emma valued her teammates’ support and appreciates the relationships she’s developed with her teammates over the years. When she isn’t hitting the slopes, Emma likes to hangout with friends and family, work, and watch movies.
Their head coach, Linda Kozacki was thrilled that they achieved this year’s overall goal of the girls’ team winning the conference! The conference is made up of 13 schools competing on eight teams. Linda shared that the team doesn’t have captains, but that there is an expectation that the seniors serve as the collective leaders of the team. Linda is proud to serve as the head coach, and shares that since the team started (in 2011) they have had at least one athlete qualify for the state finals, every year! The Apline Ski teams work hard and are recognized for their efforts. To date the organization has coached 4 all-state athletes, and 6 individual conference champions!
If you would like more information on the Alpine Ski Team, contact: [email protected] or [email protected].
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