Give Jim Reckinger two choices: a sandy white beach in Mexico or a landscape of crunchy snow with below-freezing temperatures and a bitter wind chill, he’d always choose the latter. Well, at least during Nordic skiing season. “My wife knows we don’t go on vacation during the season,” Reckinger says.
He doesn’t miss a practice, meet or team dinner. But not because he can’t—because he doesn’t want to. Reckinger is a volunteer coach for the Park, Woodbury and East Ridge (PWER) Nordic ski team. In 2013, he earned a new title: Volunteer of the Year from the Minnesota Nordic Coaches Association, an all-state honor.
Reckinger started skiing years ago when his kids joined the Nordic ski team, which at that time was made up of athletes from just Park and Woodbury High Schools. “I coached all the sports they got involved in—basketball, soccer, softball,” Reckinger says. “I never skied much before and wasn’t very good. But I wanted to help out as much as possible.”
So he took lessons and got better. He still skis with his kids; three of his four children who are grown and scattered across the country share his love of this winter sport. When he’s not competing with his kids in races, he’s at one of three local parks, coaching the 110-student PWER Nordic ski team.
“When I retired from my job four years ago, I wanted to find something to keep me busy and let me help out around the community,” says Reckinger, a retired IT expert. He found his fit and head coach Joe Wacker couldn’t be happier. “I don’t think I could do this job without Jim,” Wacker says. “He’s so dedicated. The night before big races you can find him waxing skis until 2 a.m.”
While Coach Wacker is busy with the technical aspects of the sport, he needed someone to be on hand to connect with the skiers. And that’s exactly what Reckinger does. “Most athletes want to ski like someone else,” Reckinger says. “If you’re the 10th best skier, you want to ski like the best. If you’re the best skier on the team, you’re looking at someone else in the conference. We’re never satisfied with what we’re doing. So I make sure to tell these skiers to take the sport for what it is...something they can do in a Minnesota winter, a lifelong sport. And most of all, something fun to do.”
Not only does Reckinger connect with the athletes, he also helps them know where to be and when to be there. “Since I cannot be at multiple locations at once, often my assistant and volunteer coaches end up becoming mini-head coaches for the day,” Coach Wacker explains. “No one on our staff has stepped up to the plate more with these responsibilities than Jim.”
Coach Wacker isn’t the only one who’s taking notice. “Last year I was a freshman and it was my first year on the PWER Nordic team. Every day, Jim was there with his humor, a positive attitude and helpful tips,” says Grant Davis, a PWER sophomore from Woodbury High School student. “I can't think of a single meet or practice when he wasn't there to help. Volunteers like Jim make a huge difference in the success of our team.”
Last February, Jim was the only assistant coach in Minnesota to attend the Nordic Ski Association’s annual banquet. That’s when he was given the recognition he deserved, Wacker says. “I’m so glad he got the [Volunteer of the Year] award. Jim’s put a lot into this sport. It’s time the sport gives back to him. But, I’m sure he’d say it already has.”
