Doug Boonstra, inducted this fall into the Minnesota Nordic Ski Coaches Association Hall of Fame, begins his 31st season coaching Eden Prairie Nordic skiers. His teams have won 33 Lake Conference titles. Submitted photo
In October, Eden Prairie High School Nordic ski coach Doug Boonstra was inducted into the Minnesota High School Nordic Ski Coaches Association Hall of Fame. In November, Boonstra, who recently retired from teaching, welcomed Eden Prairie Nordic skiers for a 31st year.
Oh, and he coached Eden Prairie soccer for nearly as long.
Boonstra’s impact is hard to ignore, and just as hard to quantify.
“Team size is typically in the 80-120 range,” says Boonstra. “I started coaching in 1995. Some of the kids skied four years. Figuring out how many kids I’ve coached is over my head; maybe Vince Thomas can do the math.”
Thomas taught math at Eden Prairie High School for 45-plus years.
Oh, and Thomas coached soccer for nearly as long.
While Boonstra has coached thousands of skiers, his biggest impacts have been at the individual level.
Andrew Hansen, former Eden Prairie skier and current Wayzata Nordic coach, delivered Boonstra’s induction speech.
“Boonie taught me how to ski,” says Hansen, “but little did I know that the more impactful thing he was teaching me was how to coach.”
Kyle Bratrud is one of Boonstra’s most successful skiers. Hansen reached out to Bratrud when writing his speech.
“No single person was a greater influence on my skiing career than Doug Boonstra,” says Bratrud. “His encouragement to try skiing my freshman year was pivotal; without it, I never would have discovered my passion for cross-country skiing, became a multi-time NCAA All-American or U.S. National Champion, or had the honor of representing the U.S. on the World Cup and the World Championships. Boonie always expected dedication and hard work, but most importantly, he modeled those qualities himself at every practice. These lessons not only shaped my competitive career, but remain with me today.”
Tom Bye, who led Eden Prairie to a state team title in 2013, had a similar experience.
“Boonie had a huge impact on me as an athlete and as a person,” writes Bye to Hansen. “He created an amazing team environment where we could all grow, push each other and compete in a positive way. When I started school, I definitely wasn’t the most athletic student, but with his encouragement and belief in me, my confidence grew and I achieved more than I ever thought I would – competing internationally. I’ll never forget when he helped me bounce back after a terrible first race at sections, giving me the support I needed to turn it around that same afternoon and qualify for state. Boonie always cared deeply about each of us – not just as skiers, but as people. His greatest strength is his ability to see potential in everyone and create the kind of environment where we can all become better athletes, students, and individuals.”
Eden Prairie Nordic ski coach Doug Boonstra holds the plaque marking his induction into the Minnesota Nordic Ski Coaches Association Hall of Fame. Submitted photo
Proudest moments
Like a parent asked to pick a favorite child, Boonstra deflects when asked about coaching successes.
“The obvious ones stand out to the skiers and their parents,” he says.
Boonstra’s teams have won 33 Lake Conference championships and nine section championships. His teams finished runner-up 14 times in the conference and 18 times in the section.
“I’m proud of our consistency,” he says. “In 30 years, I’ve never not had a skier or skiers at the state meet. That first year we brought one …”
One team (2013) and two individuals were crowned state champions.
Longevity isn’t just tied to Boonstra.
“After the Birkebeiner in Hayward, I’ll page through the magazine and see how many of our former skiers are still skiing and racing,” he says. “I’ll see a lot of familiar names. One was 44 years old.”
Boonstra coached that skier 26 years ago. That’s a lot of wax.
Last, or first, Boonstra cherishes the friendships.
“It’s not just the kids, it’s their parents,” he says. “I’ve met a lot of good people skiing.”
Many of his skiers have gone on to coach, some at the collegiate level, some at high school, and some at the club level.
In fact, 100 percent of his staff has been made up of Eden Prairie graduates and Eden Prairie teachers.
“Pretty cool,” he says.
Cool, like snow.
And?
The Staring Lake ski trails are the result of a partnership between Eden Prairie schools (Boonstra) and the city of Eden Prairie.
“We used to have a trail by the sledding hill,” says Boonstra. “It went along the lake and then back.”
With thoughts of expansion, Boonstra approached the city.
“Bob Lambert was Eden Prairie’s parks director back then,” says Boonstra. “We had an agreement. The city would take care of the trail during the summer, and I would take care of the trail during the winter. We sealed the agreement with a handshake.”
That trail morphed into a 5K race course, with the help of a skier’s parent who donated the use of a bulldozer.
In addition to serving as Eden Prairie’s practice course, the trail has hosted countless conference races. Midwest Junior National Sprint Races have been held there.
Boonstra, along with former assistant coach Chris Stensgaard, did the majority of the grooming.
“I’d groom after putting kids to bed or before 4 a.m.,” says Boonstra.
An ability to practice in Eden Prairie, as opposed to busing the team to a course outside the city, saves the Eden Prairie Nordic team close to $1,000 per day.
Cool, like snow.