Southington Ski Building Leaders On and Off Slopes
- Dan Fappiano
- 3 hours ago
- 7 min read
Thirty seconds, twenty-five on a good run – that’s all a racer gets to make their marks on the slopes. But for the Southington High School ski team, the time spent off the course is what makes all the difference.
With only 13 skiers on their roster, the Blue Knights must come together to put forth their best times. To head coach Brian Landry, the program’s need for camaraderie is what sets Southington apart.
“It’s a very close-knit group. We work hard together, we have a good time and we really support each other,” Landry said. “It is a team sport, but it does come down to individual races. Each racer has the opportunity to really compete and challenge themselves to be the best they can be. We have various levels of experience within the team. We look forward to those with experience continuing to foster a good environment.”
Landry has been involved in the local ski scene for the past 16 years. He began working with Flanders Elementary School’s ski club before making the transition to Southington High eight years ago. Originally an assistant coach, Landry has been leading the program officially for the past three seasons.
Joining him is assistant coach Eric Galvin, who has been in his post over the last three years. Growing up in Waterbury, he remembers competing against the Southington ski team until his graduation in 1991. Once he was in a position to help lead the next generation, Galvin felt a calling to give back.
“It was really enjoyable, it was a nice next step,” Landry said of joining the high school staff. “I saw the transition from when they were younger. We’re a small group, and we really support each other as a team. We try to foster each other. We try to build camaraderie amongst the racers while still being competitive. We want to be competitive. We want to put our best foot forward and be competitive against some of these big, big schools.”
“Having done this as a high schooler myself, I can’t help but think about the coaches I’ve had and the impact they had on my own learning,” Galvin added. “At this stage of life, I think it’s important to give back to what I think is a really terrific group of students and skiers who just want to be out on the snow. Some of them really want to compete, others want to be a part of a team sport.”
Over Landry’s eight years with the Blue Knights, he has seen anywhere from 10 to 16 racers on the team. For the 13 on this year’s squad, the coaching staff is expecting growth on and off the slopes. The head coach said growing as leaders will be crucial for Southington’s success, along with building of morale.
“We try to build values in these racers,” Landry said. “Encourage personal growth as well as team growth. Trying to teach these racers to be leaders themselves is a big thing.”
How Southington Competes
Southington competes in the Connecticut Interscholastic Ski League. This season, 27 different schools are in the league. To qualify for the team championships, there must be at least six consistent racers. For individuals, times throughout the season determine if one qualifies. From there, selected racers then advance to compete for Team Connecticut at the Regional Championship.
In a race, each competitor gets two attempts. Their fastest time is taken as their official run. It can all come down to less than a second.
“Each race is very short, that tenth of a second can definitely matter,” Landry said. “How fast and quickly do they come out of the gate, and how quickly do they push themselves through the finish line.”
This year, Southington has five races on their schedule. Set to conclude the regular season on February 4, the Blue Knights began their 2026 journey back on January 7. Before their first meet, the ski team had just two practices.
In that first race, 231 skiers competed on the boys side. Freshman Andrew Poulos led the way for Southington, finishing 38th. Sophomore Nicholas Dura finished right behind in 59th.
On the girls side, 168 racers competed. Senior Madalyne Landry finished for the Blue Knights in 54th, while freshman Sophia Testa finished second in 68th.
As they close out their campaign, Landry expects Southington to continue hitting their competitive stride. They’ll need that fire to reach their pinnacle. Galvin wants resilience. He knows the CISL poses a difficult test. But it is one Southington should be prepared for.
“I look for them to develop and grow by challenging themselves. Improving the skills that lead to better times in future races,” Landry said. “You have to have that competitiveness in you in order to get better. I want them to continue becoming better leaders, mentoring each other, supporting each other. That comes in the future, so very important. It’s a good skill to have.”
“Resilience,” Galvin continued. “There are a lot of schools that have really talented skiers and racers. We want them to recognize that you can win by being the best conditioned, not necessarily having to be the most talented. More importantly than that, we hope to play a hand in developing the very best human beings that we can. They’re great individuals. We just want to do our part.”
Practice Plan Boosts Leadership
The ski team has the luxury of hosting practices and meets right at Mt. Southington. However, all of the 27 other teams in the CISL also practice at Mt. Southington. It has forced the Blue Knights to alter their practice plans.
“This year we’ve tried to be very disciplined about our practice time,” Galvin said. “There are 27 schools, they all practice at Mt. Southington. We’re spoiled that it’s in our town, but burdened to a degree that we have a lot of people who want to use the same small amount of space.”
In a given week, Southington will have two to two and half hours of practice time. To maximize their hours, the Blue Knights have divided practice in half. They’ll spend part of the time in a race-like scenario, physically preparing for their next meet. The other half is spent on different exercises to improve things like muscle memory and technique.
When they go through those drills, different leaders will emerge. A racer will lead an exercise, as their teammates stay locked into their guidance. For the coaching staff, it’s an opportunity to learn from their racer’s creativity and experience. For any of the 13 on this year’s squad, it’s an opportunity to show you can take charge.
“Even though we’re a team with four senior girls who have plenty of experience, sometimes that freshman or sophomore boy might have something that is valuable to add,” Galvin said. “Most often, the senior girls have a lot more maturity. They’re able to lead the team through practice and drills.”
“The biggest objective we have is to build these leaders regardless of what year you are, what title you might have,” he continued. “It’s really trying to lead regardless of where you’re coming from from a point of status.”
Captains Step Up
When electing this year’s captains, the coaching staff opened it up to the racers. They asked who wanted to take on the responsibility. Amidst the crowd, seniors Mary Landowski and Madalyne Landry emerged, being named the Blue Knights’ 2026 captains.
“When it came to elect captains, it was really important that Coach Brian step aside and say, ‘Who wants to be a captain?’” Galvin said. “There are responsibilities. Given that we’re a small club type of a sport, it’s not something that is as visible as football or soccer. We asked people who were interested, those were the two that put themselves forward.”
Madalyne, Coach Landry’s daughter, has been skiing since she was three years old. She rose up the elementary and middle school ranks before joining the team as a freshman. Alongside her work on the slopes, Landry serves as Southington’s unofficial PR person, posting on Instagram or doing whatever she can to get the word out about the team.
Landowski is another four-year skier for the Blue Knights. Galvin credited her maturity and willingness to never back down from a challenge.
While everyone has a chance to lead at practice, ultimately a small roster of 13 needs a focal voice. That comes in the form of Landry and Landowski, who do everything in their power to ensure Southington competes to the best of their abilities.
“We couldn’t be happier with who stepped up and raised their hand,” Galvin said. “From a leadership perspective, no matter what you do in life. It’s such a formative experience.”
The Southington ski team features seniors: Mary Landowski, Maya Dura, Julia Davino and Madalyne Landry; juniors: Paige Straub, Brady Galvin and Joshua Smailes; sophomores: Nicholas Dura and Nuno Moreira; and freshmen: Alexis Fortin, Sophia Testa, Alice Reily and Andrew Poulos.
Southington Looking to Grow Family
Since joining the Southington coaching staff eight years ago, Landry has seen five racers go on to compete at the college level. Moving forward, he’s hoping to see the Blue Knights’ numbers continue to increase.
Alongside Landry and Galvin, Southington is aided by the help of a number of parents. Both coaches credited those volunteers for helping keep the program afloat. To Galvin, it’s that community mentality that makes the Blue Knights special.
“Our program within this town is much more akin to family, a close circle of people,” Galvin said. “The high school is a big facility. It’s easy to get lost as an individual in 2,500-ish kids. This is a program that is smaller and more intimate in how you learn about each other and the reliance of one another. Just learning about people you would’ve otherwise not crossed.”
To some, Southington’s roster size may be a disadvantage. Some of their CISL competitors more than double their numbers. But Landry views that as a strength. Thirteen or 1,300, every racer repping Southington has a shared goal in mind. And everyone is going to work together to ensure their objective is complete.
“Some of these other teams have like 60 racers. That’s what stands out, how unique a small team we are,” Landry said. “We support, foster, mentor each other. Coach Eric and I really get to know these racers, them as a whole person. The parents are supportive and we get to know the parents so forth. They want the same for their child, their racer. A good environment where they’re learning to be good racers, if they’re not already. Good growth. We’re all out there for the same reason.”