After eight success-filled years, Bruce Rosengren has stepped down as head coach of the Clarkston ski team.
‘Rosengren took what some would call a minority sport and made people care about it. It’s very hard to do what he did at a ‘flatland? school, I mean we have hills instead of mountains,? said Clarkston Athletic Director Dan Fife. ‘He was extremely dedicated, committed, hardworking person who coached for all of the right reasons. It always concerns me when I lose someone like Bruce Rosengren. He’ll be missed, coaches like him do not come around that often.?
Rosengren, a retired Pontiac firefighter, hopes to rejoin the Pontiac Fire Department’s ski racing team and help them claim a national championship as a skier.
‘Probably the biggest highlight for me was how hardworking the kids have been over the years,? said Rosengren. ‘I’ve got some things that I’d like to be able to do that I haven’t been able to do over the past few years.?
Also, with both his boys? ski careers done at Clarkston, Rosengren is looking forward to seeing them ski in college. Brandon (?03) was a part of the USCSA national championship team from Rocky Mountain College in Billings, Montana. Alex (?04) will join his brother there next year.
‘I’ve seen 99 percent of their races and I want to continue that,? said Rosengren.
But just because Rosengren is stepping down as head coach does not mean the Clarkston program will lose his knowledge and experience.
?(The ski team) is kind of like my third child. You don’t just take it and drop it on someone’s doorstep and walk away,? said Rosengren. ?(My participation) will be up to the new head coach, but I would love to be there two or three days a week. I just want to be able to be somewhere else the next week.?
Under the eight years of Rosengren’s tutelage, the girls ski team enjoyed a 66-1 record. The boys team went 61-6 during that same time span.
On the girls side, Rosengren’s team took home eight regional titles, six South Eastern Mighigan Ski League championships, seven division crowns and placed in the top five at the state finals seven times.
The boys also had more than their share of postseason success. Rosengren presided over the last four regional championships, six SEMSL titles, five division crowns and finished in the top five at the state finals four times.
While Rosengren may not be the head coach of the ski program any longer, he can still be found grilling hot dogs at the concession stand during football games in the fall.
‘Just because your kids are gone, doesn’t mean that your are not a part of Clarkston,? said Rosengren.
Rosengren’s successor at the high school has not been named, but he is confident Fife will decide on one in the next couple of weeks.