Credit: Courtesy of Devin Wong

Wayland High School Class of 2019 alum Devin Wong is the new assistant coach of Harvard University Nordic Ski Team. “I’m excited to be a part of a new team and coaching staff am motivated to learn from [head coach] Cate Brams and grow as a coach and wax tech,” Wong said.

Wayland High School (WHS) Class of 2019 alum Devin Wong recently received the position of assistant coach of the Harvard University nordic ski team. Wong joins his sister, WHS Class of 2021 alum Tali Wong, who currently skis for the Crimson.

Devin Wong started the sport of cross country skiing in fifth grade after his father signed up for the Craftsbury Marathon, a ski race in Vermont. His father loved the sport, so he enrolled his three children in the local club team, Eastern Massachusetts Cross Country (EMXC).

In high school, Devin Wong raced on WHS’ nordic ski team in addition to EMXC. He was coached by Chris Li, the current WHS coach, who he claims was influential for his love of the sport.

“I had such a blast racing in high school with Chris Li,” Devin Wong said. “This was the catalyst of my desire to commit more time and energy into training and racing. I really can’t say enough great things about Chris. He was the perfect coach to help nurture my development as a skier but also help balance between high school and club racing.”

After Devin Wong’s final high school ski season, he developed an interest in skiing at the collegiate level. He chose to take a gap year and ski for the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation in Sun Valley, Idaho before committing to a college.

“I reached out to a few collegiate coaches to gauge interest,” Devin Wong said. “I proposed taking a gap year to develop personally and athletically, since it was something I had been thinking about already and would provide me with the time to train fulltime as a skier for a year prior to college.”

The fall of his gap year, he applied early to Colby College with support from head coach Tracey Cote and was accepted. Only 24 colleges in the United States have National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA) nordic ski teams.

“I had an incredibly influential time at Colby,” Devin Wong said. “The ski team was a core pillar of my experience at school and helped me develop a love for the community and process of becoming a faster skier.”

He received the coaching position at Harvard University despite not having coached officially in prior years. At Colby College, he majored in biochemistry, so he has a basis for physiological understanding of training theory.

“I have grown up in the area, and so I bring intrinsic training knowledge somewhat akin to coaching experience,” Devin Wong said. “I would also credit the mentorship and experience I gained as part of the Colby [ski] team under Tracey Cote as formative in understanding team culture.”

At the moment, the Harvard nordic ski team has 10 skiers. The small group size has allowed the athletes and coaches to build a cohesive and supportive community. Devin Wong coaches alongside head coach Cate Brams, who used to be the head coach of the EMXC team.

“As a coaching stall, less athletes means we can spend more time with each individually which has been exciting and rewarding,” Devin Wong said. “I think Cate and I both share the goal of helping our athletes achieve their potential across skiing and hope to grow the program’s success through this approach.”

His younger sister, Tali Wong, is a current skier on the Harvard nordic ski team. Devin Wong, Tali Wong and WHS Class of 2024 alum Liam Wong were all members and captains of the WHS nordic ski team.

“Our relationship has been foundational to transitioning to a coach-athlete dynamic,” Devin Wong said. “This relationship has helped accelerate my familiarity with the team as I am familiar with her lifestyle as a Harvard skier. As a senior, Tali is a mentor on the team and has been an incredible resource for both Cate and I as we work to calibrate expectations and decision making on our end.”

Overall, Devin Wong is delighted to be a part of a new team and coaching staff. Athletes on the Harvard nordic ski team started training in the summer, completing a variety of rollerskiing, running and strength training workouts.

“I’m really excited about the opportunity I’ve already had to work with our athletes from the start of the fall,” Devin Wong said. “It has already been extremely rewarding to support them and watch them reach their potential.”