WINONA, Minn. — If there’s one qualification John Skemp needs to be the Saint Mary’s University cross country ski coach, it’s patience.

Because, for the Cardinals’ head coach, the cross country ski season is a waiting game.

After all, among the nine individuals on his roster, eight are members of the SMU cross country running team, so Skemp — who, by the way, happens to coach the Cardinal cross country teams — has to wait until mid-November before he can even “officially” begin ski practice.

Then, of course, there’s the not-to-be-overlooked minor detail of a need for snow to compete.

And in around these parts, Mother Nature hasn’t always been to predictable when it comes to laying down the white stuff.

Which leaves Skemp and his Cardinals waiting … and waiting … and, sometimes, waiting some more.

“If we could have another winter like we did last year, when we had snow to ski on by November 15, that would be great,” said Skemp, who returns as the Cardinals’ head coach after a two-year hiatus. “But I’ve also been through winters where we haven’t had snow until after Christmas, which means you spend most of your time trying as best you can to get your training in some other way.

“You just never know. All you can do is wait and see.”

Despite not having been the Cardinals’ coach for the past two seasons, Skemp certainly is no stranger to the athletes on the squads, and that knowledge will work to his advantage as they patiently wait for the first heavy snowfall to transform their cross country running trails into some of the best cross country skiing trails in the Midwest.

“Having most of these people in cross country is a big advantage,” admitted Skemp. “It helps me track them and what type of training their doing. Distance sports like cross country running and skiing are year-round sports — you can’t just slip a switch on Nov. 1 and expect to be ready to compete.”

Problem is, no matter how prepared his Cardinals are, if there’s no snow, there’s no competing.

“It’s not like hockey or basketball, where you know you are going to have ice to skate on or a floor to play on,” said Skemp. “So much of our sports depends on things out of our control, so we have to be ready for anything and be flexible enough to improvise if we have to.”

In many ways, the cross country ski season is just a continuation of the fall cross country running season for Skemp & Co.

Along with a roster filled with cross country holdovers, and the possibility of training on land as much as on snow, Skemp’s overall approach to the winter ski season is a familiar one.

“My main goals are to have a healthy training environment, to have everyone working up to their ability and to keep everyone healthy,” explained Skemp, echoing the goals he sets forth for the cross country running season. “We don’t get too caught up in team standings at any of these meets. We are going to be skiing against some of the best teams around — including some Division I schools.

“Our goal is to make sure that we continue to improve with each meet — that’s our No. 1 priority,” Skemp continued. “There’s a lot of potential on both the men’s and the women’s teams. I’m excited to get them out and see what they can do.”

Now, if only Mother Nature would cooperate.

Let the waiting begin.