Story by Nick Slater for Steamboat Pilot & Today Best of the Boat Edition. Photo by John Russell for Steamboat Pilot & Today.
What sets the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club apart from other youth sports programs is its philosophy. At its core, the organization looks to get as many kids on snow as possible while helping them reach their full athletic potential.
“It’s not about molding the next Olympians,” said Executive Director Brian Krill. “We try to instill a lifelong love of sport, and the results come after.”
The Winter Sports Club sees the honor of being the best youth sports club as an acknowledgement that its philosophy works, according to Krill.
According to its mission statement, the Winter Sports Club emphasizes transformational coaching, participation, performance and balance. It does not push its athletes to specialize in an individual sport, which it identifies as an avenue to potentially burn out young athletes.
Transformational coaching refers to the long-term well-being of the athletes. That is the focus for SSWSC coaches, rather than individual accolades. Participation and performance is the pursuit of getting as many athletes as possible into the program through scholarships.
Balance is ensuring that no athlete is forced in a specific direction too early.
For participants ages 12 and under, the Winter Sports Club emphasizes fun and participation. Between 10-16 years old, the club hones in on fundamental movements and local and regional competitions. Between 13-19 years old, athletes may begin to specialize. Once they turn 15, athletes then may begin to train year-round for a particular sport.
“If we focus on athletic development from a young age, instead of specializing in sports so the kid wins at a younger age, we see better results in the long run,” said Krill. “It’s easy to give kids the tools to win an individual competition in a weekend. It’s harder to build long-term base, then create week-to-week wins.”
Krill says that the Winter Sports Club’s approach requires patience from both parents and athletes, and if they trust the process, results will follow. Krill also stressed the importance of Howelsen Hill and community involvement for athlete development.
