Are you looking to join the SSWSC as a volunteer coach, full time coach, or a community volunteer? Each season, we bring on new volunteers and open new paid positions, so please check the Careers page, or sign up for event volunteering in the volunteer portal!
New the Club as an Athlete or Member
Welcome to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) and Ski Town, USA! We hope that you and your family choose to be a part of the SSWSC. As members you can be proud of carrying on a tradition and heritage which dates back more than 100 years. If you’ve never been part of our club, let us tell you more about what it’s like, and we think you will be pleased with what our club offers to our community and members. Read about the history of the SSWSC.
At the SSWSC, our mission is to create champions on and off the mountain by developing life skills and providing growth opportunities through participation in sports. We believe that sports instill character, confidence, commitment, responsibility and direction in a child’s life. Additionally, sports bring opportunity to excel, dream, and work towards the future. The overall impact for children goes well beyond the athletic results and extends into their personal growth and development. It’s no wonder that SSWSC athletes have gone on to become Olympians, NCAA champions, collegiate scholars, CEO’s and leaders in our community and beyond. Athletic training is offered in Alpine, Cross Country, Freestyle, Freeskiing, Nordic Combined, Special Jumping, Snowboard Freestyle (with summer programs in Skateboarding), Alpine Snowboarding, Strength and Conditioning, and Mountain Biking.
What scholarships are available for athletes and families?
We understand that the expense of participating in programs can be challenging. SSWSC is excited to announce we are increasing scholarship opportunities starting summer of 2024. The new structure provides more scholarship support to families beginning in the summer of 2024 and for 2024-2025 winter programs.
- SSWSC will continue to offer the one-step EZ Scholarship Program for 2024-2025 for families with an Adjusted Gross Income (AGI) up to $175,000. The EZ Scholarship is a one-step program fee scholarship that is part of the enrollment process for local participants. EZ Scholarship is applied directly to program fees based on the family’s adjusted gross income before payment.
- SSWSC now offers a NEW scholarship opportunity for families with athletes in high school-age, year-round competitive programs. The EZ Competitive Program Scholarship is a two-step scholarship fee program for athletes in year-round programs; it requires submitting a current 1040 or 1040EZ tax return. The EZ Competitive Scholarship is applied directly to program fees based on the family’s adjusted gross income after tax return verification.
- SSWSC will continue to offer the Winter Program Fee Scholarship through an application process. The Winter Program Fee Scholarship is intended to assist SSWSC families with SSWSC program fees based on financial need. It is available to residents and non-residents, families who have multiple athletes in programs, families who need additional assistance beyond the EZ Scholarship, and families with athletes in programs with additional travel and equipment requirements.
- SSWSC also offers scholarships for Summer Camps - for athletes participating in summer training camps.
CLICK HERE for more information on Program Fee Scholarships.
SSWSC offers several scholarships in addition to our EZ Scholarships, Winter Program Scholarships, and Summer Camp Scholarships. These scholarships range from need-based and community involvement to athletic and academic achievement. CLICK HERE to find more scholarship opportunities.
What does U6, U8, U10 stand for?
The ‘U’ stands for ‘under.’ A U6 program is for athletes under the age of 6. Sometimes athletes will be in a group that does not fit their age requirement, but better fits their development. This will be dependent on coach recommendation after we are familiar with your athlete. Check out our AGE GROUP GUIDELINES for more details.
How do I know what program is the best fit for my young athlete?
An athlete should be enrolled in something they are interested in, so ask them! If they would like to participate in more than one sport, that’s not a problem- at younger ages, we encourage athletes to participate in multiple programs! We have programs for all ages, so we know we have something to offer for your athlete to have fun and make lifelong friends.
Does my athlete have to choose just one program?
In our younger Development programs, the scheduling allows kids to choose more than one program so they can enjoy numerous sports. We don’t believe athletes should focus on one sport until higher levels of competition; there is so much to learn from multi-discipline training.
What’s the difference between Development and Competitive Programs?
Development Programs primarily focus on fun and fundamental skill development. These programs aim to cultivate a life-long passion for their sport and to teach technical and tactical skills while building the life skills of commitment, focus, respect, teamwork, organization, timeliness, self-control, and discipline. Competitive programs take those basic fundamental skills that have been fostered in the development programs and apply them to competitive situations. Competitive programs involve more focus on strength and conditioning, year-round training opportunities, and participation in competitive events in Steamboat, regional, and national venues. Competitive programs will continue to emphasize skill development, character and culture in more focused training environments.
How often will my athlete train?
Training schedules vary based on age and discipline. The younger athletes may only train 1-2 sessions per week and have time to explore multiple program options. Older athletes may train 4-6 sessions per week and focus on preparation for more competitive experiences. Our local high schools, both public and private, accommodate our training programs and assist our athletes in balancing their academics and training schedules.
What do coaches do to make sure my athlete will be safe?
Skiing and riding are sports with some inherent risk involved in participation at any level. Our coaches are trained to not only provide the safest training environments but to continually teach the components of the Skier/Rider Safety Code, and we aim to keep an ideal ratio between our athletes and our coaches. From U6 to U12, all of our athletes carry emergency info cards so that their parents can immediately be contacted and coaches will know if there is any medical history to be aware of. All of our coaches have strong working relationships with the ski patrol both at Steamboat Ski Resort and Howelsen Hill. Safety is a key part of our coach’s ongoing training.
Why does the club emphasize volunteers?
All of our events are put on by our hard-working member-athletes, parents, and community, aka, our volunteers. We estimate that our community and athletic events require over 6000 volunteer hours each year. Much of the success of the SSWSC is a result of many hours of help offered by dedicated parents and supporters who generously give of their time and talents to help support the SSWSC and athletes in many ways. We appreciate your support!
We do offer an incentive for families/athletes in the club through our work deposit system. Each family pays a work deposit based on the highest level program that their family participates in. The work deposit varies based on the volunteer demands for each program. As families volunteer for the SSWSC they can receive a refund of their deposit for each hour worked. The work deposit refund can be donated back to the SSWSC as a charitable contribution, be used to offset the costs of athlete programs/travel, or be refunded directly to the family.
Work deposit cards are due by April 30 each year, should you wish to be eligible for a refund or credit. Work deposit cards turned in AFTER April 30th will be eligible for DONATION RECEIPT ONLY.
Additional questions? Please contact Dave Stewart, Athletic Director via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at (970) 879-0695 or Blair Seymour, Director of Youth Development via .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or at (970) 879-0695.