Steamboat Springs, CO (May 10, 2016): Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) is proud to announce that it has been awarded the highest designation possible from the United States Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA).  On May 10th, at the Annual USSA Club Excellence Conference in Park City, Utah, SSWSC was awarded “Gold” Podium Club Certification. Executive Director Jim Boyne and other SSWSC staff and board members were on hand to receive the award. The Gold level is intended for clubs that are “Best in the World,” according to USSA.

Brian Krill, USSA Director of Sport Education said “Through the club certification process we look at the careful balance of athletics, business, and community (the A,B,C’s!). SSWSC has achieved that balance at the highest levels. The partnerships that have been forged between the city, the club, the resort, the schools, and other community partners are what maintain that balance. The club is poised for continued and higher levels of success in all these areas.”
The SSWSC is proud to be among the top five percent that have received this distinguished designation out of the approximately 350 USSA clubs nationwide.
The USSA’s podium-level certification process involves a rigorous assessment of almost 150 best principles and practices for ski and snowboard clubs, and is a comprehensive review of organizational effectiveness, from leadership, operations, athletic programming and performance.  After more than 2 years of self-evaluation and club and program improvements, the SSWSC began the USSA’s certification process in October 2015, which culminated in an onsite visit in Steamboat Springs in February by the USSA.

SSWSC Executive Director Jim Boyne said, “The USSA’s club certification process was a great opportunity for us to evaluate where we stand across our entire organization, both our strengths and improvement opportunities, and to help us in our continued pursuit of excellence.  Seeing the level of engagement in this process by our team, athletes and parents, and our community partners was very rewarding.  The Gold Certification by the USSA is a testament to the quality and impact of our people and club in providing important building blocks for success in the lives of our community youth.”

The SSWSC provides training for approximately 1,000 athletes every year in the disciplines of Alpine, Cross Country, Freestyle, Freeskiing, Nordic Combined, Special Jumping, Telemark, Snowboard Freestyle, Alpine Snowboarding, Strength and Conditioning, Cycling, and Skateboarding. Serving tens of thousands of youth for more than a century, the club is one of the oldest and most successful winter sports clubs in North America, having produced 88 Olympic athletes who have made 151 Olympic appearances.