Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Show
Welcome to the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Show - a podcast that will make you want to get outdoors and will give you some great ideas as a sport parent, athlete or coach! Born in the beautiful mountain town of Steamboat Springs, Colorado, the Winter Sports Club was founded over a century ago, and now serves well over 1000 athletes per year and has produced more winter olympians than any other club in North America. There are secrets and great stories to share as we play year round in these mountains we call home. Our calling is to develop complete athletes on and off the mountain by cultivating a passion for the outdoors and a love of sports at all levels. Stay tuned to hear from Olympians, athletes of all ages, coaches, experts and people who are doing amazing things to make an impact in our community and in their sport.
Episodes
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
"You Are More Than What You Do" - the Story of Olympic Medalist Alex Deibold
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Tuesday Mar 19, 2024
Today we sit with the Club's new Snowboard Director, Olympic bronze medalist, Alex Deibold. Not only is he running our entire snowboard program with huge events coming up soon, he's also chasing around his almost 2 year old daughter on the side, all the while doing the hardest work of all - the work on himself. Today we talk about all of it - his path to glory, his transition to the other side, and what happens when an athlete moves out of the center of their own universe.
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You will hear the following and so much more:
Alex's ski & snowboard origin story
What a 20 year career as a pro snowboarder really looks like
His philosophies for himself as an athlete, dad, and human!
His philosophies for the athletes he coaches
We talk about opportunity, about grit, gratitude & humility
The work does not end when the career ends - that's when the hardest work actually begins
You'll learn what the "unzippering of Alex Deibold" really means
And so much more...
For more about Alex Deibold, follow him on Instagram @adeibold or email him at adeibold@sswsc.org
Check out his bio here:
Born and raised in New England, Alex found his passion for snowboarding at an early age in the mountains of Vermont. He competed professionally in every discipline of the sport before narrowing his focus on snowboardcross. He was named to the U.S. Snowboard Team in 2004. During Alex’s 19-year tenure on the team, he stood on numerous World Cup podiums, captured multiple national titles, and won a bronze medal in the 2014 Sochi Olympics. As an avid outdoorsman, he loves cycling, golfing, and flyfishing and has worked with Protect Our Winters for over a decade to protect the places and experiences he loves.
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Thursday Feb 15, 2024
Today we get to pick the brain of our Head U10 & U12 Nordic coach Deb Rose. Deb is no stranger to coaching kids - she’s the longest tenured coach at the club; she’s been here for 40 years, probably longer than many of you have been on skis! And there's a reason for that - you're about to hear it, but first a word from our amazing sponsor...
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Today we cover 40+ years of skiing & coaching awesomeness:
Deb started out in the pool and only found cross country skiing when her high school didn't offer other sports for girls. Her mindset: "So I can't do that. What CAN I do?"
The importance of changing the semantics. Sometimes just using different words can change the entire outlook on a problem.
Deb's philosophy:
Give the kids an adventure outside.
Open up their vision - look around!
Create a safe zone
Make skiing about how things "feel" not about results
How the coaches are the beating heart of the club - they are what make it special.
What Deb still works on every day: Listen more, have more empathy, be positive
While Deb is very competitive and loves to go out and push her body, her coaching style is more subliminal - she helps nurture love for the sport - the competitive side comes out when it's ready.
Her fountain of youth? Coaching
We are so lucky that Deb has chosen to give her talents to the Club for so many years. Thank you!
More on Deb Rose here:
Deb was born in Iowa City, Iowa and moved to Bemidji, MN at an early age. She began her athletic competitions in the pool and moved to winter sports. Deb competed in the 100km Minnesota Finlandia which led to numerous cross country ski competitions and triathlons in Colorado. Deb has been coaching the Nordic Development Team at the Winter Sports Club for many years and takes pride in the accomplishments of her athletes. She loves working with all abilities and seeing them acquire skills for a life-long sport.
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Sarah Floyd Reflects on 35 Years with the Club
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Tuesday Feb 06, 2024
Get ready for this unique opportunity to listen to history from the person who made it herself, our former Executive Director, Sarah Floyd. For 35 years, Sarah was involved in the Club in a variety of positions including coach, athletic director, associate executive director and finally executive director for her last five years. Sarah stepped down last year, winding down slowly as she helped our new executive director, Brian Krill, transition into the role. Our conversation is genuine, open and full of nostalgia for how much the club has evolved in the last four decades.
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Today we talk about the following and so much more:
How it takes a little separation from a long career to figure out what buckets you need to fill - Sarah is working with kids & parents again, but in a different way - through our schools
Team: this theme surfaces again and again. Sarah was a master of creating, nurturing and motivating the best possible team (and we're not necessarily talking about athletes here!)
When you're submerged in a career, you often don't realize how consuming it is. The Club was "everything" to Sarah - her passion was to make it the best possible organization it could be.
"The leader of the Club is simply a caretaker of the legacy." - Rick DeVos It's about setting it up for success in the next decade, always looking forward.
The struggle will always be to protect what we have while rolling with change...
The leaders are there at the time they are supposed to be, to take the club to the next level for each phase of its evolution
The Club is the Real Deal with these main objectives: 1) An experience for the kids, 2) A place to build friendships and memories, 3) Athletic development is a byproduct of the first two.
Fun is still the key; fun is always the key. How you get your fun changes over time.
Thank you, Sarah, for your contributions to the club. Your legacy continues!
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Live & Unfiltered with Olympic Legends Nelson Carmichael & Caroline Lalive
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
Thursday Dec 14, 2023
It's not every day that you get to sit down with two of the most prolific Olympic athletes from their eras - who happen to live in your town - who also happen to be married - and who happen to have kids in the Winter Sports Club! Today is your lucky day because Nelson Carmichael & Caroline Lalive took a break from their busy schedules to share a mic (literally) and share their stories of passion, disappointment, success and heartbreak.
By the way, the top photo is a classic - it's mentioned early in the interview - you'll have to listen to understand it!
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For those of you who aren't familiar with them, Nelson won Bronze at the 92 Olympics in Mogul skiing, 12 World Cups, countless National Mogul Championships and has a run on Mt Werner named after him - Nelson's Run to be exact. Caroline is the most successful female alpine skier to have come through Steamboat competing in the 98 & 02 Olympics & later as the Alpine Director at the Club.
It's safe to say that they are not only Olympic level athletes, but after listening, you will agree that they are Olympic level humans!
Today you hear a fun storytelling session including their backgrounds, how they connected, their very different personalities, why opposites often fit better together, their parenting journeys, and how parenthood is agreeably harder than anything they did in sport - and they did a lot in sport!
Sit back and enjoy - I think you'll agree that we need a part 2 for this one!
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Ben Brown is US Ski & Snowboard’s Coach of the Year for a Reason
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
Thursday Nov 30, 2023
And we are lucky to have him!
Today you hear from our own U16 Alpine Head Coach Ben Brown. Ben has been coaching with the club since 2013 after a full career of ski racing as a Midwestern kid, through college at Western State University and after college, at an elite level on the Continental Cup. He landed in Steamboat over a decade ago and have been helping young athletes reach their goals on the snow ever since.
And we get the added bonus of a co-host today. Jon Nolting joins Nicole on the mic - a fitting interviewer as both a friend and mentor to Ben along the way.
SPONSOR DEAL! Use code SSWSCpodcast at honeystinger.com for 20% off all products. Fuel up now! Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/23
Today you hear:
Ben's background both as a kid athlete growing up in the Midwest boonies & his path to coaching
The power of goals: Ben had his eye on the prize from childhood - how what may seem like a young kid's dreams actually became a reality
The transition from racing pro to a new coaching career: How he did it with no regrets
What it takes to get Coach of the Year awards from US Ski & Snowboard: Basically this entire conversation illuminates Ben's worthiness!
Ben's Why of Coaching
How Ben identifies the trifecta (talent, mental game, passion) in athletes and then nurtures those attributes without burning the kids out
U16 to U18 is usually a big drop-out rate, yet our club has an amazing retention rate from Ben's group to the next. How Ben creates athletes that want to keep going!
What commonalities Ben sees among the best U16 athletes in the world
Why a focus on positive group culture wins, and why it may be the single most important thing at this age and stage
Parents: Ben is a key voice in helping our kids take accountability - we should all thank him for telling the kids to manage their own gear, schedule and training! This is the age when we become assistants, no longer managers - thank you Ben!
Ben's personal athletic journey: from Skier to Mountain Biker and how his own drive has evolved after becoming a parent himself
For more on the amazing Ben Brown:
Ben has been coaching at the SSWSC since 2013, and was named U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Alpine Coach of the Year in 2020. Ben grew up racing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He continued his racing career at Western State Colorado University, competing Division 1 NCAA. After graduating college Ben continued racing full-time at the Continental Cup level in pursuit of his goals. He coached at Green Mountain Valley School and at Loveland prior to coming to Steamboat. Ben currently is the chair of the Rocky/Central Region and Rocky Mountain Division Alpine Competition Committees that govern ski racing in the region. He has been part of the coaching staff overseas at international children’s championship events several times. He is a Level 300 certified coach by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. When he’s not coaching, you’ll find Ben spending time with his wife Rita and enjoying his favorite hobbies of bike racing and back-country skiing.
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Photo Credits: Adam Brady (Alpine FIS Parent)
Friday Nov 17, 2023
TedX Speaker John O’Sullivan on What Really Matters for our Kid Athletes
Friday Nov 17, 2023
Friday Nov 17, 2023
John O’Sullivan was recently in Steamboat talking about the what, how and why of being a sports parent. John is a speaker, podcaster, former pro athlete, and movement creator, specifically in regards to his Changing the Game Project. He’s also the author of a couple bestselling books including one we should all have: Changing the Game: The Parent’s Guide to Raising Happy, High-Performing Athletes and Giving Youth Sports Back to our Kids.
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This interview was so much fun - when you have the opportunity to get a speaker like John behind the mic, it's hard to stop picking his brain! John's perspective is a mix of his own experience as an athlete, his experience as a parent of athletes and a desire to help other people enjoy the beauty of what sport brought him.
Today you will hear:
John's background: how sports impacted him as a kid athlete
His philosophy on Working out (adults) vs Play (kids) & the progression of joy through sport
How dabbling is the true path to expertise
Interesting fact: 93% of elite 10-12 year olds are no longer elite senior athletes
It's not FUN or COMPETITIVE: it needs to be both
Suggested documentary: David Beckham's story
And so much more
For more on John, check out his Changing the Game website, watch his TEDx talk (it's awesome!), and listen to his Way of Champions Podcast. And be sure to pick up his book "Changing the Game" 💪
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
Thursday Nov 02, 2023
It's not everyday that you stumble across a world champion athlete in Steamboat who isn't a snow sport athlete. Today you will hear a parallel perspective on what it takes to be the best - from my favorite person in the world - our current SSWSC mountain bike and skimo coach, former 2-time Ironman Triathlon world champion, consummate gear enthusiast, health and fitness guru, father of 6th grade SSWSC athlete Wilder, and my husband, Tim DeBoom.
SPONSOR DEAL! Use code SSWSCpodcast at honeystinger.com for 20% off all products. Fuel up now! Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/23
Tim is an elusive champion; he doesn't wear his accomplishments on his sleeve. When we moved to Steamboat in 2020, he didn't want to leverage his athletic past, so he started by volunteering to coach whichever ski program needed him. After a season of wrangling 6 year olds on cross country skis, the club figured out his skills would be better suited for a different level of athlete! Today he coaches the kids who have a proclivity for endurance - on the bike and on skis - notably starting the first-ever Steamboat Springs Skimo program (one of just a few kids' skimo programs in our country).
This interview was a blast - when's the last time to sat down with your spouse and asked them all the big questions about what makes them tick? After listening, please reach out if you have any questions about the programs Tim leads or anything else!
Today you will hear:
Tim's background: family, sports, philosophies and more
Swimming: How one sport set the stage for a future world champion in another sport
Trust in the process is key to success in everything.
Specialization vs diversification
Patience & Consistency
Identities: How they shift and change from Swimmer to Pro Athlete to Dad to Coach
"I wonder if I can finish?" The Power of Wonder
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Friday Oct 20, 2023
Friday Oct 20, 2023
A big hello and welcome back to our listeners today - We started the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Show in 2022 with the goal of spreading our love for all things outdoors and a side effect of educating and inspiring people around the world. Thousands of listeners tuned in to hear from coaches, parents, experts and athletes - we got such great feedback that we are back with another season of fun and inspiration… and who better to kick things off with than the new kid on the block, our new Executive Director Brian Krill.
SPONSOR DEAL! Use code SSWSCpodcast at honeystinger.com for 20% off all products. Fuel up now! Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/23
Brian's 5 Things (among many more):
There are many nuances to the word Champion. [Listen to hear them!]
At the base of everything is this question, "Why are we doing all of this?" - Is it the right thing to be doing? Does it align with our core beliefs?
Find your passion. Then learn your limits.
My goal as an educator is simply this - I want to help people be their very best selves.
"When I'm outdoors and pushing my body, I feel more alive than any other time."
More about Brian Krill here:
Brian Krill has three daughters, two grandchildren, and his wife is a professor with a Ph.D. in Theatre. He has been a professional educator and nonprofit professional for almost thirty years working in competitive mountain athletics and the nonprofit sector since he graduated from The Colorado College in 1994. He has a Master’s Degree in Nonprofit Management from Regis University, where he was recognized with the “Karen A. Patterson Award for Community and Organizational Change,” and was owner and lead consultant of Peak Nonprofit Consulting, LLC. Mr. Krill was an administrator, teacher, and coach in independent schools and ski clubs for a decade and has extensive sales experience serving as a sales manager in western CO for seven years. Mr. Krill was also a professor at Western State Colorado University from 2010-2013, where he taught advocacy, academic writing, public speaking, and philosophy courses. Mr. Krill acted as the Interim Director of the Crested Butte Snowsports Foundation in 2012 and 2013.
In 2013, he brought this broad background and resources related to education, competitive snowsports, business, nonprofit leadership and management, and fundraising to U.S. Ski and Snowboard as the Club Development Manager and to further launch the new Club Development Program. In 2015, he was promoted to Director of Sport Education, tasked with providing education, certification, and recognition to all U.S. ski and snowboard clubs and coaches nationwide. In August 2016, Brian transitioned to Jackson, WY, to assume the role of Executive Director for the Jackson Hole Ski & Snowboard Club. Beginning in July 2020, Mr. Krill took the position of Executive Director & Head of School at Sugar Bowl Ski Team and Academy. In his tenure there, he successfully led the organization, an accredited boarding and day high school, and a full-scale ski team through the many challenges of COVID, as well as managing a successful re-accreditation process for the school.
Brian returned to Colorado in July 2023 to assume his new role as Executive Director of the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club.
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Fun Always Wins with Jean Cote
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
Thursday Mar 23, 2023
"If you're not having fun, it's not worth doing."
This quote has always been my motto, but until now, I didn't have any research to back it up. After talking to today's guest, Jean Cote, it turns out I was right! Fun is the magic pill that keeps us going in athletics (and life) & forges the path to a life-long love of the sports we do.
The Club was lucky to have Jean join us in person recently to share his findings on how to keep kids engaged in the sports they love. Before we listen to Jean, be sure to take advantage of this deal from our show sponsor!
SPONSOR DEAL! Use code SSWSCpodcast at honeystinger.com for 20% off all products. Fuel up now! Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/23
Topics we discuss today include:
Deliberate fun vs deliberate practice
The 10,000 Hour Myth
Fun & Friends are the key
Parent role modeling: Are you modeling the behavior you want your kids to see?
The parents tend to take the fun out of sports (what not to do!)
Transformational coaching: Jean talks about "The How of Coaching" & the 11 behaviors that great coaches exhibit including two we discuss - vulnerability and humility
Resource: "Range" by David Epstein about the importance of diversification
For more on Jean Cote:
Jean Côté is one of the world’s foremost experts on positive youth development through sport and is an internationally recognized researcher and sought-after speaker on the subject. Dr. Côté conducted a transformational coaching workshop for SSWSC coaches virtually in 2022 and visited Steamboat for a few days this January to work with our coaches again, observe our model, and present to SSWSC parents.
Dr. Côté has focused on the factors that contribute to personal growth through sport, lifelong participation, and performance development and his presentation to SSWSC parents addressed the Personal Assets Framework, and the central role of family and parents in supporting the best possible outcomes for young athletes.
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Olympian Jaelin Kauf Delivers the Love & Takes Home the Medals
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Thursday Mar 09, 2023
Jaelin Kauf won a silver medal in freestyle moguls in the 2022 Olympics. One year later, she proved it wasn't a fluke by following up with not one, but two, second place podiums at World Champs last week. This woman is on a roll! Today you get to hear all about Jaelin as we chat about her career starting when she was a baby through to her recent double silvers at the 2023 World Championships. But before we do, be sure to check out this amazing deal from our podcast sponsor.
SPONSOR DEAL! Use code SSWSCpodcast at honeystinger.com for 20% off all products. Fuel up now! Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/23
Today you'll hear the following and so much more!
Jaelin's skiing origins
Her parents were world class mogul skiers: how they helped her enter the sport without adding pressure
How the SSWSC helped shape her athletic career
Jaelin's career rollercoaster:
Highlights
Breakthroughs
Failures
The big stuff like 2 Olympics!
Most importantly, how she learned to pick herself back up when things went sideways
Advice for parents
What "Deliver the Love" means to her
Jaelin's favorite snacks :)
Speed round: fave venue, if she has ever snowboarded, her favorite Steamboat breakfast spot (shout out to Freshies)
As always, please share your questions, comments, feedback and requests. Go to sswsc.org! Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on and off the mountain!
Thank you for listening!
Be sure to check out our winter and summer programs at sswsc.org. If you have a special topic or guest you want to hear, please email us at sswsc@sswsc.org. Now get out there and support, lead or be a champion on or off the mountain.