Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Show

Cycling Director Sasha Nations - Getting Back Up is Never Easy

 
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Today we hear from the club’s Cycling Program Director, Sasha Nations. Sasha has been a lot of things - elite snowboarder, elite mountain bike racer, coach to many in more ways than you can imagine, and just plain Yoda extraordinaire. You will be entertained, inspired, educated and surprised as we dig into the human experience of one of the most prolific coaches you'll ever meet.
Listen to the following and so much more:
Sasha's cycling and snowboarding roots
The quest to find something that is "mine"
We tackle the topic of boys & girls combined versus "girls only"
When accidents happen: The path out often leads to greater growth
"I focus on what I CAN do."
The transition from one passion to another: Respecting the call to a new path
Vulnerability always wins: recognizing a weakness helps create tools to overcome it
SSWSC Cycling Programs 101: We have something for everyone!
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! (Shout out to Coach Sam House below - shown here with Sasha - we need to get you on the show soon too!)

Jasper Good's Unique Path to the Olympics from SSWSC to the Army's WCAP Program

 
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Meet hometown hero Jasper Good - Steamboat kid turned Olympian through a unique path! Jasper is humble, thoughtful and openly shares his insights on a wildly successful nordic combined career that took him from a Howelsen Hill rugrat to the Olympics via the Army's WCAP Program. What he learned along the way paved the foundation for success in whatever endeavor he chooses to do in life. Today we talk about the following and more:
His Steamboat roots including his family's involvement in winter sports
Falling in love with nordic combined at age 9!
The importance of learning your own unique signs of burnout & finding a team to help you stop, recalibrate and find a new track
The Army's World Class Athlete Program (WCAP)
When it's time to let go of the thing that defined you
The utmost importance of building and utilizing your team and network
For more on Jasper Good, check out his instagram @jaspergoody
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!

David Norris is Basically Superman - Coach, Athlete, Entrepreneur, Role Model

Look out! This guy just might trick you into training! (more on that below)
Meet David Norris - someone who is not only an inspiring coach, but also an incredibly inspiring athlete. Most athletes move into coaching when they are done with their careers. David Norris is not only the assistant cross country coach at the club for the U16 to U20 athletes, but he is still kicking butt himself - not only on snow but on dry ground too! David is the 2019 US XC National Champion, named to multiple national teams, as recent as 2023, previous winner and multiple podium achiever of the famed long distance American Birkie in MN, 4-time winner and current record holder of the epic Mt Marathon in Alaska and consummate adventurer.
 
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David is a the complete package: Elite athlete in the prime of his career, consummate adventurer always seeking out new challenges, thoughtful and supportive coach and role model to the next generation of stars and insightful entrepreneur giving back to the community he hails from. Today we talk about the following and so much more:
His Alaskan roots: how David's love for an active lifestyle was formed
The Arctic Winter Games: He was the youngest member of the team
How lasting friendships form through sport
His coach "tricked him into training" through games as training tools. David uses that philosophy today!
The difference between craving "The Suffer" and being addicted to "The Suffer"
Fun stories about Mount Marathon and other athletic adventures
The beauty of surprising yourself
At some point in the interview, David simply says this about his career as an athlete, "I just like it." So simple and so perfect. Follow what you like! 
For more on David Norris, check out his instagram @grandmasternorris
And watch this video of his 2016 record setting Mt Marathon glissade!
 
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!

"You Are More Than What You Do" - the Story of Olympic Medalist Alex Deibold

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!

"I Enjoy Kicking Butt" How Nordic Coach Deb Rose Still Kicks Butt & Has Fun after 40 Years

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!

Sarah Floyd Reflects on 35 Years with the Club

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!

Live & Unfiltered with Olympic Legends Nelson Carmichael & Caroline Lalive

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!

Ben Brown is US Ski & Snowboard’s Coach of the Year for a Reason

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.
 
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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) 

TedX Speaker John O’Sullivan on What Really Matters for our Kid Athletes

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!

”I wonder if I can do this?” the Story of 2-Time Ironman World Champion & SSWSC Coach Tim DeBoom

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. 
 
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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!