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
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.
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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!
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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!
Saturday Mar 04, 2023
Parenting for Success with Jon Nolting
Saturday Mar 04, 2023
Saturday Mar 04, 2023
Today we have a very timely episode for all the parents out there who have kids entering competition season. This is a time with the stress, nerves and pressure ramp up for our kids, and as parents, we are along for the ride!
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Our Chief Operating Officer, Jon Nolting, is a multiple guest on the show (you may recognize his voice in the Intro too!), and two-time parent of kids who have faced down the perceived high-stakes competition season and survived. Along the way, Jon has developed a passion for this topic, having researched various strategies and is a living example of how they play out. Case in point, minutes before we started recording, Jon received a phone call from his 17 year old son, Jeremy, who had just had a disappointing result in a competition in Quebec. It was fascinating to be a fly on the wall listening to how he handled the conversation - something we talk about in today's episode.
Per the title, we have lots of tips and tricks available here!
Today we talk about the follow and more:
The difference btwn performance and results: and how parents can help (hint: parents can only help with the things they can actually control!)
The comparison game and how it can negatively affect your kids' results.
Leave the coaching to the coaches!
Kids can read body language, so be aware of yours when talking to them about their sport!
At the end of the day, we all want our kids to find happiness and we hope that their sport helps them do this. Jon has one simple ask for all parents out there:
Will you commit to learning more about your child’s sport to help you in supporting them in the best way you can?
Listening to this episode is a good step toward doing this!
For more on Jon Nolting, go here, or listen for his voice at one of the many events hosted at Howelsen Hill this winter!
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 Feb 17, 2023
Friday Feb 17, 2023
It's not every day you get to sit with one of the greatest athletes in the last decade - just days before he leaves for the final professional event of his career - ponder his past and speculate on his future. In this case, it's Snowboarder Mick Dierdorff - 2-time Olympian & 2019 Snowboard Cross World Champion among many other accolades. The event he's heading to is the 2023 Snowboard Cross World Champs, an event he didn't even plan to do but is the perfect way to wrap his decade-plus career.
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 we have some fun - we go long & we don't even scratch the surface. We may need to do Part 2 when Mick is back from Worlds!
We cover the following and more:What it feels like to be preparing for the last pro event of Mick's career
Growing up Mick: skis, hockey, and finally - the snowboard at age 11!
Support is key to everything: Parents, the community, coaches, mentors & more
The Rollercoaster of the last decade - Mick's career was not a perfect hockey stick trajectory; he went through some serious times of self-discovery
How Mick came to really understand himself, accept himself and not apologize for who he is
How to mentally manage a sport that combines both adrenaline and endurance
What success means to Mick
And of course our final question: What is the greatest lesson you've learned through sport? (you need to listen to hear it!)
For more on Mick, check out his website, watch this amazing video of his 2019 World Championship Crown & tune into this year's Snowboard Cross World Champs - let's cheer him on!
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!
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
How Forrest Pecha Helps Injured Athletes Come Back Stronger than Ever
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Wednesday Feb 08, 2023
Today we talk all about injuries with the Club's Medical Coordinator, Certified Athletic Trainer, Forrest Pecha. Here's the thing about this episode: if you don't need to hear it right now, that's great - you are beating the odds! But as you'll learn, if you are an athlete (or a parent of an athlete) for whom sports is a big part of your life, there is a good chance that at some point, you may experience an injury. One of the first things we do today is normalize this!
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
In this episode, you will learn the following:
How Forrest chose the path to become a CAT - we go a little deeper on this path
The two main types of injuries: Overuse & Traumatic
What's the first thing a kid/parent should do when an injury occurs?
The Healthy Roster app & process
The mental aspect of recovering from injuries
Our one of a kind approach to keeping kids motivated and connected with our Injured Athlete Workout Programs
& so much more to help kids get through the tough stuff!
For more Forrest Pecha, go here!
To facilitate the new program and connect athletes to their return-to-sport team, Forrest Pecha has been hired by SOSI for the position of Medical Coordinator for the SSWSC. The Medical Coordinator will have three core areas of focus: injury management, medical care coordination, and education for coaches, athletes, and parents. Pecha was previously a Program Director for the Athletic Training Residency at both St. Luke’s Sports Medicine in Boise, ID and at Emory Sports Medicine in Atlanta, GA. He also served as the head athletic trainer for the USSA Men’s Alpine team for the 2002 Winter Olympic games and has traveled with U.S. Soccer for over 13 years providing medical care. Pecha will be on location half time each at SSWSC and SOSI.
And because his twins are just too cute and we all do what we do for more than just ourselves, here's a gratuitous twin shot!
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 Jan 26, 2023
Mindset Performance Coach Luke Brosterhous on How to Raise Your Mental Game
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Thursday Jan 26, 2023
Welcome back to another amazing episode focused on the mind-game we play with sports. Today we meet the Club's Mindset Performance Coach, Luke Brosterhous. Luke came to this field of expertise from the golfing world as a standout young golfer who eventually played on the pro circuit. When he moved to Steamboat, he started coaching for the Club and that's where his curiosity about how the mental aspect of sports really became a focus. He decided to go back to school and get his Masters Degree in Sports Psychology. Today he helps young athletes develop a strong mental game which is arguably as (or more) important than their physical game!
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Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/22
In this interview we cover:
Luke's background in golf and how he was drawn to the field of sports psychology
Luke's 4 pillars for mental strength training:
Concentration & Deep focus
Imagery
Motivation
Flow (follows focus)
How and why we have trouble paying attention: check out Stolen Focus by Johann Hari
Advice for both kids and parents to support their mental games
Goals: Outcome goals are the WHAT. Process goals are the HOW. He challenges you to define your WHY!
Epilogue question: Does mindset training differ between endurance vs adrenaline athletes? If yes, how?
For more on Luke Brosterhous, visit his website here!
In addition to being a Class A PGA Member, Luke holds a Masters Degree in Exercise and Sport Science from the University of Utah, in the area of Sport Psychology. Luke served as an Alpine Coach to the Winter Sports Club from 2001-2004, and 2008-2011. Luke’s unique ability to bring together Coaching and the most effective researched principles in the world of Sport Psychology is what distinguishes his Coaching from others.
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
How Snowboard Phenom Maddy Schaffrick Learned to Fall & Get Back Up Again
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Thursday Jan 12, 2023
Meet the inimitable Maddy Schaffrick! Previously our Snowboard Director, Maddy recently became the Assistant Coach of the the US Snowboard Halfpipe World Cup Team. A few days before she left Steamboat, we sat down with her and got real - about her career, her philosophy on sport & what's REALLY important in life.
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Fine print: 20% off entire order, online only, no minimum purchase, good on subscriptions & one-time purchases, one use per customer, active until 12/31/22
Today we cover:
What it was like to grow up in Steamboat
Learning to ski at age 3
The importance of falling - and getting back up - how tai chi taught her to fall (literally) & how dumb-luck injuries taught her to get back up (after rediscovering the joy of snowboarding)
Meeting & learning from her idol Gretchen Bleiler
The whirlwind of becoming a very young champion
What it was like to live an adult-ish lifestyle as a young teen & then reintegrate into her Steamboat peer group after a bad crash
Is it possible to be a skier & snowboarder?
What makes snowboarding awesome?
A speed round of random fun facts about Maddy
And so much more!
If you take nothing else from this interview...
RIDE THE ENTIRE MOUNTAIN!
Read Maddy's infamous (and greatest) bio ever!
Hello! My name is Maddy Schaffrick. I was born and raised in beautiful Steamboat Springs, Colorado and grew up in the Winter Sports Club. My list of passions is substantial but snowboarding has always been at the top of it. I love all creatures but lions are my favorite. My favorite color is the Rainbow and my favorite thing to eat is ice cream. I’m allergic to all nuts, which is funny because my favorite people are nuts! Snowboarding is fun. Friends are family. Nature cures everything. Kindness makes a difference. Magic is Real. Love is All.On top of Maddy’s contagious personality and smile she was on the U.S. halfpipe team for seven years. Her resume is packed with impressive results including X Games and Grand Prix events.
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!
More pics cuz there are just too many good ones!
Podcast episode photo credit: Jeff Urbahn
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Creating Elite Athletes with Scientist Mark Williams
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Thursday Dec 29, 2022
Today we are lucky to have one of the world's premier sports researchers on the show. Mark Williams is one of the world’s leading authorities on expertise and its acquisition in sport. He has published 18 books and written over 500 scientific articles on how people become skilled and achieve success in sport and across other professional domains. He has worked across the globe as a consultant with numerous Olympic and professional sports and has vast experience as a scientist, author and educator, and as an applied sports scientist.
Mark visited Steamboat earlier this year to share insights about the concept of creating elite athletes. While he was here, we sat down and dug deeper into some of the concepts he has studied for years.
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Today you will hear:
The science behind nature vs nurture
Factors that play into your chances for athletic success
The debate between diversification and specialization: aka when to focus on one sport for maximum results (if ever)
What happens when puberty hits: how to manage swings in performance during these years
Helicopter parenting: how and why we should not do it!
And more!
For more on Mark Williams, hop over to Amazon and grab his book The Best: How Elite Athletes are Made.
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 Dec 16, 2022
Trust Your Kids’ Journeys with Millie & Gardner Flanigan
Friday Dec 16, 2022
Friday Dec 16, 2022
You're in for a double rainbow treat today with the incredible, insightful, resilient Flanigan power couple - Millie and Gardner! Since many of our listeners are parents, often with kids in the Club, we are building on our parent-perspective series. The Flanigans are long-time supporters of the club; as they mention today, they were involved in the club even before they had kids! Millie is currently a Physician Assistant and worked for 22 years in family medicine and now work full time in mental health as a Psychiatric PA. Gardner is the Executive Director of STARS. They have two kids, Bode (20) and Merritt (15) who provide the foundation for this conversation (unbeknownst to them)!
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 12/31/22
Today's conversation is fun and engaging all the way through including the following & more:
How Millie & Garnder met (a baby blue snowsuit may be involved)
The fire: their house literally burned down
Finding community and support amid traumatic times
Resiliency, kindness, generosity & allowing yourself to receive
Mental health perspectives from Millie (her speciality) including tips on how to help your kids through big decisions and tough times
"Be there for them, but don't feel their journey with them."
How to battle "swooping parent" syndrome
A guest appearance from Peter Lemonjello!
Gardner's alter ego is one of SSWSC's greatest announcers
How he fell into announcing & why it's important to keep it fun
& so much more!
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.