Crested Butte Ski Club

Mission, Visions, and Principles

Mission

The Crested Butte Ski Club is a junior ski-racing program that provides opportunities for the
children of the Gunnison Valley to realize their potential in the sport of ski racing and in life. The
Ski Cclub promotes and develops the highest quality programs to challenge and motivate its athletes
and to benefit the community of the Gunnison Valley. The club’s ultimate goal is to prepare young
athletes for competition; give them the skills to enjoy the sport of skiing; and teach them the
importance of self-discipline, personal integrity, confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and good
sportsmanship.

Vision

The Crested Butte Ski Club offers a graduated program for children of all ages and abilities who wish
to be a part of a community-based ski club. Although the athletes train and compete in age and
ability appropriate settings, the ski club strives to develop a team atmosphere that includes every
athlete, parents, coaches, the administration, and the community.

• Starting with Cyclones, children are exposed to the Crested Butte Mountain environment under the
supervision of long-time local coaches. Coaches are certified and professional (but volunteer) and
coach the youngest athletes for their love of the sport. The Cyclones program is purely a
developmental program and is intended to build fundamental skills and expose the children to the
exciting and rewarding sport of skiing and ski racing. The children are encouraged, but not required,
to compete or become competitive athletes. The Cyclones program is also a feeder program for the
Ski Club’s USSA JV – JI programs.
• The USSA JV-JI program is a competitive ski racing program. Coaches are professional educators,
experienced in the sport, and maintain appropriate levels of certification. The program closely
adheres to the most current developments in the sport of ski racing. The program curriculum
prepares young athletes to deal with both success and failure in local, national, and international
competition. The program and staff work with each individual athlete to set and assess personal
goals, and each athlete follows an individualized athlete management plan designed by his/her coach.
The program and its staff emphasizes the importance of developing life skills through the sport of ski
racing.

The Crested Butte Ski Club works with USSA/FIS; Crested Butte Mountain Resort; the towns of
Gunnison, Crested Butte and Mt. Crested Butte; the Mt. Crested Butte Downtown Development
Authority; the Crested Butte Community Foundation; the Sweitzer Cup Committee; the Gunnison
Area Community Foundation; the Gunnison Metropolitan Recreation District; Rotary; local
businesses and developments; and the Crested Butte community as a whole to advance and support
competitive Alpine ski racing in the Gunnison Valley. The Ski Club helps to develop facilities both on
and off the mountain and the financial resources necessary for the implementation of world-class
junior competitive programs for the children of the Gunnison valley. The Ski Club attracts and
retains regional, national, and international competitive Alpine events. The purpose of hosting these
events is to provide opportunities, infrastructure, and exposure for local athletes; welcome athletes
from around the world; and develop economic and social capital in the Gunnison Valley.

Guiding Principles

1. Athletes will be at their best when they set and strive for realistic goals and place importance on
the following values: self-discipline, personal integrity, confidence, perseverance, teamwork, and
good sportsmanship.
2. All aspects of training are built around developing the necessary technical, tactical, psychological,
and physiological skills required for athletes to win and/or reach their personal goals.
3. An effective program relies on good communication and mutual support between and among the
athletes, the athlete’s family, the program administration and staff, and the entire community.
4. Athletes, parents, and coaches are able to accomplish more the more they understand how to work
together and respect each others particular roles and responsibilities. Athletes, coaches, and the Ski
Club are devoted to honesty, integrity, and respect for all.
5. Ski racing requires both physical fitness and mental toughness. Ski racing is both an intellectual
and physical process. The Ski Club, therefore, promotes overall healthy living.
6. Athletes are at their best when they take ownership of their ski-racing and learning, and coaches
are most effective when they create an environment in which this may occur.
7. Participation in athletics is a privilege, and the athletes earn this privilege by living up to their
responsibilities in school, with their families, and in their personal lives.