Big Air, New Fields, First Rides
Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club
Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club
Athlete development looks different in every season.
Some kids are learning their first soccer skills on a community field. Others are working on a new trick that could take years to master. Some are finding confidence on a mountain bike for the first time.
This summer, Steamboat is supporting all of them.
Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club
Steamboat Spring Winter Sports Club
A New Home for Water Ramp Training
Before skiers and snowboarders learn a new trick on snow, they often learn it over water.
Water ramps and in-ground trampolines provide a safe place to develop flips, twists, and aerial awareness before taking those skills to the mountain. For more than 20 years, Steamboat Springs has been home to a water ramp and trampoline facility just outside of town that has helped athletes progress from first tricks to elite competition. It's also Colorado's only water ramp facility and one of just a handful in the country.
Steamboat's reputation as Ski Town U.S.A.® has been built by generations of athletes, producing more than 100 Olympians along the way. The water ramp and trampoline facility have been a key part of that story. Seven of the eight U.S. Olympic moguls athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Games trained there.
When the current facility at Bald Eagle Lake was slated to close after the 2026 season, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) and Steamboat Resort got to work on a solution. The result: Steamboat Resort donated land at the base of the Park Smalley Freestyle Complex for a new water ramp and trampoline training facility and led the planning, design, permitting, and development process. Native Excavating is partnering on construction of the pond, jump, ramp, and access infrastructure while SSWSC will manage the operations of the facility.
"From my point of view, anything we can do to further Steamboat's Olympic tradition is a win," said Jake Ingle, Director of Slope Maintenance. "Keeping water ramp and trampoline training in Steamboat helps keep Steamboat doing what it does best: developing top tier winter athletes."
The project ensures young athletes will continue to have access to a training resource that has helped define Steamboat skiing for decades.
As SSWSC Executive Director Brian Krill put it, the new facility is "a great example of community partners coming together to continue a longstanding tradition in Steamboat while helping preserve Steamboat's role as a premier training ground for future athletes.” rich-text, responsive-table
Before skiers and snowboarders learn a new trick on snow, they often learn it over water.
Water ramps and in-ground trampolines provide a safe place to develop flips, twists, and aerial awareness before taking those skills to the mountain. For more than 20 years, Steamboat Springs has been home to a water ramp and trampoline facility just outside of town that has helped athletes progress from first tricks to elite competition. It's also Colorado's only water ramp facility and one of just a handful in the country.
Steamboat's reputation as Ski Town U.S.A.® has been built by generations of athletes, producing more than 100 Olympians along the way. The water ramp and trampoline facility have been a key part of that story. Seven of the eight U.S. Olympic moguls athletes who competed at the 2026 Winter Games trained there.
When the current facility at Bald Eagle Lake was slated to close after the 2026 season, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) and Steamboat Resort got to work on a solution. The result: Steamboat Resort donated land at the base of the Park Smalley Freestyle Complex for a new water ramp and trampoline training facility and led the planning, design, permitting, and development process. Native Excavating is partnering on construction of the pond, jump, ramp, and access infrastructure while SSWSC will manage the operations of the facility.
"From my point of view, anything we can do to further Steamboat's Olympic tradition is a win," said Jake Ingle, Director of Slope Maintenance. "Keeping water ramp and trampoline training in Steamboat helps keep Steamboat doing what it does best: developing top tier winter athletes."
The project ensures young athletes will continue to have access to a training resource that has helped define Steamboat skiing for decades.
As SSWSC Executive Director Brian Krill put it, the new facility is "a great example of community partners coming together to continue a longstanding tradition in Steamboat while helping preserve Steamboat's role as a premier training ground for future athletes.” rich-text, responsive-table
Elisa Maines
Elisa Maines
Creating Space to Play
While some athletes are learning aerials, others are learning how to find the back of the net. Opportunity matters for both.
In July, Steamboat Resort donated $25,000 through its donor-advised fund at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation to support Steamboat Soccer Club's Together We Turf campaign.
The campaign will help build two turf fields at Lockhart Fields at Heritage Park, creating a permanent home for one of the largest youth sports organizations in the Yampa Valley. Steamboat Soccer serves more than 1,500 youth and adult athletes each year and works hard to keep participation accessible through scholarship opportunities and community-focused programming.
The new complex will expand field access, extend the playing season by 50%, and create space not only for soccer, but for a variety of community sports and recreation programs.
"Soccer is one of the most accessible sports there is - all you need is a ball and a field," said Linda John, Club Director. "Lockhart Fields gives us both a home field and an extended season, so more kids and families can stay active, build community, learn teamwork and leadership, and get the physical and mental health benefits of play, all year long."
The project is about more than turf fields. Soccer is the world's game, and every kid deserves a place to play it. These new fields will create more opportunities for local athletes to compete, build friendships, and stay active close to home. rich-text, responsive-table
While some athletes are learning aerials, others are learning how to find the back of the net. Opportunity matters for both.
In July, Steamboat Resort donated $25,000 through its donor-advised fund at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation to support Steamboat Soccer Club's Together We Turf campaign.
The campaign will help build two turf fields at Lockhart Fields at Heritage Park, creating a permanent home for one of the largest youth sports organizations in the Yampa Valley. Steamboat Soccer serves more than 1,500 youth and adult athletes each year and works hard to keep participation accessible through scholarship opportunities and community-focused programming.
The new complex will expand field access, extend the playing season by 50%, and create space not only for soccer, but for a variety of community sports and recreation programs.
"Soccer is one of the most accessible sports there is - all you need is a ball and a field," said Linda John, Club Director. "Lockhart Fields gives us both a home field and an extended season, so more kids and families can stay active, build community, learn teamwork and leadership, and get the physical and mental health benefits of play, all year long."
The project is about more than turf fields. Soccer is the world's game, and every kid deserves a place to play it. These new fields will create more opportunities for local athletes to compete, build friendships, and stay active close to home. rich-text, responsive-table
The Cycle Effect
The Cycle Effect
Building Belonging on Two Wheels
Another group helping young athletes find confidence is The Cycle Effect.
The Colorado nonprofit uses mountain biking as a tool for mentorship, leadership development, mental wellbeing, and belonging. The organization provides bikes, gear, transportation, coaching, and low-cost programming to reduce barriers to participation. Their programs support female-identifying and non-binary riders, with a focus on creating opportunities for youth who may not otherwise have access to an expensive sport.
In partnership with Steamboat Ski & Resort, The Cycle Effect offers a 5-week downhill program coached exclusively by a team of Steamboat Ski Area female coaches and The Cycle Effect coaches. Girls gain confidence week after week as the barriers to downhill mountain biking are broken down by providing all the gear, bikes, and protection — creating a space of belonging in a full-face helmet.
"You can see the shift happen on day one, before they've even ridden a foot — it's in the shop, trying on knee pads and a full-face helmet for the first time, surrounded by a group of girls doing the same thing. There's this pause, then this look, like they're realizing they don't have to do this alone. That's when the barrier starts to break down, and it's why this program accelerates the work of The Cycle Effect — that confidence built together in the gear room carries straight onto the trail, and off the bike too." - Helen Beall, Routt County Program Manager
In addition to the summer Downhill Program, Steamboat supported The Cycle Effect this summer through donations to its fundraising efforts, including the Ride Together Community Bike and Film Fest and programming connected to SBT GRVL weekend.
The mission resonates with something we see every day on the mountain: sports have a unique way of helping young people discover what they're capable of.
Whether that's launching into a water ramp, chasing a soccer ball across a field, or riding a bike farther than they thought possible, these moments change lives.
Sometimes all it takes is making sure the opportunity is there.
rich-text, responsive-table
Another group helping young athletes find confidence is The Cycle Effect.
The Colorado nonprofit uses mountain biking as a tool for mentorship, leadership development, mental wellbeing, and belonging. The organization provides bikes, gear, transportation, coaching, and low-cost programming to reduce barriers to participation. Their programs support female-identifying and non-binary riders, with a focus on creating opportunities for youth who may not otherwise have access to an expensive sport.
In partnership with Steamboat Ski & Resort, The Cycle Effect offers a 5-week downhill program coached exclusively by a team of Steamboat Ski Area female coaches and The Cycle Effect coaches. Girls gain confidence week after week as the barriers to downhill mountain biking are broken down by providing all the gear, bikes, and protection — creating a space of belonging in a full-face helmet.
"You can see the shift happen on day one, before they've even ridden a foot — it's in the shop, trying on knee pads and a full-face helmet for the first time, surrounded by a group of girls doing the same thing. There's this pause, then this look, like they're realizing they don't have to do this alone. That's when the barrier starts to break down, and it's why this program accelerates the work of The Cycle Effect — that confidence built together in the gear room carries straight onto the trail, and off the bike too." - Helen Beall, Routt County Program Manager
In addition to the summer Downhill Program, Steamboat supported The Cycle Effect this summer through donations to its fundraising efforts, including the Ride Together Community Bike and Film Fest and programming connected to SBT GRVL weekend.
The mission resonates with something we see every day on the mountain: sports have a unique way of helping young people discover what they're capable of.
Whether that's launching into a water ramp, chasing a soccer ball across a field, or riding a bike farther than they thought possible, these moments change lives.
Sometimes all it takes is making sure the opportunity is there.
rich-text, responsive-table
Join the Work
None of this happens without community support. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Steamboat Soccer Club, and The Cycle Effect are all nonprofits working to help young athletes learn, grow, and thrive. If you'd like to learn more or contribute to their work, visit the links below.
Steamboat Spring Winter Sport Club
Steamboat Soccer Club’s Together We Turf Campaign
The Cycle Effect rich-text, responsive-table
None of this happens without community support. Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, Steamboat Soccer Club, and The Cycle Effect are all nonprofits working to help young athletes learn, grow, and thrive. If you'd like to learn more or contribute to their work, visit the links below.
Steamboat Spring Winter Sport Club
Steamboat Soccer Club’s Together We Turf Campaign
The Cycle Effect rich-text, responsive-table