Steamboat Springs — Former longtime Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club snowboard coach John Casson has a new job, coaching snowboard coaches all over the country.

The United States Ski and Snowboard Association announced on Monday the appointment of Casson to its sport education department as the new coach development manager. In that role, he will oversee all USSA coach development programs, including providing a “progressive and integrated education and certification program” for USSA coaches across all of the snow sports the organization sanctions.

“Our coaches in the field are our most important resource to develop great skiers and snowboarders,” Casson said in a news release. “My role is to provide outstanding resources to the coaches driving our sports on a daily basis. They are the lifeblood of what we do, and I’m really looking forward to supporting them in their efforts to give all of our members the best experience possible.”

Casson became the Winter Sports Club’s new snowboarding director at the beginning of the 2004-05 season after being promoted from his previous role as junior ability coach. At that time, he was supervising 25 coaches and a team expected to grow to 160 athletes.

During his 15-year tenure as a snowboard coach at the Winter Sports Club, the snowboard program was recognized as the USSA’s snowboard program of the year four times.

In his new job, Casson will work alongside Director of Sport Education Brian Krill.

“Jon has great perspective and background as a coach at every level, a program director, a USSA sport committee chair, and a workhorse of curriculum development in multiple sports,” Krill said in a news release. “I have no doubt that his energy and enthusiasm, along with his expertise, will be a huge benefit to coaches nationwide.”  

To reach Tom Ross, call 970-871-4205, email tross@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @ThomasSRoss1