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Parks and Recreation agrees to help research new strength and conditioning facility along Winter Sports Club

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has asked Steamboat Springs Parks and Recreation Commission to continue a discussion and research into allowing the club to build a strength and conditioning facility on city property.

SSWSC would pay for the construction and maintenance of the facility, but SSWSC Executive Director Sarah Floyd said the facility would also be open for other youth in the community, such as the Parks and Recreation summer camp, Boys and Girls Club of Northwest Colorado and other day care groups.

As for where the facility would be located, Floyd proposed the Gazebo located at the base of Howelsen Hill adjacent to the counter slope of the Nordic jumps.



“We view this as more of a show case facility,” Floyd said. “This would be something that would be heavily utilized by lots of groups, not just the sports club.”

The facility would include an indoor trampoline and airbag ramp jump.



“If we can do some great teaching here of young kids, regardless of whatever sport they go into, this is a fundamental movement skill,” Associate Executive Director Jon Nolting said of the facility’s acrobatic equipment. “Our trampoline programs have been our most popular programs that we’ve offered, right alongside mountain biking.”

In addition to other community groups, Floyd said the facility — which would be one of the only of its kind in North America — could also be used by athletes across the Rocky Mountain region.

“One possibility is that this would become a regional training center for the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Team,” said Dave Stewart, SSWSC athletic director. “It would certainly highlight the Olympic heritage for our community and bring a lot of attention within the region and nationally for other athletes to come and use.”

While commissioners supported the idea, several wanted to ensure the facility would preserve adequate space for underprivileged kids and not be filled with those from families who can afford often expensive sports.

“We’re going to get there no matter what,” Stewart said. “We feel it’s really the youth and youth development component that we serve that this would serve well.”

Stewart also said the facility could be specifically reserved by other sports groups in the community.

SSWSC currently uses a 1,350-square-foot strength and conditioning facility, which Nolting said is not nearly large enough for an advancing sport and growing club.

Floyd said the club has not started looking into a cost for the facility, as she wanted to wait for an official agreement between the city and the club, but SSWSC would not be able to solely fund it.

“This is not something that we have in our operational budget, so we would be fundraising,” Floyd said, adding that the club has already received interest from potential donors.


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