Ben Brown is US Ski & Snowboard’s Coach of the Year for a Reason

And we are lucky to have him!

Today you hear from our own U16 Alpine Head Coach Ben Brown. Ben has been coaching with the club since 2013 after a full career of ski racing as a Midwestern kid, through college at Western State University and after college, at an elite level on the Continental Cup. He landed in Steamboat over a decade ago and have been helping young athletes reach their goals on the snow ever since.

And we get the added bonus of a co-host today. Jon Nolting joins Nicole on the mic - a fitting interviewer as both a friend and mentor to Ben along the way.

 

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Today you hear:

• Ben's background both as a kid athlete growing up in the Midwest boonies & his path to coaching
• The power of goals: Ben had his eye on the prize from childhood - how what may seem like a young kid's dreams actually became a reality
• The transition from racing pro to a new coaching career: How he did it with no regrets 
• What it takes to get Coach of the Year awards from US Ski & Snowboard: Basically this entire conversation illuminates Ben's worthiness!
• Ben's Why of Coaching
• How Ben identifies the trifecta (talent, mental game, passion) in athletes and then nurtures those attributes without burning the kids out
• U16 to U18 is usually a big drop-out rate, yet our club has an amazing retention rate from Ben's group to the next. How Ben creates athletes that want to keep going!
• What commonalities Ben sees among the best U16 athletes in the world
• Why a focus on positive group culture wins, and why it may be the single most important thing at this age and stage
• Parents: Ben is a key voice in helping our kids take accountability - we should all thank him for telling the kids to manage their own gear, schedule and training! This is the age when we become assistants, no longer managers - thank you Ben!
• Ben's personal athletic journey: from Skier to Mountain Biker and how his own drive has evolved after becoming a parent himself 

For more on the amazing Ben Brown:

Ben has been coaching at the SSWSC since 2013, and was named U.S. Ski & Snowboard’s Alpine Coach of the Year in 2020. Ben grew up racing in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He continued his racing career at Western State Colorado University, competing Division 1 NCAA. After graduating college Ben continued racing full-time at the Continental Cup level in pursuit of his goals. He coached at Green Mountain Valley School and at Loveland prior to coming to Steamboat. Ben currently is the chair of the Rocky/Central Region and Rocky Mountain Division Alpine Competition Committees that govern ski racing in the region. He has been part of the coaching staff overseas at international children’s championship events several times. He is a Level 300 certified coach by U.S. Ski & Snowboard. When he’s not coaching, you’ll find Ben spending time with his wife Rita and enjoying his favorite hobbies of bike racing and back-country skiing.

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!

Photo Credits: Adam Brady (Alpine FIS Parent)