A well-organized and managed club is the key to a successful sports experience for all members. Just as the profession of coaching has become increasingly more complex, demanding a broader base of knowledge and skills, so have the difficult challenges facing a club.
Whether a club is part of a school system, local recreation department, or a ski resort, clubs are being asked to be more professional and more aware of community issues beyond their clubs’ immediate mission. Overall, there are greater demands being placed on club structures and the volunteers who run them.
Club leadership and coaching staffs need to be aware of the challenges and to address them with creativity and timely solutions. The better a club is organized, managed and staffed, the better equipped it will be to respond to immediate issues and to plans for the future. Issues such as: the recruitment and retention of coaches and families, risk management, insurance requirements (liability), volunteers, finances, and the changing sport scene, all require a sustained open planning effort.
USSA is focusing on assisting member clubs as they strive to improve the athletic experience for all participants - athletes, parents, volunteers and administrators.
Sustained athletic success is dependent on the USSA Member Club Program. The club is the center of the athlete preparation, training and competition progression. The club is responsible for recruiting, retaining and developing young people who acquire, refine and finally master skills essential to success as an alpine competitor.
Through the USSA Member Club Program, USSA has the vehicle to service the most skiers in a cost efficient and effective manner. The ski and snowboard club is the base structure for all USSA programs and is the key to their success. USSA offers club membership tailored for each of its program areas Alpine, Nordic, Freestyle and Snowboarding. And, of course, ski clubs with multiple interests can be active in several areas of the USSA-Member Club Program.
The USSA Member Club Program includes three strategies:
- Communication
- Service (education and instructional resources)
- Recognition
Communication: USSA’s current strategy to communicate with the clubs is through mailings, web posting and email blasts that include competition and education materials supporting the activities and operations of the clubs. USSA staff is also conducting a visitation program to meet with Club leadership to better understand the critical issues at the local level.
Service: USSA is committed to utilizing existing resources and developing future resources that will assist in identifying and promoting “best practices” for USSA Member Clubs. As resources become available we will post those items to the website and notify Clubs that new resources are available.
USSA will host regular Club seminars in order to share ideas and communicate progressive strategies to help meet the challenges of club operations.
Recognition: USSA annually recognizing Ski and Snowboard Clubs that have done outstanding work in the past year. Recognition of Clubs is continuing now with highlights being posted on the USSA.org home page. The following markers are evaluated in helping to determine annual Club awards:
- Athletic excellence
- Coaching competence
- Quality of facilities
- Event production
- USSA member population
Club Strategies