Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club Appoints New Athletic Director; David Stewart
Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club (SSWSC) has announced that David Stewart, the Nordic Skiing Head Coach of the University of Denver, will be joining the SSWSC as its new Athletic Director effective June 1, 2019.
“Dave has a fantastic reputation in the collegiate and nordic skiing circles. While at DU, he was intently focused on the team’s long-term sustainability and good reputation. It is no accident that SSWSC alumni are well-represented there,” said Associate Executive Director Jon Nolting, who formerly held the SSWSC’s Athletic Director Position before a change in leadership last fall. “Dave’s athletic knowledge combined with his business acumen made him an ideal fit for the role.”
Stewart was the nordic skiing head coach for 12 years at DU. In that time he led his teams to six NCAA titles, 2 individual titles, and he coached 21 NCAA All-Americans. Stewart was named the Rocky Mountain Intercollegiate Ski Association’s Nordic Coach of the Year six times.
Stewart was an NCAA cross country skier himself during his college years at the University of Vermont, with several years of pro ski racing for the Subaru Factory Team, and he represented the U.S. in World Cup competition in 2005 before starting with DU in 2006. During his time as Head Coach, Stewart earned his MBA from the Daniels College of Business at the University of Denver in 2012, and used his business prowess to help manage the team and its alumni, donors and sponsors.
“The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club has a stellar reputation and a long legacy of success. As a coach at DU I have enjoyed building the environment my athletes need to succeed,” Stewart said. “At the SSWSC I hope to help lay the groundwork that allows coaches to do their best work and create a motivating, positive atmosphere for all athletes. I also hope to bring a long-term perspective, both in terms of individual athlete development and for the continued health of the club.”
“The community is gaining an upstanding citizen who will work with the SSWSC to provide incredible opportunities to hundreds of athletes each year,” said Executive Director Sarah Floyd. “We hope the Stewart family will not only have a lasting impact on our athletes, but also, in return, will enjoy the benefits that the Steamboat community offers when raising an active sports-oriented family.”
Stewart and his wife Haley fell in love with Steamboat years ago, and express excitement at moving to the community with their two year old son. “No place in the world offers better opportunities for snow sports than Steamboat,” Stewart said.
To date, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club offers youth development programming to approximately 1,000 athletes each year and claims 95 Olympians and 165 Olympic Appearances, more than any other town in North America.
