It is the time of year when many are focused on that New Year’s resolution to adopt a healthier lifestyle, get in shape and/or achieve a higher level of performance in their favorite sport.   The Minturn Fitness Center (MFC) at Maloit Park in Minturn is a unique place for adults of all ages to realize these goals due to its relationship with Ski & Snowboard Club Vail (SSCV) and the resources this makes available to the community.

MFC members have access to the same equipment, resources, knowledge base and staff available to SSCV full-time development level athletes as well as current and former SSCV Olympic, World Cup and National Team athletes. Whether your passion is skiing, riding, cycling, mountain biking, an organized team sport or starting at ground zero to achieve fitness and well-being, the MFC has everything needed to jumpstart this effort. MFC staff will set up a personalized fitness plan based on a functional movement screening to support all ages in achieving their short and long-term fitness and performance goals.

SSCV’s Human Performance Program

The SSCV Human Performance Program is in place to provide athletic resources to its full-time athletes year-round along with its coaches. The MFC staff of National Strength and Conditioning Association certified professionals provides industry leading advice in the world of sport science and strength and conditioning at all levels as well as peak mental performance and nutritional consultation.

SSCV Human Performance is tasked with the design and implementation of strength and conditioning programming for all full-time athletes at SSCV. Through its partnerships with the Steadman, Philippon Research Institute, Denver University Sport Science and EXOS Performance Education, its programming is built on the latest research in the fields of performance training.

Passion and effort are differentiators

Even with all of these resources in place, in the end, it is the individual passion and effort put forth by the athlete that makes the difference.  Katie Collins, Dominik Lettovsky and Ryan Collins are three SSCV full-time alpine athletes who exhibit extraordinary passion and effort.

Katie, a 10th grader at Vail Ski & Snowboard Academy (VSSA) exemplifies what every strength coach is looking for. Despite her knee injury at the end of last season, she attended every available day of summer training doing everything she could to become stronger. On her days off during the week, you will often find her in the gym before school working on her conditioning and recovery doing stretching, lifting or foam rolling. During her team training sessions she is often ahead of her teammates in getting things done. Even with her injury, Katie has been setting the standard of leadership and work ethic among her peers.

Dominik Lettovsky, a 9th grader at VSSA, recently earned his right of passage as a 14-year-old entering into the SSCV Human Performance Program at the MFC. Dominik took full advantage of the MFC over the summer. His great attitude, dedication and hard work paid off tremendously as reflected in his physical testing scores. In this past year, Dominik’s Vertical Jump increased by 7 inches, his 5X Broad Jump increased by 4 feet, he increased his 60 second box jump by 4 and advanced to new levels in his aerobic capacity. Always early to training sessions and spending extra time with warm-up and cool down, “Domo” is always engaged, listening to the trainers, absorbing information and asking questions. He emerged as the leader of the first year U16’s this summer and fall with this effort and energy.

As the level of competition increases, so do the demands of off-season, pre-season and in-season sport-specific training.  VSSA 11th grader Ryan Collins exhibited hard work, dedication, and focus over the summer and fall building up to his on-snow training. Ryan has great passion for competitive ski racing that is evident in every aspect of his training on and off snow. He brings great energy to the weight room, helping to build and motivate his team. Ryan is considered a leader amongst his peers within this elite group of athletes at SSCV.

Making one’s mark as an athlete is most dependent on one’s show of commitment, leadership and grit, lifelong skills learned every day at SSCV through the vehicle of competitive snow sports both on and off snow.

The MFC opened its doors in August 2014 through a partnership with the Town of Minturn and the generosity of donors and is a critical part of making dreams come true and goals a reality “For the Kids” and the adults it serves.