Offering support to youth sports organizations throughout the state, the inaugural Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day begins Wednesday. 

The day of giving is a collaborative effort between the Daniels Fund, Aspen Institute Project Play and nonprofit organizations across the state. It has led to event partners offering to match over $1 million in donations made to participating nonprofits from Sept. 4-30, helping youth sports organizations earn the resources to get more children on the field to play their favorite sports. 

Locally, nearly a dozen youth sport organizations are participating in the monthlong event, seeking help growing their clubs and providing equipment.

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Steamboat Soccer Club

Since 1984, the Steamboat Soccer Club has been committed to providing a safe, fun and inclusive environment for all children in the Yampa Valley. Steamboat Soccer Club is the second-largest youth sports program in town, serving over 1,000 athletes annually including children from Craig, Hayden, South Routt and Steamboat Springs.

Support will help enable the club to provide opportunities to low-income families and pay local referees, many of whom are middle and high school students. The club is aiming to raise $40,000 in honor of its 40th anniversary this year.

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Whiteout Volleyball Club

Regardless of socio-economic background, the Whiteout Volleyball Club gives every child a chance to participate in the sport. The club promotes teamwork, responsibility and respect while serving players from grades 4-12. The program consists of competitive travel teams, camps, clinics and private lessons. It also has a scholarship program to ensure access to the sport for all. 

High Altitude Basketball

High Altitude Basketball strives to instill the spirit of excellence in its players — excellence in community, relationships, basketball, fun and attitude. With nearly 400 youth in participation, HAB programming ranges from Little Hoopers as young as first grade to high school players looking to get more competitive. HAB’s philosophy focuses on relationships as “players don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” 

Steamboat Tennis Association

The Steamboat Tennis Association’s focus is to make tennis available to all youth in the Yampa Valley. The organization sees tennis as a vehicle to build character on and off the court. Tennis can be a healthy lifelong sport and the association hopes to shape those skills early in a person’s life. 

Steamboat Dance Theatre

Steamboat Dance Theatre’s mission is to engage, educate and enrich the communities of the Yampa Valley through dance and movement. In addition to its annual concert, the theater provides scholarships to those with financial need to fulfill their dancing dreams. It is a community-focused organization that partners with schools to expose youth to dance at an early age. 

The Cycle Effect

Empowering girls and women through mountain biking, The Cycle Effect uses the bike as a way to mentor riders and promote belonging, physical well-being, mental health, leadership and fun outside. The organization hosts youth and adult programs in Eagle, Summit, Mesa and Routt counties and provides bikes, gear, transportation, bilingual coaching and low-cost programming to boost participation. 

Colorado Biathlon Club

Steamboat Springs has a strong heritage in Nordic skiing and is quickly growing its biathlon community. The Colorado Biathlon Club is committed to developing and empowering youth and adult biathletes through growth in the sport. It offers programming to ages 11-18 and maintains a range at the YMCA of the Rockies Snow Mountain Ranch Nordic Center near Granby. 

Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association

Celebrating its 30th year, the Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association is focused on providing a positive hockey experience on and off the ice. The organization partners with the school district to offer an Introduction to Hockey program, which provides youth ages 5-11 the opportunity to try hockey for free. Consistently waitlisted, additional financial support would give the organization the opportunity to expand the program and bring hockey to more youth in the area. 

Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Colorado

The Boys & Girls Clubs of Northwest Colorado serve over 1,000 children ages 6-18 in the Yampa Valley. The club’s mission is to inspire and enable young people in Northwest Colorado to “realize their full potential as productive, responsible and caring citizens.” The club aims to help youth build self-esteem and develop values and skills important during years of growth. 

Steamboat Skating Club

Supporting figure skaters across all skill levels, the Steamboat Skating Club offers instruction to youth ages 5 and up. The programs are designed to build personal, athletic and artistic growth for beginner to advanced skaters. Skaters have the opportunity to participate in the annual spring ice show among other community events. Competitive skating opportunities are also supported through the club. 

Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club 

The Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club intends to use all money raised from Colorado Youth Sports Giving Day to support neurodivergent athletes by allowing paraprofessionals to assist in SSWSC programming. Neurodivergent is a non-medical term for people whose brains process information differently than most. “All children deserve the opportunity to develop life skills and personal growth through sports,” the club said.