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Kickers and Gliders participant Louisa skiing Credit: Courtesy of Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation

For kids looking to test their skills or gain new ones on snow, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center offers opportunities for any skill level.

The Kickers and Gliders program in particular is for 6-11 year olds looking to get into cross country skiing. Participants learn the basics of skate and classic skiing, and build a foundation for continued growth and participation in the sport. 

Last year, 120 kids participated in the program, which begins Jan. 6 and ends the final week of February. This year the program hopes to bring the number of participating kids closer to 150, said Gerrit Garberich, senior program manager and COMP Biathlon head coach.

“Mostly we’re targeting kids in the Heber Valley who are in that elementary and middle school range,” said Garberich, “trying to get them to come out and at least give it a try. And then, if they like it, hopefully sign up for a program and do it for life, because it’s a great lifelong sport that’s easy on the body and keeps you fit and healthy.”

Identifying obstacles kids might face in joining the program, Garberich explained that they are able to provide some transportation from schools and pickup spots. 

“We have a 44-passenger bus and three 12-passenger vans that we are eager to drive around to the local schools if needed to pick up kids to come ski,” he said. “We’re currently planning on running it to the Soldier Hallow charter school on Monday and Wednesday, and to Midway Elementary on Tuesday and Thursday. But definitely open to adding a few more schools, and we’re also trying to get the district to run a school bus from each school having a drop off spot be at Soldier Hollow.”

This year, parallel with the goal to increase participation, they aim to reach more Latino families. 

“We have some underrepresented populations. The Latino community is certainly underrepresented in skiing programs out here,” said Luke Bodensteiner, two-time Olympian and general manager at the Soldier Hollow Nordic Center. “That’s something we’ve been working to change.”

With eyes on the 2034 Olympics, Bodensteiner said they want to increase diversity in their programs and get kids excited about participating in sport. 

“The vision of the Olympics is really to elevate our communities, elevate sport and elevate the Games experience,” he said. “When we talk about elevating our communities, we need a few things. One is inspiring the youth, right? Having that event come to our community is going to be inspirational for a lot of kids, they’re going to want to figure out how to take part in the sports before or in particular after the Olympics, and we’re here to open the door for kids to participate that way.”

Bodensteiner said they want to channel the energy of the Olympics and Paralympics into opportunities for kids to participate in sport while embracing all abilities and interests, and “give them a home out here to participate in what we think is a really healthy winter sport.”

Under the Utah Olympic Legacy Foundation, Soldier Hollow Nordic Center aims to create accessibility by offering scholarships to families that need financial assistance. 

This year, through the financial support of the Wasatch Community Foundation, there are 20 spots available to Latino kids at a cost of $25 for the season. 

As a coach, Garberich is able to share not only his experience with the kids but also his enthusiasm for the sport, which has led him to many places, including Soldier Hollow from his home state of Minnesota. 

“Learning to ski and learning to recreate in Utah with some of the greatest snow on Earth I think is an important thing to be healthy and happy in the winter months,” he said. “But then also, they’ll learn skills like problem solving, develop habits like exercising regularly and challenging themselves, both physically and mentally at practice.”

In addition to the Kickers and Gliders program, two other ski programs are offered at Soldier Hollow. DEVO is designed for 10-14 year olds just starting out cross country skiing or for those who want to progress their skiing from Kickers and Gliders. And COMP for athletes 14-22 years old to further develop their skills. 

“We also have biathlon for middle school-aged kids and high school-aged kids, so that would be cross country skiing and precision shooting of the 22 long rifle,” said Garberich. “We’re one of the only places in the country where you can do that, so it’s pretty cool. And we also have a program for cyclists who do a little cross training with us in the off-season. So they’ll cross country, ski, weightlift and ride their bike indoors, and that runs from January to May.”

For more information, visit utaholympiclegacy.org/location/soldier-hollow.

To register for the Kickers and Gliders program, visit the following links: