The Mālama Ski Club, a new adaptive ski program, is launching this winter with aims to help Spanish-speaking youth with disabilities experience the confidence and freedom that come from learning how to ski and snowboard, said its founder Chuck Steele.
The club was developed to give Latino families who may be unfamiliar with snow sports a supported path onto the mountain, especially for the kids who might not know where to begin. It will host a cohort of youth ages 6 to 17 who will ski together four times this season at Park City Mountain resort. Sessions will run from noon-3:30 p.m. on Dec. 17, Jan. 28, March 11 and April 1.
Participants will meet at the McGrath Mountain Center at Park City Mountain, where the group will be led by National Ability Center instructors.
Steele — who is also a coach at the National Ability Center — said the idea came from seeing first hand how many Spanish-speaking students with physical, cognitive or special learning disabilities were interested in skiing but faced barriers to accessing it.
Fluent in the language, Steele works closely with those Spanish-speaking athletes at the National Ability Center. Earlier this year he began coordinating with special education staff in the Park City and Wasatch County school districts to help get the word out to families who might be interested in joining the club in it’s inaugural season.
The program is designed to eliminate as many barriers as possible for the young athletes and their families. All lessons, lift access, equipment and winter clothing are provided free of charge, thanks in part to support from the Christian Center of Park City. Steele said the structure helps families who are completely new to snow sports feel comfortable taking the first step, and the group format allows students to make new friends while simply enjoying time in the snow.
The name Mālama, Steele said, comes from a Hawaiian word meaning “to care for” or “to take care of,” reflecting the program’s focus on support, joy and connection. The word is also a nod to the founder’s connection to the island, where he spent time coaching soccer and started an organization that carries the same name. In the Wasatch Back, Steele hopes this new program will continue to reach more kids as families learn that opportunities like the ones offered through Mālama exist.
“If you get a chance to chat with some of our athletes, you feel such a sense of belonging that I haven’t found working with any other group,” said Steele. “You can just be who you want to be.”
Steele encourages families whose children have cognitive or physical disabilities to reach out, especially those who may feel hesitant because they have never participated in snow sports before. He said many parents worry about sending a child with a disability into an unfamiliar environment, but the program is designed to support beginners and make the experience approachable.
The program will be conducted in Spanish, which Steele hopes will ease concerns for families and athletes who face a language barrier and help them feel more confident participating.
“As soon as they’re on the hill, you can see that they’re feeling free — just like any other neurotypical athlete on the hill,” he said. “Our mission is to help these kids feel free and to have fun.”
Registration is currently open and space remains available for the winter cohort. Families can sign up or ask questions by contacting program director Chuck Steele at 808-354-6696 or via email at [email protected].