It was an overcast morning up on the ridgeline of Park City Mountain. Looking out over the This Is Your Mountain sign, clouds and fog obscured the sunrise. Flat light washed out the early morning corduroy underfoot, but making the first tracks of the day down Lost Prospector and Newport, we had conf idence in the grooming and sliced big, fast turns down the pitch.First tracks mornings are a delight. You can make huge arcs down the piste, meet up with old friends on the lift, and look forward to that run to the bottom as hundreds line up for the first public chair at 9 a.m.This first tracks each March is a very special one for me. It’s a day that reminds me of what a supportive community we have in Park City that provides pathways for kids in every sector of our town to get out and play in the snow.I think a lot back to life in our town 30 years ago as we prepared for the 2002 Olympics. We were building ski jumps, sliding tracks, and ice rinks. We were all jazzed about the Games coming to our town. And while we had some great ski programs for kids, it was nothing like the opportunities provided to our youth today.As Parkites, we all have our favorite nonprofits. For me, it’s Youth Sports Alliance. It’s about the kids we met that morning at first tracks. Kenia Ramirez is a junior at Park City High School. Ten years ago, she started in YSA’s Get Out & Play program, sampling skiing, ice skating, and snowboarding. Today, she has already achieved her PSIA junior snowboard instructor certification at Park City Mountain. On the side, she serves as a big sister, and is active in Bright Futures.“Through YSA, I’ve met a lot of great people who helped me overcome challenges and who are like my second parents,” she said, telling her story of sport. “I’ve learned life skills like communication. A couple of years ago when I was here, I probably wouldn’t be talking. I’m just very grateful.”But how do kids with no family background in winter sport learn how to take even the first steps? That’s where leaders like Eva Montejano come in. She’s an outreach coordinator at Trailside Elementary. She’s seen the benefits youth sports programs can bring and has become a significant advocate for the Latino community.To Eva, sport is more than going fast down a mountain. “It makes them feel part of the community,” she said. “It’s part of something bigger.” She tells the story of a little girl who learned how to ice skate and now wants to be part of the Olympics. And stories of how sport has been a barrier breaker for young boys and girls who didn’t speak English.“Sports help kids learn to communicate — it makes them feel more confident in themselves.”Maddie Kaiserman grew up in Park City, starting out with YSA’s Get Out & Play. She chose alpine skiing. And she started to get pretty good! “I’m so grateful for all the sacrifices my parents made for me to be in ski racing,” she said. “But as I got to a higher level, I struggled a little bit to find funding, to take advantage, to take the opportunities that came my way.”As a junior ski racer, YSA’s Stein Eriksen Scholarship Fund helped get her to a national development camp. Today, she’s on scholarship as a ski racer with the University of Utah.Provo native Steven Nyman grew up skiing Sundance before joining the Park City Ski Team. He burst onto the scene in 2002, winning a Junior World Championship title just weeks after the Olympics back home. He went on to become one of America’s greatest downhill ski racers, winning the fabled Saslong three times in the Dolomites.Today, Steven and wife Charlotte, are ski parents. They volunteer their time to help others, along with their own two kids. With their daughter learning cross country, Nyman thought volunteering would be a good opportunity.“I thought I would get a workout in, but I was too busy picking up everybody’s stuff and just trying to keep everybody together,” he said with a smile. “But it was a lot of fun to see the kids learn.”We had enjoyed some good turns that morning. But seeing the future of our community through the eyes of young athletes brought the most joy.The post Ridgelines: First Tracks is more than early morning turns appeared first on Park Record. ...read more read less