Ogden Valley Adaptive Sports (formerly Snowbasin Adaptive Sports) is a non-profit, tax-exempt organization whose mission is to provide adaptive snow sports programs at Snowbasin, Powder Mountain, and Nordic Valley resorts. They are passionate about enriching the lives of people with disabilities through winter sports and recreation. Thanks to the generous support of individual donors, grants from private corporations, foundations and the community, they offer scholarships that enable participants to engage in our programs, regardless of ability to pay. Their fundamental goal is to provide high quality, personalized, safe and fun experiences to individuals and families through winter sports and recreation.
Individuals of all ages and abilities can participate in our ski and snowboard programs. Their lessons include specially designed equipment such as bi-skis, mono-skis, sliders, ski bikes, and outriggers as well as traditional ski and snowboard equipment. Many times, you will be tethered to an instructor or stand-up skier who will assist with steering, balance, and getting you down the mountain safely. They encourage the inclusion of family and friends in your lesson and the program. It is truly life-changing for everyone.
They have dedicated instructors and many volunteers who know they are privileged to coach and ski with students of varying levels of cognitive, emotional and physical disabilities. Their instructors are highly skilled and have specialized training in adaptive techniques. Sometimes participants are paired with the same instructor for multiple lessons, fostering a trusting relationship that helps maximize their learning potential. The comfort of a familiar face helps them overcome challenges in the lesson. Consistency is also important, so instructors write up progress notes about goals, accomplishments, and next steps after each lesson. These serve as a “where we left off” reminder for the next lesson. Their staff cares about the goals of our participants. They share stories, discuss successful strategies and troubleshoot individual challenges on a daily basis. When one person encounters a hurdle, others help transform the same into a learning asset. Everyone at OVAS brings something unique to the team, and they strive to come up with solutions together. Sometimes that means they try a new approach in teaching. Other times, they identify a motivating factor. Always they are thinking of their students and their goals.
