Save the University of Nevada Ski Team

A Situational Outline and Strategy Moving Forward

University of Nevada Skiing August Teague Evan Weiss

Legacy Hall, #264 Director of Skiing Head Alpine Coach
Reno, NV 89557 Head Nordic Coach eweiss@unr.edu
O: 775.682.6943 ateague@unr.edu
F: 775.742.4508
Doug Ball
President, Nevada Skiing Boosters
PO Box 3216
Reno, NV 89505

keepnevadaskiing.blogspot.com Twitter @ keepnevadaski

keepnevadaskiing@gmail.com Facebook @ Keep Nevada Skiing
 9/8/2009

Dear Nevada Skiing Supporters,

During the last week of June, Nevada Athletic Director Cary Groth cut the skiing
program. The decision was in response to the Athletic Department facing severe
34% budget cuts. The Nevada Skiing community is now faced with the immense
challenge of raising $500,000 to keep the team afloat.

For this coming season, the Athletic Department will cover coach’s salaries and a
reduced scholarship amount for student-athletes. The Nevada Skiing Boosters
will be responsible for funding the complete operating budget for the 2010
season. Next year and beyond, the Athletic Department will no longer fund
coach’s salaries or any new student-athlete scholarships with the exception of
endowed ski specific scholarships. Ms. Groth has given us until November 1st to
raise promises of $125,000 each year for a four year period to enable stability for
incoming student-athletes and retention of coaches.

We need your financial support! Unfortunately, our timeline is short and our fund
raising challenges are immense. Instead of letters of support we need checks. If
you are unable to donate financially, please send us contacts of those who may
help. We are also looking to decrease our overhead costs, please review our
Wish List to see if there are any items you may have to donate.

Nevada Skiing prides itself on its tradition of excellence in the Sierra Nevada
Region. Please help us continue our tradition of excellence. Thank you for your
support.

Sincerely,

Nevada Skiing 2009

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

Fund Raising Strategy
Nevada Skiing Boosters and the supporting community have shown great
interest in continuing the Nevada Ski Team. The Skiing Boosters along with the
coaches are actively seeking pledges in order to meet our goal of $125,000 each
year for four years to fund the program through 2014. We are confident that a
well executed plan will be successful and in the process a long term strategy will
be developed allowing skiing to remain at Nevada indefinitely. Donations can be
processed with the attached forms. Any questions can be directed towards
Nevada Skiing coaches.

1. Alumni Support—Alumni are key to our efforts. Please help by networking

with past teammates and actively seeking donations. We are also looking
for several alumni leaders to spearhead this drive.
2. Title Donation- $75,000-$100,000 annual donation from the private or
corporate sector.
3. Large Donations—$20,000-$50,000 annual donations from the private or
corporate sectors will be a major catalyst.
4. Community Support—As the preeminent ski racing team in California,
Nevada and the Pacific Northwest, Nevada Skiing is the culminating
experience for large numbers of local ski racers. Please spread our
message to the greater skiing community.
5. Grants
6. Trade—We continue to have the ability to trade goods and services for
access to Nevada Athletics events and several advertising opportunities.

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

Proud History
In 1936 skiing pioneer Wayne Poulsen founded the University of Nevada Ski
Team. One year later, UNR athletics officially recognized the team awarding
Varsity Letters. In 1939 UNR Skiing “claimed” the National Collegiate Ski
Championship using a compilation and comparison of times and results of East
and West Intercollegiate Championship Ski Meets. By 1947 skiing was a major
sport at the university, hosting a city-wide Winter Carnival and sending several
athletes to the Olympics and US Ski Team. Following World War II ski racing’s
bourgeoning popularity led to NCAA affiliation in 1954. That same year, UNR
was awarded the first NCAA Championships, honoring the team’s excellence.
Nevada did not disappoint with UNR’s Pat Myers winning the Downhill, becoming
the first NCAA downhill skiing champion. UNR skiers were known as elite
athletes, competing in four skiing disciplines including jumping, downhill, slalom,
and Nordic.

By the 1950 skiing was a major sport and industry in the Reno/Tahoe region. In
1960 Wayne Poulsen, now co-founder of Squaw Valley, helped lead an effort to
bring the Winter Olympic Games to his resort, cementing skiing’s importance to
UNR and the region. From 1959-1969 UNR Skiing finished six times in the top
ten at the NCAA skiing championships.

UNR Skiing continued to grow through the 1960s and 1970s until a combination
of a sliding economy and Title IX requirements forced it being dropped from
NCAA affiliation in 1981. During these same years several other institutions,
including University of Denver and University of Wyoming, were forced to drop
their skiing programs. Adapting to the times, NCAA Skiing was restructured to
include two alpine and two Nordic events while combining scores for one overall
team champion. In 1983 NCAA skiing finalized its restructure by adding
women’s competition. In a situation highly unique within the NCAA, men and
women compete on the same teams, under the same coach, and with a gender-
combined scoring system. UNR skiing is proud of its TRUE gender equitability.

Through the 1980s and early 1990s UNR skiing crept along as a club sport, often
without coaches or much support from the university. Despite these challenges,
UNR skiing alumni continued to cherish their experiences with the team. In the
early 1990s a small group of highly motivated alumni and boosters came
together breathing life back into the team culminating with reinstatement to
NCAA competition in 1994. Since then, UNR Skiing finished seven times in the
top ten at NCAA Skiing Championships, highlighted by four individual titles, and
35 All America’s.

Now known as the University of Nevada Ski Team, around 30 male and female
student athletes from Nevada, California, Utah, Colorado, Vermont, Oregon,
Minnesota, Montana, and six other countries compete within the Rocky Mountain
Intercollegiate Ski Association conference of the NCAA. The team travels

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

throughout the Western US, with competitions ranging from the US National
Championships to the local Tahoe Series. 2010 goals include a top four finish at
the NCAA Skiing Championships and the continuation of Nevada Skiing’s
academic excellence. The team has never dropped below the NCAA minimum
GPA average of 2.0 and traveling-team expectations include a minimum 3.0
GPA. Community involvement is also a team priority, with the staff and student-
athletes completing over 400 hours of community service each year, as well as
working as ambassadors for ski racing throughout the Tahoe region. Nevada
Skiing also runs the UNR Ski Swap, drawing ten’s of thousands of skiers to buy
new and used equipment.

Last year program director August Teague, with the addition of new head alpine
coach Evan Weiss, set forth a plan targeting bringing an NCAA Championship
back to University of Nevada Skiing by 2012. Action items include heavy local
recruiting, creating a standard of excellence hard for locals to pass up and
simultaneously making national and foreign recruitment a resource and not the
standard. Nevada Skiing continues to recognize the need to fully develop each
skier as a whole, physically and mentally. Key to this effort is consistent coaching
and athlete-management while actively seeking the proper financial support to
meet these lofty goals. The University of Nevada Ski Team is on its way to a
championship, but recent state-wide budget cuts greatly challenged us.

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

 Nevada Ski Team Wish List
Because of the recent budget cuts to the ski team, “Save UNR ski team!!!”
www.nevadanordic.blogspot.com, we are looking for cash donations or various
equipment. You can donate directly to a specific area and know where your
money will be spent, or you can donate to our endowment to ensure that the ski
team stays in Nevada.

Please send donations to:

University of Nevada Ski Team Foundation
Legacy Hall, MS 264
Reno, NV 89557

If you have any other ideas on how we might be able to raise some money to
save our program please leave a comment with your email and we will get back
to you. We will try to keep this list as up to date as possible.

Thank you for your support.

***All donations are tax deductable.

Cash Goals:
Ski Team Endowment GOAL $3,000,000
Endowed Scholarships Variable $300,000
2009-2010 Operating Budget Shortfall $58,050
2010-2011 Operating Budget Shortfall $125,000
2011-2012 Operating Budget Shortfall $125,000
2012-2013 Operating Budget Shortfall $125,000
2013-2014 Operating Budget Shortfall $125,000

Housing Needs
One of the most costly items on our budget is travel. Please take a look at our
schedule and see if you have a house, condo, or friend who might be willing to
host the team while we are at one of our races.

Equipment needs (or cash to buy)

Team Vehicles (4) Your Old SUV or Truck $120,000
Alpine Fall Camp On snow camp $12,000 Ten Days
Alpine Racing Suit 20 Suits @ $600 $12,000
Olympic 30 Slalom Gate 40 Gates @ $49 $1,960
Nordic Fall Camp On snow camp $5,000 Six Days
Schwinn Spin Bikes 2/year @ $800 $1,600
Lactate Test Strips 25/BOX $50
Lancets 100/BOX $13
Leather Work Belt 3@ $13 $39
Key Holster/Monster Hook 3@ $15 $45

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

Bushnell Range Finder 1@$180 $180
SPM World Cup Panels 50@ 19 $950
Brower Wireless Bib ID XS Training System $2,855
Nordic Speed Trap 1@$1250 $1,250
Video Analysis Dart Fish or Other $3,000
Nordic Hot Box 1@$3,00 $3,000
Swix Wax Lots!!! $2,500
Start Wax Green!!!+ $500
Rode Wax Kick $500
Holmenkol Wax Alpine $1000
Toko Wax Powder $500
Wax Iron 2@ $175 $350
Oval Steal Brush 2@$25 $50
Oval Course Brash Brush 2@$20 $40
Oval Fine Steal Brush 4@$35 $140
Oval Medium Bronze Brush 4@$20 $80
Oval Black Stiff Nylon Brush 4@$20 $80
Oval Wild Boar Brush 4@$20 $80
Oval White Nylon Brush 4@$20 $80
Structure Tool, Fishbone 1@$1,250 $1,250
Fine Imprint Roller 1@$250 $250
Medium Imprint Roller 1@$250 $250
Course Imprint Roller 1@$250 $250
Compact Ski Rack For XC 1@$800 $800
Ferrules 20@$9 $180
Team Bag 2@$115 $230
Classic Roller Skis 12@$250 $3,000
Skate Roller Skis 12@$250 $3,000
Bindings For Roller skis 24@$80 $1,920
Harp Carver 10@$350 $3,500

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

Budget:
FY08/09
Operating Budget:
Telephone 2,490
Office Supplies 110
Postage 80
Gas (Van/Yukons) 3,800
Equipment 15,370
Team Travel 60,200
Van/Yukon Rentals 12,835
Facility Rental (Mt Rose) 7,300
Miscellaneous 2,550
Student Assistants 26,870
Subtotal 131,605

Salaries:
Salaries/Fringe (Coaches) 122,980

Financial Aid
Room/Board/Books 84,060
Tuition/Fee’s (Waivers) 181,035
Subtotal 265,095

Total Ski Team Expenditures 519,095

Operating Budget:
Booster Support (47,825)
Mt Rose Tickets (980)
Salaries:
NCAA Sport *** (49,800)
Financial Aid
Type II Scholarships (31,130)

Total Ski Team Outside Income (129,735)

Net Ski Team Cost on Nevada 389,360

Net with out Tuition Waivers 208,325

*** NCAA Gives each Division I school $24,900 per sponsored sport over 14, so
the University of Nevada receives $49,800 for men and women’s skiing These
funds are currently going towards coaches’ salaries.

University of Nevada Skiing 2009

Budget:
FY09/10 FY10/11 FY11/12
Operating Budget:
Telephone 2,490 2,490 2,490
Office Supplies 100 100 100
Postage 100 100 100
Gas (Van/Yukons) 4,000 4,500 4,500
Equipment 21,525 12,995 12,995
Team Travel 65,000 55,000 55,000
Van/Yukon Rentals 22,835 12,835 12,835
Facility Rental 5,000 0 0
Miscellaneous 3,000 3,000 3,000
Student Assistants 15,000 15,000 15,000
Subtotal 139,150 106,020 106,020

Salaries:
Salaries/Fringe (Coaches) 122,980 122,980 122,980

Financial Aid
Room/Board/Books 31,130 31,130 31,130
Tuition/Fee’s (Waivers) 230,000 0 0
Subtotal 261,130 31,130 31,130

Total Ski Team Expenditures 523,160 260,130 260,130

Income
University of Nevada
Salaries:
Salaries/Fringe (Coaches) (122,980) 0 0
Student Assistants (15,000) 0 0
Subtotal (137,980) 0 0
Financial Aid:
Tuition/Fee’s (Waivers) (230,000) 0 0

Boosters
Ski Swap (50,000) (50,000) (50,000)
Mt Rose Tickets (1,000) (1,000) (1,000)
Far West Alpine (15,000) (15,000) (15,000)
NCAA Sport 0 (40,000) (49,800)
Type II Scholarships (31,130) (31,130) (31,130)
Total Ski Team Outside Income (97,130) (137,130) (137,130)

Budget Shortfall 58,050 125,000 125,000

University of Nevada Skiing 2009