History of the Steamboat Braves
and of the
Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association

By Norm Townsen

The "Steamboat Braves" had its birth in the History of the Yampa Valley and of ice hockey in Steamboat Springs.

The first adult ice hockey team in Steamboat Springs, the "Steamboat Utes," was started in 1982 by Jerry Dunn and several others. A year later, in 1983, Jerry and the others had the idea to start a youth ice hockey program. In discussing this idea with his teammates. Jerry said, "We're the Utes. Little Utes are Braves. Let's call the team the Steamboat Braves."

The name stuck and the very first youth ice hockey team, and every youth ice hockey team since has been known as the "Steamboat Braves."

The City of Steamboat Springs has been actively involved since the beginning of ice hockey here because the first ice rink was built by volunteers in the middle of the rodeo grounds. A year or two later, the ice rink moved a little east of the rodeo grounds, nearer to where the existing ice rink is, and woken boards, lights and a crude refrigeration system were installed by volunteers using the very first annual donation made to the City of Steamboat Springs by the Steamboat Ski Corp.

In about 1988, running the Steamboat Braves youth ice hockey program became too much for these first volunteers, and the City of Steamboat Springs took over the operation of the program. Stacey Foster, the current ice rink manager, then ran the program for several years as a City youth activity.

Then, as the program and the numbers of players and teams continued to grow, it became too much for the City to run as well. Thus, in 1992, a group of parents of youth ice hockey players came together at the urging, and with the guidance and help of Stacey Foster and, in 1993 this group adopted the By-Laws and the Articles of Incorporation of the "Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association." That was the birth of the SSYHA as we know it now.

In the beginning, the "Steamboat Braves" had few teams to compete with, playing teams from Craig, Kremmling and Summit County. Parents from these communities eventually come together and in 1991, formed the "Central Rocky Mountain Youth Hockey League" in which most of our teams still compete. That league, now known as the "Rocky Mountain Youth Hockey League," has grown over the years and now includes teams from Craig, Kremmling, Oak Creek, Eagle County and other mountain communities.

Unfortunately, virtually all of the ice rinds on which these teams played, including the ice rink, here in Steamboat Springs, were outdoor rinks which were vulnerable to and dependent upon the vagaries of the weather. Many practices and games were simply cancelled in these early years due to the snow or cold weather, and many a young ice hockey player came off the ice in tears because their fingers, their toes and their ears hurt from the cold.

We are very fortunate that in 1996, the City of Steamboat Springs enclosed the ice rink eliminating these problems, and in 2002 completed the bleachers and the locker room in what is now the very best Olympic size ice rink in the Rocky Mountains. The City has not completed the final stage of our ice rink and it will only get better.

In 1997, the SSYHA joined and put two teams, (a Bantam team and a Midget team) into the "Mountain and Plains Youth Hockey League" and these two teams began traveling to play teams in the front range and in Wyoming.

In 1999, the "Mountains & Plains Youth Hockey League" disbanded and two separate leagues were formed. SSYHA chose to join the "Continental Divide Youth Hockey League," and we now have 6 traveling teams competing with teams in the Front Range and in Wyoming. The majority of our teams, however, continue to play teams closer to home in the "Rocky Mountain Youth Hockey League."

In the beginning, there was one "Steamboat Braves" ice hockey team with only a handful of young ice hockey players. In 2002 at the 20th anniversary of the "Steamboat Braves" and the 10th anniversary of the "Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey association," there are 14 ice hockey team made up of young boys and girls from ages 5 to 18, and involving as many as 225 young ice hockey players. We have boys teams and girls teams, and we have traveling teams and house teams. The goal has always been, and continues to be to provide for every young person in Steamboat springs who wants to play ice hockey toe opportunity to do so.

The "Steamboat Braves" and the "Steamboat Springs Youth Hockey Association" have come a very long way over the year, and there are many people who have given their time and their talents to make this happen. We owe each and every one of them a great debt of gratitude. Thank you one and all, now, "Let's play ice hockey!"