As the “Ivy League of the West,” located in the heart of the Rocky Mountains, our university is in one of the most serene and picturesque places on the entire planet. Due to our unique access to this stunning terrain, we are able to host one of the nation’s most outstanding skiing teams. However, this group of students is rarely acknowledged and celebrated as much as our other sports teams, and should receive more recognition at DU.
DU Skiing is the most successful sports team in the history of our school. To date, they have won 22 NCAA team titles, had 59 coaches and alumni compete on behalf of our nation at Olympics all over the world and won an incredible number of other awards. In addition, DU Skiing has a diverse team, with current members and alumni from the U.S., Canada, Germany, Norway, France, Finland, Italy and Sweden, representing the incredible talent that is unique to our campus. Yet, for such an outstanding record, DU Skiing receives very little recognition on campus. Although it is difficult to attend competitions, which are located hours away from campus and sometimes in other states, DU can do more to show their support our athletes.
As with other sports, such as lacrosse and hockey, DU should host a tailgate and viewing party of competitions on a regular basis for all students. Similar to what occurred during DU Lacrosse’s most recent NCAA championship, DU should organize transportation to the ski team’s yearly carnival and encourage student support during major competitions. Lastly, DU should host pep rallies to celebrate major victories for the ski team. All of these combined efforts will increase the presence of our ski team on campus and build greater pride in our school.
Although DU has begun the shift towards celebrating the accomplishments of our sports teams on a more regular basis, more can be done to recognize and support our athletes. DU Skiing is only one of the many sports teams on campus that are not usually recognized as much as sports like lacrosse or hockey. With increased festivities and events designed to recognize the achievements of our athletes, school spirit will drastically increase and our athletes will receive the recognition they deserve.
