Unlocking Potential and Fueling Dreams

Photo Credit SYNC Performance

Ski Racing Media is privileged to promote organizations that support deserving athletes.  The SYNC Athlete Fund (SAF) and their partner, the Team America Foundation (TAF), are among those groups. Together, they have provided over a million dollars to over 150 athletes since 2016.

Dan Leever founded the TA Foundation and the SYNC Athlete Fund for a specific reason. He reflected on his father’s words: “If you don’t put something back into the pot, one day you will reach in, and it will be empty.” He emphasizes that luck and support played a significant role in his business success. Now he views helping others as a clear and necessary endeavor.

Both of Leever’s sons were ski racers, and now his grandson is a U16.  Over the decades, he has devoted significant thought and time to helping his local Ski and Snowboard Club Vail and USSS. Undoubtedly, Leever loves ski racing.  “One of the things I love about ski racing is that the fastest from point A to point B wins. But that doesn’t mean politics aren’t involved in the sport. I know some decisions by our NGB have disadvantaged athletes, especially the older ones. Eliminating our men’s World Cup SL team in the spring of 2018 is one glaring example.”

Leever reveals, “Providing funding for these athletes so they can continue to chase their dream is a core focus. In general, the sport has become too expensive. The SYNC Athlete Fund’s (SAF) current focus is to support athletes from U16 and up. Our support enables athletes who otherwise might not be able to fully participate to take full advantage of the development opportunities available to them. To see athletes like Tricia Mangan, Paula Moltzan, Brian McLaughlin, George Steffey and AJ Ginnis make it back to the top after struggling as independents is especially rewarding. It wouldn’t feel right to pour our resources into our family’s ski racing endeavors without also spreading them more broadly.”  

SYNC’s President and CEO Geof Ochs tells SRM, “The SYNC athlete grants’ mission is to help athletes push their limits and challenge the status quo. The SYNC Athlete Fund further inspires and empowers the next generation of skiers. The SAF’s goal is to financially support promising ski racers with the potential to be elite. It helps those in need afford essentials like coaching, travel and equipment.”

Ochs adds, “Seeing grant recipients’ progress validates the impact of the SYNC Athlete Fund. Witnessing the differences these grants make in athletes’ lives and the sport’s growth motivates us to expand support.”

The Team America Foundation also enhances US ski racing by offering financial resources to support organizations pursuing national and international success.

Leever states that the TA Foundation is more than the SYNC Athlete Fund. “The foundation has also actively supported venues, especially those with early season potential. We have contributed significantly to the race arena in Vail and venues at Loveland, Steamboat, Burke, Sugarloaf and others. These initiatives create more competitive training opportunities to help a generation of US ski racers compete worldwide.

These contributions are one example of how to make ski racing more competitive and less expensive. The US is the wealthiest country in the world. There is no reason our youth should not have the same opportunities as the rest of the world. We must do this through private fundraising, not government support. We hope the example of our foundation and other private funders will encourage others to do the same and lift ski racing in the US to the highest levels.”

In 2016, the first iteration of direct-to-athlete financial support, SYNC Junior Team, began. The program has since expanded to include U16 and older age groups, reaching up to the World Cup level.

SAF provides resources to individual athletes demonstrating financial need and actively competing as amateurs. They prioritize those on a path to high-level competition without support from other sources. The policy follows a “speed and needs” criteria. Most individual grants range from $250 to $10,000.

Established in 2012, the TA Foundation, a private operating foundation in Vail, Colorado, conducts charitable programs. It supports individuals and exempt organizations. As a qualified 501(c)(3) entity, contributions are tax-deductible, like those to public charities.

To be eligible for the SAF grant:

• Applicants must be U16 or older with amateur status.
• They must demonstrate financial need, with grants providing a significant impact.
• Requests should show visible, immediate financial need and align with the Fund’s mission.
• Successful competitive records within their age group are required.
• Applicants must show the potential to compete at an elite level, with regional, national, or international experience and rankings by a national governing body.

The Deadline to apply for the 2023-24 SYNC grants is August 31st, 2023.

Applications for SYNC Athlete Grants can be made at: https://www.syncperformance.com/pages/sync-athlete-fund-page

Groups or organizations are not eligible for individual grants. Instead, teams, clubs, and organizations should seek assistance through the partner non-profit TA Foundation. Contact Team America Foundation at [email protected]