Want to be a Winter Olympian? Here's where to start

Some nice advice from Bob Condron, director of media services for the U.S. Olympic Committee, for youngsters looking for their own place on future podiums:

How to Be an Olympian: Where do you go? Who do you call? Where do you sign up?

Vancouver, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada-- An Olympic journey begins with a single step. It's that first one toward a goal that's the most important.

For every one of the medals earned by U.S. Olympians in Vancouver and Whistler, there was that first step on the frozen ponds of Minnesota, the ice sheets in Wisconsin, the rinks of Boston and the hills and jumps in Steamboat Springs.

They all asked those first questions about how to be an Olympian to a parent or a coach. How do I take that first step?

And the answers came.

"So you want to be a bobsledder, Steve? Do you know where Lake Placid is located?

"Well, Apolo, You want to learn how to skate? Vancouver is a pretty good place for a kid to learn.

"OK Lindsey, you might want to ski on that little hill in Minnesota?

"Shaun, you ought to learn how to spin around a couple of times, add a few twists and give it a good name, like the double MacTwist. Dude, that'd be Cool."

After watching the Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver and Whistler and reading about the heroes on the ice and snow, millions of kids in living rooms and back yards around America are asking the same questions.

"How do I get involved? How can I get on the United States Olympic Team."

If a soldier with six medals in the Army and a degenerative eye disease can pilot the USA bobsled to a gold medal in the Olympics, so can you.

`If a young African American skater from Chicago can win two gold medals in speedskating, you can too.

If a California skateboarder can be the best there has ever been in snowboarding, you can too.

You can be an Olympian. All it takes is a dream, some conviction...AND, most importantly, taking that first step.

And it doesn't matter where you live. There are hockey players from Simi Valley, Calif., speedskaters from Miami and Houston, bobsledders from Georgia. All found their way to Vancouver and the Olympic Games.

In this case, that first step is a phone call or getting online and checking out a website.

The U.S. Olympic Committee is made up of a variety of organizations, including Olympic sports federations, also known as National Governing Bodies. There are eight of these for Olympic Winter Sports.

These federations would love to get those youngsters involved in their sports. But, first you have to ask.

For all those kids interested in becoming the next Shani, Apolo, Shaun, Lindsey, Bode or Steve, take the first step. Get on a website and find out how to get involved. Make a phone call, go to the library.

One day you could be on that podium. Or you could just have fun in your neighborhood. Either way, you'll be a winner.

For that first step, pick a sport. Pick several sports and contact them. Here's a list to help you get started:

U.S. Biathlon Association
49 Pineland Drive, suite 301A
New Gloucester, ME 04260
207 688-6500 or 1-800-BIATHLO (242-8456)
www.usbiathlon.org
US Biathlon@aol.com

U.S. Bobsled and Skeleton Federation
1631 Mesa Ave. Copper building
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719 634-5186
www.usbsf.com
abird@usbsf.com

USA Curling
5525 Clem's Way
Stevens Point, WI 55482
715 344-1199
Info@usacurl.org
www.usacurl.org

U.S. Figure Skating Association
20 First St.
Colorado Springs, CO 80906-3697
719 635-5200
info@usfigureskating.org
www.usfigureskating.org

USA Hockey
1775 Bob Johnson Dr.
Colorado Springs, CO 80906
719 576-8724
usah@usahockey.org
www.usahockey.com

U.S. Luge Association
57 Church St.
Lake Placid, NY 12946-1805
518 523-2071
info@usaluge.org
www.usaluge.org

U.S. Ski and Snowboard Association (USSA)
1 Victory Lane, P.O. Box 100
Park City, UT 84060
435 649-9090
www.usskiteam.com
www.ussnowboarding.com
www.USAA.org

U.S. Speedskating
Utah Olympic Oval
5662 South Cougar Lane
P.O. Box 18370
Kearns, UT 84118
801 417-5360
www.speedskating.org
pkinder@usspeedskating.org