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Show eae JANUARY 10, 2001 ~ WASATCH COUNTY COURIER “The Engine Behind the Olympics Youth Program — full-time BOB BILLS CONTINUED FROM A1 job with ‘Olympic Bid Committee and his doctorate degree was put on the back burner. Bob worked tirelessly from 1990 to 1995 to ‘under both the Salt Lake Bid Committee and Salt ae Olympic Committee. Skeleton Racing With the youth programs now at help Utah - Budapest. win the Olympic bid in Bob says the bid effort was a process of familiarizing international members with Utah and ‘its attributes. After winning the Olympic bid, Bob peak maturity and with the Olympics just around the corner, the programs ) were recently handed over to individ_ ual venues and Bob’s job has reached avery successful completion. But has cross over to an Oniwic bobsled and skeleton. now in full swing getting ic awareness. Street-toSp oO Lt Program gave his at-risk kids — ticipated in a five-week training pro- - as serious competitors who will continue training Bob for the 2006 Olympics. Four of those young people are from Heber—Danny Bills at the starting was hired by U. S. speed skating organLehner, Ian Felsch, Robbie Hatch and izers to get kids involved in ice skating _ Deanna Whiting. at the new speed skating oval. He By competing in the U.S. Skeleton says his job was to get lots of small Nationals, Bob says that his kids have kids on big blades. So he went to the the unique opportunity to compete Granite School District elementary against top ranked adults on the US. and middle schools and put kids on the National team, which is the number. simulator first, then on the oval. This one team in the world. He says there -- was the humble beginning of SLOC is no other junior program in the world Youth Programs which Bob was later that offers the opportunity to train hired to develop and manage in 1996. with national CEEUID TS SLOC’s - mandate from the Governor was to see that Utah’s youth had the opportunity not only to attend Olympic events, but to participate! But how did Bob get into all this. Youth participation remains a unique His work with Olympic programs is concept in Olympic games developcertainly not his first experience with ment. Putting this program together training youth. Back in the early 1980s was no small challenge for Bob, but he Bob was in the processing of getting a Program — last but not given the opportunity to contribute to the youth programs by donating money to participate in one-day sport- to-sport programs. Many of the adult participants were former Olympians. Funds raised from this program helped pay overhead costs Street-to-Sport program. adults even got to for the. Some of the drive the From these programs, Bob and his associates identified and are training Utah kids to be future Olympians degree in psychology and worked with took the job seriously and with his _ing the programs that would get kids teams and starting training them to compete. That effort grew to include a | wide variety of Utah youth and young people from other states who moved here to train with him. With some and kids strong desire is that the development now underway will continue at the varFunding for continued athlete development will depend upon obtaining which Bob says is a good possibility if simulations. the public will support the programs. This program was sponsored by Delta Airlines and took proline. grams to Indian reservations and tiny towns throughout the state. It also brought the small-town kids to Park City to partic- Utah Athletic Foundation director Randy Dryer will go to the legislature funding from the Utah Legislature for money to continue grams. these pro- : When asked what he will do now,. Bob said, “I’m not sure, and I’m too -_ busy with skeleton racing right now to worry about it.” So even after his position with youth programs has ipate in skiing and sledding. Bob ended, Bob’s heart is still in the right credits Tom Lazour of Delta airlines — place—with the youth. for his tireless work in advancing this ACADEMIC PROFILE national biathlon champions to his papicpated in these programs. _ - The Programs School-to-Skate Program which credit, Bob was hired in 1984 by the Olympic Training Center in Colorado included elementary grades 3-6 from Ogden to Provo, put little kids on big Springs blades and got them and their families to help train the national biathlon team. In 1988 he was recruitout to use the new speed skating oval ed as the coach for the U.S. Bicycling _ Short-Sport Simulation Program Team which he says was not a strong gave junior high kids across the state sport in the U.S. Bob realized that his the opportunity to experience bobsled, kids would not be national champions speed skating, luge, free-style aerials until they were able to train with adults and curling on a simulator. The simuand use adult bicycle gearing. So he lator experience was broadened by set out to change the rules which developing simulators that allowed allowed youth to race with adults. four kids ata time to participate. Bob One of Bob’s recruits to the U. S. supervised a staff of eight people who team was none other than Lance traveled to-every junior high school in Armstrong. But he says that Lance already had the drive and. endurance needed for long-distance racing when he joined the U.S. Team, but became a competitor under Bob’s watchful eye. In 1990 Bob decided to leave — _ coaching and get a doctorate in psy- chology. Lake But the newly-formed Salt Olympic Bid the state. Wheels-to Winter Program Sinulae ed Olympic sports by putting them on wheels prior to the actual experience. Over 400 kids were tested using bobsleds on wheels and aerials using bungees and a swimming pool. From this program, talented participants Committee were targeted as potential athletes and grabbed him as part-time translator and host to foreign committee members. He says, “While the bid com- were advanced to the next phase of development. Sport-to-Sport Program targeted - mittee was all business, my job was all fun.” 9 But his fun soon turned into a Academic Profile will return. next week. usual fifth-gear drive started developinvolved. Over the next several years, » a grand total of 220,487 kids statewide kids already skilled at certain sports - that would enable them to make a in almost every sport. Bob says that his Lance Armstrong’s Coach! youth corrections in Springville, Ut. He put trotibled youth on triathlon huge Zamboni machines at the ice oval. ious venues after the 2002 Olympics. some 90 young people from Wasatch County as potential competitors in skeleton racing. From the 90, 35 par- Wanna-Be least, adult “wanna-be” athletes were in Bob has identified | living street program. - extreme rural areas the opportunity to get involved in Skeleton Championships at the Park City Olympic Sports Park. 7 Through his Olympic Sport-to- gram and 16 now remain Finite motor -and kinesthet- skeleton sledding team ready for the 2006 Olympics. In fact, he raced with them on Sunday in the U.S. National Sport Program, on a control learned in music or art play a large role in luge and bobsled. Several © deaf youth have been highly successful in | luge and skeleton due to a heightened sense of touch that slowed Bob down—not one bit! He’s sport fast track. For example, a gymnast would learn freestyle aerials; a soccer player would train alongside a football player or a track athlete would learn BIN GELI ROCK& Sponsored by Supporting a strong Cosa for education in Wasatch County! — | 654-2611. 65 4.2233 Charleston, Utah SA howe B > |