Sports

Adapting Through Adversity

Published

5 months ago

January 13, 2025

That drastic mobility change steered the 30-year-old athlete onto an entirely different course. Kinzie is now training to ski competitively, seated on a monoski with its single central ski, while setting her sights on the 2026 Winter Paralympic Games in Italy.Career-wise, Kinzie and her husband, Ted, both work at Snowshoe, with Kinzie instructing other adaptive skiers. She’s received grants and launched a GoFundMe campaign to help cover her costs. Whenever possible, she camps in a converted van while training away from home.Competitive adaptive skiing is an expensive sport, costing ,000-,000 a year, depending on the number of races entered, equipment bought and repaired, coaching and travel.
While a student fitness instructor at EKU’s Recreation Center and working with different abilities, Kinzie advocated for disability rights, access and opportunities. Seeing those issues now from a personal viewpoint, Kinzie is on a mission.However, her second lesson on initiating turns didn’t go as well.“I want to break down barriers to get more sponsorships for adaptive sports and create steppingstones for the next generation of adaptive athletes,” she said.RICHMOND — Mackinzie Dickman (Kinzie Houston, ’16) says there’s nothing like the thrill of sailing down a ski slope, feeling free as she fearlessly navigates through challenging courses at 30-60 mph.While she’s had to learn to “do life differently,” Kinzie says, “Everyone has adversity in their lives. You just have to learn how to overcome those challenges in your own way.”Kinzie has also set goals for herself to test the limits of what she’s capable of accomplishing. “Every day in training, I try new things. I don’t ever want to stay in the same spot and become stagnant,” she said.This was a game changer that meant taking risks, tackling new territory for herself and paving the way as a role model for others in the disabled community and athletes who are competing in adaptive sports.“I realized that if I didn’t address my trauma, I risked a downward spiral,” she said. “Luckily enough, I knew how to use resources from my education background and pull myself out of that hole.”After eight months of intensive therapies, adjusting to her new capabilities and moving to West Virginia, Kinzie contacted Challenged Athletes of West Virginia in the winter of 2020. She said she felt ready to return to Snowshoe Mountain, where she’d snowboarded regularly while attending EKU.Afterward, she said, “My body was sore, I was tired, and I mentally needed a break.”But Kinzie persevered. By the fifth attempt, “something clicked.” and by the ninth try, Kinzie went from the “green” beginner level to tackling “black diamond” (steep, more advanced) to “terrain park,” which includes jumps and rails—all in a single weekend.

“Going down the mountain, digging into the snow, I feel connected, in control,” Kinzie said.Kinzie’s rapidly developing skills caught the attention of the head coach at the National Sports Center for the Disabled, who invited her to complete the extremely demanding six-month winter training in Winter Park, Colorado.But Kinzie stays focused on her training goals. During the offseason, she lifts weights and rides an adaptive mountain bike “which has a similar turn motion” to her monoski. She also pays close attention to her diet to help build muscle.“Some think you can’t jump on a sit ski, but I took charge and just did it,” Kinzie said.“I fell a lot. I cried a lot,” she said.Kinzie credits her public health degree from EKU with aiding in her recovery and moving forward with her new life-changing goal.“Going down a mountain with 40-plus gates in one and a half minutes requires a lot of cardio to keep it up,” Kinzie said.“They mentioned my coachability, positive attitude, personality—smiley, bubbly, happy—and that I’m passionate about skiing,” she said.Although the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) public health graduate from Ohio had been skiing, snowboarding and wakeboarding with her family for fun since she was 2 years old, injuries from a 2017 car crash resulted in Kinzie becoming a wheelchair user by 2019.Kinzie is already setting records. In February 2022, after successfully campaigning to add an adaptive category to the 1.5-mile Cupp Run Challenge downhill race, she was the first in that category to complete Snowshoe’s longest run.Family and friends cheer Kinzie on, and she also receives messages from former EKU professors who follow her progress and offer encouragement. “EKU is a family,” she said.In December 2022, Kinzie received a scholarship to attend race camp in Colorado. She was told that with the proper equipment and opportunities, she had the qualities to be a competitive racer.During her first lesson, Kinzie strapped herself into a rented monoski with its chair-like seat, held outriggers (adaptive ski poles) in both hands to assist with balance and initiating turns, then maneuvered through the beginner slope with ease, exclaiming, “This sport is great. I love it!”

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Lafayette volleyball coaches state ethics charges | Education

The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed charges against two Lafayette volleyball coaches, arguing they asked high school players to enroll in a private league at a gym where they worked over the summer. The board determined Julia Dawson and Erin Belsom violated Louisiana ethics law when they asked their students on the Southside High volleyball […]

Published

2 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

The Louisiana Board of Ethics filed charges against two Lafayette volleyball coaches, arguing they asked high school players to enroll in a private league at a gym where they worked over the summer.

The board determined Julia Dawson and Erin Belsom violated Louisiana ethics law when they asked their students on the Southside High volleyball team to enroll and pay for summer training and competition at the private gym they worked at. Dawson also is accused of using her position to coerce students to join the league.

The ethics board, which brought the charges in January but didn’t publish its determination until May, referred the matter to the Louisiana Division of Administrative Law, a centralized administrative hearing panel that will determine whether a violation occurred and can levy penalties if so.

Alesia Ardoin, an attorney with Sexton Law representing both coaches, said that the charges were “baseless” and state law recently changed, making it possible for educators to receive compensation from students when they serve as tutors or coaches.

“We will continue to fight these charges and we’re certain the adjudication board will dismiss this because the charges are wholly without merit,” Ardoin told The Acadiana Advocate.

The ethics board charges stemmed from a 2021 incident, according to the documents released by the board. At the time, Dawson and Belsom were volleyball coaches at Southside High School. Belsom has since transferred to a different school.

Dawson and Belsom also are coaches for Louisiana Volleyball Lafayette, or LVL, a private gym that offers indoor and beach volleyball programs, training and has club teams. Dawson is a co-owner, co-director, program coordinator and master coach of the gym and Belsom is the recreational coordinator and beach volleyball director.

In May 2021, Dawson emailed parents of the students who made the volleyball team for the 2021-2022 school year, according to ethics board documents. The email laid out summer expectations, which included participating in a beach volleyball league on Fridays in June and July of 2021.

The cost of the league was $150 per team, which could have up to three players, according to the documents. Parents registered and paid through the LVL website.

Dawson, who is paid by LVL as a 12-month salaried employee, received $15,000 from LVL in 2021. Belsom was paid $25 per hour for her work as the summer beach volleyball director received about $2,000 in 2021 and $2,500 in 2022 from LVL.

The ethics board determined that as public employees with the school district, both Dawson and Belsom violated state ethics laws when they were paid for providing volleyball training and overseeing competition for interested players. The ethics board additionally alleged that Dawson compelled or coerced students to join the LVL league.

A hearing before the adjudication board has been set for Nov. 13 for Dawson and Belsom.

A spokesperson for the Lafayette Parish School System said the district would not comment while the matter was being adjudicated.

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Sports

Head Track & Field Coach in Ripon, WI for Ripon College

Details Posted: 18-Jun-25 Location: Ripon, Wisconsin Type: Full-time Categories: Coaching Coaching – Track & Field Sector: Collegiate Sports Required Education: 4 Year Degree Ripon College, an NCAA Division III institution and member of the Midwest Conference, is seeking a Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach. Since 2018, the track & field and cross-country […]

Published

12 minutes ago

June 18, 2025

Your Sports Nation

Details

Posted: 18-Jun-25

Location: Ripon, Wisconsin

Type: Full-time

Categories:

Coaching

Coaching – Track & Field

Sector:

Collegiate Sports

Required Education:

4 Year Degree

Ripon College, an NCAA Division III institution and member of the Midwest Conference, is seeking a Head Men’s and Women’s Track & Field Coach. Since 2018, the track & field and cross-country programs at Ripon College have seen tremendous growth in attracting quality student-athletes, and we are seeking a full-time coach to help build on this recent success. The $23 million renovation of the Willmore Athletic Center and Fieldhouse in 2017 has allowed Ripon College to become a destination for outstanding track & field student-athletes.

Reporting to the Vice President and Director of Athletics, the Head Track & Field Coach will be responsible for the following duties: ? Coordinating and executing the recruiting plan for the track & field program ?Coordinating home track & field competitions at the collegiate and high school levels ?Working in concert with the head cross-country coach and other assistant coaches ? Overseeing all aspects of team operations, including scheduling, practice planning, meet day strategy, and athlete development ?Managing the program’s budget, travel logistics, and equipment needs ?Collaborating with the Office of Marketing and Communications to promote the program, generate interest, and enhance recruitment ?Assisting the Athletic Department in areas aligned with the candidate’s expertise and performing other duties as assigned

The successful candidate will have a bachelor’s degree and demonstrate exceptional communication and interpersonal skills, a commitment to and the ability to articulate the value of a liberal arts education, a high level of energy, and an ability to work independently while contributing as a member of a team. Candidates must have a valid driver’s license and possess knowledge, understanding, and adherence to Ripon College, Midwest Conference, and NCAA rules and regulations.

To apply: Please submit a single PDF document that includes your cover letter, current résumé, and the names and contact information of three references. Email your application to Chris Schumacher, Vice President and Director of Athletics, at schumacherc@ripon.edu. Please name your file using your first and last name (e.g., FirstLast.pdf).

About Ripon College

To support Ripon’s continued athletic excellence and enhance the overall student experience, Ripon College just opened a brand new stadium along with a recently renovated athletic center. Opened on September 30, 2023, Hopp Stadium is the new on-campus home for Ripon football, men’s soccer and women’s soccer. Groundbreaking for the 157,000 square foot on-campus stadium began in Spring 2023. The new construction features a 2,000 seat grandstand and press box, with viewing opportunities on Sadoff Hill and an outdoor plaza.