Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra
If I can do this, I can do anything!
Programs and results
What we aim to solve
Individuals and families living with disabilities lack opportunities to participate in outdoor recreation. Research shows that sports, and outdoor recreation in particular, can prevent and reduce stress, improve health and well-being, and increase self-confidence and creativity, but children and adults with disabilities face challenges accessing these benefits. Many never have the opportunity to feel the exhilaration of sliding down a snow-covered slope, paddling across an alpine lake, or cycling along a winding country road. As a result, they may never gain the sense of freedom and achievement that comes from facing exhilarating challenges and discovering new talents.
Our programs
What are the organization's current programs, how do they measure success, and who do the programs serve?
Adaptive Outdoor Sports
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra provides a variety of adaptive sports to challenge and empower athletes with disabilities all year long whether gliding down a snow-covered mountainside, cruising on a bicycle, or paddling across a placid lake.
DSES makes outdoor recreation accessible and affordable by keeping fees low and customizing each activity to individual athletes’ goals. Lessons and multi-day camps are offered to individuals or customized for groups and families. Our goal is for everyone to be active year round.
Military Sports Camps
Each year, DSES challenges veterans and active duty military participants with weeklong adaptive sport camps throughout the year in and around Mammoth Lakes. These include:
Operation Mountain Freedom
A special opportunity for military athletes and wounded warriors to experience the exhilaration of adaptive snow sports including alpine and Nordic skiing, snowboarding, and tubing in a supportive mountain community.
Operation High Altitude
Each June, DSES invites wounded warriors and their families to camp for a week of summer fun. Taking advantage of paddling, cycling and mountain biking, fishing, and time around the campfire creates a memorable, inspiring week to reconnect and discover without the pressures of daily life.
Paralympic Development Programs
For athletes looking to develop their skills in specific sports or pursue future racing goals, DSES provides multi-day skills development programs in a variety of Paralympic sports.
DSES also provides personalized coaching in a variety of Paralympic sports including skiing, snowboarding, biathlon, and cycling. We also offer athlete support for local competitions including Mammoth Half Marathon, June Lake Triathlon, and Mammoth Gran Fondo.
Jack & Kathy Copeland Center at Fern Creek Lodge
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra purchased Fern Creek Lodge in June Lake, California as the new site for the National Wounded Warrior Center (NWWC). At the request of the lead donor, the facility will be formally renamed the Jack & Kathy Copeland Center at Fern Creek Lodge (also called “The Copeland Center”). The facility will be home to enhanced short and long-term programs for military service members and veterans with disabilities, and provide opportunities for multi-day adaptive recreation camps for people of all ages and backgrounds with disabilities. This new site has a unique history and strong sense of place with a charming retreat style feel among aspens, a seasonal creek, and open space backing up to US Forest Service land. Consistent with our mission, The Copeland Center will offer veterans with disabilities the resources and knowledge they need to return to civilian life with confidence, hope, and skills to find successful employment and build strong families.
Where we work
Awards
Nonprofit of the Year 2021
Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce
Affiliations & memberships
Move United 2022
External reviews
Photos
Our results
How does this organization measure their results? It's a hard question but an important one.
Number of clients served
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Hours of volunteer service
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Input - describing resources we use
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
DSES receives significant program support from volunteers who contribute time supporting our programs and fundraising activities.
Number of lessons taught
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Context Notes
DSES provides adaptive sports lessons to youth and adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. Specialties include skiing, snowboarding, Nordic skiing, cycling, mountain biking, and paddling.
Number of volunteers
This metric is no longer tracked.Totals By Year
Type of Metric
Output - describing our activities and reach
Direction of Success
Increasing
Our Sustainable Development Goals
Learn more about Sustainable Development Goals.
Goals & Strategy
Learn about the organization's key goals, strategies, capabilities, and progress.
Charting impact
Four powerful questions that require reflection about what really matters - results.
What is the organization aiming to accomplish?
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is dedicated to changing the lives of children and adults with disabilities by offering year-round sports and activities, creating inspiring challenges, providing expert instruction using the latest adaptive equipment, and rallying the community to embrace and accommodate people with disabilities.
We provide life-changing lessons and camps in a variety of “human-powered" winter and summer sports for people of all ages with cognitive and physical disabilities. From boys and girls challenged by autism or ADHD, to adults, including veterans and Wounded Warriors, with loss of limbs, paralysis or PTSD, DSES offers nationally-respected programs that address special challenges. Our programs succeed by using the most advanced adaptive equipment and individualized teaching methodologies for each athlete. We believe the freedom and exhilaration of outdoor challenges changes lives. No one should be left behind simply because of a disability!
What are the organization's key strategies for making this happen?
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra provides innovative adaptive recreation programs to help athletes with disabilities succeed in a variety of outdoor sports including skiing, snowboarding, rock climbing, hiking, fishing, kayaking, stand up paddle boarding, road cycling, and mountain biking. Students benefit from therapeutic recreation in a healing environment, time spent outside, and a compassionate community. Our programs include:
Daily Lessons: Personalized instruction in a variety of sports disciplines. Taught by highly-skilled professional staff and trained volunteers, lessons are based on athletes' goals and interests and help develop freedom, independence, and a sense of personal accomplishment. In addition to standard lessons, DSES works with local school districts to adapt Ski Physical Education programs and host a weekly cycling groups each summer and fall.
Specialized Camps: Multi-day programs focused on specific sport development. Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra hosts five camps each year designed to coach athletes as they pursue skills development and competition in Paralympic sports. Current camps include: Alpine Ski & Race Camp, Nordic Ski & Race Camp, Mono Ski Madness, Biathlon Camp, and Pedal~Paddle. Each April, Springtacular offers group skiing or snowboarding lessons for individuals with intellectual disabilities who are often isolated from their peers.
Military Sports: Since 2007, DSES has annually hosted two therapeutic recreation programs designed specifically for servicemembers with disabilities: Operation High Altitude in the summer and Operation Mountain Freedom in the winter. Since the beginning of these programs, participants have come from the Wounded Warrior Battalion West, Camp Pendleton, the Naval Medical Center, and across the country to discover new abilities and opportunities through outdoor sports. The lives of military participants are changed when they rediscover the camaraderie of a compassionate community.
Second Chance Thrift Shop: Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra operates the Second Chance Thrift Shop in Mammoth Lakes, California. Second Chance provides a valuable service for the community, offering opportunities to reuse and rehome furniture, clothing, and sporting goods, while also raising money to support athletes with disabilities. Second Chance is home to DSES's Work-Ability program, providing paid work and training for individuals with disabilities.
Community Outreach: Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is an honorable and trusted member of the local community. We provide insight to local governments and organizations seeking to better accommodate people with disabilities. Through special projects like the installation of an accessible walkway at June Lake Beach or a fishing platform at Convict Lake, we work with others to improve the accessibility of the outdoors for local residents and visitors. DSES staff and volunteers are also active participants in community events and athletic competitions.
What are the organization's capabilities for doing this?
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra is uniquely positioned to provide life-changing adaptive sports and therapeutic recreation to people with physical and cognitive disabilities. From our base of operations at Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, we have access to world-class alpine terrain for skiing, riding, and mountain biking. Our expanded programs take advantage of the majestic Eastern Sierra including exceptional road cycling and paddling on pristine lakes surrounded by awe-inspiring vistas.
DSES's professional staff of 22 provide expert instruction for our athletes and top-level training for our crew of 175 dedicated volunteers. Our programmatic staff are all highly trained and certified in a variety of teaching disciplines and methodologies as well as the use of adaptive equipment as are many of our volunteers. DSES maintains a fleet of state-of-the art adaptive equipment including mono-skis, bi-skis, and hand-driven bikes.
We have a diverse and engaged Board of Directors as well as an Advisory Council whose 106 members who provide insight and council on programs and strategic endeavors. Their work is complemented by a robust fundraising program and a strong community of athletes, families, and supporters. In addition to traditional fundraising efforts, revenue generated by Second Chance Thrift Shop provides an ongoing source of support for our programs.
What have they accomplished so far and what's next?
In 2003, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra taught its first adaptive lesson for a student in a sit down bi-ski. Since then, the organization has grown to meet the demand for our services from one staff member and a handful of volunteers to a staff of 25 and a dedicated team of 175 volunteers. We now provide more than 3,000 lessons annually to individuals with physical and cognitive disabilities. We have been selected as a US Paralympic Development Club, developed sport specific camp programs, and have supported young athletes as they pursue their Paralympic dreams.
We are proud of the therapeutic, healing recreation camps we have developed for our active duty and veteran participants with disabilities. Beginning with just six athletes, we now welcome more than 100 participants each year. We also maintain a waiting list of servicemembers from all over the country who hope to experience the life-changing healing and camaraderie that happens here in the mountains. To expand on the success of these programs, we are working to create the Jack & Kathy Copeland Center at Fern Creek Lodge in June Lake to provide comprehensive support to wounded, injured, and ill service members to learn, heal, and thrive in their civilian lives. The Mono County Board of Supervisors passed a resolution in support of this initiative and more than 85 local businesses have expressed their wholehearted support.
Alongside our programmatic growth, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra has developed a successful fundraising program incorporating a variety of strategies to support our operations and our upcoming capital initiatives. We purchased a building to house the Second Chance Thrift Shop in 2017, which will direct more funds from sales at the shop to directly supporting DSES athletes and programs. At the same time, we have developed strong partnerships with many local businesses and organizations including Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, the Mammoth Lakes Foundation, Mammoth Lakes Fire Department, and many others. In 2016, 2017, and 2021, Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra has been awarded the Best Non-Profit of the Year by the Mammoth Lakes Chamber of Commerce.
In the coming years, we plan to continue to develop programs and capacity at DSES to meet the growing interest and demand for our services. We have also purchased the property to house and expand military programming in 2022 for the Jack & Kathy Copeland Center at Fern Creek Lodge.
Financials
Unlock nonprofit financial insights that will help you make more informed decisions. Try our monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights?
Learn more
about GuideStar Pro.
Operations
The people, governance practices, and partners that make the organization tick.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Connect with nonprofit leaders
SubscribeBuild relationships with key people who manage and lead nonprofit organizations with GuideStar Pro. Try a low commitment monthly plan today.
- Analyze a variety of pre-calculated financial metrics
- Access beautifully interactive analysis and comparison tools
- Compare nonprofit financials to similar organizations
Want to see how you can enhance your nonprofit research and unlock more insights? Learn More about GuideStar Pro.
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra
Board of directorsas of 12/31/2022
Mr. Stephen Mount
Booz Allen Hamilton
Term: 2022 -
Mr. Tom Parker
Mammoth Hospital
Term: 2020 -
Brent Truax
Sierra Nevada Resort & Spa
Karilyn Myers
Mammoth Hospital Rehabilitation Center
Kathy Copeland
Disabled Sports Eastern Sierra
Carolyn Escoto
Crail-Johnson Foundation
Shields Richardson
Side Door Cafe
Tom Schroeder
Hardware/Software Corporate Development, retired
Rick Taylor
Building Electronic Controls, Inc.
Yvette Malmud Ozer
University of San Francisco
Tom Parker
Mammoth Hospital
Steve Mount
USMC, retired
John Snelson
EHS Screening Team
Allen Joo
Amgen Inc.
Board leadership practices
GuideStar worked with BoardSource, the national leader in nonprofit board leadership and governance, to create this section.
-
Board orientation and education
Does the board conduct a formal orientation for new board members and require all board members to sign a written agreement regarding their roles, responsibilities, and expectations? Yes -
CEO oversight
Has the board conducted a formal, written assessment of the chief executive within the past year ? No -
Ethics and transparency
Have the board and senior staff reviewed the conflict-of-interest policy and completed and signed disclosure statements in the past year? No -
Board composition
Does the board ensure an inclusive board member recruitment process that results in diversity of thought and leadership? No -
Board performance
Has the board conducted a formal, written self-assessment of its performance within the past three years? Yes
Organizational demographics
Who works and leads organizations that serve our diverse communities? Candid partnered with CHANGE Philanthropy on this demographic section.
Leadership
The organization's leader identifies as: