By Shannon Lukens.
Lisa Renee Tumminello has submitted her resignation as Track & Field coach for Steamboat Springs High School. She will stay on as Cross Country Coach.
Tumminello plans to volunteer under a new head coach for the Track & Field team, which she has coached for the past ten years. The program had 15 athletes and has grown to 100 each season. Steamboat Sailors also competed at the State Championships and broke school records, under Tumminello’s leadership.
Tumminello will also continue to direct the Turkey Trot which is a fundraiser for the track teams.
She will also continue to run the Youth Track and Field Camp in June.
Tumminello has submitted her resignation to SSHS Athletic Director Luke DeWolf, and it is scheduled to be accepted at Monday’s school board meeting.
Here is the letter Coach Tumminello sent to athletes and families on Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023.
Hello Track and Field/Cross Country athletes and family members. This email comes on the heels of much thought and lots of prayerful moments with family. I have officially offered my resignation as the Head Coach for Track and Field going forward. I plan to stay in my role as Head Cross Country coach and hope that we can continue to foster a strong relationship between both programs. I would be honored to serve the new leadership as a volunteer coach for our Track and Field program. I am excited to sharpen my skills and step onto the track to coach performance in athletes in a very intentional way, all the while staying connected in a very meaningful way with athletes and their families.
I will also continue to direct the Turkey Trot, a big fundraiser for both our teams. We have some athletes who are fired up about winter indoor training sessions and perhaps some USATF indoor meets. So I’ll meet with this crew a couple of days a week this winter. As well, I am committed to keeping the Youth Track and Field Camp alive and growing, as it is a powerful outreach to our community and benefits our teams. And then we will blink our eyes and the summer months are packed with our team hosting the Hahns Peak Hill Climb and for some athletes, to take part in the Elevate Mountain Running Camp with some Colorado trail races mixed in too.
For my family, coaching at SSHS and in our community continues a family affair and has been for the last ten years. Doug, Alexandra and Bowden have been such positive forces for our teams. And we have all been shaped and championed by our athletes and coaches. Most recently, it has been incredible to experience our teams and community rallying around us as we traveled to Ukraine three different times. Our family feels deep gratitude for each friendship, memory and adventure. We Tumminello’s are not going anywhere but shifting just a bit for the Spring season.
I am deeply humbled by the support of Luke DeWolfe and all the Athletic Department staff in helping our programs to grow and thrive. And to each Coach, you prop me up daily and inspire me to be better. To our athletes and families, I am committed to you for years to come. During my years as Head Coach, I have seen this program grow from about 15 athletes to more than 100 each season. Our team has sent athletes to the State Championship each season and broken multiple school records along the way. We have even started hosting Home Track and Field meets for the first time in decades. I believe it is time for a new Head Coach to drive this team forward to even greater success in the years to come and I would be honored to be part of that growing success.
Gratefully,
Lisa Renee