Course Description for SnowSport Trainers Workshop STW
Outdoor Emergency Transportation Program
SnowSport Trainers Workshop (STW)
– Author, National OET Team
1.0 Program objective – This workshop is designed for current and aspiring NSP SnowSport instructors, trainers, and evaluators and utilizes the current Professional Ski Instructor Association (PSIA) and American Association of Snowboard Instructors (AASI) instruction terminology and methodology. This region or division clinic is designed to enhance the teaching, assessment, coaching, and feedback skills of current or aspiring instructors, trainers, and evaluators within the alpine ski, telemark, and snowboard disciplines.
2.0 Program structure – This program is open to current or aspiring ski, telemark, and snowboard instructors, trainers, and evaluators. The program can and should be conducted at all alpine ski areas.
a) Venue – Typically, training begins in a classroom setting and continues on the hill of a local ski area.
b) Class size – The workshop will be divided into ski/telemark/snowboard training proficiency groups. Ideally, the target size for each training proficiency group is four to seven participants paired with at least one instructor per group. The total size of the workshop will follow local area policies on class size and will be determined based on the number of available instructors.
c) Instructor/student ratio – The recommended ratio of instructors to participants is between 1:4 and 1:7, instructors to students for each ski/telemark/snowboard training proficiency group. The ratios may be scaled up or down, depending on available resources.
d) Audit frequency – All Outdoor Emergency Transportation (OET) Continuing Education courses should be audited. An OET instructor trainer (IT) is selected and assigned by the Region OET Administrator or Division OET Supervisor and should be present and observe each workshop.
3.0 Course content – This program focuses on the development of SnowSport teaching and evaluation skills to enhance the effectiveness of NSP SnowSport instructors, trainers, and evaluators. The program may be customized to the audience in attendance. Topics will likely include analysis of skiing/riding skills (movement analysis), development of prescriptive exercises to refine the fundamental skills for properly utilizing alpine snow sports equipment, and application of these exercises to enhance alpine ski, telemark, and snowboard instruction, training, and evaluation. The course may also include sharing and demonstration of practice drills, development and use of progressions for teaching, providing effective feedback, and receiving feedback from students. The instruction should include the current methodology and terminology used by the PSIA/AASI.
4.0 Resources required – This program requires the use of indoor and on-the-hill facilities at an operating ski resort. Communication with the local area management is paramount and shall include coordination regarding planned activities, acceptable practices, and selection of suitable areas available for training. The local area patrol representative must be supportive and sufficiently staffed on the day of the workshop to allow the non-assigned on-the-hill patrollers to participate without compromising proper area coverage. In addition to sufficient numbers of qualified instructors, optional equipment may include video cameras, a computer and/or television for viewing video, and software for manipulating video for instructional purposes. All participants must sign an event/training release form, and if the participant is under the age of 18, a parent or guardian must also sign the form
a) Instructors – This program requires the workshop be conducted by a ski, telemark, and/or snowboard instructor with a minimum certification of PSIA Level III or AASI Level II, or equivalent, or by ski and/or snowboard instructors vetted and approved by the Division OET Supervisor. It is recommended that all assisting instructors be PSIA III or AASI Level II, and all instructors must be vetted and approved by the Division OET Supervisor.
b) Helpers – Helpers may include personnel to assist with administrative tasks and paperwork and personnel that is honing their instruction, training, and evaluation skills as developing ski, telemark, and snowboard instructors.
c) Equipment – Optional video equipment and software
d) Educational materials – Latest Editions of Core Concepts for SnowSport Instructors; Alpine Technical Manual; Snowboard Technical Manual; and/or Telemark Technical Manual. All are available from PSIA and AASI: http://www.thesnowpros.org/shop/catalog/education.
5.0 Instructor credentials – The Lead Instructor shall be a PSIA Level III or AASI Level II or equivalent ski/telemark/snowboard instructor who is vetted and approved by the Division OET Supervisor. Clinic instructors are preferred to be PSIA Level III or AASI Level II or equivalent instructors.
6.0 Course prerequisites – Open to all current or aspiring ski, telemark, and snowboard instructors, trainers, and evaluators. Others may be admitted as appropriate based on review and specific permission of the Region OET Administrator and/or Division OET Supervisor.
7.0 Evaluation format – The instructor will conduct an ongoing performance evaluation during the event.
8.0 Grade scale/structure – Complete: Participant demonstrates skills to effectively teach, assess, coach, and provide feedback for skiing/telemark/snowboarding students. In-Complete: The participant did not demonstrate skills to effectively teach, assess, coach, and provide input for skiing/telemark/snowboarding students at this time
9.0 Reporting requirements – Course registration, with all participants enrolled. The course is to be closed within two weeks of completion by the IOR.
a) Class registration – Any current OET instructor may register an STW. Participants are required to register themselves for the course (sign up for the course) via the NSP website. This is done by logging into www.nsp.org, navigating to Member Resources, selecting the Course Schedule, searching for the desired registered course (in this case, STW), and registering themselves into the course by following the instructions on the website.
b) Course completion report – Once the course is complete, the IOR will close the course on the NSP website after making sure that all and only students who successfully completed the course, as well as the assisting instructors, are listed on the course roster. Course closure by the IOR notifies the assigned IT. Once the IT reviews and approves the course closure, the participant records are updated in the NSP database.
c) Course feedback form – At the completion of the course, the IOR distributes a course evaluation form, which is typically available through division toboggan supervisors or the national website – instructor resources. It may be a generic feedback form that can be edited to satisfy specific needs.
10.0 Risk management considerations – There is a certain amount of risk involved in all SnowSport activities. All instructors must provide an environment that will permit anyone who is not comfortable attempting any portion of the training to elect not to participate in any activity. All participants need to sign an Event/Training release form. These forms are to be included in the course completion records. A copy of the release forms needs to be kept for at least seven years unless the division’s policy directs differently. The STW is a thorough review and guided practice of ski, telemark, and/or snowboard instruction and performance proficiency.
11.0 Conflict resolution – Conflicts should be resolved at the lowest possible level in the NSP management hierarchy. Conflicts are resolved case by case, using guidelines contained in the NSP policies and procedures and applicable division and region bylaws. For example, if a student disputes a failing course grade, conflict resolution should begin with a discussion between the student and the IOR. If a resolution is not possible through this discussion, the IT assigned to the course may be involved.
Resolution of a conflict does not require that all parties agree with the outcome. Involvement by other officers is appropriate only if resolution requires interpretation of NSP policy or procedure or if there exists an unavoidable or unimaginable conflict of interest at a lower level.