What Kids' Instructors Want You to Know

[BackCountryGirl]

GG made a remark in a post to the thread on what your gripes are with ski school that made me think that those of us who teach or have taught kids should offer parents our best tips so that their child can get the most out of his or her ski school experience.

Here's one to get started ...

When we ask you how your children are skiing, be honest with us. We want them to have a great time and to learn, and we want them in the best group for them. So tell us how they ski when they're most comfortable and the terrain on which they shine, not what terrain they can manage in a bracey, breaking wedge. If we ask them to tell us how they're skiing, please don't be insulted. They're often far more honest about their own abilities than their folks are. There is nothing worse for a child than to be placed in a group that is beyond them, only to be moved out after a run.

 

[Robyn]

Dress them right or provide additional layers just in case. Give them extra handwarmer packets as well.

Laminate a card with all contact information and any emergency medical info and attach it with to their jacket or pass.

Tell us if the child has any allergies.

Attach a whistle to their jacket. If they get lost a whistle will bring response and reach further than them yelling.

Let us know if the child has any sort of visual/learning or other disabilities, especially if it will affect the way they learn. Also let us know if there are behavioral issues that you know of ways to handle.

Let us know if they've had a rough week, been sick, didn't get enough sleep last night.

And, last but certainly not least. Answer your freaking cell phone if I call you. It might be an easy question like does the child have a gaiter or it could be an emergency and you need to meet us at medical now. Please don't make me be the only one headed to the hospital with your child, they need their parents too.

 

[Robyn]

And, yes, I send an email to all my parents at the beginning of the season saying these things (although more delicately).

 

[BackCountryGirl]

Awesome post, Robyn. Isn't it amazing how much collective wisdom we divas have?

 

[Jilly]

Dress them for the weather. I don't think that this will apply to most of the Diva's, we know better, but some of your friends that are starting their kids. Forget the wool mittens and get at something like HotFingers. Proper hats or a helmet. Even a hat with a hockey helmet! (translation for us Canuck - a toque!) I taught a private lesson with a child that was not properly dressed for the weather at Tremblant and was he cold after 1 run. Wool mitts and a really neat hat with a visor - might have been better on the beach! I ended up losing my outer mitts just to keep him warm.
And don't fudge the ability either.

 

[Robyn]

Don't count on parents knowing better. Most of the kids I coach have long time skier parents and I still have these issues. Although my kids are required to have a helmet to ski with me. No helmet, they don't go. Period. I could loose my job and my license otherwise.

 

[MaineSkiLady]

From the archives, pre-we-all-have-cell-phones days:
PLEASE, parents: Know when your child's lesson concludes! If uncertain, ASK. And PLEASE BE THERE!! Don't leave your child waiting, growing more terrified by the minute as fellow classmates get picked up by their parents/families one by one, leaving him/her behind and alone. And scared. The instructor cannot and WILL NOT leave that child unaccompanied. Don't do this to either the instructor-- OR your child!!!
/rant. Thank you.

 

[Robyn]

Good point MSL. This is especially key for people like me who might be trying to beat a storm down the mountain. We have had on occasion situations where accidents block traffic coming from the towns and/or a closure of Vail pass backs up I-70. Please call us to let us know you're going to be late for whatever reason. I give out my cell # to every parent at the beginning of the season for this reason. We will assign a coach to watch kids in the team clubhouse when this happens but it's much better for them and us if we've had communication with the parent letting them know what is going to happen. Besides, do you want to show up at your regular meeting spot and not know where your child is?

Oh, and another one. Please don't tell your child to go home with X family without informing the coach/instructor. It puts us in a horribly precarious position to decide if that is really what should be happening and if I can't get ahold of you to verify we don't know what to do.

Oh, and another one. If there is any kind of custody issue please be sure to inform us as well.

 

[geargrrl]

Awesome post, Robyn. Isn't it amazing how much collective wisdom we divas have?

yep.
Now if you could only get the people that really need this information to pay attention to it.....

 

[Robyn]

Can you tell I'm passionate (and at time frustrated) by this subject?

BCG, really, it may be something that you could do as a handout to people at the ski school or put something together for the website. I know that I send out an email to all my parents at the beginning of the season and add updates, new ideas or alert of issues through out the season. In fact, my parents get a nearly weekly email from with info from the last week and anything coming up for the new week. Including weather forecasts. And then I get kids dressed for 20 degrees when it's really -10 degrees and I get to bare my hands to get them handwarmers and stuff on the first run. I cary extra all season (I have a few fabulous parents from seasons past that still stock my supply of handwarmers every year. :D) I've also had -10 degree days when a child won't have any balaclava or gaiter. :eeK: Yep, I carry extras of those as well.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

Robyn: Your suggestion that we do some sort of handout is something we've put together for this season; we also try to keep the website current. Unlike your program, which has you seeing the same kids weekly, we see them for a few days or a week at a time, which makes it really tough to communicate. So, we've got a letter that talks about the essentials. We keep our emergency contact info and allergy info in a database, but you'd be surprised how many parents print like monkeys on those forms. We are really careful about dress, too. We have a huge lost and "give away" stash (collected from guest services througout the season) or donated by other coaches. I encourage parents to send snacks -- granola bars or raisins with their kids, too. My other pet peeve are parents who insist upon "sticking around" too long or want to hang with their kids' lessons. Helicopter parents (who hover) are almost worse than those who drop kids off for us to babysit.

 

[Jilly]

Helicopter parents

Gotta remember that term!!

 

[pinto]

... Helicopter parents (who hover) are almost worse than those who drop kids off for us to babysit.

Okay, sort of off-topic, but what is WITH this?? I work in our church nursery, with the "crawlers" (basically anyone mobile up to walking), and it's amazing to me how often the parents want to come in with the baby and hang out until baby is comfortable.

Well, of course baby gets comfortable WITH PARENT around, then when parent leaves, ALL babies start crying. Please, disappear, quickly! I imagine it's the same with the little skiers.

Okay, thought I'd rant along with this thread. Back to your program.

 

[Robyn]

Yes, I do have it easier with the consistancy through the season but I do get the over bearing parents too. We need a couple of parent helpers each weekend but I always have my favorites. And those are the ones that are willing to help every child. I've definitely tried to get rid of the parents that only focus on their child when they are helping. Also note, we collect a $250 volunteer service fee at the beginning of the season. They can get that refunded or applied to the next season if they do 24 hours of volunteer work so their parent helper time is toward that and I expect to be helped instead of hindered by their presence.

 

[Gloria]

We are fortunate that our child can afford to ski on a regular basis and has all the appropriate clothing and gear. However not every child has this option and occasionally gets the opportunity to try it. These kids often times are limited in what they own and the parents neither know better or can't afford better. If a child shows up at our mountain like this, the instructor will find something non-chalantly in a lost and found box, which many of us "donate" too small gloves etc to or give to the ski school so these children can enjoy the sport too. It saddens me to hear people complain about this as often it can't be helped and his is a special opportunity for this child. I always have an extra pair of kids gloves with me and often give them away if a kid needs them. And I let them keep them.

 

[Robyn]

In my defense I am coaching for a program that costs a minimum of $800 per season and while the families aren't all wealthy they can all afford a gaiter, mittens, hand warmers etc. In fact, they are all much better off than I am financially and most have second homes in the mountains. I'm not talking about one off situations. It's wonderful that you can and do help families with needs the way you do. And I am the one that finances the spare gear I carry but all of the kids I coach do own the gear it's a matter of them making it to the mountain with it.

 

[Gloria]

Understandibly Robin, the thoughtlessness could drive a person crazy. Sadly though, the parent that can't afford the $800 program probably put alot more thought into making sure that the child with the wool mittens had everything they could provide to keep the child warm than the former. I can't necessarily afford to provide extra gloves, but when I see them at places like TJ max for five bucks I will grab a few in case anyone needs them. And yes sometimes wealthier children whom forgot theirs use them. I get them back from these kids though. We have alot of poverty in our area and alot of people donate alot ( someone donates the funds every year for the 6th graders to ski every Friday at DD school ) for many of these kids, this is the only time they do get to ski ever. No they don't always have the best outerwear, but the parents do their best. And probably due to the smaller nature, the ski hills deal with it creatively so noone suffers or feels badly.

 

[BackCountryGirl]

I'm at a pretty good-sized mounting, but the resort sponsors a free program in mid-January for 3-5th graders in 4 local school districts. They come for one hour lessons, 5 weeks in a row. The experience is so rewarding for the kid and the coach. I make a concerted effort to make sure the lost and give away cubbies are full of socks and mittens and neck warmers. We don't expect those kids to come well-dressed and offer plenty of clothing to them. I must say, that I get where Robin's coming from. I end up giving alot of the clothing in those cobbies to coaches who are barely squeaking buy. If they loose a glove, they're free to raid the kids' stash.

 

[Jilly]

I understand where Gloria is coming from and BC and Robyn. Most snow schools have that "stash" of stuff. And since I started this side of the discussion I guess I need to explain a little more. Tremblant is a very cold mountain in January and February. (-20 F that day too.)The little guy I was teaching was from Toronto, not Florida. He was also taking lessons at a local hill in Toronto. He had the right stuff, Mom completely forgot to bring it. At our local hill in southern Ontario, its usually the opposite. The kids are dress up to the hilt with neck warmers, scraves, 3 pairs of mittens, toques and hockey helmets. They get too warm.

But one of biggest reason a kid or adult doesn't want to ski again is the cold. They need to be dressed for it to enjoy it. You wouldn't send your kid off to school without the proper clothes for the day/weather, so why ski school?

 

[Gloria]

Yeah, didn't mean to jump in and attack anyone, but I so often see kids having the opportunity to get on snow with the snow coverred wool gloves etc. At least we all know when to jump in and assist so these kids have the same opportunity as well which is what matters. Unfortunately as well one of my close friends is similiar to the type that you all find frustrating, so I know that point all too well as you all do. She may be off skiing at a fabulous resort, and I am digging through my bag outfitting her child with what I have extra for her child not to mention the too small boots, jackets etc that she always seems to be stuck with. I don't even get it....