A Passion, an Obsession, My Job?

At 18 years old, it's hard to say "I love my job," but when I turned 18, I knew what my goal for the months to come was: I was going to become a snowboard instructor. Getting paid to do something I absolutely love to do? That sounds awesome. I had worked at a resort in Michigan that the BOYNE company owned for two years before I was eligible to teach. I always wanted to be one of the people I saw walking around in the red coats that taught people of all ages the sport they lived for. I had been snowboarding for seven seasons and skied for three seasons prior to that before I applied for the job. I figured growing up on a ski hill and having some knowledge would help me land the job. I scored an interview and a few days later got a call asking when I can start working.

I started work after two teaching clinics; which ran through different teaching styles and techniques to use for different ages and skill levels. I started work on a Thursday in December of 2016. Generally, brand new instructors get to shadow other instructors and see their ways of teaching to absorb ideas. I was standing outside by myself when my supervisor (in dire need of an instructor and realizing I was the only one around) said, "Okay Alex, this one is yours!" The first day on the job and this guy is just throwing me to the wolves? Thanks, Boss. My mind was racing and I had butterflies in my stomach, but fortunately, I was able to remember specific techniques that I was introduced to in my clinics and used them on this woman in our lesson. She ended up having a decent time and learned the basics of snowboarding in the process. Needless to say, I still felt the need to shadow some other instructors. They had helped me a lot and instead of me standing back and just watching, I was involved in the lesson and the other instructor let me take over a couple of techniques. After a couple of those guided-lessons, I felt so much better handling a lesson of my own.

Teaching snowboarding not only makes the students realize they can do what they thought they couldn't even achieve two hours prior, but it makes me feel personally accomplished. One of the best things about teaching is hearing, "You were the best teacher I've ever had, nobody has taught me stuff as you have," or seeing people come back from the year prior just to have me as their instructor. As much as I have taught others, I've taught myself so much about snowboarding itself, my teaching styles, and how to teach them to each learning style. When I teach, I like to explain what we're going to work on, I then show the students without being strapped to my board (the simplicity of the footwork), then I do it strapped into my board and actually moving down the slope. That covers the auditory, visual, and kinesthetic versions of the task we are working on.

If someone were to videotape me snowboarding down a hill at the beginning of the 2016-17 ski season, then take the exact same video towards the end of the 2017-18 season, the changes in my actual riding style has improved so much. If I didn't start teaching, I would have never known what carving was, how to snowboard the moguls or even the proper way to make a simple turn. What was even better was that after I learned that, I could teach it to my students that were willing to learn all the dynamics and more advanced ways to ride. I taught myself most of the stuff I know about riding, which was the first problem. I've noticed it in my lessons with people; It's always harder to teach someone how to do something the right way when they have this bad habit in their mind as to what they thought was the best way to do it after teaching themselves. Although with the help of the other instructors I think I've been able to throw most of those habits of mine out of the window.

The first season I taught I heard a lot about "PSIA" and "AASI" and "certifications." Between hearing that and seeing some special pins on the instructor's coats that a vast majority of them had really got me curious. I ended up talking to some people about what all that was about and they explained to me that PSIA was the Professional Ski Instructors of America and AASI was the American Association of Snowboard Instructors. The certifications were ranked in three levels and each level was more advanced than the previous. I learned that getting certified to be a level one instructor was important enough in itself and the test is very easy. I realized it would not only put my name out there for people to see I'm certified as an instructor to get me out to bigger resorts if I wanted, but there was a nice pay raise behind it. I got onto the websites I needed, registered to take my test in December of 2017, and studied all summer for this test. Everyone told me how easy it was, but I had never been good at testing. The time came and we made a weekend out of it. Day one was strictly on-the-hill testing and the proctor was just looking to see our basic teaching skills. It was a very nerve-racking eight hours. Day two was the written exam and we continued that day with some practical stuff which turned into more of a fun teaching clinic between all of us once we figured out we all passed the tests and the day of stress was complete.

The 2017-18 season came around and with most of the old instructors came some new ones. I was so excited to finally wear my new level one certification pin as the other instructors do. That whole season I noticed a lot of change in my job. I was able to get more of the advanced lessons whereas the year before I was always stuck on beginner lessons. That year I could broaden my horizons with the kids and I was able to take a 10-year-old girl on a black diamond after having her for three days with me in a lesson. She was one of my favorite lessons to have that season as she was so scared to even strap her board on her feet on the first day, then conquering one of our largest hills at our resort by day three.

Teaching, for me, is the best job I have ever had. Most people remember their first instructor, and I know when I see them years later shredding and absolutely killing it, I'll feel such a self-accomplishment. I recently met a silver medalist Olympic Snowboarder who basically grew up at one of my home resorts. I told him I was a snowboard instructor and asked him if he had any advice for the kids just starting out. His words were, "There's always going to be that hump. They just have to get over it. There will always be that kid that will have problems going from toe to heel side (or vice versa) when they're turning. That hump is something they need to realize can be overcome." I couldn't agree more.

Being a snowboard instructor has taught me a lot about how I teach, how others learn, the effect it has in my riding styles, and all around how fun it is to see students grow into something they never imagined they could be. So, as I stated before, not a lot of 18-year-olds can say "I love my job." I was that 18-year-old.