2016-20 TEAM SELECTION
hours after it went up, clearly demonstrating the network of support behind every candidate, including family and friends, mentors and colleagues, and entire regions. Te shared outcome of the process was to choose a team that
represents the alpine, adaptive, snowboard, telemark, and cross country disciplines and embodies the following three attributes outlined by
the Team Selection Taskforce: Q Inspirational educators Q Lifelong learners Q Inspirational athletes
Knowing they needed to clearly demonstrate those attributes during an action-packed week in Breckenridge, candidates were up long before the sun on the first day of selection. For many of them, the demands of the day wouldn’t end until late in the evening.
CAMARADERIE AMID INTENSE COMPETITION
Day One of selection started out like a hotly contested playoff series, with top-level ski and snowboard instructors icing up recent injuries to give it their all at the end of the season. By Day Two, the event began to feel more like a community teach-in. After a competitive kickoff to the event – which saw some of the most talented snow pros taking spectacular falls and sticking their heads in the snow, and in which some of the most confident speakers struggled to overcome a case of the nerves during their indoor presentations – a kind of cooperative calm settled over Breckenridge by Tuesday morning. Which is just how the selectors planned it, according to PSIA Alpine Team Coach Michael Rogan. “Te first day is about their skiing and riding. Te candidates need to demonstrate a certain level of proficiency,” said Rogan. “Te second day is about their teaching – especially how well they can coach and act as a facilitator. And also how engaged they are throughout the whole process, especially when someone else is teaching.” Day Two also reflected more of PSIA-AASI’s reinvigorated focus on the advantages of experiential teaching, as well as the benefits
Part of the snowboard contingent at Team Selection hold an impromptu conference on snow to talk strategy and tactics.
of inter-disciplinary sharing. Each lesson focused on possibilities available to the skier or rider, as well as a steady stream of open- ended questions. Freestylers held their clinic with Adaptive Team candidates. And candidate groups leapfrogged across the mountain. Overall, it was “Much more of a complete team event than it’s
ever been,” said Schuiling. “We wanted to put an emphasis on having everyone participate as much as possible, and on ‘learning by doing.’ We also wanted to create more of a complete team atmosphere than ever before by having everyone try out at the same place at the same time.” Tat “One for all, all for one,” mentality had been building long
before the candidates hit the snow in Colorado, said AASI Snowboard Team Coach Scott Anfang. “Tere is much more integration between disciplines throughout the entire process. I feel it’s contributing to more of a one-direction feel with all the teams, especially as people from all disciplines spend time together through the tryout.” Added PSIA-AASI Adaptive Captain Geoff Krill, “Te impressive
part of the entire process is the way this group supports each other in moments of intense competition and stress. Te process allows the candidates to see each other’s performances while being able to cheer, laugh, learn, and bond with one another.”
CANDIDATES SHINE UNDER THE LIGHTS
In the ongoing effort to choose a team that works well together and also works hard to improve the member experience, one of the newest team selection tasks included the Round Robin Station Rotation. Multi-disciplinary teams of 10 worked independently or collectively through eight separate stations. Tasks included discussing learning styles, experiential learning, and how to improve PSIA-AASI’s social media strategy, email fluency, and how national standards compare to divisional certification processes. “Tese are all areas where we see room for improvement, and we wanted to see what kind of ideas everyone can bring to the team,” said J. Scott McGee, former coach of the PSIA Nordic Team, who was on the selection committee for the incoming team. One of the most time-honored team selection tasks is the short
Candidates were put through their paces with a variety of drills meant to showcase their on-snow skills.
56 | 32 DEGREES • FALL 2016
presentation. In order to see how well a potential team member can think on his or her skis or snowboard (and also to see how well they can address areas of concern), candidates were asked questions to which they had to immediately provide an 8-minute response, with no preparation. For snowboarders, topics included “How to attract experienced riders into lessons” and “How media influences the instruction profession.” At the end of the session, an impromptu discussion began
GRANT NAKAMURA
GRANT NAKAMURA
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