THE ‘OTHER’ NATIONAL ACADEMY: HOW USSA PUTS ITS MEMBERS THROUGH THEIR PACES %\ 0LFKDHO 'UDNH
I
am a clinic addict. I’ve attended 21 consecutive PSIA-AASI National Academies and this past spring decided to double down, attending PSIA-AASI’s seminal education event at Breckenridge in April and, a few weeks later, heading to Mammoth
Mountain for the United States Ski and Snowboard Association’s (USSA) Academy. As Honda Motor Company founder
Soichiro Honda once said, “Racing improves the breed,” so, early in my ski teaching journey, I became what was then called a “club-level coach” (now Level 100) and eventually worked my way up to Level 200. I fi gured that learning what it takes to ski fast would improve my understanding of the sport in general. Attending the recent USSA National Academy continued to bear that out.
choices typically hinge on the terrain, level of intensity, and the group dynamics one wants to immerse themselves in. In the afternoons, we have any number
of elective clinics to choose from, indoors or on snow, that explore movement analysis, bootfi tting, video analysis, carving, steeps, or bumps, to name some typical topics. My main frustration is that, often, there’s more than one topic I’m interested in, and I can’t be in two places at once. T e afternoon electives are followed by an evening of après, a guest lecture, and dinner. T e event also features equipment demos and a trade show with PSIA-AASI’s Offi cial Suppliers. Participants can get as much, or as little, as they put into National Academy.
I’ve
Self-professed "clinic addict" Michael Drake got a double-dose of professional development in 2016 by attending the PSIA-AASI and USSA Academies.
A TALE OF TWO ACADEMIES
Before sharing my perspective on what our cousins in USSA are up to, here’s a quick look at PSIA-AASI National Academy for comparison’s sake (and to fi ll in those who’ve not attended one). Open to members with Level I and higher certifi cation, PSIA-AASI National Academy is an educational event, geared to those who are out to up their game (technically, teaching, skiing/riding), in a supportive environment with plenty of social and networking opportunities. On opening night, attendees self-select a group – led by a current or former national team member – they will ski or ride with for four of the fi ve on-snow days. Group
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attended many, and I consider these events to be major contributors to my individual development as I worked to get my Level III certifi cation, then advanced to divisional clinic leader, and, fi nally, became an examiner for PSIA-AASI’s Northwest Division. National Academy 2016 was held at
Breckenridge, Colorado, which was a departure from the event’s traditional venue of Snowbird, Utah. Although I missed being at Snowbird, it was fun to experience a change in scenery. I enjoy skiing with folks from other divisions, and our group was an eager group mostly comprised of instructors from Vail/ Beaver Creek. Our clinician was (then) Alpine Team member (and now current PSIA-AASI CEO) Nick Herrin, who inspired and humbled us, both on-piste (nice, long groomers at Breck) and off -piste (which often took a bit of hiking for some steeps at – wheeze – an elevation of 11,000 to 12,000 feet). We pretty much skied everything that looked like a challenge. I took really excellent electives on pattern breaking, racing,
VIEW VIDEO
tiny.cc/t05oey
0LFKDHO 'UDNH ZLOO EH WKH fi UVW WR WHOO \RX that PSIA-AASI’s National Academy is THE place to get stoked about teaching snowsports. In fact, he does just that in this overview video.
engaging kids, and incorporating sensations and movements from outside of skiing into the ski lesson experience (these latter two led by guest clinicians from the Swiss and Czech Interski teams). Ending with an off - piste session (in a foot and a half of fresh powder) with Alpine Team members Dave Lyon and Ryan Christoff erson made for an incredibly fun week. It was so educational to ski with terrifi c clinicians who role model what they preach; in a fun and social environment, AND… with no homework.
USSA AND PSIA-AASI’S COMMON BONDS
PSIA-AASI and USSA have diff erent organizational roots, and yet we do similar things: help others develop their skills for sliding on snow. At the USSA Academy, Ron Kipp – who, at the time was the alpine sport education manager for USSA and is now the coaches education & development manager for the Squaw Valley Ski Team – led off with a quote that rings as true in ski school locker rooms as in race programs or ski clubs: “We don’t coach skiing, we coach kids.” Yes, there are some diff erences. A USSA coach may work with the same set of athletes over the season and into the next, whereas a PSIA-AASI member instructor might work with new clients every day. Our client motivations and goals may be broad (to “look good,” or to ski steeps, or just keep up with a family member). T e race world, on the other
MICHAEL DRAKE
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