Student Blog

Since I passed my Level 1 Ski Instructor exam, I am coaching for the Fernie Alpine Ski Team (FAST). I am a Coach in Training, so I am always helping another coach and am never alone with a group, but the kids call me Coach Kathrin anyways. I am helping FAST out with U4, U8 and U10 age groups. The responsibilities I have are very different in the different age groups. With U4 it's mostly getting the kids on and off the chair lift, which is tricky sometimes. One time I had a kid jump off the chair way too early, luckily nothing happened to her, but it still scared me, and I didn't want to take her on the chair lift with me after that.  I also have to pick them up when they fall, which they do a lot, and get them on their skis again.  I don't like doing that because the kids somehow think that it is helpful when they get all stiff and don't move anything at all anymore, so I can barely get their skis on again. With U8 I have to do the same things, but they are a lot more independent, so life as a coach is easier.  With U10 I am doing more "real" coaching. They are skiing through the race course, and my job is to give them feedback on their skiing. I was ski racing back home myself, so I know what to look for, but in the beginning it was still hard for me to figure out what to say to them, especially because the coach I was helping often said totally different things than I would have said.  I really love helping them out, and getting to coach is something I look forward to every weekend. 

Blog post and photo submitted by Kathrin K., a German student currently in grade 11 at Fernie Secondary School.