Book Review

by Ed Kane

Park and Pipe - Instructors Guide.  This newest PSIA/AASI Manual was published at the beginning of the 2005/2006 season.  It was produced in response to an industry need for material to provide a common, well thought approach to this evolving aspect of the mountain experience.  This well illustrated 156 page spiral bound manual is well written, easy to read and has a very noticeable Northwest flavor since the task force given the responsibility for the content was headed by Chris Hargrave.  Chris was supported by a cast of highly talented contributors which included a number current and past NW members including: Dee Byrne, Chad Frost and Lane McLaughlin.  The content is well organized and written in a manner that balances the fun aspects of Park & Pipe and Freestyle while interweaving a background of safety and responsibility.  From that point of view,  this is one of the best manuals that has come from the national organization.  Kudos should be extended to the task force that developed it.  The coaching processes that this manual describes apply to teaching any of our mountain disciplines, so it would be a valuable addition to the library of any snowsports instructor.

The introduction contains an overview of the manual and sets the tone for what is to follow.  This is followed by a chapter titled “Coaching the Good Stuff”.  Of particular interest in this chapter: Introduction of “Smart Style” (Look before you leap, Easy style it - learn in small steps, and Respect gets respect - communicate continually); Some thoughts on “free style coaching” (Hints on the “Buy-in” and Masking simple skills into the look and feel of freestyle); A discussion of the tools in the teaching toolbox; and some extremely well thought out hints on effective Coaching Tactics.  This chapter is quite brief,  but absolutely packed with great information that is applicable not only in Freestyle coaching but also in everyday teaching of beginning, intermediate and advanced clients.

This is followed by a discussion of ATML (Approach, Take-off, Maneuver and Landing).  The ATML approach is a very effective methodology to help the instructor develop a system for analyzing student movement patterns.  Embedded within this methodology are 3 sensory contributions that will aid in providing meaningful feedback.  These consist of Speed, Pop and Spin.  A worksheet template is provided to help the instructor organize their thoughts and provide more effective guidance and coaching.  Several simple examples are given to help illustrate the approach.

The remainder of the manual covers approaches that can be used to coach students in freestyle, jumps, rails & boxes and in the half-pipe.  The next chapter “Foundations of Freestyle” contains information on selection of personal gear for safe involvement and hints on effective use of terrain both inside and outside the park.  There are some examples of how to determine readiness, characteristics of park features that affect learning and some example lesson plans to help students successfully enter and master the park features.  These examples are presented in a progression and in the ATML format.  The latter gives one a better understanding of how to use the work sheet.

The last 3 chapters identify coaching approaches for Jumps, Rails and Boxes and the Half-pipe.  The format for each of these is similar in that it contains: A discussion of the anatomy of the feature and considerations for successful tactics; some example tactical approaches (with example ATML worksheets); and some maneuver types with coaching hints.  The last chapter on the half-pipe contains a Half-pipe Goal Sheet and provides some examples to illustrate its use in coaching students in this feature.