Video/Book Reviews
by Ed Kane
Snowboard
Instructor’s Guide.
The newest in manuals from PSIA has just arrived in
the office. The price is $24.95
plus postage & handling. This well
illustrated 142 page spiral bound guide was developed by an AASI task force and
was authored by Holly Anderson.
Contributing writers were Lane Clegg, Chad Frost, Dave Lynch, J. Randy Price and
Doug Radefeld. This version
presents the Snowboard Teaching System (STS) which consists of the following
components: riding; teaching; and service.
The first two chapters outline considerations for effective teaching, the
next chapter outlines riding concepts including the Y riding model and the last
chapters outline aspects such as lesson delivery, gear and the development of
lesson plans. Overall the content
is well arranged, simply presented and would be another valuable addition to the
snowboard instructors’ library. One
small disappointment, in my mind, was the addition of a number of new “buzz”
words which is an unfortunate departure from previous publications developed by
this community.
The first chapter contains a brief overview of the elements necessary to conduct
an effective lesson. Each is
outlined in enough detail to deliver a clear understanding of the important
aspect of that element and give some insight into how you might integrate it
into the lesson you deliver to your clients.
Contained in this chapter is a 2 page table of effective and ineffective
riding visual cues. I was impressed
with this table and most gratified that it now contains some discussion of
stance (i.e. balance over the board).
The chapter on learning concepts explores information which makes it easier to
understand the reactions and responses of the student to your lesson.
It contains overview information on the cognitive, affective and physical
characteristics of the clients that could influence the effectiveness of your
lesson. There are several tables in
this chapter that outline several aspects of individual learning preferences
that should prove quite useful during lesson planning.
The section on riding concepts is a summary of previous information on the Y
Riding Model and the mechanics of moving on the board to achieve desired
outcomes. This is where some of the
“new” buzz words are offered and explained.
Overall, this information is useful if it is integrated into the lesson
from the perspective of outcomes observed and guidance given to students.
This section deserves quite a bit of study to understand the concepts and
the relationships with riding outcomes.
The remainder of this manual provides quite a bit of information that would be
very useful in tailoring lessons to very diverse customer segments.
The information on lessons for “First-Timers” was very well done and
offers some valuable guidance. In
addition, the next to last chapter on “Lesson Ideas” contains some lesson plan
outlines that are very useful. In
addition, readers might want to use the format to develop their own lesson plans
for the more basic entry level clients.