As you start down the hill with your class you begin taking mental notes of how they're skiing. An abrupt pivoted start followed by the skis alternately sliding out or catching edges at the end of the turn. Their arms swing wildly about as their upper bodies twist and lean up the hill, first to one side and then the other. Part of your job description says that you're supposed to take the skills these people have, rearrange them and add to them so that by the end of the lesson they're making smooth and controlled turns. The second part says that everyone is supposed to have fun in the process. From all the clinics and experience you have you know that your movement analysis is supposed to tell you where to begin. Now what?

During the next hour you systematically explain and demonstrate how to slow down the rotary movement at the beginning of the turn and replace it with a smooth pressuring of the outside ski while rolling it onto more of an edge to control the middle and end of the turn. You show them the problems associated with a twisted and contorted upper body and tell them to continually direct their upper body down the hill while their legs do all the work. However, things still aren't working well for at least half the class, and particularly on more challenging terrain the bad habits return and your students fall apart before your eyes.

Your technical analysis and solutions may have been correct, but I believe movement analysis goes beyond recognizing and correcting skill usage. Although skiing is considered primarily a physical sport, perhaps the greatest barriers to learning are mental and emotional.' If your students don't think they can get control of their situation, and are scared or uncomfortable with their surroundings, they won't be able to learn much. The reason that half your class was still struggling towards the end of the lesson was that the prescribed solutions were only dealing with the symptoms and not the real problems.

As you watch your students in the early part of the lesson, it's important to recognize what's causing the movements in your students skiing, not just noticing what's happening. Why are they twisting their upper body around, leaning into the hill, pivoting their skis quickly, bracing on a stiff downhill leg, crouching over, leaning back, and making long traverses between turns. These are all common problems that are caused by fear and nervousness, not just lack of skill development. Often these habits are formed while struggling on difficult terrain and then are carried over to easier slopes. What's the solution?

In order to solve problems that are caused by fear and nervousness you have to be able to recognize them. Not everyone exhibits the above symptoms out of fear. By talking with students early on in the class you can learn who has had bad experiences, who seems a bit timid or cautious, who is trying to keep up with friends (or a spouse), and which students are naturally outgoing and aggressive. Besides giving you clues as to who may have anxiety related problems you can also start to determine lesson goals and learning styles.

As you do some of your initial movement analysis on the class try to notice movements without passing judgement as to whether they're good or bad. Often we immediately notice something "right" or "wrong" and set out to change it without considering other options. By letting yourself soak in the complete picture of what's happening with each skier you're better able to determine the root causes.

Another tip off to fear caused movements is whether or not they become more pronounced on harder terrain. Likely your favorite teaching runs have some sections that are at least slightly steeper than others. On these areas if you see students reverting back to defensive habits it could be caused by increased anxiety. Remember though that any new skill development is harder on new or challenging terrain, and don't mistake awkward balancing movements as signs of undue fear.

Students are constantly sending nonverbal signals of how they're feeling, and picking these up from each person is a valuable skill to develop. They may become suddenly quiet, wait till last to go, avoid eye contact, or begin shifting their hands or feet about. Noticing when someone is uncomfortable or nervous means you can tailor your approach to deal with that insecurity rather than merely asking them to "bend their knees".

Once you have identified the movements and problems that are associated with fear you have to face the challenge of fixing them. It's much easier to simply tell people what movements to make and positions to seek than to help them learn to relax and enjoy "projecting their center of mass down the hill". Make your class aware that often the real cause of their physical problems is fear and anxiety. The sooner students understand the source of their problems the better they will be able to seek and find the solutions. As you present information to the class, make it clear that what you're telling them will help them to be more comfortable and in control. For example, explain that bringing the finish of the turn further across the hill in a C shape-will slow them down more, and by making each turn this way their speed will stay at a consistently lower level. By skiing slower they will relax more and be able to balance easier, which will help them smooth out the whole process, and ski longer and with less fatigue. If they see your advice as being a better way of coping with what they're threatened by, they will be more willing to try it and put more effort into it. Then of course it's important to make sure you begin by making changes with things that immediately give them more security. Remember that their current movements are basically desperate attempts to slow down so that they can maintain control. No matter what level you're teaching start with changes that are better ways to slow down and/or stay in balance, not just 'better' skiing, or the next centerline figure.

From the first moment you meet your classes each day, use an expanded version of movement analysis to determine what the real cause of student's movements are. Look beyond the surface skills of edging, pressure, rotary, and balancing movements to the humanistic side of things: I skid because I'm scared, I lean back because I'm nervous. Use your lesson to address the issues of control and being comfortable rather than a searching for technical perfection, and you'll find that your students will leave with a better understanding of both. In the process, I think you'll also discover that you accomplished the second half of your job description, and after all, that's the real reason we ski.