The Benefits of Ski School

I was fortunate enough to grow up skiing in Colorado. I was six years old when I began ski school at Eldora. Unfortunately, at that time, my child-brain could not soak up the blessings of being able to ski once a week, only an hour from my family home in the front range. 

I vividly remember the feelings of discomfort on that first day of ski school like it was yesterday. I wondered if I would make any friends, I refused to wear my goggles, my glasses fogged up to the point of zero visibility, and I was frozen to the bone. For the next six Saturdays, I spent every car ride crying and complaining to my parents, begging them to let me skip ski school.

Of course, looking back, these challenges are now tinted with a rosy hue. I eventually made amazing friends, learned to keep my goggles glued to my face, and got used to the cold. I learned how to ski and even wowed my dad by skiing a black diamond with him on the last day. Most importantly, I overcame the challenge of discomfort and learned to trust myself.

Ski school instructors are no strangers to this growth pattern that all the children they work with inevitably go through. Clio Wohlgenant, a ski school instructor going on her third year at Steamboat Resort, recalls a long list of the benefits of ski school for kids. Each season, she witnesses immensely positive and far-reaching impacts on her students’ social, emotional, physical, and mental development. 

Making New Friends at Ski School

Nothing brings Clio more joy than seeing a kid transform before her eyes. Often, the shy guy at the beginning of the day will magically change to the gregarious kiddo who has ten new friends by lunch. Kids who don’t want to say goodbye to their mom and dad when they arrive will end up not wanting to leave after the last run because they have made so many connections with the other kids in their group. Clio shares that the ski instructors “see real bonds being made.” 

Being Part of a Team

Amazingly, these kids don’t just become friends. They become a real team. When Clio starts out the day with her group, she often talks about how everyone is a team. She emphasizes the need to travel together and look out for each other, just like a team would. This mentality brings about a sense of altruism in the kids. They will help each other when they fall down, fix each other’s clothes if they are cold, and even advocate for each other. Clio has had students come up to her and let her know if their friend needs to take a break or needs help. 

Besides being there for each other when they are down, Clio also sees her kids celebrate each other’s successes. If a kid has been scared to do a jump all day and then is finally able to take the leap, then they are sure to receive tons of encouragement and praise. Clio shares that “the kids get psyched for each other and cheer each other on!”

Physical Skills

An obvious benefit of ski school is that kids get better at skiing. What might not be so obvious is how quickly a child can develop their ski skills. Ski instructors are expert teachers: they know all the little tricks, drills, and metaphors to help kids improve. Learning about pizza and French fry is just the beginning. When a child goes to ski school regularly, they can improve their ability to keep their skis straight, turn smoothly, stop on a dime, and even go off of small jumps without losing control. 

Physical Awareness and Planning Ahead

Alongside physical skills, children in ski school also gain a greater awareness of their bodies. When a person first starts to ski, they don’t trust themselves. (This is understandable since you are strapping sticks to your feet and sliding down a slippery mountain!) Clio recounts that most kids are scared to be close to an edge or close to a stranger because they are afraid they will fly uncontrollably into the danger zone. However, as time goes on, students begin to build their skills. This, in turn, also builds self-trust. 

The physical awareness kids develop throughout ski school goes beyond themselves and to the people and objects around them. As kids ski, they learn to keep their eyes sharp and identify objects and terrain that are in their ski path. They plan ahead. Clio says that this skill is especially developed when she takes kids tree skiing. She will talk to them about how to look around the trees, choose a path, and identify their next stopping point. This is called line selection. 

The combination of body awareness, trust in self, and recognition of the objects and terrain creates a more confident skier overall. When kids know they have the ability and wherewithal to stop or avoid objects, collisions, and specific terrain at any time, their abilities skyrocket. 

Assessing Risk and Defining Boundaries

As kids understand their abilities and the snowy world around them, they also gain a better sense of what they are comfortable with and what is out of their comfort zone. This is called risk assessment. Kids learn to ask themselves if they can ski a slope, or if it is too steep for them; if they want to ski next to someone, or if that person is too close. Analyzing the pros and cons of these situations facilitates decision-making and boundary-building skills as well.

Alongside defining boundaries, kids also learn how to verbalize these boundaries. For example, Clio has seen kids tell other kids that they were skiing too close to them, and politely ask if they can keep their distance. This is an example of a student communicating their boundaries in order to feel safe. 

Skiing Is Just Plain Fun!

Perhaps the most important benefit to ski school is the fun factor. When I was a kid, I might not have seen skiing as very much fun at first. But as I gained skills and friends, my tears dried up, and I had a permanent smile plastered on my face. Eventually, I learned to love zooming down the mountain in a little dusting of fresh pow and getting a cup of steaming hot coco at the lodge. (And I love it even more so today!) I am very grateful for the many benefits ski school brought to me, back then and for many years to come.

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