Here is a somewhat different approach on how to deal with a student/new skier that is fearful. First and foremost, the reader should know that these insights into fear and skiing are not from the perspective of an adventure skier, psychologist, LIII PSIA instructor, or longtime ski guru of any type. This is not "The Yikes Zone" type of writing or thinking. The author has skied for 45 years, is not an expert skier, and taught skiing for only 5 years. The opinions, recommendations, and thoughts regarding fear come from a different source, namely, dealing with fear repeatedly for 20 years as a hostage/crisis negotiator and negotiation supervisor for a major California police department. Ninety-nine percent of critical incidents contain the element of fear. After literally hundreds of hours talking and negotiating with people at crisis situations, the one constant human element portrayed by hostages and bad guys was differing elements and degrees of fear.
In this example, you have a fearful beginner skier. Can you teach them to ski while they are exposed to terrain, ice, speed, steeps maybe close by? Well, obviously the answer is "Yes," because it is done all the time. What I am saying here is that if you build trust first and follow the suggestions below, your success in teaching fearful students will go up and more first-time skiers will continue to ski and love our sport.
As a ski instructor, are you doing some psychological profiling? Sure you are, for the good of the new skier. While teaching at Homewood Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe, I recognized that a certain amount of people were paralyzed on the ski hill. First I noticed that men almost never exhibited any obvious fear. They wouldn't admit they were scared if it was the last thing they did. On the other hand, when asking female students what they wanted to learn, I received many and varied answers. "Get over my fear of speed/steeps/ice/falling/getting hurt/not keeping up with significant other" and so forth. It was at this time that I laid out a plan to combat fear for these students based mainly on what I learned in negotiating approximately 250 hostage/crisis incidents.
Trust
As a crisis negotiator, persuading someone to give up to the police can seem almost impossible. When a criminal, emotionally disturbed person, drunk, drug addict, or suicidal person is in a crisis, they are often surrounded and contained by uniforms, even ninja warrior SWAT guys. It is a formidable curtain that scares the heck out of people who are acting out, committing crimes, or barricading themselves. Obviously, those who are scared they are going to die do not trust the police -- or anyone else. For a negotiator to talk this person into giving up peacefully, he must first gain a person's trust. Talking and listening to this person, moving the SWAT guys out of sight, and removing the red lights, sirens, police cars, and any other police use-of-force instruments all go a long way in calming, controlling, and containing the incident. Most crisis situations that end peacefully do so with a bond of trust brought to the incident usually by the designated negotiator.
Although it may be a stark comparison, it's the same with skiing. An instructor can overcome a person's real fear only by beginning the process with trust. Obviously some of these recommendations are hard or maybe even impossible in larger group lessons; they work best in a private lesson or a very small group of, say, no more than three students. It is also preferred that the initial trust development be done in the lodge, preferably sitting face to face. Eye contact during dialogue is the best way to develop a connection between two people.
The instructor might say, "Yes, I understand your reluctance today, but I want to ensure you that I have your interests in mind and will not take you anywhere that is steep or dangerous. We will do this together, and I need to have your constant feedback on how you feel. It is my intention for us to work together so you learn to ski and we have some fun. Once again, I will not take you anywhere that is steep, icy, or unusually hard. Tell me about the fears you have today, and then we can work together to overcome them." Get the person to talk openly about their fears, and be specific as possible: remember, you are there not for sympathy but for empathy.
Trust is something that usually takes time and action to reinforce. Lessons don't always give you a lot of time to establish real trust. It is recommended that you start with the face-to-face meeting and spend at least 10 minutes in it. If you are too anxious to get out on the snow and ski, then control yourself and try to recognize what you are dealing with in teaching this individual. Believe me, if you have a fearful student, the time will be well spent in first gaining their trust.
On the Snow
Be observant and watch for fear. A person's body language even on skis will tell you a lot. Leaning back into the hill, stiff legs (bracing against hill), complaining, and verbal reluctance all should tell you something.
Even explaining the fall line and the perpendicular 90 percent rule to remain motionless on a hill may be the most important thing for a fearful person to learn as they feel stable and safe if they aren't sliding. It may be better to learn sideslipping earlier than normal for the same reason. I once taught a woman to hockey stop in her first lesson, and she really liked the control this gave her.
Above all, do not violate the trust you gave your student at first; don't take him or her to a steeper or faster area until it is proper to do so.
Summary
Recognize and talk to your student if fear is a problem. Your student can tell if you are sincere and convey that you care. Once you make the promise to protect and help your student, don't break it. Word travels fast in ski circles, and if you use this method and are successful, your requested privates may increase. Add trust to your approach to helping fearful students and watch how it works in the student/instructor relationship. It is very soul-satisfying to have a student give you a big hug and thank you for helping them become a skier.
In this example, you have a fearful beginner skier. Can you teach them to ski while they are exposed to terrain, ice, speed, steeps maybe close by? Well, obviously the answer is "Yes," because it is done all the time. What I am saying here is that if you build trust first and follow the suggestions below, your success in teaching fearful students will go up and more first-time skiers will continue to ski and love our sport.
As a ski instructor, are you doing some psychological profiling? Sure you are, for the good of the new skier. While teaching at Homewood Ski Resort at Lake Tahoe, I recognized that a certain amount of people were paralyzed on the ski hill. First I noticed that men almost never exhibited any obvious fear. They wouldn't admit they were scared if it was the last thing they did. On the other hand, when asking female students what they wanted to learn, I received many and varied answers. "Get over my fear of speed/steeps/ice/falling/getting hurt/not keeping up with significant other" and so forth. It was at this time that I laid out a plan to combat fear for these students based mainly on what I learned in negotiating approximately 250 hostage/crisis incidents.
Trust
As a crisis negotiator, persuading someone to give up to the police can seem almost impossible. When a criminal, emotionally disturbed person, drunk, drug addict, or suicidal person is in a crisis, they are often surrounded and contained by uniforms, even ninja warrior SWAT guys. It is a formidable curtain that scares the heck out of people who are acting out, committing crimes, or barricading themselves. Obviously, those who are scared they are going to die do not trust the police -- or anyone else. For a negotiator to talk this person into giving up peacefully, he must first gain a person's trust. Talking and listening to this person, moving the SWAT guys out of sight, and removing the red lights, sirens, police cars, and any other police use-of-force instruments all go a long way in calming, controlling, and containing the incident. Most crisis situations that end peacefully do so with a bond of trust brought to the incident usually by the designated negotiator.
Although it may be a stark comparison, it's the same with skiing. An instructor can overcome a person's real fear only by beginning the process with trust. Obviously some of these recommendations are hard or maybe even impossible in larger group lessons; they work best in a private lesson or a very small group of, say, no more than three students. It is also preferred that the initial trust development be done in the lodge, preferably sitting face to face. Eye contact during dialogue is the best way to develop a connection between two people.
The instructor might say, "Yes, I understand your reluctance today, but I want to ensure you that I have your interests in mind and will not take you anywhere that is steep or dangerous. We will do this together, and I need to have your constant feedback on how you feel. It is my intention for us to work together so you learn to ski and we have some fun. Once again, I will not take you anywhere that is steep, icy, or unusually hard. Tell me about the fears you have today, and then we can work together to overcome them." Get the person to talk openly about their fears, and be specific as possible: remember, you are there not for sympathy but for empathy.
Homewood; photo by Jim Kenney
Start the lesson slowly, preferably on a flat hill. Have your students move around on one and two skis so they can find their balance and accustom themselves to having boards on their feet. Some ski school hills are great, and your students can't go very far and pick up too much speed; other beginner areas are not so blessed, so be careful and don't place your students anywhere they can get going too fast. It is absolutely imperative that you don't break the trust; if you do, there goes the lesson. Drills, games, technique, and even personality are great but if your students don't trust what you told them, you are going to fail -- and they will, too.
Trust is something that usually takes time and action to reinforce. Lessons don't always give you a lot of time to establish real trust. It is recommended that you start with the face-to-face meeting and spend at least 10 minutes in it. If you are too anxious to get out on the snow and ski, then control yourself and try to recognize what you are dealing with in teaching this individual. Believe me, if you have a fearful student, the time will be well spent in first gaining their trust.
On the Snow
Be observant and watch for fear. A person's body language even on skis will tell you a lot. Leaning back into the hill, stiff legs (bracing against hill), complaining, and verbal reluctance all should tell you something.
Even explaining the fall line and the perpendicular 90 percent rule to remain motionless on a hill may be the most important thing for a fearful person to learn as they feel stable and safe if they aren't sliding. It may be better to learn sideslipping earlier than normal for the same reason. I once taught a woman to hockey stop in her first lesson, and she really liked the control this gave her.
Above all, do not violate the trust you gave your student at first; don't take him or her to a steeper or faster area until it is proper to do so.
Summary
Recognize and talk to your student if fear is a problem. Your student can tell if you are sincere and convey that you care. Once you make the promise to protect and help your student, don't break it. Word travels fast in ski circles, and if you use this method and are successful, your requested privates may increase. Add trust to your approach to helping fearful students and watch how it works in the student/instructor relationship. It is very soul-satisfying to have a student give you a big hug and thank you for helping them become a skier.