If you have a small child in your care (or nephew, niece, goddaughter–you get it), there are few things as cute as watching him, or her cautiously work down the slopes at one of those kids’ ski camps. And, even if the slopes aren’t full of snow at all, but a comfortable mat or trampoline at one of Shredder’s summer ski camps, the sights and sounds of those kids laughing and having fun is all the incentive you need to enroll your little loved one.
Any school can tell you what to wear, where to go, and how to have fun at a ski camp. Our amazing instructors at Shredder will tell you that too, but what we want to do here is explain the skills your loved one will leave our slopes knowing. Here is a small list of the many things you can expect at our (or most others) ski camp.
Ski Camp – Confidence
This is one of the most important skills anyone leaves ski camps with–the power to believe they can do something they have never done before. When someone has that kind of self-awareness and confidence, there’s no holding them back. Today, it’s belief in a bunny slope. Tomorrow, it’s talk about doing the slaloms in Breckenridge.
We always tell people who come to Shredder that we are looking to make summer ski camps the starting point of a lifelong journey of skiing and snowboarding. However, before strapping on the boots and wrapping themselves in a down ski bib, there needs to be a handsome helping of the belief that they will successfully jump on that trampoline or sledding down that slope. It all starts with the strength of knowing you can.
Ski Camp – Fun
Yes, having fun is a skill. Some summer ski camps can cause a little bit of fear for a child simply because they are learning something new. Despite the unknown, if they know to tap into that confidence, the smiles and laughs are highly contagious. In Colorado, you will find some of the best instructors because they all understand that to have a successful ski camp, you must have fun.
For example, Shredder Ski and Snowboarding School instructors specialize in teaching children. And, if that wasn’t good enough, they are all kids at heart. They understand what to teach the youngest students because that’s how they would have wanted to be prepared to ski and snowboard. It’s even in our mission: “developing confident and knowledgeable skiers and snowboarders in a fun and safe environment.”
Safety
Another keyword in the Shredders Ski School mission statement is teaching safety at our ski camps. That has to be an essential skill to teach any child or adult at a summer or winter ski school–how to have fun and still think safety is first. Precautions must be taken before the fun is experienced and confidence can be enjoyed. After all, it’s hard to have fun when you roll your ankle. Kids know that as well as adults. Stay safe before hitting the slopes so you can enjoy a safe ride on them.
Growth
It’s difficult for any student to know if they are improving with the proper technique. You need to be taught right from the start. At a reputable ski camp, you can tell growth will happen by the language they speak. Have you heard your child mention a “line” or a “jib,” how to “carve,” or how not to “faceplant”? There are even some ski camps where your student will come back knowing how to make pizza and laugh if you ask if they want something to eat. (It’s another way to say “snowplow” or how to control speed.)
Goal Setting
At a Shredder Ski Camp, we are known for teaching our students how to set goals with every trip to the slopes and every day at ski camp for kids. It is essential to see a new skill, a different move, or even win at a new game and work hard to reach that goal.
With PSIA/AASI certified instructors, we help students reach those goals in a safe and fun environment. We ask your young skier or snowboarder to get up early and be ready to learn something new every day. Once they get in that groove, lessons become easier, laughs get louder, and confidence comes sooner. That’s when the goals start coming and rarely stop.