Mountain Creek coaches teach Cedar Mountain students

VERNON — Mountain Creek Ski and Snowboard coaches taught Cedar Mountain Primary School students basic snowboarding skills during their physical education classes for an entire week.
After the week, Physical Education Teacher Michele Gonnelli said, each child would receive a certificate, as a real snowboarding “Shredder.”
The First Grade class, on Nov. 30, was so excited to have Mountain Creek back again. For a fun warm up, the students watched a video, and Coach Jon showed the students how to warm up, using his snow board. He encouraged, “1-2-3, jump!,” and jumped high into the sky.
The students screamed, “Again!”
The other coaches encouraged the students, “Arms out, feet like a duck.”
Then the students rotated through four stations. Coach Carter reviewed snow board flips, turns, and balancing on simulated snowboards; Coaches Louise and Betsy pulled students snowboarding all around the gym; Coach Jon worked on more snowboard balancing and jumping, with turns; and the children played Skateboard Twister and balanced on plastic kid-sized lily pads with Coach Matt.
Some of the students told Coach Carter, “Too easy.”
Carter instructed, “Jump on one foot with your eyes closed.”
Sky/Snowboard School Director Tim Stone explained, they had been teaching the ski/snowboard program in K through second grade schools for five years. He added, they had probably taught over 6,000 kids, traveling through local communities.
“It is all about introducing kids to outdoor recreational sports and to keep them active through the winter months,” he said. Stone continued, the students’ first introduction is inside, in their gym, where it is comfortable for them.
For him personally, he said, this was never an option at their age, because he came from a big family. He explained, price is one of the biggest barriers of entry to the sport, which kept him disengaged for a long time. Ultimately, he started snowboarding when he was about 16 years-old, had a job, and bought his own snowboard and lift ticket.
The program, Stone said, is about giving the experience to some of the kids who may fit in the same category he did. He added, “Whatever we can do to break barriers and increase the influx of new kids into the sport – that’s what it is all about.”
The coaches obviously loved working with the students.
Coach Betsy has 21 years experience and has worked at Mountain Creek for 11 years. She said, the school program is so rewarding. She also works in the water park and occasionally does marketing, with festivals and fairs.
Coach Jon is an all around instructor at the resort: life guarding, mountain biking, and snowboarding. He said, he likes to teach action sports and is also a volunteer EMT.
Coach Louise has worked with Mountain Creek for eight years, including operations and sky school. She said, she likes working outside.
Coach Carter grew up skateboarding and snowboarding. Two years ago, he worked at Mountain Creek and has now returned from a time out west.
Coach Matt has worked at Mountain Creek five years. He, too, grew up skateboarding and snowboarding. Every job he has ever had, he continued, has been teaching, including: hang gliding and snowboarding. He also helps with the ropes course. Being outside and having fun, he added, is what drives him.
In the background of the class, little ones were happily screaming and giggling, while learning.
Gonnelli said, her students had asked earlier, “Are they going to come all year?”
At the end, the children said thank you and waved good-bye to the Ski/Snowboard School coaches.
The coaches called back, “See you on the slopes.”