Unless you’re a professional athlete, you probably only have a few days out of each year to be involved in your favourite outdoor activities. Whether you love to golf, play soccer, rugby, or water ski, it’s probably an activity you only really get to enjoy while you’re out on holiday. In reality, everyone dreams of having a job doing something that he or she loves, but the idea of becoming a professional in many of these sports is unrealistic for most. In reality, genetic traits can make it impossible for us to be able to do many of these things at a competitive level. However, there is an alternative way to make a living practicing and perfecting your skills at your favourite sport, and it doesn’t require you to be one of the best in the world. Becoming an instructor in your favourite sport is the perfect way to make a good living while also having the opportunity to do what you love every day. Many also find a great deal of pleasure from teaching others, and this profession teaches many just how much joy can be derived from being an instructor.
Perhaps skiing is your favourite activity, and you’d like to be able to spend more time doing that while also being able to pay your bills. What exactly are the requirements for an individual to become a ski instructor, though? Is there a list of skills you must be proficient in, or must you have professional experience with the sport? Do you have to go to school for a couple of years in order to qualify as a ski instructor? What is it actually like to be a ski instructor, and what benefits are there to the profession?
Health Benefits
There are many benefits to being a ski instructor, and the fact that it’s great for your health is just one of them. Spending time outdoors in the fresh air is great for your health as it allows you to get plenty of exposure to the sun and soak up the vitamin D that it provides. It’s not surprising how many adults have vitamin D deficiencies because of how little time they spend outdoors. In addition, spending so much time on your feet will ensure you burn plenty of calories throughout the course of an average work day. At the end of the day, having all of that physical exercise proves to make many individuals involved in the profession happier as well. The beautiful mountain views are certainly a wonderful health benefit as well, and many find that being in such an environment helps to give them perspective.
Travel Opportunities
With this skill, it’s possible to find work, not just near your home, but also in any of the world’s most beautiful locations. Italy, the south of France, Canada, and the United States all have beautiful mountain ranges and numerous ski resorts that you can work in during your own country’s off season. This can make it viable to travel the world while you continue to work in a profession that you really enjoy.
Practice Makes Perfect
Having the opportunity to teach others about skiing is often one of the best ways to improve your own technique. If you have the hope of one day being able to compete at a professional level, teaching is the perfect way to support yourself while you continue to learn and become better. Often times, instructors find themselves becoming much better skiers during the period of time that they’re teaching since instructing others requires greater knowledge and understanding.
Financial Benefits
It’s already been mentioned that this is the perfect way to support yourself with a job that you really enjoy. In addition, if you have a day job that you love, you can be a ski instructor only on the weekends, which allows you to enjoy your sport while also earning money at your regular job. That could mean that you don’t have to give up on your other secular dreams and that you don’t have to feel guilty about skiing every weekend. You also have the opportunity to ski without needing to pay for a lift ticket, and that will certainly save many passionate skiers a lot of money over time.
How to Become a Ski Instructor
Before you can become an instructor and qualify to teach others, you need to be a fairly proficient skier yourself. You won’t be required to compete in professional events in order to qualify, but you should be able to handle all types of ski conditions confidently. Of course, in many circumstances you can offer private lessons without any official credentials, but you’ll have trouble finding places to instruct without spending your own money on lift tickets.
If you instead want to be a credentialed ski instructor, you might want to know what it takes to earn a certification that you can use to get jobs at various resorts around the world. There are many courses available all around the world that will help you to become a better skier. In addition to learning new skills, it’s important to learn practical teaching methods that will help your students progress quickly. In many cases, you’ll only have a few hours to practice with your students, which means that you’ll need to know the best teaching methods.
If you want to become a qualified ski instructor with AllTracks, for example, there’s a comprehensive training regimen that will ensure you know vital skills that even many advanced trail skiers aren’t confident in using or have never learned. For instance, many skiers spend all of their time on properly groomed and prepared trails, and never learn how to ski in deep powder or on other less than ideal surfaces. These are essentials skills to have, as they can help you to have a greater understanding of the sport, and ultimately better control. Being a ski instructor is a very rewarding career, whether you pursue it on a full-time or part-time basis.
