The NZ Coaching Pathway
A Snow Sports NZ – NZSIA collaboration.
About the Coaching Pathway
The Coaching Pathway will sit alongside current NZSIA certifications, allowing current and new members to explore the first two portions before committing to the final coaching qualification.
The Pathway has three stages to it:
1. The Intro to Coaching Seminars
2. The Development Coaching Online Course
3. The Development Coaching Certification
The Goal
To create a world-class coaching pathway for alpine ski racing, freestyle skiing and snowboarding, that integrates with the current NZSIA qualification system, whilst utilising the in-depth knowledge, vast experience and valuable resources from Snow Sports NZ.
As part of this, the Coaching Pathway will help expand the knowledge of current coaches working throughout NZ; provide a pathway for new coaches to become educated and certified; provide an alternative career pathway opportunities to current NZSIA members looking to side-step into the world of coaching; and offer further education to members that will help develop their establihed teaching skills.
Development Coaches Certification
The Development Coaches Certification is a qualification aimed at those coaching at the development level in New Zealand, taking their athletes to both regional and national level contests.
Pre Requisites
Any of the following three NZSIA or SBINZ certifications will be required before starting on the coaching pathway:
- Race One (Intro to Race Coaching) – requires NZSIA Ski Level Two or NZSIA Level One members with proven race or coaching experience.
- Freeski One – requires NZSIA Ski Level Two or NZSIA Level One members with proven Free Ski competition or coaching experience .
- SBINZ Level One – It is recommended that the candidates have completed the SBINZ Freestyle Workshop, however the freestyle certification is not a pre-requisite.
Exceptions to the above will be made for the following experience: Olympic-level coaching experience; previous or current carded or World Cup athletes; Freeride World Tour athletes; Freeride World Qualifier athletes that have extensive experience; any competitive coaches with three seasons of discipline specific coaching experience within the last 10 years (must be national level). However ALL Coaching Pathway candidates must have a Level One instructing certification at the minimum, regardless of experience. Please apply to the ski or snowboard Course Managers with proof of your experience before signing up.
Stage One: Intro to Coaching Seminar
The Intro to Coaching Seminar is usually facilitated over two three-hour evening sessions, but can be a one-day course upon request.
The seminar will be comprised of three presentations/workshops:
1. What is Coaching?
2. Who are we Coaching?
3. How are we Coaching?
These sessions can be attended in person or joined as a Zoom presentation online. When booking you can choose to attend in person or online, although some events may only be ran online depending on availability of presenters.Those attending online, will be expected to participate continually.
Stage Two: Development Coaching Online Course
This e-learning course has been written in partnership between Snow Sports NZ and NZSIA. It is comprised of four modules, each containing multiple sub topics and a quiz. The main four modules are:
- Lifestyle
- Off-Snow Training
- On-Snow Training
- Competition Formats
This online course will likely take 10-20hours to complete. You can work through it at your own pace but it must be completed before attending either of the on-snow Development Coaches Courses (Alpine Race or Park/Pipe/Freeride).
Visit the Online Course here – you must be logged in as a member to view this.
Stage Three: Development Coaches Course – Park, Pipe and Freeride
This is the on-snow component to the Development Coaches Certification for freeskiers and snowboarders. This five-day course and certification, builds on coaching concepts introduced during the Intro to Coaching Seminar and the e-learning, taking candidates into different areas of the resort, looking at two main aspects: i) coaching the athlete, and ii) coaching in the environment. The course is specific to the environment (i.e. park, pipe and freeride) not so much the discipline, so freeskiers and snowboarders will be trained together in the same group.
Stage Three: Development Coaches Course – Alpine Race
The focus of this six-day qualification is to develop race coaching skills including course setting, on-snow training environment and appropriate race demonstrations, whilst building on coaching concepts introduced during the Intro to Coaching Seminar. There is a course setting assessment as part of the course but no coaching assessment. Note that to join this coaching course you must be a Level Three instructor or have proven race background. This may be through previous FIS race results, the ISIA Speed Test.
