March 31st, 2026 

“Long after the snow melts, what remains is how you made people feel – and who they became because of you.”

– anonymous

These communications are voluntary and provided for informational purposes only. 

Thank you for your commitment to training,

As we wrap up the season, I want to take a moment to thank you for your engagement, professionalism, and commitment to training this winter.

It’s been truly rewarding to see so many of you show up – curious, open, and willing to grow. Whether you attended one clinic or many, your participation strengthens not only your own skills, but the entire Beaver Creek Ski & Snowboard community. The energy, collaboration, and willingness to learn from one another is what makes our training culture so special.

I also want to recognize and thank our incredibly talented trainers who make these clinics possible. Their preparation, creativity, and dedication to supporting others’ growth are what bring our training program to life. The time, care, and expertise they invest in each session does not go unnoticed, and the impact our trainers have on our team is significant.

A special thank you to our Lead Trainers, Melissa, Nick, Sam and Zach, whose leadership this season helped create greater alignment, continuity, and connection across our training program. Their commitment to supporting fellow trainers, sharing ideas, and elevating the overall experience has made a meaningful difference.

Training doesn’t just improve performance – it elevates the experience we provide to our guests and to each other. And that impact has been evident all season long.

As we look ahead to next winter, I’m excited about continuing to build on this momentum. We’ll keep evolving our training opportunities, creating spaces for growth, and supporting each of you in your development as instructors and leaders.

Thank you for the role you’ve played in making this season a success. I hope you carry forward what you’ve learned, take pride in your progress, and return next season ready to keep building on it.

Wishing you a great off-season and, as always, safe sliding on snow.

With gratitude,

Stacey

Keep the momentum going! We will be offering summer clinics online to help you continue building toward next winter’s assessments. These sessions are a great opportunity to stay connected, keep progressing, and come back even more prepared. You can find more information here.

In this section you will find...

If you plan to attend a PSIA-AASI Assessment before April 12th, please email sgerrish@vailresorts.com to let Stacey know. We want to be sure we are providing you with the training you want prior to your assessments. Thank you!

Drills isolate movement and tasks create outcomes. Drills are structured, often repetitive exercises designed to focus on a specific movement or skill component. Tasks are outcome-based challenges that require the learner to solve a movement problem.

Simply stated: 

Use drills to highlight a movement

Use tasks to embed that movement in skiing

Research from Nobel Prize–winning psychologist Daniel Kahneman shows that people do not remember experiences based on the average of every moment. 

Instead, memories are shaped primarily by: 

The Peak

The most emotionally intense moment. 

The End

How the experience finishes.

Because of this, the ending disproportionately shapes how the entire experience is remembered. 

Why This Matters

As we approach the end of the season, the final weeks will strongly influence how both employees and guests remember the entire year. 

Even if the season had challenges — weather, staffing, fatigue — we can shape the lasting memory by ensuring a strong finish. 

Focus for the Final Weeks 

Great endings are created through small actions: 

• Visible leadership support for teams 
• Recognition and appreciation 
• Simplifying priorities as staffing tightens 
• Creating great guest interactions 
• Celebrating team successes before the season ends 

What can we do in the final weeks to create a positive “ending moment” for our teams and guests?

We've offered nearly 1000 hours of training at Beaver Creek Ski & Snowboard School so far this winter, and we aren't finished yet! Each training hour has had an average of 5 instructors attending. (none of these statistics include training on the LIFT, this is all training we've offered at Beaver Creek)

By Stacey Gerrish

Resort guests are far more likely to return after experiencing a great lesson with you. Every lesson is an opportunity to create a meaningful connection and build long-term relationships with our guests. Let’s make the most of that opportunity.

1. Provide Exceptional Guest Service

Contact Your Guests Before the Lesson

Reach out to your private lesson guests prior to the lesson. A short text message introducing yourself can help put them at ease and clarify where you will meet.

Example first contact text:

“Hi GUEST NAME, this is YOUR NAME. I’m scheduled to be your private instructor tomorrow. I’d be happy to text or talk to determine the most convenient place for us to meet. If you’d like to share your goals or expectations for the lesson, I can begin planning our time together. I look forward to meeting you.”

Build a Personal Connection

Take a moment to learn something about where your guests are from. This can provide natural conversation starters and help create a welcoming atmosphere.

Example:

“Hi! I see you’re from Tennessee. I read that Tennessee has over 9,000 documented caves. Have you ever visited any of them?”

Small efforts like this help guests feel seen and valued.

Consider Their Equipment Needs

Ask whether your guests are renting equipment. If they are renting in Beaver Creek, consider meeting them at the rental shop to help them get properly set up before heading to the snow.

2. Set the Lesson Up for Success

Before loading the lift, check in with your guests to confirm:

· Do they have the correct equipment?

· What are their goals for the lesson?

· What previous experience do they have?

Clarify their experience level carefully. When a guest says they’ve “skied once,” determine whether that means one day or one week, as this can make a significant difference in their ability level.

Taking a few minutes to establish this understanding helps you tailor the lesson appropriately and set realistic expectations.

3. Deliver a Strong Lesson Summary

The lesson summary is just as important as the introduction.

At the end of the lesson:

· Review the skills they developed.

· Highlight the terrain or runs they successfully skied.

· Recall fun moments you shared during the lesson.

This reinforces their sense of accomplishment and helps guests recognize their progress.

Invite Them Back

Preview the next steps in their development and encourage them to continue learning.

For example:

· “Next time we can work on…”

· “The next step in your progression would be…”

· “I’d love to continue building on what we accomplished today.”

Inviting guests to return for another lesson helps create continuity in their learning and strengthens their connection to the resort.

Final Thought

Great lessons create great memories. Great guest service creates returning guests.

When we combine strong teaching with meaningful connection, we help our guests build a lasting relationship with both snowsports and our resort.

“Up to now I’ve worn the blue jacket. Today, I feel like I earned it!”

Congratulations to all instructors who have been through our training and passed their PSIA-AASI assessments. We are so proud of you!

Here's our growing list of high-altitude achievers:

Simon Marsh

Kristen Davey

Noelle Edelmann

Jolene Edelmann

Cianna Olson

Patrick Ottley

Fred Lutz

Sara Page

Michael Kerr

Maya Silver-Lewis

Lillian Xistris

Gary Avischious

Mike Cordaro

Nicholas Osborn

Zoe Starkey

Emma Heutmaker

Noah Wagner

Alexander Setuain

Eleanor Potter

Sabrina Raydon

Tomas Bartha

Beth Maerz

Josh Thomas Anabelle Poore

Elizabeth Zack

Samuel Landreth

Dylan Varga

Jacqueline Law

Christopher Kehoe

Rachel Shamblott

Yizhi Huang

Jonathan Winter

Matthew Jaffe

Lauren McDonald 

Peter Woitas

Logan Field

Quinn O’Hara

James Frantz

Richelle Wagner

Jolen Anya Minetz

Andrea Wilson

William Downing

William Downing

Matthew Favia

Carrie Raben

Lauren McDonald

Debbie Yoon

Adam Rajterowski

Katelyn Inman

Sarah Evans

Rebecca Hite

Matthew Fletcher

Nick Preister

Fanni Sari

Brian Lux

Lorne Wyne

Cianna Olson

Erin Janklow

Erin Andreason

Heather Blackmon

Diane Wagener

Frederick Lichtenfels

Ashton Fichtl

Bella Auricchio

Michael Kerr

Ouida Brown

Joshua George

David Brown

In this section you will find...

By Stacey Gerrish

Shift your mindset from, “I hope I pass” to “Today is an opportunity to demonstrate the professional I already am”

1.  Understand What’s Actually Being Assessed. Review all provided materials on the PSIA-RM website. Most candidates over-focus on:

2. Assessments typically evaluate:

3. Before the event, write down the answers to these questions:

4. Prioritize Consistency over Flash Examiners look for:

5. Slow down your thinking. Under pressure people tend to:

6. Pause before answering questions, and speak in clear, simple structure. Clarity beats complexity!

7. Demonstrate Decision-Making, not memorization. Especially in teaching or M/A segments:

8. Take care of yourself, manage your energy. Assessments are like marathons.

9. Take a mental reset in between tasks

10. Common Pitfalls to Avoid

11. Final Reminder: You are not being evaluated for perfection. You are being evaluated for:

By Stacey Gerrish

One of the most common questions in teaching is:
How do we keep lessons playful without losing learning outcomes?
Or just as often: How do we build clear progressions without draining energy or creativity?

The answer isn’t choosing one over the other. It’s intentional lesson design.

Strong lessons balance engagement and effectiveness. Fun isn’t something added after learning happens—it’s a vehicle for learning when it’s thoughtfully connected to the goal. Games, imagination, and movement-based challenges work best when they are layered onto sound teaching progressions, not used as distractions from them.

When fun supports learning, every activity has a purpose. A game reinforces balance, timing, or control. A storyline keeps students emotionally engaged while guiding specific movements. A playful challenge increases repetition without students feeling like they’re “doing drills.”

Clear progressions also protect fun. When lessons have a logical flow—simple to complex, familiar to new—students experience success more often. Success builds confidence, confidence fuels motivation, and motivation keeps energy high.

The most effective instructors don’t ask, “Is this fun?” or “Is this technical?”
They ask, “What do I want my students to learn—and how can I make that experience engaging?”

When progressions are purposeful and fun is intentional, learning accelerates. Students stay present, instructors stay creative, and lessons feel both productive and joyful.

Because the best lessons don’t choose between progression or fun—
they deliver both.

The Fitts and Posner model provides a framework for understanding how individuals acquire motor skills. It describes the learning process as progressing through three distinct stages:

Feedback is a key ingredient to every lesson. Learners in the cognitive stage benefit from explicit feedback to understand the task. In the associative stage, feedback helps refine skills, while in the autonomous stage, feedback can be used to maintain performance levels and address emerging challenges.

Technical skills bring teaching concepts to life with practical applications adapted to the student’s ability level or desired outcome. These skills relate to the instructor’s understanding of fundamental snowboarding and skiing mechanics and applying that understanding in lessons. Technical skills represent the ability to perform, understand, and explain the sport. In sharing technical skills, the instructor communicates certain discipline-specific aspects of movement and gives accurate demonstrations.

1. Develop relationships based on trust: Creating rapport and confidence is key for students to feel safe taking risks and learning. 

2. Engage in meaningful, two-way communication: This involves both verbal and non-verbal exchange, ensuring understanding and connection. 

3. Identify, understand, and manage your own emotions and actions: Self-awareness of your impact on the learning environment is crucial. 

4. Recognize and influence the behaviors, motivations, and emotions of others: Adapting to students' needs and emotional states to support their learning. 

1. Collaborate on short and long term goals

2. Promote exploration, experimentation, and play

3. Facilitate a learner's ability to reflect upon experiences and sensations

4. Manage information, activities, terrain selection, and pacing

5. Adapt to the changing needs of the learner

6. Manage emotional and physical risk

We will reimburse you for success at most PSIA-AASI assessments AND you'll receive a pay increase! Please click to submit your achievement.

 If you are successful at an assessment before April 12th you will receive your reimbursement soon after. If you are successful at an assessment after April 12th, please let us know and you’ll receive your reimbursement when you return to work next winter. Thank you!

In this section you will find...

Stacey grew up in Woodstock, Vermont a few miles from the first ski tow in America. In addition to leading the training team at Beaver Creek, Stacey is an examiner with PSIA-AASI-RM and an educator with USSS (US Ski & Snowboard).

In 2021, she was the recipient of the PSIA-AASI Educational Excellence Award. Stacey believes we have the most talented team of trainers of any school.

If you're interested in becoming a trainer, please reach out via email to sgerrish@vailresorts.com

These communications are voluntary and provided for informational purposes only. 

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