Are you ready to take charge of your personal ski and snowboarding instructor career? Set the assessment standard for yourself with these guidelines from Steamboat’s Leah Jones, a Level III snowboard and Level I alpine instructor, with Children’s Specialist 2 and Freestyle Specialist 1 credentials.

Q: When and how did you decide to become an instructor?

A: I grew up as a snowboard athlete for Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club. My coaches were the ones who suggested I be an instructor. Besides coaching for the local team, they also worked for the snowsports school. Jo and Eric Rolls and Dylan Davidson are the ones who started me on this path. Jo suggested it to me my freshman year of college, and during spring break, I was able to shadow a few lessons thanks to her and Eric. Two years later, I was working part time for Steamboat Snowsports School and have continued to this day. I’m grateful that I still get to work alongside Dylan (he’s been stuck with me for 23 years now).

Q: At what point did you realize you could continue to improve your teaching and riding skills through training and certification, and how did you start to work toward those goals?

A: When I started attending in-house training clinics. I was a clinic junkie. I realized that as soon as I understood the “how” and “why” we make specific movements, I was able to apply it to my own riding and I could see exponential improvement. The same goes for teaching. As soon as I understood the concepts, I could explain it to my students in my lessons and see changes in their understanding and riding. I worked toward all these goals by attending every 7:45 a.m. clinic before work, cert-training clinics, and others that covered a variety of topics. I also kept a notebook where I would write down the information and feedback I received during those clinics and training (I still have and continue to write in it after 13 years).

Q: Are there any things you’ve learned to do – both physically and mentally – once you’ve identified a new goal?

A: I’ve learned that being physically fit is important. I go to the gym during the offseason so I can stay in shape and be prepared for the coming season. I target specific muscle groups or perform certain movements that set me up for success on snow. I also make sure to have days off snow and rest. Over the years, I’ve learned that it’s OK not to snowboard every day and rest and recovery days are important.

Mentally, being open-minded and not afraid to admit if you’re wrong or need help with understanding things that others might find easy to understand or perform. This is something I still struggle with, but I have gotten slightly better at being honest with myself on admitting when I need help with achieving a new goal. I’ve also had to learn how to relax and not think that everyone is judging me when I’m in the beginning stages of said goal.

Q: How about things NOT to do when working to “level up” your teaching and riding skills?

A: Don’t burn yourself out/over train. After I passed my Level III, I was burnt out and had to step away from any kind of training. When you do something for so long to “level up,” it can create stress and that can lead to a decrease in performance, not only physically, but also mentally. I had to reset my mind and body, and once I was ready, I was able to start training toward new goals with a positive mindset and strong body.

Q: What are some of the highlights of your own professional journey?

A: Passing my Level III was probably my biggest highlight. As many know, it’s a huge accomplishment, and it takes a lot of time and effort for any certifications. I would also say teaching in New Zealand has been a huge part of my professional journey. Working down under since 2016 has made me a better instructor overall because I have the privilege of being a part of the New Zealand instructor system. Working with a different system can help increase your understanding of the sport that you teach. I remember telling a friend that teaching for one season in New Zealand was equivalent to four seasons of movement analysis back home. You get all sorts of students down there, and you have to really have your eye trained for all the things you see in your students’ riding.

Q: And what about any specific setbacks that actually turned out to be great learning experiences?

A: Last fall, I decided I wanted to get my Alpine Level I. For background purposes, by the time I finished my ski exam, I was on skis for a total of 15 days over the past 25 years. I went out and trained on my skis and attended in-house training clinics. I worked my butt off to get my skiing up to par for the exam. I’m not as confident on skis as I am on my board, and it showed.

I went to the exam in December, and I passed my MA and Teaching, but I failed my Skiing by 1 point. In all honesty, I wasn’t upset that I failed the ski day. I was actually really proud with how well I did for the little amount of time I had on snow preparing for the exam. Failing the ski day pushed me to train harder on my personal skiing, and when I wasn’t working, I was out on my skis applying the feedback I was given during the exam and from other trainers. It was also a really humbling experience, because for once, I was not good at something when it came to sliding on snow even though I’ve been on snow my entire life. It was a challenge I wanted to conquer. When I retook the Skiing assessment, my hard work paid off, and I was able to raise my assessment scores in the areas I previously struggled.

Q: Do you have any advice to share with other instructors about how to set a road map on how to keep improving this winter?

A: Go to training and be open-minded. Training is about learning. It’s OK if you’re new to the process. We’ve all been there! The only way to reach those goals and to improve is to train and come in ready to learn and try new things.

Q: Do you have any specific resources – such as educational materials or other instructors – that you’ve found invaluable?

A: The Snowboard Technical Manual and Freestyle Technical Manual have been a huge part of my professional development. It’s a VERY long list, but all of the past and present snowboard trainers at Steamboat. Every single trainer had invaluable knowledge and understanding. Each trainer played a huge part in my professional journey, and I’m eternally grateful for all the knowledge, feedback, and support I received from them. With passing my Alpine Level I, I couldn’t have done it without Erin Kearns. She helped me so much with understanding the skiing fundamentals and with my personal skiing, to the point that I was able to be successful passing my ski day on my second attempt. Thank you for the afterwork study sessions and ski days. But most importantly, thanks for telling me to “send it!”