First let me say thank you to all of you who have volunteered in the past and extend an open invitation to join us for another season of skiing, learning and merriment.  The Ford Sayre Program is 75 years old this year and still going strong! The program was started by Ford and Peggy Sayre, the managers of the Hanover Inn, and is the oldest continually running recreational ski program in the US.  The AMP program is 100% volunteer based, so thank you for possibly offering to lend your time and skills to the children of the Upper Valley in the same way the Sayre's did starting in 1936.

This year will again reflect changes that we hope will improve the skiing experience for our staff and students.  As this program is yours as parents, skiers and community members, we invite feedback about the changes we have planned for the coming season.

Structure of the AMP Organization

Co-directors – John Connolly (Sunday) / KJ Dell’Antonia (Wednesday)

Area Captains - These folks are the workhorses, safety personnel, class organizers and otherwise the glue of our volunteer based organization.  We attend meetings and make plans but the area captains do the heavy lifting of making this a great on - snow experience for all our children.  Partial responsibilities include maintaining a list of all the groups under their purview, with the names of the instructors and the skiers.  On the slopes, they are at their designated spot – J-Bar, Winslow Chair or in front of the Skiway/at Holts Chair seeing that students connect with their groups.  They mark off the groups that have headed up the mountain and when they come down at the end of the day.  Kids who are late arriving stay with them at the bottom of the lifts until their groups come back down.  They are the contact person for the instructors – if they need a sub, if a child should be moved into another group, etc.  Like the Peace Corp, this is the toughest job you'll ever love. There will be a meeting for all area captains in December both for information and to help sort the skiers into ski groups.  Area captains must also attend the on-snow instructor clinics the weekend of January 7/8.

Coaches:  While the Directors and Area captains prepare the program for success, the coaches are where the Petex hits the snow in teaching core skills, providing a safe but fun learning environment and tracking their charges progress through the outlined ability levels.   We are making a concerted effort to improve the resources available to our instructors this year to make this program a first choice option for those looking to have their children become competent and potentially competitive skiers in the future.  Once we have a set group of instructors we will provide more details.  Please be aware that we will reluctantly be CAPPING registration based on the number of volunteers committed to the program, and may need to turn away students if we are short on instructors.

The grade K-2 (Sun) and 1-2 (Wed) groups will have a set ratio of 3 students to 1 adult and will ski in groups of six students with an instructor and a co-instructor.  We anticipate distributing weekly focus points for the instructors to use in their class sessions to improve consistency across the program.

Co-coaches: Coaches lead the group; to prevent skiers from going rogue, to demonstrate proper technique and ensure that skiers are following proper etiquette on the slopes.  Co-coaches do the same, but from the rear. Especially in the younger age groups, skiers often lose their equipment well uphill of the instructor and are in need of assistance.  Coaches and co-coaches will share responsibility for a group.

Job Sharing:  As many of our volunteers have on-call or other conflicts in their schedules we recommend two options for those who anticipate missing more than two sessions. 

1. Arrange with another qualified volunteer to share coverage and benefits for one position.
2. Substitute: These are coaches and co-coaches available to fill in. We DO need subs, and we need subs who can really make themselves available.

Specific information on the Kids Ski classes:  Parents will assign their children based on these criteria and we will modify groups from there.  The following are the criteria they will use and you will also use at the conclusion of the season to assist in placement in the future.

Five Ability levels: (A-F)

• A – absolute beginners (never-evers only on Wednesday,  Sundays require the skier to independently ride the J-bar).
• B – can ride the chair lift and come down intermediate slopes in control--are doing wedge turns.
• C – intermediate level skiers doing linked wedge turns and beginning to parallel turn–not consistently. Beginning to use poles appropriately.
• D – Advanced Intermediate – consistent parallel turns.
• E/F – Expert – can ski parallel – all terrain – there are very few real expert level classes/skiers.

Nitty Gritty Stuff "On-Snow" Volunteers need to know:

1. Instructor Manuals are located on the Ford Sayre web site. You should read through it; specifically the level you will teaching.
2. The objective of the program is to ski safely and have fun. We are not training racers–we are a recreational program but are encouraging a lifelong love of skiing and the outdoors.  The objective is to teach kids skills to improve their skiing–but not under pressure or stress–or through boring lectures on techniques.  The idea is to get out, get some fresh air, exercise, and fun.
3. You will be told what level you are teaching on the day of the on snow clinic in early January.  That teaching level is the level of your “On Snow” clinic with the Dartmouth Skiway instructor.  It is not your own ability level. 
4. You will be assigned the class you will be teaching by your area captain.  You will receive the class list with names and phone numbers of kids and parents and a bib with your class number on it. Helmet stickers will be distributed by mail to students this year.
5. Your main contact throughout the program is your area captain.  Any questions, issues with the kids or your class should be raised with your area captain. 
6. ALL COACHES, Co-COACHES AND SUBS MUST ATTEND AN ON-SNOW ORIENTATION CLINIC RUN BY SKIWAY STAFF. These will be scheduled over the weekend of January 7/8. There will probably be at least three available times: Saturday or Sunday morning or Sunday afternoon. (You need only attend one.) Details will follow in December. If you cannot attend a session you cannot coach or substitute.

TO VOLUNTEER please complete the volunteer registration form on the Online Registration site by November 18th, 2011.

So think snow, be one with gravity, and let this be the bestest season for the kids yet!

John & KJ