Kids Rule!

One of the things I enjoy most about working for the Okemo Ski + Ride School is that we do not have separate children's and adult's instructors. We do have instructors who work specifically in our 4-7 year-old program, a necessity given the nature of that program, but those instructors also are expected to be able to teach all ages and to assist with older kids and adults as needed. What this means is that at Okemo there are no instructors who do not teach children.

This idea may seem ridiculously simple, but it is a rarity in the snowsports business. In many schools, teaching kids is still considered a lesser assignment - instructors are "sent down" to teach kids. Here at Okemo, we recognize that kids rule! Undergrads, retirees, lawyers, bankers, doctors, teachers, law enforcement officers, engineers, and full-time ski and snowboard pros all teach kids and adults. The resulting staff is one that is exceptionally at ease goofing around while teaching in a technically valid way. This really means that we are all outside playing with children and adults, playing hard, and loving it. It's an incredible source of joy, for us, for the kids and the adults we teach, and for the rest of their families. It makes for an incredibly rich work environment.

We're also an incredibly busy school, meaning that all of us spend lots of time with a great many kids, and a great variety of them. I'd stop short of saying that our guests look like a model United Nations in terms of diversity, unfortunately, but they do represent a wide array of families and, well, people. Though I am not a parent and certainly am no expert on parenting, it does provide me with terrific insight into the differences from child to child, and family to family. Some children are comfortable looking a strange adult (read: me) in the eye and having a conversation. Some children are shy at first but are still able to share in the fun and the learning in a meaningful way. Some kids are articulate, observant, analytical, curious, and intelligent. And some kids are genuinely funny, very funny. Messy and fastidious, focused and scatter-brained, distracted and aware, goofy and nervous; kids are just like adults, only far cooler and with far less baggage.

There certainly are occasions when we meet children that are difficult to handle or even unkind. Our reaction is almost universally one of trying harder to reach through to them, viewing it as a challenge and not an inconvenience. As instructors, we're by nature a hopeful bunch and we operate on the premise that with just the right tone, just the right set of experiences, and the right guidance from the world around them, those kids will grow into good people too.

And then there are the shining moments. Every so often, frequently when we need it most, we spend our time with kids who are such great people, such a joy, that they give us hope. Literally. With all that is wrong in the world and all of the difficulties of everyday life, spending the day skiing or riding with great kids really can help us feel better and more secure about the future of our world. It's wonderful, and those kids – and the families that nurture them – are a blessing for all of us in the truest sense. They rekindle our enthusiasm, remind us to not take ourselves too seriously, show us how cool the simplest things are and that we shouldn't take anything for granted. They make it easy for us to face challenges and to shrug off discomfort, difficulty, and disappointment. Oddly, aren't these the lessons we aspire to teach the children in our lives?

This weekend is a holiday weekend here in the USA, with all schools nationwide closed on Monday to celebrate the life and work of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Families will come here in droves for a little quality outdoor time and lessons will play an important role for many of them, adults and kids alike. I'm lucky to know the children I'll be skiing with already, and I care about them and their family a great deal. If you knew these kids and so many others with whom I am fortunate to spend my time skiing, you'd find hope for the future too.

The photo is of Uncle Russ and my peeps. Nothing comes between us and our ice cream!