# Teaching My 9 Year Old Daughter



## bgmic58 (Dec 30, 2010)

First of all, a big thank you to the community on this board. I have learned a lot from what I have read and researched here!

I started teaching my daughter to snowboard last year. For her first time out I put her in to a beginer class as i knew i would not have the patients/ knowlege to get her off the bunny hill. After the first class, she was able to make it down the mountain heel side all of the way. Last year she had about 6 days. 

Here is the video of her last season.






So far this year she has 4 days, and many more planned. She has already made progress. We have been working on transitioning from heels and toes. There was a great tip on another thread about hunting the rabbit, and that finally got her to click on how to transition (Although me falling was not fun). 

She is starting to get it, but I am looking for any other tricks to help. She is not comfortable with her toe side for long periods and still wants to do it all heel. Here is a video from out last trip over MLK weekend






I guess what I am asking is what other tricks, or drills can she do? What ever critiques or suggestions you have would be appreciated! 

She is having fun, and likes the sport, I only want her to get to a level of competency where she can ride the mountain. After that, I will stop being a pushy dad.

Thanks again


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## bgmic58 (Dec 30, 2010)

bgmic58 said:


> First of all, a big thank you to the community on this board. I have learned a lot from what I have read and researched here!
> 
> I started teaching my daughter to snowboard last year. For her first time out I put her in to a beginer class as i knew i would not have the patients/ knowlege to get her off the bunny hill. After the first class, she was able to make it down the mountain heel side all of the way. Last year she had about 6 days.
> 
> ...


Don't know if the videos worked, so here is the Link

Video 1
Kylie snowboarding - YouTube

Video 2
Sunrise Ski Park January 2012 #3 - YouTube


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## Toecutter (Oct 11, 2009)

bgmic58 said:


> Video 1
> Kylie snowboarding - YouTube


Anyone else appreciate the dude riding by on all fours at 0:27?

Kylie really advanced a lot between the two videos!


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## mjd (Mar 13, 2009)

i was teaching my niece toe side turns this year. she's 10. poor kid took some hellish face plants. never even phased her though. i wish my body worked like that now, lol. 

after she got it down fairly well i told her to start practicing riding switch. it's easier when you're first starting out. also told her to start playing with the flex of the board and pressing tail/nose presses. it's all about board control in the beginning imo.


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## bgmic58 (Dec 30, 2010)

The biggest thing to me is her having control. She is making good progress. Once I have a better feeling about her abilities riding goofy, I will have her switch to normal fo a while. Heel side she is just as good reg as she is goofy. Mabey I will strap her in on the floor and have her get used to the flex of the board. 

And I remember the 4 wheel snowboarding days, so glad I am not there (often) anymore!


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## john doe (Nov 6, 2009)

Get her some good knee pads and have her spend a day going down the hill toe side. Stay up hill from her so she doesn't have to try to look behind her. Just let her know to drop to her knees if you yell at her to.


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## gjsnowboarder (Sep 1, 2009)

It seems that when she trys to go the the toeside her weight isn't shifting or rolling to over her toeside. You can also tell that when starts to try to do an s-turn her weight is a little more on the back foot then the front.

Suggestions to work on the the first part. See if she is able to bend her boots at all by her trying to squish it in half. For example, put your fingers between her chin and tongue and see if she is able to pinch them. Make sure she doesn't bend at the waist with her butt sticking out when she tries this. If she can then she should be to use ankle bend to help with her toeside making this movement. Typically this movement is called "squishing the bug" and it is typical of knee bend and ankle flex. Otherwise a bigger movement about hip level (leaning up the hill, once she can "feel" or understand where her weight needs to be she can start moving away from a full body lean) can help if the boots are too stiff. 

Also to start off with her toeside have her try a j- turn in this sequence. Start with her at a stop with board pointed down into the fall line. 
1. get up to a flat board and start sliding straight down. 
2. squish the bug and lift heels slightly, think of looking at a 45 degree or diagonal down the hill
3. Rotate shoulder hip and knee(think knee over pinky toe moving acorss the foot to the big toe, knee is flezed over the toes) across the hill toward the side of the run to slightly up it. Eyes should have a reference point.

P.S. to assist you can ride slightly in front of her and have her follow your path.

This sequence might help her also get on the front foot too, might not too. Other exercises you can work on, nose and tail stands (moving toward nose and tail of board) flat terrain and then manuals on slight inclined terrain, focus on moving whole body over nose and tail and then on sliding nose and tail under her; flat land 360's (edge awareness) rotating full body, looking, and then rolling from toe to heel for wieght transfer; or put her in another lesson for more specialized assitance.

Hope this helps and that she has an awesome time sliding.


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