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ABOUT THE CLUB
The club is dedicated to fostering fun, learning, and excellence in non-competitive and competitive freestyle skiing in our region. Freestyle disciplines include aerials, halfpipe, moguls, slopestyle/big air, and freeride (big mountain faces). Our club focuses on slopestyle/big air (park skiing and big air) and moguls, for which we have access to terrain, facilities, and coaching. We are sanctioned and operate according to Freestyle BC, our Provincial Sport Organization, and Freestyle Canada, our National Sport Organization. We teach freestyle to participants with sufficient basic downhill skiing ability, which we continue develop through our Fundamentalz, Freestylerz, and Development Team programs. Our coaching develops technical skiing and specific freestyle abilities towards competition and long-term sport for life.
We expect our coaches, athletes, and parents to:
We expect our coaches, athletes, and parents to:
- Uphold a culture of safety and respect on and off the hill
- Create an encouraging, fun, and supportive environment
- Refrain from and actively counter bullying or harassment when it’s encountered
- Be positive, do the best they can, learn from mistakes, and celebrate success
Volunteer and Staff Screening
All club volunteers and staff must be affiliated with the Northern BC Freestyle Club for the roles they will undertake using the online registration portal (SnowReg). Volunteers and staff must also be screened in accordance with Freestyle Canada and Freestyle BC screening policy for Safe Sport (policy manual here). Screening documentation occurs through the online portal while affiliating/registering with our club, and will differ based on your role, activities, and contact with athletes - which determine whether you need a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 screening. The matrix in Appendix A of the screening policy clarifies, but they are generally understood as:
Level 1 – Direct contact with athletes, with high-risk assignments (skiing, diving), in a decision making and authority position, perhaps involved with finances, supervises others, with frequent and unsupervised access to Vulnerable Participants (children, under 19 years old). Examples include roles such as unsupervised and full-time coaches, chaperones on trips or during events, and coaches that travel with athletes.
Level 2 – Medium-risk assignments, possibly supervisory role, with limited access to Vulnerable Participants, in roles such as event organizing committee members, medical support, training staff, equipment handlers, course marshals, guest or athlete services, with the potential to engage with athletes and Vulnerable Participants, this level includes coaches who are typically under the supervision of another coach, as well as adult athletes (19 y/o +).
Level 3 – Individuals with no direct contact with athletes, involved in low-risk assignments, not in a supervisory role or directing others, not involved with finances, and do not have unsupervised access to Vulnerable Participants. Roles such as administrative support, parents or volunteers on field of play for clubs or events (in public spaces), certain Board members, and volunteers helping on a non-regular basis; minors fall into this level
Level 1 – Direct contact with athletes, with high-risk assignments (skiing, diving), in a decision making and authority position, perhaps involved with finances, supervises others, with frequent and unsupervised access to Vulnerable Participants (children, under 19 years old). Examples include roles such as unsupervised and full-time coaches, chaperones on trips or during events, and coaches that travel with athletes.
Level 2 – Medium-risk assignments, possibly supervisory role, with limited access to Vulnerable Participants, in roles such as event organizing committee members, medical support, training staff, equipment handlers, course marshals, guest or athlete services, with the potential to engage with athletes and Vulnerable Participants, this level includes coaches who are typically under the supervision of another coach, as well as adult athletes (19 y/o +).
Level 3 – Individuals with no direct contact with athletes, involved in low-risk assignments, not in a supervisory role or directing others, not involved with finances, and do not have unsupervised access to Vulnerable Participants. Roles such as administrative support, parents or volunteers on field of play for clubs or events (in public spaces), certain Board members, and volunteers helping on a non-regular basis; minors fall into this level
VOLUNTEERING
To help, please register with the club as a volunteer and reach out in person or at [email protected]
We pay our coaches, but the club is entirely volunteer-run. Parents of our athletes and coaches are actively involved supporting the club. We need everyone to contribute. We need help in the following areas:
We pay our coaches, but the club is entirely volunteer-run. Parents of our athletes and coaches are actively involved supporting the club. We need everyone to contribute. We need help in the following areas:
- Sponsorship, fundraising, financials, & grant writing
- Governance – board of directors (e.g. Pres., V.P., Secretary, Treasurer)
- Coach development, coordination, training
- Airbag, facilities, & equipment
- Club programming & registration
- Skiing, coaching, mentoring with program groups
- Events organizing (social & competitions)
- Officiating & judging development
Coaching
The minimum age to be a freestyle coach in Canada is 16, though 14- and 15-year-olds can participate in the training courses. We hire coaches certified through Freestyle Canada and Freestyle BC's training and education program, which integrates with the National Coaching Certification Program (NCCP). Freestyle BC provides sport-specific training; the NCCP provides standardized, inclusive, and sport safety training across sports. Coaches use The Locker to track their certifications and for online education. The club monitors coaches' certification requirements through Snow Reg. Freestyle courses start with the Fundamentalz Coach Course on snow and the Air 1 course on trampoline, and progress through Air 2, 3, 4 for trampoline, air bag, and qualifying tricks on snow. Our club focuses on slopestyle, big air, and moguls disciplines within Freestyle. To start, a coach needs:
- Certified in Fundamentalz (for on-snow), or Air 1 (for trampoline)
- Safe Sport E-Learning (every two years)
- CAC Making Headway Training – Freestyle Skiing (concussion awareness and protocol)
- CAC Make Ethical Decisions evaluation – Multi-Sport Online Session & the Online Evaluation.
- Background Check (every three years) using E-PIC MyBackCheck (coaches born after March 12, 1994, done through Snow Reg); or Vulnerable Sector Check (coaches born before March 12, 1994, done at local RCMP with a letter from the club - ask for a VSC form).