OET Trainer-Evaluator Program

Prerequisites for becoming a Trainer-Evaluator

Patrollers who want to become Trainer-Evaluators must begin by contacting their Regional OET Advisor. TEs are regional staff members directed by the OET RA. Individual regions decide how many TE Trainee openings are required to fill the Region’s needs. It takes a minimum of a season and a half before TE Trainees are ready for evaluation in front of the division’s OET Steering Committee. Most trainees take more than two years to master the level of performance, teaching skills, and the ability to evaluate Senior Candidates. The Regional Staff that takes on a Trainee is responsible for preparing them for successfully passing the TE evaluation.

The following list shows the prerequisites required in the typical order achieved by TE Trainees:

Alpine Senior Patroller

OET Toboggan Instructor (at your local patrol, however, some RAs provide this step at the Regional Staff training level)

Selected as a TE prospect by your Regional OET Advisor or OET ITs

Mentored by the Regional Staff Instructor Trainers under the direction of the RA (those accepted into TE mentoring are officially known as a TE Trainees)

Attend the Eastern Division OET Online Moodle School courses that introduce the Five Fundamentals and OET Trainer-Evaluator Teaching Methods

When ready, the OET RA will send the TE Trainee to Patroller School as an observer (optional, but recommended for learning evaluation expectations)

Continued mentoring by the Regional Staff Instructor Trainers

When ready, the OET RA will send the TE Trainee to Patroller School for final evaluation

Those trainees who pass at Patroller School are certified as Senior Program Trainer-Evaluators for three years

Each Region manages this process differently. Some RAs require a formal application and issue TE Trainees mentoring forms for logging their training and teaching opportunities. Other regions mentor their trainees informally.

Becoming an OET Trainer-Evaluator is not a level for achievement, it is reserved for those who show dedication for teaching at the Regional level on a Regional Senior Training Staff. Re-Certification at a Patroller School event is required every three years to maintain a Trainer-Evaluator certification, furthermore, all the NSP requirements for maintaining an OET Toboggan Instructor appointment must be done concurrently.

Trainer-Evaluator Testing Criteria

Differences between Senior and TE criteria include mastery of a higher standard and expectation of increased consistency, the ability to demo the skills, and proficiency in teaching Senior Candidates. The TE Evaluation is often focused on the ability to teach, performing the skills as seen in the quality of the Trainee’s demos, and mastery of the standard.

The standards for skiing, patroller skills, and toboggan handling tasks are similar to those used in Senior evaluations, however, they include specific language denoting a higher performance level. Performance level differences should be evident in the bulleted descriptions and accompanying videos. To highlight the difference, the word “Performance” has been added to some of the elements.

Therefore the passing score for each element remains at “Satisfactory – Essential elements appear frequently at a satisfactory level” or higher. Scorecard-wise, the passing grade “SATISFACTORY LEVEL” is identical to what is considered passing for Senior Candidates. But “level of mastery” and performance on the higher standard describes successful TE Trainees. The difference between these two “levels of mastery” appears in the accompanying videos. For a detailed description of how scoring is determined at OET evaluations, review the OET Scoring Expectations page.

The FIVE Fundamentals

Ski/Ride Fundamentals

Eastern Division OET utilizes the “5 Fundamentals” described by PSIA/AASI in the Alpine Technical Manual to guide our coaching for all graded elements — toboggan Handling, Patroller Skills, and Skiing/Riding. It allows for consistency between NSP instructors and our partners in PSIA who assist in training patrollers.

What are the “Five Fundamentals”?

What are the “Six Fundamentals of Telemark Skiing?”

Telemark skiing incorporates skiing’s Five Fundamentals and adds a centerpiece fundamental known as Lead Change.

The most important benefit of “lead change” is to create a stable stance. With an unattached heel, stability can become compromised. By controlling multiple aspects of this movement, telemark skiers can return fore/aft stability to the movements in order to achieve an effective blend of the remaining Five Fundamentals which are identical to alpine skiing.

Explore a webinar on PSIA Nordic Telemark Fundamentals in greater detail

What are the “Six Fundamentals of Snowboarding?”

Control the relationship of the center of mass to the base of support to direct pressure along the length of the board.
Control the relationship of the center of mass to the base of support to direct pressure along the width of the board.
Control the magnitude of pressure created through the board/surface interaction.
Control the board’s pivot through flexion/extension and rotation of the body.
Control the board’s tilt through a combination of inclination and angulation.
Control torsional flex of the board using flexion/extension and rotation of the body.

Explore the webinar on AASI snowboard fundamentals in greater detail

Skiing -- Performance Short Radius Turns

Location: Most Difficult Groomed Slope

Size: Approx. 15’ or “One Groomer Track” wide

Ski performance is as carved as possible given terrain, conditions, and ski design. Pressure is directed along the length of the skis and toward the outside ski.
The line taken by the skis sends the center of mass, across the hill and a consistent tempo is maintained through the run.
These are not fall line-oriented, short swing turns.
The skis are tipped and engaged early in the turn.
The skis are parallel with similar edge angles.
Both ski edgess are engaged and bent during the shaping phase of the turn.
Speed is controlled through turn shape.
Fore/aft pressure control is managed through proportional flexion and extension of all joints.
The torso remains stable and disciplined.
Skier demonstrates the ability to turn, pivot, and steer feet/legs separate from the upper body.

Skiing -- Performance Medium Radius Turns

Location: More to Most Difficult Groomed Slope

Size: Greater than 15’ or “Two Groomer Track” wide

Ski performance is as carved as possible given terrain, conditions, and ski design. TE-Trainee’s center of mass remains over the base of support while directing pressure along the length of the skis and toward the outside ski.
The line taken by the skis sends the center of mass, across the hill and a consistent tempo is maintained through the run.
The skis are tipped and engaged early in the turn.
The skis are parallel with similar edge angles.
Both skis are engaged and bent during the shaping phase of the turn.
Speed is controlled through turn shape.
Fore/aft pressure control is managed through proportional flexion and extension of all joints.
The torso remains stable and disciplined.
Skier demonstrates the ability to turn, pivot, and steer feet/legs separate from the upper body.
Skier is in control and balanced throughout.
Appropriate adjustments to inclination and angulation are made to accommodate turn size.

Skiing -- Performance Long Radius Turns

Location: More Difficult Groomed Slope

Size: Greater than 30’ or “Three Groomer Tracks” wide

TE-Trainee’s center of mass remains over the base of support while directing pressure along the length of the skis and toward the outside ski.
Appropriate adjustments to inclination and angulation are made to accommodate turn size.
Turn shapes are arcs, not linked traverses.
Skis leave mostly clean “railroad tracks.”

Skiing -- Skiability

Location: Most Difficult Moguled Slope

Linked turns demonstrating the ability to adapt to changing snow and terrain.
Speed is controlled and maintained.
Shape of the turn is made with skis turning more than the upper body.
Ski/Snow contact in all terrain is maintained through progressive flexion and extension of ankles, knees, and hips.
Upper body remains stable with little lower-body movements.
Regulates the magnitude of pressure created through ski/snow interaction. Demonstrates “touch” in changing conditions and terrain.

Pivot Slip Assessment

Location: Most Difficult Groomed and Moguled Slope

TE sideslips while maintaining a narrow corridor.
Both legs pivot 180-degree under a stable pelvis and upper body.
Pivot point is under the center of the skis.
Ski/Snow contact is maintained through progressive flexion and extension of ankles, knees, and hips.
Speed is controlled and maintained.

Greater detail into Pivot Slipping can be found by watching this Pivot Slip Video.

Telemark and Snowboarding

OET Steering Committee continues to develop the details for this section.

Translate it all to Telemark Skiing

Translate it all to Snowboarding (coming soon)

TE Assessment Criteria for Performance and Demos

Performance Tasks

Empty Sled

Loaded Toboggan

Tail Rope

Snowplow

Sideslip

Transition

Pivot Slip

TE Trainees will be prepared to demonstrate the demos in a variety of terrain and conditions.
Demos should be well-practiced and accurate to convey the critical elements to senior candidates during training and at evaluations
TE-Trainees can accurately demo the skills required to successfully manage a toboggan meeting all senior toboggan criteria.
Has the ability to separate skill elements and present them in the context of coaching others.
Capable of relating the skills using the “Five Fundamentals.”

TE Assessment for Knowledge and Teaching

TE Communication

Communication pertains to how the mechanics of Skiing/Riding and toboggan related skills are conveyed. Is the message easily understood and accurate? Will the terminology used be accurate, well communicated, and understood by prospective students? Are the word choices used as a help or hindrance to learning? Utilizes PISE format to provide feedback within the OET program’s overall teaching methodology.

TE Knowledge Base

TE Trainee accurately describes OET tasks, elements, and assessments, such as:

Sideslip
Snowplow
Transition
Hockey Stop Assessment
Empty Sled Run
Loaded Toboggan
Tail Rope
Pivot Slip

TE Trainee accurately applies the Five Fundamentals when describing Skiing/Riding, Toboggan Handling, and Patroller Skills.

Immediate Feedback

TE effectively assesses student(s) skill levels, employs PISE as a student relations method, and plans appropriate progressions using ADAPT and Re-ADAPT. Feedback must be based on cause and effect pertaining to observations of student body movements and a working understanding of the Five Fundamentals.

Scoring Skills

TE Trainee understands OET scoring and demonstrates the ability to document the feedback necessary to support all scores. Accurately communicates scores during PISE feedback. Adequately understands the expectations of level SIX, as well as level SEVEN; and is capable of providing positive immediate feedback to both Senior Candidates and TE Trainees.

Senior Evaluation Setup

Demonstrates knowledge and the application of OET performance standards with regard to skills, terrain choice, toboggan safety, and student/group safety procedures. TE-Trainee selects appropriate terrain for evaluation, tailors demos appropriately, and is fluent in risk management during all aspects of an event.