Kids have always liked winter sports because of their dynamism, unusualness and a sea of fun experiences. The positive impact of classes is hard to overestimate. How to teach a child to ski and approach the organization of such events correctly, prompt proven simple recommendations.
The first steps
You can start teaching children skiing at the age of 4 years. Previously, according to orthopedists, classes will greatly affect the skeleton and can lead to an inharmonious formation of body systems.
If the baby is already 4 years old, you can fully delve into the methodology of how to teach your child to ski.
Equipment selection
For the first lesson, it is better to find skis up to 70 cm long. Permanent equipment should be similar to the child’s height or a maximum of 5 cm more than him.
It is better to choose running equipment, as it is equipped with good mounts.
Teaching a child to ski at a later age, when his height exceeds 120 cm, equipment should be selected according to the same rule as for adults. The length of the equipment should be equal to the distance that is measured from the floor to the elongated palm of a young athlete, and in no case longer.
Teaching children to ski up to 5 years usually does not involve the use of equipment sticks.
But you should provide for the presence of a special stick for towing about 30 cm in size. It is tied to a solid rope with a length of about 3 m. The towing stick is used as an auxiliary element so that the baby feels the correct, real glide.
Shoes with a blunt toe that should be 3-4 cm longer than the width of the fastening belt are best suited for training.
Of clothes, the best option would be a woolen sweater, a special ski suit with a fleece and a knitted hat.
We teach children to ski, while still at home, so that the child is used to the dimensions of the equipment and its weight.
Mastering the steps
Teaching children to ski is necessary with the mastery of a simple stepping step. Put the sticks aside. The baby is offered to lift (show how this is done) the right leg and stamp it, and then do the same with the left foot. The exercise is repeated several times.
After you have tried the step, you can begin to study the sliding step. For its implementation, it is necessary to take the main rack of the skier: in the knees, the legs should be slightly bent, and the body bends slightly forward.
The center of gravity is transferred to the right leg, while it is not torn from the snow, and glide forward along the surface. At that moment, when the right ski stops, the exercise is done with the left foot.
The child must understand that the more he pushes away from the snow, the longer the slide takes place.
When this exercise is mastered, you should pick up ski poles and walk in the snow with a sliding step, which will now turn out even faster.
If the right leg goes forward, the emphasis is on the stick in the left hand. And vice versa.
Learning the lifting technique
The technique of climbing a steep slope of medium steepness will help to teach a child to ski on a slope.
Climbing with a “half-herring” consists in placing one ski with its base on the surface, and the second diagonally, with emphasis on the rib. The toe stays away from the first ski.
Another way is called "ladder". The left side of the baby turns to the snow slide. Skis are parallel to one another. The left leg steps up parallel to the base of the lift. The second leg is attached to the first. This step is used for a steep slope. You can also rely on sticks.
Descent and braking
In order to teach your child skiing skills, special attention should be given to descent and braking.
Before sliding from the slide, the child must take the correct position. Skis are placed directly and close to each other. While descending the slope it is necessary to make springing movements. The steeper the slide, the more the knees bend.
One of the key points on how to teach your child to ski is the braking technique.
First try to stop the movement on steep slopes. The main technique is called "semi-plow". The weight is transferred to the first ski that goes straight, and the toe of the other is turned to the first and emphasis using the inner rib.
With the correct implementation of this technique, braking occurs smoothly. Having mastered the method on a gentle slope, you should try to stop the movement on steeper slides.
In search of an answer to the question of how to teach a child to ski, it is necessary to carefully approach the choice of equipment and methods for mastering the basic elements of skiing. There is no doubt that with the right approach to organizing such an event, skiing will bring a lot of fun, vivid and unforgettable impressions to both the child and parents.