VOLUNTEER
NEW or RETURNING VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES WITH VASS – Sign up
Are you looking for a rewarding experience, and FUN!?
VASS delivers ski, snowboard and sit-ski lessons to people with a disability in the lower mainland. All lessons are 100% coordinated and taught by volunteers. VASS creates opportunities for volunteerism enabling people to contribute to their community while having fun in an outdoor, recreational setting.
Opportunities For Volunteering
- Ski & Snowboard Instructor
- Committees (i.e. fundraising, marketing, volunteer management, website, equipment, etc)
- Coordination of social events
- One-off tasks (i.e. attend a show to market VASS, deliver a presentation, help organize one event)
Benefits Of Volunteering
As a volunteer, you dedicate your time and energy with our organization. Our volunteers are rewarded with benefits which include:
* A nationally recognized CADS certification
* A discounted rate on CSIA/CASI certification courses
* Bi-weekly free ski/board sessions for your own skill development
* An awesome end-of-season party and other social events
* An opportunity to help others enjoy the thrills of skiing/snowboarding and the mountain experience while having fun!
* An opportunity to work with some healthy active people and make new friendships
For more information please contact our office.
Volunteer Training
CADS (Canadian Association for Disabled Skiing) has developed certification levels for instructors who teach persons with a disability. The CSIA (Canadian Ski Instructors Alliance) and CASI (Canadian Association of Snowboard Instructors) theory is the foundation of this qualification, with additional training on adaptive equipment and specialized teaching techniques. There are four CADS Certification level. All candidates must be a member of the Disabled Skiers Association of BC (DSABC) to take the following courses:
For Course DATES see the Calendar CADS Level I
The CADS Level I is a 2½ day course including an indoor session, on-snow sessions on three-tracking and four-tracking, visually impaired; adaptive equipment and sitski training, and has a written exam. This certification is mandatory for all new volunteers. 6 hours of CSIA/CASI training (or CSIA/CASI Level I certification) is a prerequisite for this course CADS II
CADS Level II is a 1-day exam, which includes a ski-off of 4 skiing maneuvers and a practical teaching exam. All volunteers must have taught skiing to persons with a disability for one full season after obtaining the CADS Level I and have 18 hours CSIA/CASI training prior to being eligible for this level.
CADS IIa
CADS IIA is the sitski instructor certification. Candidates must have 1 season of teaching skiing to persons with a disability after obtaining their CADS Level II. This one-day exam includes a ski-off of ski maneuvers in a sitski and a practical teaching exam.
CADS III
All volunteers interested in their CADS III, Examiner Level, must have taught for 3 seasons after obtaining their CADS Level IIA. Candidates must apply to the BC Technical Committee to become a Rookie Examiner. They must attend, teach and examine with a senior examiner at a full Level II course.
CADS IV
The highest level within the CADS certification is a Senior Examiner. Candidates are appointed by the CADS board based on the individual’s resume of experience teaching skiing/boarding to persons with a disability. Candidates must have CADS Level III.
SIGNING UP. Training Information
To be a Volunteer Instructor with VASS, you first must:
1. Be a member of the Disabled Skiers Association of BC (DSABC) ($40 membership fee) - Sign up
2. Take the CADS Level I Certification course ($50 fee) – Sign up
Your annual Volunteer Membership in DSABC covers your general liability insurance while you are instructing for VASS or DSABC. The CADS Level I Course consists of a Friday night indoor session, and all day on-snow instruction Saturday and Sunday at Grouse Mountain. This is offered through VASS twice prior to each season. A pre-requisite for the CADS Level I Course is CSIA/CASI Level I Certification – 6 hours CSIA/CASI Training.
Please Note:
Total number of mandatory training days for all new VASS Volunteers
• Non-CSIA / CASI certified volunteers: 3.5 days
• CSIA / CASI Certified volunteers: 2.5 days
Volunteer Experience Required
Stand Ski and Snowboard
If you wish to work with students in the stand ski or snowboard program, you should be a competent skier on blue runs. You need to be strong enough on the slopes so that you do not fall and are able to ensure that your student is supported, physically, if needed. If you have questions about your experience on the slopes, please email info to discuss this further.
Sit Ski
People who wish to volunteer for sit skiing should be a strong intermediate to advanced skier. This means that you have a strong stance on your skies and are confident in your abilities. This is not meant to scare people away, anyone can come up and shadow the program once they have their CADS level 1 to see if sitski is the right avenue for them. Students range from needing a lot of help and support (non-verbal and very limited mobility) to progressing to become an independent skier. All our students get enrichment from the experience. These students find snow and ice a hazard in their life, to make it a fun thing is nothing more than miraculous.
The mechanics of helping out a beginner sit skier means you may be in close to the sit ski to offer support. Buying a pair of short skis 160 cm will really help in assisting the sitski in close. My 207 cm skis are very impractical and I picked up a pair of 170 cm at a thrift shop for $10 and reset the bindings. For new sit skiers you need two assistants one seasoned and one new, we always have a mentor on the team to help transition the new team members. The second assistant works as the brake-person and must be able to adjust to what is unfolding in front of them. This can mean applying hold back power to the tether to slow the student down or do a quick hockey stop to stop the sit skier and 1st assistant before they enter a danger zone (tree, fallen skier, child, witless wonder etc.) We also encourage new team members to role play and be the students when possible to get a better handle on how the sitski handles and enhance their training abilities.
