Just to be clear, I don't mean to disrespect those who have achieved USSA certification or who are coaches of USSA athletes. In fact, there were a couple of selectors for the PSIA demo team who were from the USSA, including Ron Kipp and Gareth Trayner. But to take a bunch of athletes who can crush the high performance elements of the sport and presume that they represent the teaching elements of the sport is ridiculous to me.See below. It's "true". Don't know if the two organizations still have a relationship......ie whether the PSIA has a contract with the Team.
Athletes and Staff Get Schooled by PSIA
PARK CITY, UT (April 28, 2015) – When Steven Nyman (Sundance, UT) embarked on the first-ever U.S. Ski Team/Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) collaborative clinic last spring, he never imagined it would create a solid foundation for what would be his most successful season with the...usskiandsnowboard.org
There's a lot of former athletes who've gone through he paces to become certified instructors. Folk like Sam Robertson, a former WC super g specialist who obtained his certification from APSI. Or Tim Cafe, a former Olympian who obtained his certs from NZ and ISIA -- he coached Alice Robinson.
Handing out cert pins to athletes without doing the work demeans the work all the rest of us, including Olympic gold medalists, Olympic athletes, and former WC athletes, do to make this a profession and career.
Mike