John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho is a professional in the capital markets and structured finance industry. Beyond his successful career, John treasures spending quality time with his family, embarking on thrilling adventures, and exploring the world through his travels. In the following article, John Spengler shares advice for igniting the love for skiing in children, ensuring unforgettable family experiences on the slopes.

Skiing should be fun for the whole family, but like many new experiences, it can also represent an outing full of anxiety for children who are new to the sport. According to industry experts, some of the most experientially proven, effective ways to excite children about skiing is to get them used to the gear needed before actually tackling the slopes. Afterward, the best plan of action is to introduce the slopes slowly, preferably with professional lessons, at the child’s own pace.

Below, John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho reviews how to introduce kids to the excitement of skiing, the benefits, and lifelong memories that will be created.

John Spengler Explains the Benefits of Learning to Ski as a Child

Part of teaching a child to ski is understanding the great benefits that this will have for the child as they age. In fact, John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho maintains that there are many pros to learning how to ski before reaching adulthood, despite the potential challenges, such as:

• Better health – A child is likely to have fun while exercising, especially regarding the cardiovascular system. Not only that, but coordination and balance are essential skills to successfully skiing, and they will improve immensely as a child practices.
• Confidence Boost – New experiences are often far more daunting as a child than they would be for an adult; however, by pushing through anxiety and misgivings to overcome these feelings, especially on the slopes, a child can gain confidence for other challenges later in life.
• Early Self-Awareness – Becoming aware of one’s surroundings is something that an adult often gains appreciation for later in life; sometimes when they are too busy to appreciate things like nature’s beauty. However, learning to ski helps a child to interact with and appreciate nature early in life.
• Better Recovery Time – One of the most often-overlooked benefits to learning a high-adrenaline activity like skiing as a child is the fact that children recover better than adults from physical activity. They have rapid regeneration and cell growth that allows them to heal faster, even in the event of an injury.

John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho provides additional advice on how to introduce a child to their first skiing adventure.

Getting Started

As previously mentioned, there should be a strategy in place to introduce a child to skiing. At first glance, speeding down a towering white hill with intimidating gear and plenty of glimpses of a wipeout won’t seem fun to most children unless they are readily prepared for it.

Let the Child Become Familiar with the Gear

John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho explains that the first item of intimidation in the adventure of skiing is typically the outfit a child has to wear. Being on the slopes can be very uncomfortable without the proper clothing to keep the child warm. However, the clothing itself tends to be hard to move around in and bulkier than what most children are used to.

Both of these examples of discomfort can ruin a child’s first impression of the slopes. To avoid that outcome, get the child used to the outfit and the equipment before directly associating it with their first experience of skiing. The child should be encouraged to wear their gear and walk around in it.

Start on Very Gradual Hills

John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho says that seasoned ski enthusiasts might consider the Bunny Slope the best place for beginners. However, depending on the age and confidence of the child, even the beginner slope can be too intimidating, and worse, crowded. Find a tamer slope away from crowds for their very first experience, and then build up to the bigger zones or utilize an uncrowded section of the beginner’s hill for practice.

Begin Professional Lessons

Sometimes, letting an expert step in can not only alleviate the stress of the child’s caretaker during teaching, but it can add another level of confidence to the child. A private ski lesson builds in focused learning time and clear goals.

In Conclusion

John Spengler of Hailey, Idaho notes that introducing kids to the excitement of skiing is all about starting slow. Minimize intimidation by familiarizing a child with the gear and the act of skiing, preferably through private lessons. With this strategy in place, they’ll benefit in many ways from learning to ski early in life.