School Representation at Ski Championships

School Representation at Ski Championship Trip ISSCC 2020

Every year since 2013, ISSCC (International Schools Snowsports Championships of China) sees Beijing’s most talented international school skiers and snowboarders travel to Chongli for a weekend of exciting races and freestyle competitions. For schools to be represented this year, it is necessary that at least one staff member from the school attends the event and that the school sanctions the team participation. This is made possible by the support of Sports Directors who help to find enthusiastic teacher chaperones to attend. As Sports Director or a similar key figure, you are warmly invited by Imagine to enable your students to take this opportunity.

Dates: 28th February – 1st March 2020

Approximate Itinerary:

• After school on Friday 28th: Travel up with students to Thaiwoo
• Friday evening: Opening Ceremony and meal
• Friday night: Stay in a hotel in Thaiwoo

• Saturday: Ski and snowboard competitions
• Sunday: Ski and snowboard competitions
• Sunday afternoon: Award Ceremony and depart by 3 pm
• Sunday evening: Arrive back in Beijing around 7 pm

Step by Step Involvement

1. Sports Director expresses interest to Imagine in letting the school be represented
2. Communication with Imagine (meeting/phone/email) to ask any questions
3. Sports Director finds one or two teachers to attend as chaperones (it’s free for them, and roles are outlined below)
4. With a volunteer teacher on board, Sports Director sanctions the school’s participation
5. School lets students know how to sign up directly with Imagine
6. Students attend the event with parents. Teacher accompanies the group.

Role and responsibilities for chaperones

Within the race course area: Imagine’s qualified ski instructors supervise the actual races and competitions.

Outside of the race course area: Parents have responsibility for their kids outside the race area. They must ski with their own kids, or name a specific adult in advance to act as guardian. E.g. by hiring a local instructor for their kid, or by naming one good adult friend to ski with them. School Chaperones are not obliged to be the adult who skis with students. Instead, chaperones typically stay by the race area to cheer on and support the students, and may even enjoy a few runs for themselves.

Outside of skiing time/at night: Parents are required to look after their own kids (or designate an adult to look after them) for the duration, so teachers are essentially free of this responsibility too. In this way, it should not be considered a school trip. The trip is down to the parents themselves. Only the competition is a school-affiliated item.

Therefore, the teacher’s main purpose is to create a sense of team participation and to enable the school to officially sanction the participation of a ‘team’ in the races. Teachers may choose to hold small team meetings in advance, sing team songs at the event, prepare branded team accessories etc, to help create this team spirit, but this is all down to individual preferences.

Teachers may also help students to put on their ski boots in the morning, give them encouragement, gather them to eat together in the evening, collect photos, submit an article to school media, etc.

In the lead up to the event: teachers should help to spread the word and encourage students to sign up. The bigger your school team, the better chances they have at the event.

ISB has had a strong presence every year and that takes the team spirit to new levels with special team helmet covers!

How to get there?

Many families self-drive. Imagine offers a shuttle bus service from pick-up points in Beijing (usually from the schools with the biggest teams) for a small fee for any families who don’t want to self-drive. This is free for the accompanying teachers. The journey is 3-3.5hrs.

Will teachers get time to ski?

Yes! There is no minimum amount of time spent with students, so you can choose to ski as much as you like. However, in the interest of team spirit and supporting the students, it is best if you can be present for important moments such as to encourage nervous students or to cheer on the team during important races. You can use your own judgment to take moments to go for a few runs during less busy times in the day.

Harrow are among the schools whose teacher volunteers have enabled students to enjoy great moments like this over the years

Costs, Conditions, and Application

For every 10 students who sign up, one free teacher place will be offered.

If less than 10 students sign up, the teacher may still go, at a discounted cost.

Free teacher places include transport, hotel, ski pass, ski rental, and insurance. Only meals will need to be paid for.

Without School Team Representation

If the school does not sanction the team’s participation, we will allow students to sign up as individuals, attend with their parents and win medals as independent individuals, but just not represent the school name. In this way, the race will serve as both an inter-school race and an individual race at the same time, so as not to exclude any keen skiers who can’t get the support of their school.  Of course, it’s much better for everyone if the school can allow the student to represent the school, so we hope you can get on board!

Some previous years videos 

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How to begin? Simply email [email protected] and mention that you are interested.

Thank you for supporting snowsports for students!