Thursday, March 24, 2016

Trying to Become a Sailing Instructor

                Earlier today I learned that I will, officially, be teaching sailing again this summer. Although many people here in Reading do not sail, sailing has been a part of my life for a very long time. My dad's family grew up sailing in Scituate, Ma; and in carrying on the tradition, our family spends most of our summers in Scituate as well. We are surrounded by family of all kinds: cousins, second cousins, distant relatives who I didn't even know were part of the family. And we do a lot of sailing. I am lucky enough to get to teach sailing at the same place I learned myself, the Satuit Boat Club.

                That's all great and I'm very much looking forward to another great summer on the water. The only difference this year is that they are expecting all the instructors to be certified level 1 coaches. This is the first time I have had to deal with accreditation, and it is not fun. I've heard from others how painful it is to work with these big accrediting organizations, not just for sailing but other things as well. Using the website has been a hassle and I'm beginning to think that this might be a scam. In order to sign up for the class itself, I have to be a member of US Sailing. Not just a teen member, but a fully paying adult membership. Also, another boating safety course must be taken prior to this course. So now I get to sign up for 2 classes. Although its frustrating right now, I hope that by the time its over I will have become a better sailing instructor.


No comments:

Post a Comment