12/08/2026
WHO’S COACHING YOU? ⛷️🏂🏼
I started working towards the ISIA pathway back in 2015.
At the time, Level 3 felt like a major milestone on that journey. Over the years, as I trained more, studied movement, worked with higher-level educators and developed my own coaching, my perspective kept evolving.
What once looked like the destination gradually became a gateway.
L1 builds the foundation.
L2 expands technical and teaching capability.
L3 develops the advanced instructor through Riding, Teaching and Instructor Training.
And from there, the pathway opens further into L4 development, the Evaluator pathway, and international professional standards through ISIA.
For me, that is what makes the journey interesting.
The goal was never simply to collect the next badge. It was to keep developing towards a higher professional standard, and over time that benchmark keeps becoming clearer.
That is also why I think students should understand what instructor levels actually mean.
When you book a ski or snowboard lesson, a qualification represents stages of training, assessment, technical development and teaching education. Certification alone does not automatically make someone a great coach, but continued development matters.
For instructors, wherever we are on the pathway, there is always another level of understanding, skill and responsibility to grow into.
And for students, knowing the pathway helps you better understand who is coaching you, where they are in their professional development, and what experience they bring to your learning.
My hope is that more instructors keep progressing, keep learning and keep raising the standard of coaching together.
It’s not about the badge.
It’s about the standard.
Andrew Boey
Reference framework: CASI, CSIA and ISIA. This graphic is a simplified educational overview. Certification structures, prerequisites and international pathways may differ by discipline, country and national association. Please refer to the relevant official national representative body for current requirements.
