As the ski season comes to a close, R. Frederic (Ric) Henschel shared his experience as a volunteer ski instructor this past winter for Winter4Kids at the National Winter Activity Center in Vernon Township, New Jersey. Winter4Kids is a non-profit organization dedicated to improving the lives, health and fitness of urban youth through winter activities.
A patent attorney by day, Henschel is a certified ski instructor and longtime alpine skiing enthusiast. This past season, he spent time in northern New Jersey helping kids learn to ski and appreciate the joys of outdoor winter fun.
“It was a fantastic experience for all involved,” said Henschel. “It was extremely gratifying for me to coach and help the kids, whether they were putting on skis for the first time or moving up to riding the chairlift to ski easy runs. I was thrilled to see their enthusiasm and excitement for a sport that has been part of my life for decades.”
Henschel started skiing at Mountain Creek, a larger resort in northern NJ, then achieved successive certification milestones from the Professional Ski Instructors of America (PSIA) while working part-time as a ski instructor at Windham Mountain in the Catskills of NY and then at Whitetail Resort in southern PA.
About Winter4Kids
Winter4Kids (W4K) at the National Winter Activity Center was founded out of a National Winter Sports Education Foundation (now Share Winter) initiative. W4K is the physical representation of the mission to introduce 100,000 kids to winter activities in a sustainable way. With the enthusiastic support of committed board members and other stakeholders, the National Winter Activity Center re-engineered and re-purposed the former Hidden Valley as the home of Winter4Kids and its programs. Its vision is to “Improve the lives, health, and fitness of youth through winter activities.” Since the pilot in 2015, they have made the difference in the lives of over 13,000 kids. By 2027, they plan to serve 11,000 kids annually.
