Dear Coaching Community,

We wish all coaches travelling and working throughout the Northern Hemisphere season the very best.

In this Snow Australia coaching update, you’ll find highlights from the Community Sport Awards Coach Award recipients, details of new performance psychology courses on the Snow Academy, important coach insurance information, and the latest resources available to support your coaching.

Thank you to everyone who took part in this season’s coach workshops as you work toward your Foundation Coach Accreditation.

We look forward to supporting you in the new year.

Thank you to the 92 coaches who participated in a coach workshop during the 2025 season.

We encourage you to complete all online components of your Foundation Coach Accreditation on the Snow Academy. 

Congratulations to the winners of the Snow Australia Community Sport Awards. These prestigious awards recognise and highlight the individuals driving progress and making a meaningful impact at the grassroots and development levels of the snowsports community.

In particular, we congratulate the Coach Academy award winners, Cameron Hoddle and Millie Evans.

Watch a congratulatory video from Chip Richards, Coach Academy Lead Facilitator, to Cam and Millie. 

Cameron Hoddle is the Head Coach of the Snowboard Park and Pipe Program at Perisher Winter Sports Club (PWSC). He has a coaching philosophy centered on developing well-rounded, kind, and motivated athletes who love snowboarding. He emphasises enjoyment in the learning process, collaboration, and personal growth, fostering both athletic and personal development. Through year-round support, creative training methods, and a focus on teamwork, humility, and empathy, Cameron creates an environment where young riders thrive not only as athletes but as individuals. Parents and peers note the profound positive impact his coaching has on his athletes, both on and off the mountain.

Under Cameron’s leadership, his athletes have achieved exceptional results, with multiple podium finishes across national competitions such as the Thredbo Triple Crown, Perisher Rail Jam, and Interschools events, as well as strong international performances at the Junior LAAX Open and ANC competitions. A respected role model and leader within the PWSC and ETP camps, Cameron actively mentors fellow coaches and takes athletes abroad for training and competition. He applies Coach Academy learnings through his focus on athlete well-being, creative drills, and holistic development.

Millie Evans, Freeski and Head Dryland Coach at Mount Hotham Free Ski (MHFS), has a coaching philosophy centred on continuous personal development and strong interpersonal connections. She actively pursues learning through professional development, mentoring, and reflection, while also tailoring her approach to the individual needs of her athletes. Her thoughtful communication and supportive environment foster trust, long-term athlete engagement, and a lasting love of the sport.

Within the snowsport community, Millie is a role model and advocate for women in sport. She initiated the “Women in Sport” program at MHFS, relaunched the club’s dryland training program as head coach, and was featured in the Tough Tits x Arc'teryx collaboration highlighting female leaders in freestyle skiing. Integrating lessons from the Coach Academy, she has sought shadowing opportunities with elite coaches, joined the AIS ASPIRE program, and completed Canadian freestyle coaching certifications—demonstrating her commitment to continual growth and advancing female representation in freestyle skiing.

The Olympic Winter Institute of Australia (OWIA) and Snow Australia’s Performance Psychology Team have created a series of online short courses known as the Mindset Level Up Program.

The program focuses on developing psychological skills throughout an athlete’s career and is structured into three tiers: Ground Level, Pro Level, and Next Level. Since 2024, Ground Level courses have been available to athletes, coaches, and the community. The newly launched Pro Level courses explore advanced areas of performance psychology and include modules on:

• Mental Recovery
• Behaviour Change and Winning Habits
• Professional Communication
• Resilience and Adaptability
• Visualisation

These online courses are offered free of charge to the winter sport community through the Snow Academy.

Each course features engaging, interactive learning activities and knowledge checks. Upon completion, participants receive amenu of practical skills to enhance their performance and communication in daily training environments, competition settings, and everyday life. Courses take approximately 20–30 minutes to complete, and participants receive a certificate of completion for each module.

Coach Insurance Cover Now Available

Snow Australia is pleased to offer a liability insurance product designed specifically for independent coaches working both in Australia and overseas.

The policy provides General Liability and Professional Indemnity cover and is available exclusively to accredited coaches. Two premium levels are offered, based on qualifications:

Advanced Program

For coaches who have completed the online courses and practical on-snow components

• General Liability - $10m / Professional Indemnity - $1m - Premium $684.48
• General Liability - $20m / Professional Indemnity - $2m - Premium $904.80

Introductory Program

For coaches who have completed the online coaching course

• General Liability - $10m / Professional Indemnity - $1m - Premium $747.42
• General Liability - $20m / Professional Indemnity - $2m - Premium $989.76

To learn more or request an application form, please email rtaylor@snow.org.au.

Important notes:

• All applicants must hold a current Snow Australia Coach membership.
• The policy operates on a fixed annual period ending 31 October. Premiums will be pro-rated for applications received after this date.
• The policy has an Australian jurisdiction, meaning that it will only respond if proceedings are conducted in Australian courts.

The Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) Annual Update for 2026 is now available.

The Annual Update is an important part of ongoing integrity education for coaches. Its purpose is to ensure everyone in our system stays informed about current anti-doping rules, updates to prohibited substances, testing processes, athlete rights and responsibilities, and broader integrity expectations across Australian sport.

Completion of the Annual Update forms a key requirement within Coach Accreditation and can be completed through the Sport Integrity Australia eLearning Portal.

Snow Academy is Snow Australia's online education hub providing coaches, along with athletes, officials, and members of the snowsports community, with access to specialised courses, accreditations, and certifications.

Snow Australia members can access the Snow Academy directly via their Snow Australia account as well as view all their completed courses and accreditations. 

There is a range courses for coaches to support the development, education and training of new and current coaches.

Whether you are completing accreditation levels, or interested in upskilling your coaching skills, there is a wide range of courses available on the Snow Academy.

Coaches can complete the following courses on the Snow Academy:

Foundation Coach Accreditation Courses:

• Introduction to Coaching
• Discipline Modules - Alpine / Snowboard / Freestyle
• ASC Community Coach Essential Skills
• SIA Safeguarding Children and Young People in Sport Induction

Other courses

• ASC Coach Masterclasses
• Snow Australia Performance Psychology Mindset Level-Up Program (5 modules)
• Sport science mini modules - Nutrition, Performance psychology, Performance recovery, Physical conditioning
• SIA Safeguarding Recruitment and Screening