又到了暑假的时间，全国各地一定有很多放假的孩子们会在这个暑假开始学滑板。上海最有经验的滑板教练波比老师的滑板夏令营也开始两周了，我们最近对他做了一个专访，让他来传授一些搞好滑板夏令营的经验。
1，请先简要介绍一下自己吧
我叫 Bobby Male，28岁，已经在上海专职教小朋友滑板有9年的时间了。
每周六我有集体滑板课，周一到周五是一对一私教。一般我都在 SMP 滑板场教学，有时也去别的地方。
2，能不能介绍一下你的滑板夏令营
我在2011年的时候第一次在 SMP 滑板场开始搞自己的滑板夏令营。一共有6个小朋友参加了为期4周的夏令营。从那以后每年夏天我都会在上海搞一个夏令营，我还搞过两次带小朋友去英国和北京的滑板夏令营。
参加夏令营的价格与参与的时间有关，今年的夏令营每天有三个半小时的滑板课，所以我的收费是五天的夏令营1300元，或者20天为4000元。你可以参加全程的20天，也可以任选其中五天参加。当然，我也有10天和15天的价格。 一共有16个小朋友报名，平均每天会有6-10个小朋友参加。我在招生前并没有大规模宣传，因为我不想一下来太多小朋友从而影响到教学效果和质量。
3，你觉得教小孩滑板最重要的三件事是什么？
首先，要让小朋友喜欢上滑板课，不要总是花太多时间在他们无法完成的动作上。
其次，需要真的教他们一些东西，我看到太多滑板教练跟保姆一样，只是看着这些孩子自己玩。
最后，安全非常重要。我尽力避免孩子受伤，我不允许他们在没有护具的情况下滑板，即使下课后也不可以，只要我看到就要他们必须佩戴护具，教练的责任即使在课外也不可以忽视。孩子的父母对于我对安全的重视非常欣赏。
4，你觉得如何才能成功运作一个滑板夏令营？
一，好教练。做一个好教练可不是你能作一个漂亮的 kickflip 那么简单，你要对别人的孩子负责，你必须具有教学，控制和保护你的学员的能力并且同时还要保证课程很有趣。
二，好的地点。你需要一些基础的道具可以让孩子们练习，当他们逐渐有了进步还要有相应的道具提供进一步教学。这个地点最好全天候，不会因为雨天而终止教学。
三，好的计划。你不能每次都临时想点什么就教，你需要事前做大量工作计划好每天教什么动作，作什么游戏。
四，好的价格。你要保证你作的事情是有价值的，从而你也可以赚到钱，孩子的父母也觉得很值。
五，好的记录。你需要在教学过程中做好拍照和视频的记录，让孩子的父母知道自己的孩子都在做什么并对外宣传。来年的夏令营招生这些资料会很有用。
5，除滑板之外，你觉得最需要教给孩子的是什么。
有趣比装酷要重要得多。不要过多担心你没有别人滑的好，你只要在不断进步就是最好的。你要不断挑战自己从而变得更好。就算你比别人要好，但你自己并没有什么进步也无济于事。
6，运作一个滑板夏令营最大的挑战是什么？你是怎么解决的？
雨天或者极端天气情况。
你需要找个能遮风挡雨的地方。我的夏令营是从下午3点开始，因为那个时间太阳被滑板场旁边的高层建筑遮挡，我们可以在阴影里滑板。SMP 滑板场里还有个超大的遮阳棚，我们也常在哪里滑板。
除了天气情况之外，把报名的学员都叫来参加夏令营活动也是个挑战。
孩子们虽然暑假不用去学校，但是他们的父母还是需要去工作，所以没有人可以带他们来。很幸运我们学员中有些家长特别支持孩子滑板，他们会帮助我接送一些孩子，我太太也会帮我去接送孩子。
有时我需要提前到滑板场把前一晚的积雨清理干净。
7，你觉得上海的滑板教学市场怎么样？
我在社交媒体上看到上海现在有越来越多的小滑手。沸点滑板也有生产一种小尺寸的滑板，这也说明了现在中国有越来越多的小孩开始滑板。
年纪越小的孩子越有时间来滑板，我的很多小学员在结束了我的课程之后还会继续滑板。但是因为长大些要上学，要写作业所以没有时间来上课了。
现在中国年青一代的父母观念非常开放，他们希望自己的孩子可以多尝试一些现代的运动，比如滑板。这个市场潜力很大。现在跟我学滑板的小朋友越来越多，但因为教滑板还只是我的副业，我也没有太多时间投入其中，所以我不想让我的滑板教学班发展的太快。有的朋友建议我应该雇佣多几个教练，办个滑板学校，
但我不希望过快的发展影响到高质量的教学，孙坤坤以前是我的学员，现在是一个出色的滑手，他也有协助我教学，最近他甚至开始了自己的滑板课，他是我唯一觉得可以信赖的滑板教练。
8，现在各地很多板店都开始搞滑板教学，你对他们有什么建议么？
保持良好的形象，不要穿有大麻叶图案的衣服，不要再店外公共空间饮酒，我本人并不介意这些，但是很多孩子的家长会很在意，他们甚至会通过你的微薄去更多的了解你们，所以要时刻注意自己的行为。如果你的生活方式非常健康，会有更多的父母愿意把自己的小孩送来跟你学滑板。
多花些经历在课程上。如果你喜欢你的学员并且希望他们能成为一个出色的滑手而不是只想赚他们钱，人们会从你身上看到那种激情而你也会成为一个好的老师。不要收了钱只是帮他们看一小时孩子，那样下次他们就不会再来找你了。如果你做得好，孩子的父母会口口相传，还会跟你建立长期的联系。
9，对于你的滑板课和滑板夏令营来说你最需要哪方面的支持？
我常为孩子们组织一些小型活动，我会跟像 Vans, DVS, DC 这些关心滑板运动发展的品牌申请一些奖品支持。他们总是非常支持基层滑板发展，而有些运动鞋品牌并不关心滑板发展也不支持儿童滑板。
除了这些鞋子品牌，ATD，沸点，暴风雪，Skullcandy 也都有支持我们，我会给这些活动拍摄照片和视频发到社交媒体作为回报。
10，还有什么补充么？
如果你只是为了赚钱那还是不要搞滑板夏令营了。你如果是真心为了推广滑板运动而去作这件事，并把它做的很成功，你自然会赚到钱。为爱而作。就算我的夏令营不赚钱，我仍然会每年都组织一次，因为不赚钱并不表示失败，没有孩子来学才是真正的失败。
波比老师 2015 滑板夏令营前两周视频，其中可以看到很多波比自创的激发小孩兴趣的滑板游戏，很有启发性：
1, please introduce yourself and your skateboard traning program briefly.
My names Bobby Male（Bobtown or波比老师）I am 28 years old. I have been teaching skateboarding as a job for the past 9 years in Shanghai, China.
I do group skateboard lessons on Saturdays and I do private skateboard lessons during the week. I usually teach at SMP skatepark but occasionally teach at other locations.
2, please introduce your skate summer camp. (history, basic information, price, duration, how many kids, where, how to join...)
I did my first skateboard summer camp in 2011 at smp skatepark. A total of 6 kids joined for 4 weeks. Since then I have done one in Shanghai every year and also done skate camps taking children to the UK and also to Beijing woodward twice.
The pricing for the camp depends on how many hours it is. This year is just 3.5 hours a day. So I charge 1300 for 5 days camp or 4000 for 20 days camp. My camp is for a total of 20 days and I allow the children who pay for 5 days to chose any 5 days to come join during the 20 day camp period. I also have different prices for 10 days and 15 days. Usually in one day I have from 6 to 10 kids. In total 16 kids registered for this years summer camp. I didn't actually promote the camp because I didn't want too many kids to join so that I could keep the quality of the camp higher.
3, the top 3 important things in your mind about how to teach kids skate
Kids need to enjoy the lesson. Don't spend to long on a boring trick that they won't land.
Kids need to actually learn something. I see a lot of new skate coaches not teaching. They are just baby sitting.
Kids need to be safe. I try to prevent injuries as much as possible. I don't allow my students to skate without pads. Even after class, if I am around I will not allow them to skate without pads. A teacher has a responsibility even outside of lessons. Parents like that I am very strict when it comes to safety.
4, the top 3 (or 5, it depends on you) things about how to running a successful skate summer camp.
Good coach. There is more to being a coach than having a perfect kickflip. You are responsible for somebodies Child. This is somebodies most valuable possession. You need to be able to teach, control and protect your students while at the same time making sure the lesson is fun.
Good location. You need a place that has enough basic obstacles for kids to learn on and also better obstacles ready for when they are better at skating. Also you have to make sure class can continue even if it rains.
Good plan. You can't just randomly show up each day. You need to think about what tricks to learn and what activities to do.
Suitable price. You need to make sure what you do is value for money. So you make a profit but the parents think it's a great deal.
Document. You need to make videos and take pictures so parents can see what the kids have done also you can show the rest of the skateboard world. These videos and pictures can be used to promote next years skate camps.
5. Except for skate itself. What is the most important thing you want to teach those kids.
That having fun is more important than being cool. Not to worry if you are better than other people. You just need to be better than yourself. You always need to improve and be better than before. It doesn't matter if you are better than others if you are not better than you were a few days before.
6, what is the biggest challenge to running a skate camp? and what's your solution for that?
Rain and Extremely hot weather.
You need to have a place that has shelter from sun and rain. I chose to have my summer camps starting at 3:00pm because at that time the sun is behind the big building in front of the skatepark so we have a nice shade to skate under. And smp also has a big shelter near the street course my students can skate under.
Other than weather I would say getting students to the skate camp is a problem.
Kids don't go to school but parents have to go to work. So nobody can take the kids to the skate lesson.
Shanghai mornings and day time is too hot in the summer. So I can't do full day camps. Luckily I have some core parents that help out picking kids up and taking them home. And my wife also helps out bringing kids to class.
Sometimes I also have to arrive early to dry up puddles because it has rained the night before.
7, What do you think about the skateboarding training market in Shanghai? (like how many kids you taught this year? how many last year? how about the growth? how many percent kids will keep skating after the camp or your skate class?... ...)
I have seen on social media that their are many more young skaters in China.
Justice makes a mini skateboard which proves there are more younger skaters because otherwise this product wouldn't be needed.
The younger the kid is the more free time he or she will have to go skateboarding. I have had many students that stopped taking my classes that still skate. Because of getting older they don't have time to attend my weekend classes. They have to study and do more homework.
There is a huge market of young parents that are open minded and want their kids to do modern sports like skateboarding. I personally do not have enough time to teach skateboarding. More than 6 hours a week because of my other businesses. I have more students now and my classes have more kids in them than ever before. This is still my hobby job so I don't want to grow it too big. People tell me I should hire other coaches and make a huge skate school. But I like the fact that it's just me and I can keep my lessons at such a high level. I wouldn't trust anyone else to work for me other than Sun KunKun because he is also a great coach. But he already has his own skate lessons and students so he doesn't need to work for me. I don't want the responsibility of being a boss. It's a fun job at the moment and I want it to stay that way.
8, what's your suggestion for those skateshops which want to start skate class in their cities?
Clean up your image. Don't wear clothes with weed logos. Don't drink beer outside your shop. I don't have a problem with people smoking and drinking but many parents do. Parents will check out your weibo to find out more about you. Do you have pictures of yourself drinking beer, smoking weed or being crazy? If you live a cleaner lifestyle parents will be more willing for their child to learn from you.
Actually care about the lessons. If you like your students and actually want them to be great skaters and not just want to make money from them. People will be able to see your passion and you will be a better teacher. Don't just take money and baby sit them for an hour. They won't be giving you money again when the course is over. If you do a good job. A students parent might pay you money for years of lessons.
9, what kind of support do you need for the skate class or camp?
I make small events for kids. I ask core shoe brands like Vans, DVS and DC that care about the development of skateboarding to donate products. These types of brands have always been supportive of grassroots skateboarding. Sports shoe brands do not care about developing skateboarding and are not interested in kids skateboarding.
I have asked big sports brands that sponsor skaters and they are not interested.
Also lots of skateboard brands help out like ATD, Feidian, BSS and skull candy headphones. What I do in return is make videos and take pics of my camps to promote the brands that support my camps.
Online skate media like Whatsup, kickerclub and more recently Made in China Magazine also help out by reposting my students videos and my lesson pictures. So it's nice that the core skate media supports the growth of skating.
10, anything else you want to add?
Don't make a skate camp because you want to make lots of money. Make it because you want to grow skateboarding. If you make it to grow skateboarding it will be successful and you will make money after it is successful. Do it for the love. If my skate camps didn't make money I would still do them every year anyway. Because it's only a failure if the skate camp has no students.
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