Week Nine - Mighty Fine
I'm missing the Pickles this week. So here is a little tribute to a great relationship.
I'm missing the Pickles this week. So here is a little tribute to a great relationship.
Motor Learning
by Coach AnitaLearning a skill is a fascinating process. It starts with thinking about how to perform a movement then moves to consciously performing a movement and culminates in unconsciously responding with the movement. This process is known as motor learning.
Motor learning has three distinct stages as identified by human performance researchers Fitts and Posner. These three stages build on one another beginning with the cognitive stage, progressing to the associative stage, and culminating in the autonomous stage. The goal of training is to get to the point of responding rather than thinking. But to get to that point, which is the autonomous stage, everyone has to first move through the cognitive and associative stages.
The cognitive stage is the initial stage where you learn what to do. Learning at this stage is primarily received visually and auditorily. Imagine trying to learn paddling without ever watching it done. The cognitive stage is where everything requires conscious effort - pushing the inside hip back, rotating open, hinging forward, entering with your body, applying top hand pressure and counter rotating, moving the inside hip backward while lifting paddle forward - therefore it can be cognitively taxing. The cognitive stage is characterized by having large gains in performance as well as inconsistent overall performance.
In the associative stage movements are more efficient and some movements have become more automatic - such as pushing your hip back without thinking about it. With the largest gains having happened in the cognitive stage, the performance gains at this stage are smaller. This is where paddlers are stringing together the smaller things they’ve been working on. Very often at this stage, when one area is being focused upon for improvement, other areas show regression because these areas still require conscious effort. This is the stage where athletes spend most of their time, and even elite athletes return to this stage in the belief that there is always room for improvement or something new to learn.
The autonomous stage requires years of training to get to. For elite athletes this is where performance becomes largely automatic and does not require much cognitive processing. When performance becomes automatic there is lower cognitive demand so thinking can be directed at secondary tasks. An example would be a professional quarterback whose attention can be on the defensive movements around him, adjusting calls at the scrimmage line, and detecting an imminent blitz rather than on the position of his wrist when he releases the ball. However, just as less cognitive demand allows for secondary focuses, it can also allow for distracting and irrelevant thoughts. Examples of an athlete losing focus can be seen in every area of sport. Very often this is a result of thoughts drifting toward the outcome before completing the process (e.g. an Olympic hopeful thinking about making the Olympic team instead of focusing on the last moments of the qualifying event).
While most of us will never fully enter the autonomous stage of our sport, over the course of many years, we can experience some of the characteristics of the stage including performance that feels smooth and automatic. Unfortunately, automatic movement can reinforce incorrect movement. The 10-year paddler who still bends her elbow in a choo-choo move to exit her blade is an example of an incorrect automatic movement. Everyone can and should go back to the cognitive and associative stages to be continually learning and striving for improvement. However, when we stop thinking about movements in these stages, it’s very easy to revert to old and incorrect movements that we re-entered these stages to try to change.
So whether you’re in your first year or two of paddling, or have been paddling since the 90s, there is always something to be working on. Being aware of the motor learning process can help you focus your energies and refine your technique.
Building a Growth Mindset by Coach Pat
Mindset, specifically growth mindset and it’s counterpart fixed mindset, are terms that keep coming up in this newsletter and in conversations with the coaches. The concept of mindset is not new. It was introduced by Carol Dweck of Stanford University over 30 years ago. Professor Dweck was studying the effect of failure on students. Professor Dweck gives us this definition of a growth mindset.
“This growth mindset is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. Although people may differ in every which way in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests, or temperaments, everyone can change and grow through application and experience.” ~Carol Dweck
The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. Do you believe you have a certain set of skills and abilities that stay with you for life? Do you avoid effort and challenges because you don’t want to be embarrassed by failure? If so, then you are dealing with a fixed mindset.
The opposite of a growth mindset is a fixed mindset. Do you believe you have a certain set of skills and abilities that stay with you for life? Do you avoid effort and challenges because you don’t want to be embarrassed by failure? If so, then you are dealing with a fixed mindset.
 |
| From Medium.com @lensbybenz |
Don’t despair - we all have some of both mindsets and at different times one may be stronger than the other. Take this opportunity to talk back to your fixed mindset and work at allowing your growth mindset to prevail. How can you build your growth mindset about your training? Start with incorporating these things into your way of thinking.
- Acknowledge and accept imperfections, yours and others.
- Face challenges bravely, look at each challenge as an opportunity which can lead to new adventure.
- Pay attention to your thoughts and your words. Replace your negative thoughts with positive, replace judgment with acceptance.
- Trust yourself. You are the only one you need to impress.
- Accept criticism as a gift. Open up to hearing suggestions.
- Value the process over the result. Fully engage and put effort into the process.
- “Not yet” is OK. When struggling with a task, remind yourself that you just haven’t mastered it “yet”.
- Own your attitude. Cultivate resilience along the way.
Here is a quote from Michael Jordan that speaks to the power of a growth mindset:
“I’ve missed more than 9000 shots in my career. I’ve lost almost 300 games. 26 times, I’ve been trusted to take the game winning shot and missed...I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life. And that is why I succeed.” ~Michael Jordan
If you would like to listen to Dr. Dweck here is a short TED talk link. Here she speaks to the power of “not yet”. https://youtu.be/_X0mgOOSpLU
References:
Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. House Digital, Inc. Chicago
Dweck, C. S. (2008). Mindset: The new psychology of success. House Digital, Inc. Chicago
https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/
https://medium.com/@lensbybenz_65973 How to Build (At Any Age) A Growth Mindset Protecting Your Skin
By Suzanne (Health and Fitness)
It's important to protect our skin for UVA and UVB radiation. Exposure to ultraviolet radiation (UV) is the leading cause of skin cancer. There are two types of UV radiation.
- Ultraviolet A (UVS) which can pass through glass. Research suggests that it may cause premature aging and wrinkling of the skin. It also may play a role in causing basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma and melanoma.
- Ultraviolet B *UVB) does not pass through car windows or other types of glass. UVB radiation is more closely linked with the development of skin cancer and melanoma. It also causes sunburn.
Here are some tips that may help prevent skin cancer:
- Use sunscreen every day even if it is cloudy.
- Limit your exposure to the sun, especially from 10 am to 4 pm when the sun is typically the strongest.
- Pay attention to the UV index. This numbered scale measures how damaging exposure to the sun will be on any particular day. When the index is 1- or higher you should try to stay indoors.
- Be careful around reflective surfaces. Examples are water, snow and sand.
- Use a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) or 30 or higher if you plan to be outside longer than 20 minutes. The sunscreen should be water resistant and protect against UVA and UVB rays. Apply at least 1 ounce of sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going out doors.
- Reapply sunscreen every 2 hours and regularly after sweating or getting our of the water. Do not use sunscreen that is outdated.
- Use a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30.
- Wear protective clothing and sunglasses that protect your eyes from UVA and UVB rays.
- Don't burn. Sunburns, especially in children have been linked to developing melanoma later in life.
- Be aware of medications that make you more sensitive to the sun. These include specific types of antibiotics, anti-inflammatory, anti-fungals, blood pressure medication, and some types of chemotherapy.
- Avoid tanning beds!
- Avoid recreational sunbathing!
Be sure to check your skin for suspicious spots every month and it is recommended to have a mole check by a dermatologist annually.
This weeks Challenge :
With Coach Oden
Week 9 Workout
with Coach Oden 
