IF AT FIRST YOU DON’T SUCCEED… TIMELY ADVICE FOR BOUNCING BACK FROM EXAM SETBACKS
By Karin Kirk
QBill failed his Level III alpine exam 15 times. QWhen Donny attempted his Level II skiing exam, he felt more confident as the assessment progressed, only to learn that his performance actually declined with each segment.
Q Alicia found her aspirations of taking the Level I exam were derailed by a life-altering disability. QKevin’s exam plans dissolved right along with the prematurely melting snow, forcing him to wait a whole season before going back for his Level II snowboard exam.
Q Kathy felt like she had repeated her exam so many times that all the examiners in her division knew her. Q As he attempted to rebound from failing the skiing portion of his Level II alpine exam, Scott found that some members of his ski school were not supportive of his ambitions.
R
emarkable stories indeed. But the most impressive thing, by far, is how all these instructors stayed focused, motivated, and determined to continue their
pathways. In their own ways, they reconciled their losses and recharged their drive to continue. “Tis is my journey,” stated Scott defiantly. “And I own it.”
Our profession is filled with potential pitfalls, from missing the crux move on a big line, to failing an exam, to being passed over for a prized role in the snowsports school. While setbacks are inevitable, the ways we respond to them vary widely. What factors influence how people respond to failure? Are there strategies you can use to help unravel bad results? What insights can you use to help learn from obstacles and recover from negative outcomes? Here’s the good news: You’re not in this
alone. Sports psychologists, counselors, and educational specialists have done valuable work to help people rebound from the dark times. Moreover, as illustrated by the six instructors above, you are likely surrounded by peers who have weathered their fair share of obstacles. Tere’s a lot of wisdom you can borrow to help out when you need it most.
UNRAVELING THE CAUSES After a negative event, most of us will have a natural urge to try to sort out what went wrong, why, and what that means for us as we move forward. Tis process of digesting events and trying to understand the causes is called “attribution.” What factors do we attribute success or failure to? Accurate
88 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2016
attributions lead to quicker rebound and help us map a productive and realistic strategy for future development. Inaccurate attributions can set the stage for blaming others, spiraling into self-doubt, or perhaps even giving up on an important goal. To begin to analyze attributions, reflect
on a recent setback and list the reasons that contributed to the undesirable outcome. Let’s use an example of a failed exam.
Reasons could be things like: Q I didn’t understand the exam process. QNobody told me what to expect. QMy area does not have expert terrain to practice on.
Q I’m not athletic. QMy skis were too fat for carved turns. Q I didn’t practice my demos enough. Q Riding in front of an examiner was intimidating.
Now take a closer look at what’s behind those reasons. You can organize them using “attribution theory,” which was developed by psychologist Bernard Weiner in the 1980s.
INTERNAL FACTORS VS. EXTERNAL FACTORS Internal factors are part of who you are. Tey may or may not be changeable over
The author experiences a moment of frustration after taking a wrong turn while guiding. “At the moment, I was so mad at myself,” she said, “but I gained valuable insight that can apply on so many levels. Things don’t always go perfectly out on the snow, but it’s how you react that matters most.”
time, but they are part of what you bring to the process. For example, if you don’t ride well under pressure, that is an internal factor. If the exam environment is high pressure, that’s an external factor.
WITHIN YOUR CONTROL VS. OUT OF YOUR CONTROL Some factors are truly out of your control: the snow conditions, the other members of your exam group, and the random
GEORGIA BAKER
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130 |
Page 131 |
Page 132