INSTRUCTION 101


GRANT NAKAMURA


36Ζ$ 1RUGLF 7HDP &RDFK 'DYLG /DZUHQFH IDU ULJKW XVHV SRVLWLYH FRPPXQLFDWLRQ skills to set the stage for a successful day at the PSIA XC Nordic Academy.


COMMUNICATION COLLOQUIALISMS BEST PRACTICES FOR PHRASING COACHING MESSAGES


By J. Scott McGee “ safe statement regarding a movement I actually had seen. When W


the follow-up question came, “And is that right, or wrong?” I had to pause. Tat question sparked a light bulb moment for me, bringing me to this very big idea: the end of right and wrong in skiing and riding. As a student of the sport, a trainer for


instructors, and an instructor for trainers, I pay close attention to the words people use. Word choice has subtle and not-so-subtle implications for the meaning behind a given statement.


60 | 32 DEGREES • SPRING 2017


AVOID JUDGMENTAL WORDS AND PHRASES At the top of my list for casual word choice oversight is the use of judgmental terms, rather than objective descriptions. Words like good, right, correct, and proper, imply some level of judgment. If there’s good skiing/riding, then there’s bad skiing/riding, too. If you get feedback that you’re doing something correctly, the person next to you may infer that they’re doing it incorrectly. If you can


ow, those were really good turns!” It was the third time the instructor used that phrase. Next, he asked, “So, what do you all think of that?” I tentatively offered a


finally, “get it right,” then had you been doing things wrong? And on it goes with terms like improperly, incorrectly, error, mistakes, etc. Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but snowsports are is meant to be fun, not something I want to feel bad or judged about. Our guests, clients, students, and athletes all come with different levels self-consciousness about their skiing or riding. Ever hear a new or infrequent skier say, “I’m a bad skier”? It’s not that they’re bad at skiing, they are simply inexperienced. Perhaps if we can help them have more and better experiences, then they won’t think of themselves as bad skiers. What transforms a perceived bad


performance into a perceived good performance anyway? It’s all about adopting,


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