ingraining, and refining new movements. And if we’re to do that by exploring movements to achieve a skiing/riding outcome, then word choices that judge can discourage further effort. Exploring the movements is about what’s effective – what works. And it’s adopting these new movements that also teach us what’s efficient – what’s less work. An easy way to objectivize your word choice is re-framing the good/bad into effective/ineffective and efficient/inefficient. What really matters anyway? What works,
and what’s less work; not what’s good or bad. Tis simple differentiation will also aid their learning. For practice, try this: eliminate judgment and try going through a whole lesson describing movements or outcomes in relation to intentions.
USE DESCRIPTIVE FEEDBACK THAT SHOWS CAUSE AND EFFECT
Our job as instructors is to help our clients acquire skills and experiences that let them feel more control and confidence, and have more fun. By expanding their repertoire of movement through exploration, we expand their options in different conditions, or to achieve different outcomes. Instead of using the judgmental words noted above, we can be more accurate with our language by linking cause and effect, and leaving the judging up to them. For example, you might say, “You extended
your legs so that they were longest in the middle of the turn that time. Take a look at your turn shape; see how it’s rounder than before?” Or, “Did you notice how much easier sideslipping is when you soften your edge angle?” Or, “You didn’t pop ‘up’ out of your turns that time, and you were able to engage the new edges sooner, with less pivot.” All of these descriptive communications with students convey far more specific, accurate and useful information. When safety comes into play, be quick to spell out cause-and-effect relationships about what can lead to an injury for your client or others. For example, if you observe any red flags for ACL injury (bracing outside leg, inside hand back, strong upper body counter), you might say, “Tat movement (describe the movement) you are making with your (name the body part) can cause ACL injury.” Avoiding a negative outcome may be less inspirational than achieving a
higher skill level, but this type of cause and effect may be season- or career-saving for students in the long run.
ACKNOWLEDGE EFFECTIVE MOVEMENTS
In The Power of Prime, Jim Taylor, Ph.D., states, “Te reality is that children don’t need to be told ‘good job!’ when they have done something well; it’s self-evident. Tey do need to be told why they did well so they can replicate that behavior in the future to get the same positive outcome.” Adults are not so different. I’d add that often our students need to be told what they did. You can do so objectively, specifically, and positively. Tere’s a line in the PSIA-AASI Children's Instruction Manual that says it best: “Celebrate their successes. ‘You did it!’ ‘Both skis turned at the same time.’ ‘You released your downhill ski first!’”
'BAD' LANGUAGE... AND WHAT TO SAY INSTEAD
1. ‘Bend that ankle.’ Te demonstrative pronoun “that” refers to something which is away from us. “Tat” distances us from the focus on something very close, in fact a part of us. Further, it may leave in question exactly which ankle we’re talking about. You could say, “Bend this ankle” while pointing to your ankle or theirs, or “Move your core forward,” or “Drive with your inside hand.”
2. “I want you to _____ (fill in the blank,
Skiing is meant to be fun, not something you're judged about.
e.g. flex your ankles)” or “I want to see_____.” What matters most – what you as the instructor wants, or what your student wants? Instead of focusing on yourself, you can simply leave out the “I want you to” and unclutter your directive. Something like, “Flex your ankles.” Or link cause and effect using an If-Ten statement: “If you want to move across your skis and have more supple legs at turn finish, then flex your new inside ankle and knee toward the end of the turn.”
3. “Don’t drop your hand inside the turn.” Tis focuses on the negative, or what not to do. Instead, use positive directions to describe desired movements. Try saying, “Continue to drive your hand in your direction of travel after the pole touch.” “Tip both skis equally,” or, “Turn both femurs together to get the skis to turn together.”
4. “Some of you are doing this.” Sure, you may avoid embarrassing individuals in front of a group, but it doesn’t give anyone clear feedback. Try something like, “Robin, Bob, and Jon, I’d describe your outside leg movements at the end of the turn as extension. If you want to have more effective steering through the end of the turn, try flexing instead.”
%DFN XS IHHGEDFN RI JRRG MRE ZLWK ZKDW VWXGHQWV did and why it was good.
5. “You’re still _____.” Tese types of statements imply no progress is being made and confer judgment, often unintentionally. Instead, how about: “Keep trying!” or “Let’s approach it this way.”
THESNOWPROS.ORG | 61
SCOTT D.W. SMITH
LINDA GUERRETTE
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