water, an equipment adjustment, or a few minutes of rest. However, this need may become evident only when there isn’t an opportunity to address it. Physical breakdowns can also occur when a person has been operating at a high level of exertion and reaches a point of failure. Tactics to prevent and address physical breakdowns: Staying
hydrated and consuming a small helping of complex carbohydrates every two hours while skiing or riding will help keep everything running smoothly for yourself and your students. When a breakdown strikes, put your energy into solving it; this is no time for “I told you so.” While it can be diffi cult to cut a day on the hill short, some physical breakdowns are best addressed by calling it a day, resting, and coming back the next day for a fresh start.
COGNITIVE AND SKILL BREAKDOWNS
When someone is in the process of learning a new skill, there is a period when performing the task requires conscious eff ort. T is is a vulnerable period, as the student works to perform a task that has not yet become ingrained. Breakdowns frequently occur when emotional or cognitive pressure are experienced by a learner who is in this phase of learning, or who has ownership of the skills but lacks experience or understanding in applying them to the situation at hand. Cognitive pressures include confusion about the task being
performed, trying to monitor one’s performance, or following complex instructions to perform a task. Emotional pressures include anxiety, worry, frustration, pressure to perform, and social pressures. T e more advanced the person’s ownership of the skill, the less susceptible they are to a breakdown brought on by these pressures. T e earlier phase of learning a skill can be a fragile environment for the learner and is an important time to carefully monitor and adjust the lesson content, pace, and tone to ensure continued success as they practice and gain ownership of the skill.
Skiing and riding is supposed to be about having a blast, not a breakdown. Help students work through challenges that might otherwise seem insurmountable.
and are willing to try what you ask, it may be worth continuing. Tactics to prevent or address emotional breakdowns: No matter what you believe about the validity of an emotion’s source, the fact that the person is experiencing the emotion makes it real. Ensure that your explanation of why a person doesn’t need to be afraid doesn’t question whether or not the person should be experiencing that fear. “I can see that you’re afraid; that’s a healthy reaction when people are on this part of the mountain for the fi rst time. Let’s discuss why this run is safer than it seems.” Another tactic is to simply be present with the person: “I’m here with you; let’s take a moment to collect ourselves and then work together to fi gure this out.”
THE ROLE OF TIME
For all breakdowns, it is important to consider the role of time. When a student begins to break down, take a moment and consider how long the person may have been experiencing the
THE MOST DIFFICULT DECISION TO MAKE IN THESE SITUATIONS IS WHETHER TO CONTINUE AND FIGHT THROUGH THE EMOTION OR TO LEAVE THE SITUATION.
Tactics to prevent or address cognitive and skill breakdowns:
Removing or minimizing the source of emotional or cognitive pressure can help quickly turn things around. Ask yourself and the student what has changed in the period leading up to the breakdown and then seek to address that change. Is the learner confused about something? Is there a simpler way
to achieve the same outcome? Has your instruction required a great deal of thought by the student? Has something happened to put pressure on them or bring out negative emotions? Other useful tactics include building unstructured practice time into the session or suggesting a fun run “just to clear our heads.”
EMOTIONAL BREAKDOWNS
T ese breakdowns include situations where a student is frozen with fear midway down a run, or when a student angrily continues attempting the same maneuver in the park with each unsuccessful attempt growing more frustrating than the last. Anxiety, frustration, anger, and fear are common in these scenarios. T e most diffi cult decision to make in these situations is whether to continue and fi ght through the emotion or to leave the situation. Generally speaking, if a person has passed a point of no return, it is better to exit the situation; if they are still able to trust your judgment
32 | 32 DEGREES • WINTER 2017
underlying physical, cognitive, or emotional cause. Has this person seemed nervous, hungry, or confused all day? Or is this a recent development?
When the source of the breakdown is a recent occurrence, quickly addressing the problem often makes it possible to rapidly regain the previous level of performance. In situations where the person has been experiencing the cause of the breakdown for a longer period of time, addressing the problem may not be enough for an immediate improvement. Time will need to pass before that person’s level of performance can return to normal.
CONCLUSION
Back to the sobbing young snowboarder. What could I do for him? I introduced myself and asked everyone to take two steps back
and give us some space. I told the boy, “It looks like there’s something going on here. Take a minute to catch your breath and then let’s fi gure out what’s going on.” Scanning his gear, I noticed that the size adjustment on his binding strap had slid open. I adjusted it from the “XL” to the “M” position and told him that when he felt ready he should stand up and see if he could slide. He stood up, wiped the tears from his face, gave a push and executed a beautiful straight run to heelside fan turn.
KARIN KIRK
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