Reflective Learning and Application
Before beginning the Masters of Arts and Education program, I was not sure if education was the right direction for me. I knew that I loved working with young people and sharing my love for sport and learning with others, but was unsure if I would be able to find a balance between the two. However, as I am nearing the end of this masters program it is clear to me that this was the perfect degree and choice for my future endeavors. The courses that I have taken, along with the instruction regarding sport and coaching has shaped the way that I see education and coaching as a whole.
As a collegiate athlete there were many different methods of coaching and instruction that I experienced over the course of five years and two schools. As the athlete rather than the coach, ones experience is based on performance and improvement over time rather than the pressures of a winning season. Understanding the different expectations of an educator as opposed the being the individual that is learning was my first major takeaway from this program. Throughout my time playing volleyball at the University of Oklahoma as well as Michigan State University, I learned the importance of team, respect, and sportsmanship. These are three skills that I hope along with the knowledge gained from this program I will be able to incorporate into my teaching as a coach and educator. I experienced a wide array of personalities both as teammates and as coaches. While some instructors were strict, others were more understanding and relationship based. My thinking prior to beginning this masters program centered around the coaches themselves and how they impacted the practices and course of a season. However, through the courses of this program I have learned that there are many different ways not only of instruction but of learning as well. The way that an educator is able to transfer to knowledge whether it be english or a skill for a sport is essential for the individuals ability to maintain and apply this information. My courses have illustrated the different forms of inquiry and teaching as well as breaking down the psychological aspects of coaching and sport instruction that can benefit the way that I am able to transfer information. I now have a better grasp on how to incorporate these concepts and ideas into my everyday teaching in order to make the skills transferable to my athletes.
One course in particular that made a huge difference in the way that I viewed education and teaching was that of Kin 868 Skill Development in Athletes. Taught by Dr. Andy Driska, this course altered the my thinking about coaching and instructing as a whole. Rather than simply breaking down the best methods and spitting them out to learners, the course was broken down into models that forced us to reflect on the drills or concepts that we were teaching our athletes. By reflecting on these drills and ideas, the idea is that coaches would become reflective learners in a way that will better their ability to improve as educators. Before taking this course I can say with confidence that while I did break down the way that I coached and thought about which drills to incorporate, I did not go to the degree in which I do now. By examining each drills benefits as well as obstacles for different levels of skill as well as different learning types, my athletes have a much better chance to get more out of each drill and practice. For example, I used to do a drill that incorporated setting a volleyball into a hoop in order to improve my setter location. However after the conclusion of this course, by breaking down the motor learning principles involved I was bale to manipulate the drill to improve it. Rather than setting a volleyball into the hoop and having the athlete stand in one spot, first I altered the ball itself to a basketball. This helps the individual build arm strength without them realizing that they are doing more work. I also changed the individuals location around the court. By manipulating this element of the drill, my athlete becomes more accustomed to setting the ball to the same location regardless of where they are standing on the court. While they might not seem like major changes to those that do no participate, the alterations have made a big difference in the way my young setter see location and ball handling skills. By breaking down this drill in the course itself, I better learned how to use the knowledge I already had in some areas and combine or expand the information I had in others to improve the overall outcome. Another aspect of this course that really benefitted by educational knowledge and coaching strategies was that of constraints and the role that they play in sport. The impact that the influential factors within ones environment can play on individual, task, and environmental constraints illustrated to me just important these concepts were to coaching. Understanding the constraints model also helped me have a better understanding of my athletes themselves and how the constraints each one of them possess are quite different and unique. The constraints approach was another thing that I found to be able to be manipulated within a practice or drill. While in the sport of volleyball there are a lot of things that one cannot control, in practice creating certain drills that illustrate specific desired skills or techniques helps to apply this model. Skill Development in Athletes opened my eyes to the improvements that could be made in my own coaching as well as the new techniques that I wanted to incorporate. By better understanding myself and the way my athletes learn, I am better able to help them be successful as a coach and educator.
Another course that has impacted me throughout this program was ED 800 Concepts of Educational Inquiry. While I am not a teacher at this time and my instructing takes place in the gym rather than the classroom, the concepts taught in this course shaped the way that I view education. Coaching itself may not be ones standard idea of education or what most people think when they hear the word, however in gaining knowledge from this course I gained information that allowed the ideas of education in many different forms to shape the way that I incorporate it into my one teaching. The course was separated into six different modules, each exploring a different form of inquiry or learning. These models consisted of the philosophy and history of education, classroom based or teacher research, ethnographic observation and autobiography, biography and history, and theories of the mind and curriculum. Each one of these different categories had particular pieces and techniques that I found applicable to the way that I educate young people through sport. One in particular that really stood out to me was that of the history of education. In this area the course went through many different impactful educators that shaped the way the world viewed learning and education. The concepts of consistency and critical thinking in education as well as John Dewey’s basic understanding of an educators self awareness all contributed to the system of education in which we abide by today. These prominent educators dared to question the systems in place in order to bring change to the idea of learning and teaching. After learning about the history of education itself and how one person was able to reform the system based on concepts that would benefit the students, it is clear to me that the world of athletic education is not much different. While there are methods that are proven to be beneficial in the world of sport and volleyball itself, finding ways to self reflect and grow as educators is a crucial key to improvement. This course altered the way that I thought of educational inquiry in a positive way. Understanding each of these concepts listed above for the different modules, has allowed me to find new ways to incorporate these techniques of education into my teachings as a coach.
The course that has really had the most impact on my profession and ideas regarding education was KIN 857 Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Sport. Naturally most people would like their athletes to have a positive experience and to love the sport that they play. Whether it be a parent, friend, or even coach creating a sport environment that is positive for the athlete is understandably a common goal. However, what most coaches don't understand is that there is so much more that goes into these experiences besides just the young kids performance. Promoting Positive Youth Development Through Sport illustrated all the different ways that a young athletes experience can be shaped by those around them in either a positive or negative way. The first element of this course that I really enjoyed learning about and growing from was the concept of an athletes development through sport both personally as well as psychologically. As a coach working with young people it is imperative that these individuals understand the impact that they have on the children’s experience. Especially at a young age, these athletes are more susceptive to believing the things that there coach is telling them on a daily basis. When one is receiving negative talk at home and then coming to the gym and receiving criticism with no positive reinforcement, it is not possible for them to have a positive experience. This is where understanding ones role as a coach and educator can be important to the child’s overall wellbeing. A large part of this for the team as well as the individuals is the environment that the coach themselves create. Some might be very hostile and critical while others may be too easy with little improvement present. Both of these ideas were presented throughout this course and illustrated with research and real life scenarios. By understanding the evidence provided as well as my previous experience in the field of coaching, I now know exactly what kind of climate I would like to build in my gym. While I would like to hold my athletes to high standards centered around responsibility and hard work, I refuse to create an environment in which my athletes feel as if they are not good enough or unworthy in any way shape of form. While I may not be able to control the background that each individual comes from or the outside factors that play a role in their daily lives, the way that I instruct and the atmosphere that I create are two things that are within my control. Now that I understand this, I hope to create and environment where my athletes see failure or mistakes as teaching moments and a way to improve rather than seeing they themselves as failures. Overall I really enjoyed the lessons and ideas discussed throughout this course and will be applying the concepts to my teachings on an everyday basis.
Throughout the Masters of Arts and Education program I have been introduced to new concepts and ideas that have shaped the way that I see not only coaching and skill instruction, but education as a whole. The course discussed above as well as countless others opened my eyes to improvements and self reflection that I can incorporate into my coaching of young athletes. It is my hope that through coaching and my love for sport, I am able to create a positive space for individuals to learn and grow not only as athletes but also as people. The skills that they acquire in sport as well as the relationships made will be carried on and applied over the course of a lifetime.