ThePADDLER 118
An example of this is the massive comparisons from paddlesports to mountain biking and skiing . The learner that ’ s accomplished in these will have the transferable skills ( things like looking where you want to go , the feel of flow and dynamic reflexes ) and , therefore , a quicker learning curve . These comparisons will be useless if you don ’ t have the experiences from the other sports ; they may take a bit longer , and that ’ s ok ; you can achieve these from paddlesports .
The athlete who wants to win can ’ t easily consider the amount of training time or coaching they may get ; if they ’ re beaten , it ’ s demoralising . Instead , if they ’ re competing against themselves , self-drive comes in , and the athlete is out for personal bests ; there ’ s less chance of quitting if you ’ re beating your personal bests .
Self-determination comes when a learner is driven to better themselves and reflects on their progressions , achievements and experience rather than the ‘ natural talent ’ of others around them . ‘ They ’ ve done it , why can ’ t I ’ gets replaced with I ’ ve accomplished this , next time I ’ ll work on that .
SOCIAL FACTORS
I find the social dynamics of groups really interesting , the natural hierarchies , the introverts and extroverts , the natural leaders , the followers and the loan wolf . I recently heard this described as tribe behaviours , and within paddlesports , clubs are widespread . Sit back at the well-travelled stretches of water like the river Dee , and you can see these different members of the ‘ tribe ’ in action ; what ’ s interesting is the dynamics can change , and the once loan wolf can end up with followers without realising .
The plus side of the social factors are things like problems shared , the forming of cliques and the ability of others to lift people . The downsides come from ‘ the chatter ’. The chatter ( more common amongst blokes ) comes from the tall tales ( stories of beatings and bad swims ) and peer pressure ( being mocked for walking a rapid , for example ).
The potential for damage can go in several ways , and being resilient to this can be draining , frustrating and alienating . I ’ ve seen this in its extremes , everything from nerves or being held back by tales of beatings or high technicalities of the environment to almost bullying for being ‘ soft ’ for making decisions to portage a rapid , for example . A while ago , I heard the control measure finding others to go paddling with ; this sounds simple in principle but could be hard in its practicalities .
This sounds wishy-washy , but why not question both your ability to undertake your role in the group ( selfefficacy ) and the individuals ’ abilities to work as a team / work in the persona they ’ ve adopted ( otherefficacy ). When this works , I know my place in the ‘ tribe ’, and I ’ m confident in my abilities , and I trust the rest of the ‘ tribe ’ to do their jobs / have belief in their abilities . Once this is in place , it can allow the ‘ chatter ’ to fall on deaf ears or be understood ; for example , are the tales of beating bravado or a way of hiding nerves and apprehension ? If it ’ s understood , it can be better accepted .