Winter Quarter in Review

Winter quarter was another stressful one for me. With 2 classes whose material did not compliment each other very well, on top of the ever demanding hours at my internship, it was again a quarter where everything came down to the last few days before getting finished, which is not typically the way this type A personality likes to work.

At this point in my education and my internship, I would hope that I would be in a position where I was beginning to develop expertise in some areas. I think that I can safely say that I am beginning to develop my own way of working with my students in order to get the most out of them. I have had to learn how each of them works, and what motivates them, and I think that I have successfully managed to do this. I have learned when to push and when to listen, and I feel that the relationships I've developed with my students have been positive ones.

The challenges with forming these relationships with students is that each one is a completely different entity. You have to learn how each student works best, and sometimes switch from one method to its complete opposite in minutes as students come in for meetings and appointments. As a female, you also have to be able to deal with dominant and intimidating male athletes who are not afraid to yell, scream, and cause a scene when things don't go their way. You have to have an understanding of their boundaries, and know when they're going to go off and when they'll just get angry and keep it inside. I've witnessed a few blow-ups in my few short months at my internship, and I've been on the receiving end of some venomous comments and glares. Fortunately, I've also gained the respect of most of the athletes who come through, so I know that I've got their support because I support them.

In this field, there is constant innovation and learning because people are dynamic, always changing, and so how you interact with them is always changing as well. I am always learning something new about the students I work with and how they learn, and why they behave the way they do. Each new piece of information allows for me to adjust how I interact with them and work with them.

It is my hope that once I am in the field professionally (and not just as an intern) that I can create an atmosphere with my students and my teams where we are constantly learning from each other. That is the challenge and the solution... Everything is always changing and so you must always change.