For today's post, I thought I would write about writing or more precisely I about how writing can benefit therapeutically and for personal growth from a my own experiences. I would never profess to be in the position to tell others how writing can help them and they should take it up, but I can share about how it impacts me.
I would assume that when people attempt to envision a writer, they might see a quirky recluse or dapper intellectual, hunched over a desk, crumpled paper strewn about as they obsessively work on the next great work of fiction, or at least that might be the image pictured by people of my generation. Today, it might be someone hunched over a keyboard, fingers typing furiously, in a stream of consciousness prose, which can be deleted or edited at any time without the waste of paper. But writing is so much more. The simple act of putting thoughts together on paper or on some other medium can make all of us writers, even if we don’t have the talent to be the next great novelist. The simply act of keeping some form of diary, is a form of written expression which might benefit the writer even if no one even reads those words. In most cases, writing is a personal act, one that can be useful as a tool for thinking, expression, and creativity, great novelists and writer's block be damned. I am sure that if you as around were able to get honest feedback, you would find that there are a lot of people that have at some point tried some form of "writing", even in the most simplest forms.Most writing is probably some type of “expressive writing,” or simply jotting down what you think and how you feel. Even blogging through a simply personal website with limited readership can undoubtedly afford similar benefits to private expressive writing in terms of the personal value in might bring. I started this website and blog in early 2009 when I was first selected to be on the coaching staff for the Canadian women's soccer team that would participate at the FISU game. I saw it as a type of online diary where I could share about my coaching experiences and the games itself. I posted pictures, had some of the athletes write posts during our time in Serbia etc. Yes, I can say there was probably a certain level of self promotion involved but it was really for me a way to capture an experience. I extend the topics I posted about to cover my Stingers soccer seasons but I never really was able to keep it up in any consistent manner. If you tale a look on the right side of this page, you can see the months/years where I have posted and between 2011 and 2017, there were sporadic attempts to post but they were few and far in between. Then in the spring of 2017, I started posting more regularly. Granted having a bigger footprint on social media and the ease with which I could link my posts to Facebook and twitter gave it an added caché as I felt the perception that I was able to reach a somewhat larger audience. Sometimes I would post and my site would get tons of visits and sometimes, not so much. Unlike past attempts to consistently add content to the blog, since May of last year, I have continued to post regularly. As time has passed, the motivation has become less about reaching people and more about how the writing makes me feel. Of course the majority of my posts are about soccer, coaching and women's sports or women in sport. There are the subjects I feel most knowledgeable about and comfortable sharing on. However, as I am no longer coaching, I find myself looking to branch out and have started to explore other topics, sharing about my personal opinions, situation and even some fiction. I have always been a very avid reader, mostly of fiction, but also biographies and historical books. I find reading to be very mentally stimulating and a way to create a bubble around myself and forget about everything else that might be going on in my life. In many ways, writing has become a parallel activity to reading, I enjoy the process of thinking up a topic about which to write, putting together my thoughts and then putting down the words the express those thoughts. Sometimes I really plan out the post and others, it is simply a stream of consciousness flow, where I write as the words and thoughts come to my mind. I have discovered something very rewarding and therapeutic about writing, to the point that I don't allow myself to get lazy and skip too many days of writing and posting. I use free time, in the office before work or during lunch time to write. At any given time, I might have 3 or 4 articles going on where I will add or edit as the mood strikes. eventually choosing one to complete and post. So what does writing do for me ? Although being a coach is somewhat a public persona, and my work responsibilities require me to interact very regularly with a wide range of people, at the core, I consider myself shy and somewhat of an introvert and loner. I believe that if you were to ask around to anyone that is in contact with me regularly, those words might not be the first they would chose to describe. I think, and again, just my opinion, that many would say I am outgoing, personable, comfortable talking ( and leading ) groups, etc. There are time when I might display a certain laziness with words creating difficulty in expressing true feelings, sharing experiences, and communicating with others. As we work and coach required it, I have taught myself to be comfortable communicating as needed but the truth is that in terms of very personal communication, this is limited. Being able to flesh out my thoughts in my mind only to have them come stumbling out when I spoke was always supremely frustrating as a teenager and young adult. Yes, as I have matured and gained experience and confidence, it has become much easier. However now, regular writing seems to offer a new tool for me to be able to formulate my thoughts and opinions, while allowing me to experiment with a different voice to express them. Writing helps eliminate “it sounded good in my head” by forcing my to think about not only what I want to share but how. It provides me with the opportunity to imagine how others might interpret my thoughts even when I am not there right in front of them. It is one thing to hear someone talk in a dynamic conversation and quite another to have someone read your opinions and to be able to go back and do so a few times. Have you ever had too many Internet tabs open at once on your computer or Ipad ? It is a madhouse of distraction, jumping around the different tabs, looking up information that have no connection. Or perhaps, you use Wikipedia, you start reading on one topic, then you come across a link that looks interesting so you click on that, then another, and another. Well sometimes at work or in my life in general, I feel like my brain has too many tabs open at once or I find myself going from one thought to another as I try and process all the things happening around me, it’s often the result of trying to mentally juggle too many thoughts at the same time. Writing gives form to me ideas and gets them out of my head. It also serves as a calming mechanism that I can apply elsewhere; stop, think it through, decide what I want to express, them how I want to express it. Information often sticks better when it’s learned as though it needs to be taught or re-written in your own words. For me, this concept means, not just expressing my thoughts but thinking about how to express them with the mindset of how I want others to interpret them. There’s a certain discipline required to create interesting written work that demands the individual be receptive and focused on finding new sources of information, inspiration, and insight. I read books, listen to podcasts/radio, and browse the web I would normally have put off in order to learn something new so that I might write about later. Writing around a certain topic for some time allows me to build off of older thoughts, utilizing what I’ve already written to develop ideas on a bigger scale or in order to reach a broader audience. It also allows me to expand on details or develop a new perspective on a topic based on recent events, new information I might discover and most importantly refine the message I am trying to send. Have you ever had those days when you arrive at work and then sit there for a couple of hours, waiting for your brain to warm up enough so you could be articulate and productive? That’s a massive waste of time, especially since anything you’d be forced to tackle during that warm-up might be half-assed at best. Do a little writing first thing in the morning as I arrive at the office, in theory after a night's sleep has become a perfect way to begin my day. I don't have to always get through a full post but even just putting done some ideas for a post, jotting down some general ideas about a specific topic, or getting something started, jump starts my brain and gets me ready for work. It should be noted that as I commute in and based on the train schedule, I am typically in a littler early and well before most of my coworkers. Sometimes it is just about letting all the first thoughts of the morning flood their way onto the screen. What good does all of this do? It allows me to self-vent any frustrations/worries that may have percolated overnight, thus allowing me to begin the day with a clean slate. It’s also a great means of self-exploration and reflection. Sometimes, there are articles that I've started that will never make their way onto this blog, however the simply act of stimulating my imagination allows me work on my writing style. I also find that writing is a great tool for expanding my vocabulary and ways to express the same thoughts in different ways. I consider myself well educated and fairly intelligent but like many people I might fall into patterns. Writing is a form of communication and knowing that people who might not know me very well could come across my blog and read my thoughts, forces to to explore the art of writing, how to draw people in, how to keep them interested, how to express what I thing and feel without coming across as arrogant or preachy. In an era when texting and tweeting are the main vehicles for communication, many people find that their mental word banks are dwindling in favor of creative ways to condense thoughts into as few words and characters as possible. This can be problematic when you’re sitting in a meeting and can’t remember vital jargon, or if you’re writing an essay and have a word dancing just on the periphery of your memory, but it won’t come through; you’ll likely end up using a term that isn’t completely appropriate, unless you spend time sifting through a thesaurus to find the right word. Most of us have very busy schedules as well as a fair bit of stress on our minds, and it’s not uncommon for these things to weigh on us when we actually have a few moments’ respite from non-stop responsibilities—like when we’re trying to sleep. Writing, like reading was for many years and still is, have become an escape from that. Just the thought of coming up with topics for my blog is a way to reflect on all the great things that might have happened to me over the course of the day or ,my life and everything in between. As I get comfortable writing more and more, I will continue to expand the range of topics. I will fail with some of course, or venture into areas that I might not know as well as coaching or soccer but just the process with stimulate my imagination and motivate me for learning. It is a great feeling as I get older and feel less active to discover new ways to expand my horizons. Who knows, maybe one day, I just might write the next great work of fiction !
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The media plays an influential role in creating images of both women and men. Sports coverage in the media is in many ways dominated by the coverage of men’s rather than women’s participation, which can be mirrored in the traditional public perception that men are active and athletic, and women, by exclusion, are not. To name just one example for the importance of this matter, studies have shown that girls frequently drop out of organized sports as teenagers and this has, at least to some extent, been explained by the absence of women as role models in the sports media. If this is the case the girls are potentially missing out on a wide variety of positive benefits associated with sports participation, such as higher self esteem, more positive body image, higher grades and lower levels of anxiety and depression ( ok that last few examples are assumptions on my part from personal experience).
Physical and psychological differences characterize men and women when it comes to competitive sports; however, sports have generally been defined and developed according to masculine models. Gender stereotypes and socialization tend to maintain the traditional gender roles of men and women, with the media playing an important part. Thus gender-related sports images have evolved, portraying women as fit only for certain sports but not others. In addition, media companies and their decision-makers tend to think of male sports as being commercially more viable than female sports, so that they publish no lack of sports role models for boys, while the opposite tends to be true for girls. While studies show that the news world is in general male-dominated the world of sports news proves to be even more starkly so. The physical nature of the two sexes can be significant in considering their respective participation in different sports. Dissimilarities in strength increase the likelihood of males dominating the field of sports. Also, one could argue that a majority of sports were developed to suit the male body above all, and their standards have traditionally been set by men, even if many physical activities are just as well or even better suited for women than men. A case in point is gymnastics, where women are generally accepted as being more flexible and are typically smaller, which represents an advantage in gymnastics. Men respond to this by not competing in the areas of gymnastics where these features matter most, such as the balance beam. Instead, they emphasize the gymnastic events best suiting them, for example the rings. In this way men simply refrain from competing under conditions not suitable to them, whereas women frequently force themselves to fit into systems created by and for men. Two key words are common in the popular debate and ought to be distinguished at this point, sex and gender. Sex has come to refer to the biological differences of male and female, ordinarily established at the moment of conception. Gender, in contrast, has come to refer to the culturally determined understandings with which society constructs the sexual image, namely cultural expectations regarding femininity and masculinity. Hence every society has certain concepts of what it means to be a man or woman, what duties each entails and how the two are supposed to look and act. Gender, therefore, is a historically, socially and culturally constructed distinction between the sexes, with society at the same time molding individuals in accordance with its expectations on gender. The various forms of media are the most important agents of trend setting and and setting societal expectations is today's reality, strongly influencing our beliefs, attitudes and values concerning ourselves, others, and the world around us. The impact of the media is especially powerful in that it does not merely reflect reality but even constructs it. One ramification of this is that when members of the media select what to broadcast or publish, they then portray to us a reality of their own choice. Thus media outlets not only offer us something to see, read or hear, but also shape our manner of sensing things and create our framework for comprehending society. Since the media wish to maintain viewership or readership, they will consistently seeks to present issues in a manner that will interest to large-scale audiences, leading to generalizations in the form of stereotypes which become inherent in media presentations. This leads to some very specific ramifications toward how society view women and men in sport. Media outlets, run for the most part by commercial companies, need to conform with traditional beliefs and attitudes in order to maintain circulation or audience rates. This creates a tendency to build on prevailing stereotypes, be they negative or positive. Europe's traditional gender stereotypes are a pertinent example. As it is commonly acknowledged that men’s sports sell better than women’s sports, men’s sports are what the media strives to deliver, while women’s sports are given less attention. The gender roles depicted by the sports media perpetuate customary distinctions between the sexes as to what is appropriate in sports. Researchers have even demonstrated that sports images often portray women as suitable for only certain fields, for instance for sports with an aesthetic element. The media’s portrayal of a male-dominated sports world hinders change, as girls in sports lack role models and encouragement to continue. On top of this, women’s sports activities are often treated in the media as less important than those of men, which is one reason why it seems to be more difficult to motivate women to be physically active. This is especially evident among adolescent girls, who are prone to quit sports at the age of 15 or 16, while most boys continue into their twenties. No one would be surprised by the fact that there is an obvious absence for coverage of women or women's sports teams in sports news. This absence of women is significant for several reasons. Firstly, it reveals that sports news definitely does not reflect the true proportions of sport practitioners by sex. Secondly, the male bias in sports news is likely to present young boys with a far greater number of role models than young girls are provided with. It is thus safe to say that most sports coverage centers on men, whether in terms of the amount or type of stories. Women are more visible in some sports, such as gymnastics, than in others. There are also sports, such as tennis, that have traditionally been practiced with a degree of equality by both sexes. Finally, there are sports that are practiced predominantly by men, or where tradition has at least focused attention on the male practitioners. However, for many of these traditionally dominated male sports, think soccer or hockey, we are seeing the growth in women's pro leagues worldwide while the sport of basketball, with the WNBA and other leagues in Europe has certainly had female professionals for years, and yet somehow, there is still the belief that women's pro sports has little to no existence. Although trends no matters how you might look at sports coverage of male vs female sports, show an indisputable male dominance in sports reports, the extent of this effect does show some fluctuations during a few very specific moments. depending on the period. As I have wrote about before, there does tend to be a more balance coverage between genders somewhat during periods of formal, structured international events such as the Olympic Games. The Olympic agenda consists of both men's and women's competitions, so that when the media spotlight is essentially on the games, reporting differs from “normal times”. Not only do the media report different sports, but it also reports more about women than at other times. This is made apparent by a comparison of sports reporting outside the Olympic period with that during the Olympic games. The same can occur during for example Tennis majors like the Australian, French, or US Opens long with Wimbledon. When one compares the type of coverage that does take place for female vs male sports, there are a few very specific differences that can be easily seen. So the issue isn't just that male sports dominate the coverage that does take place but even when women's sports do get coverage, it is not in the same manner. In the case of males in sports, the focus is on both the team and the individual, even though team sports such as football, basketball and soccer are frequently discussed. Males are more likely to become celebrities, and media interest is directed not only at what such celebrities do on the field, but also in their daily lives. The themes regarded as newsworthy in the personal lives of celebrities are more often negative themes rather than positive ones; therefore, the negative treatment of male athletes is considerable. The other possible explanation for why sportsmen receive more negative or critical discussion than sportswomen is that men’s sports are often considered to be a more serious business than women’s sports. While women’s sports are dealt with in a relatively nonchalant manner, men’s sports are in some cases almost a matter of life and death. Not achieving a goal in a man’s event would therefore occasion critique, while this would not be so in a woman’s sport, which is evaluated as less momentous. The upshot is that the male athlete becomes even more newsworthy, gathering fame both individually and as a part of a team; this then generates further coverage focused on the individual and the team and has a multiplying effect on coverage as a whole. In the case of females in sports, on the other hand, the focus is directed first and foremost at the individual, largely because the sports that women participate in and receive coverage for are often individual sports instead of team sports. This contrasts starkly with the coverage of men’s sports, as does the focus involved in the next issue. When women’s sports are reported, the focus tends to center on the game, not on something extraneous to it. This implies that women do not become celebrities as readily as men, and the media expresses less interest in what they do off the field. Thus it follows that the discussion of women tends to be more positive and less critical in nature than the discussion of men. However, the other side of the coin from what was just said about men applies here; i.e., that women’s sports are considered less important than men’s sports and for that reason do not excite as much heated criticism and negative treatment. So what do all these observations mean ? Firstly, there are far fewer stories about women than men, no one will be or should be surprised about this fact. Also, a large proportion of the reports deal with team sports, where men tend to be highly visible. Women receive what little visibility they have primarily in news about individual rather than team sports. Secondly, there is a strong tendency to idolize the leading men in sports, focusing on them as social celebrities as well as sportsmen. Thus the sports media not only covers men more extensively in general, but also often discusses aspects about them that are unrelated to the sport itself. Women, on the other hand, neither find their way into the media as readily nor, when they do, does the focus diverge much from their role as sportswomen. As a result, men must pay the price of fame, with many of their stories having a negative undertone, while women enjoy a relatively positive tone. An evident reason for the more critical treatment and the idolization of men in sports as opposed to women is that women’s sports are not considered as important as men's sports, whether by the media or the public. Overage, sports coverage thereby reflects and interacts with public opinion and in fact reinforces traditional gender stereotyping. Thirdly, on the whole, while sports news doesn't overtly reinforce gender stereotypes, by the nature of how sports are covered between the genders they don't really do anything to combat them. For many sports related stories there is a tendency – especially regarding the presentation of sportswomen – to support traditional stereotypes and corroborate stereotypes to some extent, though it is particularly important to note that the stereotype connotations of a particular story or photo are not always obvious and are rarely the result of a conscious decision by the reporter or photographer. What lends this significance to the material in question is its context – the context of a world of sports reporting that is dominated by men. Finally, there are relatively very few female sports reporters, so that media gate-keeping is loaded with male norms and values. The disproportionate sex ratio of sports reporters in itself creates a tendency to reiterate traditional stereotypes. All of these problems have to be given special attention. Special caution should however be exercised in how the media, sports authorities and athletes themselves go about raising sportswomen to the media status they deserve. Their under-representation should not be rectified by “selling” female athletes as sex objects or by subjecting them to the roles laid down by traditional gender stereotypes. Although the media coverage of women seriously needs to be magnified and multiplied, it is of vital importance to do this by multiplying the exemplary reporting already being done, not by magnifying the content of stereotypes and sexism. Sports, media and stereotypes are complex phenomena, with no single authority empowered to rectify these issues once and for all. Still, the authorities can contribute policy landmarks, and strategic groups such as sports trainers and sports reporters have a vital role. In the final analysis, however, these matters concern everyone and are a question of mending norms and values that are deeply encroached in our culture and therefore can only be altered by creating a collective awareness in society about their meaning. I am sure that some might read this and be able to poke holes in my logic or argue that it's normal that women' sports don't get equivalent coverage since there isn't any interest or that they quality of female sports is below par. These are time worn arguments that are no longer valid. It's time people see female sports for what they are. as always, my opinion but one I hold onto fiercely. Coaching and mentoring are increasingly used mainly for professional development whether specifically in the area of sports or in the workplace as a whole, to indicate a positive change in individuals and to encourage the transfer of knowledge from the coach / mentor to the individual. Sports organizations and companies find coaching and mentoring highly beneficial for the career growth of their employees so coaching and mentoring has been applied by many entities in their organizational practices.
For many people, these two words are looked at as two interchangeable words describing pretty much the same notion, the idea of someone with more experience or knowledge helping someone with less of them, as a way to help them develop and grow personally or professionally. It's understandable that many might think mentoring and coaching are similar or even the same thing, however they're not. Both have value within the any organization to ensure continuity of ideals and organizational culture as well as helping individuals reach their potential. As I sit at my computer and put together today's blog post, I find myself calling on both my professional management experience in conjunction with my coaching knowledge. As I have found throughout the years, for me, the two have often been interchangeable and more importantly, complimentary to each other. Let's start with looking at how coaching and mentoring different; To begin with, coaching is primarily task focused while mentoring is relationship oriented. Coaching focuses on concrete issues, such as managing more effectively, speaking more articulately, and learning how to think strategically. In the area of sports, it could be tasks such as planning / running training sessions, planning out a training cycle or season, etc. This requires a content expert (coach) who is capable of teaching the coachee how to develop these skills. Mentoring however, seeks to provide a safe environment where the mentoree shares whatever issues affect his or her professional and personal success. Although specific learning goals or competencies may be used as a basis for creating the relationship, its focus goes beyond these areas to include things, such as work/life balance, self-confidence, self-perception, and how the personal influences the professional. This is as applicable in the work place as it is for coaching sports. Another difference between coaching and mentoring is that coaching is typically considered to be a shorter term endeavor and more focused on performance while mentoring will usually being over a longer period of time and focus on development. A coach can successfully be involved with a coachee for a short period of time, maybe even just a few sessions. The coaching lasts for as long as is needed, depending on the purpose of the coaching relationship. It also has the purpose of coaching to improve the individual's performance for the tasks at hand, This involves either enhancing current skills or acquiring new skills. Once the coachee successfully acquires the skills, the coach is no longer needed. Conversely, mentoring to be successful, requires time in which both partners can learn about one another and build a climate of trust that creates an environment in which the mentoree can feel secure in sharing the real issues that impact his or her success. Successful mentoring relationships can last for years Its purpose is to develop the individual not only for the current task at hand, but also for the future. This distinction differentiates the role of the immediate supervisor and that of the mentor. It also reduces the possibility of creating conflict between the employee's manager and the mentor if the two are different individuals. And finally, coaching does really require a long thought out planning phase while mentoring will always benefit from a planned out approach in order to determine the strategic purpose for mentoring, the focus areas of the relationship, the specific mentoring models, and the specific components that will guide the relationship, especially the matching process. Coaching can be conducted almost immediately on any given topic. If an organization seeks to provide coaching to a large group of individuals, then certainly an amount of design is involved in order to determine the competency area, expertise needed, and assessment tools used, but this does not necessarily require a long lead-time to actually implement the coaching program. It really comes down to addressing a new and finding the right qualified person to lead the coaching. Some now that I have outlined the differences, how can we determine which and when coaching or mentoring is required and best suited? When to consider coaching:
So while we can see some very distinct differences, at their core, coaching and mentoring are used when the decision makes find that there are working individuals who need to enhance their potentials to perform better in their roles and to be more productive or successful. There may be skills that need to be strengthened, lapses in working behavior and issues with performance output corrected at certain individuals. Additionally, whether there is coaching or mentoring or some combination of the two, the impact of coaching and mentoring sessions to the individuals working in an organization have a higher probability of succeeding when there is a collaborative atmosphere within the organization and individuals have the willingness and commitment to develop and improve themselves. Coaching and mentoring requires that the designated coaches and mentors have the appropriate personal and professional attributes and skills required to conduct effective coaching. These experts are also able to provide continuous training and development necessary for the progress of employees. We often hear the slogan " buy in" and and it is important that individuals are willing to be guided and taught and can accept that there is always room for improvement. The impact of coaching or mentoring needs to be measurable. This leads to credibility and this works best when there are standard processes and sets of procedures for coaching and mentoring programs based on best practice. It can't be a top down approach. Decisions makers have to be willing to acknowledge the needs of the employees for professional learning that must be attained in order to raise organizational standards. and the employees or individuals within the organization have to recognize the need and responsibility to attain professional development. It is already a great advantage to the organization that coaching and mentoring benefits both the coach/mentor and the individuals. Good working relationships are also developed since the supervisor usually takes the role of a coach to the staff. If you want a sports comparable, thing of it as an experienced head coach working with younger assistant coaches. At the same time, the individuals also see their superiors as their mentors who are willing to guide and help them develop their full potentials. It touches both the personal and professional aspects of the individuals. When the focus is on improving performance, the person will realize that there are personal issues that need to be addressed. The implementation of coaching and mentoring in the workplace and sport is a great contribution to the overall development of the individual and organizational level. That is why these programs should always be incorporated as a regular practice in the organizational system. As a coach in sports, of the course I always was the decision maker, the person who was ultimately responsible to ensure the best direction for the team. As an individual in the workplace, I benefited from both coaching and mentoring when I first starting out in my career. As I got older and found my management style, I was in both roles, coaching my employees and staff in their functions as well as mentoring others who I though might have the potential to move on into new roles and more importantly into management. Whether in sport or work, and within every organization, coaching and mentoring are essential to ensure that success and performance can be sustainable over longer periods of time. |
AuthorAfter many years of coaching at various levels and with different teams, I thought I would share some of my experiences and thoughts about coaching. Archives
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