Teachable Moments.

So it’s last block and I am giving my students a run down of what is going on for this week since I”ll be missing two days of school for Regionals. A few students ask some questions about the competition, so I explain what I am in store for this weekend. Watching their eyes bug out after telling them some of the WODs was the best. This is my chattest class AND it's last block AND they were all silently listening to me. Score! A few of the boys ask me how well I need to do in order to make it to the next step in July, so I continue explaining the process. Another one of my students tells me to “WIN!” And there it was…..a teachable moment that I couldn’t pass up. Othello would have to wait a minute….so I told the class that it wasn’t about winning. Then another student says, “then why do they call it a competition?”
Valid Question. So I clarified what I meant….
We all want to win! Who doesn’t want to win? Winning is FUN and AMAZING! Yes, when I am regionals I will be trying to beat other girls. Yes, I want to see how well I can do on the leaderboard. Yes, I want to make it to the Crossfit Games in July. However, if that becomes the only thing that it is about, then problems arise and don’t feel you will ever be at your very best.
I explained to the class about my experience with muscle ups over the last two regionals and how I have my own personal goals to actually make it to that WOD and how I want to perform in that WOD along with lots of other goals, too….and those are just as important as beating the girl next to me. I have went all year long with passion, determination, and excitement working toward these personal goals, so this is about me and nobody else.
One girl in the front row piped up and said that is exactly what her track coach told her the other day and once she started focusing more on herself….she got a huge PR and, as a result, placed high in her track meet. Wow! Could this have been a better moment in class? Can I just go home now and call it a day? Anyway, that track coach sounds like a damn good guy. In fact, he has been doing Crossfit for just under a year now. I remember the day he asked me to help him get started!
I am lucky to have those types of coaches around me every day at Valley to remind me of what is important, even if they are my competition this weekend:) However, we will all be out there fighting our own personal battles though…… because that is what it is truly about.