2022 In-Depth Blog Post #1

Meeting with Mentor

Since my in-depth introduction post, I have met with my mentor two times in person and have had a few conversations online as well. During these conversations, I have learned a lot about mentorship, leadership, and how COVID has changed the way people interact with the sport. These meetings have been very insightful, covering the in-depth focused part at the beginning, and later discussing other questions that have arisen during my first stage of research. These questions help me go into depth in specific areas that pique my interest. I have been able to cover what I can do to support others’ relationships with physical fitness, which makes this research-focused section of my in-depth much more engaging.

In our most recent meeting, we covered a ton of ground. We discussed the effects that COVID has had on the way people take care of their physical and mental health. It was an interesting discussion where I answered many of the questions that I set out to answer at the beginning of this project. Having the perspective of a coach, teacher, and father was extremely helpful in answering my questions. My mentor uses a balance of answering my questions and pushing me to find an answer and application. Below is the Questions & Answers section with the Mentorship Reflection Questions section; I will discuss what I have learned from this and why I appreciate it as a part of my mentor’s mentorship style.

 

Questions & Answers

I will be introducing a new section to my in-depth blog posts this year. The Question & Answers section will be where I will answer some questions specific to my in-depth that. There will mostly be answers to my questions, but there may be stories about how I found the information. In this section, I will also thoroughly answer the mentorship questions. I am excited to put this in my in-depth posts this year. It will keep me motivated, hold me accountable, and will help me actively create more questions relating to my in-depth skill.

 

Skill Related Questions:

What are some ways that COVID has improved people’s relationship with health and fitness?

We have become more considerate of people’s physical health status as a society. There has been an emphasis on getting enough sleep, drinking water, eating nutritious food, and taking care of our bodies. People have not maintained their physical fitness the way they did pre-pandemic. In the next phase of my research, I will be looking at the innovative ways people have been staying active. Mental health has also been a topic of conversation that COVID encouraged. Distancing from each other and going into isolation has hindered many individuals’ mental health. I did a lot of research about how COVID has affected people’s mental health. I was surprised when I read this one article that put into perspective just how many people the pandemic has impacted. The numbers were surprising. Clicking here will take you to the article for further reading.

COVID has made it tough to reach out and access help. Currently, we are in an awkward space. An increasingly recognized number of people dealing with mental health issues, yet it is harder to access professional help. Although there have been plenty of physical and mental health-related problems caused by the pandemic, there are also positives. Physically distancing has not stopped people from coming together to support one another. We have acknowledged the importance of having tough conversations and letting people know we are there if they ever need to reach out. I have had many people throughout the pandemic who let me know that their door is always open. I will forever appreciate these people. Whoever is reading this, I challenge you to open your doors to other people and let them know you are there for them. You have no idea how much this can mean to someone who needs it until that person is you.

 

What limitations have COVID restrictions put on people’s usual health and fitness routines?

Taking care of their physical fitness is an outlet for many people. For a long time, the way people could stay active was limited. It makes sense why these options were limited; however, it will be a long journey back to where we were before the pandemic. People have replaced their physical activity with other activities that do not benefit their health. Kids all over the world have replaced their sports with other individual activities. There has been an increase in screen time. Many kids have also lost their support system and activities that make them happy. COVID has limited people’s ability to follow their usual health and fitness practices. Fitness centre closures, as well as school and club sports restrictions, have not gone unnoticed. Although this is true, it has also made people more creative. COVID has helped many people find innovative ways to stay active, going for walks and at-home workouts being just a couple. My mentor says that the pandemic has shown us “how fragile we can be and how human we are.” which I feel is a huge reason people have been so innovative in their ways to stay fit.

 

Why are we not taught more about health and fitness in school?

In reference to the article linked in a section above, it talked about the increasing mental health problems in children and youth caused by the pandemic. Its focus was on Canada creating a national mental health strategy implemented in schools. Schools have fundamentally changed as a result of the pandemic. As we work to get back to and create a new normal, we need to implement mental health into the school curriculum. Before the pandemic started, mental health was already a pandemic reaching all corners of the world. Now is the perfect opportunity to integrate the necessary teachings into our curriculum. We need to continue breaking down the barriers and have these difficult conversations. Especially when in a school setting.

 

Mentorship Reflection Questions:

How did your mentor gain their experience/expertise?

My mentor has gained plenty of experience that can help me develop my in-depth skill in many facets of his life. He is a fantastic resource to answer the many questions I have. He has the perspective of a coach, teacher, father, and mentor that I can pull from while gathering information and growing my in-depth skill. Working with all ages of people and doing so throughout the pandemic gives me a look into diverse perspectives and a well-developed perspective. My mentor grew up playing sports and has been a coach for years. He has a well-formed idea of what the traditional sports world is like and has witnessed the changes of the pandemic first hand. My mentor has seen many of his athletes move on to higher levels of play through the pandemic. He has been able to adapt in the face of COVID, which is a focus of my in-depth this year, making him the perfect mentor.

 

What were those experiences like for your mentor?

My mentor’s experiences and witnessing the impact on other people have shaped his approach to working with people and coaching style. He has become more considerate of the mental and physical health of the people around him. He has prioritized the smaller health practices and encouraged others to do the same; getting enough sleep, drinking water, eating nutritious food, caring for their body physically and mentally. COVID has changed how student-athletes and other youth incorporate physical fitness into their lives. COVID has made it harder for them to train and for him to work with them to bring out their full potential. I have noticed is that he has been doing the best he can to give students the best opportunity to further their relationship with physical fitness. Despite the cancellation of many games, my mentor has done all his best to develop the Gleneagle rugby program. My mentor has said that this is one of the most challenging years so far. The team has potential, but the pandemic has hit it hard. Last year many successful athletes graduated. Trying to get people out to play has been challenging with COVID. It will take a while to ease people back into sports, especially team and contact sports. We need to get people back into their health and fitness routines, but this is an example of one of the ways that COVID has made the return to normalcy challenging.

 

What wisdom have you gained from your mentor so far?

I have gained plenty of wisdom from my mentor so far. I have done a lot of self-reflection and have observed his coaching style and interactions with people. Throughout in-depth thus far, I have done skill-guided reflection with my mentor. I have learned what I can do to help foster my own and other people’s relationship with health and fitness. Regular check-ins and making connections with people, encouraging them, and demonstrating are three ways I can support people’s relationship with physical and mental health. Practicing these will help me step out of my comfort zone and grow as a result. Another piece of wisdom that I have gained from my mentor over the past few weeks that is not specific to my in-depth, but I still found interesting is making sure you show up. When people make time to support you and help you grow, you need to make the most of that time by showing up and appreciating their time and effort. I have also been observing my mentor over the past few weeks. How he interacts with people and promotes physical activity is truly amazing to see. I have noticed that he makes a conscious effort to connect with people, making him an effective leader. It may be who he is or a skill he has developed over the years, but I have noticed how well it works, so I have been trying to do the same while interacting with people in all aspects of my life.

 

What have you learned so far, in terms of facilitation strategies, that might contribute to your development as a mentor?

Over the past few weeks, there have been three of my mentor’s facilitation strategies that have stuck out to me. The first is his ability to tell people stories, the second is his inclination to ask leading questions, and the third is the connection that he makes with his mentees. All three of these are strategies that I feel could exponentially help me develop as a mentor and a leader.
My mentor tells me stories about his experiences and other events during our meetings. As a result, I have a lot of my learning is from those stories. My mentor strongly believes in the power of stores and the effect that they can have on people. He uses them a lot while teaching and coaching because people tend to learn more from stories because they keep them engaged. They are also easy to recall and relate to. This facilitation strategy can help me grow as a mentor if I implement it correctly. When you share stories, you are also able to connect with people. They begin to trust you because you are vulnerable and share a part of you with them. The use of guiding questions has been prominent as we have worked together on my in-depth project. People always learn more when they reflect on themselves rather than just being told what to do.

Whenever my mentor and I talk, he challenges me to think by asking if I understand. Rather than waiting for a nod, he wants an answer from me. When mentors do this, it can help them keep the people they are working with engaged. It also helps their mentees grow by challenging them to think while checking for a deeper understanding. When my mentor does this, I feel heard, respected, and like my opinion is valued.

During one of our meetings, my mentor told me a story about this rugby team where the seniors felt the need to establish their seniority over the juniors. Many juniors left, and some did not come out and try at all. My mentor asked them why they did this if people continued to leave the team. They responded by saying that it is the tough ones that stick around. He then asked what happens to the players that do not come back. There are probably many skilled players who will never want to come back. This story made me aware of what I should and should not do while encouraging people to pursue health and fitness throughout this project.

The final mentorship strategy that my mentor uses is to connect with people. I have noticed that he does a great job connecting with students, athletes, and people in general. I often reflect on the meetings that I have had with my mentor and other interactions. I have noticed the effort my mentor makes to cultivate connections with people. These connections have created a great culture in Gleneagle’s rugby program. It is a culture that sheds light on health and fitness and keeps people wanting to return. It is not only the sport or the physical fitness but the environment and the people. Focusing on the little details has created an environment where people can thrive. Creating spaces like this is vital to keep people involved in sport and prioritize their physical fitness, especially with COVID. No one wants to exercise if it feels like a chore. Going to rugby practise does not feel like a chore. The rugby culture is also necessary for people’s mental health as it is a support system of great people that they can always confide in. It is a place for everyone to feel comfortable, make mistakes and grow together.

Noticing mentorship strategies that my mentor uses along with the research that I have done has sparked an interest in the health and fitness culture. I know that society has a negative relationship with health and fitness. Especially with social media and people comparing themselves to one another. I want to focus the next part of my in-depth on the culture within the world of physical fitness as I continue the second section of research.

 

Project Progress

While outlining deadlines for my in-depth this year, I planned to have one section completely done and another partially started. I managed to complete the online research that I planned to do about the impact COVID has on the way people implement health and fitness into their lives. I had planned to talk to people about their personal experiences, looking for diverse insight into this topic. A goal that I set for myself was to interview five people. I planned this to ensure I got insight applicable to my in-depth skill. I did not end up interviewing five people. Within the past three weeks, I have managed to talk to two people and have done plenty of self-reflection on the topic. I have received opinions from more people on this topic, but it has not been formally. Through day-to-day conversations with my parents, television and written news, and personal media consumption. I have also realized that there will be plenty of opportunities to interview people through my in-depth. I do not need to interview all five people about the same topic, especially when I have already gotten deep and diverse insight without interviewing five people. In the end, this will be more beneficial than not because I get to spread out my interviews which will help me gain personal insight into other topics. I planned to focus on research and application for two parts of my in-depth. I will now interview people whenever I feel the internet cannot answer my question or seek a deeper understanding.

I also planned to have started my physical fitness research, which has gone well. Most of my research for this section has been from secondhand information from my COVID-focused research. I am excited to begin the second section of my in-depth. It will include learning about physical fitness, implementing it with COVID restrictions, and how to perform all physical activity safely and responsibly. This phase of my in-depth will span over at least my next two blog posts, probably longer. Now that I have done most of the preliminary research about COVID, I can create a research and implementation balance.

Overall, I have made good progress in pursuing my in-depth skill. I have stayed on task, meeting all of my big deadlines. After completing in-depth last year, I better understand what it entails. It is an opportunity to direct my learning. I get to decide what is important to know and I have the freedom to further pursue areas of interest. However, this freedom does not always benefit me because I end up prioritizing other schoolwork over this project even when I am taking active steps to prioritize my in-depth this year. Despite these obstacles, I am excited to take the next step in my skill development and continue working with my mentor!