Story by Trent Mitton
WAIS/AIS Hockey Player, member of Kookaburras Australian Men's Hockey Team
My
first session as part of the WAIS Developing Champions program was both
fun and educational. An excited young group of fencers met us on Sunday
morning to take part in their second workshop, discussing a range of
different topics.
The
athletes were not the only ones learning that morning as myself and
lead facilitator Amanda were taught a lot about a sport we were
unfamiliar with. Both being sport enthusiasts it was really intriguing
to learn about the different disciplines of fencing as well as the
strict rules and punishments in place if you were to talk back to a
referee or act in an unsportsmanlike manner. Something many sports
including my own of hockey could learn from.
One
of the topics the young group found most beneficial was that of the
mental skills. We discussed how important having a routine was before
heading to a competition or bout. They identified there were different
styles of mental preparation and how individual it was. Some of the
techniques we talked about were relaxation and mental imagery, as well
as only being able to control what you can and not being concerned with
things you cant. This was important in fencing as equipment can be
sometimes delicate and the conditions in the venue can vary between
competitions.
The
other topics we talked about were social media and how it can be
positively used for athletes but also the negative side to it. The last
module we covered was nutrition and recovery. Which to the credit of
Fencing WA the boys and girls were already very knowledgable
in these areas. All of our questions were answered and our suggestions
taken on board which showed they were still willing to learn. They
understood how important injury management and prevention is at their
age, our goal is to make these things habit by the time they reach a
senior national team.
I
thought it was an extremely beneficial workshop for the Fencing WA
group and believe the athletes learnt a lot. The Developing Champions
program is perfect in providing the stepping stones to becoming an
athlete in the modern era.
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