During typical conversations, I'm that guy who likes to bring up the psychology studies I read about in school. One of these studies came up the other week when discussing predictors of "success" with someone. Now, what success is...that's a whole other topic...but, for now let's use some general generic concepts of what success is (such as higher intelligence, better relationships, happiness, etc.). "The Marshmallow Experiment" by Walter Mishel at Stanford was a study testing to see if there were any correlations between kids who could wait for a greater reward and tests of success when they became older.
This compelling experiment had four year old kids sit in a room with one marshmallow and they were told that if they waited for the teacher/administrator to return then they would get TWO marshmallows. Pretty sweet deal, huh? Well, despite the prospect of having two marshmallows, it was found that only approx. one out of three would not eat the marshmallow, while two out of three wouldn't wait and gobble it right up.
The most interesting stuff became apparent when these kids were re-examined 14 years later. The kids who didn't eat the marshmallow were found as being happier, had higher grades and SAT test scores, had better co-operative relationships, and were more confident on the whole. On the other hand, the children who didn't wait to eat the marshmallow were found to be more moody, indecisive, and envious.
Some psychologists believe that it was the ability to delay gratification that was the most important factor. Dr. Philip Zimbardo went on to describe the difference between 'present' and 'future' oriented people and has repeated this study with similar findings. With people who are more in the 'present' being people who are more interested in the present moment while 'future' oriented people tend to be more "successful." He's even written books on how you can learn the principles of becoming more future oriented; irregardless of being a child or adult.
Other psychologists think that it's the ability to have self-control and self-discipline that's the main factor in the results. Psychologist Joachim de Posada also replicated this experiment in Columbia and the following video is his explanation of the findings. **Warning** If you have a soft spot for cute and funny things then you will enjoy the reactions of the kids in the following two videos.
Here is another video showing some more kids taking the test.
If you want to have fun with your 4 year old, try this one out, put a marshmallow in front of them, tell them the scenario, and then leave for 15 minutes. Make sure to have a video camera getting the reaction. (If they eat the marshmallow, don't fret, they aren't doomed to failure, they may just need to be taught a few key things about self-control and discipline.)
So this post is some food for thought about what can lead to certain indicators of success for your children later on in life.
What are your thoughts on this study and it's findings?? Please leave comments below.
Friday, January 28, 2011
Wednesday, January 12, 2011
The Benefits of Pond Hockey
So I got to lace my skates up with frozen hands last week as I had my first pond hockey game of the year. My hands rang with the familiar pain of trying to get my laces tight enough, as I watched the seven kids, ranging from High School down to squirts, who were out on the pond with me ready to play pond hockey. Stepping onto the ice I took a few strides and my foot found a hole where someone had drilled down through with an ice auger. A divot about two inches deep and 10 inches wide made me realize quickly, "oh man, I'm not in a rink anymore I better be aware of what I'm stepping on." Pieces of the surrounding cat tails blew across the ice every so often, patches of ice that had a thin layer that you could break through were spread out around the pond, cracks in the ice made the field of play feel like a hazard zone compared to the nice smoothed out ice I had started to get used to teaching at the local rink. Not having anything on for equipment except my gloves and helmet was a reminder to myself that I need to stay balanced and be aware of what I'm doing. Despite these treacheries I had an absolute blast.
There was no blowing of a whistle to start the game, only a throwing of the sticks from one side or the other to break up teams. Not having the game count for anything I was able to be more creative with the puck and with how I defended. I used my feet to purposefully block passes, pretending that I wasn't paying attention to where the next pass was going only to snap my stick in the passing lane at the last second, I worked on how to be deceptive with my stick-handling and I was able to try these techniques with no major consequence if they didn't work. Freedom is the closest word I could use to describe that feeling.
Beyond the feelings of freedom that I was having, the feeling of relaxation began to sink in. Being able to be on-ice and not have a guy breathing down my neck trying to do everything in his nature to take the puck away gave me a greater control with the puck. I could pull moves off consistently that in a pressured state would have made me lose my control. Having learned sport psychology I'm now realizing first hand what it's like to be able to feel my ideal performance level "my zone". There was very little to no anxiety, I was able to really relax with the puck and Man, does that feel great.
As we continued to play, the sun started to go down and slowly the colors of sky transformed against the backdrop of the trees. I couldn't help but take out my phone and try to play with one hand as I took some snapshots of the scene. As I was posting them on facebook I proceeded to score a goal one-handed and couldn't help but smile and laugh.
Here's the pic I snapped on the pond.
Shouts of my teammates yelling for passes and learning how to get open as I was doing my dangles were of regular occurrence. Getting their head up looking for passes to me and each other was a must. Sometimes a little excessively I was hearing my name called....ahem..but I'd rather hear someone yelling for a pass so I know where they are than someone staying quiet and as the game went on they calls for passes were at better times.
After about an hour and a half, some of the parents were coming back to check in to make sure we weren't freezing. Funny thing was that most of us were plenty warm if not sweating. No doubt, we burned some calories in the process and I'd personally rather be on a pond then on a treadmill any day.
To recap, here are some of the things I think are benefits of pond hockey:
-Tough Ice conditions make sure that you need good balance and awareness of the ice.
-Without equipment you need to play a different, much more skill oriented game.
-Without excessive pressure, relaxation and creativity can arise.
-You can learn things about the game you might not have realized otherwise.
-No expectations
-The beautiful surroundings
-A place for good teamwork and communication building.
-Can make new friends and deepen your current relationships.
-Can be a good workout.
-It can be straight up fun.
Over the last year I've fallen back in love with the game of hockey. My passion has grown again and I find myself watching the top players looking for nuances in their balance and positioning. Teaching stick-handling has forced me to study the art of puck handling much more in-depth then when I was a kid playing. Figuring out the small nuances, making the connections and learning how to feel the puck again has been exciting. My stick-handling is better than it's ever been and I feel more in control than I have ever felt before. If you're interested in finding more control with the puck join me on Wednesdays at Maine Sport, 5pm for Mites and Squirts or 530 for Peewee through Adults. From 3-5PM there will be Pond Hockey on the Maine Sport pond if the conditions allow and it's a great place to practice new moves. You can also join our Facebook group, just type in "Midcoast Pond Hockey" and ask to join. You'll get updates on times and places other people are playing.
On a final note, we're going to have a movie night that plays an ode to Pond Hockey. Below is a trailer for the movie "Pond Hockey" and we'll be having a showing of this movie on Wednesday January 19th at 6:30PM at the MRC. Hope you can attend and I hope you fall in love with Pond Hockey too as much as I have.
“Up to a certain age, kids should be let out
to play pond hockey. Skate and be creative
with the puck.” - Wayne Gretzky
Tell me some of your favorite pond hockey memories or any comments you have about pond hockey in the comments section!!!
There was no blowing of a whistle to start the game, only a throwing of the sticks from one side or the other to break up teams. Not having the game count for anything I was able to be more creative with the puck and with how I defended. I used my feet to purposefully block passes, pretending that I wasn't paying attention to where the next pass was going only to snap my stick in the passing lane at the last second, I worked on how to be deceptive with my stick-handling and I was able to try these techniques with no major consequence if they didn't work. Freedom is the closest word I could use to describe that feeling.
Beyond the feelings of freedom that I was having, the feeling of relaxation began to sink in. Being able to be on-ice and not have a guy breathing down my neck trying to do everything in his nature to take the puck away gave me a greater control with the puck. I could pull moves off consistently that in a pressured state would have made me lose my control. Having learned sport psychology I'm now realizing first hand what it's like to be able to feel my ideal performance level "my zone". There was very little to no anxiety, I was able to really relax with the puck and Man, does that feel great.
As we continued to play, the sun started to go down and slowly the colors of sky transformed against the backdrop of the trees. I couldn't help but take out my phone and try to play with one hand as I took some snapshots of the scene. As I was posting them on facebook I proceeded to score a goal one-handed and couldn't help but smile and laugh.
Shouts of my teammates yelling for passes and learning how to get open as I was doing my dangles were of regular occurrence. Getting their head up looking for passes to me and each other was a must. Sometimes a little excessively I was hearing my name called....ahem..but I'd rather hear someone yelling for a pass so I know where they are than someone staying quiet and as the game went on they calls for passes were at better times.
After about an hour and a half, some of the parents were coming back to check in to make sure we weren't freezing. Funny thing was that most of us were plenty warm if not sweating. No doubt, we burned some calories in the process and I'd personally rather be on a pond then on a treadmill any day.
To recap, here are some of the things I think are benefits of pond hockey:
-Tough Ice conditions make sure that you need good balance and awareness of the ice.
-Without equipment you need to play a different, much more skill oriented game.
-Without excessive pressure, relaxation and creativity can arise.
-You can learn things about the game you might not have realized otherwise.
-No expectations
-The beautiful surroundings
-A place for good teamwork and communication building.
-Can make new friends and deepen your current relationships.
-Can be a good workout.
-It can be straight up fun.
Over the last year I've fallen back in love with the game of hockey. My passion has grown again and I find myself watching the top players looking for nuances in their balance and positioning. Teaching stick-handling has forced me to study the art of puck handling much more in-depth then when I was a kid playing. Figuring out the small nuances, making the connections and learning how to feel the puck again has been exciting. My stick-handling is better than it's ever been and I feel more in control than I have ever felt before. If you're interested in finding more control with the puck join me on Wednesdays at Maine Sport, 5pm for Mites and Squirts or 530 for Peewee through Adults. From 3-5PM there will be Pond Hockey on the Maine Sport pond if the conditions allow and it's a great place to practice new moves. You can also join our Facebook group, just type in "Midcoast Pond Hockey" and ask to join. You'll get updates on times and places other people are playing.
On a final note, we're going to have a movie night that plays an ode to Pond Hockey. Below is a trailer for the movie "Pond Hockey" and we'll be having a showing of this movie on Wednesday January 19th at 6:30PM at the MRC. Hope you can attend and I hope you fall in love with Pond Hockey too as much as I have.
“Up to a certain age, kids should be let out
to play pond hockey. Skate and be creative
with the puck.” - Wayne Gretzky
Tell me some of your favorite pond hockey memories or any comments you have about pond hockey in the comments section!!!
Tuesday, January 4, 2011
Barry Schwartz: Using our practical wisdom
Most everyday during my lunch break I watch a Ted Talk video. Being able to hear great inspiration on a daily basis fills me up and inspires me into greater action. The videos that really inspire me I'll start to post and would love to have discussions with you about them.
The video I posted today really inspires me to get even more involved in my local hockey community. Every day I see the support of people who want the best for their kids. As relationships build with the parents and kids, I'm starting to see where a structure of practical wisdom could be used and helpful. I watch the younger kids look up to the older kids with stars in their eyes and excitement of future potential. Being able to incorporate the idea of mentoring and building of relationships is something I want to incorporate as we grow as a hockey community. Building a system where the older students are being able to mentor the younger students could be a great thing and something worth thinking and developing further.
To explore one of Barry Schwartz points more in depth, I want to look at one of his points he makes at the end.
"What makes people happy? (according to the latest psychological studies).....Love and Work.
Love - managing, successfully, the relations with the people that are close to you and the communities of which you are a part.
and
Work - engaging in activities that are meaningful and satisfying (fulfilling)" -Barry Schwartz
What are your thoughts on this statement? Does this ring true for you? Feel free to share some of your ideas and thoughts from this video and how it relates to your life I'd love to hear them.
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