Student Reviews

I am a student studying for my final exam on a course called “Sport and Exercise Psychology” and we had to list some ways we have been motivated by coaches/others to participate in sports, and you came to mind when I worked with you in the 2022/2023 season. 

I still remember one day we were on Paper Trail, and I asked you to film me on my phone, so you took it and told me something like “Whatever you do, please don’t fall” and risked going down the run a little bit to get a good angle for the film. Well, I went and fell, and I felt bad that you had to hike up the mountain to come to rescue me, but you did so with a smile and laughed it off, never once demonstrating even a minor annoyance. 

Then you got me up, and to my surprise, you told me to get ready to set up again in the same sequence, with you going back down the run to get the filming angle. I said no. I couldn’t trust myself not to fall again, but you wouldn’t take no for an answer and you quickly challenged me to do it again. 

I was so glad you did so because the second attempt went smoothly and more importantly, you had taught me some key lessons in that moment. You showed me that if you believed in me (enough to take a risk) then I needed to believe in myself too. You showed me that you could keep your cool and even laugh when things got frustrating (lots of hiking up the hill in ski boots). You showed me good sportsmanship and you earned my trust and respect. In so many ways, you did the right thing in that moment. You didn’t have time to think and worry, and you were re-assuring.  You taught me all these lessons I remember vividly even over a year later, and I want to thank you for that. 

 

Also thanks to many fantastic memories this year, Annie was an awesome skiing buddy this winter as she was always willing to go the extra mile for me, literally. We often skied until almost four o’clock, and she was always willing to do “one more run” even after a long day in the cold.  

 

Cheers,

Liam

2024

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