Practical Wisdom & Moral Skill

Being a good person matters. This talk is brilliant:

UCET Presentation 2009 -- Self-Publishing: Free and Professional with Lulu.com

Olympic Spirit

In the spirit of full disclosure I need to explain that I feel particularly connected with the Olympic Torch. I carried the Torch through Maple Valley, WA for the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta. It was one of the highlighting experiences of my life. (Click HERE for a picture.)

Now that you understand my background, let me give you my thoughts. I am appalled at the current protesting associated with the Olympic flame. the Olympics is NOT the right venue for voicing political protest, no matter how just the cause. In fact, it goes against the very spirit of the Olympics. It is intended to be apolitical and foster peace. It reminds me of the 1980 boycott of the Moscow games; what a tragedy for the athletes.

When I see protesters actively seeking to put out and/or disrupt the flame, I don't see their just cause on behalf of Tibet. I see hatred for the Olympic ideals of peace through sports.

I have more to say, but I am out of time for now.

Effort Over Time

As term 3 comes to a close, scores of students are hurriedly trying to "fix" their grades. They often hope to accomplish in 1 day the equivalent amount of learning that was expected of them over the entire term. How short sighted. In this age of instant communication, diet pills, and video-on-demand, have we lost an understanding of consistent work ethic?

There are some things in life that simply require effort over time, like excelling in school or sports. I am reminded of this anecdote: A man went to the concert of a master violinist. At the conclusion of the concert, he approached the musician. "That was beautiful," he commented. "I would give anything to be able to play like that."

The master musician responded, "Would you give 30 years of your life?"

"Effort over time" is the key to success in most ventures. Work hard throughout the term, season, or project to see results. Don't expect to achieve excellence with a half-hearted effort in the middle and a frantic scramble at the end.

My First Book Is Published!

I have just written and published the first sport psychology textbook specifically for a high school audience. I have been teaching sport psychology at my high school since 2004 and was disappointed at the lack of resources. I decided to take what I have been doing and put it into this book. It is my hope to promote the teaching of sport psychology in high schools, because it is a wildly popular class in my own school, and through it we can teach students skills and lessons that apply to all areas of their life.

The book is called "Closing the Gap: Applied Sport Psychology for High School" by David L. Rockwood. It is available in hardback for classroom use ($45.24), and in paperback for personal use ($23.27). I am also currently working on a "Teacher's Curriculum Guide and Quiz Master" to accompany the book (around $30). I hope to have it available by May. (If you are curious about my credentials to write such a book, you can read a short bio about me at the website listed below.)

If you are interested in buying one for yourself, starting a sport psych course at your school, or just learning a little more about it, you can view the book's website at:

http://www.SportPsychSchool.com.

On this site I have put a lot of resources for teaching sport psychology in high schools like downloadable worksheets, activities, overhead transparencies, online activities, links to other relevant sites, a teacher's forum, etc. I have also provided additional information about my book and a portal to purchase copies of it. I will be adding resources to this site as I create them.

The book has 312 pages, and is sized 6' X 9' (both the hardcover and paperback versions) for easy storage and transportation.
It has 29 Chapters (a table of contents can be viewed at www.SportPsychSchool.com), a glossary, and an index.
It is written in a conversational tone that doesn't read like a textbook. High school students at all levels will find it very easy to read.

If you already know that you want to buy one, you can go directly to the book's storefront at http://stores.lulu.com/drock

If you are already teaching sport psychology, I hope you will consider my book. I also hope that you will go to my site www.SportPsychSchool.com and become a member of our Sport Psych Teachers Forum to share ideas and collaborate.

P.S. I owe a heartfelt "Thank you" to Coach Jeff Arbogast of Bingham High School, Utah, for giving me the idea to teach sport psychology at my school and giving me a starting point by sharing some of his resources with me.

Sportsmanship on the Road?

I am sick and tired of "unsportsman like" drivers. Yesterday I was rear ended (clipped, really) as I was stopping at a red light. The perpetrator just took off, disappearing into the traffic before I could get a license plate number. Luckily it only left a skid mark on my bumper without actually breaking any hardware. But what of decency? What of respect? what of sportsmanship?

We can't compartmentalize our lives. "I show respect toward others on the playing field, but I am a jerk behind the wheel." That kind of split personality is hypocritical and a sign of emotional weakness.

Allow the life lessons that you have learned in sports to make you a better person in all areas of your life.