As the students settle back into school after the mid-year break, it represents the perfect time for them to reflect on their first semesters results and look for areas of improvement for the second semester. Quite often students can get caught up in the pressure of academic achievement, which can lead to a lot of stress and anxiety about their performance. This is where a focus on the process, the behaviours and application to classwork, over the outcome is a message that we deliver to the boys. Control what you can control.
During the holidays the nation was privileged to witness Australia’s world number 1 tennis player, Ashleigh Barty, claim her first ever Wimbledon Title and was the first Australian Woman to do this since her idol Evonne Goolagong-Cawley won the event in 1980, 41 years ago. One of Ashleigh’s most defining characteristics is her humility, witnessed in her acceptance speech as she thanked all of those that helped her reach this achievement and accepted the winner’s trophy with grace and respect. Another valuable lesson for our boys.
However the most impressive aspect of her performance for me was how she handled pressure and focused on what she can control, her attitude and application, and enjoying the opportunity to compete with the best on the world’s biggest stage. In a recent interview on ABC’s “The Drum”, Ash Barty’s mindset coach, Ben Crowe, spoke about her achievements and the impact the work they have completed together has had in helping Ash to reduce the stress related to outcome expectations and embrace the challenges presented to her. In his interview, he goes onto say that one focus that he believes is “killing the world” is the expectation of outcome. For someone like Ash Barty, as the world number 1, that would mean expecting to win every tournament she competes in. He says that “trying to control this is the definition of anxiety, or stress, or pressure”. In order to combat he encouraged her to focus on the process, which is the only thing they can control. This includes how hard she trains, her intentions and the words that she uses to describe the best version of herself.
When hearing this, it echoed true to the message we aim to deliver to our boys at Eddie’s. We understand that not everyone in the school can be the brightest student or achieve the greatest grades. What the students do have control over though, is their application to their studies, their positive intentions and the way they conduct themselves in their interactions with others. A student who averages a “C” grade across his academic subjects but also averages an “A” for effort is a student that is taking care of what they can control and working hard to achieve their best. The same applies to a student that interacts positively with his peers, acknowledges those around him and is conscious of the positive impact he can have on others. If they can control what they can control, apply themselves to their school work and contribute positively to the school community then that is all we can ask of our boys.
Trent Masters
Head of Mulrooney