Personal Ethics Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Personal Ethics Development - Essay Example Ethics, on the other hand is how individuals behave in the face of difficult situations that often test the morality of an individual (Josephson Institute, 2009). Personal ethics are usually considered as the foundation of a person’s moral compass or a guide that tells on what is right or wrong, thus applying the moral judgment to decide on what to follow. Ethical principals are often influenced by several factors such as, influences from family, religious beliefs, and culture; thus it can be concluded that the principles of ethics are dynamic and subject to change in our day- to-day lives (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010). My ethical principles were greatly influenced by various factors like the family members, religion, and culture, all of which shaped on my morality and instilled in me values that help in guiding my decision making process. Parents are the first people who instill morality into their children; thus the children can distinguish between right or wrong. Parents can enlighten their children on what is expected of them in the society, for example, when the parents inform their children that stealing is wrong and that the society require them not to steal, the foundation of the children’s ethics is built (Daft, Murphy & Willmott, 2010). ... Religion also played a immense role in shaping my ethical principles since religion allowed me to accept and follow an established set of moral guidelines which enabled me to behave ethically. Trevino and Nelson (2007) elaborates that religion often motivates people to do well in the presence life with promise of good life after death. The Christianity has set rules or commandments that guide people in the everyday life. These rules outline what is good or bad and thus Christians are encouraged to follow these commandments to the latter. Culture also played a role in development of ethics in my life because the traditions of the society became embedded in my psyche. The culture usually direct people in the everyday occurrences, for example, in a country where racism and gender discrimination is rampant people might embrace it because the society accepts its practice. As elaborated by Ferrell, Fraedrich, and Ferrell (2013), events that happen every day have had a role in shaping my et hics. Personal emotions causes a shift in the ethical beliefs in such a case as the murder of a loved one might say that the murderer should be issued death penalty even though is clear that death penalty is unethical in the society. Personal feelings also can be considered to have an impact on our ethical principles, for example, when one does something wrong and is against the ethical principles of society, one will tend to feel ashamed of the act while, on the other hand, doing something which is in line with our ethical system one tends to be happy thus these occurrences provide an immediate feedback that shapes the moral standards of an individual. In the workplace people are often required to make decisions that require the application of moral judgment to make right

Children's views, needs, wishes and feelings are at the heart of Essay

Children's views, needs, wishes and feelings are at the heart of national legislation and international agreements and convent - Essay Example From such international law, the Convention on the Rights of the Child has been specifically drawn. The Vienna Declaration and Programme of Action also provide various legal guidelines on the protection of children’s rights and welfare. For various states, specific provisions are laid out, including the Equal Protection Clause in the US, the basic rights of children as protected by the 14th Amendment of the US Constitution. More provisions on the protection of these rights are also specifically indicated by various countries. These laws and policies seek to protect children from human rights violations, treating these children as vulnerable members of society. This paper is based on the premise that children’s views, needs, wishes and feelings are at the heart of national legislation and international agreements and conventions. In relation to current policy, this essay shall critically discuss the implications of such premise for early years’ practice among chil dren. First, an initial overview of childhood needs, views, and feelings in relation to national laws and conventions will be presented. Secondly, a discussion on children’s human rights as guaranteed by the UN and other legislative bodies shall also be presented. Thirdly, this essay will also provide the considerations made for children’s feelings and needs in relation to the specific laws and conventions. Fourth, the No Child Left behind Policy of the US will also be discussed in order to detect current trends in children’s rights policies. Fifth, a relationship between the NCLB and the international conventions will be considered. Sixth, the impact of these laws on the improvement of children’s welfare shall be presented. Finally, this essay shall end with a summary and a conclusion of the different points discussed and detailed. Body Overview of childhood needs and feelings Children’s feelings and needs have been brought sharply into internatio nal focus and attention during the First World War when millions of children experienced significant hardships as a result of international human conflicts (Fortin, 2003). In effect, the sufferings of these children served as the foundation for children’s rights. Eglantyne Jebb had a crucial role in the establishment of the 1924 Declaration of the Rights of the Child (Glendon, 2002). These rights were primarily based on her Christian faith (Glendon, 2002). The foundations of children’s rights then were on the protection and nurturing of the child, securing their moral privileges including their need for love and understanding (Fortin, 2003). Various rights are granted to humans, especially as soon as they reach the age of majority. One of the most important rights granted to these humans include the right to vote; however, children or minors below the age of 18 are not granted this right. In general, children do not seem to have control of the things which happen to th em or the matters which concern them (Fortin, 2003). This is very much apparent in daily situations and activities including school, religion, and upbringing. School subjects are compulsory for them to attend and study, mostly based on their location; moreover, for most children until the age of 14, their religion must be that which is inherited from their parents (Fortin, 2003). Parents decide,

Effect of Part Time Work Among Student Essay Example for Free

Effect of Part Time Work Among Student Essay In todays world, just as almost all individuals who are obligated to meet their own needs have to find a well-paid job, a myriad of students also fell obliged to work in order to afford their educational expenses because of their economical conditions. In this regard, there are a lot of positive or negative effects of this case in terms of gaining a sense of responsibility and academic failure. To begin with gaining a sense of responsibility, it is a well-known fact that having a job is a contributory factor in gaining a sense of responsibility. A job enables people to determine their prioritites and show respect to business ethics. Students who have a job could learn numerous useful knowledge on how to organize their time properly. Moreover, they would understand how to combat social and economical problems in their lives. Eventually, should you work and study at the same time,you need to be disciplined and self organized person. On the orher hand, academic failure can be regarded as the negative aspects of having a part time job. Ä °t is quite likely that students who are forced to work and study at the same time may not allocate sufficient amount of time to their studies. Due to this, although individuals in question show great determination to study,they may not pass their exams and they may fail in their studies. All in all, whilst gaining a sense of responsibility is the favorable aspects of having a part time job, academic failure can be regarded as the unfavorable outcomes of this. In this sense, in my opinion, positive aspects outweigh the negative aspects.

Introduction Speech Outline Essay Example for Free

Introduction Speech Outline Essay Purpose Statement: To persuade my audience that true personal power is developed through our humane treatment of ourselves and our fellow man. Thesis Statement: To understand personal power, it’s important to look at how we treat ourselves. Are we critical of ourselves? Unforgiving? Do we have low self-esteem or confidence? Attention Getter Overview of main points: â€Å"All suffering is caused by mankind’s great inhumanity to one another. Hello, I am Tonya, and today I am going to talk to you about accountability, responsibility, and change. ARC is the ark of a life that is built upon a stable foundation. I. First main point written in complete sentence When we think of being accountable, we often think of others accountability and not ourselves. Being accountability for our actions and not blaming others is the very first step to developing personal power. Accountability in this instance means being aware that something is wrong or amiss in our lives, and not ignoring it. It’s identifying the problem, or our wrong actions II. Second main point in complete sentence. Responsibility is the second step in the development of personal power, not only do we have to be accountable, we also have to accept responsibility for our thoughts, words, and the subsequent actions that take place as a result of them. Responsibility is accepting the problem or our negative actions and finding productive, efficient, and effective ways to deal with them. III. Third main point in complete sentence. Once we have identified the problem or wrong action, and accepted it, then we are ready for step number three†¦Change. Change. We are changing moment by moment each and every day. We are either changing for the best or for the worst. That’s not what we are speaking about here. When I say â€Å"change†, I am talking about a deliberate action, which will bring about a deliberate manifestation. True change comes about once we make a choice. Conclusion: Accountability, Responsibility, and Change these are the points on which a person can build their pyramid of personal power. If we are willing to be accountable, accept responsibility, and change when necessary, there is nothing that we cannot achieve; and we will be co-creators within the social structures of Life. We will always be a part of the solution, rather than being a part of the problem. Today, I challenge you to apply these three principles to your life and soon you will be living a life full of purpose, and fulfill your call to Greatness. Bibliography Shepherd, Tonya â€Å"Needless Suffering† Accessed May 9, 2014 http://ltbtd.blogspot.com/2014/05/needless-suffering.html

Psychological Skills Training Programme

Psychological Skills Training Programme Psychology is the scientific study of cognitive thoughts, feelings and behaviours. The aim of sports psychology is to understand the contribution that psychological components have on exercise performance, but also the effects that participation in physical exercise has on psychological development. Sports psychologists often talk about the significance of being in the zone and of creating an intimidating presence for your opponent on the field of play, but waiting until you are in competition to apply the principles of sports psychology, without previous training will not allow for an enhanced performance. So, before this you need to apply a winning attitude and the ability to apply it to your training, which is one of the most vital and difficult areas to apply it. Psychological skills training (PST) refers to the systematic and consistent practice of mental or psychological skills for enhanced performance. It helps give an edge the athletes performance, especially between athletes that are closely matched in physical and technical ability; this usually results in the overall winner being the athlete with the better prepared mental skills. PST can often be neglected by athletes or coaches because they have a lack of knowledge in the subject area or misunderstandings of how to use it. It can also be ignored because of a lack of allocated time throughout the training process; this is more often than not a consequence of higher priorities during training. PST must be tailored to each individual athlete and varies for every sport, so must be conducted by the coach or a sports psychologist. It should be practiced over a period of time, similarly to the physical or technical nature of most sports, and should use a combination of different techniques. Sport psychology helps provide coaches with the information they need to help their athletes build mental strength and achieve enhanced performance in sport, as well as in life. As a coach, to gain a complete mental perspective of an athlete, you have to analyse how the athlete acts and feels when competing within a sport. Through the use of psychological training programmes and mental tools, which will be discussed later in more detail, athletes can build and develop their mental strength for competitive situations. For coaches, the application of this type of training programme is beneficial for optimising the complete performance of an athlete. These can be beneficial for building team cohesion, effective communication, teaching sports skills, as well as motivating and preparing athletes for competition. Although, there are a number of reasons why athletes or sports coaches do not include PST in training for their sport. It may stem from lack of sport knowledge, where either coach or athlete has an insufficient grasp on the mental skills needed to perform at the highest level in that sport, or it may simply be that their coaching methods have become outdated and are in need of further qualified education. Other common problems that come in implementing a PST programme are that of time, conviction and follow up. Some athletes simply do not have the time to spend on the required techniques used to improve the psychological skills. This is usually because of their hard working and time consuming physical training programme. Funding also plays a part in most athletes missing out on psychological assistance, as it can be relatively expensive for individual athletes to hire a sport psychologist, especially when compared to that of a professional football player, as many elite clubs now employ their own sports psychologists. Psychological Skills In this training programme the support work which will be described is for use involving a junior golfer named James. It is primarily to help deal with his low confidence and anxieties throughout the game. James is 14 years old, a promising county level golfer with a handicap of 5, and plays for South Ayrshire Junior Golf Club. I have got to know James by playing recreationally at the same club, and he happened to mention certain aspects of his game he was struggling with, so I offered my support. James told me his reason for asking for help was that he felt he was not as confident as he should be on the field and he wanted to start enjoying his game again. Secondly, he explained that he has had trouble with feeling very anxious before each shot in a competition environment, opposed to practice where he felt more comfortable. This study represents my work with James over a six week period in which we covered most of the psychological aspects of the game of golf, concentrating on over coming the main problems James was having. In the game of golf, concentration, anxiety, confidence and motivation are key variables in effective golfing performance (Finn, 2008). According to Arther (2006) Jack Nickulaus once said that The game of golf is 90% mental and 10% swing. This implies that the psychological skills involved in golf are more important to playing the game than the physiological demands. The physical demands of golf comprise of; aerobic endurance, local muscular endurance, power and motor skills. These days almost all of the top professionals in golf use psychological tools to enhance their performance. For example Tiger Woods, one of the worlds elite golfers, started using sport psychology techniques at a very young age and continues to use them to this day. He used a number of psychological techniques for relaxation, visualization and concentration (Sietz, 2000). Self confidence In sport, self-confidence is a well-known factor that may enhance or improve an athletes skills performance. It has been found that a psychological component like self-confidence is one that athletes and coaches consider as relevant for optimum performance. As golfers are constantly measuring their own performance, it becomes very easy for them to lose confidence in their ability to perform specific golf skills such as putting or hitting fairway irons onto the green. An individuals judgement on their ability to successfully perform specific skills is termed self-efficacy (Bandura, 1986). Self efficacy is our trust in our ability to succeed within specific situations. Your sense of self efficacy can play a key role in how you approach challenges, tasks and goals. Motivational mastery self-talk can help with focus and self-confidence. Golf-specific examples of motivational mastery self-talk might be come on concentrate, there are only three holes to play with help for focusing, or you can do this, you have made this shot before for self-confidence. Thoughts precede moods so if you think unhappy thoughts you will feel unhappy. Self talk is the thoughts you have in response to a certain situation. If you tell yourself you can succeed then you have a much improved chance of succeeding. According to psychologist Bandura (1977), an athletes confidence, or self efficacy, is based on four primary sources of information, shown in (Appendix 1). These primary sources include past performance accomplishments, vicarious performance, verbal persuasion and emotional arousal. Past performance accomplishments give the athlete confidence through achievements made in competitions or goals reached during training, they can also create expectation for the athlete in a good or bad way. Vicarious performance allows the athlete to see the actions that they should be performing through a model performer; this is usually taken from an athlete in the same field/competition or of a previou sly successful athlete. Verbal persuasion can be given to the athlete via the coach, parents or supporters; it gives the athlete a sense of encouragement to perform. Emotional arousal is when the athlete is in the right mood to perform, it is also known as when they are up for it and at their peak. If this level is too high or too low then the performance of the athlete can suffer, as shown in (Appendix 2). Developing self confidence will be discussed in more detail further in the programme. Anxiety and arousal Anxiety is a natural reaction within the body that responds to threats in the environment; it is part of the preparation for the fight or flight response. Lazarus (2000a) defines anxiety as facing an uncertain, existential threat. Performance anxiety develops when there is too much perceived stress, specifically this state of mind is created and moulded by your thoughts and feelings. The way you think about an event or competition is the source of the stress, not the actual event itself. One way to begin to tackle performance anxiety is to try to understand what your fears about the competition are, in Jamess case it was the fear of not performing to his expected level. When the demands of competition or training exceed an athletes apparent capability, anxiety is the unavoidable outcome (Valiante and Stachura, 2005). As well as providing incentive and challenge, sport also provides substantial uncertainty. While this kind of stress might motivate some athletes, it can encourage anxie ty in others. There are distinct factors that can amplify athletes anxiety levels. For example, important competitions can give an athlete greater stress, therefore they are likely to be prone to anxiety. Spectators can also play a huge part in how an athlete feels. Participants in individual sports, such as golf, have been known in general to suffer more from anxiety before, during and after games than participants in team sports because they dont receive the same support throughout the game from team mates. Another factor that can cause anxiety is the expectation of success, in Jamess case, his supporters expect him to be winning most tournaments in his category, so he is exposed to a lot more pressure than most players at his young age. Another notion to acknowledge is that the level of mental arousal can influence an athletes performance. When arousal levels are too high it can lead to an increase in muscle tension, also poor decision making, reduced concentration levels and a d isruption in co ordination. Identifying and controlling arousal level is important to maximize athletic accomplishment. Some of the skills useful to control arousal levels up or down are; visualization, centring, progressive muscular relaxation, and positive self talk. In addition to using these skills for regulating arousal, these skills have a number of other benefits for confidence and concentration. Preparing athletes for competition involves more than firing them up, it involves finding the optimum level of arousal for each athlete (Cox, 2002). Motivation Reduced confidence will ultimately impact on a performers motivation levels, their willingness to take risks and their ability to develop. There are two kinds of motivation that allows athletes to achieve a particular goal or task. The first type is extrinsic motivation, which in sport comes from external influences or people. People are extrinsically motivated to earn rewards, social recognition, or benefits. The second kind is intrinsic motivation, and it is someones inner drive to accomplish a goal or objective. Intrinsically motivated people focus on a task for their own sake. They have a sense of self-determination, and look at themselves as being able to meet the demands of a particular task. Research shows in Vallerand and Losier (1999) that athletes who participate in sport for intrinsic reasons experience a more positive and less negative outcome; they have greater determination, and show higher levels of sportsmanship. As golf is mostly an individual sport, motivating yours elf to practice and to keep going when your confidence is low can be difficult. Setting goals in practice and competition is an effective way to enhance motivation. When using goal setting, you should make them specific and measurable. Identify the areas you will need to work on in order to achieve your set goals as well as making them realistic. You should record the progress you are making towards goals and set a time limit on specific goals to evaluate progress. Golfers can set long term and short term goals. Long-term goals generally focus on the ultimate outcome such as winning a tournament or reducing your handicap. Short-term goals act as the stepping stones to achieving your long-term goals. Setting short-term goals also allows reflection on current performance and can help in assessing the viability of long-term goals. This area is also covered later in the programme with reference to self confidence. Concentration Focus is crucial in order to concentrate, by learning to focus on the right things at the right time. Concentration is the ability to hold focus for a required time, and use the appropriate mental effort so not to focus on any distractions. By concentrating your thoughts on the competition, it can help you to plan how you will play the course and allow you to contemplate the possible situations that may arise. In a study by McCaffrey and Orlick (1989), they used a series of open questions to discover psychological and situational factors linked to excellence in golf. They found considerable differences between touring golf professionals and local club professionals. The highly skilled tour players were entirely dedicated to golf, particularly during periods of optimum performance. They set clear goals, and they were more organized in planning practice sessions and tournament strategies, as well as in self evaluation after each game. Both groups developed plans for focusing attention during a round, but the touring professionals were more successful in keeping focus over an extended period of time resulting in greater concentration levels. Both groups acknowledged the effect of distractions on the course, but the touring professionals were better able to cope with these distractions and regain a task focus. On the golf course, distractions come in varying forms and can divert your focus. External focus can be thrown by; the target, your equipment, the wind, an opponents shot or score. Internal focus can be side tracked by things like; how you feel, where you want the ball to go, how hard you want to hit the ball, how the club feels in your hands and your practice swings. These are just some of the distractions involved in the game of golf. McCaffrey and Orlick (1989) concluded that maintaining commitment, focusing, and refocusing were the skills most needed for achieving excellence in golf. As a coach you need to get athletes to think during activity, not just u se their behaviours and actions, as there is constant problem solving within the sport. If you know whats going to happen you can plan and control it. After learning all these psychological skills, the challenge is to implement them into your game. A pre-competition mental routine, developed between the coach and athlete, helps the athletes get their mind in the proper place to perform well. Concentration, anxiety, confidence and motivation are key variables in effective golfing performance (Finn, 2008). Psychological Skills Training The psychological priorities of golf incorporate a lot of self confidence and the need to control anxiety and arousal throughout the whole game. In a feature written by Fields (1995), he talks of a meeting between Dr Rob Rotella and Nick Price; whose form had been lagging after some recent wins and was looking for some answers. Price went to see sports psychologist Rotella to see if he could help him with his game, after two days, Rotella explained to Price how to simplify and direct his thinking toward a specific target, by consciously playing only one shot at a time. With this narrow internal way of thinking; Price was able to concentrate solely on the task in front of him without any distractions. This is how I intend to develop my athletes focus and confidence, as well as decreasing his anxiety during game play. Self Confidence Training Developing self confidence through self talk is an effective technique to control thoughts and to influence feelings. Thoughts and feelings can influence self confidence as well as performance. The coach or athlete must carefully select the actual words or phrase used during self talk so that they provide maximum effectiveness. Self talk can be in the form of words actually spoken out loud, or in the form of thoughts that come into the athletes mind; these thoughts can be either negative or positive. As a psychological method for enhancing and improving self confidence in athletes, self talk must be positive and lead to constructive feelings about an athletes ability. Self talk is a strategy used by athletes at all levels and in almost all sports. According to Rotella (2004), a top psychologist, the true meaning of confidence in sport is achieved by playing with your eyes. Confident athletes can focus completely on the objective allowing the body and brain to react instinctively. In other words, the athlete should turn his focus to what is in front of him and not what he already knows. For example, a golf swing for a professional golfer is already calibrated into his mind, so worrying about his swing on the course only serves to distract him from the ultimate goal of making the shot, the swing should be automatic so he can concentrate solely on the shot. Goal setting is a powerful motivational strategy. Research has shown that goal setting enhances performance across a variety of situations. Goal setting gives the coach a sense of control over what the athlete does in training and allows us to move beyond beliefs or fears that may be preventing us from realizing our peak performance. The process of setting goals helps the athlete and the coach choose what you want to aim for. By knowing exactly what you want to accomplish, you know where to focus your efforts. You will also be able to quickly spot distractions that could otherwise tempt you from your course. On top of this, properly set goals can be extremely motivating, and as you get into a habit of setting and achieving your goals, you find that self confidence builds faster. By setting sharp, clearly defined goals, you can measure and take pride in these goals. You can see forward progress in what might previously have seemed a long pointless grind. By setting goals, you will rai se your self confidence, as you recognise your ability and competence in achieving the goals that you have set. There distinct advantages to setting goals, some of these benefits for sport include; clarified expectations, improved performance, enhanced quality of practice, pride, higher intrinsic motivation, satisfaction, decreased anxiety, increased self confidence, improved concentration and time management. It has been established that successful athletes display higher self-confidence than unsuccessful athletes (Treasure et al. 1996). This study noted that athletes who have higher self confidence during competitions are more likely to be successful. With imagery, you replace actual experience with scenes from your within your imagination. The body reacts to these images almost as if they were real, so as to relive the experience. This is a technique used very commonly used by elite athletes, they learn good performance habits by repetitively rehearsing performances in their imagination. You can use mental imagery to; visualise success, motivate yourself, familiarise yourself or perfect skills. Many golfers see themselves achieving their goals their goals on a regular basis, seeing desired performance outcomes and performing skills at a high level. It can remind you objective and increase focus during practice and rounds. Many of the best golfers in the world see and feel themselves performing perfect shots, skills and routines before they actually do so. A good explanation of how imagery works is given by Grezes and Decety (2001) showing that when we make a movement, such as hitting a golf ball, specific areas of our brain are a ctivated. Research evidence suggests that when we imagine making a movement, very similar areas of our brain are also activated as when we actually make a movement. Retired professional golfer, Jack Nicklaus, one of the first sportsman to promote mental imagery once wrote that, I never hit a shot, not even in practice, without having a very sharp, in-focus picture of it in my head. First I see the ball where I want it to finish, nice and white and sitting up high on the bright green grass. Then the scene quickly changes, and I see the ball going there: its path, trajectory, and shape, even its behaviour on landing. Then there is a sort of fade-out, and the next scene shows me making the kind of swing that will turn the previous images into reality. (Frontera, 2007). Some studies found that many people and athletes use imagery to increase exercise and physical fitness as the imagery helps the success of their exercise (Hall 2001). An athletes enactment of performance imagery is the normal procedure in training programs. This method is used more heavily by elite athletes with higher self-confidence than non-athletes. Studies suggest that imagery may help athletes to build more self-confidence in relation to performance. Kendall et al (1990) demonstrated that imagery, in combination with relaxation and self talk, increases the utilization of specific defensive skills. Mahoney (1979) reported the effect of mental imagery practice based on high jumper Dick Fosbury and skier Jean-Claude, who have both used mental practice in competition and went on to receive gold medals in those competitions. This study provides evidence that imagery practice can successfully influence athletic performance. Motivational videos help inspire, motivate, and pump you up. Athletes use them to focus their motivation in a particular direction or toward a set goal of achievement. As well as videos, athletes can also use mental pictures for motivation, such as them lift a cup or receiving a medal. Anxiety and Arousal Training Worrying about how you are going to perform leads to anxiety about performance. Anxiety manifests in both physical and mental ways. According to Vanthuyne (1999) we dont worry just in our heads, our entire body worries resulting in a body reaction as well as a mental reaction, this fact is critical regarding athletic performance. Due to its objective nature, golf can often be a frustrating and stressful sport. Golfers may therefore experience increased levels of anxiety, which can ultimately lead to a decline in golfing performance (Hardy, 1996). In order to combat increased anxiety levels, golfers can practice mental skills and strategies to help them relax on and off the field. Using relaxation strategies can help control anxiety and is important in enhancing golfing performance. Centring is a relaxation technique used by rugby player Jonny Wilkinson in his kicking routine (Wilkinson, 2006), he also admits to listening to a mental rehearsal CD before each game he plays to help him relax and focus. Similarly, you can use relaxation techniques in your pre shot routine to help you relax in golf. Centring is a skill which allows the athlete to release unwanted muscular tension, control anxiety and become more body aware. To practice the process of centring, athletes focus on slowing down their breathing, and inhale air in through the nose. Use the diaphragm and not the chest to expand your lungs. As you breathe out through the mouth, let your body relax. Repeat this technique several times until the required state of relaxation is achieved. Imagery and self-talk can also be used to facilitate relaxation on the golf course. By using self-talk such as loose and relax you can imagine tension in the neck and shoulder muscles disappearing. Centring is one example in an abundance of relaxation techniques which can be employed by golfers. When choosing how to deal with increased levels of anxiety, it is important to match anxiety symptoms with an appropriate relaxation technique. Motivational arousal self-talk can be used to control arousal levels. To reduce arousal levels, golfers may use self-talk such as it is ok, just breath nice and easily and relax your shoulders. An example of self-talk to increase arousal levels might be come on, you need to get yourself up for this. Visualization is a technique used where the athlete imagines themselves performing a task. It deals not only with how the athlete sees the task but also how they feel when performing it. For example, a sprinter might experience and imagine an efficient, smooth stride while running round a track. A golfer might rehearse a sequence of steps, in his mind, that are required for a good long drive. The imagery experience should be viewed by the athlete in first person perspective, not what they would see watching from a spectator standpoint. Positive self talk is the practice of eliminating negative thoughts and promoting constructive thoughts. Instead of focusing on the negatives of a bad situation, the athlete focuses on positives. For example, I cant play well against them, is replaced by, I have trained hard and I am prepared. I can do this. Progressive muscular relaxation is a technique that involves alternatively relaxing and contracting various muscle groups. It is best performed ly ing down, and going through the muscles groups in a sequence of agonist and antagonist, quads and hamstrings for example. By doing this, the mind is focused on each specific body part and the athlete comes into a relaxation state with increased feeling of the body. Needs analysis The needs analysis is a crucial part of developing a psychological training programme as it allows the athlete and coach to work together and discover the needs of that particular athlete. The needs analysis should consist of an evaluation of the individual, the sport, and the movements within that sport. The evaluation of the sport is used to determine the physiological components most needed to perform in that sport. An evaluation of the movements within that sport is need to recognise the physiological and psychological processes used during the sport. As individual psychological needs for each sport and athlete differ, the coach must evaluate the athletes strengths and weaknesses to provide a suitable program, as well as allowing the athlete to set short term goals. The individuals needs then dictate which psychological skills are needed and which to prioritize in the training program. In this case for James, a young golfer, we discovered that through the use of a survey of athle tic experiences (Appendix 3), he was severely lacking in self confidence. I also discovered, through the use of an anxiety questionnaire (Appendix 4), that Jamess performance suffered dramatically when under increasing pressure, for example when in a tournament situation. It has been suggested that there are three key phases to implementing an effective mental skills programme (Weinberg and Gould, 2007). First, an education phase in which the athlete should be informed about the nature of mental skills and how these skills can enhance their performance. Second, an acquisition phase should focus on assisting the athlete to learn the appropriate mental techniques. Third, a practice phase with the aim of applying mental skills into competitive situations. I used an athletic experience questionnaire (Appendix 3) to help discover which parts of Jamess game was lacking psychologically, it enabled us to identify and analysis specific psychological skills and also which ones we could work on. It showed that James was low in self confidence because he was playing with so much expectation. It also told me that without the use of short term goals, his aims and targets were not clearly lined out for him. This may be due to a coaching error but could also be a reason for his low self confidence, as meeting short term goals gives the athlete a sense of achievement and shows gradual improvement. I used an anxiety questionnaire (Appendix 4) to determine some of the stresses James was under and when he was experiencing them. This allowed me to see that his anxiety levels were greatest during competition, and that it was mostly down to the weight of expectation on him, although there were other contributing factors. This included; what others thought of his performances and when playing against more experienced players, also when using new equipment and various distractions from the crowds. To combat some of these stresses, I recommended that James learn some relaxation techniques that he could use on the training field but also during stressful competitions. Some of these relaxation techniques have been previously discussed in detail. For James, a wider knowledge of relaxation techniques and specifically set out goals will ultimately aid him in producing his optimum performances on the field, as well as helping him to positively enjoy the game even more. Psychological skills are best developed in an athletes training environment and when incorporated with the technical and physical aspects of the game, this ensures that the athlete sees the program as an essential part of their development. These psychological skills should also be trained, just as you would for any physical aspects, over an extended period of time with sufficient tests to show improvement. Some specific mental skills training can take place almost anywhere, from the playing field to sitting at home, as long as you completely involve yourself within the training. In most sports there is a specific season of play, so this might dictate when the psychological skills training may be applied and what specific skills are trained. As mentioned before mental skills training should be an integral part of the training process. Performance profiling was also used to addresses the gap between current performance levels and the requirements necessary for where the athlete wants to be. It identifies the athletes strengths and weaknesses during play and in training. A performance profile was taken at the start of the program and at the end allowing the coach and athlete to see a steady improvement or decline in performance. Within the performance profiles, you should also obtain a comprehensive history of injury for the golfer. This will include all major previous injuries along with any current injury concerns; it can often be found that the golfer is currently playing with some kind of irritating injury problem which can have an effect on any physiological or psychological training programme. Evaluation Overall, this psychological skills training programme went extremely for James and myself. We both learned a lot of new psychological skills and the techniques needed to dramatically improve our thought processes. I especially enjoyed identifying the specific skills effecting James performances with the use of various psychological tests. Through the use of performance profiles, I was able to see the progression in Jamess play from the start of the programme to the end; this showed the program does work if it is implemented properly with correct knowledge and understanding. My program did make a difference to James game, and this has been shown in his current performances, he is now a lot more confident in his ability to perform on a bigger stage as well as being more capable of controlling his anxieties on the field. You can now see how positive thinking has changed his game; he is making a conscious effort to think in a way that benefits his performance. It is not one hundred perce nt accurate to say that Jamess performances have been better solely because of this program, they may be in fact some other contributing factors, but to the best of my knowledge he has undertaken any severe changes in training or supplementation. I am sure that there are ways in which this programme could have been changed to make it run more efficiently and with more effectiveness, but from the feedback received from James it was sufficient to meet his needs. From this I can take great confidence in my ability to prepare and enforce a good psychological training pro

Customs of Amerindians :: essays research papers

Customs Of Amerindians Taino The Taino loved dancing and singing and used the same word for both arieto. They danced and sang to the music of drums, reed pipes and wooden gongs at festivities such as the naming of a baby, the wedding of cacique or the inauguration of a new cacique. Another Taino custom is the flattening of foreheads of newborns. The Taino saw it as a sign of beauty. The newborns heads were bound between two boards to flatten the forehead a few days after the child was born. The Taino played a game called batos, which was played on a marked field with two teams trying to hit the ball with their hips, knees, heads, elbows and shoulders into their opponent’s goal line, was another custom. Kalinago At a son’s birth there was a special ceremony during which the father was cut with agouti teeth and expected to bear the pain without flinching so that his son would grow up to be brave. The boy was periodically rubbed with the fat of slaughtered Tainos so that he might absorb their courage and then he underwent the initiation ceremony, which changed him from a boy to a man, and a warrior. Now he had a new name and was a true Carib. Another custom was the Kalinago used to decorate their bodies with a dye called roucou. This was made from vegetable dye and oil, which the Kalinagos felt toughened their skins and protected against insect bites. Another custom was the Kalinagos entertained many guests and when the guests had eaten their fill they were entertained with singing and dancing to the music of drums, reed pipes and whistles. The guests were welcome to stay as long as they liked and when at last they decided to leave they were given gifts and asked to stay longer. Maya Maya were broad headed and as soon as a baby was born, squeezing it gently between two boards flattened its head. This gave them a noble air and their heads were then better adapted to carry loads. The Maya were also cross-eyed. This was regarded as a special mark of beauty and distinction. Mothers would hang a ball in front of their children so that they would focus on it and therefore develop cross-eyes.

The Algerian Civil War 1992-2002 :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"Thus, what motivates men to slay the enemy is anger,† Sun Tzu says in The Art of War. The conflict between Algerian Islamic fundamentalists and the Algerian military backed government is rooted in anger. The conflict, which began as skirmishes between government forces and Islamic fundamentalists, has taken on the proportions of a civil war as fundamentalists carried out kidnappings, assassinations and other forms of civil disturbance. The government has tried pacifying the Muslims by including Islamic leaders in the government, but extreme violence committed by both parties in the conflict has made a peaceful solution difficult to achieve. This violence has claimed the lives of an estimated 100,000 people in the years between 1990 and 2002. The Roots of Anger The clash between the fundamentalists and the military government stems from Algeria’s experimentation with political liberalization. The attempt to create more points of view and more political parties in the government has backfired horrendously. The violence of modern day Algeria stems from the failure of mild democratization in the North African country. Following nomination by the National Liberation Front (FLN) party, Chadli Bendjedid was elected President in 1979 and re-elected in 1984 and 1988. The National Liberation Front ruled as a virtual one-party regime until the political system was reformed in 1989. Antigovernment sentiment stemming from corruption, housing shortages, unemployment, and other severe economic and social problems boosted the Islamic Salvation Front (FIS) despite the party’s quite public commitment to theocratic rule under Islamic law. This seemingly innocuous act was actually quite revolutionary. For the first time, an Arab country had authorized the creation of a political party that had made the creation of an Islamic republic its main goal . A new constitution was adopted in 1989 that allowed the formation of political parties other than the FLN. It also removed the armed forces, which had run the government since the days of the 1980s, from a designated role in the operation of the government. Between 1989 and 1990, forty-four new political parties emerged, many with distinct social agendas. These agendas included human rights, independent women organizations and other cultural movements . Among the scores of parties that sprang up under the new constitution, the militant Islamic Salvation Front was the most successful, winning more than 50% of all votes cast in elections in 1990 as well as in the first stage of national elections held in December 1991.