Category: PHE Quick Reads (3 minutes)

This category includes quick read articles (3 minutes or less) on all topics related to health, physical education, and coaching.

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation: Just Talk to Me

(Article 5 of 5)

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sport. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of disability sports who has her own physical limitations. In each article, she discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation, and sport.


Part V: Just Talk to Me

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation: If You Cannot Do It – Can You Teach It?

(Article 4 of 5)

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sport. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of disability sports who has her own physical limitations. In each article, she discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation, and sport.


Part IV: If You Cannot Do It – Can You Teach It?

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation: The Power of Time

(Article 3 of 5)

Dr. Aubrey Shaw [right] with her mentor, Dr. Sharon Stoll
[5-Part Article Series]

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sport. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of disability sports who has her own physical limitations. In each article, she discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation, and sport.


Part III: The Power of Time

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation: I Am Not an Object or Incompetent

(Article 2 of 5)

[5-Part Article Series]

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sport. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of disability sports who has her own physical limitations. In each article, she discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation, and sport.

Leading as a Scholar with a Physical Limitation: Don’t Judge Me by My Gait

Article 1
Author, Aubrey Shaw age 2.

[5-Part Article Series]

People with physical disabilities hold limited positions as scholars, teachers, or leaders in physical education, recreation, and sport. Perhaps the reason is that the field is flooded with able-bodied people who think they know best. But do they? Michael Oliver, imminent writer, and scholar argued that people with physical disabilities should be the only ones in the field of disability studies because they have a bodily experience with disabilities. The following five-part article series shares the perspective of a scholar in the field of disability sports who has her own physical limitations. In each article, she discusses a different issue a person with a physical disability faces in the profession of physical education, recreation, and sport.


Part I: Don’t Judge Me By My Gait

I once sat in a professional meeting where leading authorities in the field said, “People with physical disabilities should not be physical education teachers because able-bodied students cannot relate to them.”  Able-bodied people assume people with physical disabilities cannot teach or coach. Not true, people with physical disabilities can be good coaches, teachers, and athletes.  And most importantly abled-bodied students can relate to the population. I have a physical limitation and I am an educator and scholar in physical education, recreation, and sport.

More Than a Feeling: A Practical Approach to Confidence

(3 minute Read)

When I study confidence, I always come away with two distinct themes and one troubling thought. First, it is obvious that confidence is important, so important that even when we are tricked into having it, we perform better (Vealey & Chase, 2008). Second, it is almost always described as a feeling (Burton & Raedeke, 2008; Vealey & Chase, 2008; Zinsser, Bunker, & Williams, 2010). The part that always troubled me was why we would leave something so important up to how we feel about it. After all, the only time confidence matters is when it is tested and in most cases, we are going to be tested regardless of how we feel about it.

Photo by: Andrea Piacquadio

Instead, let’s consider a practical approach to ensure that we can accurately predict how well we will do despite how we feel about it. In order to do so, we should consider confidence as the result of an interaction between our preparation and competence (Vealey & Chase, 2008). Doing so makes it easier to understand and apply in any situation. The process of breaking down both preparation and competence into workable parts helps us understand how the two interact and gives us a mental checklist to use at the moment we need it most.

The FACE Plan: A Simple Mental Preparation Model

(2 Minute Read)

In my experience as a Mental Performance Coach most of the questions I get regarding performance can be answered by creating a mental plan.  Mental plans can be as simple or complex as needed. They can be made to address everything from general day-to-day life to sport performance, including, but not limited to pre-competition, competition, post-competition and recovery plans.

The FACE plan provides a simple, easy to use structure to build a mental plan. FACE is an acronym that stands for Focus, Attitude, Confidence, and Energy. Loosely borrowed from the military’s contingency PACE planning strategy, the FACE plan provides a complete mental plan while quickly prioritizing mental tools and skills.