By Laurie Braden
Some of you may know from my Facebook page, or from the LSU UREC Facebook page, that I recently acquired a new puppy. Molly is half Old English Sheepdog and half Labrador Retriever, and having her enter into my life is teaching me a great deal about risk, reward, patience, trust, and confidence.
We are currently going to puppy school and each week the instructors teach us new skills.
We then have a week to practice what we learned before demonstrating mastery and proceeding on to the next level.
This approach to our skills development has resonated with me in that we’re exposed to new skills in small increments, we have to practice them a lot, and we’re then required to step back, pause, and reflect.
This last step may not be as active as the first two, yet it is still an important part of the learning process and how we make progress.
NIRSA President Laurie Braden and her new Old English Sheepdog and half Labrador Retriever Molly are going to puppy school.I believe that risking failure is a major contributor to our reveling in the joy of accomplishment. Molly and I have had to learn to trust one another, show patience and resilience, before we ever get to celebrate a milestone with great joy and a full body wiggle. I see many parallels between puppy school and our relationships at, and with, work: they both take risk, you have to practice (sometimes a lot), patience and trust are involved, and the joy of the reward is priceless.
As the calendar pages turn to October, the weather cools, and the many NIRSA state, provincial, and regional events approach, we have the opportunity to engage with each other at conferences, workshops, and tournaments. These events are fun, exciting, challenging, and present us with the opportunity to learn, meet new people, and experience a bit of adventure.
With each new adventure, you will have the opportunity to take risks, or try new things, and benefit from those risks or experiences. The reward could be new knowledge, a connection with a new colleague, a deeper understanding of a topic, or applied experience in your area of expertise. Whatever the reward is, I know the joy of your newly found successes is often beyond measure. I challenge you take new risks in your NIRSA engagement because the rewards in store can often be immeasurable and bring you great joy.
Our members, from the newly-joined to the longest-tenured, all have much to gain from engaging each other over the next year as we “move our values forward” at our state, provincial, regional, and then Annual Conference & Recreational Sports Exposition at the Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, TX from March 30–April 2.
I’m excited to announce the establishment of three new task forces to move the Association towards achievement of our strategic goals: the Executive Education Task Force, the Regional Realignment Task Force, and soon-to-be-appointed Leadership Development Task Force. More information about the charges for each task force will be shared in the NIRSA News over the coming weeks as well as through presentations at the NIRSA state, provincial, and regional conferences.
I encourage you to seek new experiences, challenge yourself, make new connections, and then revel in your newly found rewards. Just this past month, at least three articles appeared in nationally-recognized publications about the value of recreation and physical activity to healthy living. Fast Company, The New York Times, and US News all explored the role of campus recreation facilities and programs in higher education.
The neuroscience of what we do in collegiate recreation is becoming clearer, and the benefits of physical activity to our bodies and our mental health are significant. So make the time this fall to engage with your NIRSA colleagues, take some risks, and enjoy the rewards. I encourage you to get out there and move, find your joy, and make healthy choices.
From Molly Dog and me, be well and wiggle.
