Date: Tuesday, November 15, 2016
Time: 10:00 a.m. - noon
Location: Currie Gymnasium (475 avenue des Pins Ouest) -- Gyms 3 and 4 (located on the first floor of the building)
There is discussion in the greater McGill community regarding involvement in sport and its value to academic life. The athletic community believes that sport fosters the development of self-mastery and integral life skills that include, but aren't limited to, discipline, communication, leadership, collaboration, focus, and time management.
At the level of varsity athletics in higher education, we’re given a rare opportunity to explore the combination of high performance physical and mental training. Physical training engages and attunes our sensory perception – the exact opposite of logic, which trains us to ignore what we perceive and instead focus on the discovery of universal laws. In an elite academic institution, there is a perceived pressure to “turn off” physical senses in order to excel academically.
But if students are only taught and trained in a particular way of thinking, is it safe to assume that they’ll be able to adapt that methodology when it is presented in an entirely different context?
We present high-level competitive sport as an ideal forum for developing cognitively agile minds. Just as expertise is developed by repeated exposure to a particular challenge, or series of challenges, repeated exposure to decision-making in complex environments can train the mind to be more adaptable to making real-time decisions in varying contexts.
This event will engage a small group of volunteers in a series of cognitive agility activities, followed by a guided open discussion. You may decide whether you would like to play or to observe once you have arrived at the event.
Please arrive in comfortable clothing (ideally, shoes with non-marking soles) if you would like to participate in the active component.
Convened by:
David Urquhart, Assistant Coach, Redmen Hockey
Laura Strenger, Strength and Conditioning Administrator, Athletics & Recreation
Jose-Luis Valdes, Head Coach, Martlet Soccer
Samantha Rogers, Development and Alumni Relation, Athletics & Recreation
Anita Parmar, Advisor for Innovative Collaboration, Student Life & Learning
Please confirm your participation using the following link:
https://goo.gl/forms/webqFhfX52oEFZMl1
