A Beginner’s Mindset
- Jamie McConnell
- Apr 28
- 2 min read
This past week, I had the chance to attend the MSc in Applied Sport & Exercise Psychology residential at Setanta College in Dublin. After flying in from Dubai, it was an awesome experience that really reminded me how important it is to approach learning with an open mind.
As a golf coach, I’ve always used bits of sports psychology in my work. But diving into it in a formal, academic setting is a very different kettle of fish, a scary thought and one that has really opened my eyes to just how much there is to learn. The variety of ideas and different perspectives I encountered challenged me to think in ways I hadn’t considered before.
Here are a few highlights from the week:
Insightful Lectures: The lecturers and guest speakers brought a wealth of practical and theoretical knowledge to the table, it was great to listen to them and in all honesty nice to hear that in reality they all tackled things a bit differently to each other.
Learning with Great People: The chance to study with a variety of people from different sporting backgrounds was completely new to me!! Everyone brought something unique to the table, different ideas, strengths and view points.
Hands-On Workshops: We didn’t just talk about theory, we got to apply it in real situations. This made everything far more “real world”, and also brought a level of discomfort since many of the situations I have never been in (as most of us in the class had not).
The whole experience really highlighted how much there is to learn, no matter how experienced you think you are. Staying “actively open-minded” was one of the final comments from PJ and possibly one of the biggest of the week! Being open to new ideas and being willing to explore different approaches, and tackle some really uncomfortable things about yourself is really the key to growth. It’s a reminder that learning is a never-ending journey!
A big thank you to Setanta College for such an amazing week, and in particular, to Adam Greene for being a fantastic mentor throughout.
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