Goal Setting with Mike Ma

Instructors and athletes at the top of their craft know there’s always room for professional development. They’re also adept at formulating a strategy to successfully reach their goals.

This series of stories focuses on how team members set goals and build plans to achieve their goals. Learn from PSIA-AASI Adaptive Team member Mike Ma as he continues to expand his knowledge of adaptive instruction.

Mike’s Goals for the Season

Goals: Continuing to grow my knowledge of more adaptive equipment and disability profiles. My background started in ski and ride schools, so leaning into those skills are my comfort zone. I am pushing myself to experiment and gain more exposure to more diverse populations and equipment.

My Goal Plan: I am spending as much time as I can teaching. Not clinic-ing, but teaching student to student, lesson to lesson. There is no substitute for actual teaching and trying to execute different techniques you may dream of in real life.

Resources to Use: I spend a lot of time networking on social media (especially Facebook & Instagram) to gain more exposure to different disabilities and equipment and different adaptive groups. There, you can get such broad exposure to so many different profiles rapidly.

How You Can Use this Goal Plan: Take a philosophy of vulnerable experimentation to heart. I will admit, there is a fear of being wrong or saying the wrong thing in public forums, but if it is done with thoughtfulness and genuine curiosity, I feel you can’t go wrong and can dispense with your ego.