Welcome to “Ask Shirley” a new advice column for the Turnagain Times. The purpose of creating this column is to give locals the opportunity to ask questions and get meaningful answers to personal needs or issues. The aim is to offer a service that is knowledgeable, personable, helpful, interesting, and valuable to our community. All inquiries will remain anonymous.
What prompted the development of this new column? The answer reflects a personal philosophy that involves; “A lifelong endeavor to know one’s self and seek understanding of the world around us.”
When did this start? “You know, I really believe it was just a regular day when I was about 10 years old. I went down to the park behind our house to play baseball. I came home quicker than would be expected and my father asked me what was wrong? I told him “they said I couldn’t play.” He took me back down to the park and had a talk with the boys. I showed them I could hit the ball hard, that I was a good short stop, and I could play the field. Eventually, they even let me pitch. From that day forward I learned I had to show how good I was by my actions, not by my words.
Sport became the venue for development in my life. I discovered skiing when our church group went inner tubing at a nearby mountain resort. I didn’t care for tubing, but I sure liked what they were doing on the other side of the hill. My dad offered to bring me up the next weekend to try skiing.
Our family became ski focused. All time and energy was devoted to going to the mountain. My brothers joined the Mt. Hood Mighty Mite Team and continued to improve. All three went on to get scholarships at major Ski Universities.
Me, I ended up at Westmont, a Liberal Arts College in Santa Barbara, California. I fast tracked it. I spent my junior year in Europe learning German and in four years I had my degree (BA) in Psychology. Now, all I wanted to do was come home and go skiing!!
Back at Mt. Hood, training on the mountain, our ski coach had us complete 9 slalom runs and hike back up before we were allowed to ski down to the lift and ride up. On the tenth run my friend and I skied down toward the lift. Blind sighted I was hit by a ski instructor doing a flip without a spotter. He hit me hard, flipped me in the air, and dislocated my hip.
It took eight hours and a ride in the back of my uncle’s VW bus to get me to the hospital. They reduced my hip. I let the doctor know that “I had to race the Turkey Slalom the next weekend.” Instead, I spent the next four months in my parent’s kitchen lying in a hospital bed. There I learned there are many things in life we cannot control: The essence of situational depression and what coping skills are. I learned how to focus energy on those things that can make us better persons. I became a prolific calligrapher and gained insight into the art of visual imagery.
Mentally, I fought back. I was informed I would most likely become a “couch potato” because I would no longer be able to run, ski, or do any type of physical activity. That ultimatum spurred me on to develop my own therapy program and excel physically.
I discovered sport and psychology go well together. I graduated, earning the first Master of Science (MS) in Sport Psychology, from the University of Oregon. During my nine years in Eugene, I ran marathons and competed internationally for Nike.
Another glitch in my career directed me to the Olympic Training Center as a sport psychology research assistant. From there I went on to get my doctorate in Sport Psychology at the University of Utah. I spent 12 years in Utah, absorbing powder skiing and becoming more proficient in my career. Family circumstances brought me to Alaska in 2002 and I am glad to be here.
We are into the heart of winter. Dark days and loads of snow give us opportunity to get outside breathe the fresh air, experience the weather, to come back in, and be productive.
“Ask Shirley” questions can be focused anything related to health, fitness, sport, competition, personal issues, clinical questions, or substance abuse. Email your inquiry to ‘askshirl@gmail.com’.
Shirley is a Certified Consultant in Applied Sport Psychology (CC-AASP), with a Ph.D. and M.S. in Sport Psychology, is a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC), and a Chemical Dependency Counselor II (CDCII) for the State of Alaska.