It’s like being shot from a catapult. Athlete Jip Haest (21) gets a kick when he pole vaults about five meters into the air. But in everyday life this top athlete is also a mentor to a first year class. And he uses the lessons from top sport for that. “For important moments such as exam week, students learn how to focus better, such as checking social media less often. This has led to better school results.”
The top sport compared to students who have just entered secondary school. They seem like two different worlds, but according to the first year mentor and Physical Education teacher at the Roncalli School Community in Bergen op Zoom, there are similarities. “You have peak moments: in sports during a championship and at school when there are tests.”
And so he now prepares students for a test as if it were a championship. “For example, I prepare myself for my sport by doing breathing exercises in addition to training and putting my phone away more often.” His students can do that too. “At school I added relaxation exercises to my gym classes. For many children this was a far-fetched show in the beginning. Ultimately it opened their eyes.”
“Being busy with the here and now helps for better focus.”
And they learn from it. For example, his students now say they look at their phones less in the period before a test week. “Being busy with the here and now and talking more with others ensures better focus. Ultimately, we see in the results that this really helps.” Jip is therefore a big supporter of the ban on mobile phones at school.
Jip also hopes that more attention will be paid to mental health in education. “In top sports I see that mental coaches are increasingly being used. You can extend this beyond just the sport. There is also a role for schools. Mental guidance can help students in their development. In the society we live in, we cannot overlook this.”
The Bergen resident himself is busy on a mental level. “I am convinced that if you feel better in your head, you can perform better physically.”
“Saying no to nice things isn’t always easy.”
As a pole vaulter he is one of the top in the Netherlands. He also provides training to talented people. In his teenage years, life as a top athlete was sometimes quite tough. “To become very good, I often had to say no to nice things. That’s not always easy when your friends go out. But at a certain point you reach the limit of what you can achieve with your talent. After that, it comes down to willpower and a lot of action.”
There was even a period when he left top sport behind. “I quickly came back to that, I missed jumping. I feel like I have always made the right choices. I can’t blame myself for not doing everything I could. And I have always enjoyed doing it.”
“You have no guarantee that it will work.”
Jip wants to be an example for young athletes. A short documentary about his career is regularly shown in top sports classes. “A friend approached me for a school assignment and I saw sharing my experiences as an added value. I hope that sports talents get motivation from it. You have to make choices to become very good at your sport. And even then you have no guarantee that it will work.”
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