Émilie Bouthillette, 11 years old, will spend spring break at the arena. No question of “staying around doing nothing at home [elle] “. There’s also no question of letting seven days go by without playing your favorite sport, ringette.
A member of the Les intrepids de Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville team, the player will participate in a development camp organized by Défis sports, from March 4 to 7, at the Sainte-Julie arena. The one who took part in a similar camp last summer is impatiently awaiting this moment.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Emilie Bouthillette
“I really like the coaches because they are smiling, they are young and they taught me a lot of things during the summer weeks. I think I’ll learn a lot again,” confides the pre-teen who has been playing ringette since the age of 7.
For her part, Romy Péloquin, from the ImpAkt cheerleading club in Sherbrooke, has no training planned with her teammates during the holidays. She still intends to practice her favorite sport at home during the school break.
“I’m going to practice my gymnastics, my backflips,” lists the 9-year-old girl.
PHOTO PIXELYST, PROVIDED BY EMMANUELLE CHAMPIGNY
Romy Péloquin
In an interview, the two young athletes talk about their sport with enthusiasm. A smile appears on their lips when they talk about their upcoming tournaments or competitions. Could we call it a passion?
Reached by telephone by The PressRobert J. Vallerand, full professor of social psychology at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM), describes a passion as being “something that we love, that is important to us, in which we will invest ourselves” .
But there is more, adds this researcher recognized worldwide for his work on passion and motivational processes.
A passion is part of our identity. It will help define us.
Robert J. Vallerand, full professor of social psychology at UQAM
An example ? “If I’m passionate about basketball, I’m going to say I don’t just play basketball, I’m a basketball player,” he explains.
Benefits
During childhood or adolescence – and this is also true once an adult – having a passion can help “give meaning to your life”, underlines psychologist Nathalie Parent. When the activity is done in a group, as in the case of a sports team or an orchestra, it nourishes the feeling of belonging, she adds.
“I feel good with my team. I feel motivated,” says Romy Péloquin, who met new friends through cheerleading.
Finding and developing a passion is also a way for young people to discover themselves as human beings and gain autonomy from their parents.
There’s something special about feeling like you’ve chosen an activity, that it’s not mom and dad’s. […] It’s very healthy to feel autonomous in this choice.
Robert J. Vallerand, full professor of social psychology at UQAM
The skills developed through the practice of a passion will not only allow the child to improve in their favorite activity, but also in other areas of their life, continues the professor.
A former basketball player, he illustrates his point by giving the example of the pressure felt when scoring a basket during a penalty throw. If the young person has learned to manage their stress in this situation, they will also be able to do so sitting in a class in front of an exam sheet.
Moreover, passions, which are “a very accomplished form of intrinsic motivation”, can fuel academic motivation, observes Elizabeth Olivier, assistant professor in the department of educational psychology and andragogy at UQAM.
“If we have a great passion for a particular sport, in addition to doing that sport, we can read about that sport, play board games around it, have discussion groups on the subject… We can do full of activities that have an academic nature linked to passion,” underlines the expert who is interested in motivation and academic commitment.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
Émilie Bouthillette (left)
Between harmony and obsession
A passion can, however, lead to negative consequences.
“There are two types of passion: harmonious passion and obsessive passion,” explains Robert J. Vallerand.
When passion turns into obsession, it can cause physical and mental health problems. The person then invests so much in their activity that “their ego is always at stake”. “She always wants to be better than others, to show them what she is capable of doing,” explains the UQAM professor. Obsessive passion will also encroach on other spheres of life, such as friends, family or school.
“Not all passions are healthy. We want to develop a harmonious passion that will add to the young person’s life and not take up all the space,” he summarizes.
PHOTO MARTIN CHAMBERLAND, THE PRESS
The players of the Intrepids of Saint-Bruno-de-Montarville
The young person’s choice
How can you encourage your child or teenager to find and develop their passions? The experts consulted by The Press agree that the choice of an activity should come from the young person and not from their parents. Otherwise, he could feel a certain pressure “to please” his father and mother, notes the UQAM professor.
However, we can provide him with a list of activities and ask him to choose among them what he would like to try, suggests psychologist Nathalie Parent.
What if the young person’s interest changes from one season to the next? This is normal and even positive.
I call it the cafeteria approach. We try lots of things. It helps young people discover who they are, what they like.
Robert J. Vallerand, full professor of social psychology at UQAM
However, this does not mean abandoning a full session of guitar lessons, because after two sessions, your child prefers to try the trumpet. Robert J. Vallerand suggests inviting young people to think carefully about the activity in which they wish to register and then to commit for a specific period of time. Especially since registering for an activity generates costs which are not always refundable in the event of abandonment.
And if your child’s passion involves a screen, like video games, should we encourage them to pursue it?
“Of course, encouraging more screen time is not ideal,” replies Elizabeth Olivier. One might wonder how to invest this interest in another way. Can we read around this subject? For example, there are comics that recall the world of video games. »
Last advice for parents: if your child accepts, sometimes dare to do the activity that fascinates him with him, recommends Robert J. Vallerand. For what ? “To prove to him that he can be better than you.” »
“It’s so important for young people to feel that, somewhere, they can be better than their parents. It’s good for their self-esteem,” argues the professor.
And no need to force yourself to be bad. “Eventually, if they are passionate, they will become better than you,” says Robert J. Vallerand.