Why do we do what we do?

Sorry for the silence the last few months life happens!

So as I have thought about all the things that I could post about this week I have had many things on my mind, all the amazing strides my kids made this year.  I could tell you about all of the wins and the success, but something changed my mind as I sat down to write this morning I popped onto Facebook was cruising through when I found Jean's Boots are Made for Walking and this amazing article she wrote http://jeansboots.blogspot.com/2015/06/coach-character.html .

I am a showmanship coach, people pay me to help their kids.  Let's face it, as kids our parents knew nothing about anything, especially when it came to livestock! That being said I try to bridge that gap, but there are so many times that I stand back and watch things like Jean is talking about happen, and it isn't just in the show ring.

So let me ask you all something (this goes to kids, parents, and supporters).  Why do you show and raise livestock?  Why do you play sports?

"What is the one thing that stood out the most to you?"

I sat in a leadership meeting tonight, a room of probably thirty people, of which I knew three.  Listening to a pitch from a school teacher making six figures on top of his annual salary.  Now I know someone out there reading this going, what in the world does this have to do with Livestock coaching; to answer you nothing and everything.  I am working constantly to reach my goals, to make my dreams of being a full time coach, mentor, and business owner a  full blown reality.  When we left the meeting one of my coaches said to me what was the one thing that stood out to you tonight, this is not the first time you have heard the information.  I said reiteration, while not always necessary helps, hearing the same information from different people sometimes portrays a different message, but the one thing that stood out to me tonight and even kind of smacked me in the face was it all comes down to the kind of people you surround yourself with.  This group of people wants to build relationships with you, friendships, mentorships.  They want to help you help others. 

So, there is the nothing part of what that has to do with livestock coaching.  Here is the everything part.  From the time I was a small child my parents always taught me that they had eyes in the back of their heads, and while that isn't exactly true, it is true that I can not go anywhere to this day that I don't know someone.  My actions, my every move reflects not only me, but my family.  Have I always made the best, most perfect decisions, no.  But, no matter where I go I have people I look up to and I have people who look up to me.

Now, for having not posted in a while this may seem very random.  It is. But, while I haven't been posting blogs, tweeting, or posting on facebook I have still been here.  An active summer of coaching, a great group of kids reaching goals, making things happen that at one point or another they told me couldn't happen.  Where this all comes full circle is right here.  I am a showmanship coach because I was that kid, mom told me things while I heard her I may not have always listened.  She paid coaches, mentors, and jockey's  along the way to send me the same message in a different format that I would listen and hear.  We all have challenges in life.  I am in a challenging time in life, there are ups and downs,  I would be no where if it weren't for the young people that I look forward to working with in the future, as well as the ones that I have the opportunity to work with now, and for the ones that you have left because you have it all figured out, good luck.  I truly wish you all the best, because after twenty years in the livestock business and twenty-six and a half years in life I am no where close! 

As we kick off a new year, I want to say thank you to all of my 2014-2015 customers.  Those of you that will be continuing on with me for '15-'16 I am so excited for our adventures.  They won't all be easy, we will have good and bad days, but I can promise you this with this team of people you won't face anything alone. 
If you haven't heard about the program I encourage you to visit our website at www.kalivestockservices.com or give me a call today to set up an appointment to see how we can help you.  

Thank you again for all of your support!

No Man Stands Alone

I learned a long time ago that it is important to have someone backing you no matter what you were doing.  I learned a long time ago that the "team" behind you didn't have to be conventional to make everything worth while.  When I started showing we had people who helped us, I had older kids that I looked up to, but my parents taught me the value of hard work.  I now get to spend my spare time helping people getting into the cattle business.  I currently have four families that I have been spending the larger majority of my time with.  Four of the five kids are the same age (freshman) in high school, three girls one boy.  We have shown four shows with all of them one has attended six weekends and the fourth has attended five weekends.  Last Friday, on our weekend off the kids all wanted to practice, so instead of having individual sessions I decided to make it our own version of Friday night lights.  The better part of three hours we practiced, it was intense, but I saw something else growing.  These kids right before my eyes were developing my theory of no man stands alone.

They go to three different schools, they live in four different counties, and Saturday night they were having a sleep over to go to a school play.  They have created friendships that will help them survive the cruel world of high school.  They have someone to turn to when life gets them down. These kids are competitors, they are each others challenges in one breath and best friends in the next.  They have all experienced successes and failures, together.

I can't tell you where these kids will be ten years from now. I don't know what they will be when they get done with college, what their GPA will be. I can tell you that their studies come before practice. I can tell you that if they need help in other aspects of life or just a way to get away, they have that in this program. I can tell you that no matter where they will not be going there alone.

I didn't get to post yesterday, because I had three fabulous little girls at the farm for their first 4-H meeting as clover buds. These three little girls may never set foot in the show ring, that is their choice.  However, they are on the road to building their foundations away from home.  They have a long time before they leave, but they have a lot of backing todo what ever they want.
If you, or your kids are in a place that they need help or they are just starting out, and need guidance. Contact me, we build everything around the kids short term and long term goals, so we are never pushing them to a place where they are overwhelmed, but they are constantly being pushed.

Top Left: 4-H Club Cloverbuds learning to tie halters; Top Center: Abi, Taryn, & Bella checking out the baby donkeys; top right: Olivia (left) & Jake (second from left) lined up in their top ten finish at the Wilmington BEST show; center Olivia (second from the left) Abbigail (second from the right) in their top ten finishes at the Wilmington BEST Show; Bottom Center: Melissa (my mom) and Abi learning how to halter a "Calf"; Bottom Center: Curtis getting his pre-showmanship pep talk his first time in the ring with a lamb; Bottom Right: Brooklyn, Abi, & Bella brushing Brooklyn's heifer at the County Fair.