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!

Making it a Successful New Year

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

It's been a little while since I last posted, but that is because things have been so amazingly busy.  I want to start by thanking you, my readers, whether you are my current student or parents of or you just follow along to see where this crazy journey takes us - thank you.  You guys are my outlet for bouncing ideas and sharing the excitement of my students.  There are only so many times I can tell them that I am proud of them, but man am I proud.  I hope you all had a wonderful holiday and I wish you and your families a healthy and Happy New Year.  

As I said in the beginning things have been busy.  We started the show season here in Ohio Thanksgiving weekend and the kids came out swinging.  My littlest showmen met all her goals by say attached to both her heifers in both rings and even in showmanship.  Brooklynn is not new to the show ring in fact at 8 she has been showing with some assistance for four years, but going out the first time alone and conquering two heifers that were less desirably behaving when you way less than a bag of feed is a big win in our book! Avery, my jokester of the bunch.  What an amazing kid he's smart, he works hard, he's funny, and you couldn't get him fired up if you paid him.  He was around the team last year and showed a heifer a couple of times, but this year he has his own heifer to show and is doing great.  He has some obstacles to overcome, but which one of us hasn't in life. We are very excited to have Avery with us this year and look forward to watch him continue to get better. Olivia, this is her second year with me, she was my stand out most improved last year and did awesome. For those of you that have been around this a long time you understand what I mean when I say Olivia has been battling a wall this year, especially in showmanship.  She has two heifers that have each been challenging in their own way, as well as making a jump in showmanship divisions. She is on the edge of making the big break, I know she doesn't believe me but she is right there. Next there is my Abby, she came to us last year and had a slow start, but closed out with a pretty awesome season.  She started this year with a bang. I am so proud of her and Olivia, they are the leaders of the group they help with the younger kids and set great examples for them.  Jake, is another one that made huge improvements last year as it went on. He, like Olivia has faced challenges this year, but after week two of being out we are seeing improvements in both him and the steer which is awesome. I also have to give Jake props because he has also been taking care of his sister Barbara's steer while she's been away at college.  He definitely got that one right for her.  Barbara is always my sweet smile, I haven't gotten to spend as much time with her this year, but she always has a warm smile and is so good with the livestock. I am excited that we have added three new students to the group starting with the new year. Caden, who hasn't show cattle before but in the time we have spent together is going to be quite the natural and has a lot of potential.  Tori and Quinton, I am adding to assist with perfecting and making changes as they hit different bench marks in their show careers.

This is the point where I completely melt over this group of kids.  They are building friendships, they are working together, they are sweet and fun to be around.  I don't have kids of my own, but I know that I can only pray mine turn out half as good as this group.

Lesson for this post never give up, never let it get under your skin, just do you.  These kids take on a lot they excel in school, they keep their grades up and many of them it is a stipulation put in place by their parents that in order to attend a show they must keep their grades up. (Thank you to my mom who always pushed us on that front).  At any given point it would be easy for them to "give-up" or say "I can't" (a forbidden term in my world).  They have been defeated in the ring and in the classroom and in life.  They have also had their successes.  It is most important that no matter what happens these kids never give up.  The other challenge that this group faces is that they watch each other in their successes and failures and figure out how to pick each other up.

In 2015 the KALS family will be continuing to grow.  Be sure to watch for www.kalexanderlivestockservices.com to go live. We will be continuing to spotlight this group of kids that have gotten me going, but the future of KALS will be available for viewing.  Come visit us at any of the Ohio BEST shows this winter, and as Birthday's and holidays come up throughout the year remember to give the gift of showmanship coaching in the form of a gift certificate.  In 2015 resolve to become a better showman, call K.A. Livestock Services today!

Fresh Start

Sometimes in life we reach a point where we beg to get a fresh start, a new outlook on life.  Whether it is in our jobs or with the situations we are in.  Livestock kids know this feeling the best.  Whether it is selling that one that has been the sweetest and the most fun to go work with and it just about breaking your heart. Or it is turning that show heifer out to pasture to be a cow that has been the biggest pain since you started showing her at three months old.  We all have those and life throws those moments at us each day.  2014 had been a crazy blur in a lot of cases, and there are many memories I would just assume leave here, but at the same time the great memories are here too.  Each moment you get a fresh start and if you mentally decide that you are going to take the positive route then you choose a fresh start. After the crazy year that it has been here, I have taken some time to really focus on who I am as a person, as a coach, and just in terms of life itself, I have been countlessly reminded how blessed I am.  Whether it is the farm, my amazing family, my readers, my friends, and last but not least my kids.  We each choose our path, I hope that you can find the path less traveled, and sometimes dimly lit, that is the one that will lead you where you want to go.

With that being said, let's get back to this fresh start.  I am so excited about the year that is before us.  I have a great group of kids, we have added new families to the team, and we have added new members to our working side of the team.  We have new and exciting things to come in 2015, but we are going to kick '14 out with a bang.

If you have been struggling, whether it be with your new calf not cooperating just the way that it should or you have been unable to locate that one that fits your operation please contact us.  Whether you are near or far we have options to help make this years goals become reality.  For the kids in my group already, be watching your challenges are coming and if you think I pushed you last year you haven't seen anything yet!

The lesson that is going to go along with this blog is one that is a tough one.  Whether you have grown up around showing livestock or are new to the game there is always some underlying life lesson that you don't even realize is happening until many many years down the road.  One of those is show friendships.

When you travel and show as much as we have over the years there are families that you become close to, families that you stall with every year on the show circuit, or at the county or state fair.  These people become your friends and you find yourselves in "off - season" counting down the days until you see them again every weekend.  This is where the lesson comes in. At the stalls everyone works together, as multiple families travel together you learn when to stay out of the way of the proverbial "family - moment" or when it is good to try to step in and help, but what happens when you show up and they have a calf in the same division as you, or one that you are going to to end up showing in the same class as all year.  Or, you have changed showmanship divisions and suddenly you are showing against each other all weekend long.  How as a young person does that get handled?  Well let me tell you, it isn't easy.  When you walk to the ring side with this friend that you have come so close to you prepare in the same way, when you walk in the ring you go out there to compete the best way you know how, don't worry varying opinions of judges could change the outcome from one ring to the next, and when you come out you congratulate one another and nothing has changed. The key in all of this is never sacrifice your ability to make someone else happy.  Everytime you walk in that ring you drive like it is for the big win.

This is your chance at a fresh start, be sure to give it your all, and contact me for any all of your livestock coaching needs! Be Keeping an eye out for some exciting announcements and changes coming to KALS!

Summer Rush

It was brought to my attention by one of my readers that she was concerned about me because I had been kind of quiet the last few months!  That may be an understatement for me.  My days are consumed by my big kid job and my evenings spent in the barns checking with my kids, or out enjoying the fact that I am 25 healthy, and totally blessed.

I do have to brag on my kids.  The pictures will come later, but I have been blessed with some amazing families to work with.  There were events that transpired differently than we had hoped, there were goals we reached even with our naysayers in our ears telling us there was no way that we could do it. We reached landmarks with some of my kids, we ended careers, but it I would not have changed the journey for anything.

Before I get all sappy, I just want to say that if you are out there and your kids are showing livestock or want to show livestock they have the opportunity to be a part of this too.  I am always taking on new families, whether it is one session or you want to become a part of the K.A. Livestock Service Team, we can find the fit for you.

Results for the 2014 Season as of July 26th

Maine Anjou/ Chianina Junior Nationals
Chi Intermediate Showmanship - Abbey Pitstick
Maine Senior Showmanship - Cameron Alexander & Kaitlyn Carey
Bred & Owned Division - Cameron Alexander
2nd in Class - Abbey Pitstick

Clinton County Fair
Reserve 14 Year Old Sheep Showman - Olivia Wood
Supreme Beef Showman - Olivia Wood
Third Overall Senior Showman - Kaitlyn Carey
Champion Intermediate Showman - Avery Wood
Reserve Grand Champion Homegrown Lamb - Olivia Wood
Reserve Feeder Steer - Kaitlyn Carey
Grand Champion County Raised/ HomeGrown Breeding Heifer - Kaitlyn Carey
Supreme Champion Female (Champion AOB)- Kaitlyn Carey
Reserve Supreme Female (Champion Commercial) - Avery Wood

Fayette County Fair
Supreme Champion Female - Jacob Sears (Raised by Alexander Show Cattle/ Pilot Knob Enterprises)

Ohio State Fair
Grand Champion Bred & Owned Maine Anjou Female - Kaitlyn Carey

Good luck to my "little" (I use the term loosely) brother Cameron and Kaitlyn Carey today in their exhibitions at the Ohio State Fair Open Maine Anjou Show.

If you want to be a part of this contact us at kalivestockservice@gmail.com.

Kaitlyn Carey, you have brought me to tears.  I can't tell you how proud I am of you.  The last seven years with you on our team has been amazing.  This being your final year of 4-H has proven no different.  I know there are some goals we didn't reach, but there have been some that we never dreamed would come and you made them happen.  You have been an absolute joy to have on the team and I hope you stick around even though you are old now.  Kate is a vet student now at the University of Findlay and made both the North American and the National Western Stock show teams for the University. 

Abbigail Pitstick and CKA Darcy - Raised by Cameron Alexander - Alexander Show Cattle/Pilot Knob Ent.  Abbigail has done an amazing job all year with Darcy.  Abbey has never shown anything, and she made the cut at the Chi Junior Nationals this summer as well as worked her way to three top ten finishes in the BEST Program. Thank you to the Pitstick family for all of their hard work, and dedication

Congratulations to the Sears Family this is their second year with me. I am so proud of this young man and his improvement and hard work over the last year! Great job Jake & Stella.  This calf was raised by me out of my last Jr. Maine Anjou, she's a Monopoly x Sooner Son.

Oliva & Avery Wood you guys are awesome.  This family has been friends for years and came to me for assistance when they went from exhibiting sheep to exhibiting beef cattle.  They rocked the BEST program all season and continued it right on into the summer. The Quallen Family was also part of our adventure this winter and Haley was always adding a laugh and 'W' to the team!

I would not change what I do for anything.  Thank you to all of my 2014 Families can't wait to see your pictures next year!

Calm Before The Storm

This morning I am sitting in a hotel in Pennsylvania looking at my schedule and this time truly is the calm before the next storm.  March 30th we completed an amazing whirlwind year in the BEST program. On our final weekend out we 5th overall heifer with Cameron's crossbred "Rosa" and "Midge" aka Ali was Reserve Mainetainer.  The Haley & Oliva did great with their heifers Abby and Darcy were 3rd their highest placing of the year, we had 3rd, 4th and 5th overall novice showman one day and Grand and Reserve on Sunday, there were also some lessons learned that day.  Nonetheless, I am so proud of these kids, their level of commitment, their drive to support one another, and the friendships that they have built is more than I could ever teach them in the show ring. I won't lie, internally I got a little emotional inside as I watched them that Sunday, they have all got a long way in their learning and processing, but they have all taken their goals and blown them out of the water in most cases, many have made such huge strides that goals are important but we are celebrating positive steps.
As we go into our summer season we have Junior Nationals, County Fairs, State Fair, and lots of practice sessions!!  Before that storm hits, I want to say thank you to some very special people.  My parents, without them I wouldn't have the knowledge and abilities to teach the kids the things I have.  My other half, Tad Francis, your support, and all of your fitting and clipping skills would not have been able to be as successful or dedicated to the kids as I have.  Cameron, well you will always be my little brother, but it has been fun to watch you grow, watching you and Tad work as a team, and helping me out when he was gone.  Lauren, you came in later in the game, but have always offered entertainment, most at your expense but fun nonetheless. Katie, I know you didn't get to come to many shows but I am so proud of you and thankful to have had the opportunity to watch you grow into one of the most amazing people I know. My families, the returning Cluxton and Sears Families. My newbies the Pitstick, Quallen, and Woods Families all of your commitments to your kids and to the quality of their projects.  Thank you all.  So excited to add some lambs and families to my summer team, and we are so ready to rock the spring and summer shows.
There is still time to add your name to our line up.  Contact me today for more information about joining the team.

Making Dreams Reality

From the time I started 4-H we always set down, made a list of goals we had and projects we were going to take.  There were always dreams of winning this or that, but there were baby steps that had to be taken to get there.  When I started working with kids I did the same thing with them, that my parents had done with me.  I believe that this method keeps everyone from getting burnt out and looking realistically at what one can accomplish in a year. At the start of the new show season last year if someone had told me that the group of kids that I have this year would come as far as they have as fast as they have, I would have told them they were crazy.  Man, would I have been wrong.  Now, there are some shows that you go to, it doesn't matter how well you do all along, all bets are off you flat don't know what is going to happen.  The Ohio Beef Expo, is that show for us usually, at least for me anyway.  Here is where my disclaimer comes: ***I am going to brag on my kids, but it means nothing about me taking more on. It doesn't matter how many kids I have they each have individual goals, and dreams, and ideas of where they want to go with this.*** If I revert to my show career for a moment, I had successfully made the top ten at the Beef Expo, twice (my last two years). I had two breed champion/ reserve breed champions, one in 2003 and one my last year.  It was a dream of mine to win showmanship at the Beef Expo.  My little brother did it, man was I proud.  Jared did it after just one practice session with me, I was amazed.  This weekend Olivia did it, I was completely overcome.  Now, I may never have done it on my own, but watching these kids have the ability and the strengths to do it, makes all those years of feeling completely defeated after the Beef Expo totally worth it. But trust me, there can still only be one winner, and that's what makes it fun.  Hailey, one of my other students, didn't win, but she was in the top ten in her division, huge accomplishment, and wouldn't trade the opportunity to work with her for anything.  My three other girls that didn't make the cut, but have made huge strides in their abilities in the ring, I am so proud of them.  It all goes back to making dreams and goals reality.  We all have different goals, and if we all had the same one there would be a lot of disappointed kids in the show ring.  Does everyone want to win, of course, but when this ones steer is a different style because it is going to a different show than the next one.  Katie, I need to brag on as well.  She is a fifth or sixth year member of our group, she is a freshman in college, and what a role model she is for any kid, but especially my group.  This kid has never let defeat get her down, and she stepped up this year, her last year in 4-H when she could be in cut -throat mode.  This weekend she was cheering on kids that will be her competition, with out a doubt in her mind.  Katie, is a Freshman in a pre-vet program, she was a kid that was raised in town that has taken an opportunity to be involved in 4-H and turned it into a lifestyle, and we couldn't be more proud of her.  All of the kids accomplishments are making my dreams reality, because they are successful, and that is all I want for them.  Whether they are in the classroom, the barn, the ring, on a field, or in life I want them to be happy and successful.  Sometimes it takes years to realize the successes that come from defeats, I saw a glimpse of mine this past weekend, and I couldn't be happier.  Remember 4-H deadlines for Clinton County is April 1st.  We are still accepting paperwork, but it will be going to the office no later than a week from today.  Let us know how we can help you, or your child(rens) dreams reality. Contact me today, I will come talk to 4-H clubs, cattlemen's/ women's organizations, classes, let me know how we can work for you. Happy Thursday!!!