CommunicationsSeedstock EDGE | “For the Record” | “The Pinnacle” | |
| Seedstock EDGE Seedstock EDGE main | Seedstock EDGE archives Advertising rates/deadlines | Mail dates Subscribe today! | Seedstock EDGE staff |
October/November 2004 Issue
Practice like No. 2
by Jennifer Shike
To be a great competitor, you must learn how to practice first. Meaningful practice not only improves your abilities, but it also helps you stand up under pressure and realize your worth is not based solely on a win, but on the process of getting there.
One of my favorite quotes is, “To be No. 1, practice like you’re No. 2.”
When I became a member of the livestock judging team at Black Hawk East, I learned that practice was no longer optional – it was necessary.
All of a sudden, I was surrounded by some of the most talented judges from across the
I’m intrigued by the dynamics of a team and watching people vie for the top spot. I believe true winners don’t think of themselves as better than others, and they never let themselves believe they are best during practice. If they did, they wouldn’t push as hard.
While on the judging team, I was reminded often that my spot wasn’t secure and that I needed to become more focused in practice and mentally tougher than ever before.
I began to understand how the most important people on my team were the ones in the sixth and seventh positions. They were the ones that were
pushing the rest of us to be better because they wanted to take our spots.
Practice is the key to improvement – whether you are practicing for a judging contest, football game or school play. When you come to practice, you need to be ready to work hard, or you’re going to waste your time.
In our society, everyone wants to be No. 1. Advertisements, billboards and slogans surround us with “quick fixes”
to become the best fast.
But, when you look at true champions in life, you’ll notice that despite their “fame,” they never settle
for a “quick fix” – they practice hard and do not allow themselves to be content where they are.
They practice like they are No. 2 so their competition doesn’t get an edge.
And, despite the world’s focus on self-confidence, I believe there is still value in being a humble competitor.
One example is hockey legend Wayne Gretzky. He is a man who never settled or considered himself better than others, even though he was considered by many to be the best hockey player ever at each stage of his life.
At the age of 9, he gave his first interview and faced pressures that few athletes have to realize at such a young age. He lived his life in the spotlight – but it didn’t make him complacent. It made him work harder.
In an interview, Gretzky said he was always the small guy when he was growing up. He said, “When I was 5 and playing against 11-year-olds, who were bigger, stronger, faster, I just had to figure out a way to play with them. When I was 14, I played against 20-year-olds, and when I was 17, I played with men.”
Gretzky constantly found people bigger or better than him to help him improve. He claimed that it wasn’t
his strength or speed that made him a legend – instead, it was his mind that did most of the work. He was confident during the game and humble and hardworking in practice.
When he retired in 1999, he had scored 2,857 points in the NHL – and a record 894 goals in his 20 NHL seasons. Gretzky’s history proves that practice and mental toughness pave the way to success.
Confidence is important in competition, but humility and hard work in practice are even more important.
NJSA shows and events continue to get tougher. The quality and quantity of exhibitors and pigs at our events improves at every show.
This growth is awesome, but it also means that more youth won’t go home with the blue ribbon.
For example, when you look at how tough our novice group has become already, it’s hard to imagine where they will be when they are seniors.
Hopefully, the novice will learn from the seniors that the work starts at home. And if they practice like they are No. 2, they may just become No. 1 someday.
