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June Youth 2007 Issue
It's in the ABCs
by Jennifer Shike
If you follow college basketball, you can’t help but be intrigued by Florida’s coach, Billy Donovan. You don’t have to like him, but his coaching style works. Every time ESPN shows clips of Donovan talking to his team, I stop to listen.
It’s not easy to win back-to-back national championships. But, Donovan’s coaching guided his team to accomplish what few programs can claim.
Of course, you can’t deny the amazing talent on his team. However, talent without motivation and drive doesn’t accomplish much. Through history lessons, visits from famous people and his own example, Donovan kept his team focused to win in March.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Donovan shared why he took his team on a tour through New Orleans to see the devastation left by Hurricane Katrina in the middle of March Madness.
“You have a tendency to view everything in your life through your knothole and your own eyes,” Donovan said. “Sometimes it’s nice to view the world from a different viewpoint. When you can see what other people have to deal with or how fortunate you are, sometimes that helps.”
This tour worked and is just one example of why Donovan is a master motivator. He makes people want to do better for others – not just themselves. And when this happens, people believe they can do anything.
On www.gatorzone.com, Donovan shares “The ABCs of Reaching Your Dreams.” I wanted to pass on a few ABCs that might be able to help you this summer.
I – Ignore those who try to discourage you! Time after time, I hear youth discussing how their friends at school don’t understand their commitment to their showpigs. I remember giving up birthday parties, shopping trips and amusement park visits to stay home and work with my horses and livestock or go to a show. It wasn’t easy to do, especially when my friends gave me a hard time about it.
No matter what you set out to accomplish in life, people will try to discourage you from achieving your goals. My dad always said, “When you are at the top, people will try to bring you down. Don’t let them win by getting you down.”
During times like these, ignore those people. Instead, try calling up one of your pig-showing friends for support. Lean on others who understand!
O – Open your eyes and see things as they really are. Sometimes we choose to put on our “colored glasses” and look at things the way we want to see them. One reason why we go to shows and essentially pay to get someone else’s opinion is to prevent ourselves from becoming barn-blind.
When you work with your pig every day, you see the great changes your pig makes. It’s easy to get excited and think he’s one of the best. Just don’t forget to take off your glasses from time to time and see things as they really are.
Be honest with yourself and stay focused on your goals. If you think your pig is the best, there is nothing wrong with that! But, be open to unbiased opinions at the shows and be willing to make improvements for the next time out.
R – Read and learn about everything important to you. The resources available to young swine enthusiasts are endless. Magazines, brochures and the Internet offer a large variety of information that can benefit you in your operation. As well, I encourage you to visit with other breeders and swine showmen to learn more about this industry. They can provide a wealth of knowledge and resources to help you reach your goals.
W – Want your dream more than anything. When you want your dream more than anything, you work hard and devote yourself to reaching that dream. It’s exciting what effort and dedication can accomplish. I believe it’s great to set goals for yourself, but that’s not enough. You have to put these goals into action, and they have to be a priority in your life.
I encourage you to look up the rest of these ABCs and hang them in your room or your barn or wherever you go to dream about your future. As a young person in the swine industry, you have so many opportunities available to you!
Ignore those who try to stop you from achieving success, look at things as they really are, learn everything you can about your dream, and most of all, want your dream more than anything.
