I asked every single participant on the National Showjumping Development Squad if they thought they were an athlete. Some were, some didn't know and some perhaps didn't want to say. It can hard as a young person sometimes to put yourself out there, tell the world what you want to be, it's self preservation just in case you may fail. I was a little surprised by their vocal lack of commitment to being an athlete, yet here they were partaking in an intensive three day training camp having been recognised as the new wave of talent in their age group. I had no need for concern. By the end of the day I had realised these young adults had out smarted me. They were making more moves, less announcements.
This group of 24 may have been chosen based on their talent in the saddle, however, there were ten major things that stood out, required zero talent, yet impressed me the most.
There's some lessons for all of us.
1. There was no walking.
Everyone was on a tight schedule and those in charge acted as logistical masterminds making sure everyone was where they were supposed to be. On the occasion that someone was running late, they came running. Thats called arriving with a good attitude.
2. There were no selfies.
Over the course of an entire day of workshops and watching the riding, I did not see at any point anyone take out their phone as a sign of boredom. Thats called being interested in something greater than yourself.
3. People shared and people listened.
People shared their personal experiences and the others listened without interruption. I saw this inside and in the arena. There was no bettering or sniggering. That's called learning about yourself from others without opening your mouth.
4. The back of the room was not cool.
There was no rushing to the back seats, instead everyone filled up the front line, several even took out pen and paper before we got started. That's called being aware of how your energy and body language effects others.
5. People asked questions.
People stayed behind to ask questions even if it meant sacrificing coffee. That's called doing extra to gain extra.
6. The horses and riders were professional.
All of the horses and riders I saw were clean and tidy and ready for work. No matter the quality of the horse or the age of their boots, they had pride in their appearance. That's called being prepared.
7. Tiredness was not a communicated feeling.
I saw plenty of sweat, plenty of fighting closing eyes and plenty of hidden yawns on possibly the muggiest day of the year, yet not once did I hear anyone claim to be tired. There was 'busy' and 'under-pressure' and 'intensity' but there was not one person worrying about being tired. That's called understanding that not all feelings are helpful and making a conscious effort to focus on something more useful. Actually thats just called being smart.
8. I heard discussions.
I listened to several lessons with Showjumping and flatwork Coaches and I didn't just hear teaching, I heard collaboration. I heard riders give feedback and communicate. That's called being Coachable.
9. Weaknesses were aimed at not blamed.
Every rider could identify a weakness in their ridability of their horse. There was never a suggestion of this weakness being due to a flaw of the horse, this weakness was simply a riding skill they were still working on mastering together with their equine partner. Thats called learning to focus on things you can control, instead of all the things you can't.
10. There was passion.
Hidden under the cool exteriors of young adults and teenagers were smiles and wide eyes at the mention of their idols and pinnacle events. There was in depth knowledge of world class riders and appreciation for their achievements. There was interest, there was positivity and there was passion. Thats called not measuring your future on your past, thats called aiming higher than your peer group.
They maybe didn't say it, but they certainly showed it. That's called being an athlete.
Comments
Post a Comment