Sowing Seeds For Success In The Juniors’ Ring

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122 – March, 2024

By William Given

As a mentor of juniors and someone who loves the sport of purebred dogs and knows that it is our young people who will inherit and ensure the survival of the sport, I encourage you to be active in the sport, alert to every opportunity to seize advantage in the ring, and learn all you need to know quickly in order to be successful. I would also encourage you to be relaxed, patient, and to work toward learning and developing the skills you need to win slowly. Because no two people are exactly the same (and the same is true of ring partners), and because of the subjective nature of Junior Showmanship judging, it is important that you establish a system for learning and growing in the sport at your own pace.

Probably the best way to do this is by setting goals. A goal is best defined as the object of a person’s aim or effort, or the attainment of a desired result–usually within a specified time. A goal can be broadly categorized as being objective or subjective. “I want to have fun at dog shows,” or “I want to do better at the next dog show.” The goals have undefinable outcomes that cannot be objectively measured. Objective goals, however, can be measured. For example, “I want to win my class at the next show,” or “I want to qualify for Westminster within the next six months.”

Goal setting means establishing an end target that you want to achieve as well as setting milestones to mark your progress. If your goals are specific, challenging and achievable, they can motivate you to achieve great things. Getting a glass of water from the kitchen faucet might be specific and achievable, but there is no challenge to it. Whereas winning your class three times in a row and a Best Junior Handler award is both challenging and achievable. My purpose here is to introduce you to a goal setting process that can help you set and achieve the goals that matter most to you and will lead to greater success in the juniors’ ring.

Setting goals requires the development of an action plan that guides an individual toward a goal. Whether your goal is winning a Best Junior Handler award or qualifying for the Junior Showmanship competition at Westminster, the goal setting process can help you achieve the desired outcome.

Try to imagine goal setting as a road map that can help you decide which route to travel to get to your destination. You are free to choose the route you take. The better the choices you make as you travel, the easier your journey will be. You can travel with confidence and reach your destination ready to win.

Setting “SMART” Goals

Click here to read the complete article
122 – March, 2024

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Posted by AnthonyA on Mar 11 2024. Filed under Current Articles, Featured. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.