I learned the value of competition and the true meaning of sportsmanship
through our county's 4-H Supreme Showman Contest. Nine competitors participate
in the contest each year. Each contestant is the Master Showman of a
particular animal species. During the week of the competition, fellow
4-H'ers flooded me with information concerning various breeds and their
characteristics, feed rations, and grooming and showmanship tips.
I sat at our showbox as I was quizzed by my friends and thought about
the mountain of information. Learning about rabbits, poultry and horses
was like trying to learn a foreign language in two days.
The amazing part of the pre-competition was the overwhelming effort
of all the Master Showmen to help each other. Some of my best trainers
were fellow contestants, although each 4-H'er in the contest intended
to do his or her very best with hopes of becoming the Master Showman.
With the onset of the daylong judging and an overload of information
whirling through my head, I started into the ring. I won by a narrow
margin. Only four points separated the top three places.
What made direct competitors help each other? How could we all remain
friends?
We were all veterans of our 4-H program, and we realized that a trophy
or title was not as valuable as the experience and our friendship. Although
competition can bring out the worst in some folks, I learned that people
in our 4-H program could win and lose with integrity and character.
4-H has also given me the opportunity to meet people beyond our county
and state borders. Through trips to National 4-H Congress and Citizenship
Washington Focus, I met future Purdue University classmates and made
lifelong friendships.
As a member of the National Youth Leadership Team, I traveled to Atlanta,
Ga., where I emceed the evening program, on the same stage as Miss America.
I recently returned from the National Communications Curriculum Design
Team workshop in Memphis. I worked with communication specialists from
across the United States to design our first 4-H communications manuals.
This gave me insight into the work involved in developing new 4-H projects,
and it was an experience that will be beneficial in my career. Needless
to say, 4-H has opened a lot of doors for me.
The 4-H memories I cherish are the friendship, love, encouragement
and support I have received and the wonderful opportunities I have had
through my involvement in our 4-H program. It's not about the trophies
and ribbons I coveted as a 4-H rookie, it's all about people, learning
and possibilities.
Page 1 | Page
2 | Page 3
