What if professional rodeo contestants acted like junior rodeo participants? What if behind the chutes they were asking each other what their favorite color was? Would they tell stories about how fast their horse was and how they rode the rough off of him that one time that he crow hopped? I think there are a lot of similarities between cowboys and cowgirls big and small. If you watch the pro circuit, you can easily see that some of the biggest fans of the contestants are their own competitors. They whoop and holler for a good bronc ride, shake hands after a fast run in the roping, and are the first ones in the arena if there is a wreck or someone needs help.
There’s nothing quite like the camaraderie associated with rodeo. Fierce competitors in the arena likely share the same cab of a pickup traveling down the highway to the next rodeo. Recently our kids participated in a junior rodeo and I am so optimistic for the future ahead. These young competitors were cheering on their friends as loud as they could from the side of the arena. High fives and encouraging words could be seen and heard as every competitor left the arena. There wasn’t a peep out of anyone when the national anthem played, and an army of volunteers helped to make the day run smoothly.
I think to other sporting events that I have been to. Parents making fools out of themselves by yelling at a referee or an umpire over a call that they didn’t agree with. Trash talking that leads to fights on the fifty yard line at college and professional football games are becoming more and more prevalent every year. At the fairgrounds, there is a good chance that every parent on the place will correct your child when they aren’t acting right, whether they know them or not. They would expect you to do the same to their child. They say that it takes a village to raise children. I think this is very true, but the village that you choose better be a good one. If you want your children to act right, you better make sure your village of people around you act right as well.
I love that at the junior rodeos, the smiles on kids faces never seem to end. There are frowns and disappointment when they receive a no time for dropping a flag or knocking over a barrel, but they bounce right back when the kind words of a stranger tell them that they’ll get it next time! The crowd supports all the competitors, and they applaud all the effort that is put in. More and more I enjoy seeing my children compete in an arena than in a gym or on a ball diamond. Theres nothing wrong with playing all the team sports, heck I think it makes well rounded kids. I don’t think there is any better display of the meaning of sportsmanship than what you see at a rodeo arena however.
My kids didn’t bring home any hardware or ribbons this time, but they were all smiles and even made a few new friends. As a parent, there was no greater joy than seeing my son congratulating competitors that he had never met before as they rode out of the arena. That’s all for this time, show kindness and be encouraging to those around you, even when you don’t want to be. Keep tabs on your side of the barbed wire and God Bless!