ASSEMBLING THE PIECES
Katie Prudent’s recent interview on WiSP Sports Radio was the catalyst of controversial feedback across the hunter/jumper industry stemming from her statement:
The way it’s (show jumping) been dummied down in today’s world, it’s amazing that anyone can ride at all. The sport has become for the fearful, talentless amateur. That’s what the sport has been dummied down to.
Unfortunately, because of money, the fearful, talentless amateur can rise to a certain level. And that’s sort of what the sport has become—how far can the amateur go by buying the greatest horse in the world. It’s not where can a good riding kid go on any horse that comes down the pike. It’s just a totally different sport now (1).
I will admit that when I first heard Ms. Prudent’s singular extracted statement I had a knee jerk reaction because she is one of my idols from my childhood, yet I was throne by her tone of delivery and the word amateur. I read the transcript over and over and also both the responses of McLain Ward and George Morris to better understand the context and not pass a quick judgement. Ultimately I believe the interview has much credence in addressing a major issue that is affecting our entire society: generational change.
WE WERE LUCKY
I am a product of Generation X, also known as the latch key generation. On Saturday mornings, I would go to the barn after completing my weekend household cleaning chores. My parent’s only request was that they had a general idea of where I was going in the neighborhood with my horse that cost my dad $1 to purchase and that I be home by dinner. Ms. Prudent’ is slightly older, but her generation was alo afforded a similar luxury of freedom. “I got into horses at a time in America that was unspoiled. Whoever rode in that age did it because they loved the horses. We loved to foxhunt, we loved to ride bareback, we loved to spend all day with the horses (2). What an amazing time to grow up when we could spend all day at the barn, relatively unsupervised, with our imaginations to inspire our activities!
I concur with much of George Morris’ response to Ms. Prudent’s interview in pinpointing what has caused the shift in our sport today. “The comfortable, well-to-do people of the 50’s and 60’s, up to the 80’s, their parents wanted it tough. Their parents wanted the trainers to be tough. Now if you look twice at a kid, often the parent criticises the trainer and takes the kid to another trainer – they want soft. It’s a cultural thing, the parents want it soft – it’s not the child’s fault, it’s their upbringing.” He later explains, ““Listen, I invented teaching amateurs to ride Grand Prix. I was one of the first ones to bring amateurs all over the world to ride but you have to give them that hard core, and that’s not done today. Today’s riders, when something goes wrong, they don’t know how to handle it, because they are not taught how to handle it. It’s a culture, it’s not riding, it’s a cultural problem (3).”
The biggest takeaways I extracted are that today’s parents need to hold their children more accountable and Milleninals and latter generations need to be taught how to solve problems. Money is not the root of the cause in developing riders in the sport of show jumpers.
THE FORMATIVE YEARS OF YOUR GENERATION
Gen Z, iGen, or Centennials: Born 1996 and later
Millennials or Gen Y: Born 1977 to 1995
Generation X: Born 1965 to 1976
Baby Boomers: Born 1946 to 1964
Traditionalists or Silent Generation: Born 1945 and before (4)
To better understand the generational nuances that have impacted our culture and therefore the development of riders in equestrian sport, we need to understand parenting through generalizations of each generation. “People are shaped largely by what happens during their “formative years”—the first two decades of life. “What happens” includes historical events, developments in science and technology. AND cultural trends like parenting styles (5).”
Millennials: …raised by the latchkey generation and by Baby Boomers who delayed parenthood. The family was much more “child centric.” Parents scheduled their kids in activities, protected them from dangers (both real and exaggerated), and praised them to build their self-esteem. Because of cell and other technology, they can get advice from Mom and Dad practically 24/7. As a result of the attentive parenting they received, this generation is very confident and neither independent nor self-directed; and they need lots of praise. They have a very different relationship with their parents than did older generations and often involve their parents in work-related decisions. Understanding difference enables us to move from judgment to acceptance—and choice.
Generation X: .Many in Gen X were raised in two-career families or single-parent families (or rotating households). Mom and Dad were working long hours. This generation became the “latch key” generation. They knew how to operate a microwave and entertain themselves. This is one reason the generation is characterized as independent and self-directed (6).
Baby Boomers: The Greatest Generation, raised during the Great Depression and wartime rationing, wanted to ensure that their children did not suffer or miss out on their youth as they did. This is good. This is what all parents want — for their children to avoid their hardships and prosper. And so that’s how the Boomers were raised — to believe that they shouldn’t have to go without (7).
IDENTIFIYING A SOLUTION
The primary question at hand is how to cultivate the next generation of talent and create well- rounded horsemen involved specific to the sport of show jumping. As millenilals and latter generations continue to mature, a different approach is going to be required in coaching. I learned this my last couple of years in the corporate world. I lead an aggressive project to launch an online storefront for a global company and the group consisted primarily of millineials. What started off as frustration on my part due to perceived complaceny of my co-workers concludes as one of the most tight and dedicated teams that I have ever had the privelage to work with. This group taught me that they froze under “assignments” with lack of dirction, but thrived under grooming. They wanted to complete tasks correctly and that took an investment of both my time and outside specialized instruction. The reward was a very competent and loyal team that continuously worked at growing their skill sets.
In an article published by Harvard Businesss Review (HBR) titled “COACHING: Millennials Want to Be Coached at Work.” the researchers looked in part as to how the famous basketball coach Mike Krzyzewski of Duke, aka “Coach K,” the winner of over 1,000 games, including the 1992 Olympic gold medal, and how he motivated his teams. Coach K’s focus was not on defeat, but on team building and getting the heads of the young players ready for the next game (8).
Tactics in coaching Millennials, in addition to getting in the heads of young players and team building, identified by HBR include:
* Praise: In an analysis of psychological tests of 1.4 million college students from 1938 to the present, Millennials were found to have more self-esteem while also having more anxiety and a higher need for praise. Great coaches understand this, and know that to create a winning team, they need to meet people halfway in their coaching needs.
* Surround me with great people. Young people repeatedly said, “Help me up my game by working with people who are talented and better than I am (now).” As Coach K said “All the players who arrive at Duke are immediately humbled in some ways because of the level of the work, the speed at which they have to play, and the fact that they are not always the best player on the court. A lot of them have never had to work that hard before because they had always been the best player.”
* Be authentic. Millennials seek an approachable manager and a role model whom they can emulate. Telling stories of your own failures and struggles, as well as your victories, makes you more approachable. Consider how Coach K would share his own stories about times when he’s felt overwhelmed whenever he’d see a new player daunted by the skills of those around him. Good coaches aren’t afraid to show emotions or experience those of their team, whether it’s the rush of victory or the disappointment of defeat (9).
Change is uncomfortable, especially in a sport that is steeped in tradition and reliant on both talent and discipline for success. To continue to develop our country’s show jumping talent, the stakeholders need to address cultural change in the formative years of today’s young riders (technology, parental involvement, etc.). It is the responsibility of parents to teach accountability, humility and respect to their children and ENFORCE these behaviors. Trainers will increasingly need to adapt to a teaching program that is incredibly hands on and includes regular feedback, including video, and praise when deserved. This generation reacts to coaching from those that have earned credentials and accolades that they respect. The positive reception of the inaugural American Tradition of Excellence Equitation Challenge, presented by Whitethorne with judging plus feedback from highly respected equestrians Bernie Traurig (Equestrian Coach) and Stacia Madden (Beacon Hill Show Stables), and additional coaching by mental skills expert Tonya Johnston, reinforces the receptiveness AND responsiveness of a feedback teaching style. Watch the overview on Show Jumping Life.
A SPORT FOR LIFE
A perfect scenario for the advancement of our sport is a synergistic relationship of respect and communication between parents, trainers, experts (mental skill coaches, accomplished athletes, etc.) and the rider themselves. Additionally, influencers of all ages should set an example, on social media and in person, as involved horsemen that are highly involved in the care of their horses and demonstrate sportsmanship and respect to others.
As for those of us that are "pure" amateurs with fear and limited talent, we are not the exception. I believe equestrian sport is a lifestyle that should be perpetuated and sustained for all ages and levels. Many of us were raised in a time period when we had to solve problems. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and ask for help to improve. Make realistic goals and do not compare yourself to others. The height of the fence or the color of a ribbon does not dictate your success, but rather the achievement of your personal goals. As adults, we are balancing a wide of array of challenges including careers, family, physical limitations, and mental roadblocks. No one walks in our boots and as a community we need to support, empower, and act as role-models to all that are committed to the sport who at their core truly LOVE THE HORSE.
SOURCES:
(1) (2) WiSP Sports Radio, The Horse Show: s2e6; The State of US Jumping with Katie Prudent, https://chrisstafford.podbean.com
(3) Showjumping Dumbed Down – George Morris responds… by Chris Hector, http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/tag/showjumping-dumbed-down. (4) Generational Breakdown: Info About All of the Generations, by the Center for Generational Kinetics: http://genhq.com/faq-info-about-generations/
(5) (6) Four Generations: the Impact of Parenting by Caroline, Jan 5, 2011: http://www.difference-works.com/four-generations-the-impact-of-parenting/
(7) How baby boomers screwed their kids — and created millennial impatience by Simon Sinek, Jan 4, 2014 http://www.salon.com/2014/01/04/how_baby_boomers_screwed_their_kids_—_and_created_millennial_impatience/.
(8) (9) Millennials Want to Be Coached at Work Karlie Willyerd, Feb. 27, 2015: https://hbr.org/2015/02/millennials-want-to-be-coached-at-work.
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