The youth are the future of rodeo and performance horse industries. A new program designed specifically for the betterment of their future has been developed. Thanks to Mind Power Sports, the Partnership For Youth Initiative will now take place to build up youth equestrians to be their best selves. By partnering with industry professionals to speak on the power of the mind, young athletes can learn how to reach their full potential in the arena and in all endeavors by mastering their mindset.
The Partnership For Youth brings in professional athletes of the equine industry to speak on a range of mindset utilizations, such as stress management due to competitive pressure, the effects of mentality on physical performance, and how these lessons learned in their sport have translated into their daily lives. The featured athletes include Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) champion bareback rider, Leighton Berry, Matt Gaines, inductee in the National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) Hall of Fame, Women’s Professional Rodeo Association (WPRA) world champion barrel racer, Hailey Kinsel, National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) world champion duo, Chris and Sarah Dawson, and many other accomplished riders.
Chris and Sarah Dawson’s involvement in the Initiative program is especially important to Kimes Ranch, as they are endorsed members of the KRJ Family. The new implementation of the Kimes Ranch Student-Athlete Team within the KRJ Family is a group that will surely benefit from this program. These full-time students are involved in rodeo and performance horse disciplines all over the country and have been selected to represent their respective discipline as part of the Kimes Ranch brand. Being in the same KRJ Family as the Dawsons, they have closely-associated role models tied to the Partnership For Youth Initiative. Having the connection to the Dawsons through Kimes Ranch brings the KRJ Student Team closer to the ideas shared in the program.
The Partnership For Youth Initiative program aims to provide exclusive videos and personal interviews with the professional athletes talking on mental health topics and mindset coaching to youth at no cost. The professionals talking of their own personal mindset work regarding their approach to nervousness and high-pressure challenges within a competitive field brings relatability to the struggles the youth face. These vulnerable discussions between professionals and the open-minded future of the industry has great meaning, validating that struggles in mentality as a shared experience. The program also aims to instill confidence in young competitors and teach them how to nurture it once they have it. Involving KRJ Student-Athlete Team with the Partnership For Youth Initiative program has the intention of inspiration, as they can see how the professionals got to the level they are at despite the troubles they face, whether it is combatting doubt and disappointment, turning anxiety into excitement, or navigating the steps to self-confidence in the sport. The future is bright!
For more information on the Partnership for Youth Initiative, visit "Mind Power Sports" on Instagram.
-Shea Gilson
