Here is an observation from a college rodeo coach—Your GPA is a good indicator if you will make it to the NFR. Pretty crazy isn’t it. I have now had a lot of students qualify for the NFR, EVERY one them have been in the upper third of my teams GPA. Read that again. Every one of them have been in the upper third of the team GPA. In fact for those students I never had to worry about their eligibility while they were in college.
Here are a few reasons why I believe the GPA is a good indicator for student’s future success.
To keep a good GPA requires discipline. Most college students don’t maintain their GPA not because of lack of smarts, but rather a lack of discipline. It’s easy to skip a night of studying to go to the bar. When you are trying to make a living rodeoing do you get a good night’s rest or are you discipline enough to say no and do what is best in the long term. The majority of college students and rodeo students will sacrifice their long term goals for a good time. It’s really sad but it’s the truth.
Work ethic. Good grades don’t come easy. It takes studying and a strong work ethic to make the grade, whether that grade is an A in Microbiology or nodding your head in the yellow wrapped arena. The work ethic has to be there for you to be successful in either endeavor. Another interesting fact I have seen some students with a great work ethic in the arena but it didn’t carry over to the classroom. These students have been decently successful in their professional careers but they have never made the NFR. Work ethic, do your best no matter what you are doing and amazing things can happen.
The ability to finish what they start. Every year there are thousands of college students that start with the goal for straight A’s. There are also thousands of students who start with making the NFR as a goal. Every student and rodeo contestant will face obstacles during the year. Those obstacles are just enough of an excuse for some to change their goals or find something to blame for their lack of success. Those who have the ability to finish what they start will be successful. Plain and Simple.
It takes smarts to win. You have to be willing to adapt to different scenarios. You have to plan and have good time management skills. These same skills are needed for you to be successful in the classroom. The same lessons that you learn to be a successful college student will translate over to help you become a successful professional. Some of the best lessons in the classroom may not be what you learn in the classroom but how you learn to learn. This skill will be invaluable as you move forward in life.
Have the students that made the NFR always been the smartest or the most talented? No, not even close in most cases. There have been some amazingly talented students who will never compete at the highest level because they lacked the traits listed above. There are also some incredibly smart students who will never earn a 4.0 GPA because of the same reason. Take advantage of your opportunities and apply them to all areas of your life if you want to be successful inside and out of the arena.