hools I have hosted lately, I find myself approaching them a lot like a coach would watch a potential player in basketball. I like to sit back and see what fundamentals the ropers have; like basketball, where you can watch their ball handling skills, their defense, if they are a scorer, you can do the same with roping. I watch their rope handling skills, their horsemanship and their hands and feet, especially their left hand. From this starting point, like any sport for that matter an individual can determine what areas they can improve and what areas they are strong in during a run.
Team roping takes a lot of motor skills, much like a backhoe operator, and many times the hands are doing two different things, as are the feet. Team ropers need to be very coordinated in order to improve and understand what each hand and foot need to do throughout a run can make a difference in progressing to the next level. Once identified, there are many drills, much like basketball that a roper can do to get better in these areas.
I like to think that many who come to my schools, who are open-minded, get an intervention or sometimes a complete makeover. I let them know where they are strong and what areas they need to work on. Team Roping is really all about fundamentals and if the fundamentals are not solid the roper is not complete. This goes for everyone. Every roper can continue to get better and you can be sure every professional out there knows that the key to success is to work on the fundamentals. They methodically do it every chance they get an there is always room for improvement.
I encourage everyone to find someone they trust to watch them rope and help them break down their abilities and find something to work on. This is often where the Smarty comes in so handy. Like a scrimmage in a ball game, you can break the game down and work on the fundamental drills that will help you improve.
Like I said, there is no one who can’t up their game. It is through commitment and determination that ropers progress. Often times it takes a lot of work to make these progressions, but I know if done correctly it will offer ropers much more enjoyment in the sport.
“Through every adversity lies the secret of success.”
For more instruction go to bachroping.com and watch my free videos.
As many may know, Julie Mankin, who usually writes this article, was involved in a vehicle accident this past month. She has been helping me write these articles for the past 5-6 years and I have great admiration for her. It is people like her who make such a great contribution to the sport. She loves the team roping community, she is knowledgeable in the western industry and you can see that in her writing. I encourage you to pray for Julie as she gets back on her feet and back into what she does best.
There has been a Go Fund Me account set up to help Julie with medical bills and expenses during this difficult time. Please go to http://www.gofundme.com/q4pgg54.