Development of
Showmanship Clinics
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Objectives
• Overview
• Needs Assessment/Identifying your
“Team”
• Developing the Clinic
• The Clinic Itself
• On a Side Note
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Overview
• Need for project and/or showmanship
clinics across the state
• Serve as a way to build confidence in
younger exhibitors and hone the skills of
more experienced showmen
• A strong county livestock project clinic also
builds a relationship between the agent
and the families in the county
• Allows the agent to see multiple projects at
one given time.
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Needs Assessment/Identifying
your “Team”
• First step in developing a project/showmanship clinic
is to determine what specie needs the clinic the most.
• The specie that has the most new feeders would be a
good project clinic to start with.
• Ask co-workers, volunteer leaders, fair boards,
livestock committees, review past entry trends, etc to
determine trends in new youth participating in shows
• Doing this can help identify task forces for developing
these clinics
• Creating a team, greatly reduces the leg work and
creates buy-in from key people who can help you
recruit speakers, participants, and sponsors.
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Developing the Clinic
• Once target specie and audience is
determined, type of clinic that will be
conducted must be decided
• Project clinics can take the form of a
short clinic during major show entry
nights, a clinic at a fair project meeting,
or an in-depth clinic that lasts for several
hours.
• Can also be a short lecture or hands on
with activities and live animals
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Developing the Clinic
• Important to decide what topics will be presented,
who will be speaking, if live animals will be there,
what resources will be used, cost, and sponsors.
• Most project clinics (for any specie) cover the
following basic topics:
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Selection
Facilities
Feeding/Nutrition
Disease Recognition/Medication
Daily Care and Management
Grooming
Preparation for Show
Showmanship
Quality Counts (see references)
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Developing the Clinic
• Multiple resources are available when
developing a clinic
• Common speakers include other County
Extension Agents/Ag Science teachers
from surrounding counties that have
specie specific expertise, Extension
specialists, or the agent personally.
• Special attention should be paid to the
date so it does not interfere with anything
else.
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
The Clinic Itself
• An agenda should be available, a sign-in
sheet, and any additional resources ready
for pick up.
• Good idea to provide any power points,
handouts from the speaker, and the Texas
4-H Project guides to clinic participants.
• Always prepare for the unexpected
• Good idea to have an extra computer,
projector, screen, extension cords, power
strips, and extra handouts
• If animals are being brought, make sure
that stalls and pens are available.
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
On a Side Note
• Participation at project clinics can vary
greatly.
• Some ways of encouraging attendance
can include:
– Clinic tee shirts
– Door prizes
– Free items (donated feed from local feed
stores, halters, show bats, collars, chains, etc)
– Well known/highly visible speakers
• Most important thing is to have a high
quality, educationally useful clinic.
Texas 4-H and Youth Development
Overview
• Overview
• Needs Assessment/Identifying your
“Team”
• Developing the Clinic
• The Clinic Itself
• On a Side Note
Texas 4-H and Youth Development