Name: Owen Marshall

Grade: Sophomore

School: Seymour High School

Sports: Basketball and golf

Number of years involved in 4-H: 7

Which 4-H activities are you involved in at the fair: Showing beef cattle.

Q: How do you balance your sports and 4-H responsibilities?

A: “It takes a lot of planning ahead. Time management is very important to help me accomplish what I need to do. If I have a golf tournament coming up, I put more time into golf. If it is getting close to fair time, the focus is more on my steer. Basketball is a year round sport, so I am always working on my game.”

Q: What is your typical schedule like during the summer when it comes to 4-H and sports? What is an average day like?

A: “During the days, I spend my time at the golf course practicing. In the evenings, I usually work my steer. If I have basketball open gym in the evenings then I will work with my steer in the daytime.”

Q: Why are you involved in both 4-H and athletics?

A: “Both 4-H and athletics have been in my family. I have grown up around cattle and sports have always been a part of my life. My dad helps me a lot with the cattle. My whole family enjoys playing and watching basketball, so I’ve been doing it my whole life.”

Q: What is something you’ve learned from 4-H that translates to your sport, or vise versa?

A: “Hard work pays off in both 4-H and sports. My hard work last year paid off, I won grand champion steer at the 4-H show, it was very neat for my whole family. Through hard work in sports, I played on the JV basketball and varsity golf teams this past year.”

Q: Why would you encourage someone in 4-H to also participate in athletics?

A: “By participating in 4-H, I have learned the value of hard work and commitment. 4-H has taught me the best way to win and to lose. In sports, like 4-H, you can learn a lot of life lessons. I enjoy the competition of sports, the friendships I have made and the time spent working on my 4-H projects and playing sports. It has been a lot of fun.”