Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Lauren Parent. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Hi Lauren, thanks for joining us today. Do you have any advice regarding quality control and maintaining quality as your brand grows?

The Murray State University Rodeo Team has a goal. We strive to provide the opportunity to rodeo to all, as well as produce successful students in a classroom, arena, and after college. As our numbers grow, we are continuously evolving to produce not only a higher number of rodeo athletes, but a larger number of rodeo champions. We believe that we should not only maintain quality, but we should continue to become better. There is no one solution to maintaining quality on a team of our size. To maintain the student athlete status on the Murray State Rodeo Team, students must meet several requirements such as a 2.0 GPA, attending team meetings, and attending a number of hours at designated team practices. We are constantly making changes to provide better facilities and opportunities to our team. The Murray State University Rodeo Team always works to bring new practice equipment, top tier practice conditions, and experienced mentors to give our students the best resources. We believe that our most valuable asset to maintaining quality on our team is encouraging students to become self-driven. We encourage students to actively pursue their goals with passion and determination, and we do our best to be a large supporting force.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

My name is Lauren Parent. I am the President, and a student athlete, of the Murray State University Rodeo Team. I compete in the Breakaway Roping as well as the Team Roping event. I am a Junior at Murray State University studying Equine Science. I have been in the rodeo industry since I was eight years old, and I have worked my way up to the collegiate level. As President of The Murray State Rodeo Team, I strive to provide equal opportunity to each of my team members, as well help each member better themselves as an athlete and student. The Murray State Rodeo Team is the largest team in the Ozark Region of the National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association, and we are very proud of it. Each of our members are very special to us, and we do our very best to help every member excel in all walks of life.

Is there mission driving your creative journey?

One particular goal driving our journey would be the mission to give young adults the opportunity to rodeo all while earning a college degree. The sport of rodeo requires an immense amount of dedication, but so does a college degree. The MSU Rodeo Team wishes to nurture student’s love for rodeo, as well as set them up for a successful future in their career of choice. We encourage students to not choose one over the other, but rather continue thriving athletically and academically. We want nothing more than to see our athletes be successful in life as well as the arena.

Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?

When it comes to managing a team, there is no correct answer. However we believe that we have found several answers to maintaining a team. One of our most important methods to managing the Murray State University Rodeo Team is communication. As our team continues to grow, we are constantly going through changes. It is extremely important to our officer team, as well as our coaches, that we listen to our students wants and needs in order to give them the best facilities and resources. It is also important to us that we communicate back to our athletes so that they understand the choices made for the team.     

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.murraystate.edu/academics/CollegesDepartments/HutsonSchoolOfAgriculture/studentorganizations/rodeoteam/index.aspx
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/murraystaterodeo/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/murraystate.edu
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@murraystaterodeoteam

Image Credits
Mark H. Herron Photo Artistry