Volunteer Committee member Irene Doo joins us on the USEA Podcast this week to discuss the jump judge instructional videos that were released last fall, and Marcia Kulak is back with a segment on planning your upcoming season.

In 2017, the Volunteer Committee was awarded an educational grant from the USEA to produce training videos for jump judge volunteers. The videos were released in the fall of 2018 and are available for free through the USEA website. 

Doo also outlines some of the goals the Volunteer Committee will be working on during the coming year. The Volunteer Committee was awarded funds to continue to produce instructional videos for other volunteer positions. The budget will allow for 2-3 new videos a year, and the Committee is in the process of selecting which positions to create videos for this year - stewards and bit check are high on the list. The Volunteer Committee is also working on producing a Volunteer Coordinator Guide with instructions and resources for volunteer coordinators. Finally, the Volunteer Committee hopes to continue to move forward with plans for a Volunteer Rewards Program.

In the last edition of the USEA Podcast, Marcia Kulak discussed putting together your team - everyone from your trainer, vet, and farrier on down to your horse's bodyworker and saddle fitter - to set yourself and your horse up for success for the upcoming season. In this week's episode, Kulak delves into the importance of mental and physical preparations and how to incorporate those preparations into your schedule for the upcoming season. She stresses the importance of setting realistic, attainable goals for your season.