The star attraction to begin the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association conference in North Battleford had plenty to say about his own parks and rec experiences.
Kendal Netmaker, founder of Neechie Gear, was the opening keynote speaker Oct. 17 at the conference at the Dekker Centre
His story of rising from poverty to become a sought-after entrepreneur and speaker is already a familiar one on the speakers circuit (he does roughly 40 such presentations a year) and in his autobiography, Driven to Succeed. He signed copies of the book for conference attendees following his presentation Thursday.
For this audience of parks and recreation professionals, his remarks were particularly geared towards helping them accomplish goals in their own workplaces back home.
“Today is very much a team atmosphere,” said Netmaker. “So when we’re trying to go back to our workplaces, we’re all trying to accomplish a common goal.”
“So how do we do that, we all have to be on the same page. How do we know what goal? The whole team has to be bought in on a common goal. The message was being driven to achieve that goal. I told a story about me wearing my ‘Driven’ shirt, hoodie and why I wear it, because it reminds me of what I’m trying to achieve. We ignite that at the workplace, the workplace changes.”
Among the messages he relayed to the audience was the value of serving others.
“As individuals, as leaders in our organizations, there’s a reason we are in certain positions," Netmaker told the audience.
“We all must be driven to serve. When you come from a place of serving other people, you get lessons in the sky.”
Netmaker focused many of his remarks on life lessons from his upbringing at Sweetgrass First Nations and his own involvement in sports, particularly soccer. Among his messages to the audience was the importance of inspiring confidence in others.
“There were a lot of coaches who kind of inspired me and gave me words of advice, confidence that I couldn’t see in that moment as a teenager,” said Netmaker. “A lot of teenagers go through that … as leaders and coaches we need to recognize that and give genuine compliments to those that need it – encouragement, words of hope, planting seeds. Those things can sprout into beautiful things. I just happen to be a product of that.”
His final lasting message to the audience, he said, was: “regardless of where you come from, what you’ve gone through, you can change it. But you have to be the one who makes that decision, it starts with you.”
The conference continues through Oct. 19. Scheduled for the final day Saturday morning will be the closing keynote address from Canadian Olympic silver medalist figure skater Elizabeth Manley, who is also doing some Skate Battlefords activities that afternoon.
