Latest / The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast / BONUS: Live from USTFCCCA 2025 | Interviews from the Convention

Transcript

BONUS: Live from USTFCCCA 2025 | Interviews from the Convention · The Gill Athletics Track and Field Connections Podcast

0:00
Hot mic, but it's turned off right now.
0:02
How's the newcomer session? Oh, yeah, yeah.
0:04
Really good. Stepped in.
0:06
You're up. Oh yeah, yeah, I looked.
0:09
Like really engaged. I really wanted to go to yours
0:12
one, because you 2 because you asked three, I'm really
0:16
interested in AI like I'm a advocate of it so far.
0:19
And so I wanted to see what you were talking about in relation
0:21
to track and and. Yeah.
0:27
We went well, I assume. You know, I didn't even.
0:31
See, we'll get started here in just a second.
0:33
You know, it's tradition. Our first guest always has to be
0:36
this guy right here, Blake Bolden from the Drake Relay.
0:39
So we'll get started in just a minute as we let people get get
0:41
into the room and. And a few people.
0:43
Even say well. I don't know.
0:48
It's it's over there, so you'll. Have to.
0:49
You'll have to believe me. On my book bag, I started
0:52
collecting all the pins and stuff that people give me right
0:55
now and they all fall off because I don't I think it's
0:58
because I haven't. The thing where I stuffed stuff
0:59
from 2 have only survived one. For some reason, the Texas AD
1:02
one is still on there, but Drake is the other one.
1:04
It won't fall off Good. We're in there forever.
1:06
We. Hang, we hang in.
1:07
There, that's right. Exactly doing this for the first
1:10
time live on Instagram. I've never done on Instagram.
1:13
If you can, if you can, hey, can you tell me?
1:15
Can you hear this very well? I don't even know because we're
1:17
not using mics. We're using mics for YouTube.
1:19
Let me know if you can even hear this or you're just looking at
1:22
at least pretty face and you tell me which one's the pretty
1:24
one. All right, you all set turn on.
1:29
I'm at the mic. If you're turned on, that's
1:31
good. Good.
1:32
Good, good, good. Man, we're going to talk about
1:35
do you know this guy? You need to know Dave in right.
1:37
Hey, Dave. Great coach.
1:39
Who's this? It's.
1:41
My. Son, I was hoping it was.
1:42
Son, that's really what I was hoping we'll get both of you
1:46
sitting down here. A little bit.
1:47
They great coaches Kentwood, MI and just worth a book.
1:50
That's fantastic. Great.
1:51
All right, Hey, here we. Are.
1:53
It's official. We're live once again at the
1:56
USTFCCCA, you know. Everyone.
1:58
Makes jokes about the all the many CS.
2:00
It's cross country and coaches. We should get this right.
2:02
United States Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches
2:05
Association. Although I, I, you know, I, I
2:09
abbreviate it all the time. I just say USTFCA, it's no
2:13
slight to my cross country coaches and you know, I've got
2:15
one of my better distance guys here.
2:17
So thanks again for joining us here on the live taping of the
2:20
Gill Connections podcast. Come straight from where we at.
2:23
We're in Grapevine, we're in Dallas this year and we'll be
2:25
there next year as well. Have a lot of fun doing these
2:28
and I hope you enjoy them as well.
2:29
And added bit this year we're live on Instagram as well.
2:34
Who knows if that's going to work out or not.
2:36
I just saw the great decathlon coach, combined events coach
2:39
from University of Texas is on here now I'm going to give shout
2:42
outs all night. Let's get started.
2:45
It is tradition that here on the Gil connections podcast when we
2:48
do it live at USTFCCCA that you know our lead off has to be the
2:52
same person. You need a good lead off if
2:53
you're going to have a good relay and we've got one of the
2:56
best. Why don't you start off by
2:58
introducing yourself, young man, and let's.
2:59
Get to it. Blake Bolton I am Blake Bolton
3:02
here from Drake University senior social athletic director
3:04
and director of the Drake Release.
3:06
How many years now? This is my 10th year 10.
3:09
Yeah, how? Long were you at?
3:12
In Indianapolis, yeah. I was in Indianapolis for five.
3:15
So I've been out of the day-to-day of coaching for 15
3:18
years that. Seemed I thought you were there
3:20
for a long time. If I have to know that you're
3:23
good. Now double that.
3:25
Yeah, yeah. Not through 10.
3:27
I'm in my. 10 in 10, Yeah, yeah, we'll we'll see.
3:30
That's it. You gotta get through 1.
3:31
Day at a time. Yeah, yeah, that's right, baby.
3:32
That's right, babe. Tell me what's going on.
3:34
New at Direct Relays, one of my favorite meats in the whole
3:36
world. We got 2026 coming up.
3:37
Anything new and exciting to look out for?
3:39
Yeah. Well, thanks for giving me the
3:40
chance to plug it. You know, I think the the the
3:43
trick and or not the trick, the key is that we are a university
3:46
and college meet and we remain focused on that.
3:48
And that's a big part of why we're here.
3:50
You know, dating back to the middle of the 20th century, Bob
3:53
Earhart, the meat director for more than three decades, always
3:56
said that the meat and potatoes are the Drake Relays, are the
3:58
college athletes and the high school athletes and that that's
4:01
never going to change. We will, you know, in December
4:04
5th, USATF did announce the 2026 USATF Tour and we're just one of
4:10
three collegiate events on there alongside.
4:13
So it's great to be in that company.
4:16
What? Did you have to do for that?
4:18
Because. There's a lot of other great
4:19
meats out there. Maybe not as intricate and
4:21
historical as Drake Relays, but there's some great meats out
4:23
there. What did you have to do to?
4:25
Qualify for that. Yeah, and and they put in.
4:27
They sent out an application process so anyone could apply to
4:31
be on and really though it does require you to have a World
4:35
Athletics permit on the. Gold, silver or bronze tour.
4:39
Or on the World Athletics Continental Tour at the gold,
4:41
silver or bronze level. And we have as a collegiate meet
4:45
and leader in the US, We've been on that tour every year since it
4:49
was founded in 2019. That's awesome.
4:53
So what does that mean? Does that mean like do do we get
4:56
extra, I'm going to call IT support funding, like we're
4:58
going to see some more races that maybe we haven't seen
5:01
traditional? I mean, frankly, very candidly
5:04
for the Drake realize it doesn't mean a whole lot of new change,
5:07
but it's a testament to the United from USA track and field
5:10
that they've been more thoughtful in a a season long
5:14
coherent plan and tour announcement.
5:16
And I think for the meats that have changed the most were those
5:19
non collegiate meats over the summer.
5:20
But what it does mean for collegiate athletes is there
5:24
will be now three opportunities for collegians to compete
5:27
alongside professionals to. Earn.
5:29
World ranking points, which I mean, frankly, in many events in
5:33
the US, you. Know if we tough them in shot
5:34
foot in two. 100 meters, you have to have the world standard
5:37
to be, you know, our top 10 so that that is what it is.
5:41
But in. The many events Men's javelin.
5:44
Women's Javelin. American or international, those
5:48
world ranking points are. Key.
5:50
In qualifying for World Championships, distinguishing
5:53
yourself as an athlete beyond just the conference.
5:58
Of national championships. Yeah, I.
6:00
Love it. OK.
6:01
This. Year I love it.
6:02
Well, you know what am I going to?
6:04
Do that's great. This year for the interview, we
6:07
always have some kind of little theme, right?
6:09
You know, you again, thank you so much.
6:11
You're such a great supporter of what we do at Gale Athletics and
6:13
for me. Personally, yeah, we've been
6:14
great partners, good friends for a long time.
6:16
We have kind of like a theme, you know, the first year we did
6:18
random questions, Yeah, Kimmer was second year was last year we
6:21
did predictions. Yeah.
6:22
This year, because you know me well enough, this is not going
6:25
to surprise you. So now you're the director, not
6:28
a coach anymore, but this is still going to be applicable.
6:30
We call everybody coach all the time asking how their team's
6:33
doing, all those kind of things. I'm not done with that.
6:36
But I want to put that to the. Side and I want to know Blake
6:40
OK, here's my question. It's going to be my question of
6:42
the night for. Everybody all right?
6:44
Blake, give us your geekdom, your nerddom.
6:47
What are you? A Maybe you are a love cod about
6:52
the fish, the game. Maybe you cod of the game.
6:55
Yeah. Call of Duty.
6:56
Yeah, yeah, yeah, we know. It's not that you are a stamp
7:01
collector. You are I'm trying to visit the
7:04
capital of every state in the there's something that you are
7:07
just a nerd besides running. What is that for you?
7:10
No, I actually so I just presented at 3 on AI in track
7:15
and field. I'm presenting on Thursday about
7:21
aligning or aligning our sport with the modern mission of
7:24
College Up lessons. And.
7:25
I'm not. Sure, that's great, because the
7:27
modern mission might not be great right now, but OK, I'm.
7:30
Great. Yeah, yeah.
7:31
But I think we have one choice, and that is to do that or right,
7:34
Right. Right.
7:36
Or what? Go by the wayside, yeah?
7:37
So all that to be said, I am. Track.
7:40
No, no, no. What is what's the show that
7:44
you're binge watching? What's?
7:47
No, all right, all right. So a show that I'm been
7:49
watching, it's not a track and field show.
7:51
I mean because honestly most of the stuff I watch there are
7:53
like. On Netflix that.
7:56
Was OK money game on Amazon prime now that's not track.
8:00
Is it a beast? No, that is about LSU and name
8:04
image like. If you haven't, no, I want to
8:06
see that because that. Is actually many parts of that
8:08
are essential to what I'm talking about on Thursday.
8:11
But that's that I would call is track and field or business.
8:13
So I would tell you slow horses. On.
8:18
Apple TV, That's the one Gary Oldman plays like washed up old
8:23
British MI. 6. And he gets all of the agents
8:26
that are so bad that they can't function as agents anymore.
8:30
But they don't want to fire them because then they go loose and
8:33
it's and they end up solving all of the world's problems.
8:39
And it's just it's fun, kind of like a dark comedy drama.
8:45
I don't know exactly how it's categorized, but that's one that
8:48
I got an Apple TV because of kind of in the coaching world.
8:51
You got to watch Ted last time. That's.
8:53
Like cable setting if you're. Carrying.
8:55
But then I got this damn subscription part in my
8:56
language. I got this subscription but I'm
8:58
like. What I was going to do?
9:00
Now, what's the Apple TV app? Between seasons.
9:04
So then if you if you, if you're like me and you got some Apple
9:07
TV for Ted Lassen, Yeah, check out some horses.
9:09
It's. It's good, see.
9:10
Now, first of all, it's always great to have a friend up here
9:12
to kind of get through that, trying to get to the meat of
9:15
what I'm actually, because everybody's going to try.
9:16
I'm going to get yes. Everybody's going to try and say
9:18
that. Track 24/7 but they're not
9:21
healthy, no. I know, but I announced the
9:23
track meeting on Saturday in Spokane.
9:25
I flew. Here and I've got a million I.
9:28
Officiate And now I'm I'm in it like, but yeah, that's right.
9:32
You got to encourage us all to think outside of that.
9:34
That's right. That's right.
9:35
All right, man, anything to plug or anything, we're going to talk
9:37
about Drake Release 20. 26 no no I mean I could I could I could
9:42
talk 2 hours no no no I just. Want to think we have me on 20?
9:45
Seconds. No, it's great.
9:45
I mean, drakerelease.org for all the news and we we've got three
9:48
big announcements already this year looking for an exciting
9:51
2026. And of course, that's just a
9:53
start to build for. I mean, this is our Centennial
9:56
year of Drake Stadium, so track and field have been setting
10:00
American records. National.
10:01
Records world records in Drake Stadium for 100 years this
10:04
spring. So and you're going to carry us
10:05
for another 100? I won't be there for all of
10:07
them, but I'd like to set up. I'd like to set the thing up so
10:10
that it is in a sustainable. Way for 100, we were 1918,
10:14
right? So we're 107 now.
10:15
And I go, man, I don't want to be the reason why we stop at 110
10:18
like it's going to go 200. Let me be just this.
10:21
I'm in the small window in reality of what I'm at.
10:23
Gil, how do I care? That's right.
10:25
That way, yeah, of course. And I know that that's the way,
10:28
you know, Tim Weaver minded Island team buyers thought about
10:30
Kansas Relays. And that's the world that we're
10:33
in where if you're in this in the seat of a meat director,
10:35
particularly at an event with that type of tradition.
10:39
That's that's the goal. Every single year is to think
10:41
about, not just checking the box.
10:43
One year at a time. It's.
10:45
It's a problem that has to be resolved every single year,
10:48
yeah. Love it.
10:49
Drink relays.org That's right. All right, let's go over there.
10:51
Let's support them. We got some amazing meats in
10:53
this country and you know what none of these meats zero
10:56
happened without human beings behind them.
10:58
So Blake, you, your team, just grateful for you, your
11:01
officials, everybody, thank you so much.
11:04
Thank you man love you, bro thank you so much.
11:10
You only get on if you give me gifts.
11:11
So you gave, but you know you already gave me a gift though,
11:16
so come on in and sit down. Grab the mic there.
11:23
So this year live on YouTube. Which you're used to because.
11:25
You're you're not a rookie. You're you've done this a couple
11:28
times and Instagram for the first time.
11:31
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Look, we got there's the Rutgers
11:32
coach, he's on here. We've already had Texas's multi
11:35
school. We got everybody.
11:36
Go ahead and introduce yourself please.
11:38
Hey, I'm Dave Espinoza. I'm the assistant track and
11:42
field coach at the University of Pikeville.
11:45
Where in the world is University of Pikeville?
11:47
Pikeville is in Eastern Kentucky, so if you're a history
11:50
bug Hatfield McCoy feud, we are like the smack dab epicenter of
11:55
that. So we're about two hours South
11:57
of Huntington, WV, about two hours north of Johnson City, TN.
12:02
And do I remember right? At least this is what I have in
12:05
my head. The campus is up on a hill or
12:07
something like that. We are in the Appalachian
12:09
Mountain, so we're surrounded by my mountains.
12:12
Yeah, that's why I've never must have been a had to be a
12:14
conversation you and I have. That's always in my head
12:16
whenever I think of you. And there was my.
12:17
Facilities going up on top. Of yeah, maybe that's where.
12:20
Yeah. OK, well, first of all, let's
12:22
not be awkward. You, you brought something.
12:24
I did. You've been asking for this for
12:26
quite a while. You are a fan of our new logo,
12:30
so I brought you University of Pikeville.
12:33
Is this a new one? I'm not going to give like you
12:35
can lice, OK, Yeah, yeah. I don't want to get lice.
12:37
Whatever I think it looks good. I love this logo dude, I really
12:42
do. I love this is great.
12:45
OK this. Year so you know you've been on
12:47
this. Before, we always have a theme
12:48
every year. This year the theme is, is every
12:50
time I see you, I call you a coach and everybody around here
12:53
calls you coach. All that kind of good stuff.
12:55
I'm I'm. I'm going to put that to the
12:56
side. I want to talk about David.
12:58
David, outside of your job, your job is a coach track.
13:03
It's not who you are. You're David first.
13:05
What's your geekdom? What's your nerddom?
13:07
What's what are you? You're binge watching a show.
13:09
You like to collect stamps, you like to scale the mountain, the
13:14
tallest 7 mountains in the country or whatever.
13:16
I don't know what. What's your What are you nerd
13:18
about? So right now it's video games.
13:21
I've been playing Arc Raiders with my brother.
13:24
It's a. Big game right now.
13:25
So. Are you more of an aggressive
13:27
guy in aggro or are you more of. A more.
13:29
Passive. Guy.
13:31
My guy is very low level right now.
13:33
I. Literally just started probably
13:35
2 weeks ago. So what?
13:36
Were you playing before that? That's a.
13:37
Fairly new game mech warrior 5 mercenaries I.
13:40
Know I've heard of it but not. Only much about it, it's an
13:42
older game and they just re did it.
13:45
And so on and. I I like to watch some Twitch
13:48
TV. By the way, I totally forgot we
13:50
are on twitchnowtwitch.tv/gail Athletics, all of the
13:53
interviews. So yours, you're on there, runs
13:55
24 hours a day, seven days a week now.
13:58
So I went, I got up, yeah, I couldn't sleep.
14:00
Got up at 2:00 AM and just put on twitch.tv/gail Athletics and
14:03
you were on there. I was like, and I immediately
14:05
went to sleep. That is awesome.
14:09
I did just so I like video game a Fortnite guy.
14:12
But I did just see where someone did a test they do for our
14:16
graders. Like if you're more of an aggro
14:17
player, they put you in aggro maps or server, you know,
14:22
whatever, you know, match ups. And if you're more of a cluster,
14:25
they put you in there, which I think that's cool.
14:28
That's amazing. Yeah, I think.
14:29
My brother's like 5050 so we're probably getting.
14:32
Because I got we got wiped the other name.
14:33
Yeah, yeah, yeah. 2nd we got like tried to escape.
14:37
Yeah, we got hammered. I was so.
14:39
Mad. Have you been a video game guy?
14:41
Like from a kid. I have so I don't play Fortnite
14:45
because they don't have legacy. Controls.
14:47
So my. Switch by the way my.
14:50
Sticks are opposite so like I like to invert my Y axis and my
14:54
down is up and my. Up is down and.
14:56
Then my striping is a little bit different.
14:58
I don't like you. At least on the planes you can
15:00
do that. I know that because I've never
15:02
seen that in the setting. Certain games you can do it, so
15:05
Fortnite you can't, but I got into Goldeneye.
15:09
It was like my game Perfect, Dark and.
15:12
Middle school, Yeah. What was your first system?
15:17
We had a Nintendo. Like.
15:19
Like a Nintendo. We had an Atari, but so the NES
15:21
was like the first like holy crap, but like Dame like that,
15:24
that's a thing. I could be a gamer.
15:25
I'm. I'm not a PlayStation person.
15:28
Yeah. Xbox and Nintendo.
15:31
I had a PS3, I had an Xbox at one point.
15:34
Now my son plays an Xbox. I play in the Switch just
15:36
because it's easier. I have a switch as.
15:39
Well, yeah, yeah, yeah, it's more.
15:41
For my nephew support. Yeah, yeah.
15:43
Don't lie too often. David, what do you have to plug
15:46
for us, man? What do we something coming up
15:48
new. For the school.
15:50
You're excited about this one, recruit?
15:51
I don't know. What do we?
15:52
Yeah, I mean, we're excited about the the new year.
15:55
So, you know, I I took a step. Down from the.
15:58
Director position at U Pike to increase our coaching staff.
16:02
So, you know, I have a new director of cross country and
16:05
track and field at the University of Pikeville, Anthony
16:08
Kwachek. So him and I've been working
16:10
great together, trying to build the roster up even more,
16:15
everything like that. And you know, we continue to
16:18
move forward building at the University of Pikeville, so.
16:22
When? When you.
16:23
Look at Oh man, you know Noah Lyles.
16:27
I do not, I know, I say Noah Lyles, but I have not met this
16:31
man. In person, my favorite person in
16:32
the world. His coach just hopped on Lance.
16:34
I love you, brother. All's well when I look in the
16:39
Dictionary of Selfless, I find you my friend, because I want to
16:42
make sure people heard this because this isn't done this.
16:45
No one does this. You said I stepped down from my
16:49
director position so that we could increase our staff.
16:53
Bro, I know no matter what that wasn't an easy decision.
16:59
But. You made that decision and your
17:02
athletes and future athletes could gain from people you don't
17:06
even know are going to gain from that.
17:08
Yeah. That's.
17:08
Awesome. You know, it was one of those
17:10
things where, you know, I was floating around with a with a
17:13
team of 30 to 35 athletes. And it was.
17:17
You know, I was by myself and. You know I knew.
17:20
For us to. Get bigger.
17:22
The staff had to get bigger and so this was the proposal.
17:25
That was made and I didn't hesitate doing it so.
17:30
I got to host the coach's newcomer seminar today and one
17:34
of the topics that we discussed was leadership and being
17:37
leadable. And I said how do you expect to
17:40
be? How do you expect to be a leader
17:42
if you ain't leadable? And again, just an amazing
17:46
testimony for that my friend, along with a lot of your other.
17:50
Testimony, my friend. Yeah, that's a.
17:52
Little. Bit of a factor, but.
17:55
Ultimately is to get more coaches get.
17:58
Get teaching you. Know other events?
18:01
Well, check out University of Pikeville and if you see is the
18:04
new head coach, man, you know, tread lightly what you say, big
18:08
dude. It's almost like big dude, big
18:09
dude. David, thank you so much.
18:11
Brother, I appreciate you always.
18:12
Thank you. You're welcome.
18:13
Appreciate it. You're going to get mad when I
18:15
change hats back. No, I'm going to keep it up and
18:17
see more post. With it.
18:19
Yeah, exactly. You know how that works, how
18:21
that works. Thank you, brother.
18:23
Who's next? Dave.
18:24
Yeah, yeah. Dave.
18:24
We're just going to do Dave's. Nobody but Dave's from now on.
18:31
But only Dave's. Yeah, sorry.
18:33
Only Dave's, Only Dave's. Do you need to go somewhere?
18:36
OK. OK.
18:37
Yeah, Yeah. He gave me a book.
18:38
We're doing people who give gifts first here.
18:40
Hey. Hassan's next.
18:43
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Hassan.
18:44
Hassan. No, we'll go Hassan then, son.
18:47
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Let's do that.
18:49
Let's do. Hassan can beat me up.
18:51
So I got to be a little. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
18:53
Introduce yourself my friend. Han, Dave Amiot, E Kentwood High
18:57
School Author Beyond the finish line, The art of
19:02
Transformational coaching. There's a couple other things up
19:06
there. Yeah, the father founder.
19:09
Of Grand Haven Beach. Hall, the Grand Haven Dave I
19:14
also want to write a book, but it is a daunting task.
19:19
How, how in the world did you do it, brother?
19:22
Because first of all, not only did you write a book, it's
19:24
really good. I read it on the way down to the
19:26
American sports brother show two weeks, week and a half ago and
19:30
almost got it done in one little 2 hour.
19:33
Like I just like just riveted. Love your I keep interrupting
19:35
you. I love my favorite part.
19:37
Besides really digging into transformational versus
19:40
transactional leadership. I loved your athletes spotlights
19:44
like that felt like it, like like I could see those kids when
19:47
you're describing them. Tell us more about that.
19:49
Process, the process has been long, about two years and and I
19:53
can tell you if you write a book, I have an amazing
19:56
publisher. Streamline Publishing has has
19:58
been incredible. John Gordon, the author of The
20:02
Energy Bus. Yeah, he he kind of helped me
20:06
get started. Which was awesome.
20:08
Yeah, it was terrific. So, so when we got started, you
20:12
know, here's what happened. 2024 state finals, my team scores
20:19
only 10 points at the statement. Now.
20:21
Now my team is in the state of Michigan.
20:22
We're the we're in Division One, we're in the big division.
20:25
We've won eight state titles, national championship.
20:28
We, I think for 13 years in a row, we were either first,
20:31
second or third. We, we had a hell of a run.
20:35
And in 20, you know, COVID hits US, knocks us back a little bit.
20:39
We're kind of struggling. 2024 we scored 10 points.
20:42
The only 10 points we score is my 10th grade son in the pole
20:46
ball. He wins the pole ball.
20:47
First sophomore to win 70 years or something was great.
20:51
It was awesome. But as a dad, I should have
20:54
been, you know, I'm, you know, over the moon.
20:56
But as a, as a coach, I was pretty depressed, like, well,
21:00
it's over. We're we're terrible.
21:02
I suck at coach. I don't.
21:04
Know. Anymore.
21:06
I'm the. Worst.
21:08
And so I was like in my brain, I was kind of going through like
21:12
glory days and, and like, oh, what if, you know, when we used
21:15
to do this, we used to do that. And I kind of figured out that
21:18
I, we, I, we probably got away from a lot of that stuff.
21:20
You know, you know, through COVID, they said you can't meet
21:22
anymore. You can only talk for 6 minutes.
21:24
Everybody has to be 6 feet apart.
21:27
And so we got away from really being intentional about our, our
21:30
transformation coaching and character development and all of
21:33
that stuff. And I, I really had an epiphany
21:37
and I was like, you know, we probably have to get back to
21:38
that. And so I sat down and I, you
21:41
know, I had all my speeches written out for years.
21:43
Anytime I was going to give a speech to the kids, I would
21:45
write it out anyways. So I had a lot of stuff written
21:47
out. I'd wake up every.
21:49
Morning that summer at 4-5 o'clock for four hours, five
21:53
hours till any till the rest of the house started waking up.
21:57
And I would just pound out on the keyboard.
21:59
Just story after story after story and, and I really did want
22:03
to give like a love letter to my, all these great athletes
22:06
that I coach, you know, Gabby Leone and Trevor Stevenson and
22:09
and Rico Hall and and and on and on and on.
22:12
And so, so that part was fun, you know, and when I thought I
22:19
was done, I, I, I thought I had a pretty good book written.
22:22
I, I got a hold of John Gordon and he turned me on to
22:25
streamline publishing with with, with my Alex, my amazing
22:29
publisher there, and I realized I had just begun.
22:34
He said, well, you got a good start.
22:35
I said no, no, no I. Finished.
22:36
Yeah. You're like, no, no, it's all
22:37
done. Yeah, maybe I missed the
22:38
punctuation, but no, I'm done. It's all.
22:40
Done. It's good.
22:40
And they're like, no, it's. Like look at your math teacher.
22:43
That's right. Yeah.
22:44
Mr. Math, you are just getting me started here.
22:47
So yeah, a lot of rewrites, a lot of editing, a lot of, you
22:51
know, it was great. I had some people, some friends
22:54
edited it. I had, you know that, you know,
22:56
the publishing company edited it was back and forth, back and
22:59
forth. And finally we got it out there
23:00
and I appreciate you so much for a reading it and, and, and
23:05
giving me some honest feedback on it.
23:07
And you know, the, the part with the kids.
23:10
So I call, I got an opportunity to call every one of those kids.
23:13
And for me as a coach, all these coaches here at this convention,
23:17
right? You don't you never get forced
23:19
to see him. You know, you, you, you get to
23:21
see him sometimes, but you don't force yourself to really do it.
23:25
And so for me, I had 21 chapters where I had I.
23:28
Forced. Myself.
23:29
To make a. Appointment.
23:31
For an hour with every one of these 21 kids, including my own
23:35
children that are in the book and and and sit and and talk and
23:41
have a conversation. And so we cried.
23:44
You know, I don't know how many times most all of them I cried
23:47
and they cried and we just got to have have have a good time
23:50
together. And so now what I'm doing is on
23:52
on Instagram, follow me on Instagram and, and Facebook and
23:57
I'm, I'm doing a thank you to every one of those people that
24:01
that gave me an opportunity to write the story.
24:03
So now I'm doing a little like I did Brianna Evelyn from Kansas
24:06
State. She was the American record
24:07
holder in the decathlon. She was one of my first big
24:10
athletes. I did, I did a little something
24:12
for her and, and, and then she get, you know, now she's, you
24:16
know, she's a mom of two kids. She lives here in Dallas and,
24:19
and, and she, she gets to see these old pictures of herself on
24:23
out there on Facebook. So it's been a lot of fun to.
24:25
Kind of revisit all those. That's so.
24:27
Cool. Yeah.
24:28
So what, you're kind of working on it without working on it,
24:31
meaning you wake up in the morning kind of doing things
24:33
when you actually started. OK, now the publisher, we might
24:36
have a book here. How long is that process?
24:38
I was just six months, six days A.
24:42
Year. I mean for for smart people it's
24:43
probably 6 months. It's almost two years for me.
24:47
Yeah, yeah. From start to fix.
24:49
Because you just think of all you know there's you don't.
24:52
You don't really know what it takes to write a book until you
24:55
write a book, just like anything.
24:56
You don't know what it takes to. Be a discus thrower until you
24:58
throw a discus, right? So, so how intricate every
25:01
little piece can be. And they, you know, I'll go to
25:03
one editor and then they'll go, OK, you're done with that
25:07
editor. Now you're going to go to this
25:08
editor. And so there were three
25:09
different editors who really had their eye on, you know,
25:13
different things. The first one is just about, you
25:16
know, punctuation and structure. And then the next one is, is
25:20
asking, hey, what's the flow of your book?
25:22
You know, why is why do you have this chapter?
25:24
So I had five or six more chapters that were caught
25:27
because the because they were like, well, that doesn't really
25:30
fit. Or maybe it's offensive.
25:31
You know, I had to pick. I had a chapter that all parents
25:34
are crazy and, and they said, well, maybe some parents would
25:38
read that and be offended. Why would you do that?
25:40
Why? Why do you write a book?
25:40
That's going to offend people. And I said, well.
25:42
I'm a parent and I I'm crazy. I'm crazy.
25:46
And and so so there was. I probably have 6 chapters on
25:50
the chopping block through that process.
25:51
That's interesting because I mean, you poured the same heart
25:54
and soul into those six chapters.
25:55
That's kind of like little babies going away.
25:58
Like, wait a minute. Oh my God, I worked really hard
26:00
on them and I met with one of I met with all those kids and then
26:04
I had to tell them all they were cut just to I didn't even think
26:07
about that, but. It was not my decision.
26:10
But I also, they did, they did prep me for that.
26:12
Because I told him I was doing it.
26:14
And they said, well, not all of these are.
26:16
You know, you want it on 200 pages.
26:17
You don't want 2. 180 pages. Yeah, there's a art to that,
26:20
Yeah. There's a real science to it.
26:21
So they're like, well, you're going to have to cut some of
26:23
this. So and then I just, you know,
26:26
there's probably a second book there.
26:27
Somewhere just saying that, yeah, all.
26:30
Right, so for the book, where can I get it?
26:32
Amazon is probably. The easy that's the number one
26:34
place, right? You know it's funny on Amazon
26:37
got all five star reviews except for except for one.
26:39
I got 1/4 star review. Is that the kid that got cut?
26:42
It's my brother, no shot. Thanks.
26:49
Bro I know it's so good. He was like everyone hit me in
26:52
6th grade. You've done it accidentally.
26:54
I don't know, but it probably didn't.
26:56
But it was so great that I I didn't even, I had somebody.
27:00
Are you going to say something? Absolutely.
27:02
Not. It's too funny.
27:03
It's too great. Absolutely.
27:05
OK this year, Dave. Yeah.
27:07
So first of all, give us the name of the book of the game.
27:09
Beyond the finish line. Beyond the finish line.
27:12
The art of transformational coaching.
27:13
Yeah, He he the, the kind of the you talk about flow, the start
27:16
of it is really about transformational versus
27:18
transactional coaching. So he goes over what that means,
27:21
the definitions and then he goes into really great examples of
27:25
amazing kids that he's had and really their story.
27:28
I mean, it's just man, it's amazing.
27:30
I did not know that all that about your high school either
27:32
about, you know, one of the most diverse schools in the country,
27:34
how big it is. I mean, unbelievable.
27:37
So go right now, Amazon.com, check it out.
27:39
So I promise you, you will enjoy it.
27:42
It's a track book. So you're, if you're listening
27:44
right now, you're listening, you're like.
27:46
Track and it's nonfiction, so it's, it's, you know, that's
27:48
what I those are the kind of books that I like.
27:51
No, no, that's I'm a nonfiction guy, so if you'd have been like,
27:54
I got this fiction, I guess actually I did read.
27:56
Is it the lore of running? Oh gosh, of course his name is
28:00
case. He's been on the podcast before
28:02
and I did read that. So not only was it fiction,
28:04
which I'm I'm a non fiction guy, it was about distance running
28:06
and you know, I'm not a dis guy and it was really good though.
28:09
So he did a good job. OK, this year our theme or
28:12
question is outside. So we we always call you coach
28:16
and all that kind of good stuff, but you're not coach first,
28:18
you're Dave first because you're father, husband exactly,
28:22
brother, son exactly. So outside of track, what are
28:27
you? And I'm going to give a caveat
28:30
that you can't say right in the books.
28:31
I know that's been engrossing your life, but I know even with
28:33
that, what is your geekdom, your nerddom?
28:36
What are you? You're you're binge watching a
28:38
show, you're digging a video games, you're trying to bike
28:40
across America. I don't know what's your geek
28:42
about? It's not a book and it's not,
28:45
you know, I'm, I'm excited about my team.
28:46
I'm we're on a great team this show.
28:48
Not, not coaching. No track.
28:50
What I'm really excited about right now is the time I get to
28:53
spend with my kids and so my kids are of an age my my son.
28:57
So I only Grand Haven Beach a few years ago, I was ready to be
29:00
done with it. I'm.
29:00
Getting too old. And my son's 24 years old and
29:04
he's coaching at Calvin University now is.
29:06
That right? Yeah, and he's doing a great
29:08
job. My daughter's 22.
29:10
She's coaching at Saginaw Valley State University.
29:13
And then my, and then my youngest son, he's a pole
29:15
vaulter and he's 18. But, but I, I'm getting the
29:18
opportunity to work with those guys.
29:19
So the beach vault now I don't do any heavy lifting at all.
29:23
My my oldest boy Colton does that.
29:25
My daughter does the whole website.
29:28
And so working. With your kids, I can tell you
29:31
is and I'm trying to find more. Opportunities to work with my.
29:34
Kids, you know. And, and, and for me, I'm that's
29:38
what's exciting to me, you know, like I get to we're doing our
29:40
little vault club in the winter time and.
29:43
Colton is one of the. Coaches and then I have another
29:45
guy, Brian Bolton, who's coaching at Aquinas College and
29:48
he and he's the other guy and those are kind of like kids to
29:51
me and I get to watch them coach and and and parents.
29:54
Would come up and go. What'd you?
29:55
Think about that. Or what'd you think about that?
29:57
I go ask. Him.
29:59
That's the coach, you know, and then it's, you know, and
30:01
obviously I just can guide sometimes, but you know, when
30:03
you get to work with your kids, it's, it's, it fills my heart
30:07
right now. So that's really what's filling
30:08
my heart. Love that.
30:10
When you get a big heart takes a lot.
30:12
I love it. All right, go get the book.
30:16
I can honestly, again, I'm a non fiction guy, so it's right up my
30:19
alley. But it's a great book and also a
30:22
great gift. So it's not very expensive.
30:25
And so you have a reader in your life that likes track.
30:27
It's actually, I think his editors did a good job.
30:30
He's too smart to do this, so his editors had to do this.
30:32
I think even your teenager like can read this and not only
30:37
understand it, but get something from it like understanding like
30:40
as they go on to become an adult in this world, understanding
30:43
what does that mean? Leadership, how to be leadable,
30:45
etcetera. I think it's a fantastic.
30:47
Story We thought we were built right in a coaching.
30:50
Book. And all my feedback back has
30:53
been. Yeah.
30:55
Oh yeah. No.
30:55
And then some kids, I bet some of my kids at the high school
30:57
read it and they're so I don't know, I, I'm very proud of it.
31:01
I don't know if they'll sell 10 copies, but yeah, it, it, it's,
31:04
it's, I'm very proud of how well.
31:06
It's been cropping it up. I hold that.
31:07
I hope I've sold you 10 copies. Good.
31:09
I owe you something. I got it.
31:11
No, no, no. You paid already.
31:13
But. They think much better than
31:14
proud of you. Appreciate the value that you're
31:17
giving into this world using the, you know, stewarding track
31:20
and field as the the pinpoint the message behind it.
31:23
And I think you're doing an amazing job.
31:24
Appreciate it. Use use track and field to grow
31:27
the kid. Don't use the kid to grow track
31:29
and field. And you'll know that if you read
31:31
the book. Don't get him now, right now,
31:32
Amazon.com, Beyond the finish line.
31:34
David, thank. You buddy.
31:35
Thank you brother. Appreciate.
31:36
It. Hey, if if you can hang out, I
31:39
got to get him done, but I'd love to have your son sit down.
31:41
If you guys can hang out. All right, Thanks guys for being
31:49
here on Instagram. Thanks for being on YouTube.
31:52
Grateful for you. Shout out to my former teammate,
32:00
but always teammate, my heart. Carly Livingston.
32:07
Oh, man, Triple video. That's a world record.
32:11
Triple video. There's a world record right
32:14
there. Will it work?
32:19
So he's got to look pretty, you know, he's he's such a good,
32:21
good guy with all this stuff. Dave Neville's in the house.
32:24
How you doing, brother? Oh.
32:25
Yeah. Don't bump the table, yeah.
32:30
Don't bump the. Table.
32:31
All right, pick up that microphone.
32:34
Introduce yourself for me. Hassan Stamps, Johns Hopkins
32:38
University associate head. Coach.
32:40
Not John Hopkins, Johns. I'm sure you guys get that all
32:44
the time and you're always yes, correcting.
32:47
People, the John. Popkins That is very true.
32:49
That is very true. Blue Jays Yes, yes, yes, yes,
32:54
yes. One of the top Division Three
32:56
schools around cross country is super solid.
32:59
Track and field is super solid and it's only going to get more
33:01
solid with you there. I am planning to and last year
33:07
we had young lady make the 100m final at NCAA meet.
33:12
That's not a joke. That's not a joke, young lady.
33:13
Make the. 400 meter final, first time of school history.
33:17
And our men's and women's relay broke school records that have
33:21
been standing for the past. And 10 years.
33:23
Get out of here man, you ain't no distance school.
33:25
You're a track and field school. Man, I love it.
33:28
Hey. Let's talk about something.
33:31
You know, you were sound terrible.
33:33
You were made for the camera. And what I really mean for that
33:35
is you're you're you're really like me.
33:37
You're a marketer at heart. You like to take something and
33:39
grow it through your different channels and influence and
33:42
things like that. You've been posting some things
33:44
on Facebook and IG you got something going on, man, Let us
33:48
let us sit on it. Let's let's get a not really
33:49
sneaky because you've got to let the cat out of the bag.
33:51
But let's talk about this. Well.
33:53
I I would almost like to say just.
33:54
A small story. Because me and you have been
33:56
really good friends for a really long time and I remember.
34:01
I. Had some ideas at an early stage
34:04
of my professional career that you always encouraged me to, you
34:08
know? I like it, but.
34:10
Not yet. Or.
34:11
I really like that. Video but take sunglasses.
34:13
All right. And.
34:14
You know, these ideas that I had to just advance our sport and
34:19
entertainment capacity, It's literally been kind of 10 to 12
34:22
year process. To get to this, Yeah, yeah.
34:24
Yeah, that's right. I am super excited to announce I
34:26
will be hosting the first annual Golden Hour invitation that will
34:31
be hosted at on the campus of university.
34:33
Of North Florida. OK, so you're, you're hosting
34:35
the track me. Yes, Sir.
34:37
I don't want to say big deal because there's a hundred track
34:40
meets every weekend. What are you doing different?
34:44
Because I just don't think you're just in it to just do the
34:46
same. Correct. 100% going to be
34:48
different if if if our people that are watching this now are
34:52
track fans and I mean track fans for real.
34:54
You know what the New Balance nationals As for high school and
34:58
now this whole creation of Athos that Alexis Ohanian has created,
35:03
I'm basically, yes, I'm basically.
35:05
Merging. The two into a collegiate
35:08
version of both of those things so.
35:10
Think about. Fanfare and fest Festival vibe
35:16
of New Balance with the entertainment and sexy vibe of
35:20
Athos. For.
35:22
A collegiate track and field meet at one of the premier
35:25
facilities No Doubt Country. No doubt.
35:28
Music, food, food trucks, alcohol for adults, a spectator
35:35
driven atmosphere that is going to.
35:38
Be. Like a basketball or football
35:40
game for a track meet all. Right, before we get into a
35:42
little bit of nitty gritty, let's take a step back.
35:44
Why the golden hour? Why are we calling it that?
35:46
So in the state of Florida, which is the sunniest state?
35:50
Of our. Country, you know.
35:53
I want to have. The that sunset feel, that vibe,
35:56
that under the lights dust moment for the golden hour and
36:00
what the golden hour is. Essentially.
36:03
A highlighted segment of a little more than an hour of the
36:06
top three sections of the events that we choose to do on that
36:10
time. So you know if.
36:12
The entirety of the day is the undercards.
36:15
The heavyweight bout is. The golden hour.
36:17
You know, I've talked about that.
36:18
I yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember that because I'm not a fan of
36:23
track meets today in general, like 8 hours long, things like
36:25
that. But I also understand close to
36:28
the track meeting only allowed one per team or two per team.
36:30
It's like, man, they have a whole team, right?
36:33
I've always, and you know this, I'm telling you the story.
36:35
You've heard me tell you a hard time that we talked about.
36:38
Well, why can't we do 8 to 12? That's your open meet right now
36:41
from 1:00 to 3:00 or whatever, you know, 2 hour time slot.
36:43
That's when you charge. That's when it's only the final
36:45
heats or whatnot. Yeah.
36:46
And you're, you're putting that into action.
36:48
Exactly putting that exact into action and also over the two
36:52
days that we're doing, we're bringing something back that has
36:54
left the Eastern seaboard and even the southeast and the
36:57
multi. So the Golden Hour reputational
37:00
is hosting the nine O 4 multi as well because it why do we keep
37:03
sending all our really tiny multis?
37:05
Out. West, you know, for you know,
37:07
it's a great meet, but why don't you know when I was at Tennessee
37:10
Relay Bill Webb is. One of the foremost.
37:12
Opponents. Of the decathlon in his day was
37:15
a huge decathlon they. Don't do it anymore.
37:18
That's not to knock. Anybody what it is but let's
37:21
provide that opportunity so these multi event athletes have
37:25
an. Opportunity.
37:25
To do a league of a. Multi in the Southeast in the
37:28
middle of April. To get the types of marks
37:31
they're. Going to either that are going
37:32
to qualify them to the national meet and then give them enough
37:35
time to. Recover for their respective.
37:37
Championships now, you know, I love a good multis, but I
37:40
thought when you said we're bringing back they're going to
37:42
talk about my favorite event and I know you have a little bit of
37:44
a heart for this favorite event too, the shuttle holder relay.
37:47
I, I think there's, I mean, listen, one of the great things
37:50
about being a meat manager and a the me director now is.
37:55
The people wrong. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
37:56
The people that get it, I love it.
37:58
All right, give us the dates again.
37:59
April 17th and 18th. At Hodges Stadium at University
38:02
of North Florida. Love North Florida.
38:04
Our Ospreys amazing facility hosted US champ yeah USATF type
38:08
stuff. NCAA regional.
38:10
I mean great, great place. Love it.
38:13
The people there absolutely awesome.
38:15
Coach Pig, love you coach Irv Lewis love you brother, love the
38:20
people there. How are OK, I get what you're
38:23
saying kind of on a macro level, what are you going to do because
38:27
you know I see schedules every year.
38:29
I love looking at when people post their schedule online, but
38:32
I see kind of the same schedule every year unless a meet gets
38:36
cancelled or something. What is going to be different if
38:39
I'm at XYZ university? I've always gone to this other
38:42
meet on that day. What What's going to entice me
38:44
to go? Maybe to try your meet?
38:46
All right, after the experience, flat out, this is a meet
38:50
designed by a college coach for student athlete that was a
38:53
student athlete. And I think that what's been
38:57
lost in translation as we come to these conventions and things
39:00
we keep talking about what can we do in advanced track and
39:02
field? What can we do to?
39:03
Bring a a. A.
39:04
A nuance to track and field, and as I used to be super excited
39:08
for the first time I went to go to Penn Relays, that is you.
39:12
Know at that. Time I had, I've always been
39:14
only seen it on TV. So to go experience it, get to
39:16
be a part of it, I'm like, OK, coach, every year we got to be
39:19
there. I'm trying to not.
39:21
Necessarily recreate, yeah, yeah, yeah.
39:23
Have that be that that. Excitement.
39:25
That anticipation. Yes.
39:28
Looking on looking on your schedule, saying.
39:29
Coach, are we going to that golden hour?
39:31
I mean, the, the types of things that we're tying, TikTok
39:34
challenges, Instagram, real challenges, the videography.
39:37
The. The understanding that we can
39:41
move track and field to present day capacity for what the kids.
39:46
Want. I created a partnership with if
39:51
they're called eval. It's a sunglass.
39:53
Or it's a glasses company that has like the meta.
39:57
Cameras in it. To where in that fast heat for
39:59
those that want to decided or that those that want to wear
40:03
them are going to be able to wear.
40:05
Those. Meta glasses.
40:07
In their race, so we're. Going to get.
40:09
A first. Person.
40:10
View. And then be able to potentially.
40:12
Stream it I. Don't know if we'll be able to
40:14
have the. Capacity to do a live.
40:15
But shortly after. The interim between.
40:17
One of it and the next. We're going to put that
40:19
together. You know why not?
40:21
I think it's important about your mentality towards it
40:23
because as I'm sure you've heard it, the other side and you know,
40:28
stereotypically the old guard traditional and our sport is
40:30
very traditional, very conservative.
40:33
We don't need to dumb ourselves down all this kind of stuff all
40:35
the time. However you and I are, we're
40:39
getting up there, but somebody who's 18 right now is going to
40:44
decide to become a coach or decide to become a college
40:46
athlete or decide to be a track and field fan and go to meets or
40:50
not. It's the same reason why about
40:54
maybe a month ago we started a Twitch channel for GAIL
40:57
Athletics where we run all the your interviews on them, where
41:00
we run all the interviews and I get, you know, if you would look
41:03
in there, you'd tell me I'm failing right now.
41:04
You know, if we get 2 viewers, 3 viewers, you know, but I'm like,
41:07
you know what, you know who is on Twitch right now?
41:09
16 year olds and I'd. Love to have.
41:11
When I when you search on twitch track and field, nothing shows
41:13
up. I'd love to have a post for them
41:15
to see you and a lot of these other coaches and see what kind
41:19
of influence they are. And then they're going to be 24
41:21
one day and 34. We we got to talk to these 16
41:24
year olds. I'm sorry guys, we got to well,
41:27
I love that Asan man any teams that you can give us now?
41:30
No, you don't want to pull the you're such a good yeah yeah
41:34
yeah storyteller. I know you already so you may
41:36
not be able to give me any that's.
41:37
OK, I can't. I can't.
41:39
Say this. We will start announcing teams
41:43
probably middle of January, no later than the early, early part
41:46
of February. But we have 14 teams that have
41:48
softly committed. But the goal is to get to 20 to
41:50
25 is where I think you know, not necessarily that's where
41:53
success is. I think we're already successful
41:55
now because people are seeing a vision for.
41:57
What it is? But the thing that I think is
42:00
going to be appreciated at the highest level is we're going to
42:08
be paying. Some elite athletes.
42:12
On a few events, we've got an amazing sponsor that has
42:15
recently come on board. And I want to say this right
42:19
into your camera here, Come to the golden hour invitation of
42:24
this. Tom Jones ain't paying.
42:25
You will need anything. You know he's going to get me in
42:29
trouble. I got to be careful with this
42:30
guy. All right, Hassan, this year our
42:35
theme, if you will, is everybody calls you coach.
42:38
Rightfully so I want to take coach off the table because it's
42:41
not your number one most important thing.
42:42
You're you know, your son. You have a lot of other titles
42:46
that are ahead of that right. So Hassan off the track, awful
42:49
coaching off being a meat director of meat manager.
42:52
Now what are you a nerd about? What are you binge watching?
42:56
What do you collect? What do you make your video
42:59
game? I don't know what there's got to
43:00
be something that you are just. Geeked out on.
43:03
What I have geeked out on. Is.
43:06
Being the best father and husband.
43:08
That's the best answer. Come on, I'm I'm.
43:11
You know, I, it's not even that it's an apology, but I had to do
43:14
some soul searching and had to realize that yes, the sport is a
43:18
part of me, but it doesn't define me.
43:20
The, the thing that that, that that keeps me going.
43:23
The thing that keeps me inspired and keeps me motivated is
43:26
getting home. With my wife and.
43:27
Getting home with my son, Koi. And and and being president
43:31
active and making them a part of what our journey is collectively
43:35
and. You know, truth be told, I'm not
43:38
going to coach forever. This golden hour invitation was
43:41
my love letter from track and field because track and field
43:43
has taken me around. The world, it's allowed me.
43:45
To meet my wife. And my son or my wife where
43:47
we've created our son. It's allowed me to get an
43:49
education and it's allowed me to live in.
43:51
Certain places across the country because of this amazing
43:55
skill that Vince Anderson that's.
43:57
Right. And Ernest Dixon and Kevin
44:00
Foster, Lee Gower and George Watts were so fortunate to pour
44:07
into a a a young guy from. Southwest Atlanta That that that
44:12
has. Become the man that you see.
44:13
Before, Yeah, yeah, well, you deserve those mentors and people
44:17
that have spoken into you, your son and the other kids that you
44:20
coach today and have coached. They deserve you porn into the.
44:23
You're being a great example to the Georges and everybody else
44:26
in the past that you're carrying on a great legacy and building
44:29
your own at the same time. So really proud of you my
44:31
friend. And I want to say thank you for
44:33
being a great friend and A and a mentor, you know, all in one and
44:37
believing in the things that I've done and have gotten me to
44:39
this point and the support that you're showing our our you
44:42
deserve it. I appreciate.
44:43
It thank you again. Love you brother Mike.
44:45
Thank you too. Nick.
44:47
Appreciate you. Yeah, again, guys, check out
44:52
Instagram, the YouTube and again, Twitch.
44:56
I can't plug that enough. This kid, I bet you he knows
44:58
about Twitch. We're going to grill him about C
45:01
Yeah, switch.tv/gill Athletics. Introduce yourself my friend.
45:04
I am Colton Emiot, the son of the man who was here two people
45:08
ago. That's not a bad title.
45:11
David I am the pole vault coach at Kelvin University in Michigan
45:16
and then I coach some high school kids as well, do club
45:19
stuff. Yeah, Colton, right.
45:20
Yes, yeah, Colton. So you, but you're all Stanford
45:25
around you. How old are you?
45:27
I am. 24 years old OK I. Where's my graduate from?
45:30
So I just graduated from Grand Valley State University.
45:33
OK, that's OK. There's I was trying to go
45:34
spring, Yeah. Did you were you able to track?
45:36
There, yes I did. I was a pole vaulter there.
45:38
Loser coach. Yep.
45:40
Maybe blue kid, I love him. What a good dude.
45:42
He is great dude and. Maybe a little underrepresent.
45:45
I mean, like, you know, he puts out.
45:47
In fact, we just had one of his former All Americans.
45:49
She was just on here. Carl Livingston came to work.
45:51
So yeah, you. Know Carl?
45:53
Yeah, of course, of course. Yeah, she was on just a minute
45:56
ago, You know, so producers, champions, ever.
45:59
He's thinking here, you know, when he only has one or two
46:01
kids, it's like, oh, down here, Luke.
46:03
And I don't think when people say give me the top five ball
46:06
coaches, Luke would be in there and he absolutely should.
46:09
What an amazing job. He does love him.
46:13
Tell me about your dad. What I mean by that is I've
46:16
known your dad for quite a while now.
46:19
You've known him longer, you know, when you think of your
46:22
dad, when I think of your dad, I think of leadership.
46:24
So I love that his book is based on transformational leadership
46:28
versus transactional. How was that as a as a kid
46:31
growing up that that being your dad?
46:33
So I think first of all, he's my dad, but I also look at him as a
46:39
father figure just. You know who?
46:40
Dan O'Brien. Is.
46:41
Yes. Say hi to Dan.
46:43
Dan just joined us. Dan Dan, lovely brother.
46:45
Another good book writer goes to check out Dan's book.
46:47
He did a great job there as well.
46:49
And not a bad college football pick em.
46:52
Yeah, yeah, he. He he's in my league.
46:54
I guess I should say I'm in his league because he beat you this
46:55
shit. Tell me more about your dad.
46:57
So when I think about my dad, I think about he's my dad, but
47:00
he's also a father figure. There's so many athletes that
47:03
came through the program and. Those.
47:05
People have came through our program, have become like
47:07
brothers and sisters to myself as I came up just growing up in
47:12
the program. So I think that's been the
47:14
number one most memorable thing, just having so many like brother
47:19
figures, sister figures kind of come through the program be
47:21
able. To learn a lot from.
47:23
Them and just see his relationship with them and be
47:26
able to build that relationship with both him and what other
47:30
athletes have came through. Now, I'm not trying to start a
47:32
fight really. You know, when I do these
47:34
interviews, I'm kind of digging to get the goal like so people
47:37
learn from it, right? Was there?
47:40
I think the answer, the answer has to be yes in some form or
47:42
fashion. But I think it's no because of
47:44
how you just said that about how the other kids became like
47:46
brothers and sisters. But they're, you know, you hit
47:49
it right. My dad is also kind of the dad
47:51
of 4050 sixty other kids and that could kind of make maybe
47:56
the real sun maybe feel on the back burner.
47:59
I. Don't.
48:01
Necessarily want to say how did that ever have that hasn't ever
48:04
happened, but maybe more of how did you deal with that?
48:07
Yeah, that's definitely. We've definitely gone through
48:09
that. We've gone through our ups and
48:10
downs throughout my life. I think the hardest part of that
48:15
was really when I started, when I got to high school, join the
48:19
team and stuff, I'd always looked at it more from an
48:22
outside point of view. And then I joined the team and I
48:25
was kind of like, oh, I get to hang out with my dad every day
48:28
and do this. And then it was kind of.
48:30
Are you looking forward? To that, yes.
48:31
My son would not say that he's the best fisherman.
48:33
It's all, it's all good. Yeah.
48:35
Yeah, yeah. So I was really looking forward
48:36
to that. And then I kind of, I realized
48:38
when I got there that I didn't know as much about the program
48:42
as I thought I did. And I learned a lot just being
48:46
around him and being around other athletes.
48:48
And that was definitely hard at first because I feel like I I
48:53
felt like I wasn't getting as much attention as I thought I
48:57
deserved as a 14 year old. I was just about to say,
49:00
remember, you're talking about 141516 year old Colton.
49:03
Come on, bro, we we know when we look.
49:06
I knew you're young. It doesn't take very long for
49:07
you to look back. I look back on my bro.
49:09
Yeah. Come on.
49:11
I made some bad decisions. I mean, you know, I mean now.
49:14
Yeah, Yeah. For sure, and I think I probably
49:17
didn't handle it as well as I could have handled it either.
49:20
So that led to a lot of fights, but I think we had a lot of
49:24
tough conversations through that also that are you stronger?
49:27
Today is yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. And now today, we're best
49:30
friends, do everything together. We're here together, Yeah.
49:33
So that's been awesome. We get to coach together now and
49:36
all that. So it's really been awesome just
49:39
kind of coming up, having those tough conversations and just
49:42
really growing closer through that.
49:46
What did you think when Dad said he was going to write a book?
49:48
And not only that, because that's one thing, it's like,
49:50
whatever, but I'm going to include athlete BIOS in each
49:53
chapter. Yes.
49:54
So my first thought when he said he was going to wrote a book,
49:58
write a book, I thought, are you serious?
50:02
I cannot believe this. You're not a reader.
50:04
You don't read books. You don't.
50:07
Nice. This is why I wanted to make
50:09
sure Dave's son was in this chair.
50:11
Yes, keep going. Now you just pay attention over
50:13
there. Don't worry about it.
50:14
You can catch this later. He's the self-proclaimed worst
50:18
English student. In his high school, I told him I
50:20
was like, who's your math teacher?
50:21
Yeah, yeah, he's the math. Teacher So I thought, are you
50:23
crazy? You're just going to are you
50:25
going to sit down with somebody? And tell them your stories.
50:27
And they're going to write it for you.
50:28
But then honestly, I've just been so proud.
50:31
It's been probably a year and a half, two years that.
50:34
We've been working on. This and sitting at the kitchen
50:37
table just grinding out an hour here, an hour there at it, you
50:41
know the last couple years. So I've honestly just been super
50:44
proud about it. And then once we got towards the
50:47
start of the summer and kind of actually, I started to be able
50:51
to read certain chapters and see what he's writing about because
50:54
he kind of, he did keep it a little bit secretive for a
50:56
while. Like what he was writing about.
50:58
Like we knew it was about coaching stuff.
50:59
But and then really, once I got to read it and all that, I
51:04
thought it was just awesome because all these people.
51:06
He wrote about. Like to me.
51:08
Growing up. Through the program are like
51:10
superheroes to me. So interesting reading all
51:14
these. Stories about different view of
51:16
those kids than he does. Yeah, absolutely.
51:18
When you found out that he had to.
51:19
Cut some chapters. Which means some kids got cut.
51:22
Were you concerned? I was because.
51:25
I thought. I would too, right?
51:26
It's like, who's going to get cut?
51:27
1st, of course. The sun, yeah.
51:29
That's yeah, but. Yeah, so it was a little sad
51:34
when we heard some of those chapters.
51:36
Are going to get. Cut because some of those are
51:38
great stories and. Oh sure, great.
51:39
Athletes but. Yeah, well, he said maybe
51:42
there's a Part 2 coming out. I love that.
51:44
Yeah. Yeah, I love that.
51:45
Well, again, I can't stress enough.
51:48
Go on. Amazon's easiest place beyond
51:50
the finish line, Transformational coaching.
51:52
David Emiot. It's a fantastic book.
51:54
It was actually excellent. Let me learn a little bit more
51:56
about you. You're a Calvin coaching there.
51:58
Love those guys and gals there. They do an amazing, amazing job.
52:02
But beyond coaching Colton and you're young enough to I don't
52:07
know, I kind of go both ways. On one hand want to say, oh,
52:09
you're young enough that you're probably like O247 coaching.
52:12
On the other hand, you're young enough to know that you know I
52:14
have another life as. Well, real life.
52:16
What are you a nerd about, man? What's a show you're binge
52:19
watching? You're a gamer.
52:21
You. I like to click stamps.
52:23
I don't know what. Are you, what are you
52:25
passionate? About so I like to golf a lot
52:28
super into golf, so I try to get out there I live in Michigan.
52:33
I was not. Yeah, pretty.
52:34
Good team if I remember correctly or.
52:39
Might I might be, but I yeah. So I live in Michigan so can't
52:43
really golf in the winter time, but throughout the summer I try
52:46
to get out there G3 four times a week.
52:48
And then you, that guy that is you're standing out here.
52:50
You're doing the golf soon. Oh yeah, these you need to make.
52:53
Sure, you talk to my guys, those dwarves.
52:54
Yeah. Tim, my guy right here, will
52:58
golf every weekend, every day, every time he wants to join the
53:03
long drive. Oh yeah, yeah, he.
53:06
Was a national champ, javelin thrower.
53:08
He understands torque and all that.
53:09
Yeah, he's amazing. Yeah.
53:11
You'll enjoy any chance I get like in pole bowl we have just
53:14
like little stubbies like broken off pieces of holes that we have
53:18
sitting around and I found myself at practice every day
53:21
just we used. To bring stubbies to these
53:23
things and I stopped because these guys I.
53:26
Wouldn't be standing right here right now like semester so.
53:30
Golfers are addicted, addictive, addictive, addictive.
53:33
Colton, thank you so much, brother.
53:35
I appreciate you. You know, what a blessing in
53:38
your early part of your coaching career.
53:39
It's going to be real cool to see you 10 years from now, 20
53:42
years from now. And certainly, you know, as the
53:45
world's biggest technical coaching fan, I hope you're
53:47
still coaching. I think no matter what you
53:48
continue into, you're going to be successful because of your
53:51
parents. And I'll bring in obviously a
53:53
very mature young man. Well.
53:54
Thank you so much. Absolutely appreciate it.
53:56
Thanks, Colton. Thanks a lot.
53:59
These young guys are just they're impressive, man.
54:01
It's it's really unbelievable. Who wants to be next?
54:04
Come on, come on. I got my fret brother coming in.
54:13
How? We doing Mike?
54:16
Brother. Sam's going to do this.
54:17
Great intro. And then he just comes in.
54:19
You don't need that, guys. Thank you so much again for
54:21
being here on YouTube and on Instagram this year.
54:24
And so just so grateful for you join us live at the USTF CCA
54:28
convention. Make sure you know the plug,
54:30
like all the socials and all that kind of stuff.
54:32
But super excited. So first of all, the podcast,
54:34
obviously, maybe you know about that.
54:35
We're going to continue the Guild 1918 project Tuesdays
54:38
through Sundays, and then every Monday we have a new episode
54:42
dropping for a coach for the long haul, you know, uplifting
54:46
an honor in their journey. And then just this past year,
54:48
just in 2025, we started the Twitch channel.
54:51
So twitch.tv/gail Athletics, where we're running all these
54:53
interviews 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
54:56
So if you have insomnia, you'll, yeah, just go to twitch.tv.
54:59
Thanks. You'll, you'll fall asleep.
55:01
I have my friend. Introduce yourself.
55:03
Hey guys, my name is Devin Vahey.
55:05
I'm the new cross country and track coach at Cerro Coso
55:08
Community College out in Ridgecrest, CA.
55:11
Are you a Californian? I'm not.
55:14
I'm from the other big state, Texas, OK kind of polar office.
55:18
You live more Texas. I appreciate.
55:20
That it means a lot to. Me, the reason I ask is every
55:22
Californian I've ever met wants to get back to California.
55:25
So I was going to ask, did you ever leave and go back?
55:28
All that kind of good stuff. Devin, tell me more about
55:31
yourself. How long have you been there?
55:32
How long have you been coaching and did you do track on
55:34
undergrad and where at maybe? Yeah, yeah, yeah man.
55:37
Long story short, I started from Houston, TX, born and raised.
55:41
I was very fortunate to be a part of a very good high school
55:45
team, Stratford High School out in Spring Branch.
55:49
We were back-to-back state championship champions.
55:51
In. Texas in Texas. 20/13/2014 So
55:56
yeah, that's real estate. I know, I know.
55:57
Stop, stop, stop. I will have no state slander on
56:01
my podcast. They did not choose to live in
56:04
Connecticut or North Dakota. And so their state championship
56:06
as is as good as the Texas State championship.
56:09
We'll cut that out. We'll keep going.
56:12
Absolutely. Gotcha.
56:15
So you want but you want to say titles?
56:16
Just a big deal. Yeah, yeah.
56:18
And then from there, I went to the University of Houston,
56:20
trained under coach Steve Magnus.
56:22
For five years, Steve. Well.
56:25
Great guy, great coach. I learned a lot from him.
56:28
He really taught me a lot about, you know, balance and being able
56:30
to adjust to the running, not make everything adjusts to
56:35
running. Yeah, he's a very holistic
56:37
coach. Yeah, that's what I love about
56:38
him. He's a great follower on Twitter
56:40
and I'm sure he's on Instagram and other things, but he's he's
56:42
a great follower, absolutely. Yeah, yeah.
56:44
What'd you major there? So undergrad I majored in
56:48
kinesiology, focus and sports administration.
56:51
OK, so that's a fancy term for sports business.
56:53
I really enjoyed that. I got a lot out of it.
56:57
Minored in psychology as well there.
57:00
Really, Steve? Magnus right at heart.
57:01
There, Yeah. Steve Magnus right at heart,
57:03
yeah. And knowing you wanted to be a
57:05
track coach. Yes.
57:07
How early did you know you wanted to be a track coach?
57:09
Did you go to college thinking I want to be a track coach?
57:11
I had suspicions in high school. I, I felt like, you know, if I
57:16
don't hate running by now, I don't think it's gonna.
57:19
Happen, yeah. I like.
57:21
That and and so I kind of knew in in undergrad and when I
57:25
finished 100% I know, but I can't do anything else except so
57:31
I felt very committed to find. That it's straight from there to
57:34
Sarah Cosa. Straight from there, actually,
57:36
to Gonzaga. University.
57:38
Yeah, Tyson. With Fat Tyson, yeah, Coach
57:40
Tyson was a great, great influence and mentor.
57:42
For me it's a good one. I spent a year there
57:44
volunteering, working full time at.
57:46
Fleet feet to pay my bills. And then that went great.
57:50
So I got to take a little promotion, go to graduate
57:53
assistant, did another two years there working under Coach Tyson,
57:57
you know, work with absolutely the most phenomenal athletes
58:00
I've ever interacted with in my entire life.
58:02
Great people, but phenomenal, you know, world class runners
58:07
like James and Maura, Will Smith and see Ingram, Molly, a bunch
58:10
of other guys that could spend the rest of your podcast.
58:13
And and you know, Pat told me a lot about what it means to love
58:16
the sport and to love coaching, to just love being a part of all
58:20
of this. His nickname is the Pied Piper
58:23
of track and field. And it's it's accurate, right?
58:26
He's the guy just having fun at the party.
58:28
And that's what we all want to be.
58:30
That's what I want to be. And so from there, then Sarah
58:33
Kosa, they got my masters in organizational leadership, made
58:37
this jump here to take my first gig as my coach.
58:39
And California Community College, a little unique.
58:42
So I coached in the Jayhawk Conference at NJCA back in the
58:45
day before you were born, probably this is a long time
58:49
ago, but California Community College system is always a
58:52
little bit unique, have their own system, right?
58:54
So their own national championship, if you will, in
58:56
the state nor Cal versus So Cal? Yeah, that kind of.
58:59
Big deal. What have?
59:00
What have? You learned it's, it's a little
59:01
different, You know, recruiting's a little different.
59:03
There's a lot of things kind of a little different there.
59:05
How are you adjusting? You know a lot to learn and
59:08
quite frankly, big shout out to my assistant coach Christian
59:12
Schultz. He has helped me so much this
59:15
year make the adjustment to coaching in California.
59:17
First big thing you learn California does not do track
59:21
spikes. That's.
59:23
What do you? Mean or not, track spikes.
59:25
I'm sorry, cross country spikes. That's the thing.
59:27
At the beginning of the year, coming from Texas, I told my
59:31
kids, all right, let's be prepared for the season.
59:32
Everyone go get some trainers and go get some cross country
59:35
spikes. My coach.
59:38
My sister coach pulls me aside after and goes coach.
59:40
I don't know if you knew California.
59:43
Like 99% of courses don't allow spikes so we actually run in
59:48
flats. Why?
59:50
What? Because most of California
59:52
courses are hard dirt or concrete.
59:55
They don't run on grass like we do in Texas.
59:59
So. It's not even.
1:00:00
Optimal. If there's a little bit of a you
1:00:02
don't need them. And yeah.
1:00:03
You actually you don't even want them.
1:00:05
It actually makes it worse and a lot of courses like they don't
1:00:07
want you to do because it messes up their area.
1:00:09
Sure, I figured because it's California you're running on all
1:00:12
golf courses and so they don't want.
1:00:13
That that's what I would have thought too, but actually most
1:00:15
of the courses we run on. Are.
1:00:17
Very, very aggressive, very hilly, hard dirt, hard concrete.
1:00:23
So that was the first big thing, right?
1:00:24
Little, little big things like that where, hey, maybe is that
1:00:28
the end all be all? No.
1:00:29
But it's important to know. Yeah.
1:00:30
Want to know stuff like having a train around the weather.
1:00:33
You know, we're in the desert. It's hot and you're either up in
1:00:36
the morning. So we're in Ridgecrest, CA.
1:00:39
It's two hours east of Bakersfield, about two to three
1:00:42
hours north of LA. So we're in the training ideal
1:00:46
location, hundreds of miles of trails, and it's a 3 minute walk
1:00:51
from my office right outside the door.
1:00:55
It's beautiful. But yeah, you don't want to run
1:00:58
in the middle of the day. It's 100.
1:00:59
And 20°, you don't want that. The humidity, not even the
1:01:03
humidity, the lack of humidity, the dryness, it's so dry.
1:01:07
You have to train around that. And then learning how to recruit
1:01:10
California. Yeah, yeah.
1:01:11
That's. That's all.
1:01:13
Unique. Yeah, yeah.
1:01:14
What kind of distance from were you meeting?
1:01:15
Were you more 8:15 or like 5-10? I was more of a 5-10 with an 815
1:01:21
heart. I like to run fast.
1:01:24
Does that mean you went out a lot and died?
1:01:26
Does that mean I'm not a distance guy even?
1:01:30
I was like, wait a minute, I think I've heard this story.
1:01:31
Before have you? Done a marathon?
1:01:34
At this point. When are you all 510 people?
1:01:37
800 meter people do stinking marathon.
1:01:40
It's crazy, Yeah. No, I thought about it and then
1:01:42
I'm like, wait, I love myself. So I don't think I'm gonna do
1:01:45
that. No.
1:01:46
Here's what I had to say about the marathon.
1:01:48
I love it. I have so much respect for it,
1:01:50
but I know too much to be involved in that.
1:01:53
The the first guy to do it died and that guy didn't even run 26.
1:01:57
Miles, wait, wait. That's a great point.
1:01:59
And yet we were like. You know that seems like a.
1:02:01
Fun thing to keep doing actually.
1:02:02
Make it. Longer.
1:02:03
Yeah, longer. And.
1:02:06
We'll just. Have more people do it.
1:02:08
Yeah. No, I I won't be involved in
1:02:10
that thing. Yeah, I'll stick to my 10 Ki
1:02:12
like the 10K. Yeah, I've never seen a good
1:02:14
10K. Actually, I've seen one the
1:02:18
Olympics in London with Gallon Rupp and Mo Farah.
1:02:21
I think I've never been in my inlaws house.
1:02:23
Well man, it's a pretty cool 10K.
1:02:25
But I even was at I was at schools where we had good 10K.
1:02:28
Yeah, ball stage. Shout out to Sue Parks.
1:02:31
And I still was like, yeah, I'll catch you in the morning, OK,
1:02:34
It's fair. It's.
1:02:35
Fair, and it's going to be very nice.
1:02:36
Shout out and I'll make a Long story short for you.
1:02:39
Best 10K in all history in my opinion.
1:02:45
What 64? I think it was the race US
1:02:48
versus USSR. Jerry Linger, senior in high
1:02:54
school, wins the race over world champion Russians who are
1:03:00
related outer waited outed for doping.
1:03:04
And he was. Invited to the race in the
1:03:06
context of like, hey, we've done so bad at this event, we just
1:03:10
need you to not embarrass us. And he ends up.
1:03:13
Winning the thing, and he did it by sprinting the back 200 of
1:03:19
every lap. After 2 miles he would Sprint
1:03:22
the back half, get away from everybody, and then let him come
1:03:25
back with that every lap for about four miles until the last
1:03:29
lap when he took off and before anyone realized what was
1:03:32
happening. He was gone.
1:03:34
Were you a? Are you a?
1:03:36
History buff Black history. Only when it comes to run.
1:03:39
Only when it comes to run. You weren't going to get me to
1:03:40
read a book unless you. Were I?
1:03:41
Did you did remind me I have seen another good 10K.
1:03:45
So my boss right here was a pole vaulter and Baylor.
1:03:47
He was a four time All American stud and his son was pretty good
1:03:52
distance from it. But no you.
1:03:54
Know he went to Baylor, yeah, to run and you know Big 12, so
1:03:57
Oklahoma State, all those guys you know just.
1:03:59
Amazing. And his senior year, she was at
1:04:03
Baylor, so at the place. And I went down, of course, dad
1:04:06
went down, right? And I've seen my boss as my boss
1:04:08
all the time, right? And I really see him as dad.
1:04:11
And I got to watch a Tim K where his son gutted out instead of
1:04:15
PR. So that's all you can ask.
1:04:17
And I got to see. My boss be dad and actually.
1:04:21
Actually still kind of in my heart of like, it was kind of
1:04:24
it. Was kind of cool.
1:04:26
I mean, we're. Friends and in church I love him
1:04:29
to death but that's in the dad mode like that it's.
1:04:33
It's kind of beautiful, right? It kind of was kind of OK, OK,
1:04:35
very, very last one. Parker Valby's 10K at Brian Clay
1:04:39
last year, 2024. Or was it 23?
1:04:43
Whichever year probably. 23 Because she was.
1:04:45
In yeah 23, that was the most amazing 10K I've ever seen on
1:04:49
the track. I think that's probably what it
1:04:51
looks like for Prefontaine when he was running because for those
1:04:55
31 minutes, every single person at the track was a Parker Valley
1:04:58
fan. So a good friend of mine is the
1:05:01
head coach at the University of Alabama.
1:05:02
Birmingham was my GA. He's on here.
1:05:05
And I know you're laughing at me listening to these 10K stories,
1:05:09
bro. I know you are Kurt.
1:05:10
I know you are, brother. I know he he requested to come
1:05:13
in to the interview. You're not getting.
1:05:15
No, no, no, you're not getting in because I know what you could
1:05:18
say, my friend. So thank you for being here.
1:05:21
All right, Devin, this week's this year's theme is everybody's
1:05:26
calling you coach. You're a brand new coach, but
1:05:27
people are still calling you coach and coach Fahey and that's
1:05:29
great and it's a very important title.
1:05:31
It's not the most important title, your son that's.
1:05:33
A more. Important title.
1:05:34
Maybe your brother that's a. More important title.
1:05:38
One day I don't see a rings, but one day you're going to be a
1:05:40
husband. That's going to be maybe this is
1:05:41
it right here, ladies, but I want to know more about Devin.
1:05:47
So not track and I know you're full of the track and coaching.
1:05:50
It's so new and all that kind of good stuff, but then has a grip
1:05:54
on your passion. You're a nerd about you're.
1:05:57
A geek. About it's you're binging the
1:05:59
show. You like to, you like to go to
1:06:01
comic cons. You're a big Daredevil.
1:06:03
I don't know. There's something that you are.
1:06:06
Like said, geeked. About a nerd.
1:06:07
About. What do you?
1:06:08
Say Oh yeah. There's a couple of things I can
1:06:11
tell you, but the one, if I had to pick one that's very true to
1:06:14
death since I was a little kid, big Lego guy.
1:06:18
Yeah. Big Lego guy if if I brought you
1:06:23
into my apartment now I own more Legos than anything else.
1:06:27
A certain cuz you know Lego expansive so I know guys that
1:06:31
collect all the land, the Lego cars yeah they have them all do
1:06:35
you have a certain theme or are you kind of like whatever cuz
1:06:37
there's so much to catch your. Eye.
1:06:38
Yeah, for sure. I grew up being a big.
1:06:41
Fan of, you know, the Star Wars Legos?
1:06:42
Those were big sellers. For me, Yoda.
1:06:45
Legos. There we go.
1:06:46
Yoda. Yeah, Baby Yoda.
1:06:48
Yeah, I have the big little. Yeah, yeah.
1:06:51
Yeah, yeah. OK, hold on.
1:06:52
You ready for this? Yeah, Here we go.
1:06:55
No one has seen this by the way. This first time first.
1:06:57
Time. Here we go.
1:07:03
Now it's work in progress. Don't judge my still got a lot
1:07:07
of work to do filling in some stuff.
1:07:09
Nice, I love it. That's sick.
1:07:11
But now I really like the Lego. My favorite color is green.
1:07:15
So cool being in depth plants and all that.
1:07:17
That's my wife. One for my.
1:07:19
For her office. Years ago now they've now it was
1:07:21
expanded that roses succulents. My daughter wants to succulents.
1:07:24
That was the right move. You get the Lego flowers and you
1:07:26
you give them and you say hey, they will last forever just like
1:07:29
my love and that gets you out of presents for the rest of your
1:07:32
life. I.
1:07:33
Don't think that has happened with my lovely wife.
1:07:35
I don't think that's gotten me out of any other presents, but I
1:07:38
know she loves them. Yeah, all the Yodas.
1:07:40
I used to live in Vegas as a professional poker player before
1:07:42
I came to Gill. So I have the Vegas skyline,
1:07:44
stuff like that. Legos are cool.
1:07:46
What's your favorite one that you have?
1:07:47
Or and and actually answer both. Which favorite 1 you have and
1:07:50
what's your aspirational one that you want expensive.
1:07:55
Yeah, yeah. Yeah, yeah.
1:07:57
So my favorite one I have, this is going to get really nerdy.
1:08:01
My favorite thing to do is to like get 2 sets.
1:08:05
You build the set and you enjoy it for a while, then eventually
1:08:08
you destroy it and you combine it.
1:08:10
So I have a set at home. That is, yeah, you nailed the
1:08:17
nerd. Yeah.
1:08:19
So I have one at home that is a combination of the Anakin
1:08:23
starfighter, like the yellow one, super iconic, and then like
1:08:26
a General Grievous ship that I got in a random set.
1:08:30
It's like the coolest spaceship of all time.
1:08:32
You've got to send a picture. OK, I will.
1:08:34
I will right after this. So that's my favorite one.
1:08:37
I really love it. I look at it like every day
1:08:39
aspirational. One day coaching will pay me
1:08:43
enough to buy the $800 Millennium Falcon.
1:08:48
I. Really.
1:08:49
Want the motherfucker? I love the the.
1:08:51
Yes *2 That'd be cool. Millennium Falcon.
1:08:54
I want the big, big one. That's gonna take me like a
1:08:57
month. Yeah.
1:08:59
Like I just put off everything in my entire life for a month
1:09:03
and just do like this. Burl, you nailed the question.
1:09:06
Thank you. This is exactly what I'm looking
1:09:07
for. Thank you.
1:09:08
We can talk track in 10K's. Yeah, but what?
1:09:10
All that stuff? I know there is a reason why.
1:09:12
That's what. We're here for.
1:09:14
I'd like to, you know, really kind of peel down your back on
1:09:17
our coaches and find out well, you know, coach is just a job
1:09:19
title, just like a doctor, just like salesman, etcetera.
1:09:24
I'm really interested in Devin isn't Boy, I think we nailed it
1:09:27
there. Well, we'll talk more.
1:09:29
I know. Yes.
1:09:31
Oh, yeah, Right now. Right now.
1:09:33
Yeah. And you'll get another picture
1:09:35
of me, Coach Blackburn out of Houston.
1:09:37
He remembers this my freshman year at conference, built a real
1:09:42
big Lego airplane out of just the like display pieces they had
1:09:46
in the little bucket in the store.
1:09:49
So I was that weird kid, but I'm very proud of it.
1:09:52
It's still on the front of the store if you go to Alabama.
1:09:54
Just hopefully, probably not the hope I.
1:09:57
Want to see that picture. All right, thanks, Mike.
1:09:59
Thank you. Appreciate it.
1:10:00
Love you. Thank you.
1:10:02
That's crazy. Like really?
1:10:04
That's crazy, guys. That's that's.
1:10:05
Unbelievable. I can't even, I can't even
1:10:09
fathom that kind of stuff. It's it's amazing the creativity
1:10:12
that's out there. Pick up the mic, man.
1:10:17
My friend, My brother. My brother, how are you, Sir,
1:10:20
I'm. Great man, How are you, brother?
1:10:21
Awesome. Introduce yourself please.
1:10:23
Lamont Vaughn, head tracking field coach, Grandma State
1:10:25
University. Who?
1:10:26
Oh, my basketball guy is working on some hoops for Grandma.
1:10:31
Oh, really? Yeah.
1:10:32
He comes over the other day. He goes, hey, do you know
1:10:34
anybody at Grandma? Oh, no, no.
1:10:36
He was talking to someone. And I even heard him said, yeah,
1:10:38
Grandma's a very unique word, right?
1:10:39
And so I go, hey, man, I go. You working on something for
1:10:42
grandma? He goes, yeah, you know, working
1:10:43
on some for some hoops, blah, blah.
1:10:44
And I was like, hey, if you go down there, make sure you let me
1:10:47
know when I was like, you got to meet my guy.
1:10:49
He's the track coach, my guys, the basketball.
1:10:50
I was like, you guys don't like, you don't need to know each
1:10:53
other. I was like, my guys so awesome.
1:10:54
I just want you to like. I want like.
1:10:56
Awesome. People beating each other.
1:10:57
Yeah. No, my support supervisor is the
1:10:59
silliest person, and she's always fixing the the old goals.
1:11:02
Yeah. And she's a former pet athlete,
1:11:05
All American at UTSUTS. No way or.
1:11:09
Ryan Duprey, who is now Ryan, so that's cool.
1:11:13
As soon as he walks in there with those new goals, he's going
1:11:15
to be my. School supervisor.
1:11:16
That's cool. I love that Kurt Thomas says
1:11:18
hello by the. Way.
1:11:22
Over here on Instagram. All right, Lamont, what do you
1:11:25
want to talk about? Because I think you and I kind
1:11:27
of preface this a little bit on our favorite.
1:11:29
Social media channel what? Do you want to talk about man?
1:11:31
I'm here for you, brother. You were talking about kind of
1:11:33
the state of the incident blade track and field.
1:11:36
What's your thoughts there? Man, I, I pray that we're moving
1:11:41
in the right direction. I think there's a lot of things
1:11:44
that's coming up that we haven't talked about yet, such as I
1:11:51
think there's going to be a separation at some point.
1:11:53
Now we've been saying that for 20-30, forty years.
1:11:57
I think it's OK. I think it's coming and I think
1:12:00
for us and HBC us and mid majors, I think we need to be
1:12:03
prepared. Is that necessarily a bad thing?
1:12:07
I, I don't think so the, you know, this is the, the most
1:12:10
honest sport in the world. The cream always rises to the
1:12:12
top. I don't care where you're at.
1:12:14
You can have a lot of resources or a little if you do the work
1:12:17
and you're mentally prepared and your kids are eligible and, and
1:12:19
moving towards graduation and they, they work hard enough,
1:12:22
they can get as far as they can. You know, I, I think we've seen
1:12:25
them. We've seen HBCU teams in North
1:12:28
Carolina and team we coach Ross was there and we've seen them
1:12:31
compete for national topics. We've seen individual athletes.
1:12:35
You know Arkansas Popluff had a high jump, had a guy that was an
1:12:38
NTA. Runner this year and the.
1:12:42
So, you know, this is a lot of sport.
1:12:43
The cream's always going to rise to the top, whether you're an
1:12:46
athlete or whether you're a coach, you know, you have the
1:12:48
same opportunity to get as far as you need to.
1:12:50
Now, if they want to separate and do their thing, fine, do it.
1:12:54
But I think we need to be prepared to have our own thing
1:12:56
as well, you know, because the sport doesn't belong to just
1:13:00
one, one section of it that can, that may have the resources and
1:13:05
not have the resources. You know, it's like this whole
1:13:07
crazy development conversation. It's it's happening every day.
1:13:11
You know. There's no bigger fan track and
1:13:15
field coaches that mean that fair statement.
1:13:18
And so sometimes I feel like I have a hard time telling a coach
1:13:24
who I admire. And love and.
1:13:26
Want to uplift and honor that, you know, if you're wrong on
1:13:28
this, right, not you, but you know, so I kind of combat the
1:13:33
social media in this level and so I hear this word.
1:13:36
Development and. Typically I'm hearing it from.
1:13:39
High school coaches. Saying that, the big schools air
1:13:42
quotes, they're powerful. Or whatever is matter.
1:13:44
Don't want to develop anymore. And my favorite thing to do, and
1:13:49
lately it's been our good friend, good friends, Mouse,
1:13:53
Florida. When they publish their signees,
1:13:56
there's always, I mean for the past couple years, there's
1:13:59
always a kid in there. It's like, no offense if you
1:14:03
were one of those kids, I'm not. You went to Florida, brother.
1:14:06
I got nothing. A good thing, but it's just like
1:14:09
wait a minute for that kid today, he, that person, he or
1:14:12
she can't score nowhere close in the SEC.
1:14:14
So guess what's going to have to happen?
1:14:16
Development. And by the way, even if you sign
1:14:18
let's say a 10/10 kid out of high school that ain't going to
1:14:21
the finals of NCAA. So guess what has to happen
1:14:23
still has to be developed. Now we're also getting this and
1:14:26
it's its own subject right now with our distance coaches of
1:14:31
like, oh, they all just want to take the shortcut.
1:14:33
They just want to go get 30 year old Kenyans, yadda, yadda,
1:14:35
yadda. All this kind of stuff they
1:14:36
don't want to develop. And I'm like, they still have to
1:14:39
be, I mean. What do we go to?
1:14:41
Practice for Yeah, well, that's. What I just so I'm just against
1:14:45
that. So what I love is that on all
1:14:47
levels, development is happening and you're doing that.
1:14:50
Your your coaches are doing that.
1:14:52
I mean, I, I think I have one of the best job coaches in the
1:14:54
country. I just hired a a new new throws
1:14:57
coach. I think he's going to be one of
1:14:59
the better coaches in the country.
1:14:59
I've seen what he's already done recruiting.
1:15:01
You know, it it do the work that that's it.
1:15:04
I mean, but you know, as far as the Floridas and the SEC schools
1:15:07
and the the big twelves and big 10s, they're taking elite high
1:15:10
school athletes and developing, developing them into elite
1:15:13
college athletes. And then, you know, when they're
1:15:16
done, they're developing into elite promise.
1:15:18
It's it's still development. It's just, you know, so I ask
1:15:22
people, you know, what is your definition of development?
1:15:24
You know, you think you know, Carol Gilbert Smith is just
1:15:27
sitting out there just rolling out the blocks and say, all
1:15:29
right, fellas, figure it out. All right, ladies, go figure.
1:15:31
It out. That's another great example.
1:15:32
Georgia just came out with their and it's amazing.
1:15:36
I mean they're you know, and they're busting their tails
1:15:38
getting these kids. It's really quite amazing and I
1:15:41
do I still look at those kids going not a single one that I
1:15:43
you know, that's not I could be a little bit of touch because I
1:15:45
don't really pay attention to that too much.
1:15:46
And I'm like every of these kids still going to have to get a lot
1:15:49
better. Like I think 53 seconds couple
1:15:52
second quarter girls. I'm like that's amazing.
1:15:53
I'd love to have that right, But I'm like that.
1:15:55
Don't make finals, No. It's only 8 spots.
1:15:58
Carol still going to have to bust home and develop these kids
1:16:01
you got to. Show up.
1:16:01
You got to be mentally emotional, physically ready to
1:16:04
go out and compete against these monsters.
1:16:07
You wave a magic wand and you become the guru of all track and
1:16:11
field. Maybe college.
1:16:12
Maybe we'll stick to college. Here.
1:16:13
What's one thing you would change?
1:16:15
If you could change one thing, what would you change?
1:16:18
And you could be in IL Could be that we're always at Oregon.
1:16:21
Could be that we don't have the shuttle holder relay.
1:16:23
That's that's my travesty. What's one thing that you would
1:16:26
change to make us a better? Sport.
1:16:28
I want our ADS and our presidents to understand and
1:16:31
value the sport of high growth. And you mean that by?
1:16:36
Just understand what this sport is, what's good, you know what,
1:16:41
what is elite at this level for, you know, whatever level I don't
1:16:44
care for in the SWAC or, you know, couch USA Understand what
1:16:49
the dynamics of what is good competition at your at your,
1:16:53
your conference championships. And you know, understand, you
1:16:57
know, I, I, you know, I hate to say if you're a 11 flat guy and
1:17:00
you know, I'm I'm sorry you're not competing that hard in the
1:17:03
swag. So, you know, understand what
1:17:06
these Marks and these numbers are and and what it means and
1:17:11
come to the meet and see these competitions.
1:17:13
You know, I I, I tell people all the time the HBC landscape,
1:17:16
track and field is the best sport that we do.
1:17:18
You know, we're the only, you know, North Carolina Ant all
1:17:20
respect. Hey, look, beat in the
1:17:22
celebration bowl and all this other stuff.
1:17:24
But you haven't been top three in the N 10 like their men and
1:17:27
their women have. You know, you know, as as great
1:17:30
as football is here. I mean, we've had an athlete at
1:17:33
the NTA meet within the last two years in the long we we had a
1:17:36
young man this past year in the top, top 1820 in our in the 400
1:17:41
Hertz, you know, so you know, there's no other sport doing
1:17:45
that. There's no disrespect to those
1:17:47
coaches. They're doing a great job.
1:17:48
But you know, understand the body.
1:17:51
We're bringing some national notoriety and competing at a
1:17:54
high level HPC. You need to have that type of
1:17:58
inspiration and that type of example on your pages and say,
1:18:00
yes, if we can compete athletically, we can compete
1:18:03
academically, right? You know, so we can send
1:18:07
engineers to, to NASA and, and you know, you know, one of our
1:18:11
great majors that that we're working on at Gremlin is, is
1:18:13
cyber cyber security. You know, so if we can produce
1:18:18
great 400 hurdles, great long jumpers, great middle distance
1:18:20
runners and distance runners and great 100 meter runners, what's
1:18:23
to say we can't do that in the cyberspace community?
1:18:26
So, you know, any type of national recognition and
1:18:28
notoriety needs to be understood and it needs to be published.
1:18:33
It needs to be supported. It needs to be.
1:18:35
Celebrated. So I I think that should happen
1:18:37
at HBC US at mid-May, it doesn't happen.
1:18:40
I agree with 100% and we need people that are focused on that
1:18:43
because my focus is on that for the coaches that I love them.
1:18:46
Hi Lamont. This year's theme.
1:18:49
You know everybody here is going to call you coach or athletes
1:18:51
are going to call you coach and that's great so amazing title.
1:18:53
There's no bigger fan than me, but you're the mom first, are
1:18:57
you? Get off the track here.
1:18:58
You're. Not Coach mom, just the mom.
1:18:59
What are you passionate about? What?
1:19:01
What's the and I'm not looking for some kind of altruistic big
1:19:04
thing. What are you a nerd about right
1:19:06
now? What are you geeked out about?
1:19:07
You're, you're binge watching a show.
1:19:09
You're, you're, you got into clean collecting.
1:19:11
I don't know what what are you kind of geeked out about?
1:19:14
Right. Now, you know, right now this is
1:19:16
the season where I'm looking for something to binge watch.
1:19:20
You know, I'm, I'm looking forward to a couple of shows.
1:19:22
I know that whole Godzilla Monsters thing.
1:19:26
I can't remember the name of the show that's coming out on Apple
1:19:28
TV. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:19:30
I'm looking forward to that. I'm looking forward to some
1:19:32
Marvel stuff coming out. I like any.
1:19:35
Of the news. I like Marvel too.
1:19:36
Yeah. Did you like Fantastic Four?
1:19:38
I I did. That's OK, you know, but I like
1:19:42
what's setting up, right? Like I'm looking at these movies
1:19:45
as a continuation of a story, correct.
1:19:48
Instead of looking at them as individual movies because, you
1:19:51
know, I grew up on a comic book. So.
1:19:52
You're just waiting for the next comic book.
1:19:54
Did you like oh gosh, what was the?
1:19:57
The New Avengers. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:19:59
I did. I did because I know what
1:20:02
they're saying. Yeah.
1:20:03
You know, so it's just a different way to tell these
1:20:04
comic books. So I'm I'm, I enjoy them for
1:20:07
what they are. As a continuation of.
1:20:09
What are the next ones coming out?
1:20:11
Yeah, Doomsday wonder man. Wonder Man.
1:20:15
But he was. That's a very.
1:20:16
Oh, that's a small. Comedy like I'm.
1:20:18
Looking. Forward to it like you got.
1:20:19
A big geek, if you knew wonder. Man, I I think that's going to
1:20:22
be awesome because I think what is setting up?
1:20:24
So I'm, I'm, I can't, I just want to get the Secret Wars for
1:20:27
that. Yeah.
1:20:28
I can't wait to see what they're going to.
1:20:30
Do should they have? Oh gosh, what's his name?
1:20:32
The actor that they fired? One who's playing Kane?
1:20:34
They fired him. I.
1:20:37
I don't think you know what, Yeah, I disagree with what he
1:20:41
did. I think they.
1:20:44
Jumped the gun on it a little bit.
1:20:46
I think you let due process. Maybe you pause the movie.
1:20:49
You're an. Amazing.
1:20:50
Actor. Yeah, he's Jonathan Major.
1:20:52
Jonathan. Yes.
1:20:53
He loved him. The the Loki saw.
1:20:58
That's one of the best things they've.
1:20:59
Done. That's one of the best.
1:21:02
His parts in that automania. Yeah, really.
1:21:05
Oh, that that last Creed movie he did.
1:21:08
I didn't watch. It oh, oh, you have to watch
1:21:10
that. Oh my God, that was so good.
1:21:12
All right. Because he has got.
1:21:14
It's he's very he. Made that.
1:21:16
I mean, Michael B Jordan does his thing.
1:21:18
He's he made that move. I just watched Black Panther.
1:21:20
Oh last, which black? Panther I was not a that that
1:21:25
also maybe was a second tier com.
1:21:27
You know, obviously, you know, NBC side Batman, Superman
1:21:31
Central, but over on the Marvel side, the X-Men and things like
1:21:34
that. So I didn't know much about
1:21:36
Black Panther until the movie came out.
1:21:38
I was like. I don't know.
1:21:39
And then? Maybe my wife and I watched it.
1:21:42
It's a top. Five it it is the only thing is.
1:21:44
Chadwick, man, it's still too soon for. 100% still.
1:21:49
Too soon again. That's a guy.
1:21:50
What? Would Black Panther 2 have been?
1:21:53
Oh man. It's still a good movie, but.
1:21:56
I know. But they honored him so well.
1:21:59
We went to the theater. I didn't go to theater.
1:22:02
Yeah, it's a theater. And it was a little.
1:22:03
Chill. Yeah, man, I I kind of felt
1:22:05
like. Like you were there, like you
1:22:07
were seeing it then. Yeah.
1:22:09
Lamont, thank you so much. I appreciate it.
1:22:10
Thanks. For keeping out with me,
1:22:12
grateful for what you do, and thanks for being.
1:22:14
A coach for. Thank you for what you've been a
1:22:15
friend. Appreciate.
1:22:17
You. Brother, thank you.
1:22:21
Thank you. Oh, Coach Gibson, I see you on
1:22:23
the Instagram. Thanks for being here.
1:22:27
Somebody will join us. Someone will join us.
1:22:29
Yeah. All right.
1:22:30
Well, my first five star Uber rating is our next guest.
1:22:35
Oh gosh. If you've already talked to me
1:22:38
enough the last couple days, you know I can leave.
1:22:40
It's I was in a car for a whole 20 minutes each way, by the way.
1:22:44
It's unbelievable. Couldn't wait.
1:22:46
Introduce yourself my. Friend Greg Schmidt, head cross
1:22:48
country track and field coach at the University of Bridgeport.
1:22:51
Greg. You booked a plane ticket to
1:22:54
come here but did not figure out the what we call the last mile,
1:22:58
how to get from the airport to your hotel or your airport to
1:23:01
Bucky's. We'll talk about that in a
1:23:03
second. But maybe that's not important
1:23:05
these days because we have Uber and Lyft.
1:23:07
That's what I was planning like figured save a little bit of
1:23:10
budget money, not get a round car but just you.
1:23:13
Know what I? Did I didn't tell you this?
1:23:15
I'm such I'm such an idiot. I'm getting old and it's
1:23:17
starting to like I I'm trying to be Superman, like a hole,
1:23:21
whatever. So I was looking a bunch of
1:23:23
travel. You know, I travel a lot and I
1:23:25
guess I booked this rental car and I came in on Friday for some
1:23:28
events on Saturday. I guess I did that as my pick up
1:23:32
date because that's when I flew in.
1:23:33
And I guess I'm also doing the soccer show in Philly on like
1:23:36
January. I come home January 16th.
1:23:37
Or something like that. I put.
1:23:39
I must have put that as my return date.
1:23:42
So you have a long rental then? So, you know, I don't even keep
1:23:47
like, you know, as soon as I get the confirmation emails, I just
1:23:49
delete them because I don't need it, you know?
1:23:52
And so I go to the kiosk to leave or whatever.
1:23:55
And it still didn't hit me, but the guy was like, all right, you
1:23:57
want to leave? So it's $1900 and I leave that
1:23:59
on the credit card. And I was like, yeah, and as I'm
1:24:00
pulling out, I'm like $1900. Like, what the Hell's that man
1:24:04
talking about? I.
1:24:05
Can't buy the car, but it's not that.
1:24:06
I was like. Yeah, I could buy the car for.
1:24:07
You saw it's not that big. Of the car and.
1:24:09
I was like. That guy must have messed up.
1:24:11
So I get to the hotel and I look at my rental agreement.
1:24:14
Yeah, dummy put it for a month. It's a month rental.
1:24:17
And so luckily this is going to sound so.
1:24:20
I. Don't know.
1:24:22
I don't know what the word is here, but I have a direct
1:24:25
account manager at National. It's like.
1:24:27
Aren't so much. And so I emailed her.
1:24:29
I was like, I, I was like, you know, you know me, I don't like
1:24:33
to point fingers. I was like, I obviously messed
1:24:36
up. I, I don't want to pay 2 grand
1:24:38
that I'm going to be taking it back on Friday.
1:24:40
And she emails. I got you all taken care of and
1:24:41
I was like, what a dummy. Dude, I.
1:24:46
Charged you more he. Should have and he gave me a
1:24:48
hard time because I have two suitcases.
1:24:50
Carry on. And I look like Lady Gaga.
1:24:52
I get the rental car. I I didn't tell you this.
1:24:55
So Batman Raptor, that's my my big boss taught me a long time
1:25:00
ago. And traveling.
1:25:01
You don't. Check a bag, I mean.
1:25:02
It's going to be a dire situation, and so I never took a
1:25:06
bag, but I had to check a bag for this one.
1:25:10
So I was bringing all the podcast equipment.
1:25:12
We're doing the hot news contest and I said all that I had to
1:25:15
bring my switch. I could play my Fortnite.
1:25:18
I couldn't fit in the little and I'm here for 8 days for crying
1:25:20
out loud quit judging me. So I had to check it back too,
1:25:24
but you had to well. I had to.
1:25:25
Well, you saw how much I bought at Bucky's it made.
1:25:28
Sense, yeah. So what do you?
1:25:30
Think of Bucky's it was. Everybody talks.
1:25:32
About how big it is. I didn't expect it to be like
1:25:34
that though. It really was like a
1:25:36
supermarket, just with a random fit.
1:25:38
And you go to the bathroom. Yeah, everybody's telling me you
1:25:41
have to use the bathroom. Yeah, clean you.
1:25:42
Got to use the bathroom at Bucky's.
1:25:44
Clean. Yeah, I don't know that
1:25:45
anybody's. Using it every stall too had a
1:25:47
hand sanitizer. I don't think any exactly.
1:25:49
I don't think anybody's been at the stall.
1:25:51
The urinal got a Bucky's that had someone next to it.
1:25:53
Really. Because you have so many.
1:25:55
Yeah, it was. It would be super.
1:25:57
Awkward if you went. To the urinal and someone came
1:25:59
up next and you're like oh bro, there's a hundred others.
1:26:01
Yeah, I know. I yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:26:01
What are you doing? Here, man.
1:26:02
Yeah, I went. To my thing.
1:26:03
Well, by the way, what are you doing in the Philly soccer
1:26:06
thing? Yeah, US Soccer convention.
1:26:08
Oh, that's in January. Yeah.
1:26:10
Oh, wow. Because.
1:26:11
It's my city, so I'm oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:26:13
Well, you know the Eagles will be done by then, so wait, wait,
1:26:17
No, no. We beat the Raiders, Yeah, like
1:26:19
I told you. It's 0, right?
1:26:21
Like I told you yesterday, if you lose the Raiders, they kick
1:26:23
you out of the. NFL Yeah.
1:26:25
I have to go act like a soccer, not a soccer coach, but like a
1:26:27
soccer guy. I hope, man, I can't talk
1:26:30
soccer. It's going to be tough.
1:26:31
My soccer guy, Dave Myers, we've hired him, so he's in charge of
1:26:35
all my soccer, baseball, softball, things like that.
1:26:37
He's got to have surgery and so I'm supposed to take him and he
1:26:42
can't go. Dave, if you're watching this or
1:26:44
listen, you owe me, boss, you know?
1:26:47
Soccer. Come on, my friend.
1:26:49
You can AI it. You know, I'll figure something
1:26:52
else. I'll figure it out anytime
1:26:54
someone asks me a soccer question.
1:26:55
I'd like chat. TBT.
1:26:56
What the Hell's this guy talking about, my friend?
1:26:59
What are you doing here? What's?
1:27:00
Got you excited about this year's?
1:27:02
Conventional. This is the first year in.
1:27:05
That's a boring question. No, no, go back, go back.
1:27:07
What all did you get in buckles? This is way more.
1:27:09
Important. What I get 2 half pounds of beef
1:27:11
jerky than ghost pepper? Ghost pepper because you said it
1:27:14
was smoky. Or was that I like ghost pepper
1:27:16
because it's smoky Reaper just hits you across the face.
1:27:19
Yeah. And then the the cream BBQ one.
1:27:22
Yeah. You didn't even taste that one.
1:27:24
No. So use like cream BBQ.
1:27:25
OK. I noticed you said pepper and
1:27:27
you said half pepper and I was like.
1:27:28
You didn't. Taste that so you just.
1:27:30
That's not hot. That's a.
1:27:31
No, no. Yeah, I like, like if I get
1:27:34
wings, you know, I'm going to go watch somebody in football get
1:27:36
some wings and it's, you know, the hot BBQ.
1:27:39
More importantly, are you watching the bowl game tomorrow
1:27:41
night? I I pay so little attention to
1:27:44
college football. See, I'm the I'm the same with
1:27:46
NFL. Yeah, my mother, Troy, we made
1:27:50
our old rivals when we were one to play Jacksville State.
1:27:53
Whoop, Jack State, Yeah. So.
1:27:55
We saw Mark Davis. Yeah, we were.
1:27:57
He's. A Eagles fan, too.
1:27:58
So I know. Commending Alice seasons.
1:28:00
His wife this sounds terrible this opening line his wife he
1:28:03
met in this morning place in order and she goes tell my hubby
1:28:05
I said hi so I saw him this morning.
1:28:07
I go your wife. Says hi.
1:28:09
Yeah, I mean it's but other than that, I just got a bunch of
1:28:12
gifts for, you know, niece and nephew and just.
1:28:14
Someone you bought like I did. I did 5 or 6.
1:28:19
Yeah, we went up in and out the wrong way.
1:28:21
I think the statue was on those sides I could get to.
1:28:24
It was a. Cold.
1:28:24
So I didn't want to like I was a little selfie called like a skin
1:28:27
car. It's cold.
1:28:28
Yeah. How was the brisket?
1:28:30
It was good. I tried a little bit of the rest
1:28:31
of it's in the fridge, but Jerky's good.
1:28:34
Yeah, the salads are good. You got fudge.
1:28:37
I did get fudge. I tried that.
1:28:38
I tried. I don't know what the flavors
1:28:40
are. It all tastes like it's all.
1:28:42
Sugar Yeah. OK, Greg, this year our theme
1:28:45
is, you know, everybody calls you coach your athletes by coach
1:28:48
probably. You know, I haven't coached in
1:28:50
20 years and people still call me coach.
1:28:51
It's an honor. But I want to know about Greg.
1:28:54
What are you outside of coaching?
1:28:56
What? Are you a geek?
1:28:56
About passionate about you're you're binge watching a show you
1:28:59
have a a secret copy that you like to take pictures of praying
1:29:02
mantis. I'm trying to get a different
1:29:03
example every time I like that one Thank you very much.
1:29:05
I appreciate that because someone's listening to all these
1:29:07
and I keep using the same stamp collecting something that you
1:29:10
just, you know, maybe no one even knows about.
1:29:13
What do you? I'm a big history nerd, that was
1:29:16
my degree, so my athletes don't like it, but.
1:29:19
How does that show up? Are you always reading something
1:29:21
history book or you do you visit every History Museum in the
1:29:25
cities that you go? To how does that show up?
1:29:27
I read a lot. I've read a lot of history
1:29:29
documentaries. I've watched Ken Burns, American
1:29:31
Revolution. It was very it was very good.
1:29:35
I quizzed the athletes on history.
1:29:37
Which? Just because I I I'm convinced
1:29:40
kids now don't know enough history.
1:29:42
Some of them might even be watching this right now getting
1:29:45
ticked off. But you.
1:29:46
Don't do that when they're on the recruiter visits.
1:29:49
No, I've never known a pretty good.
1:29:50
I just say and they still signed by all those.
1:29:52
Kids, I do use history a lot for analogies because I was actually
1:29:57
going to do a video for you for your one podcast.
1:29:59
Where Yes. Yes, I'm still working on.
1:30:01
But it's, you know, when you think about historical figures
1:30:04
and you think about just their leadership skills, there are
1:30:07
some parallels between somebody like Napoleon, who started out
1:30:11
as an artillery committee, and that's where he started.
1:30:13
I'm not sure what's working. We'll think about the.
1:30:16
Polio. But I'm gonna let him continue.
1:30:18
Well, what happened with him was they were in the middle of a
1:30:21
battle and he actually got on the front lines with the
1:30:23
artillery stuff in the cannons doing all that and it rallied
1:30:25
the troops. So just the idea of those that
1:30:28
you're leading, seeing you doing the work and how that shows the
1:30:31
leadership it gets in the body and it shows a little bit more
1:30:33
commitment from you. So I like I like the the
1:30:36
parallels from history. What he was talking about when
1:30:39
you mentioned the project, so the Guild 1918 project is a
1:30:42
podcast, 10 minutes to 30 minutes every Tuesday through
1:30:44
Sunday when we have the content. And it's really a way, just one
1:30:48
of the ways I'm trying to help coaches find their voice.
1:30:49
And so I think that's a unique aspect because you're going to
1:30:53
talk about something like that. Maybe 40% of people are like, I
1:30:56
don't know what to talk about, but someone's going to listen
1:30:58
and understand. Things better and so.
1:30:59
Please. Work on that and.
1:31:02
My academic advisor, history professor in college.
1:31:06
Lynchburg College, you know. University of Lynchburg he was
1:31:09
great because during the lectures he was never remember
1:31:12
these facts remember these days, he said history is about the
1:31:14
people in the events of the time that's.
1:31:16
Cool. So it was more about learning
1:31:18
all those things as opposed to, you know, when was the Battle of
1:31:20
Hastings, you know, 1066, but when was the Battle of Hastings
1:31:24
and, you know, things? Like, you must get picked up for
1:31:26
a lot of trivia teams. History's always in there.
1:31:29
That's my other thing, like trivia.
1:31:31
I I went. Wait, so then I know three
1:31:33
things. That's the history, trivia and
1:31:35
comedy. Stand up.
1:31:36
Give me a joke that's gonna make me lie.
1:31:39
I know, I think. It's I'm more of like the story.
1:31:41
I know, I know, you know, I'm saying that's like, that's kind
1:31:44
of dumb because it's not a joke teller.
1:31:45
A comedian is all different. No skill.
1:31:48
Set. I'm not the classic clown type
1:31:50
guy. Not just saying that people tell
1:31:52
jokes. Or I talked to a couple of your
1:31:53
athletes and they would just. See, that's the kind of.
1:31:56
Yeah, dude situation. Yeah, but the, you know, the
1:31:58
trivia stuff, like I went something like 8 weeks straight
1:32:01
from Tribute Solo. I was on a team and then you
1:32:05
know a guy, he in. Town in Connecticut, you're the
1:32:09
most hated guy Oh well, the. Team that usually wins.
1:32:11
The guy comes over to me. We became friends, but he was
1:32:14
like, hey, you know, it's more fun.
1:32:15
People don't you come play with us.
1:32:16
I said. You're saying that because I've
1:32:17
been winning. He's like, yeah, exactly.
1:32:18
We used to win, so I started. Playing with them after that,
1:32:21
but yeah. You keep winning.
1:32:22
Yeah, somebody's in the wrong. We stopped winning the team.
1:32:28
Greg, my friend, thank you so much for grateful for you.
1:32:31
Thank you for being a coach, but also thanks for being a history
1:32:33
nerd, because that's one less thing I have to be so.
1:32:37
Exactly. Right.
1:32:38
Anytime, buddy. Anytime.
1:32:39
Thank you so much, man. I love that guy.
1:32:41
I don't love that history side of it, right?
1:32:43
I keep answering, you know I don't mess around with that
1:32:46
history stuff, right? You probably.
1:32:47
Do cute. Man hold on bring you gotta.
1:32:51
This guy brings show and tell and tries.
1:32:53
To put it back and tell you. Well, look at that.
1:32:56
Tell us what the first of all, tell us who you are.
1:32:58
Introduce yourself. Yeah, give me a mic.
1:32:59
Yeah, that. Was Mark Beerbaum, director of
1:33:02
track and field and cross country?
1:33:04
If you're watching on video, be careful, you might get blinded
1:33:07
by this. It's not even a ring at this
1:33:10
point. It's a huge it's like a pyramid.
1:33:13
It's amazing. Now what is?
1:33:14
This So Our Men won the Program of the Year award.
1:33:18
So it combines cross country, indoor and outdoor track too.
1:33:23
We got second across 3rd and indoor, 3rd and outdoor and.
1:33:25
So we won that. That is a.
1:33:27
Full freaking team. Yeah, cool.
1:33:29
Man, yeah, keep that up there. That's really cool.
1:33:31
Man, so it's it's the first time.
1:33:32
We've won that. That's awesome.
1:33:34
What is that something because the the Programs of the Year
1:33:37
award started I. Don't know it's.
1:33:40
Before COVID, they've been 789, maybe 10 years.
1:33:43
Well. And NJC hasn't had it for that
1:33:45
long. It's kind of a couple of years
1:33:46
for NJC. So they started like D1 first.
1:33:48
Yeah, yeah. So when that was going on before
1:33:51
they had that, did you kind of make it like because you kind of
1:33:54
see the rain wall like OK, we're going to get here and you could
1:33:57
did you like, is that something you strive for or is this just
1:34:00
something like ohh after? I like the.
1:34:02
Trophy. It's a really.
1:34:04
Cool trophy used to be a little. Bit rounder.
1:34:05
It's a little. Bit more right now.
1:34:07
I'm an art teacher. So that's OK.
1:34:09
But I really, I don't think that's coming from some.
1:34:10
Point yeah, I really wanted the trophy and so it was something I
1:34:14
really wanted and we we went for and then we we really want to be
1:34:18
a well-rounded program and that's that was a goal all the
1:34:21
way back when when coach. Marshall started and and was to
1:34:24
be well-rounded. And we've.
1:34:25
Continued to build that and do that same.
1:34:27
Thing and and. That's yeah, that's cool.
1:34:31
Do you? I mean, because we can all do
1:34:35
simple math. It's like I can do simple math.
1:34:37
So you kind of know, especially after obviously after the
1:34:39
outdoor championships, you already know.
1:34:42
Yeah. Because it's a, it's a strict
1:34:44
math problem. It's not a.
1:34:45
And we think these guys did a great job.
1:34:46
Let's do it to them. It's a math problem.
1:34:48
It's. Math to get there, yeah.
1:34:49
Yeah, so you got. 2nd, 3rd and 3rd, 2nd, 3rd. 3rd man.
1:34:53
That's really. Cool.
1:34:54
This season. And we won the half marathon,
1:34:56
but that doesn't count in. Yeah, that's still weird to me.
1:34:59
Yeah, it's a fun. You see the marathon.
1:35:01
No team championships. NAI has the marathon.
1:35:04
I ran that. That's what it was in college,
1:35:06
but. Yeah, that's right.
1:35:07
We talked about that. Wait a minute.
1:35:08
That's right. Forgive me.
1:35:09
You know, after doing 300 and sometimes I have to have my
1:35:11
memory reach over here 400 earlier.
1:35:15
Who becomes a friggin marathoner?
1:35:17
Yeah, that's crazy. Yeah, that's crazy.
1:35:20
And but no they they run a. It's a really cool event.
1:35:23
It's a half marathon team championship score 3 put.
1:35:26
The four and five are pushers, but you can run unlimited.
1:35:28
OK, because of COVID, they have it on the same, same time as
1:35:32
cross country nationals. So we run cross country
1:35:35
nationals on Saturday, people stick around, run the half on
1:35:37
Tuesday. It's kind.
1:35:39
Of a crazy. Sort of the same kids doing
1:35:41
cross. Yeah, beautiful.
1:35:43
And then we'll bring. We bring.
1:35:44
Extra kids. You know, if anybody wants.
1:35:46
To run it but and not everybody from cross has to run it.
1:35:49
What to take the win on an average Well, so.
1:35:52
We have we. We've won the last two years so.
1:35:55
Last year Barney won the national record thing here in
1:35:59
one O 3 point. 47 and. Broke that national.
1:36:02
Record. This year.
1:36:03
Anyone of my like lesson? It was a .1.
1:36:05
It was. A Sprint to the finish can.
1:36:08
You imagine? Yeah, it's hard breaking in 100.
1:36:12
And I wasn't there. I was down at like mile 10
1:36:14
sharing everybody grown and, and I got a video of it and I was
1:36:17
like, Oh my gosh, did you really win?
1:36:18
Like it was so close. To I would be crushed it.
1:36:22
Was not. To run that far in .1.
1:36:25
I mean, that's. In this year he won by he beat
1:36:28
his teammate this year by point like O2.
1:36:31
So his two years that he won it half second and this year they
1:36:37
ran 104. We averaged 10.
1:36:39
Five like 10559. For our top five.
1:36:44
How? Are you?
1:36:44
You know, because half marathon training is different than 10K
1:36:48
training. You know I was.
1:36:50
You know, what we're doing for our cross, for the 8K, our long
1:36:54
runs and some of our bigger workouts coordinate, you know,
1:36:57
and they crossover. So we're not doing anything
1:36:59
because you're not. Going, yeah, yeah, yeah, right.
1:37:00
You're not like, OK, we're going to go after the half marathon
1:37:03
and whatever you have left on the 10K, you're like 10K and
1:37:06
we're going to keep to make sure you're prepared.
1:37:07
We're running 8K cross. Yeah, I'm thinking that on the
1:37:09
chat, but. This is.
1:37:11
The fall. This is OK.
1:37:12
We don't. We didn't even talk about it
1:37:14
since after Cross is over. See who's running it?
1:37:17
Yeah, who's? Running it.
1:37:19
But we don't. Even talk about it until the.
1:37:21
Next day is this ring from the This is from.
1:37:23
So let's get track. This is women's outdoor
1:37:25
nationals. Our women's won indoor and
1:37:27
outdoor last. Year I won hope we've been
1:37:29
something oh men's to get big big rings here at men's
1:37:33
conference call when I coached at Troy and we got what we
1:37:36
thought was a big ring and I think it might be the size of
1:37:39
your reverse right reverse reverse.
1:37:42
It might be the size of just your reverse is how big that one
1:37:44
is. This is I did you.
1:37:47
Get the help. Design it.
1:37:47
I designed the whole thing. I drew it out on paper.
1:37:50
We went back and forth. I was really intrigued.
1:37:53
I wanted to get the track lanes or something track involved in
1:37:56
it. And so he.
1:37:58
Was in there and figuring going back and forth until.
1:37:59
We got it right the the IT. Was just the lane lines and then
1:38:02
we added the 1-2 and the three and it just, I'm so Baron did a
1:38:07
really good job. Baron.
1:38:09
Did that one? Yeah, yeah, yeah.
1:38:11
That's I like that you designed it because that just it's just
1:38:13
another extra piece of like the personality to look, you know,
1:38:16
the the intentionality. It it makes it it exhaust it
1:38:20
made the whole process. That's cool.
1:38:23
You did a great job. That's fantastic.
1:38:25
What's going on in what's going on in JUCO?
1:38:27
The track and field We've seen, you know, we've talked over the
1:38:29
years, you and I have talked about the trickle down effects
1:38:32
with, you know, now meaning, you know, the roster limits.
1:38:37
You know, more and more it's crazy to say out loud.
1:38:40
More and more typically football players right now are suing to
1:38:42
get JUCO. Doesn't even count.
1:38:44
Things like that. That might end up being ruled
1:38:46
here soon. What's going on in the JUCO
1:38:48
world? There's always the track and
1:38:49
field, the trickle. Down.
1:38:51
I don't think's really happened much yet because there's still
1:38:53
grandfather. And some of those?
1:38:54
Kids into the roster stuff I've heard that's about to stop and
1:38:58
and my coaching friends think that trickle down will happen a
1:39:01
little bit. More after that.
1:39:03
We'll see. Hopefully I you know, I think
1:39:06
we're a great Ave. and especially for those high school
1:39:08
kids that that maybe are getting deluxe, but they all want to go
1:39:11
that to those certain schools, you know, help get that done.
1:39:16
And then in regards. To those rules.
1:39:17
That that year rule is an interesting thing.
1:39:19
You have coaches, and not just coaches, but you have people out
1:39:22
there telling stories that it is and it's not nothing.
1:39:26
Nothing's happened yet. There's a reason why the kids
1:39:29
have to sue still. Like the poppy thing?
1:39:31
Happened. And those kids from that year
1:39:34
got those extra years, you know, they got an extra.
1:39:36
Year and then they I. Think they did it the second
1:39:38
year but other than that nothing has been set in stone.
1:39:41
The D2 was talking about five years, NAI is talking about five
1:39:44
years, but nothing, nothing's been voted on.
1:39:47
And I know and. Nothing's been said is, you
1:39:50
know, all these what you just said there, you know, D2's
1:39:53
thinking about this and AI is talking about this.
1:39:54
Obviously D1's talking about everything all the time.
1:39:56
Are there any things that you could maybe shed some light on?
1:39:59
It's completely understand if no, is the the right answer in
1:40:02
this public forum here? Is there anything that the NJCAA
1:40:05
is talking about instead of being so reactive and and I
1:40:09
understand the positions of where we are public general
1:40:11
college coach, I have a lot of respect.
1:40:13
Anything that the NJCAA is talking.
1:40:15
About. Activity, and I don't know what
1:40:17
that means. They decide that you know what
1:40:19
is now three years. You do three years in.
1:40:20
JUCO I don't know. I'm making that.
1:40:22
I don't. Think so?
1:40:22
I think we're just waiting to see.
1:40:24
What happens? Obviously if they go to 5.
1:40:28
We're a great option. Because you wouldn't come here
1:40:30
and spend even one year to get better.
1:40:32
You still got four years left. Two, you still got three, you
1:40:35
know. And if we don't count at all,
1:40:37
which is kind of crazy. But I but I kind of get it too.
1:40:42
It's different. I mean, I don't think I agree
1:40:44
with it, but I kind of get it in the sense of like that it's
1:40:46
nothing. It's totally different, yeah,
1:40:49
but I also think considerably should have a clock as soon as
1:40:51
you start any post secondary, so.
1:40:53
I think that discredits. Who we are and what we're doing.
1:40:55
And, and we're doing some big things and, and we.
1:40:59
Are. You know if.
1:41:00
You look at some of the times and some of the things, Hilda.
1:41:02
All of them are just. Got third NCS.
1:41:03
Yeah. JUCO you know, all these
1:41:05
different kids you. Could you not?
1:41:07
See a world where someone goes to the greatest university in
1:41:09
the world, Choice State, and does four or five years or
1:41:11
whatever, and then says, yeah, but I'm not done, so I'm going
1:41:14
to go. To JUCO.
1:41:17
I guess there's nursing bachelor and so let's let's let's not
1:41:20
forget that we are academic constitution.
1:41:22
So I get I get I can't see that. I was kind of talking out loud
1:41:24
there. I just wanted to say Troy was
1:41:25
your best school. That's that's all I.
1:41:27
I don't know. I, you know, I just, I think
1:41:29
people. I see what you're saying about
1:41:31
the discredit discredit. Yeah, I feel.
1:41:34
Like what we're doing here? Yeah, you know, like the Keisha
1:41:37
Price grant. For us, yeah, she'd.
1:41:39
Like her life for Jamaica. Yeah.
1:41:42
I see, I see where you're at because it gets it invites the
1:41:47
conversation of like, yeah, JUCO is just an extra couple years of
1:41:51
high school and reality. It's like, no.
1:41:53
No, no, it is the. Foreground of what we're doing
1:41:55
in there, four year schools guys, it's as good.
1:41:57
Go look at the results. Two kids here that aren't.
1:42:03
Quite. Ready to go on there or don't
1:42:05
understand what that year of? Distractions freshman year is
1:42:08
going to be. We're helping get those kids.
1:42:11
Through there's definitely a place and again, you have to
1:42:14
just 100 times. I'm so glad I I coached junior
1:42:18
I, I don't think I would be. As well-rounded and as.
1:42:21
Sympathetic to all of our coaches if I had not done a year
1:42:24
of the junior college understanding small city,
1:42:27
struggling small town, I mean the city where I was at and and
1:42:31
also the importance of that level for tracking feedback.
1:42:35
Just incidentally, not just high schoolers, the the realm of
1:42:38
track and field as it sits so. I mean, we allow you to get
1:42:42
through that messiness of the the first year and then you get
1:42:45
to go on to another school and start with that new energy
1:42:48
again. But with.
1:42:49
Maturity, hopefully. Well.
1:42:52
There's not an NJCA guarantee. Yes, yes, yes.
1:42:55
We do our best. All right, Mark, this year's
1:42:58
theme, you know, every year we do a theme, right?
1:43:00
Last year we had to make predictions, all that kind of
1:43:02
stuff. This year's theme is You Know
1:43:03
Everybody. Calls you coach.
1:43:05
Rightfully so. Maybe your neighbors even call
1:43:07
you coach and you know there's no bigger fan than me.
1:43:10
If track and field coaches. We're going to set that to a
1:43:12
site. I want to know more about the
1:43:13
mark. So there's something.
1:43:15
That you are a geek. About that, you're a nerd.
1:43:17
About you binge watch a show, you're trying to collect the
1:43:21
state quarter from every state. I don't know, there's something.
1:43:25
That you. I have some intent into that is
1:43:27
not track and. Field.
1:43:29
What is that? Do some shuts and lifers.
1:43:31
My kids OK. I love my daughter.
1:43:33
'S side. Yeah, they they are.
1:43:35
Extremely active. They ask how. 11 and.
1:43:37
About to. Turn 12 OK so I have a my dad.
1:43:40
10 I have a she just. Turned. 12 now you got me
1:43:44
question. I think she just turned 12, so I
1:43:45
know where you're at your age. Are they doing?
1:43:48
Everything, everything, everywhere.
1:43:49
Dance right now. Yep, they're dancing right now
1:43:53
and then. Softball, eventually.
1:43:56
We're in basketball and soccer right now where this football,
1:43:59
which is indoor. Soccer.
1:44:01
Thing and then. Basketball.
1:44:03
We do a little. Track during the summer.
1:44:06
I. Think we're going to do a?
1:44:08
Couple of the indoor meets. Northwest and I mean.
1:44:14
When we were more than just two, I mean, when we were having
1:44:20
children. So that's enough, right?
1:44:21
Yeah. Don't use the word Justin.
1:44:23
That's enough. Trust me.
1:44:24
So 12 in my boys, 15. But we start having children.
1:44:27
You have this experience. Everybody does.
1:44:29
Everybody has all this advice and, and some of it's very
1:44:32
hyperbolic, right? There's one thing that they, you
1:44:34
know, warned me and all that kind of stuff, but they didn't,
1:44:36
they didn't put enough hyperbole behind it.
1:44:38
And that was, you know, a certain age and stage for your
1:44:41
kids. You're nothing but a taxi
1:44:42
driver. Oh.
1:44:44
My wife. Does so you know, same aim.
1:44:47
I know you're watching. You're right.
1:44:48
And she it doesn't work. Without Jill it.
1:44:52
Does like. You know, with me.
1:44:54
I'm not even I'm I miss some of the.
1:44:56
Answering track about that I. Was talking to my oldest about
1:44:58
helping coach. And I was like.
1:45:00
Jill's like, what are you going to be able to do?
1:45:01
That right? Yeah, I don't even try.
1:45:02
Doesn't work without her. And.
1:45:05
So, but yes, the tax is driving. Yeah, it's unbelievable.
1:45:08
You're right. They got in my in laws loving to
1:45:10
death moved from Chicago down to our area.
1:45:13
Oh, what a blessing. Because there's just times where
1:45:15
Troy's got to go here, Cass is going to here and dad's on the
1:45:18
road. And that was for crying out
1:45:19
loud. And Amy's trying to figure out
1:45:20
how do you split a car into two. Thank God Grandma, Grandpa are.
1:45:25
Yeah, and we've got good neighbors and.
1:45:28
Yeah, carpooling. Do you guys use that?
1:45:30
App for carpooling. No, we.
1:45:32
Just understand kids. That are, you know, a lot of the
1:45:35
kids have been on the same teams for a couple.
1:45:36
Years now I. Think so using it for.
1:45:39
One of the play it catches big in the theaters like and I'm
1:45:42
just like what's called the text mess like is that like a 5 or 10
1:45:46
we. Have group parents.
1:45:47
And. Stuff like the.
1:45:48
Teams, so it works out. Other than that I didn't, I
1:45:52
don't know. Watching any shows?
1:45:54
Land, man man, I really like that show.
1:45:57
I got so many calls. What episode?
1:46:00
Episode #1 They filled that TCU. They have all our fits and
1:46:03
everybody was calling me. Do your land, man.
1:46:05
I don't know what you're talking about.
1:46:06
That's cool, but it's. Crazy intense.
1:46:09
I, Jill and I watch too much TV. Yeah, we like the Chicago.
1:46:12
The Land man is someone who finds oil.
1:46:14
Or something like yeah. It's it's.
1:46:17
The main guy and he's, he's basically taking care of the
1:46:20
oil. Yeah, it's it's my.
1:46:22
My boss's. Son-in-law is a land man.
1:46:26
It's it's wild. I just watched that, his name.
1:46:29
Was Bubba which? I just watched Cocaine
1:46:32
Quarterback. That was intense is.
1:46:35
That. No, it's it's like 3.
1:46:38
Episodes. Of true story, it's a guy that
1:46:40
went to USC to play barball. And end up on the.
1:46:42
Football team when? Reggie Bush over there.
1:46:44
And he got caught up with the cartel.
1:46:46
And was shut up cocaine. What is this?
1:46:48
In Australia, Netflix. I got a it's in it's.
1:46:51
I'm just thinking the guy that did kind of the same ish stories
1:46:57
of the cocaine down in Miami. Yeah, I thought it was cooking
1:47:01
Cowboys. So this must be a playoff of
1:47:03
that. I got to find that.
1:47:06
Yeah, I'll find it. That's hey, David, we were just
1:47:09
talking about your son-in-law. He's a land man.
1:47:13
I said his name was Bubba, but I feel like a mom Jim Bob.
1:47:16
I was in the right. Yeah, he's he's watching binge
1:47:21
watching land man the show. And I was like, I was like, it's
1:47:24
funny. I'm.
1:47:26
Sure. Mark, thank you so much.
1:47:38
Thank you. Appreciate you, appreciate your
1:47:40
leadership, you. Know Mike copperly Mike in a
1:47:44
small dose of NJCA, but you're greater leadership in our.
1:47:46
Sport. And just thankful for that
1:47:48
because we need it and. Appreciate.
1:47:50
What you do? Thank you.
1:47:51
Appreciate it. Thank you.
1:47:52
Brother, take care who's next. You guys want to arm wrestle?
1:48:00
I know who I'm taking. If y'all arm wrestle, he's got
1:48:02
the levers on, you know? Hello, Michael.
1:48:06
How are you, Sir? I'm.
1:48:07
Good. Do you still have a voice?
1:48:09
I do yeah. I do these for like 2 hours in a
1:48:12
row. I'm only at 148 man, I'm good.
1:48:13
Oh good. So we.
1:48:14
Got at least 12 more. Minutes Easel.
1:48:16
Easel. Introduce yourself my friend and
1:48:18
microphone a little bit. Closer to your.
1:48:20
Mouth. I'm Aaron Robinson.
1:48:23
Now, I had Blake Bolden. He's the director of the Drake
1:48:28
Relays. He's been our lead off, like
1:48:29
literally all four years we've done this.
1:48:31
He's been our lead off. Who wins in a physical MMA
1:48:34
fight, you or Blake Bolton? Well, you know what Blake would
1:48:41
say. You bro, Come on 6.
1:48:44
Foot 7. 68270 but like. I think I said 6-7 because that
1:48:50
whole 6 seven thing, literally as I said that is like I think
1:48:52
my daughter made me say that I'm. 68 Holy cow would my life
1:48:57
be a whole different thing right now?
1:49:00
I mean, I think with Blake it would just turn into like, like
1:49:03
who can come up with the best compliments to like, hurt the
1:49:06
other person. But I don't know how you not
1:49:09
like. I don't mean that, no.
1:49:11
No, no, no, no, no, no. I think Blake's too.
1:49:14
Nice. Yes, yes.
1:49:15
Now I can think of other people I could certainly beat because
1:49:19
of just built up aggression, but Blake would certainly not be
1:49:23
that. Person, I'm not on that list.
1:49:25
Dude, if you and I were in a fight in there, I would be.
1:49:28
Running for the pills. Right.
1:49:31
First of all. Former distance runner or former
1:49:33
thrower, Which one are you going to take?
1:49:35
I my knees are so bad I couldn't hit you if.
1:49:38
You're. Away from me and you're just
1:49:40
assuming that my physical specimen is just in tip top
1:49:44
like. True, I am I am assuming that
1:49:46
we've. We've gone off the the rails
1:49:48
here, but. No, no, this is part of the
1:49:49
rails. This is what?
1:49:50
I want. We're good.
1:49:51
Tell me the tell me the pen delays in 2026.
1:49:53
What? Do you anything?
1:49:54
Exciting to look forward to. Yeah, You know, it's the best.
1:49:58
This thing about the pen relays, we're we're coming up, this will
1:50:00
be the 130th running. Now it's been going on for more
1:50:04
than 130 years, 1895 to 2026. With those two years with COVID,
1:50:10
you know, it's, it's kind of thrown that off, but we're at
1:50:12
130th running. The best thing about that meat
1:50:17
is it's more of the same, right? You know, like the Rose Bowl is
1:50:21
not broken. So why are they going to
1:50:22
reinvent the Rose Bowl? And by no means am I I saying
1:50:25
that, you know, Henry is the Rose Bowl, but in track and.
1:50:28
Field, I'll say it's, yeah. Absolutely.
1:50:30
I mean the granddaddy of them all, but a couple of years ago
1:50:36
we started having the boys and girls high school changing.
1:50:39
Changing. Days that was a really insert
1:50:42
for me like, you know close to 350 episodes on the podcast,
1:50:46
right? It's always tough.
1:50:46
It was like, so you can forgive me that I forget some things,
1:50:49
right? But there's a few conversations
1:50:52
that I like, like they they're just imprinted in the brain and
1:50:56
the conversation about and how, you know, I think I teed up the
1:51:00
the question about like, oh, you're just moving the boys to
1:51:02
the girl. Big, big deal.
1:51:03
And you were like, oh, you started going into the average 4
1:51:05
by 4 for our boys, XY and Z, and they live for the girls.
1:51:07
So that means I got this much extra time, Mike.
1:51:09
So I got. It's.
1:51:11
I still tell people that sort of like you guys have no idea how
1:51:14
intricate. This is that's what's so tricky
1:51:16
with the pennies as a whole. And I'll get back to my original
1:51:18
point of saying this, but we get lots of feedback and I love
1:51:23
feedback, right? If you're not getting feedback,
1:51:25
then you're doing something majorly wrong.
1:51:28
But with feedback, it's so challenging because everybody's
1:51:31
looking through a different lens with feedback, not thinking of
1:51:37
the the whole thing, right? Not thinking of it top to
1:51:40
bottom. And with the PET relay
1:51:42
specifically, we've got 17,000 athletes going through in three
1:51:46
days. If you move one thing, it's it's
1:51:50
a complete domino effect. So when we've switched the boys
1:51:52
and girls, it was a massive puzzle that we were able to
1:51:58
figure out. And we've obviously made some
1:51:59
tweaks since then and it's tricky, but it was something
1:52:04
that was absolutely. Worth it?
1:52:06
And so this year, it'll be the boys on Friday and Saturday and
1:52:10
the girls on Thursday and Friday, which also aligns well
1:52:13
with Quincy Wilson. Oh, yeah.
1:52:15
Bullis High School senior, his last chance to be at the
1:52:19
Jamaicans and hasn't happened yet.
1:52:21
He's run 42, nine. Can he run any faster?
1:52:24
I mean, it's his. Poor.
1:52:26
Memory. So last year I was blessed to be
1:52:28
at the Penalty Rays. And over the past couple of
1:52:30
years, Quincy's coach, Joe Lee has become a good friend of
1:52:33
mine. He's over to hang out with him
1:52:35
and all that kind of good stuff. And I remember that race.
1:52:38
You're right, you know? So Quincy goes out there and
1:52:40
runs. He goes 44, nine if I remember.
1:52:42
Correctly. It was 43 nine. 43 nine, I said
1:52:46
42 nine a second ago and I realized that it wasn't 429HE
1:52:49
wins, 39439 gets. B, because he didn't get the
1:52:52
baton ahead of the Jamaica kid, but it's only but being what a
1:52:55
heart the kid races, all that kind of stuff, right?
1:52:57
What was interesting to me though, is the next day, and
1:53:00
this is not putting down into these athletes, Texas A&M goes
1:53:03
out and wins the four by four, if I remember correctly.
1:53:05
And to believe the young man's name is Ahmad Robinson goes out
1:53:08
and the mods are extremely accomplished.
1:53:10
I think he was in C AA champ, maybe indoor or something like
1:53:12
that. Obviously he's on a three flat
1:53:14
4. Anybody would take the Mark
1:53:16
Robinson on their team and I remember distinctly the
1:53:20
announcer calling off his split and it was. 44 now and I.
1:53:24
Remember, I was talking to, oh, my gosh, my brain, I was talking
1:53:30
to a coach. I got to stop saying the name
1:53:31
and say a coach. I was talking to Lynn Smith at
1:53:33
the University of Maryland, where coach is going.
1:53:35
Oh. My God, this is kind of.
1:53:36
Weird. Yeah, yeah.
1:53:37
Perfect. And I go, Lynn, I go.
1:53:39
That's a great race by a lot. He goes, yeah, yeah, 44, nine.
1:53:41
It's amazing. I go if you remember yesterday
1:53:43
and he was with me when it's 43 now.
1:53:49
And he probably did the nice pet on the back like I know.
1:53:52
And then, luckily, boy, what a laugh.
1:53:56
That's awesome. I like this movie for many, many
1:53:58
reasons. I like this.
1:53:59
But first of all, super trust the head coach there.
1:54:02
He knows what he's doing, specifically in the port of my,
1:54:04
but he's really an intelligent young man.
1:54:07
People laugh. He's an old man, but he's a very
1:54:09
intelligent guy. I like this.
1:54:11
Move a lot. A lot.
1:54:14
Quincy obviously is is one of one as far as talent level goes
1:54:17
and all that, but Quincy is also one of one as far as as young
1:54:19
men go. Yes.
1:54:21
Oh my gosh, I'm more impressed. I know this sounds crazy.
1:54:24
I'm more impressed with Quincy Wilson, a human being, than
1:54:27
Quincy Wilson being 400. Meters.
1:54:29
And I will say that to I. Mean forever I haven't got to
1:54:32
meet Q. Yet all of.
1:54:34
You is awesome, but you know, I've talked to Joe many, many
1:54:36
times and you know, there's stories he'll tell me about you
1:54:40
that I'm like 2016 and he's making that decision.
1:54:42
Like really. It's really.
1:54:45
Good parents. And just.
1:54:46
Everything, everything, everything.
1:54:48
So being able to watch him race one last time.
1:54:51
Is a high scorer. Henry race and last year that
1:54:55
4x4 I mean it I call it the greatest high school race ever
1:54:58
run and I would argue that to the death.
1:55:02
Maybe that's the death match between me and Blake, but I
1:55:05
would argue that to to the death because they had the second,
1:55:11
third and fourth fastest 4 by fours ever run in world history.
1:55:16
Well, scholastic world history, right?
1:55:19
The only one team that's ever run faster was Calabar in 2017
1:55:23
when they went three O 3 in penry ways.
1:55:26
Bolas pushes the US record once he runs 43 nine.
1:55:30
He comes up when he got onto the shoulders with the guys at the
1:55:34
top of the home stretch. It's.
1:55:37
Was deafening in the stadium and you just wondered, can they do
1:55:41
it? The thing that's so hard to beat
1:55:43
the Jamaicans is they're so prepared and disciplined.
1:55:48
Their coaches prepared them. Those anchors knew exactly what
1:55:52
was going to happen. They knew they were going to
1:55:54
have the lead. They didn't know if it was going
1:55:55
to be 5 meters, 10 meters, 15. It ended up being 15.
1:55:58
And they knew at some point Quincy's going to come up, stay
1:56:02
controlled. And then and as soon as he came
1:56:04
up top of the homestretch, those guys had an additional year
1:56:08
because again, they were given a 10 to 15 meter.
1:56:10
Head Start. Greatest high school race of
1:56:12
all? Time I remember I took a picture
1:56:14
first of all, and that you have two extra precautions and stuff
1:56:18
because of Quincy's status in our sport and being a young
1:56:21
individual the the entourage that comes out oh.
1:56:25
Man and then after the race. Quincy just ran his tail off and
1:56:30
everybody's mobbed them and the coaches and the teams are doing
1:56:34
all these pictures in front of the Toyota.
1:56:37
For a sponsor, yeah. OK, Yeah, there's a car there,
1:56:40
Toyota, right They're. Not a sponsor anymore.
1:56:42
OK, yeah, yeah, well, I didn't want to make trouble.
1:56:45
Yeah, OK, the car that was there, but you know, that was
1:56:46
kind of like the gaggle and everybody's taking pictures and
1:56:49
everything. And I remember I took a picture
1:56:50
of just the Hubble and I was like, man, you can't tell me
1:56:53
there's not interest in track and field.
1:56:54
Look at this, this is a mob that all the press was there.
1:56:57
I mean, there's a story, guys, that this happens everywhere.
1:57:01
Maybe not to that 43 nine, but there's a story there.
1:57:03
Competition that I thought was so cool to see.
1:57:05
And that's the beauty of of relays, right?
1:57:08
And I'm not just saying this because.
1:57:09
The. Beauty of relay is yes, there's
1:57:12
individual components, but just like in basketball, there's
1:57:15
individual components. But either the Lakers or or in
1:57:20
Dallas, The Mavericks won the game.
1:57:22
Now there's LeBron either had a great game or maybe this was
1:57:25
last year in Luca I want to bring up too.
1:57:28
Many of those things here, but. One of them probably had a great
1:57:32
game, but, and that's what a lot of people may be talking about,
1:57:36
but at the end of the day, who got the one, Who got the one?
1:57:38
And that's the beauty of the relays as just as it was in that
1:57:41
race, everybody was talking about Quincy.
1:57:44
Let's also keep in mind that Kingston College won the four by
1:57:49
four and they've just continued to roll out this level of
1:57:53
dominance and the second fastest 4 by 4 ever run by a scholastic
1:57:57
team. I mean, it's, it's ultimately
1:57:59
the world relay championships of high school because these are
1:58:02
high school teams. These are not All Star teams.
1:58:04
These are high school teams that go to school together.
1:58:07
They all converge on that day. And oh, by the way they run
1:58:09
through, you know, it's just. It's it's.
1:58:12
Crazy. Absolutely.
1:58:13
Crazy. What we're explaining to our
1:58:15
coaches is that you know you're Aaron first, not coach first.
1:58:17
You're Aaron first before you're meet director for Ben.
1:58:19
Really, Scott, talk to me off the track about Aaron.
1:58:23
There's something that you're a geek about that you're a nerd
1:58:25
about. You.
1:58:26
Read every. Comic book of the X-Men.
1:58:30
You you're trying to collect the stakeholder from, I don't know,
1:58:35
there's some hobby, there's something that you were just a
1:58:37
nerd about. What is that for you?
1:58:40
Oh 100% I am an avid. Avid Dodger fan.
1:58:46
I have been. It was on branded.
1:58:48
Me, my father. My excuse me, my grandfather.
1:58:51
My maternal. Grandfather.
1:58:53
The was a huge baseball fan. He loved the Dodgers just to
1:58:57
bother his his father, who was. A Yankees fan.
1:59:00
And he just absolutely fell in love with it.
1:59:03
And I mean he used to sit by the.
1:59:05
Radio. And listen to Bin Scully and
1:59:08
keep a scoreboard. My grandfather was was a
1:59:11
broadcaster. He did all the play by play for
1:59:14
BYU. Sports in the 70s. 80s and into
1:59:17
the 90s it's cool and what's kind of fun is my 2
1:59:21
grandfathers. 1 was Clarence Robinson but my other
1:59:23
grandfather. Jay.
1:59:24
Monson started the BYU Sports Network, which now is a full
1:59:29
blown entity at the at BYU. So it's even though he's now
1:59:33
passed, if I go back and watch highlights of Steve Young at
1:59:37
BYU, it's grandpa's voice and and everything and, and so
1:59:41
baseball is so it's so important to me that's.
1:59:45
Really. Interesting to me for two
1:59:48
reasons that you can. Go.
1:59:49
Back to like today. We could.
1:59:50
We could pull. It up on YouTube, but there'll
1:59:51
be something. Right, you get to hear your
1:59:53
grandfather. 'S voice because the one is when
1:59:56
people rail against social media and you know me.
1:59:59
Well enough, I'm a social. Media advocate sure doesn't
2:00:00
mean. There's not bad things that.
2:00:01
Happen. But that's everywhere.
2:00:03
There's bad things that happen on TV, radio, things that happen
2:00:05
everywhere. But I think about these cell
2:00:09
phones and social media and I think about.
2:00:11
Like my? Kids are going to be able to
2:00:14
have pictures and videos for their grandkids.
2:00:18
There's. No joke.
2:00:19
I think there's two pictures of me when I was a baby that have
2:00:22
survived. That's it.
2:00:24
That's it. Their kids are going to be able
2:00:25
to see this so much more. Think about would you like to
2:00:28
see a video? Of your grandpa.
2:00:30
The first time he got on a mic on his date with his with your
2:00:36
grandma. Those are lots.
2:00:38
Those are just. Memories.
2:00:39
That are out. There so I love.
2:00:40
That you have that too, I feel a bit.
2:00:45
Of a responsibility. With the podcast about that, so
2:00:48
we've had now 3 three off top of.
2:00:52
My head. I feel like I'm.
2:00:54
Missing someone lately 3. Individuals.
2:00:56
That have been the podcast. That have passed away.
2:00:58
Brooks, Johnson, Judd, Logan and Latif.
2:01:01
Thomas. And I there is another one I'm
2:01:02
missing. Someone just passed.
2:01:04
And so I start thinking about some of our coaches out there
2:01:09
that are of an. Age that I'm like, man, I want
2:01:11
to count. You know what it's you know,
2:01:14
it's, it's a kind of a biographical.
2:01:17
And so I feel a little bit like that's not the purpose of the
2:01:20
podcast, but I feel a. Little that's maybe.
2:01:26
They didn't, you know? Yeah.
2:01:29
Yeah. Last.
2:01:30
Year. Judd Logan got inducted into.
2:01:33
The Hall of Fame and his son worked for me.
2:01:36
I hired a. Son back in the day of guilt and
2:01:39
and they invited me to sit at the family table and I and I
2:01:43
reran his episode that night as a tribute of like more people
2:01:47
need to hear about him now this person has not passed away the
2:01:51
Duchess night or my mentor is going in tomorrow.
2:01:53
I'm doing the same thing for Boo as well.
2:01:55
So that's great, but I love that you get to Yeah.
2:01:57
No, it's, it's, it's how old were you when?
2:02:00
He passed. I mean I was an.
2:02:05
Adult. I was an adult.
2:02:07
So you got the baby here in person?
2:02:08
Oh. OK, Yeah.
2:02:10
Yeah. No, I.
2:02:10
Mean when I was a kid, so my. Earliest memories.
2:02:12
Is you know. Watching the BYU football or
2:02:14
basketball game and grandpas and my.
2:02:16
Children they they probably did not meet great grandpa or maybe
2:02:21
that they my. Oldest was a was a.
2:02:23
Baby when you. That's what I'm saying.
2:02:26
They can go right now in here. That's that's really.
2:02:29
Special to me no, no. And then?
2:02:31
They're doing some of those. Things in AI.
2:02:34
And I'm an AI advocate. I'm.
2:02:35
Not sure that's the kosher. I don't know.
2:02:37
I don't know I'm. Not.
2:02:38
I'm not that. I know, I know.
2:02:39
I'm not in that situation, so I don't know either.
2:02:40
But yeah, baseball. So I love that picture of
2:02:45
Grandpa listening to the game and writing the scorecard.
2:02:48
Are you that level of nerd? I'm like, are you keeping it?
2:02:50
I watch. No, I don't want.
2:02:52
I don't keep it. That's what I'm wondering.
2:02:53
But I I watch every Dodger game to an.
2:02:56
Extent. It all depends on how late I
2:02:58
can. Stay up.
2:02:59
Yeah. West Coast, right?
2:03:00
Yeah, I know when. You're all the way East Coast.
2:03:01
Yeah, yeah. And there was a long time there.
2:03:05
That it was. Pretty rough, but the last 15.
2:03:07
Years have been pretty great and especially the last two years,
2:03:12
it's been pretty great to be a Dodger.
2:03:14
I don't like baseball at all. I played fifth grade, but it's
2:03:16
you're better having to swore it off.
2:03:18
But like, who's the hot? Who's your favorite?
2:03:20
Player on the Dodgers maybe I know, but oh, is that oh, I'm
2:03:23
gonna be getting myself in baseball trouble.
2:03:25
Is that where that that really the the guy who pitches in hits
2:03:28
Shikani, Shikani. Shikani.
2:03:31
That's is he Dodger? Yeah.
2:03:32
This could be a favorite player, right?
2:03:33
That's amazing. Oh, I mean he you you have a
2:03:36
tremendous amount of respect. Clayton Kershaw and again, shout
2:03:39
out to Dallas. That's where he's from.
2:03:41
OK, but he's full career with the Dodgers.
2:03:43
Clayton Kershaw is my favorite athlete of any sporting.
2:03:46
Did he this? Is such a terrible question.
2:03:48
Did he going to be? No, no he did not.
2:03:50
Did he buy? BYU or any BYU?
2:03:52
Players on the BYU. Is maybe?
2:03:56
The team that's most on the cusp of like.
2:03:59
Being a powerhouse. And.
2:04:00
Then we like talking about LSU in certain in certain sports.
2:04:03
I think so, bro. And this is a no disrespect to
2:04:05
BYU baseball program, which he's done a phenomenal job.
2:04:08
One of the hardest. Things about baseball.
2:04:10
Is if you're not in the South, you can't practice outside.
2:04:14
Absolutely. And so if you look at who
2:04:16
dominates in college baseball, you can just circle the map and
2:04:20
this is where it is. I mean, yes.
2:04:22
And you know, we can say that about track and that doesn't
2:04:24
hold true 100% of the time. But you're right, it's a huge
2:04:27
event, no? Arguments in regards the other
2:04:29
thing that's tricky, just as we see like, again, I know you're
2:04:32
not a baseball fan the Colorado Rockies will never be very good
2:04:35
at. Baseball.
2:04:36
Didn't they win the World Series?
2:04:38
No, the Rockies have been once. I think that tells you how.
2:04:40
But they did go though. They did go once.
2:04:41
I'm not that far. But.
2:04:43
Just once. It's the only time I've ever.
2:04:45
Made the playoffs in their their 30 years of existence.
2:04:49
How long? But the ball moves different at
2:04:52
altitude and BYU is the same. Altitude.
2:04:56
As as. Colorado.
2:04:58
So it's hard to get pitchers that's the ball's not going to
2:05:01
move now. Hitters, you can hit it a long.
2:05:03
Way but again and this is a no disrespect to the BOE baseball
2:05:07
they do an incredible job but the spring in Provo is not a
2:05:11
great place for for baseball. So anyway besides that go
2:05:18
Cougars. I have gotten myself in trouble
2:05:21
this year. Asked for this live session here
2:05:25
at UST. Asking about this because I've
2:05:27
had to have in depth conversations about the 10K
2:05:29
didn't really care to have that baseball.
2:05:31
I don't really care to have that and then ones was history's big
2:05:33
history buff and I'm like man, it's like man, I got to find a
2:05:38
different question. We we certainly cross paths in a
2:05:40
lot of places, but apparently distance running baseball and.
2:05:44
History. Which are how are these friends?
2:05:46
Well, I think it's more of a sign that's the your.
2:05:52
Ability to be friends with everybody, I think.
2:05:54
It started with your dad who have no longer than you and
2:05:56
have. Always had a lot of He also
2:05:58
hates. Baseball.
2:05:59
So my my. Mom, my mom absolutely loved it
2:06:00
and that was me and mom. Oh, 100%.
2:06:05
All right, Aaron. Thanks so much brother.
2:06:07
Appreciate you. Hey, thank you for.
2:06:08
What you do for the sport of track and field?
2:06:10
You know, you've been in a lot of different.
2:06:12
A lot, but several different positions in our sport and have
2:06:15
always moved it forward. And you know, that's important.
2:06:18
You know what, no bigger fan of track coaches than me.
2:06:20
So, you know, obviously it's always going to be my bin.
2:06:22
But it takes a lot more than just our track coaches.
2:06:24
And so people like you in your position, in your team are a big
2:06:28
part of our sport and I'm really grateful.
2:06:29
Right back at ya. Thank you.
2:06:31
Thanks, boss. Appreciate it.
2:06:36
Thanks. So.
2:06:36
Much for everybody joining us here, obviously live on YouTube,
2:06:40
live on Instagram, and don't forget you can catch all the
2:06:43
Gill podcast, all the reruns and stuff like that on your favorite
2:06:46
podcast app as well as on YouTube.
2:06:49
And then just started here in 2025, Twitch TV, so twitch.tv,
2:06:54
Gil Athletics, you can see all the interviews including you
2:06:57
might not recognize this guy because he's wearing new
2:06:59
clothing. And that's my very first
2:07:00
question after I have him introduce himself.
2:07:03
You'll find his interview on twitch.tv/gal Athletics as well.
2:07:07
We're running that Channel 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
2:07:09
So, you know, if you wake up insomnia at 2:00 AM, maybe his
2:07:13
interview will be on there and you'll fall asleep really quick.
2:07:15
So it'll, it'll help you in your in your health.
2:07:18
Introduce yourself, my friend. Yes, Jim Sprecher.
2:07:21
I'm the new cross country coach at USCA.
2:07:25
All right, Jim, I should have called you.
2:07:28
You know we've known each other for.
2:07:30
You know a mole. Decades now at this point.
2:07:33
What are you doing, man? You?
2:07:34
When I went to visit you at Lynchburg, I was so impressed as
2:07:38
to what a beautiful campus. I love where the track sits with
2:07:42
those. Dorms.
2:07:43
I loved everything about it. You'd been there for a while, a
2:07:46
lot of success, and boom, you're leaving to go to Aiken.
2:07:50
What, what, what? What are we doing?
2:07:51
Why are we doing this? That's a great question.
2:07:55
You still ask to do something every day.
2:07:57
No, that's not true. That's.
2:07:58
Not true, no. I've been coaching now.
2:08:00
College. Tracking.
2:08:01
Cross country for the last 40 years and.
2:08:04
So and one thing you probably know about me is I love to build
2:08:08
things and so after do a good job with that by the way Oh
2:08:11
thank you after 10 years at Lynchburg and again having.
2:08:15
Just great experience. That was great for memories.
2:08:20
Just an opportunity to to slow down just a little bit of doing
2:08:24
that just cross and of course, you know my wife going in and
2:08:29
this provided. Her an opportunity.
2:08:31
To retire, Yeah. Is that right?
2:08:34
Oh, good. And now with the granddaughters,
2:08:36
everything just gave us a little more balance and.
2:08:40
Still. Gave me a chance to do what?
2:08:42
I love and coach. Are the kids living in Aiken
2:08:45
around Aiken? They're they're going to be
2:08:46
moving that way. OK, I wondered where?
2:08:49
Trace and them we're at. They're in the area.
2:08:53
When I say area, meaning they're not in California, Yeah, they're
2:08:55
they're in the region. Alex and her family are in
2:08:58
Wilmington still. Yeah.
2:09:00
Yeah. And then Trace and his family
2:09:01
are in Lynchburg. Yeah.
2:09:03
They're builders and they're relocating to the.
2:09:05
Carolinas. How far from the Lynchburg?
2:09:09
Five hours. From Lynchburg and about 3 1/2
2:09:12
from. Wilmington.
2:09:13
Wilmington, Yeah, OK. Beautiful area.
2:09:15
I think I went there once for something, but a beautiful area.
2:09:17
Yeah, yeah. How's the?
2:09:18
School. I don't know much about USCA.
2:09:20
Yeah, USC Aiken to Division Two school.
2:09:23
It's a growing school record enrollment just.
2:09:27
Located in a beautiful part of the country right across from
2:09:31
Augusta, GA OH, if anybody knows anything about the Masters golf
2:09:34
tournament, wait a minute, this is going to be embarrassing.
2:09:37
How far are you from Augusta, GA?
2:09:38
20 minutes. I was in Augusta, GA this
2:09:43
summer. For like a long.
2:09:45
Weekend, my son. Qualified last year as a middle
2:09:48
schooler. The middle school national.
2:09:50
Championships bass fishing was there.
2:09:52
I saw that and I was there. I was 15 minutes from you.
2:09:56
Yeah, some front shut off. I'm sorry.
2:10:07
Because, you know, any opportunity, I would have been
2:10:09
there, dude. Yeah.
2:10:12
Oh, man. Only cross country.
2:10:13
Only cross country plans. Thoughts of adding?
2:10:18
Yeah, I mean if we need to. We would do it.
2:10:21
It would just be with our distance careers doing.
2:10:24
The track portion of it starts there.
2:10:25
Jill Miller at Northwestern is doing that right now.
2:10:27
And you know. You got to.
2:10:29
Build healthy things grow, and you got to start somewhere.
2:10:31
You don't have to go full blown, but there's a possibility to to
2:10:34
continue adding that. So we're maybe if it needs to,
2:10:37
Yeah. But the you know, it's a small
2:10:40
world and that the ADUSC Aiken used to be.
2:10:44
With me at UNC Wilmington back in the 90s, when you're winning
2:10:49
championships after championships after
2:10:50
championships, that's a common theme that's.
2:10:52
Followed you, my friend. Yeah.
2:10:54
So he's given me resources to really build something special
2:10:57
with men and women. And with men and women in cross
2:11:00
country. So like you're, you know, 1.
2:11:03
Of the things I've always liked about you, besides many things,
2:11:06
is staff development. We've had a lot of great people
2:11:09
on your Staffs and from Ball State to UNCW Lynchburg, they've
2:11:13
developed, I mean, gosh, you know, and you've had some good
2:11:15
ones. It's hard to say.
2:11:16
Like look at this one at your distance.
2:11:18
Coach at. Lynchburg obviously got a lot of
2:11:20
pub for lots of good reasons. Now at Northern Arizona,
2:11:24
rightfully so. Do you have a staff?
2:11:27
Because I'm thinking like lacrosse.
2:11:29
Maybe not one man show so. That part of it, yeah, I'm kind
2:11:33
of missing, sure, pouring in, but.
2:11:36
And but what I have been doing is pouring into the other
2:11:39
coaches on staff. I was going to, I wonder.
2:11:41
So I'm still coaching coaches generally younger age at Aiken.
2:11:46
Or yeah, yeah. Fairly young staff.
2:11:49
I guess I'd probably be the even though it's my first.
2:11:52
First year I'm probably. Second in seniority as well.
2:11:56
What do we call it? The Godfather or whatever, when
2:11:58
you're that, I'm like, well, you just got there though, but.
2:12:00
Yeah, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:12:01
That makes sense. What is so is Aiken a new
2:12:06
program? Like did you start the program
2:12:09
or has it started in the last year or two or are you building
2:12:11
on decades long? Of a program.
2:12:13
Yeah, no, they've had a program for a while and basically the
2:12:17
biggest difference is they. Decided to really go all in and
2:12:21
fully fund it. Oh, oh, lookout.
2:12:23
And so, yeah, it's going to, you know, it's going to be something
2:12:27
that it is. Great.
2:12:29
What I didn't? Realize at the time is just the
2:12:31
opportunity we have them because the area is, it's got so much.
2:12:36
It's one of the biggest forest communities in the country.
2:12:38
I can see that. And there's a town, a park
2:12:42
called Hitchcock Woods. And it's the largest park.
2:12:46
Urban park in the United States, even bigger than Central Park
2:12:50
and a mile and 1/2 from my office is this park and we.
2:12:55
Have 70 miles of trails. Back in this park.
2:12:59
And the other thing is we have, because of our horse culture, we
2:13:03
have downtown, the horse district, OK, And yeah, we have
2:13:07
just miles and miles in the middle of town, these dirt roads
2:13:12
so that the horses have places to go from their fields, their,
2:13:15
you know, stables and everything like.
2:13:17
Instead of like an. HOV lane.
2:13:18
You have a HORSE lane? We do, Yeah.
2:13:21
So you drive through to wait? No, it's still HOV.
2:13:23
It's horse only area that was. Terrible, I almost got.
2:13:27
There I was going to be a good one.
2:13:30
He's still laughing about it. But no, we really do.
2:13:33
So you have instead of pedestrian crosses, we have
2:13:35
horse crossings. That's cool.
2:13:37
Do you know Lori was called? What's called?
2:13:41
She said. You're awesome.
2:13:42
So she knows you. I'm sure you know it's
2:13:44
Instagram. So the names are and you.
2:13:46
Know he's not well. Lori knows you, so I know she
2:13:50
knows that as well. But Lori says you're awesome and
2:13:52
I agree with her. What's?
2:13:54
You I love, you know me. I love mascots.
2:13:56
What is? Because Lynchburg was cool.
2:13:57
It was like it was like the Hornets.
2:13:59
Yeah, Ball State was pretty good.
2:14:01
Cardinals, you know, UCW was pretty cool.
2:14:05
Oh, my God. Seahawks, USC, Aiken.
2:14:09
I mean, he's talking about the big horse culture.
2:14:11
I'm going to say there's something like the racers or
2:14:13
something with horses. What?
2:14:14
What is it? Well, growing it.
2:14:15
Up in Indianapolis. I've always wanted to be an
2:14:18
Indiana Pacer, so I'm a. Pacer Fine.
2:14:22
Cool, that's awesome. I love that.
2:14:25
Jim. This.
2:14:27
Session here. At USTFCCA, we always have a
2:14:29
theme every year. Last year we were with us, it
2:14:32
was making prediction, right? All that kind of stuff.
2:14:34
This year everybody for a long time has called you coach for a
2:14:38
lot of great reasons. That's your profession, right?
2:14:40
But that is your profession. So let's put that to the side.
2:14:42
I want to know more about Jim. There's got to be and not got to
2:14:45
be. There.
2:14:45
Is there's something that you are a nerd about that you're a
2:14:49
geek about? Whether it's binge watching a
2:14:51
show. You like to collect little tiny
2:14:54
teaspoons from every state. I thought I used to be happy
2:14:57
back in the day. You like to make your own
2:14:59
candles. I'm trying to come up with
2:15:00
different examples every time, so I'm kind of getting a little
2:15:01
creative here. What?
2:15:03
Give me some insight. What are you a nerd about?
2:15:07
I guess I'm an addict. OK.
2:15:10
All right. Get ready to call 911.
2:15:13
This is this is going to be. Good.
2:15:14
What are you an addict about, my friend?
2:15:17
Besides your family? Because I know that is number
2:15:19
one. What are you an addict about?
2:15:22
It's been over. 47 years 47 years back in August, I.
2:15:26
Started working out and I still have not taken a day off.
2:15:29
Are you still on the run St. Yeah.
2:15:32
And so even this morning when I flew out early, I was out there
2:15:35
at 3:00. 30 this morning doing my run.
2:15:38
Getting my day started. So how many?
2:15:40
So what is your because everybody has a little different
2:15:41
requirement. What's your requirement per day
2:15:43
to run? So I do both.
2:15:46
Again, I'd like to run and lift and all that so I have a play.
2:15:50
On the old saying of an apple a day keeps the doctor away.
2:15:53
In this case I always say an hour a day keeps the doctor
2:15:56
away. So you run run and work out for
2:15:59
an hour every day, Good friend. Who's also you've been on the?
2:16:03
Podcast. He's a good old podcast alone as
2:16:05
well. Another good friend who's going.
2:16:07
To show Tony. Hallard.
2:16:08
You know that name? Tony Hallard.
2:16:09
Tony Hallard also has a run streak and he, I remember
2:16:13
correct, stepped off a curb or a stair and busted him.
2:16:17
And he? He ended it.
2:16:19
He's back at it, though, because you know, Tony Holler, you guys
2:16:21
like you, it's going to, that's the only way it's going to stop.
2:16:25
But you're going to get right back on it as soon as you can.
2:16:28
Did you say 40? Three years 47 August August of
2:16:32
1977 is when it. Started about a year after I
2:16:36
was. Born, you said 47.
2:16:39
Wait, no, I'm older. I'm almost 50 years in 26.
2:16:43
So 48 years, 40. 8, right. Yeah, yeah.
2:16:46
Too. Long time.
2:16:47
Has that ever caused an issue and what I'm?
2:16:52
Thinking is. Like you missed a date.
2:16:54
With your. Wife because.
2:16:56
You had to do that You. Were late to Tracy's birth and
2:16:59
I'm just thinking like has it ever like oh man I've missed or
2:17:03
I was late because I had to get 10 more minutes I couldn't stop
2:17:06
it was 20 years I couldn't stop in 20 years people have asked
2:17:10
that question so you you ran on your birthday you ran on your
2:17:14
anniversary you ran when you. Got married and kids were born.
2:17:17
Yeah. And it's just I make the time
2:17:20
for it. And I guess you taking
2:17:21
vacations? You know.
2:17:23
You know I've run in. Blizzards.
2:17:25
Hurricanes. Tornadoes.
2:17:28
You name it, I've been out there.
2:17:30
Getting it done so I am also on a.
2:17:33
I'm on a 49 almost. 50 year old streak and I'm not at all.
2:17:39
That's crazy. That's, you know, I.
2:17:41
I love the. Commitments and I love the many
2:17:44
reasons, but you know, your state of reason like keeps the
2:17:45
doctor away, you know, just to just help and great example you
2:17:48
set for your kids, your physical kids.
2:17:51
That's also an example you set for the athletes you've had
2:17:53
throughout the decades as well. It's you know, it's something to
2:17:56
be proud of and that's you don't see an ending until the good
2:17:59
Lord says you're you're done with it, huh?
2:18:00
That's right. Yeah, man.
2:18:02
Well, that's going to be at least a sixty 7080 year old
2:18:05
streak, my friend. I can see it you're going.
2:18:07
To be out there just to have one, like one of our old
2:18:10
friends, that's a, that's a terrible potshot.
2:18:12
Don't do that. Jim.
2:18:13
Thank you so much, brother. Thank you.
2:18:15
I'm so grateful for you. I'm proud of you, man.
2:18:17
That's a, you know, to make that decision and slow down a little
2:18:21
bit. That's a little bit of an issue
2:18:22
with our track coaches who are addicts of working and stuff
2:18:25
like that, that they don't take that step back.
2:18:28
And I'm glad you did it for health, for reasons, for family
2:18:32
time, things like that. I'm, I'm proud of you for doing
2:18:36
that. Yeah.
2:18:36
And I always want to thank you. What you do for our profession.
2:18:39
And you always, you know, we come to these things.
2:18:41
To learn about our scores. But you're here to learn about
2:18:44
people and I always appreciate what you do for us.
2:18:48
Thank you. You know, you might not have
2:18:50
been my boss, but you certainly were an influence on me as our
2:18:53
time. At Ball State.
2:18:54
So, you know, learning empathy and understanding of other
2:18:56
people. You're part of that journey, my
2:18:58
friend. So I'm grateful for you.
2:18:59
Thank you brother. Appreciate.
2:19:00
It thank you. Love you brother.
2:19:07
Love that guy. Yeah.
2:19:10
Get up in here. Come on in.
2:19:15
I just got a call from Tony. Jones he.
2:19:18
Said he'll be checking. On you tomorrow.
2:19:21
He's always checking on me. Sorry for that good fashion.
2:19:25
Go ahead and introduce yourself on that friend.
2:19:27
My. Name is Andrew Schmidt I'm.
2:19:29
A. 30 year head coach. High school head coach.
2:19:33
In Illinois was at Bloom Township High School and now at
2:19:37
New Trier High School in Winnetka and we are in Dallas.
2:19:41
What the heck are you doing down here?
2:19:42
I was very fortunate to. Have gotten.
2:19:48
Illinois Coach of the Year and I've been taking it all in.
2:19:52
It's fantastic. It's.
2:19:53
A great. Convention first time I'm
2:19:55
assuming First time here at the clinic.
2:19:58
I've done a number of different. Search for.
2:20:03
But first time actually coming to clinic.
2:20:05
Usually it's well right now it's finals week, but I'm in the
2:20:09
networking program now at New Trier.
2:20:12
OK, what's that mean? So all the switches the keep the
2:20:16
Internet going so people get to. Networking like, oh, I get to
2:20:19
know Tim. Now networking as in the actual
2:20:22
switches and. Interest servers and all that
2:20:26
that's. Interesting.
2:20:27
Do me two favors. Just come to me just a little
2:20:29
bit and then hold that mic just a little bit closer to your
2:20:31
mouth. All right.
2:20:32
Gotcha. Tell me about nutrier.
2:20:35
I probably should know more than the average person.
2:20:37
Because I lived in the. Same state and I know Nutrier
2:20:40
used to coach at DLSL high school in the Catholic league
2:20:42
right? So I'd see Nutrier athletes and
2:20:44
all that kind of such, but I don't know much about nutria.
2:20:46
I just know that it's a very, here's what I believe.
2:20:50
I know I should say you'll correct me.
2:20:51
It's a very academic institution that is also has supported
2:20:56
athletics and kind of maybe understands that those two a lot
2:20:59
of times go hand in hand. Tell me where I'm right and
2:21:01
where I'm wrong. Well, you are definitely right.
2:21:03
Nutria is a place that is very special.
2:21:07
It has the academics and the athletics.
2:21:11
Last year I believe they won state 7 state championships
2:21:15
against sports, different sports.
2:21:18
So far this year they've won boys golf 3rd and.
2:21:23
For. Girls golf the field hockey team
2:21:27
won the. State.
2:21:29
Championship. Swimming was third I think and
2:21:33
had a number of state champions in the last two years.
2:21:37
You had boys soccer 1 state championship, girls soccer 1
2:21:41
state championships and took second and that goes right down
2:21:45
the line. And this is the type of school
2:21:47
that I believe, like the valedictorian always goes.
2:21:51
Ivy League or Stanford, everybody is planning multiple
2:21:57
perfect scores in the ACT, things like that, Yeah.
2:22:00
I I think I know a little bit about it because.
2:22:02
One of the reasons why we moved, we were in Urbana and moved to
2:22:06
the Mahomet areas, you know, east to West of Champaign.
2:22:08
Basically when we start having kids is every time they do like
2:22:11
the top 50 or top 100 schools in the city of Illinois, like let's
2:22:14
say it's top 5049 will be in the Chicagoland area.
2:22:18
A lot of times Nutri are heading that list and the only one in
2:22:20
the whole state is Mohammed. So, so I was kind of see like
2:22:22
the other schools and things like that.
2:22:24
But Nutri are and I know what Mohammed does academically,
2:22:26
they're amazing. And I'm like, Oh yeah, New
2:22:28
Triers in that same vein always. I was just I got league school.
2:22:31
I got league school, I got league school.
2:22:32
Yeah, I was just at the one of the awards board award
2:22:37
ceremonies and I think they had. 25 kids who are in the semi
2:22:41
finalists of the Knicks. The national merit thing, dude,
2:22:45
when you have one of those, that's a big deal.
2:22:47
Yeah, it's it's. A place where?
2:22:52
You know they. Success is.
2:22:54
Is. Driven and lots of support.
2:22:59
How big are schools? How many students?
2:23:00
So 4000 students. So there's two campuses, there's
2:23:05
the main. Winneco One, which is
2:23:07
sophomores, juniors. And seniors, which is right on
2:23:10
down by Sheridan Rd. and along the lake.
2:23:13
And then there is the freshman campus is where the stadium, the
2:23:19
football stadium and the different playing fields are
2:23:23
which are just out when you going down the Eden's and you
2:23:26
see Loyola and the stadium on Loyola.
2:23:28
The next set of buildings over is actually the East camp, the W
2:23:32
camp, W camp. And how long have you been
2:23:35
there? This is I am now in my fifth
2:23:38
year, so I had four. Years of track.
2:23:42
Before this past season, how how is it like?
2:23:45
I always, you know, track and field coaching is hard.
2:23:47
I did it for 10 years and I had to get out.
2:23:51
I've always wondered about like our higher academic
2:23:54
institutions, a Stanford, Northwestern, the Ivy Leagues,
2:23:59
coaching track and field on the high school side, same thing.
2:24:03
Like I kind of think of nutria as like that, an Ivy League of,
2:24:05
of high school. Meaning academics is extremely,
2:24:07
extremely important guys, you don't get to do one or the
2:24:09
other. It's they go hand in hand.
2:24:12
How is it coaching that caliber of a young kid today in 20252026
2:24:17
is it? Harder.
2:24:18
Like do they ask you questions? They're like, are you smarter?
2:24:20
Me, I have no clue what you're talking about.
2:24:21
Are they more what would be the word spoiled.
2:24:26
You know, I know we have some affluency in nature as well.
2:24:29
What's it like coaching. Well, these kind of kids in
2:24:31
today's age from being at Bloom Township, which had a lot of
2:24:36
challenges, lots of. Being a place that that many of
2:24:42
the kids are in the poverty live level and and have a different
2:24:46
family troubles and then going to nutria.
2:24:49
Well, the the what I saw when I got there, they kind of didn't.
2:24:56
Believe. That.
2:24:58
There could be. Sprinters and jumpers at.
2:24:59
Nutria, they always relied on their distance program
2:25:02
stereotype to distance right kids.
2:25:04
And there's 200 this last year. There was 215 boys on the track.
2:25:10
Boys on the boys, so there's another 200 plus on the girls.
2:25:14
So you said roughly 4000 students, so there's roughly.
2:25:16
400 kids so. Right, if I'm walking down the
2:25:19
hallway on average. One out of 10 kids I pass.
2:25:22
Are going to be. On the track and field team,
2:25:23
absolutely that's so. Cool man.
2:25:24
I love that. And then there's so many other
2:25:26
opportunities when you talk to those kids and you say, you
2:25:30
know, there's all these. Opportunities that mature If
2:25:32
track and field isn't for you and you're not going to work
2:25:35
hard, you could you could go to try to do the chess team or or
2:25:42
those other. Teams.
2:25:43
Which would be like, you wouldn't make those because
2:25:45
those teams cut and we don't cut so but what I really.
2:25:53
See. I What really troubles me is
2:25:56
when people say that. Kids aren't.
2:25:58
Tough, Yeah, agreed. Because agreed.
2:26:01
I see that that especially nutria kids and other kids.
2:26:04
When they're bought. Into the program.
2:26:07
They will do everything and more, and I think they do that
2:26:10
to their detriment. The nutria kid is programmed
2:26:14
that if they're. Stressed.
2:26:15
They try to do more, and more isn't always better, I think one
2:26:20
of the Harvard coaches told me about.
2:26:21
That because. Those kids are so accidentally
2:26:24
that they like, you've got to. Be careful with them because
2:26:27
they will go over to the breaking point.
2:26:29
Right, That's what I was kind of wondering.
2:26:31
I agree 100% with that. We just had it'll publish here
2:26:35
in January, February. Lucky Huber, head coach,
2:26:38
University of South Dakota. And we were both in the same
2:26:40
wavelength, same thing. He's like, man, he goes when
2:26:42
people talk about kids and all how lazy they are and they never
2:26:45
go outside. He goes because I'm around young
2:26:47
people every day and they are they're busting their hump.
2:26:50
They could do other things. These kids are smarter.
2:26:53
You know, they have a lot of to your point, Nutri has a lot of
2:26:55
opportunities and you got 400 kids that still choose to go do
2:26:58
an exchange extremely hard sport, right, every single day,
2:27:01
right. That ain't that ain't weak.
2:27:02
And I always say to that future kids can do anything, but you
2:27:08
can't do everything. Because you've got to choose
2:27:11
what you want to be great at. You can't just say because
2:27:16
they're used to being carted around and their parents are
2:27:18
like, well, they got this opportunity and that
2:27:20
opportunity, but that doesn't work out.
2:27:24
I mean, how many, how many boys who are doing 7 on 7 end up
2:27:31
finishing their track season strong because you just can't do
2:27:34
everything? And that was Dylan Benjamin as a
2:27:40
junior. He did. 7 on 7 the.
2:27:42
Whole way ended up finishing his jump season not what he wanted
2:27:50
last year and then this year he's state champion in the
2:27:52
triple jump. You know, it's just what class
2:27:55
stature 3 AI was 3A yeah. 4000 yeah, yeah.
2:27:58
Are there any? Bigger.
2:27:59
Schools. Lane tech is just gonna say I've
2:28:02
always heard lane tech lane tech like a facility school, like are
2:28:05
they 5000? I think they're I think they're
2:28:08
high 4. Every time we drive by, I'm
2:28:09
like, let me just looks like a big it's.
2:28:12
For family, man, Yeah, yeah, yeah, a lot.
2:28:14
Of tradition, yeah. Right.
2:28:15
Exactly. A good friend of my wife's was a
2:28:18
softball player in lane Tech, so it's always in my head of lane
2:28:21
Tech. Yeah, I remember.
2:28:24
Off topic here. So I went to high school in
2:28:26
Alabama, graduated the class of 125, so roughly 5-6 hundred
2:28:30
kids. Yeah, I can relate.
2:28:31
I remember. So I went to Chicago after high
2:28:34
school for college, and I remember sitting with my.
2:28:36
Fraternity brother and I think he went to.
2:28:37
He had a new trailer. Literally he went to one of
2:28:40
these big ones. That's crazy.
2:28:42
I'm probably just making that up.
2:28:43
He went to a super big school, right?
2:28:45
Like in the called 4th out 3000 range and he's like I'm looking
2:28:48
at his yearbook or whatever. And I was like, how many?
2:28:50
Kids are in your class and I remember I'm saying 1000 or 900
2:28:53
or whatever, and I remember going, how did you know
2:28:55
everybody in your school? Like that's great because I knew
2:28:58
everybody in my school and he goes, he was brother.
2:29:00
I didn't know everybody in my class and not, you know, little
2:29:04
country boy from Alabama. It blew my mind that there were
2:29:06
schools so big you didn't know that your seniors, you didn't
2:29:09
like how what do you mean? I know all the kids in the
2:29:11
entire school. You don't even know.
2:29:14
That's crazy to me. And there are schools like that
2:29:17
around the country. That's unbelievable.
2:29:20
And but there's lots of opportunity that kids can find
2:29:23
what they what they're good at. And what what makes them go?
2:29:27
And you see them unbelievable musicians, singers, people who
2:29:33
are debating kids in the place and all the that's what I'm
2:29:37
saying when people talk a bad doubt about young people, I'm
2:29:40
like, dude, what do you think our next violinist are coming?
2:29:42
Where you think our next actors are?
2:29:43
Coming from what do you think our next chest hit?
2:29:45
They're 16 year olds right now. Give me a great.
2:29:48
Hi, Andrew. The theme this year, every year
2:29:51
at the Commission when we do the live recording here was some
2:29:54
kind of theme last year. We asked everybody to make a
2:29:56
prediction because you're being recorded.
2:29:57
So we get to go back and check. This year is a little bit
2:29:59
easier. Throughout your career,
2:30:01
rightfully so. Everybody's called you coach.
2:30:03
It's a title that is very revered.
2:30:06
I get it, no bigger. Fan of track coaches than me so
2:30:08
I get that I'm going to put that to the side and I don't know
2:30:10
about Andrew. There's something that you're a
2:30:13
nerd about that you're a geek about you.
2:30:16
You collect baseball cards and you like to collect the all the
2:30:20
1970 Pittsburgh. Pirates.
2:30:21
I don't know. There's a show you're binge
2:30:23
watching, you want to visit all the the big you know how they
2:30:29
have the the world's largest toothpick and all that kind of
2:30:31
crap. What are you a nerd about, my
2:30:33
friend? Well, I was looking for Olympic
2:30:36
memorabilia, so I. Actually have a story on that.
2:30:40
So I have like the the tokens from the the Atlanta Olympics
2:30:46
like they have tokens, A token so that like the bus tokens and
2:30:50
they did bus tokens, all the things.
2:30:53
And then there's. Like different McDonald's ones
2:30:55
that did everything. Interestingly, I got the the
2:31:01
bear from the Russian Olympics. Yeah.
2:31:06
Would that be 80? The one we boycotted 80?
2:31:09
Oh, it got 80 and there was a Russian bear.
2:31:11
And I I had the. Bear, and it was in my.
2:31:13
Closet and I was going through some stuff.
2:31:16
And then I. Noticed on the walls walking in
2:31:18
the Trier that there was the Russian club and the Russian
2:31:22
club had the picture says come go to the Russian club meeting.
2:31:26
And they had the. Bear.
2:31:27
On it, no. So like the actual bear, like a
2:31:30
picture, a picture of the toy that I had and.
2:31:34
So I found out who the head of it was was.
2:31:38
Boris who is? Also.
2:31:39
Actually is in our technology department and I brought the
2:31:43
bear for Boris and Boris just had this physical reaction that
2:31:49
he's like, I'm like, you're Boris, I've noticed you use
2:31:52
bear, this is yours. And he's like back in 1980 when
2:31:56
he was in Russia, they had the mascot there and they filled it
2:32:01
up with air and they launched it into space or something at the
2:32:06
end of the ceremony. We didn't get to see there.
2:32:09
And so they say the Olympics and and he wanted to get the bear
2:32:12
and he could never get it. So there you go.
2:32:17
What? What a great moment it was.
2:32:20
So do you continue that kind of? Collection.
2:32:22
Like, do you? Well, you stick to like the 880.
2:32:24
4. Or I'll probably be retiring.
2:32:26
In four or five years. And and.
2:32:29
Branding my beautiful. Wife.
2:32:30
Who's over there? We've decided that we're
2:32:33
daughter. Oh, are you serious?
2:32:34
Come on, bro. I got a game like that.
2:32:38
Come on. Love it.
2:32:41
Love it and. No.
2:32:44
So she's downsizing. So we're going through things
2:32:47
and. You got to.
2:32:48
Things happen. You can't keep collecting.
2:32:50
Yeah, when you get one thing, something's got to go.
2:32:53
Yeah, I'm a bit of a hoarder myself.
2:32:54
Yeah, yeah, I'm. Getting collecting something and
2:32:56
it. Just yeah, it just.
2:32:56
Doesn't stop it. There's millions of things in
2:32:58
whatever. You want to collect?
2:32:59
That's so cool. I can't imagine how that guy
2:33:02
felt because that's something that was pretty rare.
2:33:05
And here's a guy I grew. Up in there.
2:33:06
And it was. Rare for him.
2:33:08
He made that dude's day. Yeah, that just, it just worked
2:33:12
out right. I I just thought it was cool
2:33:14
that I saw it at some antique. Store and got it and I just
2:33:20
thought it was cool and but for him it it was meant to to get to
2:33:24
him yeah that's so cool Andrew thank you so much all right Mike
2:33:27
thank you for Congrats on winning the.
2:33:29
Illinois Coach of the Year. You know when we talk about the
2:33:32
top high school states? In the country.
2:33:34
For, you know, overall like produces the best athletes.
2:33:37
You know, of course we quickly do the California, Texas and
2:33:39
Florida maybe. But I've said for a lot I
2:33:41
coached and I'm a little biased because I coached high school in
2:33:43
Illinois. I think Illinois is the top
2:33:45
five. Yeah.
2:33:46
I think we just need unfortunately this the weather
2:33:49
doesn't work out and if we had three more weeks.
2:33:52
Our times and our our results would be just that much better,
2:33:55
but you guys and guys are coaching your tails off, man.
2:33:57
It's it's quite amazing. It's a fun.
2:33:59
State need to go to, we're actually now, so starting in
2:34:03
2026 we're going to provide all the equipment for the boys.
2:34:06
And girls they. Need, we're pumped for that so.
2:34:09
We're excited. To always support our in state,
2:34:10
you know, we've been in state for our entire lives, 100 + a
2:34:13
year. So we're excited to continue to
2:34:15
invest into our Illinois athletes and coaches.
2:34:18
All right, a lot of fun. Thank you Andrew.
2:34:19
Thank you man. Again, congratulations brother.
2:34:21
Awesome job. That's amazing.
2:34:25
We're just learning so much, so much.
2:34:28
Coming into the Yeah, come on in, come.
2:34:30
On in about our coaches. I I nailed it with this
2:34:33
question. Right?
2:34:34
Let's get away from being coaches.
2:34:35
And again, no bigger. Fan so I I love that aspect of
2:34:38
it but let's learn who the people are and so having a lot
2:34:41
of fun with that OK we have our next guest here introduce
2:34:45
yourself I'm Dilla may from Letourneau University where in
2:34:50
me because this has got to be a question you hear all the time.
2:34:52
Dale is Letourneau University I think.
2:34:55
Barstool Sports Rd. Wrote an article about or joked
2:34:58
about, Is that right? Yeah, we.
2:35:00
Were on McNeese State's pre like preseason schedule and they're
2:35:03
like what the heck is this French to attorney's attorney?
2:35:07
Right. But we're in Longview, TX, East
2:35:10
Texas. From here in Dallas.
2:35:11
It's about 2 1/2 hours down the Interstate Division Three
2:35:15
school's been around for quite a while.
2:35:17
Yeah. 75 years. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:35:19
That's a while. That's.
2:35:20
You know, there's still schools popping up.
2:35:21
Yeah, there's also schools closing.
2:35:23
Down, unfortunately, but no Letourneau.
2:35:25
'S got a history and has been around for actually has a really
2:35:28
interest in history in regards to how it was created 70 plus
2:35:31
years ago. Oh yeah and everything.
2:35:32
So that's really neat. Now Dylan, you were a guest on
2:35:35
the Go podcast. Thank you so much for moving on
2:35:37
that For those who didn't listen to it, how did in the world, how
2:35:41
did you get to Letourneau? How did you get to Longview, TX?
2:35:43
Yeah. You know, I don't hear
2:35:44
necessarily a Texan accent. No, no, not in the least.
2:35:48
I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, went to the
2:35:51
University of Montana. Most of my family's from
2:35:53
Montana. That's right.
2:35:54
And then after college and running there, moved to Boulder,
2:35:59
Co Sort of met my wife. She works for the Fellowship
2:36:02
Christian Athletes, right? And I was teaching.
2:36:04
High school and. Coaching a little bit.
2:36:07
He's still doing some running. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
2:36:09
Running, running, running here and there and getting just
2:36:13
another boulder. Crowd.
2:36:14
I had a great track. Club.
2:36:14
Out there and the coach I still think of and kind of go back to
2:36:18
for some workouts but yeah, when my wife and I got married had
2:36:23
the conversation like hey I, I I love teaching, but I love
2:36:26
coaching more what does that look like full time and that's
2:36:29
where we started have the graduate assistant conversation
2:36:31
and then just you. Know the way the Lord.
2:36:34
Works position open up at Messiah university that.
2:36:37
We have never heard of. Before.
2:36:39
Let alone it's in central PA like Harrisburg, Hershey,
2:36:43
Lancaster, that whole. Area.
2:36:46
But. Yeah.
2:36:46
I mean, that's, that's where the the.
2:36:48
Door of the Lord open. So we followed it.
2:36:50
We were there for two years, worked under Coach Vogelsanger,
2:36:53
and then from there we to, Oh yeah, Virginia Wesleyan for a
2:37:00
year, and that's. Where you know?
2:37:04
Host, really start, host my first meetings, Virginia Beach
2:37:06
Sports Center, everything like that, that amazing facility.
2:37:10
And then it's just crazy. That ties right into a job
2:37:13
opening at Letourneau and the the professor who taught my
2:37:18
first class of grad school. I had recently become the. 80 at
2:37:22
the turn. Out.
2:37:23
Oh yeah, there was a no I mentioned surprise, but I do
2:37:25
remember you telling me I don't like crazy.
2:37:28
Small world. And so.
2:37:30
When he had an opening. He was.
2:37:32
Like, you know, hey, do you know anyone who would be?
2:37:34
Interested. I'm.
2:37:35
Interested. I would love to.
2:37:37
So what is? Tell me something.
2:37:39
You know, kind of T balling this.
2:37:40
Up for T balling it. Soft balling it, whatever.
2:37:43
I sucked at both the. Sports, it doesn't matter.
2:37:45
What's something that's exciting going on there at the
2:37:46
tournament? What's got you excited about the
2:37:48
upcoming season? Yeah.
2:37:49
I mean biggest thing we're about 6 months over 6.
2:37:55
Months from our new indoor facility being all set up, I
2:37:59
heard next month or so, I think the rubber's getting bored.
2:38:03
So like, I just my wife and I and we have a new position,
2:38:07
assistant athletic director for the aerodrome.
2:38:10
Oh, sure. So we have an admin position
2:38:12
like he's going to be running all the meats and everything.
2:38:13
Yeah, it's one of the. Most.
2:38:16
Overlooked parts of a facility like this is like, hey man, you
2:38:20
build it, someone's got. To you don't just let it sit
2:38:22
there. You got to do something.
2:38:22
Yeah. It's a revenue generated for the
2:38:24
university. Well, someone's got to generate
2:38:25
all that revenue, right? Yeah.
2:38:27
And I mean, Brad's been incredible.
2:38:29
And he has, like previous, he was a softball coach at Lutar
2:38:32
about 20 years ago before he went up to Taylor.
2:38:35
Yeah. And wanted to come back to East
2:38:37
Texas and family was down here. So a second stiff.
2:38:41
Now, you're a little underselling this.
2:38:43
You already kind of gave one hint because this is a unique
2:38:45
facility here 1. Uniqueness is this is a Dome one
2:38:49
of these air domes or what? I don't know much about on my.
2:38:52
I'm actually a little marvelled at them because it's just like,
2:38:54
how is this like, you know, it's not very smart.
2:38:57
So I'm like, how's this physics work?
2:38:58
That's a pretty unique thing. Yeah, yeah.
2:39:00
I mean, if you've seen some like indoor football practice
2:39:03
facilities that have. That.
2:39:05
Like tarp canvas top on. Very similar setup, the only
2:39:10
difference. Is ours is never coming down,
2:39:12
right? And then probably the question I
2:39:14
get the most is like play. I mean, sometimes we get like
2:39:16
tomatoes or crazy in East Texas, like any part of the country.
2:39:21
You know how's it going to handle?
2:39:22
That and our I think. I was told it's like the same.
2:39:25
One that the Houston Texans have and withstood, like the
2:39:28
hurricane, they've had a few. Yeah.
2:39:29
And all the weather they get just fine.
2:39:31
And maybe it's just a double question.
2:39:35
Maybe. You can't practice the javelin
2:39:36
inside. Yeah, I.
2:39:37
Mean you can always find a way what would happen, right?
2:39:40
I mean it. I mean first of all.
2:39:43
Your point about. It can survive storms, which
2:39:46
means you. Know trees?
2:39:48
Are blowing through. It's got to be.
2:39:50
Like. Puncture.
2:39:51
So if you were to think if there was a puncture right, well,
2:39:56
there there are several, probably a.
2:39:58
Dozen doors around the perimeter that are like emergency exit
2:40:01
doors. You could have every one of
2:40:03
those doors open and the front door open and it would stay
2:40:05
standing. Really it just, you know, Gale
2:40:07
force winds might kick up just to keep the thing in play, I
2:40:10
thought. Because I went.
2:40:13
To Washington State several years ago now.
2:40:16
And if I remember. Correctly.
2:40:18
They had not a rotational door, but like a.
2:40:20
You almost like what? You would imagine like a
2:40:22
spaceship when you walked into a room, close the door behind you,
2:40:25
and then you open the door to actually get in like a zone if
2:40:30
you. Yeah, an airlock.
2:40:31
Yeah, yeah, yeah. So we we have one of those for
2:40:35
EDA. Purposes, sure, but then we have
2:40:38
a rotating door as well, and then there's a garage door.
2:40:40
But you're saying I can have the?
2:40:41
Doors open. You can't completely.
2:40:43
Yeah, you can't that. Not in my small little brain.
2:40:46
Is it like? Why is it just, you know, fall
2:40:48
down? It's.
2:40:48
Amazing to. Me the the that's the sound it
2:40:52
would make rather the Dome has I.
2:40:55
Mean I've been at this for two. Hours.
2:40:57
You're cooking, man. You're getting.
2:40:58
Deep. You're getting deep in the
2:40:59
archives. And.
2:41:01
We're not done because at. 9:00 tonight on my Twitter
2:41:04
exclusively so at Mike Cunningham.
2:41:06
We're doing. A hot wings.
2:41:07
Challenge with interviews for that.
2:41:09
Yeah, you're welcome come on over That's it's not my room so
2:41:12
come on over. We got hot sauces from a local
2:41:15
manufacturer right here in Dallas.
2:41:18
Yeah, and I cheated. I had.
2:41:19
Pad I'm on. A big pad Thai kit.
2:41:22
So I had. Chicken pad Thai the other day
2:41:23
in the hotel and he's got a tropical Thai.
2:41:25
And I was like, well, I got to, I'm gonna head and opened it.
2:41:26
It was, it was, it's on the mild side, but it tasted amazing.
2:41:30
So anyway, how do we keep this thing from going?
2:41:33
Yeah, so there's the whole fans in the system.
2:41:36
And if you really want, I can go find all the numbers
2:41:38
specifically. Don't get don't.
2:41:40
It's not worth it. Goes right over my head.
2:41:42
Have a software that just like. It even registers for weather,
2:41:46
so depending on the weather pattern that is.
2:41:48
Coming in, the fans, they're a variable fan, Yeah, yeah.
2:41:52
And so if there's like, for example, like a big heavy rain.
2:41:55
Coming in, the facility is actually going to overflow.
2:41:57
A. Little bit to get that, like
2:42:00
greater tensile strength and water.
2:42:01
Yeah. OK, so you used a big word
2:42:03
there. That's crazy though.
2:42:04
I think. I my again, my small little
2:42:06
brain was like, oh, it's. Constant.
2:42:08
It's variable. That makes more sense.
2:42:10
OK, so we get this big Dome. That's crazy.
2:42:13
How big's the track 200 hydraulic?
2:42:15
Yeah, yeah, it's, it's really special in Longview, TX I.
2:42:20
Know, hopefully you know I. Don't mean that a bad way.
2:42:22
I remember when. Troy.
2:42:24
Might fight. Alma mater, the greatest
2:42:26
universe in the. World and they built this
2:42:28
basketball facility I mean Troy was there so it's going to.
2:42:32
Be. 10 years ago now and we went down.
2:42:36
Brought my wife down. They played Navy, We played
2:42:40
Mississippi State in. Basketball.
2:42:41
To open up the stadium on Friday and then played Navy and
2:42:43
football at home on Saturday. So it's kind of fun.
2:42:45
We can right? And I remember, so we go and we
2:42:47
beat Mississippi State. How about the right exactly,
2:42:50
Which is the last place I coached at.
2:42:51
So there's a lot of connections, but I remember sitting there.
2:42:54
And I'm in. Alabama.
2:42:56
And you know, it's the place I found my faith.
2:42:58
You know, there's a reason why one of my tabs is my university.
2:43:01
And I just remember thinking, this is not supposed to be in
2:43:04
Troy, AL. It's supposed to be, I don't
2:43:06
know, Auburn or Alabama. Yeah, it's just amazing.
2:43:08
So, but I love that our schools, you know, that I don't want to
2:43:13
say non traditional, but non powerful.
2:43:16
I guess I, I don't like saying that either, but I love that in
2:43:18
Longview, TX, Maternity University is getting this first
2:43:22
class track facility. Yeah, I know it.
2:43:25
I mean, a lot of credit goes to my predecessors.
2:43:27
And just like. Great human beings, by the way.
2:43:30
All of them, yeah. And the the vision that.
2:43:34
They cast for the facility. And the universe is.
2:43:36
Like, hey, we're. Thinking about building an
2:43:37
outdoor track and they're like. I mean the.
2:43:39
Way I've been told the story goes is like, there's a lot of
2:43:42
schools outdoor tracks. Do you know them?
2:43:45
Yeah. I mean, I saw them get their big
2:43:46
award earlier. Tonight so.
2:43:49
Great people. I Yeah.
2:43:50
I met them a. Couple.
2:43:51
Of times, but I want to make sure that.
2:43:53
You you talk about. Like big shoes to fill?
2:43:55
Come. You know, coming after them, no
2:43:57
doubt, yeah. And like pull.
2:43:59
Up by the team too. So yeah, they're pretty good.
2:44:02
They're awesome. Known them.
2:44:03
For a long time we used to cook. It's here and I used to.
2:44:06
Coach in the Jayhawk Conference against each other and then she
2:44:10
and I used to coach against each other in the match so we've.
2:44:13
Have the. Love, love them.
2:44:15
They're just, they're human beings.
2:44:16
Just love them. Okay, Dylan.
2:44:18
That's. Amazing.
2:44:19
And it's going to. Be transformational for your
2:44:22
team, for the Longview area, for the school.
2:44:24
It's going to be amazing. And you know, I truly believe
2:44:26
that healthy things grow. So I love that you're investing
2:44:28
in your program, investing in athletics there at the terminal.
2:44:32
So I'm really happy for that this year.
2:44:34
We're not done yet, OK? I know you didn't get out of it
2:44:37
just yet. This year it's.
2:44:38
Of. Us.
2:44:39
I love that guy. You know Lance.
2:44:40
Iron Man, one of the most amazing human beings in this
2:44:43
world. I love them this year, so we
2:44:46
always have a theme. So like last year, the theme was
2:44:50
my former boss, Sue Parks. Just joined us on.
2:44:51
Instagram Sue, how are you? Love you to death.
2:44:56
Last year I made everybody do a prediction so we could a year
2:44:59
later, we're not going to do that with you this year doing
2:45:03
something a little different. So everybody who calls you coach
2:45:05
rightfully so it's a it's a revered title.
2:45:07
And there's no. Bigger fan of track?
2:45:08
And field coaches than myself, but I want to put that to the
2:45:11
side and I want to know more about Dylan.
2:45:13
So Dylan, there's I just know there's something that you're a
2:45:17
nerd about, that you're passionate about, that you're a
2:45:20
geek about. It could be I want to visit
2:45:23
every state in the country. I don't know.
2:45:24
I could be I want to collect a little state spoon.
2:45:28
You're probably too young to know that people don't collect
2:45:30
spoons. It's the weirdest thing in the
2:45:31
world. You're a humble figure guy.
2:45:33
I don't know you. Like Disney?
2:45:36
There's something that you are just.
2:45:39
I collect this, I do this. I'm a nerd about this.
2:45:41
You can ask me anything. I know everything.
2:45:43
What's that for you, though? Yeah, I I did go through the
2:45:45
baseball card phase going on and they're all worthless.
2:45:51
Yeah. You know, I'd say like.
2:45:54
When I was in. College.
2:45:55
Being in Montana a. Couple of national parks right
2:45:57
nearby and growing. Up in Washington state, too,
2:46:00
like I grew up probably an hour and a half from Mount Rainier
2:46:04
and you know, just having I started in college every time I
2:46:09
went to National Park, buying a little little art decal.
2:46:14
So I went up to Glacier. Usually.
2:46:17
Every Memorial Day when I was in college, because the going to
2:46:21
the Sun Rd. that goes across it is like open to the top of Lake
2:46:26
McDonald, right? The parking lot's called
2:46:28
Avalanche. Avalanche.
2:46:29
Lake. That's a.
2:46:30
Terrible thing, so. It's beautiful.
2:46:32
It's beautiful and, well, the. Rest of it is all.
2:46:35
Opened up to it's close to traffic.
2:46:38
But you can. Get on your bike.
2:46:39
Or you can hike. OK, it's like 17 miles up to the
2:46:41
top, like 3003 thousand feet elevation, but like.
2:46:45
Just going up to. Glacier and going to like
2:46:47
Yellowstone yeah I mean what are you and you're collecting some
2:46:51
kind of postcard yeah yeah yeah, they do for kids yeah you could
2:46:55
still. I don't.
2:46:55
Think it's a nature restriction. They do a stamp.
2:46:57
For those things my kids have done that for.
2:46:59
The. Hawaiian ones and stuff like
2:47:00
that. So are you like what's your geek
2:47:02
thing about it? Like do you like, are you trying
2:47:03
to visit all of them? The ones that you do go to you
2:47:06
like to like to run a 5K with each one?
2:47:09
What's your besides nature? It's like that, you know, It's
2:47:13
just like. Hold on, I I just.
2:47:17
Enjoy like I I guess if. You.
2:47:19
Man, if I. Psychoanalyze myself.
2:47:22
My my wife, my wife's in grad school to be a counsellor.
2:47:26
Oh boy. But if I were to think about it
2:47:31
in that regard. Like I think growing up.
2:47:34
Summers in. Central Montana on the farm and
2:47:36
everyone calls it the middle of nowhere.
2:47:38
And, you know, it's just this type of thing of like, what's up
2:47:41
the middle of nowhere. Is where my family is and.
2:47:43
Like you look at the horizon we got.
2:47:44
Mountains all around us, there's like.
2:47:45
Four or five different, you know, little independent
2:47:48
mountain ranges off the Rockies. And, you know, it's just one of
2:47:51
those things like these national parks, they're usually in the
2:47:53
middle of nowhere. Yeah, right.
2:47:55
But the the. Beauty there is, yeah, I was
2:47:57
thinking and Mac, is there one that you haven't been to that
2:48:00
it's. Like on your.
2:48:00
Bucket list. Like man, I got to get to
2:48:02
well-being. New to Texas?
2:48:04
I want. To get down to.
2:48:05
Big Ben and I don't know, maybe next summer I'll.
2:48:08
Take a trip out there. So I've been to wine volcanoes,
2:48:15
Yeah. And it I.
2:48:16
Mean it was. Awesome, I'm trying to.
2:48:19
Like, you know. One one that was in my.
2:48:21
Backyard growing up North Cascades like I I grew up, we'd
2:48:24
go to Lake Chelan that's. Kind of like on the backside of.
2:48:26
It and then like N Cascades, really, it's not that far from
2:48:29
where I grew up, but I I never made it out there.
2:48:31
Really. Yeah.
2:48:32
And I mean, like went to Olympic National Park growing up,
2:48:36
especially go fishing in the ocean, like you driving around
2:48:38
it and went to Mountain Rainier and go skiing and snowboarding.
2:48:42
But N Cascades has been 1. You gotta get that one.
2:48:44
Yeah. Yeah, so in there and trying to
2:48:49
think of oh. Yeah, we.
2:48:51
Live in Pennsylvania and we're on the East Coast and we don't
2:48:54
make it up to Maine to go to Acadia.
2:48:57
So that was. 1. That like my wife and I were
2:48:59
like really missing. You need to be a bigger geek
2:49:01
about these. Things when I'm here.
2:49:03
Yeah. You know, I made it to, I made
2:49:05
it to a handful. So I love.
2:49:07
That, yeah. Dylan.
2:49:09
Thank you SO. Much, brother?
2:49:10
Absolutely. First of all, you know for.
2:49:13
Being a track coach again, you know.
2:49:14
I. Tell track coaches, and I really
2:49:15
mean this, if you don't do what you do, I don't get to do what I
2:49:17
do. And so that means a lot to me
2:49:18
that you choose because you're a very smart guy.
2:49:21
You'd be doing a lot of other things that are as good into
2:49:23
society, but you choose to be a track coach.
2:49:25
And I'm grateful for that. And then this new facility, you
2:49:28
know, grateful and humble that you would choose us for it as
2:49:31
well, I do believe. You know.
2:49:33
It's one thing to to make and sell track equipment and that's
2:49:36
great and it's, it's a lot of fun.
2:49:38
But you know, what I've noticed in my 20 year career doing a lot
2:49:41
of these facilities is and I, and I mean this when I said it
2:49:43
and I said it earlier, it's transformational for that area.
2:49:45
You're going to have kids. There'll be kids that join track
2:49:48
and other sports that would not they just, well, there's no
2:49:51
track. Why should I and what you're
2:49:53
going to do for that program there specifically maternal as
2:49:55
well. You're going to get kids access
2:49:57
to a a very good college education that wouldn't.
2:50:01
Have. That chance?
2:50:02
Necessarily if you're not in your in your staff on doing what
2:50:05
they're doing and have a facility like this.
2:50:06
So truly grateful for you and just just proud of you man
2:50:09
really am thanks mate always great talking to you always
2:50:12
always great seeing you thank you brother appreciate you very
2:50:14
much go see more parks, especially the.
2:50:16
Ones at your house and where you live for Christ.
2:50:17
Thank you. Oh my.
2:50:19
Gosh. Come on.
2:50:20
Yeah, absolutely. You're not one to be shy.
2:50:23
Come on. I learned from a friend that
2:50:27
just joined us on Instagram Ink. Imagine not knowing and I've
2:50:31
always. Remembered that from you, Rick,
2:50:33
So thanks for enlightening me at what that made picking up.
2:50:36
Enlighten me of what that means and and you and your family and
2:50:40
we do for coaching. So thank you Rick.
2:50:41
Appreciate you joining us. Introduce yourself, my friend.
2:50:46
So I'm Sarah Klemmy. I am the head cross country.
2:50:48
And track and field coach at Lakeland.
2:50:49
University in Wisconsin. Sarah, two things screwed up
2:50:54
just a little bit for me. And bring that mic a little bit
2:50:56
closer to your mouth now. Sarah, you joined us last year,
2:51:00
right? Or was it 2 years ago?
2:51:01
Yeah, OK. And you were not Sarah from
2:51:05
Lakeland in Wisconsin? Yeah.
2:51:08
Tell us about this new opportunity.
2:51:10
Yeah. So when I first joined you, I
2:51:12
was Aga. At Parkside.
2:51:14
Also in Wisconsin because I have that.
2:51:15
Shirt, thank you. Yeah, I need to get you another
2:51:18
one from Lakeland. That's right, the the shirt size
2:51:20
has gone up. Unfortunately so, but we'll talk
2:51:22
off camera. About that, I get that and then.
2:51:25
I was at Purdue Northwest in Indiana.
2:51:29
And then I got this job. At Lakeland, so, yeah.
2:51:32
And this is your head coaching job and you're super, you know,
2:51:36
this is always interesting to me.
2:51:37
You know, I'm not sure. I, I think it's kind of an
2:51:40
egotistical statement. So I I kind of shy away from it
2:51:42
sometimes, but I think I am the person in this world that has
2:51:48
gone more in depth. In coaches than anybody.
2:51:50
Else, you know, podcast for two hours with everybody and we're
2:51:53
getting too close to 350. It was a small bar to get there,
2:51:57
but but I'm always interested, you know, being the head.
2:52:00
Coach, it's a whole. Different ball game as you're
2:52:03
learning and you're still so young and I don't know that
2:52:06
there's necessarily like you know until.
2:52:08
You've coached for. 10 years, you don't know what it means.
2:52:10
I don't. Know that I buy into.
2:52:11
That. But I do know, I do know how I
2:52:15
was, I'm going to say mature wise.
2:52:17
I'm talking about the whole enchilada here, not just the
2:52:20
stupid things I thought at your age and how I am and do now.
2:52:25
What's been the biggest challenge for you of being the
2:52:29
big chair? The buck stops here.
2:52:32
It all stops with you now where as a GA and as assistant, it's
2:52:35
like, I don't know, coach, what you want to do about that?
2:52:37
Well now, Sarah, what do you want to do about that?
2:52:39
What's been your biggest challenge?
2:52:41
So that's a good question. Honestly, probably just like not
2:52:47
having to ask. Anyone to?
2:52:48
Buy things that I need because I I went to the OR I had to buy
2:52:54
some like spikes and like batons and that sort of thing.
2:52:56
And I almost went to the AD and I was like, can I actually buy
2:52:59
this? And they's like, look, I didn't
2:53:00
hire you to come talk to me about that.
2:53:02
Yeah, luckily I didn't, but I was like, I feel.
2:53:05
Like I need to because like I had for three previous years, I
2:53:08
was like. Oh my gosh, this is so weird.
2:53:11
So, but so kind of understanding what I'm hearing is kind of
2:53:15
understanding that autonomy. That they.
2:53:18
It's almost it's. Kind of like maybe a.
2:53:20
Harsher way of saying it, but hey, we hired you to do the job.
2:53:22
Go do the job. Yeah, Right.
2:53:24
Right. Yeah.
2:53:24
Come to me with the important things.
2:53:25
But yeah, this ain't one of those.
2:53:28
Yeah, right. Yeah.
2:53:28
And I mean, luckily both of my bosses have been like.
2:53:32
You. Get like full autonomy.
2:53:33
With like, because I would obviously coach the not
2:53:36
obviously, but I coach the throw.
2:53:37
So like you get the autonomy to do their training and like their
2:53:41
practices and that sort of, but like for equipment, because
2:53:44
throws equipment, it's expensive.
2:53:45
It's like you need to come to me for that.
2:53:47
So like now I'm like, hey, I can buy this.
2:53:51
Obviously, they're still. Expensive.
2:53:52
Right, right. That had changed, but I'm like,
2:53:54
hey, I could buy this if I need it and it's all like, and do you
2:53:58
have a? Staff, they're like.
2:54:00
No, unfortunately so. It's just me as a full time like
2:54:05
coach. Obviously.
2:54:06
And then I will sort, I sort of have staff for spring like next
2:54:10
semester. This upcoming semester I will a
2:54:13
couple of part times, but I'm the full time assistant.
2:54:16
I'm not Even so you. It's hard to even say That's
2:54:20
awesome. I love that.
2:54:22
I love that I'm the full time coach.
2:54:23
I guess the reason? I asked is one of the things
2:54:26
that you know, I continue to. Learn from the podcast is.
2:54:30
We're overall, there's some that are overall we're not doing a
2:54:34
great job of, of our current head coaches, helping our
2:54:39
current assistant coaches become future head coaches.
2:54:41
And honestly, as I said that I'm not sure that's part of the job
2:54:44
description either, but we learn a lot on the fly when we did
2:54:49
that first head coaching job. Now I do kind of like at your
2:54:52
age and stage that you're you're going to flub and make a lot of
2:54:55
mistakes, but do it now. And then when you're 30 and 40,
2:54:59
you boy, I don't make those mistakes anymore.
2:55:01
I did that when I was a young and, you know, so I do kind of
2:55:02
like getting that out of the way, if you will.
2:55:04
Yeah. But one of the things that our
2:55:08
administration and our head coaches are not well.
2:55:11
I'll put. This in the.
2:55:11
Administration, we're not doing a very good job with it.
2:55:13
You're going to you know you're going to grow Lakeland.
2:55:15
There is we we don't do anything education wise about hiring and
2:55:20
firing slash evaluating our Staffs.
2:55:23
That is almost always on the fly and that concerns me because.
2:55:27
That puts people in. Positions that they're.
2:55:29
Not ready or not right for them obviously affects the kids,
2:55:32
maybe in a potential negative way.
2:55:34
Have you thought about what that means?
2:55:37
Eventually you're going to have to say, hey, I need a distance
2:55:40
coach, give me. Resumes.
2:55:42
And how do I evaluate that? There's hiring your best friend,
2:55:45
which is not always the greatest thing.
2:55:47
You know, those kind of things. Haven't thought about.
2:55:48
That's development of your career.
2:55:51
Yes and no. Luckily I have been a part of a.
2:55:53
Bunch of hiring. Committees.
2:55:54
Oh, OK. Like.
2:55:56
Not only as like myself as a candidate, obviously, but also
2:56:00
like. When I was in.
2:56:01
College, we were hiring an assistant, so I was a part of
2:56:04
that committee because I obviously take leadership roles
2:56:08
because you're a leader. Yeah.
2:56:10
And then as Agai did, multiple. Hiring.
2:56:14
Committees. So, yeah, so I have like learned
2:56:18
how to like evaluate resumes, which has been really helpful
2:56:21
and. Honestly like.
2:56:24
I think head coaches need to put more responsibilities on their
2:56:27
GA's. Like basically treat them.
2:56:30
Yeah, basically treat them as like a full time assistant or
2:56:32
like almost like a little version of.
2:56:34
Yourself. Because then you prepare like.
2:56:36
Coaches for like being a head coach, like I feel prepared.
2:56:40
Like obviously there are things that I haven't done right, like
2:56:42
budgeting, that kind of thing. But like I've done a lot of
2:56:45
things already as necessary as a Georgia.
2:56:48
And like I credit that to me being ready for work.
2:56:51
And obviously you have, because you know the administration at
2:56:54
Lakeland has a vested interest in you being successful.
2:56:56
Or whoever they. Were going to hire to be.
2:56:58
Successful. So they had to pick someone.
2:56:59
They felt like, all right, this person could be successful.
2:57:01
So you of course, had to have had some of those experiences.
2:57:03
And, you know, some assumptions here, but they're smart
2:57:08
individuals. They also know OK.
2:57:09
Look guys, she hasn't been a head.
2:57:11
Coach before she. Hasn't coached for a long time
2:57:13
so there's going to be some things budgeting that we're just
2:57:15
going to do a little hand holding teachers.
2:57:17
We hire her because she's smart and can adapt.
2:57:20
So you want to do this two years from now, this first year or
2:57:23
two, guys, let's make sure we're paying attention so they can
2:57:26
help you because they want to see you succeed, so they can
2:57:28
help you succeed. Yeah.
2:57:29
Luckily they have been very supportive.
2:57:31
Like, Yeah, honestly. That's basically the.
2:57:33
Reason why I took this job. Is to do that or is because like
2:57:37
the admin is so supportive? Like I wouldn't have taken it if
2:57:40
the ad wasn't supportive. I've been a part of those admin.
2:57:44
I hope that's true, Sarah. It's easy to say because you
2:57:47
didn't have that situation, but sometimes we take.
2:57:50
Jobs. Because of the name or the title
2:57:53
and it's, and we know it's not a good fit.
2:57:54
Boy, we'll figure it out. It's like you, you become
2:57:57
miserable. They become miserable.
2:57:58
So I, I really do hope that's true because I want to see
2:58:01
longevity from you and whether it's, you know, 40 years, you're
2:58:04
at Lakeland or it's four and you move on somewhere, that's going
2:58:08
to be a good experience. Yeah, I'm hoping to be there for
2:58:10
a long time because like once I build this program because it's
2:58:13
rebuilding basically that's going.
2:58:14
To be my baby. Like I don't want to leave it.
2:58:17
So I'm hoping to be there for a while, obviously.
2:58:20
And you're from Wisconsin? I am, yeah.
2:58:22
I'm actually from the area that Lakeland is in.
2:58:24
So it's like it's a. Home home, not just a home
2:58:27
state. Home.
2:58:27
Home. Yeah.
2:58:28
Yeah. Well, I love this even more.
2:58:30
Yeah, I know, right? Sarah, this year you know you.
2:58:34
Were here with us. We.
2:58:35
We. Do a theme every year.
2:58:36
I can't remember what the. Theme was for your year, but
2:58:39
last year was like we asked everybody to make a prediction
2:58:41
that we can come check on in a year.
2:58:43
This year we're taking your title of coach and set it aside.
2:58:48
It's a big. Title no one.
2:58:50
Loves it. More than than me, I want to
2:58:52
know more about Sarah. So Sarah, there's something that
2:58:54
Sarah is a nerd about a. Geek.
2:58:57
About you. You there's a show you binge
2:59:00
watch, you collect a Yu-gi-oh car.
2:59:03
I don't know what that is. Whatever there's something you
2:59:07
are that's not tracked that you are just boy, you know the kind
2:59:10
of this you won't know about my geek.
2:59:11
I'm a geek about X. What is that for you?
2:59:13
That's a good question. I honestly feel like track is a
2:59:18
lot of it but. I love my cat to death.
2:59:23
I love cats. Your your cat personality has a
2:59:25
lot of stereotypes too. I'm very much a cat person.
2:59:27
How many cats so I. Personally have one with like my
2:59:31
family. Scare me a little bit because.
2:59:33
The right answer is 1. But then I was like, Oh my God,
2:59:35
we're about to hear, but you in your, in your apartment or
2:59:37
house, whatever. Yeah, you have one?
2:59:39
Yeah. That's healthy.
2:59:40
Yeah. What's cats name?
2:59:42
Her name is Squeakers. Yeah, I knew she's a good name.
2:59:44
Your face lit up when I said what's her name?
2:59:47
Like I can't wait. To I love her.
2:59:48
I love Have you had squeakers? I have had her SO.
2:59:51
The story is a little bit weird. Sure.
2:59:54
You know I love that Go. Ahead.
2:59:56
So we had one. Cat and we.
3:00:00
Had to put her down unfortunately because she like.
3:00:02
Threw a clot in her shoulder yeah.
3:00:05
And then she was part of a bond appear that we adopted so then
3:00:08
he was lonely so we got some kittens and my parents were like
3:00:13
we can't just have one kitten because he was like 12 at the
3:00:15
time so he was like an old cat that's old yeah.
3:00:17
So we got 2 kittens. Like a guy obviously or not
3:00:22
obviously I keep. Saying obviously.
3:00:25
At least you catch yourself. Obviously you already know it's
3:00:28
a boy cat, because obviously. You don't, you don't know, but
3:00:32
one was a boy and one was a girl and then.
3:00:36
My dad fell asleep like took a nap when we had the appointment
3:00:40
to get guy fixed. So they ended up having kittens.
3:00:44
Luckily it was only two but my mom was like we're going to get
3:00:47
rid of these kittens. So I've had my and Squeakers was
3:00:51
one of the kittens and so we ended up having five eventually
3:00:56
and then. One cat, the.
3:00:58
Older cat, passed away in 2019, so it's been a bit, but we still
3:01:02
have the four. My brother has other three, but
3:01:06
so I've had her. Basically.
3:01:07
He's a cat dude. He's got the other three.
3:01:08
Yeah, yeah. But what's?
3:01:10
Squeaker's. Talent squeaker.
3:01:13
Runs to you every time you. Come home.
3:01:16
Can do a flip in the air on command.
3:01:18
What's what's speakers? So I think it's due to her birth
3:01:21
but she's a little bit dumb. I love her to death, but she's.
3:01:24
You know, a little thinking about me, Sir.
3:01:26
So I'm I'm kind of connecting with Squeakers.
3:01:28
OK, She's the cutest cat, but. She's a little bit dumb.
3:01:32
She she's very friendly though. Like I love her to death, but
3:01:37
I've trained her to like, if I do like a kissing or like noise,
3:01:41
she'll come and like, headbutt me.
3:01:43
Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's basically like, not
3:01:45
headbutt, like boom, but like they press.
3:01:47
Yeah, I saw that recently. Somewhere, because you know, the
3:01:50
internet's something like cats, that that is their sign of.
3:01:53
Like. Either love or trust, I can't
3:01:55
remember which one to go hand in hand, obviously, but like,
3:01:57
that's a big deal when Cat does. Yeah.
3:02:00
That's so cool, Sarah, That's. Thank you so much.
3:02:03
I love speakers now. I appreciate that.
3:02:06
And, you know, grateful for you. You know, I think I remember
3:02:09
correctly when you sat down with us two years ago, right, we said
3:02:14
we didn't know each other. You kind of took a little bit of
3:02:16
a flyer trusting me. And I still, you know, there's
3:02:20
I've got a lot of interviews, right.
3:02:22
That interview for many reasons still sticks with me a lot.
3:02:26
So. Yeah.
3:02:28
Yeah, So, you know, I feel a little kinshift towards, you
3:02:32
know, just like rooting for you on the sidelines here.
3:02:36
I I think it's usually, it's actually a little hard.
3:02:38
I want to say that my memory tells me, but I'm old, that I
3:02:41
immediately shot you an e-mail saying congratulations.
3:02:44
However, when people get new jobs, they don't have their
3:02:46
emails usually. So I'm like, I probably didn't
3:02:48
do that. But at least in my heart, please
3:02:49
know that I was just so happy for you.
3:02:51
You did comment a bunch. So I'm not a good song.
3:02:53
OK. I thought I yeah, I don't know
3:02:55
if it was an e-mail, but it was definitely humble comments.
3:02:57
Yeah, OK. That makes me feel.
3:02:59
Better I knew. I thought I did something.
3:03:01
Because just rooting for you so much.
3:03:03
And just love that you continue to grow in this sport.
3:03:06
And and I love that you get to continue to love on speakers as
3:03:09
well. Sarah, thank you so much.
3:03:11
Appreciate you. Thank you to death.
3:03:12
I still get a hug. Yeah.
3:03:13
Yeah. Love you too.
3:03:16
Yeah. Thank you so much.
3:03:17
Thanks for being here. Are you going to?
3:03:21
Anchor us are. You going to anchor us?
3:03:24
No. Yeah, no, no.
3:03:29
Are you going to? Anger.
3:03:31
Us. No, no, you're going to.
3:03:32
Anchor. I.
3:03:34
Just I've been working on it to sleeve.
3:03:36
I know a little different guy. You still look man, it doesn't
3:03:40
matter. Pick that up.
3:03:42
Let me do a little bit of. Housekeeping.
3:03:43
Are you guys going? Because I know we're fishing,
3:03:46
Yeah. Would you?
3:03:47
Especially as my last one here and then we'll clean up and head
3:03:49
to our next event all. Right.
3:03:52
Scoot up just a little bit, make sure the mic is near your mouth
3:03:54
and introduce yourself my friend.
3:03:57
Hey everybody, how you doing? My name is Malik Burns, I am the
3:04:00
throws coach and a recruiting. Coordinator for the University
3:04:03
of the Apartment work and you lost at least £50 just from
3:04:07
getting a haircut. You know something?
3:04:10
I really, I really wanted to. It was a good look though, I
3:04:14
liked. It like it kind of thing.
3:04:15
You know, 16 years. 16 years so right so.
3:04:18
Let's see now, I'm dumb. I'm dumb and I'm not.
3:04:21
Black. So help me, was all of that
3:04:23
real? Oh, you said 16 years.
3:04:25
Was that a dumb question? Is that like a dumb?
3:04:28
I'm OK. I mean, you know, there's some
3:04:31
people that like to put hair in their head.
3:04:32
Yeah, yeah, yeah. Right, right, right.
3:04:34
That's what I'm saying. I came up when I came up 9, so
3:04:36
that's not faking. It took 16 years.
3:04:39
What made? Why?
3:04:40
Why? Did you cut it off?
3:04:41
You want to know the truth? I do.
3:04:42
All right. It was.
3:04:43
Monday I was like, do I want a? Haircut Thursday I got a
3:04:47
haircut. It wasn't no home super no time.
3:04:50
Rejected you No honor. My mom, she always want me to
3:04:55
cut it. It was.
3:04:56
Like, you know, well, my mom got lost too.
3:04:57
So she's the last one. She's the last one in the
3:04:59
family. She's, she was, well, she was
3:05:01
kind of rooting for her then so she could be.
3:05:02
Even more special, but this is this is the first time she can
3:05:05
she can say in about. I don't know. 1314 years, right?
3:05:09
And she'd say she has longer hair than me.
3:05:11
So that's a crazy statement. Yeah.
3:05:12
Yeah. I love it.
3:05:13
I love it Now when you were with us last where you weren't.
3:05:17
At UIW, no married military. You were married, military to a
3:05:21
good friend, Chad Valentine, and now you're at UIW Which.
3:05:24
I am hearing a lot of good. Things I don't know much about
3:05:26
San Antonio, right? How did you find about this
3:05:30
opportunity and why go from the great state of Alabama over to
3:05:33
the great state of Texas? Yeah.
3:05:34
So you know, the way the way I want to kind of move in my
3:05:38
career is 1. One easy principle.
3:05:42
I want to leave because of the opportunity I can't pass up.
3:05:46
You know, if I send a note to this opportunity, it will be a
3:05:49
horrible decision that I regret, right?
3:05:52
And the reason why? Because it started from when I
3:05:54
was athlete, you know what I mean?
3:05:57
We in the Southland Conference graduated from Southeastern
3:06:01
Louisiana. So I know about the Southland
3:06:03
Conference and you know, as I was working my way up grinding,
3:06:08
I noticed a lot of the coaches. You know those.
3:06:10
Coaches went out to go to other places, big places, but and have
3:06:14
success and not just from the, you know, the March perspective,
3:06:17
but success as in, hey, they can do it anywhere, you know what I
3:06:21
mean? So so when the opportunity came
3:06:23
for like, hey, somebody's looking, yes, it's not a
3:06:26
Southeastern, right? You know what I mean?
3:06:28
I would love to be a Southeastern, but at the end of
3:06:30
the day, but you're in San Antonio, but that's kind of a
3:06:33
cool city. It's too much traffic.
3:06:35
No, it's huge, no. No, it's it's it's actually a
3:06:38
city that I kind of forget that is actually in the top five.
3:06:41
Maybe yeah, that works at the top 10, but I think it's of how
3:06:44
effing big it is. But it's just a neat.
3:06:46
Maybe it's because I don't. Yeah, I.
3:06:47
Go to town. No, First Dallas.
3:06:49
I come to Dallas all the time for stuff, right?
3:06:52
Recently going about once a year, actually, San Antonio.
3:06:54
But it's just a neat. I'm still, you know, that's been
3:06:58
my goal. Like I try to try to become more
3:07:01
than a coach. Because, you know, you know how
3:07:02
the grind is just trying to be the best coach ever.
3:07:04
But it's different going from about 30, five, 3000 people.
3:07:10
Yeah. You went drafted.
3:07:11
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And you went like first city,
3:07:13
first city. I went to high school in
3:07:15
Littletown, Alabama and then moved to.
3:07:17
Chicago. So yeah, I get.
3:07:19
Everything. Yeah, absolutely.
3:07:20
And I'm from a small town like. This so right, That's what made
3:07:23
it. You know what, if I remember
3:07:25
right, UIW the. Cardinals, thank you and.
3:07:28
Division One. Yeah, and.
3:07:31
Did I see somewhere fastest growing school in the country or
3:07:35
something? I might be making that up.
3:07:36
Might be, might be, you know, on my side.
3:07:39
You know, you walk into campus every day.
3:07:41
You get used to seeing. The same kids too.
3:07:43
That freshman freshman class coming in in the fall.
3:07:46
But how many students roughly are UIW?
3:07:49
So being the partially the housing.
3:07:52
Coordinator I start. I start thinking about.
3:07:54
It as like beds on campus. But I think we've got about
3:07:57
around like 2525 hundred, you know, around that area, maybe a
3:08:01
little bit more. I would have got bigger just
3:08:02
because San Antonio. Well, that's what I'm fairly new
3:08:04
school though. No, no, no, no, OK, that's a new
3:08:07
program. Yes, about I.
3:08:10
Think said this is about maybe the 25th, 26th.
3:08:16
So I know nothing about UID, yeah.
3:08:18
But compared to all the other programs have been, is it maybe
3:08:22
moving to Division One? Why am I hearing more about UIW
3:08:25
today? That's I'm thinking.
3:08:26
It's like news like I haven't been in the last few years.
3:08:28
I've heard a lot about UIW, but not 10 years ago.
3:08:30
Why? I think it's, you know, it's a
3:08:33
good, good school, you know? Sports, you know a little.
3:08:36
Down here this year, but that happens with every.
3:08:38
University. But yeah, yeah, it's just
3:08:43
normal, you know, I. Think more people probably heard
3:08:46
it due to because it was the first.
3:08:48
School. Campbell went to.
3:08:50
Before you transferred to Washington state and went to
3:08:53
Miami, Yeah. Yeah.
3:08:56
So I probably heard that. Yeah.
3:08:58
But you know all the sports. You know we.
3:09:00
We're trying to, you know, click on offset.
3:09:02
I think, I think it's a compliment that.
3:09:04
Means we're doing some good if you know about it.
3:09:06
Agree. Absolutely.
3:09:08
OK. So this year, you know, every
3:09:11
year we do a theme. Right.
3:09:12
I can't remember what your theme was when you're on here, but
3:09:14
this year we're taking the title of.
3:09:15
Coach and put. It to the side and I actually if
3:09:18
you give me some kind of fake answer, I know at least a decent
3:09:21
answer for this review. There's something that you are
3:09:24
just a nerd about a geek, something that you know you're,
3:09:29
you're trying to collect a, a, a postage stamp from every
3:09:33
football player. I don't know.
3:09:35
There's something that you are that's not track, that you're
3:09:37
just a geek or binge. Watching show.
3:09:39
Etcetera. What's that about you?
3:09:42
Yeah, that's my Mama. Would probably still be video
3:09:44
games. Yeah, that's where I was going
3:09:47
with you. What?
3:09:47
Are. You playing?
3:09:50
So right now I'm playing a. Silent Hill to remain.
3:09:53
Yeah, I'm, I'm, I'm a big survival hard.
3:09:55
Yeah, yeah, yeah. You know, still haven't played.
3:09:58
Fortnite, I know. I know because I don't play with
3:10:01
other people. Although I'll tell you a story.
3:10:02
About that in a second. Keep going.
3:10:03
Yeah. Were you video?
3:10:05
Games from the jump, like as a young kid.
3:10:07
Oh yeah, yeah. Talk myself how to play video
3:10:09
games. That's kind of how I fell in
3:10:11
love with it. You know, it's one of the.
3:10:13
Things where? At least this is like the most
3:10:17
you can interact. You can you can change the
3:10:19
outcome instead of watching the movie knowing like don't go
3:10:21
right, Right. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
3:10:23
We're not going there. And it's like, you know, so
3:10:25
you're maining Silent Hill, too. Talking about your Silent Hill,
3:10:28
too. That's been my that's been my
3:10:29
job. I play a.
3:10:29
Little college football, you know?
3:10:31
Yeah. Yeah, technically what has?
3:10:34
Been your in that genre? That's a very popular genre.
3:10:37
What's been your favorite game in that?
3:10:39
Probably maybe resident you will send.
3:10:43
That's what started. Yeah, that's what started.
3:10:46
Yeah. So would you call?
3:10:48
Would you call a precursor to those?
3:10:50
Doom I'm just. Trying to think of the horror,
3:10:52
but that's. More, Yeah, yes, I think, I
3:10:55
think, I think that we put doom as like.
3:10:59
I have a name. For yeah, that more.
3:11:01
Revolutionized. First person shooters.
3:11:03
It was in the horror genre. Alien genre, yeah, so funny
3:11:11
story. So you mentioned my tattoos off
3:11:13
the bat, working on a sleeve and everything is part of my life,
3:11:16
right? And so you see that one there
3:11:20
now that most things have more than one representation.
3:11:22
So for one that represents poker, you got play poker
3:11:25
professionally, right? So it's a spade, right?
3:11:27
That makes a lot of sense. But my favorite character in
3:11:29
Fortnite, Midas, has this exact same tattoo in the exact same
3:11:34
location. He's the he's the white guy
3:11:36
that's tatted all over. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I remember.
3:11:38
So I got it in the exact same location.
3:11:40
Tattoo glow. Like if you got him to, you'll
3:11:42
have it as gold. Yeah.
3:11:43
Midas. Yeah.
3:11:43
Yeah, yeah, exactly, exactly. Yeah, no, that's dope.
3:11:46
Yeah. How you you still play poker?
3:11:49
Still too, Yeah, when I'm at a place that I haven't.
3:11:51
Played at. I will play to get my chips.
3:11:53
So my one of my geektons. Is still collecting poker chips.
3:11:57
Poker chips. So in Grand Prairie was a place
3:12:00
that I hadn't played. So I was there the other night.
3:12:02
Beautiful. Almost like.
3:12:04
Like big Las Vegas. Like Venetian?
3:12:08
A lot like the big. Casinos out there.
3:12:11
This was a poker poker. I had 50 table, a full, a huge
3:12:15
bar, marble floor. I mean, it was, it was really a
3:12:20
full menu. Like Chilean?
3:12:21
Sea bass on their menu like a poker room guy goes to
3:12:24
restaurant. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
3:12:24
I didn't eat that or whatever it was.
3:12:26
It was kind of amazing. I spent a quick hour there,
3:12:29
doubled up, won a couple 100 and that's.
3:12:32
Good for me, I got. My chip and no, that's dope.
3:12:34
That's dope. I don't know how to play poker
3:12:36
until you play Red Dead Redemption.
3:12:38
Yeah, yeah. That's why I've seen that that
3:12:42
shows up on the poker forms, everyone.
3:12:44
So I'm like, guys, it's video. Game get out of here.
3:12:46
And best believe I. Won't play.
3:12:48
I just I say here's what's smart about you.
3:12:50
You realize that, so you stay away.
3:12:52
From it, that's how I used to make a living, was people.
3:12:54
Who didn't got to play? But still showed up, yeah.
3:12:58
I mean, you know, and. You know, it's some people.
3:13:01
Some people. Got to learn the hard way.
3:13:03
Some people got to learn. Some people got to pay my rent.
3:13:06
Yeah, yeah. And it's part of, it's part of
3:13:08
the game. It's part of the game, you know?
3:13:10
Oh man, it's always good. My friend with hair without hair
3:13:13
brother. You're good looking dude and.
3:13:16
Love you to death and. Thank you so much for for being
3:13:17
a coach and being a friend, man, we.
3:13:20
Got to know each other through the MMI.
3:13:21
And I think we got a long time together.
3:13:23
I appreciate you. Yeah, I got to.
3:13:24
I got to grind a little bit more so I can feel more comfortable.
3:13:28
Get on that. Got to do anything brother.
3:13:30
You just got to keep pouring into young people and pouring
3:13:32
into your family. That's all that matters, OK.
3:13:35
Your value to me is not where you coach and what owner, your
3:13:38
values that you work in our sport.
3:13:40
And affect young people. Positively right.
3:13:42
Oh yes, Sir, yes Sir. Appreciate you baby.
3:13:44
Thank God. Might appreciate you.
3:13:45
The first person I came to 1st I came to.
3:13:48
Yes, Sir. Appreciate you.
3:13:49
I appreciate you. OK.
3:13:54
Hey, Ben. Go to marathon 3 hours, 13. 14
3:13:59
minutes and we did a new thing on Instagram as well.
3:14:03
Rob, I don't know if you're still.
3:14:04
Here man, but I love you man. You're my teammate and ride or
3:14:07
die. Thank you so much for being on
3:14:08
the team here. Had a lot of fun here.
3:14:10
We're not done, Remember? Check out twitch.tv/gale
3:14:15
Athletics for all of the podcast running 24 hours a day, seven
3:14:18
days a week. If you go there, type in the
3:14:20
comments, exclamation mark quote and a cool little thing happens.
3:14:23
Let me know what what pops up for you.
3:14:25
And then tonight, in about maybe an hour, a little less than an
3:14:28
hour, we'll go live on Twitter and we're going to have a hot
3:14:31
wing contest slash interview over there at Mike Cunningham on
3:14:36
Twitter. Thank you so much, guys for
3:14:37
being here. You know, this is the one of the
3:14:38
greatest weeks of my year here at the USTFCCCAI love coaches.
3:14:44
I love what they do and so grateful for them being track
3:14:47
coaches because they you could be doing a lot of other things
3:14:50
in a positive manner, but you choose to pour into other
3:14:53
people's kids and that allows me to have a family and do the fun
3:14:56
things that I get to do and I get to do it every day with an
3:14:58
amazing squad, amazing team at Gil Athletics.
3:15:01
I'm grateful for them as well. All right, that's it.
3:15:03
We're done with the live show. Thank you so much.
3:15:05
We're going to check out Instagram.
3:15:07
We're going bye bye and we're going bye bye over on almost a
3:15:12
Twitter on YouTube. Thanks guys, Talk to you soon.