Latest / The Standard / BE YOU — Mental Development, Athlete Representation, and the Identity Athletes Are Missing | Ep. 77 Kaz Langness

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BE YOU — Mental Development, Athlete Representation, and the Identity Athletes Are Missing | Ep. 77 Kaz Langness · The Standard

• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: Hey team, welcome to the standard podcast where we raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and call out the lies or misconceptions that nobody else will.
• 0:10
  SPEAKER_01: This isn't motivation, this is the movement.
• 0:13
  SPEAKER_01: I'm Thomas Rowe, alongside my co-host, Aaron Charles, co-founder and CEO of Blueprint to Blue Chip.
• 0:19
  SPEAKER_01: And first and foremost, she's a and today we're sitting down with Kaz Langnis, a mental development and leadership consultant who is the founder of BU Athletics and founder of BU Training Club.
• 0:31
  SPEAKER_01: I can't wait to get into that.
• 0:33
  SPEAKER_01: Kaz partners with athletic programs to develop resilient athletes, strengthen team culture, and cultivate impactful leaders.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_01: Through keynote speaking, workshops, and coaching, he equips student athletes, coaches, and organizations with the mindset tools necessary to thrive in sport and in life.
• 0:52
  SPEAKER_01: As founder of BU Athletics, Kaz represents top athletes across the nation, helping them maximize opportunities through brand development, strategic partnerships, and long-term career growth.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_01: And though BU Training Club, he serves as speed and agility coach, helping athletes improve movement, efficiency, and explosiveness, athletic performance and confidence.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_01: Wow, that's a mouthful, Kaz.
• 1:15
  SPEAKER_01: That's gonna be awesome.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_01: His mission is to clear, as the name behind everything he builds, empower individuals to embrace who they are, unlock their potential, and create a lasting impact on and off the field and after sports.
• 1:31
  SPEAKER_01: Be you.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_01: That's the foundation.
• 1:33
  SPEAKER_01: And today, Kaz is here to talk about what it actually means when everything in sports culture is telling athletes to be somebody else.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: So true.
• 1:41
  SPEAKER_01: We're diving into the truth behind what it really takes to build identity, discipline, and legacy in sports and in life.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get into it, Kaz.
• 1:49
  SPEAKER_01: We're super excited to have you join us today.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day.
• 1:54
  SPEAKER_00: Absolutely.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_00: It's a pleasure to be here and thank you for having me.
• 1:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm looking forward to it.
• 1:59
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome, awesome.
• 2:00
  SPEAKER_01: Let's dig right in.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_01: Kaz, you're a mental development and leadership consultant.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: You represent athletes nationally through BU Athletics.
• 2:08
  SPEAKER_01: You coach speed and agility through BU Training Club.
• 2:12
  SPEAKER_01: And you speak to athletic programs across the country.
• 2:15
  SPEAKER_01: But everything you build is grounded in two words.
• 2:19
  SPEAKER_01: BU.
• 2:20
  SPEAKER_01: What does raising the standard mean to someone whose entire mission is centered on authentic identity?
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_00: Raising the standard, you know, in life, you have to get to the next level at some point.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_02: Right.
• 2:36
  SPEAKER_00: I strive to do that, you know, every week, every month, every year.
• 2:41
  SPEAKER_00: And raising the standard of our life means to me, how can we become more disciplined?
• 2:51
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 2:53
  SPEAKER_00: Um, how can we be better leaders out there in this world in our community, in our households, and in the rooms that we're entrusted with?
• 3:01
  SPEAKER_00: And then the people that we're interested to train.
• 3:06
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 3:07
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that pretty much sums it up.
• 3:09
  SPEAKER_01: What's the biggest lie or misconception the sports culture sells athletes about who they need to be and who they need to how they need to perform, how they need to be present, and what kind of athlete they need to become, and what does that lie cost them?
• 3:26
  SPEAKER_00: Oh man.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_00: You're more than just an athlete, right?
• 3:32
  SPEAKER_00: You you are not just someone who can go out there and dribble a basketball, shoot a basketball, throw football, catch football, run fast.
• 3:39
  SPEAKER_00: You're not someone who can just go hit a volleyball.
• 3:42
  SPEAKER_00: Like you are so much more than an athlete, and it's important for you to honestly maximize your gifts and talents.
• 3:52
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 3:53
  SPEAKER_00: Because if you're if you're an athlete, that means that you have a level of discipline in your life, especially if you play at a high level.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:02
  SPEAKER_00: You have a level of discipline and you have the principles that you've put into your life that you've instilled and cultivated upon to get you to someplace.
• 4:11
  SPEAKER_00: So that means that you have the tools necessary to go find success in whatever endeavor you may want to find success in.
• 4:19
  SPEAKER_00: And you know that it takes patience and you're willing to do that because in order to graduate high school, you gotta go K through 12.
• 4:28
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 4:29
  SPEAKER_00: Takes 12 years, right?
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_00: You may not remember all those 12 years, but you are way more than just an athlete, and you have to be able to embrace that, and your identity is not just your sport.
• 4:43
  SPEAKER_01: Hey man, so true.
• 4:45
  SPEAKER_01: So let's dig in a little bit deeper on Cause.
• 4:48
  SPEAKER_01: Where did the BU mission come from you come from for you personally?
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: Because you don't build something called BU unless that you had the idea, it's been tested in your own life.
• 4:58
  SPEAKER_01: What's the story behind BU?
• 5:02
  SPEAKER_00: You see, I think we not just myself, but you as well.
• 5:08
  SPEAKER_00: You've seen people and you know people who you know aren't truly being their authentic selves.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_02: Yeah.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: And they're trying to be someone else, or they're comparing themselves in their journey to where other people may be.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_00: Um, they're walking a life based off of what other people want them to walk, how they want them to walk, what they are hearing on social media.
• 5:32
  SPEAKER_00: That's a huge one.
• 5:33
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, if you're not if you don't have this in your life, you're nothing.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_00: If you don't have that, you're nothing.
• 5:37
  SPEAKER_00: Like at the end of the day, God has only created one of us.
• 5:41
  SPEAKER_00: And there's there's different talents that each of us have, right?
• 5:46
  SPEAKER_00: We we do share some commonalities, right?
• 5:50
  SPEAKER_00: But there's unique ways that we do things in our own personal lives, and we have to embrace who we authentically are, who we've been created to be.
• 6:00
  SPEAKER_00: And when I when I launched it, you know, it was a message of embrace your differences, right?
• 6:06
  SPEAKER_00: But as the years have gone on and there's been more of a structure and a flow to the brand and to the company, it's more so we we have we have three pillars and principles that we we base it upon.
• 6:20
  SPEAKER_00: Stay committed, stay resilient, and sacrifice.
• 6:25
  SPEAKER_00: We are all we can all commit to ourselves and to our future, to the goals we have, aspirations, and dreams we have, and commit to ourselves to becoming the best version of ourselves.
• 6:34
  SPEAKER_00: We can only do that for us.
• 6:36
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_00: Stay resilient.
• 6:38
  SPEAKER_00: As human beings, we're we're resilient people, right?
• 6:42
  SPEAKER_00: We we go through some things, we get through it, but at some point in life we we start to want to quit, and some of us do quit.
• 6:49
  SPEAKER_00: But staying resilient, we all have that capable capability.
• 6:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's not because someone else can do it, but that's because we can do it.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_00: We have to embrace that in our own lives.
• 6:59
  SPEAKER_00: And then sacrifice, you know, just sacrificing the temporary for the for the future and where you want to be.
• 7:06
  SPEAKER_00: And if we do that in our authentic way, we can ultimately go out there and be ourselves in this world.
• 7:14
  SPEAKER_01: Love it.
• 7:15
  SPEAKER_01: So true.
• 7:16
  SPEAKER_01: With that, we're gonna get into identity, mental development, and cultural conversation.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron, it's all yours, take it away.
• 7:22
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, here I am.
• 7:24
  SPEAKER_03: Coss, so excited to connect with you.
• 7:26
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you for your time today.
• 7:29
  SPEAKER_03: So, you partner with athletic programs to develop resilient athletes, strengthen team cultures, and cultivate impactful leaders.
• 7:38
  SPEAKER_03: Most programs are focused on physical development, the X's and O's.
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_03: What does mental development look like as a daily practice inside these programs?
• 7:50
  SPEAKER_03: And what resistance do you encounter when you walk into athletic environments that have never made space for this?
• 7:58
  SPEAKER_00: It's a good one.
• 7:59
  SPEAKER_00: Mental development looks a little different at times because each program, whether it's a high school program or it's a college program, some of those athletes and some of those programs, you have to meet them where they're at.
• 8:14
  SPEAKER_00: You know?
• 8:15
  SPEAKER_00: And so when we when we come across the mental development, it's more so of all right, what what have we already instilled in the program and the team culture that we have here?
• 8:26
  SPEAKER_00: Where do we need to go?
• 8:29
  SPEAKER_00: What are the goals that we want to have for this program this year?
• 8:32
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 8:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if it's a coach that's been there already, all right, what have you seen works and what hasn't worked?
• 8:39
  SPEAKER_00: And what can we instill now to get you to the place?
• 8:42
  SPEAKER_00: And what was the second one?
• 8:43
  SPEAKER_00: I'm sorry.
• 8:44
  SPEAKER_03: No, you're all good.
• 8:45
  SPEAKER_03: It was a long question.
• 8:48
  SPEAKER_03: And what's the resistance you encounter?
• 8:51
  SPEAKER_03: Because you know, most of them are focused on winning games, X's and O's, bigger, faster, stronger.
• 8:56
  SPEAKER_03: So what's the resistance you encounter when doing this work?
• 9:02
  SPEAKER_00: Man, it's some is the time.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, we don't have enough time, which I believe if you are a successful program and you're not tapped in mentally, you know the successful programs will always find time.
• 9:17
  SPEAKER_00: You look at the Alabamas, the Tennessees, the Michigans, the Colorados, they always find time regardless of what it is.
• 9:25
  SPEAKER_00: It doesn't take it doesn't take three hours, but it takes an intentional 10 minutes, 20 minutes, 30 minutes, because as high-level athletes, as high-level achievers, and as people who have accomplished some wonderful things in this world, we realize less is more.
• 10:13
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, coach, do you want do you want to make time?
• 10:17
  SPEAKER_00: Is is there a time that you can allot to this little 15-minute thing, 30 minutes, and then give your team something that they can brew on, that they can take home and take to their lives with.
• 10:39
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_00: There's I think there's a greater need right now to tap into the mental side of athletics than there ever has been.
• 10:50
  SPEAKER_03: Agreed.
• 10:52
  SPEAKER_00: And when you look at you look at social media, it's at its peak right now.
• 10:59
  SPEAKER_00: And you there's so many highlight reels out there.
• 11:03
  SPEAKER_00: When you look at just these news people who are, you know, covering the game, the sports.
• 11:10
  SPEAKER_00: I mean you look at you know, just the all the transfers.
• 11:17
  SPEAKER_00: No one, no one knows no one's really making decisions based off of their own mental place anymore.
• 11:24
  SPEAKER_00: I mean so you you have to tap into that as a leader of the team, as a program, and you have to find the importance of it and understand the importance of it because some of these athletes are struggling, not even just about the game.
• 11:43
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, yeah.
• 11:44
  SPEAKER_00: And they're going through real life stuff.
• 11:46
  SPEAKER_00: Real life stuff.
• 11:48
  SPEAKER_00: And it's not just, I don't just focus on, you know, guys, you got an 0-4 record right now.
• 11:53
  SPEAKER_00: All right, let's try to win the next game.
• 11:55
  SPEAKER_00: No.
• 11:56
  SPEAKER_00: You gotta you gotta focus on life outside of the sport before you can focus on life inside the sport.
• 12:01
  SPEAKER_00: And there's this narrative where it's like, when you get in this room, leave everything outside life out of it.
• 12:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yes, be present where you are, right?
• 12:11
  SPEAKER_00: Don't say, Oh, I'm having a tough time with my relationship right now.
• 12:15
  SPEAKER_00: I'm gonna bring it to the to the to the team.
• 12:17
  SPEAKER_00: You can leave that out, but you have to have that safe space where you can talk about it as well.
• 12:24
  SPEAKER_00: And you can you and you can, you know, be able to go through it with the people you know you trust and are fighting for and fighting with.
• 12:36
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah, it is so important.
• 12:38
  SPEAKER_03: I think you hit it perfectly.
• 12:40
  SPEAKER_03: Like, this is more, I think, important now than it probably ever has been.
• 12:46
  SPEAKER_03: And so when you work with student athletes on mindset to thrive both in sports and in life, how how do you do that?
• 12:56
  SPEAKER_03: Like, how do you help these athletes really see that sports can help them excel in life?
• 13:07
  SPEAKER_00: It goes back to what I was saying earlier, the different principles that you instill, the different disciplines and habits that you instill to get you to a place where you have a you have a goal.
• 13:18
  SPEAKER_00: You look at, I'm a big Michigan fan, go blue.
• 13:21
  SPEAKER_00: You look at Yaks of Lindenborg.
• 13:22
  SPEAKER_03: Uh, his I know.
• 13:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, his mom.
• 13:25
  SPEAKER_00: It was a big one.
• 13:26
  SPEAKER_00: And I and I think that there's so many stories out there.
• 13:30
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I was playing video games, and I my mom took them away from me, took everything out of my room, made me took removed my door, made me like that's that's wild, you know, but that just shows the belief that your mother, your parent has in you, and how they will not let you quit on yourself.
• 13:50
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 13:51
  SPEAKER_00: And when you instill that in your own life, and you see that it worked, and you see yourself being able to transfer from one school to the next tier and to the top tier to win a national championship, to being able to get drafted as a lottery pick, to go into a very successful organization.
• 14:10
  SPEAKER_00: It shows, and you can just see looking back on the on the success pillars that you have, it's like, all right, well, what did I do?
• 14:18
  SPEAKER_00: Well, luckily God gave me someone that I didn't even ask for, my own mother.
• 14:24
  SPEAKER_00: And she and she started this for me.
• 14:26
  SPEAKER_00: But then it took me figuring something out inside of me, like, I can do this, I can make it happen, and just instilling that in different areas that you find yourself in.
• 14:36
  SPEAKER_00: And so sports allows you to really grow who you are as a person, your character, your leadership, the habits that you build, the people that you meet, the connections, and the people that you remove from your life.
• 14:50
  SPEAKER_00: I think that's one of the biggest ones, too.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: Mm-hmm.
• 14:52
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 14:53
  SPEAKER_00: That's that's not I don't think that's talked on enough.
• 14:56
  SPEAKER_00: You see this NFL athlete from the Lions cornerback, Terry.
• 15:00
  SPEAKER_00: And I think that's his name.
• 15:02
  SPEAKER_03: And just the one that just got arrested for yeah, yeah.
• 15:06
  SPEAKER_00: And you you don't and you hear these stories too much.
• 15:09
  SPEAKER_00: And people are like, Oh, you secured all this money and accomplishment.
• 15:13
  SPEAKER_00: Why can't you just leave that in the past?
• 15:16
  SPEAKER_00: They don't know how.
• 15:27
  SPEAKER_00: Two things can be true at once, yeah.
• 15:29
  SPEAKER_00: But you have to educate them and you have to help them understand like this this isn't the life that you you worked so hard to get you out of those environments.
• 15:45
  SPEAKER_00: Now remove those people, just like you removed that bad food from your life, just like you removed the bad habits from your life.
• 15:53
  SPEAKER_00: Now just remove those people, cut away, cut away, cut away.
• 15:57
  unknown: Yep.
• 15:58
  SPEAKER_00: So it's just the different sports can sports is beautiful to be able to teach you about life and be able to teach you about how to accomplish a goal that you have for yourself.
• 16:09
  SPEAKER_03: Yeah.
• 16:10
  SPEAKER_03: Wow, that's powerful, I think, in a lot of different regards around who's the people that is surrounded, you're surrounded by, you know, and being grateful for, you know, sometimes the mom, like I think that was such a beautiful example of like you're that mom setting the standard for her son to then believe in himself because of what she role modeled.
• 16:30
  SPEAKER_03: Sometimes, as parents, we have to remember we don't have to necessarily undo anything, we have to become the standard.
• 16:35
  SPEAKER_03: We have to role model what we want our kids to embody versus telling them what to do.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_03: And obviously, he picked up on that.
• 16:42
  SPEAKER_03: And then you got to cut out the, you know, the fat people, etc., when the when they no longer serve you, or they're no longer a part of your identity of who you are as you've grown and evolved as an athlete.
• 16:58
  SPEAKER_03: And so, with that, what's one truth you wish athletes, parents, coaches understood about mental development and identity that most people in those space are not saying out loud?
• 17:14
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great question.
• 17:16
  SPEAKER_00: That's a great question.
• 17:23
  SPEAKER_00: I would say that it takes consistent work.
• 17:29
  SPEAKER_00: It's a process.
• 17:32
  SPEAKER_00: You have the ebbs and flows of life where yeah, one day you can be on a high.
• 17:39
  SPEAKER_00: But it's a complete process where you have to continuously tap into it.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's not just a one-time, oh yeah, this was a great session that we had, all right, we're good now.
• 17:53
  SPEAKER_00: You have to continuously, you can't just start something and then not pick it back up again.
• 17:58
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 18:00
  SPEAKER_00: You know, you have to continue feeding that baby in order for it to grow.
• 18:06
  SPEAKER_03: Yep.
• 18:07
  SPEAKER_00: And if and if you want your athletes, you want your program to grow, if you want the mental side of life to be grown, you have to feed it.
• 18:16
  SPEAKER_00: Whether that's what you listen to, whether what you watch, whether who you're surrounding yourself with, just whatever, you have to feed it consistently.
• 18:25
  SPEAKER_03: I love that.
• 18:27
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, Thomas, it's back to you.
• 18:29
  SPEAKER_01: Awesome.
• 18:30
  SPEAKER_01: Thanks, Aaron Coz.
• 18:31
  SPEAKER_01: Through BU Athletics, you represent top athletes across the nation, helping them maximize opportunities through brand development, strategic partnerships, and long-term career growth.
• 18:42
  SPEAKER_01: And here's the catch most athletes' representative representation is transactional.
• 18:48
  SPEAKER_01: How do you make it transformational in BU?
• 18:52
  SPEAKER_01: And what makes BU approach to athletes' representation different?
• 18:56
  SPEAKER_00: Man, that's that's that's a beautiful question.
• 19:01
  SPEAKER_00: That's what we're all about.
• 19:02
  SPEAKER_00: We're about transformational.
• 19:03
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 19:05
  SPEAKER_00: Transactional is it's cute, it's cool, it's good.
• 19:09
  SPEAKER_00: But these athletes won't always know what to do with that money.
• 19:12
  SPEAKER_00: Um they'll go joke it off.
• 19:15
  SPEAKER_00: But I I really strive to separate separate who we are from who there may be out there in this in this world and the other competitors, you could say.
• 19:26
  SPEAKER_00: That's weekly check-ins.
• 19:30
  SPEAKER_00: They know that whatever time of day it is, hit me, call me, whatever you gotta do.
• 19:37
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm very I've been very blessed with the athletes that I've been able to work with and did the relationships.
• 19:44
  SPEAKER_00: Like, there's nothing more beautiful than just having one of my athletes just randomly.
• 19:49
  SPEAKER_00: It's like, call me.
• 19:50
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, what's going on, man?
• 19:51
  SPEAKER_00: Checking in on you.
• 19:52
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 19:53
  SPEAKER_00: Hey, that's my hey, that's my job.
• 19:57
  SPEAKER_00: And so it's just really cool to be to have those relationships formed this past fall.
• 20:02
  SPEAKER_00: You know, I was able to be at my athlete who graduated from Austin P, his his wedding, and just the relationships and the bonds and the connection that is able to be transformational.
• 20:15
  SPEAKER_00: And I can guarantee you that if it would just been money, there's no there's no invite to that wedding.
• 20:20
  SPEAKER_00: There's no there's no invite like to the senior basketball game or stuff like that.
• 20:25
  SPEAKER_00: Like, but they know that I care about them, they know that I'm going to do whatever it takes to make sure that they're good mentally, that we're good as their growth as human beings, because yeah, I've been in college before.
• 20:40
  SPEAKER_00: I understand that this college world is crazy.
• 20:44
  SPEAKER_00: The light life in life is crazy.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 20:47
  SPEAKER_00: And so anything that I can do to help prepare you for the next level of your life, I'm going to do that.
• 20:54
  SPEAKER_00: And just being able to steward those relationships and foster what what relationships that God has given me and blessed me with has been wonderful.
• 21:03
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 21:04
  SPEAKER_01: That's awesome.
• 21:05
  SPEAKER_01: And you also coach speed and agility through BU Training Club.
• 21:09
  SPEAKER_01: Helping athletes improve movement efficiency, explosiveness, and confidence.
• 21:14
  SPEAKER_01: There's an interesting overlap between physical training and mental development.
• 21:18
  SPEAKER_01: What does confidence built in the weight room or on the track look like when it transfers into how an athlete carries themselves in competition and in life?
• 21:32
  SPEAKER_00: So when you're when you're going through a workout and you ain't you don't really have much left in you.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: This is what it means.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: It's like when you're tired and when you have nothing left and you don't think you can go any longer, just like Rocky says, going in that extra, and we don't think you have anything left.
• 22:10
  SPEAKER_00: That's what makes the biggest difference.
• 22:12
  SPEAKER_00: That's what finding a finish means.
• 22:14
  SPEAKER_00: Find me a finish.
• 22:16
  SPEAKER_00: But find yourself a finish.
• 22:17
  SPEAKER_00: Like owe it to yourself.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_00: And so you go through those tough training sessions.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 22:22
  SPEAKER_00: You go through, like in Texas, we got the heat right now.
• 22:25
  SPEAKER_00: I just got done with training track athlete.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: You know, she actually was from Guatemala.
• 22:30
  SPEAKER_00: So she came up here for a few weeks to train with me.
• 22:32
  SPEAKER_00: And the heat up here is not like what they have in Guatemala.
• 22:37
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 22:38
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, listen, I get that it's hot, but you're doing great.
• 22:43
  SPEAKER_00: Find me one last finish here and make yourself proud, right?
• 22:48
  SPEAKER_00: Because that's what I strive to do, is just have them make themselves proud.
• 22:52
  SPEAKER_00: You know, go leave that training session better than when you entered it.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_00: And when you do that in the weight room, on the track, whatever facility may be, and then you go out there against competition.
• 23:04
  SPEAKER_00: And when you line up and they line up, and when you when they haven't sacrificed as much as you, when they haven't put in as much work as you, when they haven't believed in, when you haven't believed in yourself as much as they believe in themselves, and you haven't prepared, like when they haven't prepared, like you've prepared, you're going to be set apart, and you're going to go out there, regardless of what the scoreboard may say, regardless of how many minutes you may get, regardless of what time you may run, you will carry your head high because you know you gave your best, you prepared, and you did all that you could to get the result that you desired and the result that you strove were striving for.
• 23:48
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:49
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: Kaz, walk us through how you work with a young athlete who's been told their entire life, you're going to be the next Tom Brady, you're going to be the next Kobe by coaches, parents, recruiters, social media.
• 24:02
  SPEAKER_01: And has it genuinely genuinely the athlete has lost track of who they actually are.
• 24:08
  SPEAKER_01: Where do they start to find themselves and and to actually be you or be themselves?
• 24:19
  SPEAKER_00: I always say don't compare.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 24:22
  SPEAKER_00: Don't compare.
• 24:23
  SPEAKER_00: You can't compare.
• 24:26
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, there's going to be traits that may be similar.
• 24:38
  SPEAKER_00: A little bit of Shay's game resembles Kobe's game, but that came from Jordan.
• 24:43
  SPEAKER_00: But even keep it on basketball.
• 24:46
  SPEAKER_00: Look at Wimbenyama.
• 24:48
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think there's a player that has ever been like that before.
• 24:54
  SPEAKER_00: Even in football terms, Mahomes.
• 24:57
  SPEAKER_00: I don't think we've seen a Mahomes before.
• 25:00
  SPEAKER_00: You look at the track, there has not been a Sidney McLaughlin before.
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: And so understand there's different there's specimens out there in this world where there's only gonna be one of them.
• 25:13
  SPEAKER_00: But the only way that they got to be that way was because they embraced who they were and they just focused on that name.
• 25:22
  SPEAKER_00: That name, not someone else's name, but that name and put in that work consistently day in and day out.
• 25:28
  SPEAKER_00: And whatever adverse challenge that they had to go through, they went through.
• 25:33
  SPEAKER_00: And if their head dropped, they picked it right back up.
• 25:36
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:37
  SPEAKER_01: Right.
• 25:39
  SPEAKER_01: Goz, let's talk to the parents.
• 25:41
  SPEAKER_01: You deal with a lot of young athletes.
• 25:44
  SPEAKER_01: Obviously, mom and dad are involved.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm sure by now, with your extensive experience, you could tell that the parent that's living vicariously through their children or they actually want it for their children.
• 25:56
  SPEAKER_01: Talk to talk to us about that shift and how do you get the the parent to shift from living through their children to supporting their student athlete?
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I think it's so obvious when you see a parent living through their children.
• 26:15
  SPEAKER_00: Oh, I didn't, I wasn't able to accomplish like make sure I live it through my kid.
• 26:19
  SPEAKER_00: Right.
• 26:20
  SPEAKER_00: But I think shoot, who was I think in the NBA draft, AJ Debonza, he is actually represented by his dad as his agent because of the new rules where you can there's a a specific percentage that has to go somewhere.
• 26:42
  SPEAKER_00: They're like, we're just gonna keep all this, we're gonna keep this a family business.
• 26:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I see that different than anything.
• 26:49
  SPEAKER_00: I see that supporting because you're you're that young and you're getting all that money, all that fame, all that notoriety, you're gonna crash and burn.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah.
• 27:00
  SPEAKER_00: You have to have someone who's been there before, who's been there every step of your every step of the way in your career and your in your progression.
• 27:09
  SPEAKER_00: And then the ones who are supporting, like that's a clear support, right?
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_00: But the ones who are just living through, it's like I I I like to ask them this one question.
• 27:22
  SPEAKER_02: You know, if if this didn't work out, what would happen?
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_02: There you go.
• 27:34
  SPEAKER_01: That's well, yeah, yeah, yeah, absolutely.
• 27:39
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, that boy, because that's a question for the athlete as well as the parents, right?
• 27:43
  SPEAKER_01: And and they gotta think about it.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_01: You know, we talk about, you know, there's no plan B, you got to burn the boats, but there's one thing about, you know, no plan B, but there's also preparing for the future, right?
• 27:54
  SPEAKER_01: Because even if you and I have seen it, even if you do make it to the next level, whether that's college or the pros, eventually the phone stops ringing and the ball stops bouncing.
• 28:04
  SPEAKER_01: And then there's then what?
• 28:05
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're that's such a great question.
• 28:08
  SPEAKER_01: On that one, I'm gonna turn it over to Aaron, which is segment five, the rapid fire round.
• 28:12
  SPEAKER_01: Aaron, take it away.
• 28:13
  SPEAKER_03: Okay, this is a fun round.
• 28:15
  SPEAKER_03: I'm gonna start a sentence and you're gonna finish it, okay?
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_03: So discipline equals progression.
• 28:25
  SPEAKER_03: Identity equals self-worth.
• 28:32
  SPEAKER_03: Ooh.
• 28:33
  SPEAKER_03: Be you means God's creation.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_03: Legacy equals long before you're gone.
• 28:50
  SPEAKER_03: Long after long after long after you're gone.
• 28:53
  SPEAKER_03: What is one thing you'd never compromise on?
• 28:59
  SPEAKER_00: Morals.
• 29:01
  SPEAKER_03: And what's if you could put a message on a billboard for the next generation of athletes, what would your one message to the athletes be?
• 29:12
  SPEAKER_00: Find God and trust his plan.
• 29:15
  SPEAKER_00: Amen.
• 29:16
  SPEAKER_03: I love it.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_03: That is so good.
• 29:19
  SPEAKER_01: That's that's huge.
• 29:20
  SPEAKER_01: That is so huge, cause.
• 29:23
  SPEAKER_01: Cause before we wrap up, is there something we didn't touch on today that you feel athletes, coaches, and parents need to hear about mental development, identity, and what it really means to build something that lasts?
• 29:33
  SPEAKER_01: We'd like to turn it over to our guests here and just kind of open floor, open mic.
• 29:37
  SPEAKER_01: Just go ahead and share your knowledge.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, I would say you you have to want what's best for the ones that you love.
• 29:50
  SPEAKER_00: And as the future continues to unfold and everything be and things are becoming more hands-off and truthfully and unfortunately less interpersonal, that's gonna take a toll on the mental health of this world.
• 30:11
  SPEAKER_00: And the the the Lord says, raise your child up in the way he should go, and they will not depart from it.
• 30:22
  SPEAKER_00: So perfect, so perfect.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yes.
• 30:26
  SPEAKER_00: And if you if you tap into and you consistently feed that mental side of your child, of the one that you love, the ones that you love, you're going to see them be able to have a much healthier relationship with themselves, with their journey, and with the people around them.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: That's perfect.
• 30:53
  SPEAKER_01: That is perfect.
• 30:54
  SPEAKER_01: Kaz, you went from the rapid fire, now you're in the hot seat.
• 30:58
  SPEAKER_01: Art imitating life, what are the top three sports movies of all time, according to Kaz?
• 31:08
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Carter?
• 31:09
  SPEAKER_01: Yes.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: Coach Carter for sure.
• 31:13
  SPEAKER_00: I would say I love I love giving a message on this one, but facing the giants.
• 31:21
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, you're going back.
• 31:23
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, and then as it's a series, I'm not sure if it counts, Baraki.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: Oh, come on.
• 31:32
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 31:33
  SPEAKER_01: Absolutely.
• 31:34
  SPEAKER_01: You know, I always ask this question to my athletes and coaches because for you're you're so right on that one.
• 31:39
  SPEAKER_01: Coach Carter is always an honorable mention for me.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: But first one is Miracle, right?
• 31:42
  SPEAKER_01: You know, the I I never played hockey, but you bring a bunch of misfits together for one common goal, mass to win, where you can develop a character, you can develop a team, you can put other people before yourself, much like faith, much like walk in with Christ.
• 31:57
  SPEAKER_01: And then number two for me is Rocky.
• 31:58
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, talk about an underdog story.
• 32:01
  SPEAKER_01: Number three is Who's Yours?
• 32:02
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, Coach Carter's right up there.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: Remember the Titans.
• 32:06
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, we can go on and on with so many great, so so many great movies for this young younger generation.
• 32:11
  SPEAKER_01: Guys, before we wrap up, where can our audience find you?
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: Whether that's your email or your social media handles or a website.
• 32:19
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, absolutely.
• 32:21
  SPEAKER_00: You can find me on social medias at Kaz Langness, K-A-Z, L-A-N-G-N-E-S-S, B-U-A-LIC as well, B-E-Y-O-U, A-T-E-E-A-Thletic.
• 32:35
  SPEAKER_00: Then the websites are Cazlangness.com.
• 32:39
  SPEAKER_00: That one actually is being renovated right now, so it's it's not up right now, but it will be very shortly here.
• 32:46
  SPEAKER_00: It'll be finished up.
• 32:48
  SPEAKER_00: And then there's also buathletic.com, so B-E-Y-O-U and Athletic.com.
• 32:54
  SPEAKER_00: And they'll will all be in the my bios as well on social medias.
• 32:58
  SPEAKER_00: Then email just Caz at Cazlingness.com and can also connect with me on LinkedIn too, just Cazlingness.
• 33:07
  SPEAKER_01: I love it.
• 33:08
  SPEAKER_01: Klaus, thank you for reminding us that the most powerful thing an athlete can do isn't the best version of somebody else.
• 33:14
  SPEAKER_01: It's a full version of themselves.
• 33:16
  SPEAKER_01: And team, if this conversation hits you, do two things for us.
• 33:19
  SPEAKER_01: One, share this episode with someone who needs to hear it.
• 33:22
  SPEAKER_01: An athlete who's been shaped by everyone else's expectation except their own, a coach trying to build something real inside their program, or a parent learning how to support without projecting.
• 33:34
  SPEAKER_01: And two, follow Cause.
• 33:36
  SPEAKER_01: We gave you, he just listed off his uh his social handles, but we'll drop them in the show notes.
• 33:41
  SPEAKER_01: And if you want mental development, athlete representation, or speed and agility coaching rooted in identity, BU is where you need to go and find Cause.
• 33:51
  SPEAKER_01: And if you're an athlete parent or coach ready to raise the standard, check Aaron and myself out at blueprintbluechip.com.
• 33:57
  SPEAKER_01: We help athletes build identity, discipline, and legacy that goes far beyond the game.
• 34:03
  SPEAKER_01: And if this episode has resonated with you, leave us a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.
• 34:08
  SPEAKER_01: It helps us reach more athletes, parents, and leaders who need to hear the message that Kaz just shared.
• 34:13
  SPEAKER_01: This is the standard podcast, and this movement only grows when we raise the standard together.
• 34:18
  SPEAKER_01: Talent fades, but truth endures.
• 34:20
  SPEAKER_01: Let's raise the bar, rebuild the culture, and become the standard.
• 34:23
  SPEAKER_01: Kaz Aaron, thank you guys so much.
• 34:25
  SPEAKER_01: You have a fantastic week.
• 34:27
  SPEAKER_01: Team, we'll see you next time.
• 34:29
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.
• 34:30
  SPEAKER_03: Thank you.