Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Welcome to the first edition of Unleashed.
[00:00:05] What is unleashed? Well, it's really about starting a conversation, a conversation about athletics, one that I think everybody loves to talk about, but they're probably not talking about the right things.
[00:00:22] The complexity of athletics is so extreme right now, and it's tough.
[00:00:30] It is tough for everyone involved, and that's probably not said enough. It's tough for parents who are trying to navigate how to do this thing right so that their kids are set up for their best opportunity possible.
[00:00:46] It's hard for administrators of schools or for clubs where they're just trying to do what's best and make money or provide an opportunity that could be the most important experience of those student athletes lives.
[00:01:04] I mean, it is difficult for officials. My goodness, is it hard for officials.
[00:01:12] One of the things that I think people don't talk about enough is just the day in and day out nonsense that officials have to go through one of the most thankless jobs that you could ever have.
[00:01:28] And then finally, athletes.
[00:01:32] Athletes probably go through it the most and say the least. They're trying to please their families, they're trying to please their coaches, they're trying to please their friends. And all along the way, they know some way, somehow, that they're failing along the way and that that's no fun.
[00:01:52] But I know that this conversation can go so many different directions. And that's why this podcast is going to be so much fun. Sometimes we'll have parents on here, other times we'll have administrators. And from there I think we have to bring in athletes to really have real conversations.
[00:02:12] But there are so many topics that need to be talked about that we want to hear from you. What are the things that are holding you back from making the decisions that you need to make in order to set yourself, set your child, set your school up for success.
[00:02:32] And that's what unleashed is going to be all about. Unleashed is all about breaking down the complexity of athletics so that we can have a conversation that will even the playing field, so that when you're listening to this podcast, you're getting insights from all different places so you would have an understanding of the other side of the story.
[00:02:55] Administrators, I hear you. I see you. I was one of them. It's a difficult job. But what I learned along the way as an administrator was, man, do I have a heart for families. Man, do I have an understanding for the pain that they feel all in the name of giving their kids an opportunity to be the very best that they want to be. And you know, officials, we gotta figure you out.
[00:03:23] People just don't give you enough credit for the work that you do.
[00:03:28] We need to hear from you. But what are the questions that you would want to have answered on this podcast? Who would you like to see on this podcast? Talking about what things. And that's really what this podcast is going to be. I see this very much as a short forum podcast. We know you're busy. We know you don't have the time to do to listen to an hour long podcast. So we're going to keep these condensed five to seven minutes. Maybe a great interview goes ten minutes. But it is a short forum podcast that we're going to crank through.
[00:04:05] And to be honest with you, and to be specific with you, right now, we have a problem. And the problem is everybody thinks they're right. No matter which direction you look, they have the answer because they heard it from a certain person that carries so much value in their life. And rather than being right, we need to have a conversation about understanding. We need to understand one another and where we're coming from in order to progress in this never ending cycle of athletics.
[00:04:37] And that's what unleashed is going to be all about. I hope that you'll join us, I hope that you'll be a part of this journey as we navigate and hope that you come to the table with some great ideas so that we can understand how to navigate this thing together. Welcome to unleashed.
