00:00:03.919 --> 00:00:05.839
Just I appreciate you jumping on.
00:00:05.919 --> 00:00:08.160
I I um I'll introduce you real quick.
00:00:08.240 --> 00:00:24.079
Um Jared DeVries, um, we played a couple years at Iowa together, and then you went on to um had a great career at Iowa, defensive lineman, and then went and played for all of your NFL seasons for the Lions.
00:00:24.480 --> 00:00:27.440
Were you did you play for 11 years or 12?
00:00:27.760 --> 00:00:31.839
I played for 12 years, um, seven different head coaches.
00:00:32.320 --> 00:00:34.399
Um, probably why we weren't very good.
00:00:34.560 --> 00:00:37.600
You can't turn over coaches like that and expect to be good.
00:00:37.759 --> 00:00:43.520
Um, but very thankful that uh the family got to stay in Detroit, raised in Detroit.
00:00:43.679 --> 00:00:47.759
Um very blessed with the the friends and the connections we made.
00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:49.520
So can't complain.
00:00:49.840 --> 00:01:13.920
Yeah, well, I I kind of got you from all angles here because what I've been doing on this podcast for the last year and a half is pretty much just just interviewing coaches, um, high school, college, pro level, to just get their take on leadership and culture and character building and all the things that in my opinion are missing in in athletics nowadays.
00:01:14.159 --> 00:01:23.280
Um, you know, the the building of the culture now it's an instant culture, you have to rebuild it every six months um at the college level.
00:01:23.439 --> 00:01:28.640
Um but I mean you you coached, you were a head coach at Clear Lake in Iowa.
00:01:28.879 --> 00:01:31.840
Um, you know, you played at the highest level.
00:01:32.079 --> 00:01:50.959
Um you've kind of come at come at it from all angles, just how important athletics are to um you know, to building your life and and handling adversity and being a leader and being successful and and when you get knocked down, getting back up.
00:01:51.200 --> 00:01:55.040
So um, yeah, we I I'm kind of transitioning now.
00:01:55.120 --> 00:02:10.800
We're still gonna do the coaches, but we're gonna we're gonna integrate more um former players and was able to have a guy um that I coached at Missouri, a tight end, he was on uh the other day, and and I haven't seen him in you know 25 years, and it was kind of cool.
00:02:10.879 --> 00:02:14.639
And I haven't seen you in about 30, so maybe a little bit longer.
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But um so welcome.
00:02:16.639 --> 00:02:18.639
Thank you very much for taking the time, man.
00:02:18.879 --> 00:02:19.759
Yeah, you bet.
00:02:19.840 --> 00:02:38.240
Um so you you you hit the nail on the head with athletics, specifically football being the greatest tool that you can have on teaching, teaching young men and even ladies um the value of hard work, the value of discipline, um, all those things that you mentioned.
00:02:38.479 --> 00:02:41.599
Um you talk about uh a culture rebuild.
00:02:41.680 --> 00:02:42.879
I'll I'll share a story with you.
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My brother uh Darren coaches for the University of Indiana, he's a men's best head men's basketball coach, and this will be his second year in Indiana.
00:02:51.120 --> 00:02:56.400
And uh last year he had all but one player leave.
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Um, so he had to start from scratch.
00:03:00.719 --> 00:03:03.360
And we have many conversations at night.
00:03:03.439 --> 00:03:08.400
It's like, how do you build your culture when you continuously have to replace the entire roster?
00:03:08.639 --> 00:03:11.199
Year two, one guy return.
00:03:11.599 --> 00:03:23.439
Um and it makes it very difficult with the portal on on, I believe, on coaches when they're when you're redoing your roster every month or every six months.
00:03:23.759 --> 00:03:32.719
Um, so there's a unique challenge, and and and the good ones uh obviously re retain their players and and and continue to build their their culture.
00:03:32.800 --> 00:03:38.479
And I think those will probably be the successful uh you know teams.
00:03:38.719 --> 00:03:39.199
Yeah.
00:03:39.439 --> 00:03:50.479
What um I mean, because when we were playing, even you know, as as a high school coach, I know you well enough to know that that you know relationships are extremely important to you.
00:03:50.639 --> 00:03:58.479
Um it used to be, I mean, like I've had you know, Hughes has been on here, LaFleur, you know, Zach Shea, Tariq Holman.
00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:00.479
I've had a lot of Iowa guys on here.
00:04:00.719 --> 00:04:04.639
Um and we went and did our our tour crucible.
00:04:04.800 --> 00:04:14.319
Derek Price and I, and and and a couple former tier one guys went to Iowa City and we hit West Branch and then we we hit West Liberty where Jason Dumont is at.
00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:28.160
And um, you know, we were talking about this, but it's incredible to look back and think because my dad, as a head coach, what wasn't even close to this, but Coach Fry knew everything about every single player.
00:04:28.319 --> 00:04:33.360
He knew everything about their family, he knew their names, he knew he knew everything.
00:04:33.439 --> 00:04:45.839
And he was, I really believe that that's why he was so successful was because he he really poured into the relationship piece of being a being a coach.
00:04:46.079 --> 00:04:54.319
And I mean, you remember he used to stand up in the in the tower during practice and throw gum at people as they they ran underneath it.
00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:56.959
And then on Saturday, he's called he would call plays.
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What you didn't know probably is that three out of every five plays that he called either came in wrong, formation was backwards, or he he called a play that we didn't even practice that week.
00:05:08.879 --> 00:05:27.680
So, you know, um, but his relationship style is is that something that that you think um can really, you know, because I know your brother, you know, your whole family about relationships, and so I know you that's super important to your brother as it as it is to you.
00:05:27.839 --> 00:05:32.000
Do you think that's something that can sustain a program of today's day and age?
00:05:32.399 --> 00:05:34.800
Even if you have great relationships.
00:05:35.759 --> 00:05:43.680
Well, I I mean, if you look at the programs that are extremely successful, let's just start with Iowa.
00:05:44.240 --> 00:05:49.600
Um Coach Fry was there for 20 some odd years.
00:05:49.839 --> 00:05:52.399
Coach Ference has been there for 20 some odd years.
00:05:52.560 --> 00:05:55.279
What's the one common denominator?
00:05:55.360 --> 00:05:58.240
It's it's the relationships with the players.
00:05:58.800 --> 00:06:01.439
Um, and and they both had that.
00:06:02.000 --> 00:06:07.839
And um that's why that that the Hawkeyes are successful.
00:06:08.079 --> 00:06:11.600
And and success can be measured on the scoreboard.
00:06:11.680 --> 00:06:14.879
It can also be measured on how many people are leaving your program.
00:06:15.279 --> 00:06:24.480
You know, we don't we, as in the University of Iowa, don't have a lot of um guys um going looking chasing the money.
00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:29.920
Um once they're hawkeyes, they they they want to be hawkey's and they they stay hawkey's.
00:06:30.240 --> 00:06:35.279
And if they don't leave for the the draft early, they probably are gonna graduate a Hawkeye.
00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:38.959
Yeah, which is which we were talking yesterday.
00:06:39.120 --> 00:06:50.800
I mean, it's sad that the day and age of being somewhere for four or five years, you know, is not for for everybody, but and I know I was a transfer, my circumstances were a little bit different.
00:06:50.959 --> 00:06:57.759
Um, it wasn't for a lack of playing time, it was you know, my dad was a head coach at SC and he got fired.
00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.839
So um I do like the five for five.
00:07:01.920 --> 00:07:03.199
I like that they're doing that.
00:07:03.360 --> 00:07:05.360
I think that'll probably help.
00:07:05.600 --> 00:07:13.199
But um, you know, from a coaching aspect, what did you take when when you were coaching at Clear Lake?
00:07:14.319 --> 00:07:26.319
What did you take from being a high school athlete, college athlete, pro athlete that you really tried to instill in the kids that you were coaching from a character standpoint?
00:07:27.600 --> 00:07:38.800
Well, uh we we we just preached about doing everything right, um, from the littlest things to stretching, not being on the the white line.
00:07:39.279 --> 00:07:44.240
And to me that carries that carries over in into your life.
00:07:44.399 --> 00:07:44.639
Yeah.
00:07:44.879 --> 00:08:07.920
So we want to build character, um, you know, responsibility, uh, hard work, um, all that stuff, and and we just we just harped on it um from the littlest things, you know, from not having your toe on the white line to doing every um every uh rep that is asked of you.
00:08:08.079 --> 00:08:18.560
All those little things, if you can hold yourself accountable, which we're gonna try to help with, man, you're gonna be a better, better player, you're gonna be a better person, and you're gonna have more success in life.
00:08:18.720 --> 00:08:26.319
And that's where we really, really try to hit home is all the lessons that you can learn on the field, on the court.
00:08:26.560 --> 00:08:31.759
Um, I was fortunate to be surrounded by uh a bunch of other coaches with like minds.
00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:32.559
Yeah.
00:08:32.799 --> 00:08:59.600
Um, having gone to high school, where you went to high school, uh, I mean, and and people probably don't know, and I didn't know this until I moved there, but you know, Iowa, I think University of Iowa, the kids that played there, I think they were very unique because a lot of a lot of the Iowa players grew up in Iowa, yourself included, um, worked on farms, um, used to hard labor, um, getting up early.
00:08:59.840 --> 00:09:03.360
It just you, you know, Iowa, Iowa boys are workers.
00:09:03.519 --> 00:09:07.600
I mean, I've always said it, and I believe that because I saw it firsthand.
00:09:08.000 --> 00:09:15.519
Um you had a legend, your high school coach was a legendary football coach, and I can't remember his name.
00:09:15.679 --> 00:09:17.840
Um Coach Ed Thomas.
00:09:18.080 --> 00:09:18.480
Yeah.
00:09:18.639 --> 00:09:20.480
And how long was he there?
00:09:20.879 --> 00:09:22.399
Oh man, a long time.
00:09:22.559 --> 00:09:32.320
Um I was only able to share a couple years with him because Applington was its own individual school, which is where I went to school.
00:09:32.399 --> 00:09:39.360
Um Parkinsburg was a neighboring school to the to the uh to the east, um, four miles to the east.
00:09:39.519 --> 00:09:43.360
And uh we joined when I was going to be a junior.
00:09:43.519 --> 00:09:46.960
Um so I only got to spend two seasons with Coach Thomas.
00:09:47.120 --> 00:09:59.120
And you you talk about instilling um you know discipline, uh, all the character you know high character qualities that uh you want a young man to have.
00:09:59.279 --> 00:10:02.240
He he hammered that home.
00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:07.200
And if we can just do it better than they can, then we'll be better.
00:10:07.360 --> 00:10:17.039
We don't have to be tricky, we're just gonna do what we're doing, we're gonna do it to the best of our abilities, we're gonna have every detail down um so you can just go play.
00:10:17.279 --> 00:10:22.399
And he just hammered home on the on the basics, the fundamentals, character.
00:10:22.639 --> 00:10:27.759
I mean, he had almost every male athlete out for football.
00:10:27.919 --> 00:10:31.600
I mean, we're we were a one, two, eight, and we had hunter kids out.
00:10:31.679 --> 00:10:34.960
Like, we had to take three buses, and people were like, what in the heck?
00:10:35.279 --> 00:10:44.720
It's supposed to be a small school, but he had everybody believing um in what he was teaching and then and what he was coaching, and and he lived it.
00:10:44.879 --> 00:11:05.120
And uh, you know, NFL coach of the year, high school coach of the year, I I couldn't say more about him as a person and a and a coach and a as a man than I mean I learned so much from him, and I I try to just emulate what he taught us to the young man that I came into contact with or we came into contact with.
00:11:05.840 --> 00:11:12.399
I think and I think you did, I was gonna ask you how do you think he got so many kids?
00:11:12.559 --> 00:11:34.639
Even because not, you know, and it was a different time, but even back then, I mean, if kids not playing, you know, you know, there was a there would be a lot of turnover, even still, you know, and but it sounds like kids stuck around, and I think you already mentioned it, but from a buy-in perspective, how do you think he got kids to buy in so completely?
00:11:34.799 --> 00:11:36.159
Was it because he lived it?
00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:40.720
He lived the standards that he was preaching, or I think a couple of things.
00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.799
You you you you just talked about that.
00:11:42.879 --> 00:11:44.000
He he did live it.
00:11:44.159 --> 00:11:46.000
He didn't just talk about it, he lived it.
00:11:46.159 --> 00:11:48.960
His life uh amplified that.
00:11:49.120 --> 00:11:58.320
Um, but he had the great ability to make everyone feel like they were the key part of the team.
00:11:58.960 --> 00:12:10.480
And he got a lot of guys out because if you were just on kickoff, he made that the most important down that that the team was gonna play.
00:12:10.960 --> 00:12:15.039
And then everybody took ownership in the team.
00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:29.679
And uh I remember he he gave us a chain link um at the start of a season, and he said to everybody that's on this field, we will only be good as our weakest link.
00:12:30.000 --> 00:12:32.159
I still have that uh chain link.
00:12:32.399 --> 00:12:40.480
Do you um yeah, he said in 20 years or 10 years, if you still have this uh chain link, you can turn it in for five bucks.
00:12:40.720 --> 00:12:44.159
Well, I wasn't gonna turn it in anyways, but I still have it.
00:12:44.240 --> 00:12:55.440
And unfortunately, I'm not able to turn it in, but I I did think about um giving Jan a call, his wife, and and just sharing that that story with me because my wife's like, Why you got this bill fold?
00:12:55.600 --> 00:12:59.840
I said, because it's got my chain link in it, and uh it it's worn in there, you know.
00:13:00.080 --> 00:13:02.080
His his wife would love that.
00:13:02.159 --> 00:13:03.200
I was fortunate.
00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:10.080
My first head coaching job was at a pretty storied school out here in in the Tempe area, Phoenix area.
00:13:10.240 --> 00:13:12.399
And I know the man, his name was Carl Kiefer.
00:13:12.559 --> 00:13:15.120
I'd known him since my dad was coaching a U of A.
00:13:16.000 --> 00:13:21.279
Um, and then when I got the head job at McClintock, I first thing I did was call him.
00:13:21.519 --> 00:13:41.840
And um, you know, he was 80-something years old and he was in a in a in a facility, and I would go see him every week after film and um really built a good relationship with him, had him back all the time, um, because he had kind of been he had left McClintock to open up another school in the same district um back in the 90s.
00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:54.639
So McClintock kind of was but I really brought him and his wife, and and he passed away, and I still keep in contact with his wife, and uh I'm sure your coach's wife would love to hear that story.
00:13:54.879 --> 00:13:56.720
Those are things that they live for, you know.
00:13:56.799 --> 00:13:59.519
Um what do you think?
00:13:59.600 --> 00:14:00.960
You've been around a lot of coaches.
00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:08.000
We were talking before I started recording, but you said at at the Lions you had seven different head coaches, is that right?
00:14:08.399 --> 00:14:09.039
Yes.
00:14:09.440 --> 00:14:17.840
Okay, so two different high school coaches, one college coach, um, and then seven NFL coaches.
00:14:18.080 --> 00:14:31.279
What the the great coaches that you've been around, um, what do you think are some things that they all possessed that made them so effective as a coach and as a leader?
00:14:32.879 --> 00:14:34.879
I believe that's communication.
00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:48.080
Um you know, whatever your beliefs and whatever you want to mold your team in to be, you have to be able to communicate that and um and practice towards that and live by it.
00:14:48.559 --> 00:15:00.320
Um and I and I think the great ones that I were around were able to do that with players of all levels, where it whether it be high school, college, or professional.
00:15:00.639 --> 00:15:07.759
Um you know the NFL is a different different uh beast just because it's a a win now.
00:15:08.159 --> 00:15:10.480
Um there's so much money involved.
00:15:10.799 --> 00:15:12.320
It's a little bit different.
00:15:12.480 --> 00:15:17.600
Of course, say there's so much money involved there is in college now too, but not not when you and I play.
00:15:17.759 --> 00:15:18.000
Right.
00:15:18.559 --> 00:15:20.240
We're just happy to get fed.
00:15:20.480 --> 00:15:24.960
Um and do our laundry once a month.
00:15:25.279 --> 00:15:26.480
Studs and suds.
00:15:27.039 --> 00:15:28.399
Yeah, exactly.
00:15:28.639 --> 00:15:28.960
Yeah.
00:15:29.120 --> 00:15:41.600
Um, yeah, but I think if you can communicate what what the goal is, um, what you want to be about, and then go ahead and practice that way, and uh it'll carry over to the the playing field.
00:15:42.000 --> 00:15:53.440
I think adversity is something that a lot of a lot of younger kids nowadays, high school kids specifically, and college kids, I I don't I don't think it's being taught.
00:15:53.519 --> 00:16:02.320
I don't think you know people are really emphasizing how important it is, in my opinion, on how to deal with adversity.
00:16:02.480 --> 00:16:05.600
And um, I mean it's present, you know better than anybody.
00:16:05.679 --> 00:16:07.360
I mean it's present every day.
00:16:07.679 --> 00:16:12.879
Um you know, adversity being a form of you know problems, issues.
00:16:13.200 --> 00:16:15.519
Something comes up, how do you get over it?
00:16:15.759 --> 00:16:25.200
Um you've had a lot of adversity in your life, and I was when I was talking to Dwayne Blakely, the kid I coached the other day, we were talking about that.
00:16:25.360 --> 00:16:40.159
About um most people think that high-caliber athletes don't face a lot of adversity, and the reality is high-caliber athletes face more adversity than the majority of individuals in this world.
00:16:40.399 --> 00:17:00.559
Um, you know, from a personal standpoint, from a from a from a player standpoint, and from a professional standpoint, you know, being being a professional now, I'm not talking about professional football player, but how has athletics really allowed you to handle adversity in your life?
00:17:01.519 --> 00:17:02.480
Yeah, absolutely.
00:17:02.639 --> 00:17:06.160
That's a that's the good and ongoing question, to be honest with you.
00:17:06.400 --> 00:17:11.119
Um we talked about it all the time when when we were coaching.
00:17:11.359 --> 00:17:21.359
Um you know, adversity can come in the form of a penalty, a turnover, and and we embraced that like we the the guys had a little saying, good.
00:17:21.920 --> 00:17:27.039
They made sweatshirts that said, good, like nothing's gonna faze us.
00:17:27.279 --> 00:17:29.680
Penalty, good, turnover, good.
00:17:29.839 --> 00:17:30.960
Okay, that's clean.
00:17:31.039 --> 00:17:33.039
We're gonna we're gonna move on.
00:17:33.279 --> 00:17:46.400
Um, you know, so having learned that um through Coach Thomas and you know, through my parents, um, how to deal with adversity, and I think we're we all continue to grow in that in that realm, you know.
00:17:46.640 --> 00:17:55.119
I was 46 or 7 when my son passed, and you want to talk about adversity, um, and I didn't have all the answers, but I'm still seeking them.
00:17:55.279 --> 00:17:58.559
Um, I'm learning learning how to deal with them.
00:17:58.640 --> 00:18:21.119
Um so I I think we continue to grow, but um having that characteristic, that quality on how to deal with adversity, uh whether it be injury or you know, specifically talking about on the field, it could be injury, it could be lack, you know, lack of playing time, according to you know, yourself, uh whatever it is, we we we all have to learn how to deal with that.
00:18:21.200 --> 00:18:28.880
And once we do, we we could become better players, better people, um, and more resilient to obstacles.
00:18:29.599 --> 00:18:30.880
Yeah, 100%.
00:18:31.359 --> 00:18:41.039
Um, I know when you were playing, and and I'm sure that it's continued, but I mean, from a service standpoint, just just serving others.
00:18:41.119 --> 00:18:48.079
I mean, you and your wife, um, you know, when you were playing, I mean, you you gave back to the community.
00:18:48.240 --> 00:18:50.880
You gave back to a lot of different communities.
00:18:51.119 --> 00:19:03.680
Um, you know, whether, and I'm just reading it right here, whether it was, you know, hurricane hurricane Katrina victims or you know, children's hospital or animal shelters or whatever it may be.
00:19:04.000 --> 00:19:16.799
Um I don't I think a lot of guys now do something like that from a financial standpoint to offset their their you know, professional football players to offset their income.
00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:19.519
Um I know that's not why you did it.
00:19:19.599 --> 00:19:22.319
I I I I and back then it was different.
00:19:22.480 --> 00:19:24.240
Why was that so important to you?
00:19:24.319 --> 00:19:28.880
And are you continuing to to give back to communities in that way?
00:19:30.400 --> 00:19:48.640
Yeah, first of all, yes, we we we we continue uh to give back to communities, um more specifically, local communities um uh that we have grocery stores in um in causes that are are dear and near and dear to our hearts.
00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:58.559
Um obviously with Easton Passing, he spent uh you know the last 32 days of his life in children's hospital where we connected with many doctors, nurses.
00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:08.559
Um, you know, he has accepted in the College School of Business, the Tippy Scott College School of Business, which is very important for him, so it became very important for us.
00:20:08.880 --> 00:20:13.759
Um so those things that that strike your heart, um, we continue to give back.
00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:16.799
Um, all the local communities that we're in.
00:20:16.960 --> 00:20:39.119
Um we we just try to bolster um uh provide um help with with the activities that they want to do because we understand the importance of community and and giving back and what that can allow a student athlete or or anyone to um you know grow into.
00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:40.079
Yeah.
00:20:40.240 --> 00:20:50.319
When you were a head coach at Clear Lake, did what what kind of things did you guys do as far as you know, if you want to call it community service or just give them back, what what were some things that you implemented?
00:20:50.799 --> 00:20:52.880
Yeah, so we we did a lot of things.
00:20:53.039 --> 00:20:55.599
Um I thought we did a lot of great things.
00:20:55.759 --> 00:20:58.960
We we um helped out at the New Lions.
00:20:59.039 --> 00:21:02.720
Um they have a big um you know barbecue.
00:21:02.880 --> 00:21:11.519
Um so we have we the guys would put in tents and they'd be um you know pounding the stakes in and you know really it w it was a lot of fun.
00:21:11.599 --> 00:21:20.720
And most people see it as work and oh two hours of the but the guys had a ball, you know, they they'd have contests of who could get the spike in the quickest with the least amount of hits.
00:21:20.799 --> 00:21:21.440
So we did that.
00:21:21.519 --> 00:21:25.839
We did we did various other uh things in the community.
00:21:26.079 --> 00:21:31.759
Um, you know, they they helped uh keep upkeep the the facilities.
00:21:31.920 --> 00:21:42.640
Um a lot of times when we had uh um homecoming, you know, that they loved the teepee, so I would have the football team go around and clean everything up.
00:21:43.200 --> 00:21:50.000
Um just a variety of different um you know things that we did.
00:21:50.240 --> 00:21:50.559
Yeah.
00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:59.680
Is that is that something that you think was instilled in you, just the serving and giving back um primarily as you know.
00:22:00.480 --> 00:22:07.680
From your parents, and then it continued on through, you know, high school coaches and Coach Fry and stuff like that?
00:22:08.319 --> 00:22:09.359
Yeah, absolutely.
00:22:09.519 --> 00:22:38.079
I think everything that that I was very fortunate because everything my folks taught me as a as a young uh student athlete, as a young person, Coach Thomas uh embodied, Coach Fry embodied, and you know, in some sense, the seven head coaches in some way, shape, or form, maybe not specifically or identically, uh, embodied some of those same characteristics.
00:22:38.240 --> 00:22:45.279
So, yes, everything I got was for my folks, but then it got reinforced by my high school coach and then my college coach, and then yada yada yada.
00:22:45.599 --> 00:22:55.200
Meanwhile, everybody that uh you know that I got came in contact had similar um views and upbringing, so that that helped.
00:22:55.519 --> 00:22:56.160
Yeah.
00:22:56.400 --> 00:23:21.039
Um, as a father, how important was that, you know, raising your boys, you and your wife raising your your boys, how important was that in their upbringing to make sure that they understood, you know, that that serving the community, serving something bigger than yourself, um, and giving back uh was instrumental just in their growth as as men, as young men?
00:23:21.680 --> 00:23:24.880
Yeah, we we Jamie and I didn't really talk about it too much.
00:23:24.960 --> 00:23:25.839
We just lived it.
00:23:25.920 --> 00:23:31.839
And I and I hope that and I and I know they did, they they they just fell in line.
00:23:32.000 --> 00:23:38.079
Um it it wasn't something that you know what it was expected, but they they love to do it.
00:23:38.319 --> 00:23:40.000
I mean, there's a difference.
00:23:40.160 --> 00:23:42.640
Like it can be a real pain in the ass.
00:23:42.880 --> 00:23:52.799
Um, but um when when people like doing it, it it becomes easy, it becomes fun, and and you get more people involved, it it it it just grows and grows and grows.
00:23:53.039 --> 00:23:53.519
Yeah.
00:23:53.839 --> 00:23:57.599
It's very fun to those types of characteristics are contagious.
00:23:57.839 --> 00:23:58.880
Yeah, they are.
00:23:59.039 --> 00:24:02.559
They are, as are when you don't do things the right way.
00:24:02.799 --> 00:24:07.519
Um you know, which I know every parent has has learned that lesson.
00:24:07.680 --> 00:24:20.640
But from a coach's perspective, Jared, um, you know, you got a lot of younger coaches, and and you know, it's funny because we talk about this tour crucible event that we've done with Bishop Healing and, like I said, Iowa guys.
00:24:20.799 --> 00:24:46.559
And I was talking to my father-in-law the other night, and he asked, he said, so you know, you got to get some schools in Arizona, and and quite honestly, the Midwest is made differently because I and not that they aren't out, you know, in Arizona or the West Coast, but I think the coach's perspective in the Midwest is still um about the kids first.
00:24:46.960 --> 00:25:00.640
And and it's not about NIL, you know, it's not about transferring, it's not about this, that, and the other, but to but other than to just raise good young men and young ladies, um, if you're a coach.
00:25:00.880 --> 00:25:09.519
And so it it it I told him, I said it's not coincidence that the majority of the schools that we've done have been on the in the Midwest.
00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:11.200
It's just a different mindset.
00:25:11.279 --> 00:25:20.400
But from a coach's standpoint there in the Midwest, you got a lot of younger coaches that are just starting their careers or even guys that have been in it for 15 years.
00:25:20.640 --> 00:25:36.319
Um, what would you tell those coaches in regards to you know placing importance on on developing leaders, developing character, and creating a culture that kind of sustains itself at the high school level?
00:25:36.720 --> 00:25:58.240
Well, I just emphasize to any coach, uh, whether you've been in it 10, 20, 30 years, you know, you put the the focus on the athlete, um, and the focus on the fundamentals and and the morals and the character you want to teach, and the football or the sport of it will take care of itself.
00:25:58.480 --> 00:26:04.240
If if you concentrate on those things, the the football thing will fall right in line.
00:26:04.400 --> 00:26:16.000
You know, you let's concentrate on all the little things, and then the big things just they they just fall in place, and that's on that's a Friday night, or uh, you know, if it if it's a basketball game, a Tuesday, a Friday night, whatever.
00:26:16.160 --> 00:26:22.240
Um, but if if all you do is focus on that, then the game takes care of itself.
00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:22.720
Yeah.
00:26:22.960 --> 00:26:32.799
Because you're working hard, you're you're you're you you love your teammates and your discipline, and those are all characteristics of life.
00:26:32.880 --> 00:26:39.839
And if then you take that to the to the arena or sports arena, it it's gonna be easier.
00:26:40.079 --> 00:26:40.720
Yeah.
00:26:41.359 --> 00:26:42.160
What do you think?
00:26:42.240 --> 00:26:58.559
I know I know this is a big deal, and it has been for a while, and and again, that's I think it's a little bit different in the Midwest, but what would you tell athletes um the biggest importance of being a multi sport athlete in high school is why do you think that's so important?
00:27:00.400 --> 00:27:02.400
Well, I don't know the science behind it.
00:27:02.480 --> 00:27:20.799
Um, I've never really studied it, but just through personal experience, and I know things have changed a little bit, but if you specialize, you're doing the same motion over and over again, whether it's uh shooting a basketball or throwing a football or throwing a baseball or whatever.
00:27:21.039 --> 00:27:25.119
If if you do that year round, you're using those same muscles.
00:27:25.200 --> 00:27:27.839
And I I feel like we need to break it up.
00:27:27.920 --> 00:27:30.640
Just like you would break up a weight training.
00:27:30.720 --> 00:27:39.039
You maybe you do a six or eight-week cycle, and and then maybe you you tweak your your workout just a little bit so you can get some different movements, add some different movements.
00:27:39.440 --> 00:27:42.480
You don't do the same thing over and over again for four years.
00:27:42.640 --> 00:27:45.839
I mean, yeah, there's some ebbs and flows of it.
00:27:46.000 --> 00:27:48.400
Um I just think it's vital.
00:27:48.640 --> 00:27:59.440
Um I competition is on the top of of of the list, and if you're not competing, you you you can't get that.
00:27:59.599 --> 00:28:02.319
So in high school, there's only one season.
00:28:02.559 --> 00:28:04.640
Football was only one season.
00:28:05.039 --> 00:28:12.079
And okay, so it's gonna end in October or November, and then you're gonna go nine months without competing.
00:28:12.319 --> 00:28:28.960
Yeah, you're you might be training for you know to have a better get-off or to be able to throw the ball ten yards further or kick the ball, but you're not competing with other athletes in a different realm, and right in itself teaches you so much.
00:28:29.200 --> 00:28:32.559
And you you just keep talking about learning how to deal with adversity.
00:28:32.720 --> 00:28:35.920
Well, learn how to deal with adversity outside of your comfort zone.
00:28:36.160 --> 00:28:40.400
Maybe it's on the basketball court or on the volleyball court or wherever.
00:28:40.559 --> 00:28:48.240
It's something that you may not be as comfortable as you were on the football field, but it's still adversity, it's still competition.
00:28:48.400 --> 00:28:54.079
Um, I I think those are all great things to go through, to live through, to learn through.
00:28:54.559 --> 00:28:56.319
All right, last question I got for you.
00:28:57.519 --> 00:28:59.519
I didn't want to get my coaching hat back.
00:29:01.680 --> 00:29:02.240
I know.
00:29:02.400 --> 00:29:05.039
If people ask me, they're like, You gonna get back in?
00:29:05.119 --> 00:29:15.200
My mom just asked me like two weeks ago because I was living in Colorado the last two years after I got out of coaching and moved up to Colorado, my girlfriend, and we just moved back.
00:29:15.279 --> 00:29:18.079
I kept my house down here in Phoenix and just moved back.
00:29:18.160 --> 00:29:20.880
And um, gosh, it's hot as a dog out here.
00:29:21.119 --> 00:29:22.079
I mean, it's hot.
00:29:22.319 --> 00:29:25.119
But uh my mom, you know, she's 83 years old.
00:29:25.200 --> 00:29:28.000
She texted me and she's like, You miss coaching?
00:29:28.160 --> 00:29:30.799
And I'm like, uh can't say that I do.
00:29:30.960 --> 00:29:33.279
I mean, so much has changed, at least out here.
00:29:33.440 --> 00:29:38.480
I miss the kids, yeah, and I miss the locker room in regards to the coaches.
00:29:38.640 --> 00:29:43.279
You know, that that camaraderie that we always had in our own locker rooms as players.
00:29:43.519 --> 00:29:56.640
But um, yeah, I just, you know, now with what I'm doing, it's more coaching coaches and helping coaches with with all this stuff and helping principals and athletic directors with some curriculum stuff.
00:29:56.799 --> 00:30:08.720
So it's kind of nice to be on the other side and take more so take everything that I didn't do that I that looking back, I wish I would have done or implemented or had the resources to do something.
00:30:08.880 --> 00:30:09.200
Yeah.
00:30:09.359 --> 00:30:47.759
Um but the the last question I wanted to ask you, um, and since this series, this kind of series that we're integrating is all about you know, life beyond athletics, how what are what are a couple, two or three things that, and you've kind of already mentioned them, but just to reiterate, two or three things that you think that being an athlete growing up, you know, the first part of your life, um, how important was that to being a husband, being a father, you know, you and Wigs are or, you know, would you say you own you guys own a farm?
00:30:48.079 --> 00:30:50.880
Yeah, yeah, uh farming operation, yeah.
00:30:51.119 --> 00:30:51.359
Yeah.
00:30:51.519 --> 00:30:57.359
And then, you know, having your your supermarkets and and leading that way.
00:30:57.759 --> 00:31:02.559
How do you think athletics prepared you for where you are now in your life?
00:31:03.920 --> 00:31:06.319
Um, yeah, that's a great question.
00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:10.799
Um, I I I boil it down to leadership.
00:31:11.359 --> 00:31:20.400
Um and we were taught leadership, and leadership could be um you work the hardest, you're the most disciplined, yeah.
00:31:20.480 --> 00:31:33.680
All that stuff that we talked about, um having to deal with adversity, but really sports brings the best out of you and and leadership is huge.
00:31:34.720 --> 00:31:40.480
And in the business world, I always I always go back to the sports world.
00:31:40.559 --> 00:31:44.319
It's like, okay, I'm the I'm the head coach.
00:31:44.480 --> 00:32:07.839
I've got to get my assistant coaches in line, my assistant coach has got to help get, and I'm talking about employees now instead of athletes, but it's it's all the same thing because we're all working for a common goal, and hard work is at the top of our values, dedication, discipline, they're all okay.
00:32:08.000 --> 00:32:17.359
How do how do I as a leader, as a uh I used to be head football coach at high school, how do I do it now as as the owner of of retail?
00:32:17.599 --> 00:32:27.279
And how do I bring all those experiences from high school, college, and professionally into the world that I live in today, which isn't any different.
00:32:27.440 --> 00:32:30.319
I'm just in charge of a different realm of athletes.
00:32:30.400 --> 00:32:34.559
It's it's the it's the professional associate retailers.
00:32:34.720 --> 00:32:38.720
Um we all still want the same things.
00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:39.039
Right.
00:32:39.279 --> 00:32:44.640
So I try to dummy it down a little bit, like, okay, here's what we're after.
00:32:44.720 --> 00:32:52.480
How are we going to do this collectively together to be the best we can be, to give our customers the the best experience?
00:32:52.640 --> 00:32:54.960
And that's what you're looking for as a coach.
00:32:55.119 --> 00:33:02.720
Like, I want to grow this young man or lady, and I want them to have and have the best experience they can possibly.
00:33:02.880 --> 00:33:04.720
And that could be in many different roles.
00:33:04.799 --> 00:33:15.200
It could be as a manager, as a video manager, as uh, you know, a guy that's on special teams or uh, you know, a prominent starter, maybe both ways.
00:33:15.519 --> 00:33:22.400
They still have to joy the enjoy the experience, and that they have to be great influences amongst their peers.
00:33:22.559 --> 00:33:29.200
Um, and you can take that from the athletic world to the retail world to to pretty much every walk of life.
00:33:29.519 --> 00:33:49.680
Yeah, I I think that one of the biggest, I mean, there's two big ones for me, and that would be dealing with adversity, handling adversity, just the the mindset, you know, and and and then the second thing, and you mentioned it earlier and spent some time on it, was communication and specifically effective communication.
00:33:50.000 --> 00:34:00.240
Because I mean, everything you're doing in the leadership roles, like you said, I mean, they haven't changed since high school, college, you know, professional days.
00:34:00.480 --> 00:34:05.839
And a lot of people think if they just communicate and they talk, it it's enough.
00:34:06.000 --> 00:34:09.039
But it's again, it's effective communication.
00:34:09.280 --> 00:34:12.320
Um, how do you communicate your wants, needs?
00:34:12.480 --> 00:34:18.159
You know, how do you communicate um you know, successes and failures, all that kind of stuff.
00:34:18.320 --> 00:34:23.039
And and so I'm glad you you pointed that out and brought that up.
00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:28.079
But uh, hey, I I really appreciate your time more than you know.
00:34:28.639 --> 00:34:29.199
Good seeing you.
00:34:29.280 --> 00:34:37.280
And uh uh I'm I'm sorry it's been so long, but uh there's a common thread, and that's the Hawkeye uh the bloodline.
00:34:37.599 --> 00:34:44.960
And uh yeah, appreciate you having me on anytime that uh I can help you out, let me let me know.
00:34:45.199 --> 00:34:46.000
I appreciate it.
00:34:46.079 --> 00:34:48.639
All right, Jared, hold on real quick, but thanks again, man.
00:34:48.880 --> 00:34:50.320
You bet, thank you.