What Do Kids Need Most? The Easiest Answer is Love w/Rodney Saulsberry

Rodney: 0:00

Every kid wants to do something, they want to be something. We just need to help figure out what that something is and help gravitate them towards it. cuz again, exposure is anything you, if you don't see it, you, you may not know it. So we need to find more avenues to reach kids so they can start expanding their horizons and see more so that they will want more outta life.

Luke: 0:32

Really pumped. Introduced today's guest, Rodney Saulsberry, who is in his 25th season at White Haven High School, and 19th as a head football coach. He has an overall record of 180 and 48 with two Tennessee six, a state title. over 200 of Coach Salisbury's. Former players have gone on to play college football and 15 of them have become coaches. He has served on the Board of Tennessee Football Coaches Association and on the Rules Committee for the T S S A A. Coach. Salisbury has been a speaker at various football clinics around the country, including the A F C A convent. In 2020, he co-founded the Minority Coaches Association of Tennessee, which helps high school, college, and professional coaches in Tennessee foster job opportunities and hosts clinics for continuing education. Salisbury, who also serves as the math teacher, has earned many awards over his time as head coach, such as two time Tennessee Titans, coach of the Year three, time regional Coach of the year, and what connected me to him, the 2022 A F C, A Power of Influence Award coach. That's a hell of a resume and one that maybe never would've came to fruition because my understanding after reading up on your history, you earned a degree in computer science from Michigan. You also have a mathematics degree from Austin, Austin. And he initially "I had no interest in teaching, but "I guess it was your high school principal, who kept kind of planting the seed to get you to come back to your high school White Haven to become a teacher. So what was it that eventually convinced you to go ahead and enter this profession of education?

Rodney: 2:10

Well, it was just definitely a roundabout. "I had no idea, that "I was gonna be teaching. coming out. "I had went to college, uh, into the insurance field in the finance, with my mathematics degree was actually going to actuarial science. I thought. "I had all planned out. My father had his own insurance agency and "I got outta school and we were working in insurance. "I was doing that thing, and that's what "I thought "I was going to. That's why "I thought my world was headed. Um, my principal, every time he saw my parents in the neighborhood, he would always say, Hey, when is Rodney coming back? When is he gonna come work at the school? And I'm like, why is he always saying this to my parents? "I guess he saw something that "I didn't. Then eventually, um, "I taught in the Upward Bound program at Lamont College. Uh, it was a summer. And had no idea, just like, Hey, "I, I'll do it. Um, my mother-in-law at the time asked me, would you like to do it? "I said, oh, it's fine. Summer just makes a little money. It'll be fine. And "I fell in love with teaching at that point. Just seeing the bells go off in the kids' head when they get information, when you share information with them and see them learning, see. Growing as you teach them something. And "I fell in love with teaching. And with that "I went and reached out to my old principal, Mr. Nova, and said, Mr. Nova "I, see why you saw that in me? And "I reached out to him about, you know, working at the school and he said, Hey, this is who you need to talk to, blah, blah, blah. And uh, the rest is history. And coincidentally, he was retiring. As "I was coming in to being hired. so it was like one of his last rights, one of his last things that he did before he retired was to make sure that "I got on teacher at w Haven High School, alma Mater.

Luke: 3:53

And "I know you graduated. You mentioned your alma mater in 1991 from the. Why was it so important to go back to that school in particular?

Rodney: 4:02

Oh, it's all about, um, one of the things, reaching back and giving back. That's something that we've. Always live by, uh, we have a model. Once a tiger, always a tiger. Um, "I had zero interest in teaching anywhere else. If "I was gonna teach high school, "I was gonna be at my school because "I wanted to help kids that are in the same plight that "I was or in the same situation and circumstance that "I was, and let them know that their dreams can come true. Uh, they can accomplish. From that school and we've had a history and long history of a lot of great students that have gone on and done some great things. And "I wanted to continue that and be a part of my community. Uh, "I, um, "I was a part of a Memphis Challenge program when "I was a student, and it was started by Pit Hyde, who was the founder and c e o of Autos, AutoZone, about getting our best and bright. From Memphis to go off to college and then to come back and uplift our Um, but know what better way to come back, uplift your city and uplift your own community. So that's why "I wanted to be at White Haven. And if "I was gonna teach a high school, "I was gonna be at that school.

Luke: 5:05

And your head coach had an impact on you. And "I know that one of his platforms was the idea of using football to further your education rather than letting football just use you. And you have continued that legacy with your, coaching platform as well. So, what steps are you taking to ensure your players understand that they are students first and not just athletes?

Rodney: 5:28

Well, one is just setting the standard, uh, Hey, your academics are first. If you got tutoring, if you got anything, the school comes before athletics. So if there's something going on in the classroom, it takes precedent over anything that's doesn't matter. You know? So if you don't have a schooling, it's just not gonna work out. Cause on the back end of it, even no matter how talented you are, if you don't have the education, you're not gonna be able to go to go to college and not gonna be able to get in into school. So why let football use you that way? You know, let's use this platform. There's an opportunity there. In football, it's so many schools that exist that can afford and offer scholarship money playing football, but the key to getting any of that money is having academics, So you definitely want to emphasize that and make sure that academics is at the forefront and know that you're a student athlete and the student is first for.

Luke: 6:22

Speaking of the fact that there are so many opportunities out there. At least in my area, it's definitely developing into a division, "I or bust mentality. And "I think kids are missing out on the fact that there are lots of opportunities to continue to play the game that you love, and most importantly, get a degree that's going to cure you into other opportunities in life. So what are you doing to expose your kids to all of the opportunities out there rather than just those big schools they're watching on espn, on the.

Rodney: 6:52

Well, one is it's all about exposure and information, cuz they don't. They don't. You only know what you see. So our job is to make sure that we give them exposure to all those different schools. That there are different levels and sometimes. Seeing as believing. Like they need to see what it looks like to be at Alabama. What, what does a Alabama player look like? Uh, what does a player that plays these look like? And then you'll get that harsh reality check that, okay, "I don't look like that. Um, so it's just giving 'em that exposure to know that there are different levels, like, hey, college football, some schools size, all that stuff does matter. But there is still an opportunity there. So letting them understand that there are so many opportunities that are there, exposing them to those different opportunities and letting them know that you don't, it's not a D one or bus mentality, it's about wherever "I can go to further my education, uh, to further my playing career. and to make myself upwardly mobile and utilize football for what it's worth to help finance my education and to open doors. Now, if you're gonna go to nfl, you develop and go to nfl. They'll find you. They'll find you, no matter school. And "I always kind of kid with my kids, "I kid with my players. And "I always say if, whether you at Slippery Rock or wherever. And the kids, they never thought Slippery Rock was a real school. And "I had to tell 'em, Hey, that's, that's a real school. I, "I, "I. "I joke with them that the NFL is gonna find you. They have people, that's their mission to find players. So you're not gonna get missed if you go to college and play football. So if you get good enough to go to the nfl, they'll find you. But it's all about taking advantage, opportunity, and just getting into college to give yourself that platform.

Luke: 8:30

Yeah, especially today, "I feel like "I. It is easier than ever to to be found because of platforms of the social media platforms and huddle and all these things that have made it accessible for kids to really sell themselves, and colleges have the resources to go out and find kids. But with that said, I've also found out that recruiting is becoming more complicated than ever, and my players look to me as the head coach and my parents come to me and they're looking for advice and it's a, it's a very fluid system. "I, don't think the NCAA even understands what they want when it comes to recruiting, to be honest with you. But with that said, what are you doing to educate your players and your parents on the process of recruiting? So they could go into it with eyes wide?

Rodney: 9:16

One. Again, "I say Information is key in everything. So sharing with them the process that's going on with the transfer portal, that's, that's completely turning recruiting on his end, and so many different avenues that are there. telling them that self-promotion is almost, man Twitter is, is a whole recruiting platform in itself. Uh, so keeping them informed of all the different nuances of recruiting that a lot of the larger schools are recruiting like a year ahead. So if you, if a Power five school hadn't talked to you by the time your, your senior year starts, that means you're not gonna be a Power five kid. You know? So giving them those doses of reality that, uh, the recruiting calendar has sped up so much. Uh, the days of the senior eval going to a big school are almost null void now. but there's still opportunity there. So you gotta keep dangling that carrot out there for 'em, letting them know that, hey, you gotta perform. You gotta put something on. and everything needs to be documented. You know, you gotta, you know, find time. You're in the backyard doing workouts. You can be videoing. It is so much information that's out there, but you have to be proactive. So if you're not willing to do the work to get that promotion, to get yourself out there, to get yourself seen, uh, you really are letting me know that you really don't want that. you know, so you have to be extremely proactive and you can't just lean on me. You gotta have some proactivity yourself. cause not most coaches are like us that may go out and seek and promote and do all these things to help attract schools. Some coaches are just gonna coach football and go home. they don't see their job as to help the kids get to college. They don't see that as that's, part of their job description. Their job is just to coach football. Uh, We have to be a little more proactive on our end, and it's definitely become more of a challenge because there's so many opportunities that are out there. But some way we have to find a way, to get some stick and stay in us where it is. Transfer portal is, uh, nobody wants to fight through adversity anymore, huh? Nobody wants to, take the time to earn a roster spot. Be a second team guy and work your way up to the first team. They want to be hot right now. "I say this is the microwave generation. They want to be the first team as soon as they show up on campus, and uh, that's not a reality.

Luke: 11:38

the, the microwave generation "I like that. And so true. And the transfer portal, man, we could do an episode just on, on that one alone. And "I actually do feel for the college coaches as they come through my school, like to go through your school and "I mean. They don't like it either, to be honest with you. They're, they're, they're not fans of it and the fact that they have. Recruit kids come out of high school and then once they get 'em, they have to spend 4, 5, 6 more years recruiting 'em to stay on campus. and you're right, they're, they're losing those opportu. "I. Mean "I. Think one of the greatest lessons of sports is not being a starter. "I really do "I think not being a starter and losing are two of the great things that sports will teach you. And we seem to be creating uh, a, a culture, "I should say, where parents are trying to get their kids on the best team so they don't lose. right? That's that whole travel sports world. And then as you mentioned, what, what kids are doing when, well, "I, I'm a starter. Well, I'm, I'm going to leave. Right? And that, and that's too bad because "I think there's a lot to be taken away that will help you be successful later on in life when you do have to struggle through not being a starter or you do have to struggle through a losing season. But those are the lessons we know that we teach and it's our job to just. Promoting that to our athletes so they better understand that as well. Cause like you said, information is key. And along those lines of information, one thing "I read about is that you hold an annual workshop where you cover NCAA guidelines and you also even go through standardized testing and some tricks to the trade of that. So "I think that's a great idea. So share with our listeners just like, just kind of a, a summary or snapshot of what that looks like, cuz maybe that's something they could institute in their own programs.

Rodney: 13:21

Yeah, just going back, um, "I had a great guidance counselor. she was actually an English teacher when "I was in school. She was a guidance counselor when "I came back to teach in Georgia Berry, and she was our n c coordinator for athletes. And we've been doing this even when "I was in school, even though "I was a student, we would have a workshop and go in and talk about what do you need to be qualified? It obviously was much simpler when we were in school. "I mean you just had to have this gpa, this test score. That's it. but now with the sliding scale and all those things and a certain number of core courses, it's letting them know early. These are the things you have to have, uh, "I have a tracking system, uh, with the NCA core calculator where you track your core courses and you just get on pace to where you're seeing what you're doing. cause "I almost to the point where "I try to get them to have, uh, 14 core courses done by their junior year if all possible. Uh, so you got some wiggle room there. cuz you gotta have at least 10 as a junior. So it's all about, again, going back to information that's king. If you say you wanna play college football, and they've already put the parameters out there in front of you, you know what they are. You know you need this, you know you need this a c T score, or you know you need this GPA on that sliding scale. "I kind of knock it down the middle and say, okay, a two five and a 17, that's middle of the road. So if you gotta base yourself on that, then you start to work on attaining that goal. And making sure that, you can't see your way out. They've made the rules. Now you can't see your way out. You can't just make CS and be qualified. Uh, so "I, tell them, "I said a C won't get you in trouble at home. Your parents might be okay with a C. I'm not gonna be mad if you make a C because a C is just that as average. But if you wake up, you made a whole bunch of Cs, you'll be a non qualifier. You have a 2.0. Uh, you didn't make any bad grades, you didn't do anything bad, but you just sitting there at a two point. uh, again, but if you don't know that, you'll just be floating through saying, Hey, "I ain't, ain't no Ds, Fs, "I, "I. I'm doing good. I'm doing okay. Then you wake up, you're non qualifying the end. So "I, we do the workshop to let them know what classes count, letting them know that's math, English, science, social studies, foreign language, that those are the class, those classes are your core courses. That's the meet. Those other courses are. Extra. They don't count towards the meat. So you gotta make sure that you're taking care of those core courses and that's what you gotta hang your hat on. Because kids all the time, they'll look at their GPA and they see that Kims of gpa, it'll be a three point whatever, But they may A's, and gym and A's and r and A's and and those classes, but they may in those core courses. So their GPA is a little conflated. Uh, when you look at the cumulative gpa and we have to break it down to 'em to know, you have to look just at these. So again, information is everything. So "I try to tell 'em that on the front end so they can get ahead of it. Cuz it's, it's easy to dig a hole, it's hard to climb out of the hole. Uh, so they have to know if you start early making bad grades, you're gonna be fighting your whole career to lift it up. But if you start off as a ninth grader with good grades, it sets the foundation and it's almost hard for it to drop. So that's why we do the workshop to kind of give an information on the front end. Letting them know that academically what you need, what is expected of you, and to let parents know that you have to hold your kids accountable for what they're doing in the classroom. It can't just be me. It can't just be the coaches. It has to be all of us collectively. And if they're not doing any schoolwork, the first thing ain't gonna happen is they gonna leave the. So our report card generally comes out right before our last game of the regular season. we used to do six weeks, but now we do quarters. so that quarter always worked out to where it's the last game, last game of the year. So a lot of times that last game of the year is a, a pretty big game. Uh, it just worked out that way to sometimes and we sick kids. If you have bad grades, you're not gonna play. Um, you're not gonna play. Having that right there, knowing that no matter what, "I don't care if we're playing. We, we played a game before where it was us playing another undefeated team game 10 for all the marbles. It was a region game. "I had seven starters not playing because they didn't do what they had to do in the classroom, and we still won the game. So let them know that. Hey, academics are first and "I. We're gonna hold ourself to their standard, and other people get an opportunity. It's their opportunity to step up when that opportunity presents itself.

Luke: 17:44

that's really good stuff, especially getting these kids when they're freshmen and helping them to understand what it's gonna look like three to four years down the road, because it is so hard to be sitting here with a senior and like you brought up, they go through the core classes, they start going, well, that a doesn't count, and that a doesn't count. And it's just, it's devastating to 'em when they're not a qualifi. "I mean there's nothing you could do as a coach. Like it's, it's too late, So getting freshmen to understand that yes, although you're just a freshman, your career starts right now. If you want to play at that next level and that piece of, uh, sitting players when they don't have the grades, I'm part of a school that does. Does the same thing and "I. "I firmly believe it. "I think it's great. Now, you said you won that game when you sat Seven Stars, but I'm just curious how the community responded when you're, I'm assuming you're sitting some pretty talented kids. You know, you're in a big game, you're playing another undefeated team. How did the community respond? Now, thankfully you won, so I'm sure like, okay, now we trust coach. But leading up to that game was their little pushback of, oh my God, how are we sitting these, these talented players?

Rodney: 18:46

Well, we've been doing it so long, that, uh, it's, it is not even, it's not even a question. "I mean, it's just what we do. Uh, it's what we do. So it's a part of the fabric. Of the program so they know that if you don't do what you're supposed to do, your kid's not going to play. Um, so we ain't making any announcements or anything. We didn't share, you know, put a poster out saying that these kids aren't playing. They just got to the game and those guys just found a uniform so it was the shock to being there.

Luke: 19:13

And then you saw the other coaches. You saw the coaches on other sideline high fiving like, yes, thank God that stick is not playing

Rodney: 19:19

Yeah, so "I mean, so that is, you know, so we didn't, you know, no one knows until the game starts that those guys are not playing. but that's the blessing. "I think that a lot of times, things work out the way they should, you know, so if a kid isn't there, a kid not playing, he probably didn't need to be playing. So there's an opportunity for someone else. And so "I say, if you do things the right way, winning is a byproduct. So if you just do things right and do it for the right reasons, winning comes from that. So that's why we don't, "I don't even stress and worry about that now. Like this year, uh, we didn't have the season that we wanted. This year we lost three close games that we really should have won. Uh, but we don't make excuses. So according to the last game that we knew that that may be our last game, we weren't gonna make the playoffs. And it's been 16 years since we hadn't been in the playoffs. "I mean it's been so long, uh, but since it was the last game when we may not made the playoffs, uh, instead of sitting guys, they just went through a torture chamber all week. Uh, of, normally you wouldn't be playing this last game, but as a senior, "I don't want your last game to be on the sideline because of your a. but you're gonna pay for this, you know you're gonna pay for this. so we adjusted that, for that reason. And, and that's why "I told the kids, "I say, Hey, this is part of no. So I'm going, I'm not really necessarily going against what "I believe, but you need to understand that you shouldn't be playing this game because you didn't take care of your business. and they need to understand that it means something to take care of your business because in the end, you're gonna be looking at me wondering why you don't have a scholarship, but you should be looking at your results of what you did in class. That's why you don't have one.

Luke: 21:01

Yeah, "I love the approach and "I. "I agree with you. If you do things the right way, the outcomes end up taking care of themselves in the long run, maybe not right away, but eventually it will. just love that. And "I Wish more people had that grit to just kind of get through those tough times and understand that doing things the right way. Sometimes is the long road, but is the the correct road. But really it's about just trying to teach and build the whole person. "I know that's really important to you. "I mean you're really committed to building the whole person. I've read up on you and the phrase "I. I've seen multiple times in writing from you, as you know, helping boys to men, right? Creating, helping that transition from a boyhood to manhood. And we covered what you're doing with your players academically, but what ideas do you have or what ideas do you currently implement in your program that help with character development specifically?

Rodney: 21:51

few years back, uh, again, we've always had program pillars and things we've always, um, kind of stood for as a program. but "I wanted to cap, make it, encapsulate it a little bit better. Uh, it was a, uh, better way to. Get that message across. Uh, "I actually found a book, said, developed a predator mindset. It was a great book on mental, uh, mental toughness, mental stability. Uh, it was a great book. And read that. And we actually read it during the pandemic. We actually had a reading, uh, as a class. We, we had a class as a team. Cause we weren't in school. We were doing zoom calls, we're reading excerpts of the book. "I actually had a. one of my parents, became a part of the staff as a culture coach. That was his job. You know, his job wasn't, wasn't coaching anything on the field, it was just being there for the boys. Uh, someone they could talk to. Uh, that's not a coach. It didn't have nothing to do with playing time. Anything else, somebody, they could talk to them and share with them. Uh, we're still implementing that now. Uh, "I got one of my former players who does that now. He's, uh, he's there for the boys. He's there to talk to him, there to be a counselor. and that means something. but one of the greatest things that we found is, creative affirmations. Positive affirmations is something that can really help you if you just focus every day. You start off with a positive affirmation. It gets your day on the right. And "I try to instill in them, those affirmations where they say 'em every day. We say 'em every day at practice, at the end of practice. And "I hope. We can incorporate it, they can incorporate into their daily lives. Uh, so they start off saying, I'm grateful for the opportunity to play football. And you again, if you, you start off with, I'm grateful for the opportunity because everyone doesn't have the opportunity or it can be taken away from you. Uh, so that gratefulness is the first one. Then they start, then they say, I'm aggressive and I'm relentless again. To be play football, you gotta have a different mentality. it, it. We say a little bit of crazy to play football, you know, so being aggressive and relentless, meaning that don't quit attitude, all those things comes a part of it. Uh, again, that says, "I have no fear of losing or making mistakes. Uh, letting them know that, man, sometimes you're going lose and sometimes you gonna make a mistake. But "I don't fear it. I'm not operating behind the spirit of fear. I'm operating that I'm going try my best, even if "I lose, "I win because "I. even if "I, you know, so matter what, I'm going to fight, fight. And if "I make a mistake, I'm gonna make a mistake going a hundred miles per hour cuz "I thought it was the right way. Uh, and then lastly, I'll never, ever give up. "I won't stop until "I achieve my goal. And that's a life skill. So those four affirmations, they just say 'em every day. And we get kids to every a different kid, "I stand up and say 'em, and we go around and it's, it's part of that's getting ingrained in your body. We do that as a school as well. Uh, we have a mission and vision that we say every day on inter. So if you just do that every day, you put those mission, vision, positive affirmations into kids minds every single day, you'll hope that it just gets ingrained into their soul, into their spirit, and then they start to aspire to be more.

Luke: 25:01

Lot of good stuff to take away from that answer. "I wanna first go to the culture coach "I really like that, that's a great idea. Having someone on staff that is beyond just the Xs and Os. Because as you know, as a head coach, we have so many hats, right? Like sometimes "I feel like I'm doing 5,000 jobs, just okay. Now I'd rather do maybe 50 things really well. And you know, a big part of what we do as a head coach is establishing that culture. So you bring someone in from the outside to be that point person. What does that look like on a daily basis? Like, did you expect that individual to come to practice every day? Did they come once a week? you know, how did the players know to get in contact with this person? Take me through what that looks.

Rodney: 25:43

Yeah, when we did it, obviously it was during the pandemic when we start, well we started it before the pandemic hit and then the pandemic hit Uh, so we ended up doing two days a week. It was Mondays and Fridays. We had Motivational Mondays and, uh, fired up Fridays. so we had two days a week once we finally got back "I, guess it was a year and a half that we were out. Coach, he would come as much as he could. Unfortunately, his son graduated during that pandemic time. So it kinda, took him away from it. Uh, so "I kinda jumped in and "I became the coach, coach along with other hats. So, like you said, like doing add another job to my, and another job, to my, uh, duties as a head coach. but last year, "I was able to get one of my former students, uh, one of my former players, he said he wanted to be involved in that. He said, coach, I'm not worried about Coach "I. Just wanna be here for the boys. he would come to practice. He would come to practice every day. He would be there, you know, and, and just being there to impart wisdom to the guys or pull a guy off to the side, Hey, this is not the way you want to handle that. You know? So being there and being observant, being a, just being an interested observer and picking on, and seeing and picking up the vibes of different kids. Kids emotionally are so different now. their emotions are, are all over the place. Uh, so having somebody that could see something before it happens, like, Hey, then pull this kid to the side and calm 'em down, or, give 'em a little perspective. And we try to do this as much as possible cause you have to meet kids where they are and try to get on a level with them to where they understand that I'm here for beyond. I'm not coaching you just because you can play on the field. "I am trying to help you so you can attain more than this and use the game for what is worth. Uh, again, the game can teach you some great things if you allow it to. And we try to make sure we just accentuate those positives that the game can teach you. The teamwork, fighting through adversity, all those different things. And kids nowadays, they're in a trophy generation. They think that everybody's supposed to get a trophy. Everybody's supposed to get a pound on the back. No. Everybody don't deserve a trophy. No, you didn't do anything. Why you get the trophy? No. You, you should have to fight for recognition. You have to fight for your spot, fight for the titles that you gain. So trying to get them to understand that, somebody's gonna be upfront, somebody's gonna be the best. Now if you want to be the best, there's some work that's involved in that and try to challenge you to that. The blessing and the curse of having a lot of talented players is that creates friction sometimes. cause everybody wants to quote unquote as their kids say, shine, everybody wants to shine. but sometimes it's not your opportunity to shine. You have to encourage your teammates and then be there for when they're shining, because when your time comes, you want them to help you shine. So getting that balance of letting them understand that we're all here. We're all in this together. And "I use the carrot of when one kid gets offers and gets attention, that's for everybody. Because if the school offers them and they getting attention, they gotta come see him. And when they come see him, they mean they gotta come see you. So we encourage people and we wanna congratulate when they get offers and when they get recognition, because that's drawing interest for every. Cause again, a kid can only accept one scholarship. You only, you know, you can have 20 officers. You can only go to one school. But "I want you to have 20 officers and "I want all 20 of those schools to have to come see you because when they come see you, they'll see someone else. And then that's what starts the whole momentum of recruiting and you getting multiple kids in school that way.

Luke: 29:23

Yeah, that, that's so true. "I say the same thing to my players and also when they're griping about the fact that it's not fair that some kid at another school is getting the offer and he isn't. I'm like, Hey, this is perfect for you cuz now you get to go against him. What better way to get. your resume on film, then go against this other D one offer and you really think you're D one. There you go. Prove it. There's, there's your film right there. So, uh, some great points there and "I wanna go back again to the affirmations. "I really like that. kind of get into the fruition of that. And did you have players involved in that process? Do your affirmations change year to year? Do you keep 'em the same? And then when you mention about the players, Reciting them, every day. "I mean, is it just you have them randomly snap and say the one that means the most to 'em? Take me through that process a little bit more. Just gimme a better understanding of it.

Rodney: 30:10

Well, in reading that book, the Predator Mindset, that's what we developed. Uh, we developed and incorporated from that book, uh, getting those positive affirmations. Again, obviously the gratefulness, the aggressive, relentless, all those things that are pertaining to the sport. but starting with break from. So the affirmations do not change. They're, they're in stone. There are pillars of our program. That's what we, uh, want to live by and want to stand by. those four affirmations, uh, and. When we do it "I just kids, we want kids to take ownership of it. So that's why we have the situation where they get up and they say 'em every day. So kids are, are fighting to be the one that says it at the end of practice. Uh, "I wanna say it, you know, and sometimes, you know, we child 'em and you know, push 'em. cause the same kids want to jump up and "I like, no. Sometimes we call my kids like, Hey, uh, like a freshman for the freshman the first couple weeks. We'll, you know, we'll like, Hey, you better learn this cause I'm gonna call on you in a couple. cuz if you hear it every day at some point, just gotta sink in. Uh, so we'll do that and then once you go through it, it's trying to make it a part of them. Uh, so that's kind of how it looks every day at practice. and you'll be surprised, like we had our banquet, uh, a couple weeks ago and at the banquet we ended the program and one of the players was like, coach, we need to end. We need to end the banquet. How we end practice. He said, we're not done yet. So we had to stop, you know, "I, "I stopped banquet, say Hey, and gave the microphone. And he, he went through and said their affirmations, you know, so the parents were like, what? You know, what's going on? But it let me know that it's in them. Like, Hey, this is how we end. So it's ingrained in our body. It's ingrained in what we are. and again, we say the affirmations every day. We say who we are as tigers every day, and then we say our play on words with. So again, acronym for Tigers. "I. Know "I sent that to you. Again, as tigers we're tough, intelligent, grateful, "I, eager to learn. Relentless and strong. We say that every day. And then on gpa, "I say, being grateful, positive, and accountable every day. when you do that, you hope that again, it resonates with them and it just becomes a part of the fabric of who they are.

Luke: 32:16

Yeah, there's no greater win as a coach than when you know your players are getting it. Like you said, your player at the bank went, Hey, coach, we need to do this. And you're like, man, now "I know that I'm actually successful as a coach. Those are really inspiring moments. And then you referenced your p a, gratefulness positively. Accountability, really like that. "I also like the play on words with continuing with that G P A mindset as well. "I. I'm curious as to why you chose Gratefulness "I. I told you before we hit record. That's something that "I personally have been working really hard on Within myself and my own journey of self-improvement. I've read and listened to a lot of things. John Gordon is really big on gratefulness, and since "I have been implementing that into my life, my mindset has changed for the better. So why did you choose gratefulness as one of your core values?

Rodney: 33:07

as we talked before, nowadays with social media, the sense of entitlement is so great. people just think that you owe them something, you know, that, that they're owed the things that are there, and they don't understand that no one has to do anything for you. Nothing is laid out for you. All those things. So when you get opportunities to succeed, Opportunities to take advantage of, you know, things that are there in front of you. All of you gotta be grateful for that cuz you don't. Those opportunities are special and if you're not grateful for them, you can lose those opportunities. Uh, so you great. Every day you wake up, you gotta be grateful that you woke up. because you didn't have to. Every day you get in a car with your parents and you get to school, you need to be grateful for the opportunity just to get there, cuz everybody didn't make it. So trying to instill in them those things of gratefulness, you need to be grateful that your parents care about you. Cuz it's some people that, and "I, "I, "I use this loosely, but just say that there are people that will die to be in your shoes. you thinking you got problems. But it's people that, it's people that got real problems, you know? So you need to have gratefulness cuz you don't understand it could be worse. your best day. Could be someone's worst day and vice versa. So that whole opportunity of gratefulness is something that they need to make sure that they're understanding that you have to find peace. in everything that you're doing and knowing that "I need to be grateful cause "I didn't have to get this opportunity. The fact that "I get to go out here on the field and play is other people that don't have that opportunity. It's people in wheelchairs. There's people that are disabled. It's so much that you need to be grateful for, to have those opportunities. So that's why we start off with gratefulness so they can understand that. Tell your parents, thank. You know, for the things that they're doing for you, go clean up your room just because, not because they told you, you know? So trying to get them to understand that showing your appreciation for people that do things for you is something that we don't do now. Like you said that people don't say thank you anymore. It's like, like you expected, like someone, you open the door for somebody, they don't say thank you. It's like, what's man? "I? "I didn't have to do that.

Luke: 35:22

Yeah, right. You wanna go grab that person, "I say, come back here.

Rodney: 35:25

Definit.

Luke: 35:26

Well, this is all great stuff. "I, "I, "I. Couldn't agree more with the the process that you are taking to help develop the whole person. But I'd be remiss not to bring up a sad reality of our business, and that is sometimes kids just aren't getting it. Help me to be a better coach. Like what do you do with the kid? And I'm, I'm a academics cuz that's some that takes care of itself. You can just bench the kid, right? So you don't have the grades, you're not playing. But what do you do with the kid? where there's definitely some character flaws and it's many times what "I have found. It's not the kid's fault, it's the environment in which he or she is being raised in, and it is don't have that moral compass that some other people do. So what do you do with, for lack of a better term, that troubled kid to help get him on the right track to becoming a man of character, of moral character?

Rodney: 36:19

Boy, that's a tough one. And it's, it's, that's the duty that we have as coaches. Uh, "I. It is, it is nice when we have those kids that we know we can hang our hat on them. We know that they're gonna do the right things. We don't have to worry about 'em. "I, wish we could clone them, and we could just have a whole team full of them. You know, that those are the great kids that you know, but the joy is trying to get that kid that has some waywardness that has issues and trying to reach. it's a tough deal. but you, it is just like a teacher. When you're a teacher in the classroom, there's some kids that don't get it, so you have to try another way. Uh, so our job is to keep trying different learning styles, different mechanisms to reach 'em, and the kid eventually or hopefully, will see that you care about 'em outside of the. So sometimes it's pulling them out learning, and, and it is, it's a fine line of learning how they learn or learning what emotional triggers they have. Uh, because a lot of it's environmental, they grew up in houses that, arguments and dysfunction was just day to day. Uh, so they grew up around dysfunction. they may have, issues with authority, uh, because it was abused. They may have been. and the relationships authoritatively. Uh, you know, so they have some pushback with you raising your voice at them and things of that nature. So you gotta learn how each kid operates. like in in, in teaching we have, people have IEPs, they have individualized education plan, I feel, we have "I, ccp, indivi, individualized Coaching Plan. Every kid got their own "I ccp, uh, just coined that one for today. Uh, so every kid has their. the individualized coaching plan where you have to reach them and see what makes them tick, because some kids, you can blast them and you can talk and get on 'em, and they're gonna respond, because they're used to that. They can get coached hard. Uh, some kids, if you coach 'em hard, they'll fold. they'll fold up and they won't, respond. So it's how do you reach. So sometimes it's pulling 'em to the side, finding those buttons. So, I, think as a coach, that's another job we have as a psychiatrist. "I think we need to get all kind of degrees as coaches. cause we're psychologists, psychiatrists, we're parents. Uh, we're mentors, we're guidance counselors. We, we got all those hats that we have to wear because you're trying to learn kids. and how to best reach them and how to maximize their potential. So a lot of times it is a challenge. but that's "I take, satisfaction in that cuz "I got a couple knuckleheads now that we're, um, that we're working with, but they're great kids. You know that they're good kids. You just trying to find a way to reach 'em and to stay and get them understand if you can bottle up and channel your focus. Greatness is in you. So trying to understand to see that they can find that greatness, and when they see those triggers come up, knowing how to recognize it and knowing how to control their emotions.

Luke: 39:20

Yeah, it's, it's being able to see something in them that they don't see in themselves. Just like you referenced your high school principal saw in you before you decided to enter the profession of education. So very powerful stuff. And you know, "I really appreciate you being so generous for your time. "I "I. Just have to ask you one last question to help all of us listening in your opinion. What do kids today need most from their teachers and coaches?

Rodney: 39:45

The easiest answer is love. They, they need to know that you care about 'em. cuz it's easy to just, they put so much on teachers now with the testing and, uh, it's, it's so much with the evaluations and what's your scores and all those things. There's so much pressure on teachers to perform, uh, that we forget that the. Value thing. We are teachers and we're growing young people, so we're trying to grow young people. So the biggest thing is teachers that the young people need that they need care and concern. They need to know that somebody cares about them beyond what they can score on a test, beyond, what they can do in a, any kind of club organization that somebody cares about them and wants them to be the best person that they can possibly. That's what as teachers, as coaches, we need to show love to these young people so they understand that somebody that cares about you is gonna do whatever they can to help you. And so that's the thing "I encourage all teachers is just show the kids some love. cuz kids act out and all those things because they're looking for attention. They just look, they just don't know how to get it. and being class clowns and all those things, all that comes. Not knowing how to get attention properly. So we, our job is to teach 'em and just pull 'em to the side and let 'em know that, hey, you ain't gotta go that route. there's other avenues you can go into and just finding what, what buttons to push. Cuz every kid wants to do something, they want to be something. We just need to help figure out what that something is and help gravitate them towards it. cuz again, exposure is anything you, if you don't see it, you, you may not know it. So we need to find more avenues to reach kids so they can start expanding their horizons and see more so that they will want more outta life.

Luke: 41:36

powerful stuff. Great way to end this, uh, episode. And it, it's just so true. Uh, one of my mentors told me that my job is to love them. When they deserve it the least, right? Love 'em the most when they deserve it, the least. And that's exactly what you're talking about right here. And it's, it's very difficult, but it is. At its core, what we called to do in this profession. So Happy holidays to you and your family. Thanks so much again for being so gracious with your time and sharing this great information out to all of our listeners, and congratulations on just an awesome, inspiring career. "I really enjoyed learning about you, "I. Really love this conversation and, glad that we've connected over Twitter and look forward to following your continued success. I'm not making it down to the A F C A convention this. Hopefully, uh, down in the future we'll meet up in person there. So thanks so much for having such an impact on so many young people and making the world a better place.

Rodney: 42:30

Thank again, thank you so much for having me. Thank you for reaching out and "I appreciate the platform and hopefully we can reach and teach more cuz we need more coaches like you. Uh, and hopefully "I can stay in that elk of doing the right things for the right reasons, helping grow our game and grow young people. To be producers, providers, and protectors cuz we need men, uh, in our society to step up. So, uh, that's the mission that we have as coaches cuz we touch more men than anybody else, uh, with our influence. So hopefully we can grow more men and we can help change this world.