Full Show - 5/17/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, May 17th, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Donovan Jordanson dot Com, the largest employee owned HVAC company
in the state of Wisconsin. So a couple of weeks ago,
I was in San Diego on the Educator's Workshop with
the US Marine Corps and met just a wonderful person.
And as we started talking, Valerie and I were talking
a little bit about this high school sports show that

(00:22):
I do, and she goes, you know, I've got some
friends that really involved with baseball.

Speaker 2 (00:28):
I go, really, what do they do?

Speaker 1 (00:29):
And she started to tell me. And then we talked
about the Colonel Electric Superhero of the Week and she goes, oh,
I've got somebody from Saint aug Augustine. I have a
Colonel Electric Superhero of the Week. So at ten o'clock,
we're going to introduce you to Andrel Gomez Angel Gomez Lopez,
Colonel Electric Superhero of the Week. At ten twenty Valerie

(00:49):
Diez who's in studio, and we'll get to her the
next segment. But at ten twenty we're going to spend
a couple of segments talking about the trip that we
had together in San Diego with the US Marine.

Speaker 2 (01:00):
I called it.

Speaker 1 (01:00):
Thos Marine boot Camp because it makes me sound bad
like I actually made it through boot camp.

Speaker 2 (01:05):
It wasn't exactly like that, but there was parts of
it that were.

Speaker 1 (01:09):
But for the first hour, we're going to talk Milwaukee
Baseball Club and we've got in studio right now. The
president Julian. How you doing, Julian pronouce your last name
for Mejliga, Jliga, Julian Jliga. How long you've been the
president of Milwaukee Baseball.

Speaker 3 (01:24):
Club since its exception in two thousand and nine?

Speaker 1 (01:27):
Yeah, can you still throw a curveball or what? Because
I'm gonna take you deep if I get in the battery. No,
I'm not a fast little Yeah, don't bring the heat.

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Boys.

Speaker 1 (01:36):
I played softball and hardball and all that for years. Well,
I got to tell you the story real quick. The
last it was a year ago for my church softball team,
and I said, look, I'll sub. I'm too old to
play every I'll sub and I'm on deck the last
game we're going to get beat again. And I thought,
you know what, I'm twelve for twelve the games I've subbed.

(01:58):
I'm twelve for twelve. And I knew a lot the
guys on the other team. And I hit righty, but
I go to right field and as the guy in.

Speaker 2 (02:05):
Slow pitch and it's I mean, the ball is huge.

Speaker 1 (02:08):
Right as he was pitching, the short stop started running
to the other side of second base, and.

Speaker 2 (02:14):
I thought, all I got to do is get a round.

Speaker 1 (02:16):
Ball is short and I swang and missed, and I'm
you know what, My wife is still making fun of me,
so I'm not I'm talking smack to Julian.

Speaker 2 (02:24):
I can't back any of it up. We're also joined
in studio.

Speaker 1 (02:28):
By John is a Keban Yep. Johnny is the vice
president of Milwaukee Baseball Club.

Speaker 2 (02:32):
John, how you.

Speaker 4 (02:33):
Bet I've been good? Yeah, I've been good. How well
you've been involved? So this is my fourth year coaching.
And I actually grew up playing in the program. So
you did, where'd you go to high school? I played
baseball at Thomas Moore High School.

Speaker 1 (02:43):
Man the Mighty Cavaliers. I coached against them on the
basketball court. A lot of Tony Man and all those
guys over there.

Speaker 2 (02:51):
That's a really good baseball program, Yep.

Speaker 4 (02:53):
It's grown a lot in the last few years, so
it's really cool to see that they're doing well over there.

Speaker 2 (02:57):
They had a short stop a couple of years ago
that I think with the Louisville yep. Alseiah, Yeah, he
was in studio. He's a sharp kid. Yeah. Is he
still there?

Speaker 4 (03:06):
He is, And he's doing pretty well too from what
I've seen and heard. So he's another kid that kind
of came around from the Felix Montia League that that
kind of grew up and you know, started doing really well.

Speaker 2 (03:14):
So, man, that's awesome. So you as a kid played
it in this yep.

Speaker 4 (03:18):
So I played for Felix monte A little league, which
was where I met Julian, Okay, and then I ended
up when I was around twelve thirteen, we ended up
starting the Milwaukee south Side Baseball Club or it was
called the Milwaukee Southsiders at the time, where it was
like our first traveling team where we would go out
and you know, start to compete, you know with baseball.
And so that's kind of how this all started. Man,

(03:39):
that's Julian. How are the numbers for Milwaukee Baseball Club?
You got enough kids to field enough teams? Are you
happy with the numbers? Who would you like to grow
a little bit more.

Speaker 3 (03:49):
We're looking to grow now that we have a space
for ourselves. The problem was in the past years we
didn't have a space for ourselves, so just to rent
twelve hours of facility time during the winter was thirty
six thousand dollars a winter.

Speaker 1 (04:04):
It's a lot of fundraising, absolutely, and now you've got
your own space so.

Speaker 3 (04:08):
We could grow a little bit. We're looking to grow
two teams, two girl teams, a fourteen and a seventeen
year old team, and we're expanding to thirteen year olds.
Right now, we have five travel teams and we have
eight select teams, which is a summer program, summer league
that we do for the high school teams.

Speaker 1 (04:24):
Julian, what keeps you up at night with this club?
With the Milwaukee Baseball Club? You know, it had to
be back in the day when keeping you up at
night was not being able to afford some practice time
and seeing other groups that are able to do it.
Now you have your own facility. Is it finding good coaches?
Is it getting enough kids to come play?

Speaker 5 (04:46):
Like?

Speaker 2 (04:46):
What keeps you up at night as the president of
this club.

Speaker 3 (04:49):
It's raising the funds to keep the building open. We started,
like he said, in Little League, Felix Mantilla, I started
with my own kid, up with my own kid in
little league at five years old. We won every single
year in little league five years old, six years old,
seven years old, eight years old. At nine years old,
there's this thing called District All Stars that you get

(05:10):
a chance to play at Cooperstown.

Speaker 2 (05:14):
World Series.

Speaker 3 (05:16):
So we won five years in our league. We're gonna compete.
We went and we played in regionals. We got murdered
both times, and then the next year we said we're
gonna work harder. We went back. We got murdered both times.
So there was something off from the inner city to
the suburb team. So I started doing a little research
and came across RBI and a guy named r J.
Ferguson Ferguson who runs Hitters Baseball Academy, and I brought

(05:40):
eight kids the first year to train under RJ and
the RBI program. We ended up winning five games. The
year after that, we took twenty three kids down to Caledonia.

Speaker 1 (05:50):
Man, that's really interesting. What do you think the difference, Well.

Speaker 3 (05:53):
It's the instruction. There's little techniques that you have to
do in baseball. Football. You know, you can pick up
a base football and two people could play football, basketball,
same thing, soccer, same thing baseball. It ain't like when
I was growing up, you could draw a little box strikeout,
strikeout game. You can't do that. Now you're right on
the wall. They might come get to trouble. So now

(06:15):
you need at least eight to ten people to play
a little game of baseball, and it's hard to do.

Speaker 1 (06:20):
We used to play a thing called we called Indian
and then that's just what we heard. It was two
on two kind of softball, and you only played on
one side of the field and I would pitch to
you if you were my teammate. The other team had
one guy at short and one guy in left field
or left center, and you know that's we did a
lot of that, and we played a ton of strikeout
as a kid. Guys, I can tell you that baseball

(06:41):
is if you fall in love with the sport, you
can play a long time. I have a brother who's
seventy one years old, lives in Florida. He's a catcher,
and he comes up in our area to visit family
once a year and it's always in July August, and
he calls the rock and he finds these sixty five
and over teams and when they when he says, look,

(07:01):
I can catch two games for you if you need somebody.
He brings his equipment. He plays up here every year,
travels all over the country and tournaments because some of
these older tournaments they can't find guys that can catch.
So the sport that you're getting kids in your community
to fall in love with is something.

Speaker 2 (07:18):
That they can they can.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
Do for a really, really long time. And I think
that that's so important. Hey, the the the raising finances
and when I ask you, ask you, Julian about not
you know what keeps you up at night? Do you
have some sponsors that are consistent with you, that that
love your mission statement and what you guys do.

Speaker 3 (07:40):
The Brewers Charity Foundation we are RBI, so they support
us every year. Katina Salviders has been great to us.
She's uh. They give us a little grant money and
they support us with equipment and they let us throw
out the first pitch. Once a month, we have an
RBI Player of the Month that gets to throw out
the first pitch, and then they have an RBI where

(08:00):
we get to bring our whole program in and we
get to go to the media room and one of
the players tells us their life story. It's been a
real blessing.

Speaker 1 (08:08):
Hey, I have to get back to RJ for a second,
because understand that that in the circles I run, RJ
has a reputation being a tough guy, being extremely demanding,
you're gonna do it my way or you're not gonna
be here kind of thing. And the fact that what
you said, look, he taught us, he helped us. He

(08:30):
was kind of like, I like to be able to
tell that side of him because not everybody gets to
see that.

Speaker 2 (08:36):
Side of him. But he's a good dude. He cares
a lot about this game of baseball.

Speaker 3 (08:40):
He does good.

Speaker 4 (08:42):
I can kind of comment on that because actually I
played for RJ for two years and he's.

Speaker 2 (08:46):
A tough guy. Yeah.

Speaker 4 (08:47):
Well, I'll put it like this. RJ really looked out
for our program since we were young. He gave us
a lot of opportunities and wanted to see kids from
the inner city, you know, flourish and thrive, and ultimately
gave me an opportunity to play on his on his
team when guys like Gavin Lux were around, Ben Roardvett,
Sorilla Watson and all those great names like that, I
had an opportunity to play with those guys and to

(09:09):
see I think the culture at Hitters is it was
built by RJ, but ultimately I felt like the players
held that line which made that program so successful.

Speaker 2 (09:19):
Is it easy? Was it easy?

Speaker 1 (09:20):
No?

Speaker 2 (09:21):
It wasn't.

Speaker 4 (09:21):
But I think when you know, you say, hey, I
played for Hitters, there's something that comes behind it because.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
There's some swagger behind that.

Speaker 1 (09:28):
Yeah, there there really is, and the fact that the
names you just named there are pretty big baseball players
from this area.

Speaker 2 (09:37):
You were, what position did you play?

Speaker 4 (09:39):
I actually pitched at the time. I was a two
way guy. But RJ believed that can pitch, and so
that was my thing I was.

Speaker 5 (09:44):
I was.

Speaker 2 (09:45):
I was right handed. Yeah, what was your pitch? What
was your go to? Cause you bring the heat a
little bit.

Speaker 4 (09:50):
I love the fastball, you know. That was my thing,
Like how hard can I throw it? And how fast
can I throw it?

Speaker 2 (09:54):
By you? Can you still throw Baddie Price a little bit?
I actually still play.

Speaker 4 (09:58):
I play a little bit at the rock, actually a
couple with a couple of our coaches. So and you're
still up on the mound and working my way back
to it. I'm playing a little first base because I
can still swing it a little bit.

Speaker 1 (10:07):
Y Man don't get on the mound because maybe I'll
get on deck. Better bring a whole bucket of balls,
because I'm gonna lose you. Thomas More boys. You know
how that I went to Mesmer and everywhere I coached
in basketball with Thomas Moore was in the same conference. Yeah,
And uh, all I know is is when I was
a kid. Some of their programs. Their football team is

(10:28):
always really good, their basketball team right now, baseball and
soccer do pretty well over there. And John Hoku's the
president of Thomas Moore and he's a really good dude.
I love the fact that that you played for our
j for a couple of years. Guys, when when when
when you were playing as a kid, and and certainly
Julian when you were playing. You know, times have changed, right,

(10:49):
And coaching kids and and and coaching families, I think
is more difficult now because everybody thinks their kids going
to the show and they're going to play, you know,
go play for their brewers, and and they have to
stand that, at least for the sport that I coaches, basketball,
the amount of life lessons these kids can learn by
playing a team sport on how to win right and

(11:09):
how to lose and how to handle that part of
your business. Not only is the players now, Julian, but
it's the families, and it's getting people to understand, let's
win with grace and let's let's lose with grace. Do
you find it more difficult now than then back in
the day.

Speaker 3 (11:28):
I feel when I when I raised my kids through
the program, I try to change the way i'd raise them.
You know, you want to take away the adversity from them.
You want to try to make everything easier for them,
but the adversity is what actually makes the character. So
I think it's getting worse nowadays than it was back
when John played and even when I played. But it's consistency,

(11:51):
you know, teaching them that hard work does pay off.
That's kind of like our mission. And we use baseball
to get them to do good in school, to participate
in our music program. We try to do a bunch
of things that as you see, when they grow up,
they become good young men, they come back to our
program and they help out. So it's it's kind of
like that.

Speaker 1 (12:11):
Well, I look, I didn't know anything about the music program,
and I went online and I'm reading.

Speaker 2 (12:15):
Some of the stuff of what you guys do.

Speaker 1 (12:18):
And when you talk about the mission statement of the
Milwaukee Baseball Club, they are committed to overcoming financial, educational,
recreational challenges facing inter city youth by providing affordable, high
quality resources and opportunities to succeed on the baseball field,
in the community, and in the classroom. And I think

(12:39):
that when you put that in writing, guys, you can't
run from it.

Speaker 2 (12:43):
Right.

Speaker 1 (12:43):
This is our mission statement is this is going to
be affordable, and we're going to give these kids an
opportunity to succeed not only on the field, but in
the community and in the classroom. People can come back
to you and say, hey, look at you guys. May
you know you guys talk to my son about being
able to pick and throw it from from being a shortstop.
But don't forget you got to help me now on

(13:05):
the classroom side and help me be have him be
a good kid in the community. And that part of it, John,
is is really important to your club, correct.

Speaker 2 (13:14):
I Mean, that's that's all what it comes down to.

Speaker 4 (13:16):
It's really easy to go out and just play baseball,
but we believe that the whole the whole child, the
whole athlete. You know is is where it comes down to,
because we want to create just good people, not just
great baseball players. I feel like that line flows together.
Be a good person, you know, and be a better
person you are baseball players some quote I actually.

Speaker 2 (13:35):
Heard the other day.

Speaker 4 (13:36):
But yeah, we just want our kids to thrive and
do well and do it on and off the field,
not just simply one or the others.

Speaker 1 (13:42):
So hey, Johnny, are you okay with some of your
players being multi sport athletes? And and look they're being
stretched right. It's difficult for a kid that a kid
that wants to be, you know, a Division one basketball
player and his au basketball team is and well, you
got to play here. And this high school team is saying, hey,

(14:03):
we're in a summer league. You got to come out
here and play. How do you guys get around kids
that are multi sport athletes? And are are you okay
with kids that can't? Maybe give you one hundred percent?

Speaker 4 (14:14):
Yeah, I one hundred percent believe that, you know, a
kid should be able to play multiple sports. It comes
down to a balance and time management. If you really
want to be let's say a varsity baseball player or
a college baseball player. But you also want to play basketball.
We have to find a way, whether it's on the weekends,
and we do have a kid who does it where
it's just like you go play basketball, but on the weekends.
You got to make sure you're getting your work in.

(14:34):
It doesn't need to be every single day because the
varsity sport is demanding. But if you can go on
a Saturday, a Sunday, throw, throw the ball around, take
some hacks off the tee. Doesn't mean nothing like crazy,
but something just to maintain where you're at until you
get to where you need to go.

Speaker 2 (14:48):
That's fine.

Speaker 4 (14:48):
Now, if you're talking about a kid who needs a
lot of development, who college may or may not be
a possibility, then you explore the option of like, hey,
maybe I don't play another sport, but it depends on
development of the kid and what the kid wants. But
I ultimately feel like it's the kid's choice and we
can just influence that choice, but ultimately it comes down

(15:09):
to what they want to do.

Speaker 1 (15:11):
Jos vice president of the Milwaukee Baseball Club. Julian is
the president. Hey, Julian, you had said something about music
and that kind of like and I knew looking at
your website, but You guys offer baseball and softball instructions,
music programs, academic support, mentorship, and leadership development programs. So

(15:32):
you're more than just Milwaukee Baseball Club. You kind of
now say, hey, listen, if you want to help on
the music side, where we can help you there too,
the leadership side, the academic side. This thing has grown
then much more than just a baseball team that goes
and tries to get some wins.

Speaker 3 (15:49):
Yeah, and now we're a community center and that's what
we want to be. We want to service our community
and give the kids an option of where to come
and have a safe place to grow. And like we said,
we want to grow good adults, good citizens, kids that
could Our adults are coming back to us when they
graduate college. They're coming back to us during during their
college seasons. They're coming home and they're working for us

(16:12):
in the summer. They're running our summer teams, they're training
our kids.

Speaker 1 (16:15):
Hey at the facility, I've not been there, so I
apologize for for not knowing this, but you guys are
located sixteen twenty three South thirty eighth Street. Is it
just an indoor facility or do you have outdoor fields
as well?

Speaker 3 (16:27):
It's an indoor facility. We rent out m ATC South
in Oak Creek, Okay, also thirty fifth and Burnham for
our summer leagues, so we run some camps there as.

Speaker 1 (16:36):
Well, and so both indoor facilities. Where do you play
your home games?

Speaker 3 (16:41):
We play tournaments only, okay, just the league, just m
ATC and thirty fifth and Burnham Lea.

Speaker 2 (16:48):
And then most of the tournaments are here locally. Or
do you guys travel?

Speaker 3 (16:51):
We travel. We go to Michigan, we were this year.
We're going to the Dells and we're going to Kansas
City for the RBI Regional tournament in July.

Speaker 1 (16:59):
Johns, you remember when you were in fifth sixth grade
traveling on baseball.

Speaker 2 (17:03):
Oh yeah, vividly one percent.

Speaker 1 (17:05):
And when I ask you to give me a story,
normally kids don't. They don't say, well, oh we won
this tournament. They say we threw this kid in the
pool that night and our coach got really mad, or
they told us we couldn't leave the room after eleven PM.
And I don't know how we found out. We were
leaving at eleven fifteen to go get a soda down
the hall. But the the camaraderie that these kids have

(17:28):
on some of these travel you go to the Dells,
you go to Michigan. When these kids get to be
your age, they're gonna be telling stories about the trip.

Speaker 2 (17:36):
And not so much about baseball. And I think that's
a good thing, right.

Speaker 4 (17:40):
I feel like the memories, the main memories you take
away are off the field, and I think that's what
the community aspect part that we enjoy a lot about
it is that it's not just baseball. It's the people
that are around and the people that you know, you
enjoy being there and doing stuff with like that.

Speaker 1 (17:57):
So, Julian, why'd you get involved? Why it would make
Milwaukee Baseball club?

Speaker 2 (18:01):
Why?

Speaker 1 (18:02):
What made you back then? And I don't know if
you started it, but you said, I've been there since
the beginning. What made you say, look, we have to
do this for our community?

Speaker 3 (18:12):
There was a need. There was a need, Like I
told you when we went to District All Stars and
there was a huge discrepancy and talent balance. There was
a need in our community for high level baseball instruction.
And right now there's really only two facilities in Milwaukee.
There's only three playable fields in Milwaukee. None are turfed. Actually,

(18:32):
Wick just got turfed. But I think that's why no
come back to that. There's what three playable fields and
playable suspect because Harden Field is one of them. There's
lumps and holes everywhere. And then Simmons Field. If you
look at the mound and home plate, they're off right.
That's probably the best field in Milwaukee.

Speaker 2 (18:52):
That shocks me.

Speaker 3 (18:54):
There's really no playable fields on the North Side. So
then we wonder why Northside baseball is dead. The only
thing even alive is Beckham Stapleton right now?

Speaker 1 (19:01):
And why did you so you saw in need? A
lot of people see in need, Julian, a lot of people.

Speaker 2 (19:07):
And at ten.

Speaker 1 (19:08):
O'clock we're going to talk to our kernel Electric superhero
the Week, Angel Gomez Lopez. And one of the questions
I'm going to ask him is where that servant leadership
heart came from? Because it's not something we're born with, right,
It's it's a learned behavior. And you saw a need
and then you went to work and and and and
tried to fix it. Where do you think that servant
leadership hart came from?

Speaker 3 (19:29):
For you, It's from wanting my son to succeed, and
then when he graduated, I still seeing the need out
there and all the teams and the kids that were
depending on us to perform and to give them an opportunity.
So I just couldn't walk away.

Speaker 2 (19:45):
John, how about you? I think it?

Speaker 4 (19:48):
You know, honestly, I kind of I had to come
face and face with this question a couple of years
ago when I was like, do I want to continue
playing after school? Do I want to go somewhere and
travel and play? But I just realized, like, you know,
it got to a point to me where I'm like,
there's you know, you can walk through this door, or
you know, look behind you, and I just I, you know,
I being one of the first guys to play college baseball,

(20:10):
coming from Julian and and just looking behind me and
seeing that you know, there it could be better improved
than this man can this man can use a hand.
I was like, you know, there was I think I've
been saying my mission. My mission has changed. It's no
longer you know, professional baseball player, as much as I
wanted it to be, because it just it just didn't
feel right in my heart to kind of walk through

(20:31):
a door knowing that, you know, there may not be
people behind me, or people that are coming up next,
or someone I can talk to about how to get
to the next level or share what I went through
with and I kind of didn't sit right with me,
you know, like I would like to share a kid
from the Milwaukee or the inner city Milwaukee who played
college baseball and and share that with another kid who

(20:54):
may have had similar experiences, but I wasn't sure how
to and and so that that kind of didn't sit
well with me, and I wanted to address that, and
so that's why I decided to come back home and play.

Speaker 1 (21:04):
So you know, in my business, that's called the mic trot.
We should end the show. Wait, just end the show
and start playing love songs or something, because do you
know John, And look, I don't know anything about your background,
but if whoever raised you was listening, I hope that
they have tears in their eyes because what you talked

(21:25):
about is Look, I had to look face to face
and is this all about me? And do I want
this all to be about me? Or do I want to.

Speaker 2 (21:36):
Be able to give back to this community that has
helped me and given me so much?

Speaker 1 (21:41):
And you made that choice. And I'll tell you what, man,
I'd let my son play for you. I would let
him play for you, John, And that's coming from an
old retired coach. He's a little bit particular about the
grandkids and who they play for. If any of them
are baseball players, I'd have them come play for you.

Speaker 2 (21:58):
Guys.

Speaker 1 (21:58):
Hey, last question before get to break. And we're running
really long here, and I apologize for that. Milwaukee City
Conference baseball is not where it should be. No, it's not,
and it's and it's it needs it needs more guys
like you.

Speaker 2 (22:12):
Would you agree?

Speaker 3 (22:13):
Absolutely?

Speaker 2 (22:16):
You gonna comments on. I'm just kinda comment really quick. Sorry.

Speaker 4 (22:19):
I just two days ago, two three days ago, we
had a we had a showdown against Milwaukee Hamilton. A
lot of the kids inner city kids now are from
Milwaukee Baseball club. So now there's a little bit of
competition in the city now. So and then we got
a Reagan coach over there too.

Speaker 1 (22:34):
Oh he's coming next Yeah, I'm gonna find out why
they lost the other day.

Speaker 2 (22:37):
I heard it was bad coaching, but I will see
about that. We're gonna find out if Reagan baseball coming up.

Speaker 1 (22:44):
But that's gotta be kind of cool because now you
know what all these guys kind of know each other.

Speaker 2 (22:50):
Do you feel like the big the.

Speaker 1 (22:52):
Quality of baseball in the City Conference is going to
get better here in the next four or five years
because of the baseball club already is.

Speaker 4 (23:00):
It's just like we we we went into extras the
other day against Milwaukee Hamilton like you and and to
see them.

Speaker 2 (23:06):
We lost. Who's Who's Did you play Reagan? Yet?

Speaker 4 (23:12):
We want to talk about that we played on Friday,
though we played them this next week Friday.

Speaker 3 (23:17):
I think the last time.

Speaker 2 (23:19):
Well, the fact that you're saying you have eligibility left
and you think you can get up by the MODI
fires you. Guys.

Speaker 1 (23:27):
We're going to get to a break. Other side of
the break, we'll talk a little Reagan baseball. I'm also
going to introduce you to my new friend. She's Valerie Diaz,
who set this all up, assistant director of College and
Career at St. Augustine Preparatory Academy. And when we were
in San Diego and I told her about the currentel
electric superhero the week, she lit up like a Christmas tree.

(23:48):
She goes, Oh, I have somebody for that. I go, yeah,
who Angel Gomez Lopez. We're going to introduce you to
this young man you want to talk about servant leadership.

Speaker 2 (23:56):
Heart.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
Wait, stick around for this kid and we'll continue our
conversation about Milwaukee Baseball Club. We're going to get this
coach from Reagan, who I'm telling you I heard he
sent the guy or something they got thrown out of
the play. We'll talk about coaching and he'll talk a
little bit about Smack about coming to the game coming
up on Friday. This is the Varsity Blitz High School
Sports Show, as always presented by your local Pick and

(24:20):
Save and Metro Market stores only on Fox Sports ninet
twenty and your iHeart Radio app. But welcome back to
the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show is always presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
only on Fox Sports ninet twenty and your iHeartRadio app.
Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios.

(24:41):
They're celebrating their fortieth year of doing great work in
our community. Donovan Jorgensen dot com for any issues you
have with your HVAC system. So a couple of weeks ago,
I was in San Diego and didn't know I needed
new friends, but I got some.

Speaker 2 (24:56):
I got some, and the woman who I.

Speaker 1 (24:59):
Loved everybody on the trip, but the one that that
I can tell you that I was most impressed with
because she's really young, and she's really tough, and she's
really smart, and she cares deeply about this school that
she works at and the kids in the community. And
we got a chance to spend a lot of time talking,
and I can tell you that I was just so

(25:21):
impressed with Valerie Diaz.

Speaker 2 (25:23):
It's good to see you. Look at us being twins. Today.
We said we're gonna wear what we bought at the
Marine Museum and we both we both did How have
you been.

Speaker 6 (25:32):
I've been good, can't complain.

Speaker 7 (25:33):
But back at work, leaving to a conference tomorrow morning,
to the Dells, so.

Speaker 6 (25:38):
Back to back.

Speaker 2 (25:39):
Back when you got back, were you a little bit
sore like I was?

Speaker 6 (25:42):
I was not, but Mede, oh there you go.

Speaker 2 (25:45):
There you go.

Speaker 6 (25:46):
The steroids a week. It really does something for you.

Speaker 1 (25:49):
You know, during the physical therapy part when I jumped
out to help you, I got lit up like a
Christmas tree. That little drill instructor, she lit me up.
And people thought it was funny him trying to help her,
and she was like, she doesn't need your help and
you look to me like I really do.

Speaker 2 (26:06):
I'm sorry you had to keep going.

Speaker 1 (26:08):
Oh, the belief and the love that you have for
the people that are with us and what they do
with Milwaukee Baseball Club runs really deep. And you said, look,
these guys are doing great work for kids in my community,
and you're a big fan of the work they do.

Speaker 7 (26:22):
Yeah, one hundred percent. I had a student last year
who was a part of my senior class who came
to me and said, I want to play in college.

Speaker 6 (26:30):
I want to make that happen, and.

Speaker 7 (26:32):
So he had touch base with his coach, coach Kaban,
and then Kaban introduced me to Julian and just being
able to have that conversation with Julian about what it
is that they're trying to provide students with and coming
back to his name was Natan Nael Montanez. Having that
conversation with him of what do you need to grow
as an individual and as a part of a team

(26:52):
and showing respect to your coaches.

Speaker 6 (26:54):
That was a big thing.

Speaker 7 (26:55):
And so through conversation he said, I don't think you
understand I need baseball in order to be able to serve.
It's not just a dream that I have. It's a
need to be able to survive. So that really pushed
me towards being able to help him and securing his future.

Speaker 1 (27:09):
Man, well done, Guerra Durant, who is in studio assistant
coach over at Ragan, talking smack about the game they
got coming up Friday. Hey, coach, let's talk a little
bit about your background and how you got involved with
Milwaukee Baseball club and where did you grow up?

Speaker 2 (27:26):
Where'd you go to school?

Speaker 8 (27:27):
Sure, so I grew up here in Milwaukee. I came
here when I was one years old from Mexico and
I was introduced to the game by my father, who
was a Sunday League coach. So I was around baseball.
I got to see some good players from the area
play in that Sunday League and I had a passion. Unfortunately,

(27:47):
I was not gifted with athletic ability to play the game.
I went to Market High School, which is super competitive
to make any team, especially in the nineties, So I
was like, how do I keep at the love of
the game. So I kind of self taught myself some
of the coaching stuff I had. Actually the opportunity I
was invited for one year, I did color commentating in

(28:10):
Spanish for the Brewers through ESPN Deportes. But that was
like one year the fielder era Corey Hart. Okay, so
that was a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (28:20):
Yeah, a good, good year to be a part of
that team. That was a fun team.

Speaker 8 (28:23):
It was super fun. So I did about a dozen
games on air, and I've just always had the passion.
So when my son was of age to start, I
introduced him to a couple of sports, and I somehow
it just baseball ended up being the one that stuck.
And coaching. One day I had I was approached by

(28:43):
Julian and he had seen me working with the kids
and he told me, hey, what do you think about
grabbing a group of kids from the from the league
and putting together a team to compete outside? And I
said sure. So we started doing that and my first
experience did not go very well and from there the
rest is history. That was probably like twenty fifteen.

Speaker 1 (29:04):
So you've been coaching since then, Yes, you understand, it
gets in your blood.

Speaker 2 (29:08):
It's hard.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
I coached basketball for thirty six years and I've retired
now for a couple of years. And my wife said
I thought she'd be home more I'm still getting called
to go into gyms and run drills or we're doing
games here on nine to twenty, and I'm the color
commentator for that. So I can't I can't get out
of it. And now I have grandkids and it's hard

(29:29):
for me to sit up in the crowd and not
be saying things. My wife never wants to sit next
to me during games. She said, I don't cheer correctly,
and so it gets in your blood and I have
to tell you that it's hard to get it out,
and you'll be coaching a long time. When when we
talked about the Milwaukee Baseball Club and the mission behind
what this is what Julian and John talked about the

(29:52):
first segment, Man, it's it's it is to help kids
be better human beings.

Speaker 2 (29:57):
I think that's the first thing right asolutely.

Speaker 8 (30:00):
So I was fortunate to have a group of kids
that I stuck with since they were nine, and last
year was their last year together. And the brotherhood that
they've that they've built over the years is just you
can't duplicate it. And to the point that they were
talking about earlier about City Conference baseball in the past

(30:21):
four years, if you look at all the kids who
make All Conference, they're all pretty much from our program,
Like ninety percent of the kids are kids we trained,
so they're they're kind of spread out within the city teams.
For example, Milwaukee King last year had a tremendous team
and I think seven out of the nine starters were
from our program. And uh, good kids aside from that,

(30:44):
great students as well, because that's that's an area that
we push for too, because John could be a testament
to that. If you don't have the grades, you're not
going you know, you're not playing, you know.

Speaker 1 (30:56):
Right, And I think that that's and being for Marquette
High you kind of get that right. The idea of
student athlete and student comes first. It's not their right
to play baseball. It's a privilege that you earn. And
when you have somebody like Valerie, you know at St.
Augustine Prep saying, look, you have to take care of

(31:19):
the business in the classroom. I had a conversation with
a girl that's sitting between us and like the academic
stuff that she has done already and such an for
being such a young person is so impressive to me.
And so she understands it, she gets it. You got
to take care of your business the classroom. The other part,
and I think that you'll agree with me, is you

(31:40):
can't be on discipline all day long and then come
to practice or come to a baseball game and think
now you're just going to turn on and be a
discipline baseball player.

Speaker 2 (31:50):
Because that's an important part of this.

Speaker 1 (31:52):
When when Julian and John talked about that community and
trying to make sure that we better these kids and
then help I mean a number of different areas. When
they told you their mission statement, you bought in pretty quickly.

Speaker 3 (32:05):
Oh absolutely.

Speaker 8 (32:06):
I think a lot of it is part of building
a culture. What you're talking about is that culture of
what is it to be an athlete? What is it
to be a student athlete? But it goes beyond the
student as well. It's conversation with parents and getting parents
involved and getting them to understand what we're trying to
do and the importance of it. Giving up your whole
summer to be every weekend in a tournament is not

(32:29):
an easy sell for parents. It just isn't, you know, right.
And the game itself, and when I say the game,
it's beyond baseball, every sport youth sport right now has
become this money making machine and it's so difficult for
kids who don't have access to facilities and kids who
don't have the economic means to participate in these things.

(32:51):
So how do you bridge that gap? And that's kind
of where we come in, and that's what we've been
fighting for, and honestly, it is an uphill battle when
we're talking about access to facilities, access to the fields.
You know, the list goes on, and I will add
one more thing that if you look at sports in
general from the global aspect, and you go up to

(33:11):
a random kid in another continent and you show them
a picture of Lebron James, they.

Speaker 2 (33:17):
Know who he is. You bet.

Speaker 8 (33:18):
You show them a picture of Cristiano Ronaldo, they know
who he is. Show them a picture of Mike Trout,
They're not going to know who he is. You know,
Baseball is at marketed as well as other supports are,
so when you're trying to sell it to inner city kids, well,
they want to play soccer and that's accessible. They want
to play basketball, that's accessible, right.

Speaker 1 (33:39):
Do you know it's interesting when you talk I do
another show called Faith in the Zone where I talk
to men and women all over the country that'll come
on a secular sports station, share their testimony and talk
about their faith. And when we talk to guys that
are part of like a Tom Roy who has traveled
all over the world with baseballs and professional baseball player,

(34:00):
he said, look, if we go to the Dominican Republican
we just rolled out a couple of baseballs, we'll get
one hundred kids like that. But different parts of the
world will have to roll out of basketball or bring
a soccer ball. But there are parts of the world
that baseball is by far number one, and these kids
will come and listen to us as we preach a
little bit if we'll let them play baseball. And I

(34:22):
think that that that part has not hit here. And
I think you're right when you say, look, everybody's going
to know Michael Jordan's picture, everybody's going to know, you know,
a soccer player. But when it comes to baseball, they
don't do a great job of highlighting their stars.

Speaker 2 (34:36):
And I don't know if.

Speaker 1 (34:37):
It's because it's it's such a big roster. I don't
really get that part of that. I was at the
Burger game last night and three nothing, but we still
had a good time. It was a great crowd. A
lot of Minnesota Twin fans, by the way, a lot
of them. Hey what what age do you coach with
Milwaukee Baseball Club?

Speaker 3 (34:53):
So I kind of retire.

Speaker 2 (34:56):
Retire to me, I would, Hey, can I just tell
you I've met Julian.

Speaker 1 (35:03):
I've known you for twenty minutes, and I feel as
though he's a hard guy to say no too.

Speaker 8 (35:07):
Absolutely, it's the conversation between Julian and my wife hanging up.

Speaker 3 (35:12):
With you're going to look at her and hey.

Speaker 8 (35:14):
Honey, I got something going on on Saturday. The thing is,
like you mentioned, walking away from athletics is very difficult,
especially when it was such a big part of your life.
And I gave up coaching over the summer. This is
my first summer that'll be off. But you know, the
idea of the facility, the idea of being around. Julian

(35:36):
does a very good job of bringing a very diverse
group of individuals together to the table to try and
make this thing work. So I mean, hats off to him.
We have a cast of characters, to say the least,
and we all bring something to the table. Right now,
I've become more of a paper pusher for him, which
is fine. And I think it's time for the young

(35:58):
guys like John and these younger players that I had
the opportunity to watch grow mentor them to become good coaches.

Speaker 2 (36:06):
Right.

Speaker 8 (36:07):
They have everything that I don't have. Now I'm trying
to give him a little bit of what I have.
And we have conversations. John'll call me sometimes for advice,
and we're kind of a family in that sense.

Speaker 2 (36:19):
What is your wife's name, Veronica?

Speaker 1 (36:21):
Veronica? Yeah, Julian's gonna be calling you soon. And don't
think because he's retired he's going to be home Moore.
Because my wife said the same thing I did. When
you're retired from basketball, you'd be home, Moore. You're not
going to be It's not like you're gonna be home more.
You're just going to be offering a different skill set
at this point. Sure, yeah, sure, you're going to be coaching.
You watch Yeah, I know Friday Friday. So hey, you

(36:45):
play saying Augustine Prep April fourth seems like a really
long time ago, don't you think? Fourteen nothing? You beat St.
Augustine Prep and try. Hey, I'm sorry he told me
I had to bring it up. I didn't want to
bring it up. He said, if I'm gonna on the show,
you got to bring this fourteen nothing game up. But
that was a long time ago. And seeing Augustine prep,

(37:05):
they're getting ready. They got their number one pitcher and
they're not going to throw him this week, so he'll
be ready on Friday. I'm trying to get smacked talk here.

Speaker 8 (37:14):
You know, when everything's said and done, one of the
biggest satisfaction is walking through the line and these kids
that we know giving you kind of they don't want
the handshake, they want the hug. They want the hug
from you. And you were on the field competing against them,
you coach them, and then now you're competing against them
and they're just happy to be around you. And that

(37:36):
community that we've built is amazing.

Speaker 1 (37:38):
The idea of being present is really important. Absolutely, it's
really really important. And I think from coaching at the
high school level for as long as I did, it
was it was if you tell a kid you're going
to call him the night at seven o'clock to talk
about playing time, don't call him at six fifty nine,
and don't call him at seven oh one, call him
at seven o'clock so that he knows you're present and

(37:59):
that you are going to follow through on the things
that you do.

Speaker 2 (38:03):
Hey, Valerie, you told me all about these guys.

Speaker 1 (38:05):
Yeah, and you did a good job that you under
sold the passion and the love that they have for
our community.

Speaker 2 (38:11):
And you're right.

Speaker 1 (38:13):
I'm just telling you, these guys are really impressive. We'll
continue to talk Milwaukee Baseball Club at ten o'clock. Angel
Gomez Lopez, our current Electric Superhero of the Week, will
be in studio. I'm keeping Valerie for two hours because
the second half of the second hour we're going to
talk a little bit more about what we learned in
San Diego together. And I can tell you this that

(38:36):
I learned a lot about Valerie, about her family, about
her community, about the city of Kenosha, and she has
been so kind with her time in helping me set
this show up, and we'll talk to her a lot.
In the second part of the second hour, we'll continue
our conversation about the Milwaukee Baseball Club and we're going
to bring Julian and John back. We're going to find

(38:56):
out if you're feeling led to help them financially. We're
gonna give you an easy way to be able to
give them or donate twenty or fifty or time, which
is very important to these guys, and we'll ask them
how people can do that. On the other side of
the break, This is the Varsity Blis High School Sports Show,
presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market

(39:17):
stores only on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart
Radio app.

Speaker 2 (39:22):
Welcome back to.

Speaker 1 (39:23):
The Varsity Blix High School Sports Show, presented as always
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores.
Coming live from the Donovana Jorganson Heating and Cooling Studios. Man,
this has been, first of all, a really quick first hour.
But talking to these guys from the Milwaukee Baseball Club,
what I love is the passion that they have not

(39:44):
for baseball. I love the fact that they love baseball.
They're utilizing baseball. They're using this sport to help kids
in their community to learn a great game, but to
learn how to be a part of a team, to
have discipline, to be a better student, to be a
better musician, a lot of things that I think are

(40:06):
very important not only in their community, our community, in
our world, and I think it's important that they continue
to do this and when you talk about again that
mission statement where they talk about the challenges that some
of the kids in their community are having financially, educational,
recreational challenges. They're helping these kids, and I hope that

(40:28):
when they put their head on the pillow at night,
they understand the good work that they're doing. Guys, we
got to talk about this game on Friday, right you Well, John,
I'm going to you pal because there's a little bit
of payback for that team from Reagan right fourteen nothing.
They whooped you guys, And hey, look, I can tell

(40:49):
your husband talking behind your back like crazy, Hey, how
is how is the team?

Speaker 2 (40:56):
How are you guys playing right now? And playing a
little bit better?

Speaker 4 (40:59):
Yeah, I mean we started off just just for a
little side note, just a we have our This is
my first graduating class in high school.

Speaker 2 (41:07):
So guys that I was with for four years.

Speaker 4 (41:10):
So to me, it's like it's my last year with
those guys, and I just want us to, you know,
have a good time and learn a bunch. And we
didn't start off too hot. You know, we didn't start
off too hot. We struggled. The bats weren't coming around,
we weren't clicking, and it was a tough start, honestly
our worst start since since we've been here. But yesterday

(41:31):
we played a game against Saint Kats and we came
out on top four to three with a with a
in the last inning and the seventh and the top
of the seventh we were down by two. We came
up and it was just kind of like a like
a kickstart to us yesterday. It was something we needed
to just kind of just like wake up and you know,
we got home at like twelve thirty last night and

(41:52):
so that we're up here early early in the morning.

Speaker 2 (41:55):
But like it was, it was cool to see our guys.

Speaker 4 (41:58):
It felt like for the first time coming together and
you know, especially them being the last time not see
them like give in and like just wither and what
was been tough, but you know, continue to just work
through that stuff and come out on top. Yesterday was huge,
huge for them.

Speaker 1 (42:14):
So if you can move the microphone, Julian, if you
can hold it right there, this time of year, when
you have a comeback win and as John said.

Speaker 2 (42:23):
Look, we didn't we we didn't give in.

Speaker 1 (42:25):
We didn't whether we fought through it that that can
be a jumping off point right, like all the hey, guys,
we're down to big deal, we're down to the other
day and we came back and got to win. Do
not quit on me that this is a great time
year to get a win like that.

Speaker 3 (42:41):
I think absolutely. I think it started on Wednesday against Hamilton.
It was a nine to nine overtime. I mean, I
think they beat us nine to eight in overtime. Just
getting them to click. You know, we normal varsity teams
are made of mostly upperclassmen. We have half that are underclassmen.
So we got a very young team that we're just
trying to get them to where they should be. You know,

(43:04):
that's been the challenge for practice.

Speaker 2 (43:06):
And when you look at your team, is it is
it some freshmen or.

Speaker 3 (43:09):
Is it Oh yeah, we got at least six freshmen.

Speaker 2 (43:12):
And most of these kids part of the Milwaukee baseball club.
So they're they're they're they're.

Speaker 3 (43:18):
Getting getting there. It's older. It's the scene.

Speaker 1 (43:21):
Get you guys smiling, hey, because a year from now
you want no part of these boys. Look at the
smile in their face of like, oh it's coming. People
are people are going to figure this thing out. Baseball
And and when we talk about the finances part when
when you're when you're playing that Arrowhead, you're playing at Muskego.

(43:44):
There's so many places popping up now that that hey,
indoor facilities, right, go get hitting in. But again, the
cost of this and and some of these kids don't
understand that, but the cost of becoming a really good
baseball player seems to be going up. And you can
have all the natural ability, but you've got to be
you've got to get seen, you've got to be able

(44:06):
to to to keep up that craft and be able
to get better each year. Do you find that that
that where you guys you're at right now. It's never
been a better time to be part of a club
in the city of Milwaukee than it is now to
be part of what you guys are doing.

Speaker 3 (44:23):
Yeah, ever since we opened the facility in January, it
just opened up too many doors for us. Now we
don't have to You have to be there Wednesday at
six o'clock to seven o'clock. That's what we have scheduled.
That's the only time we got in a facility. Now,
if you don't can't make get a practice from four
to six, guess what We're open till nine o'clock. We're
open up on Saturday.

Speaker 2 (44:41):
Tell me about the facility. Do you have cages and stuff?

Speaker 3 (44:44):
You have five cages that are collapsible or opens up
a big enough space for an infield to practice a
little bit.

Speaker 1 (44:50):
So really, so then you can take infield practice and
your catchers can throw a little bit. Hard to find
good catchers right nowadays.

Speaker 3 (44:58):
We have a really good catchers co Isaiah tap Piece,
who does a really good job with them. So that's
one thing that we've always been able to develop as
catchers and pictures.

Speaker 1 (45:07):
Hey when when when I said that you're a hard
guy to say no to and you laughed over there,
I'm right on that. You're looking at me right the eye. Look,
I can't throw anymore, so you don't think I'm coming
to throw batting practice. I could throw the Cavalier boy
out for this. I could strike him out in three
or four. First one I would throw high and tight,
and then he got that out of the way one
hundred percent. What is the biggest financially is there's a

(45:31):
challenge right now? Is there any other challenges that people
that are listening. Do you need more volunteers? Do you
need people to come coach to come drive players. What
what what are the more of the challenges that that
you're looking to accomplish.

Speaker 3 (45:45):
We need more tutors for academics. Academics. Yeah, so they
can help our Oh yeah, I've been working on her.

Speaker 2 (45:52):
Trust me, you know what.

Speaker 3 (45:54):
She's so wonderful.

Speaker 2 (45:55):
She's so busy.

Speaker 1 (45:57):
But I can tell you that. And I see that
you guys got to win against Milwaukee Lutheran. My daughter
yesterday was named the Heartland Teacher of the Year at
Milwaukee Lutheran. So proud of her, I snuck in a
bunch of our family, her kids, my brother, my sister,
my wife, my son. We all snuck in the crowd

(46:19):
and surprised her and she was shocked that she won
this award and we were there to help her. Soon
don't beat Miwaukee Lutheran anymore.

Speaker 2 (46:25):
That's it. Be nice to those guys. Since my daughter
got a big a word.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
We gotta take any when yeah, you can't, yeah one
hundred percent. Hey do you find that that kids that
start in the program and how young are the guys
that that kids that starting to program.

Speaker 3 (46:41):
So before we had a facility, we could only cater
to boys ages for fourteen to eighteen. Now that we
got a facility, we're taking them as young as five.
The sooner we could get them, the better it is.
That's what we've seen. When we get them at fourteen,
they can't catch and they can't throw. It takes about
a year a year.

Speaker 1 (46:59):
It's hard to have them not be afraid of the
ball exactly. Yeah, and they did start them at five
or six.

Speaker 3 (47:04):
Yeah, it's smart. The older they get, the harder they throwing,
the more scary it is. You know, the younger you
get them in, the better it's going to be for them.

Speaker 2 (47:11):
John, when you were at your peak, what were you throwing?

Speaker 4 (47:14):
I was probably sitting eighty eight. I was sitting eighty eight,
so that was my thing. I was eighty six, savy
eighty eight. I always love the fastball, can spin it well,
but I just you know the velocity.

Speaker 1 (47:27):
I played at mess In the last game I played
was against Thomas Moore a zillion years ago and they
had a kid going Division one and I didn't play
my junior year, so I did.

Speaker 2 (47:36):
I came off the bench, played a little. Now I'm
a seniors.

Speaker 1 (47:39):
Last game and coach puts me out there and I
went three for four against this kid and coach like.

Speaker 2 (47:43):
You can hit.

Speaker 1 (47:44):
I go, yeah, you should have given me a couple
more shots, But I just want to be part of
this this team. Are you finding that that kids are
spending a ton of time with baseball and the quality
of baseball in our area is gotten better? Or is
it gotten flat? In your eyes somebody who played at
a really high level. When you look at some of

(48:05):
the teams you guys are coaching against, do you find
like the quality is getting better?

Speaker 2 (48:12):
Are you talking Juliet's sha Are you talking like with
overall in Wisconsin? Are you talking within the Milwaukee community
or just let's let's do both. Okay, let's talk to
Milwaukee community first.

Speaker 4 (48:23):
Okay, I would say that it's definitely improving because of
the facility, Like kids are having more access to not
just a training center, but also coaching as well.

Speaker 2 (48:34):
I think a staple in our program is development.

Speaker 4 (48:36):
I really believe a kid can develop if he practices
and trains. I feel like that's a huge difference maker.
Are we teaching our kids the right things and are
we giving them the opportunity to practice those right things?

Speaker 2 (48:46):
How about around the stake for you?

Speaker 4 (48:48):
When you look at it I really feel like, well,
just Wisconsin baseball has improved just from a facility aspect wise,
knowing that Wisconsin, I mean, more turf fields are coming around,
more facilities. I feel like Wisconsin baseball is just continuously growing,
and I feel like there's a lot of competition to

(49:09):
be either the best player, best program, and stuff like that.
So I think baseball is in a good spot in Wisconsin,
and I feel like it's going to continue to get better.

Speaker 2 (49:17):
I mean, you have the Rock, and yeah, Zimmerman's done
a nice job with that. Yeah, he was in studio.

Speaker 1 (49:26):
Once talking and he was talking about his his professional
team and he wore a uniform because he had a
game at the Rock after that, And yeah, he's doing
a nice job over there. When people want if people
that are listening to this show want it feeling led
to help you, whether they own a company, they work
for a company that likes giving back to our community
and they're listening, is there an easy way for people

(49:49):
to be able to help you guys financially? Guys, you
guys have all the money you need, all right, Because
I think maybe maybe what I would recommend is go
go to the facility.

Speaker 2 (50:06):
Absolutely wait to grab the microphone.

Speaker 1 (50:07):
If you can't take a tour in sixteen twenty three
South thirty eight Street. Sixteen twenty three South thirty eight Street,
go there. Look, if it's a Tuesday evening at seven o'clock,
it's going to be happened.

Speaker 3 (50:20):
Absolutely, Or just call a four to one four six
nine eight five seven four six and set up an appointment.
We'd love to give you a tour and show some
of the work that we're doing there.

Speaker 2 (50:29):
Can you give that number again at.

Speaker 3 (50:30):
Four one, four six, five four six.

Speaker 1 (50:34):
And and look, I can tell you meet with Julian,
and and meet with John, meet with Carrera, and and
certainly meet with Vale if you want to with Valerie.
Understand the mission statement, what they're trying to do. It's
not just about baseball. It's about this community. It's about
getting these kids and a team to learn a game,
to be part of a group of kids that are

(50:57):
trying to accomplish a goal. And not only that, it's
it's there's a lot of resources that go in different
areas other than just baseball and guys. When when you
sit and look at these guys in the eye and
they're all different ages and all different parts of where
they are in their life, but they are very very
together as a group about what they're trying to accomplish.

(51:18):
And that mission statement for Milwaukee Baseball Club is really
very impressive to me. And I I'm gonna pray for
this this club. I'm gonna pray for these guys that
they continue on this this ministry, and that's.

Speaker 2 (51:31):
What it is.

Speaker 1 (51:31):
I don't care what anybody says. That's what this thing is.
And I thank them for that. Guys, really good to
meet you. Look, I'm I I think I'm I'm I'm
betting on saying Augie on Friday, that's all. I don't
think there's any bookie that takes action on that game.

Speaker 2 (51:46):
But if there was, I'm taking you.

Speaker 8 (51:48):
Are more than welcome to stop, buy and watch that game.

Speaker 1 (51:51):
That win against St. Catherine's going to put this team
at a whole different level. I better or not over
sell this. Don't sell it. I'll be out selling. I'll
be on selling popcorn. And I'm not kidding. If you look,
you listen to the first hour. If you're feeling led
to help these guys financially, it's a big party they need.
They're doing great, but they could use some help and

(52:13):
and please understand that that if you meet Julian and
he says, look, I'm gonna ask you to do this.
Grere's gonna be coaching this summer. I don't care what
anybody says, and I think that's gonna happen. Guys, thank
you for your time. I really appreciate this. Not bad
for Marquette Boy, not bad for Thomas More. But where'd
you go to high school?

Speaker 3 (52:32):
I graduated from South Division.

Speaker 2 (52:34):
Here you go, yeah, when you see.

Speaker 3 (52:36):
It, Chicago. Came from Tech. I went to Tech in
Chicago and then I transferred. Uh go gill Pack, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (52:44):
Go Pack. No, no, do not help Julian. I'm only kidding.

Speaker 1 (52:50):
Guys, we're gonna get to a break on other side of
the break.

Speaker 2 (52:54):
I've already met him. This this young man, our cour
electric superhero the week, My goodness is smile.

Speaker 1 (53:01):
It would light up a room. He is Angel Gomez Lopez,
and we're going to introduce you to him on the
other side.

Speaker 2 (53:07):
Of the break. Boys, it's good to meet you.

Speaker 1 (53:09):
This is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show, presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores,
only on Fox Sports nine twenty in your iHeartRadio app.

Speaker 2 (53:19):
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz.

Speaker 1 (53:21):
High school sports show is always presented by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Cernentel Electric Superhero
the Week. We could have named him our Pick and
Save Student Athlete.

Speaker 2 (53:34):
Of the Week.

Speaker 1 (53:34):
We could, and we could just bring him in a
talk soccer if that's what he would like. I have
to tell you, young man, Valerie Diaz spent a lot of
time talking about you behind your back in a really
good way. And I can tell you this when we're
in San Diego and we're going to talk to Valerie
in the next two seconds about this trip that we're on.

(53:55):
But we're sitting outside of the museum and I started
to talk to her about this show and I said,
one of the segments we do is a current Electric
Superhero the Week. And let me tell you what that
sounds like. A kid that does really well in the classroom,
very active in the school, and has that servant leadership heart.
And she goes, I have one, And I go what
she goes, No, No, I have one right now at

(54:18):
my school, and let me tell you about him. And
I can tell you Angel Gomez Lopez, our Colonel Electric
Superhero the week. It's really good to meet you.

Speaker 9 (54:27):
How you've been I'm great, and it's an honor to
be here.

Speaker 5 (54:31):
You know.

Speaker 9 (54:31):
I've always, you know, dreamt of being on a podcast
talking about like my life or just things like that.
So to be here, it's amazing. And I thank you
as well for this opportunity.

Speaker 1 (54:41):
Do not thank me, thank her, and thank the people
at Colonel Electric. I get to do this, and I'm real.
I read your bio. I can tell you this and
this is the truth. Every time that I talk to
a kid who's seventeen eighteen years old and I read
the bio, the first thing I think about is I'm
such a loser, like I don't even know where my
socks are half the time, and I've looked at all

(55:03):
the things you guys do. And then what happens is
during the conversation, I think and I feel this is true.
That you go and you go do what you're going
to do, and we'll get to what you're doing after
graduation here in a minute. But when you're done doing that,
if you come back and you live in our community,
now you're one of the leaders in our community. My
grandkids are going to be just fine, I'm not worried

(55:25):
about them. Talk to me a little bit about what's
coming up. Graduations right around the corner. It came quick, right.

Speaker 2 (55:31):
Yeah, when you become a freshman, you think, oh, this
could be forever and boom, what's going on with you
next year?

Speaker 9 (55:41):
So next year I'll be traveling to Spain for ten
months and I'll just be playing at an academy called
FCOD say, I had to work on soccer, improve and
just look for any opportunities abroad.

Speaker 2 (55:52):
How did that happen?

Speaker 9 (55:54):
So in school, we use this website called field Level,
and what we do is we just like upload videos
of our you know, highlights things like that. And so
when it was my junior year, I realized, you know,
if I want to really get recruited, if I want
to play after high school, I gotta, you know, be

(56:14):
on top of that. So I use the resources that
the school gave us, like Huddle and all that. I
looked for my clips and I just made highlight videos.
And I think it was through one of those that
they academy reached out to me and said, hey, like
we're interested, Like can you call us? And so we
called and from there on it was just that they

(56:34):
offered me a spot.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
When you found out that they were interested, did you
sleep that night?

Speaker 2 (56:39):
Not so much?

Speaker 5 (56:40):
Right though?

Speaker 9 (56:41):
Well, Okay, here's the funny thing. When I first seen it,
I was actually like, you know, I was surprised, obviously,
but I was also like I didn't really think too
much of it because you know, it was the start
of senior year and so I was more focused on
high school soccer and all that. But like, I'm not
gonna lie, I wasn't the most confident in myself. So
when I seen that, I was a little bit like, wow, like,

(57:03):
this is seriously happening to me, young man.

Speaker 2 (57:06):
Can I ask you? Because I could read the stats
for you.

Speaker 1 (57:10):
You stay champion, ranked eleven the Nation of goals twenty
twenty four to twenty five, first in Wisconsin Journal Central
Athlete of the Week, all conference in like every year
he played all of these things.

Speaker 2 (57:24):
Most kids would be super cocky, but you the confident.

Speaker 1 (57:29):
You weren't confident even though all of these awards that
you were winning.

Speaker 9 (57:32):
Well, the thing is those like happened after this opportunity,
and so like I went into I was like, oh, like, man,
is this really happening to me. But I think what
helped a lot was just the support that I was
receiving from like my coaches, er Nandez. I remember he
was the one who told me who brought it up
again to me, telling me, hey, you should really call
him and reach out.

Speaker 2 (57:50):
And I was like, you know what, sure, I'll do it.

Speaker 9 (57:52):
And then I did, and you know I it was
just incredible, like how they were so like enthusiastic beh
having me on there, and then I was just like
confident from that and I used that throughout the entire
season to do what I did.

Speaker 1 (58:09):
And it was just and even when it's not like
you're getting a two point zero in school, so you're
not confident theory, you're not disciplaining, Yeah, you're a you're
almost a four point oh you're a three seven five
or whatever it is, and in a demanding schedule in
athletics and academics and all the community stuff. And to

(58:31):
see more about Angel, go to the current Electric Facebook page.
Because we're not gonna have time in this segment, we'll
probably go a little bit long Spencer, just so you know,
because I got a lot of questions for this young
man and his mom who's joined us, she's not huge.
She didn't want to come up to the microphone too much.
But we're gonna get to Andrea here in a minute.

Speaker 2 (58:49):
Your your all the all the things you do in
the community.

Speaker 1 (58:54):
The idea of this servant leadership, Heart Angel, it's not
something we're born with. It is a learn behavior. Where
do you think in your life, who taught you to
give back to people in our community?

Speaker 9 (59:06):
My parents, My parents definitely taught me a lot about that.

Speaker 2 (59:09):
You know.

Speaker 9 (59:10):
I grew up with parents who have always tried to
give back to people, who have always been so kind
to others, even when they didn't have anything, And I
learned a lot from them. And it's just inspiring to
me to see how two incredible people who have always
been able to give back to the community, and it's
just inspired me to do the same.

Speaker 1 (59:28):
Do you find that a lot of kids that sit
where you're sitting right now say this, So I'm going
to ask this to you, that you get more out
of helping people in the community than they get from it.
Do you know sometimes your National Hour Society, so you
have to do some volunteer hours and what happens what
spins from that, are people like Valerie that start giving

(59:51):
back to the community and realize, Man, I'm getting more
out of it than the people that I'm helping.

Speaker 2 (59:56):
I'm going to do more. Do you feel like that
that's happened to you as well?

Speaker 9 (01:00:00):
I definitely think so, because with all those volunteer hours afterwards,
I just like, I feel great and in a way,
it just makes me feel more inspired to do just
more to help out the community. And it just helps you,
like help others to do the same thing. And I
think it just helps bring the community more closer in
the aspect of like trying to help others, trying to
serve and things like that.

Speaker 2 (01:00:20):
Miss Andrea come closer to the microphone. You know what
you did? Good?

Speaker 1 (01:00:26):
You guys did really. Look I get emotional at this
point of it when your son says, look because of her,
because of my parents are the reason that I'm doing
this stuff and now I'm finding that I love it.

Speaker 2 (01:00:40):
And you got to be so proud of this kid. Huh.

Speaker 10 (01:00:43):
Yeah, we are so proud of him because, yeah, he
busts a lot of things. So when we talk to
him about what is the everything he's happened in him
the life, we talked to him when you need to

(01:01:03):
give them the same.

Speaker 2 (01:01:05):
So, hey, how do you feel about him going to Spain?

Speaker 11 (01:01:08):
Yeah, I'm sorry. Yeah, it's hard because he's with us
like eighteen years. He's like family, so and it's not
it's hard, but it's good.

Speaker 1 (01:01:26):
You gotta let him go a little bit, yeah, you know,
to find his wings. But my kids went to college,
but they went forty five minutes away so I could
go and watch my boy play basketball.

Speaker 2 (01:01:36):
My daughter didn't come home much. My son came home
every weekend, and I'd be like to my daughter, you're
coming home for Thanksgiving or and now she's got four
boys of her own, and she apologizes like daily to me.
I'm so sorry.

Speaker 1 (01:01:50):
Yeah, when you watch him play soccer, I love you
love it?

Speaker 2 (01:01:55):
Do you who? Do you hear more on the sidelines
when you're playing?

Speaker 11 (01:02:02):
Yeah?

Speaker 3 (01:02:03):
Yeah, I'm not alloweded.

Speaker 10 (01:02:04):
And I'm super fun of my kids most angel because
he's the now. But for my three boys, always is
the same thing.

Speaker 2 (01:02:15):
Does your brother play as well?

Speaker 9 (01:02:18):
What your he he's a sophomore, he's currently sixteen years old.

Speaker 2 (01:02:21):
Does he play your team? And yeah? Is he as
good as you were at sixteen? Shaking?

Speaker 1 (01:02:30):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (01:02:33):
Better than him? There we go, What position did you
playing soccer?

Speaker 9 (01:02:36):
I played a striker forward in midfield.

Speaker 1 (01:02:39):
So you put the ball in that and he feeds
you the ball. Have you always played that? You always
been a kid up front putting the ball in the
back and.

Speaker 9 (01:02:48):
That When I first started, I originally really love playing midfield,
but I got like moved around trying to figure out,
like what position I really liked. When I started playing more,
I realized I really like swaring, just like the best
feeling ever.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
And the girls like that. The girls like the boys
that are scoring goals. Andrews like, don't say that. What
club do you play for?

Speaker 9 (01:03:09):
I played for Ombrick United?

Speaker 1 (01:03:10):
Okay, so you play? Are you a multi sport athlete?
Do you play other sports? Or soccer your sport?

Speaker 2 (01:03:17):
No? Soccer is my man.

Speaker 9 (01:03:19):
I've always loved basketball, but I'm not gonna lie. I'm
pretty sure e anyone who knows me, I'm not the
greatest at all.

Speaker 2 (01:03:24):
You should have played for me. I love soccer players
because you guys run all day, can't shoot a licks.
You don't mind playing defense. I loved coaching. I couldn't
have all soccer players. I needed some guys that could
shoot it. A little bit.

Speaker 1 (01:03:36):
But the guy that can run all day and play defense.
I played defense and move your feet the way you
guys do in soccer.

Speaker 2 (01:03:43):
I absolutely love.

Speaker 1 (01:03:45):
Did you know Andrew that that when he was playing
at early age and he had a chance to be
a really good soccer player or is it just this
is your son and you just you're gonna help and
and go support him.

Speaker 10 (01:03:59):
So when he im trying to get them to play
soccer or some sport, but I'm a hell is now
he wasn't good and soccer really, Alexandre, he was more
skills for play soccer. But I talked to him, if
you want to, you can try harder. You're gonna try

(01:04:19):
more harder than Alexandro. So so but the limit is
this guy, So you can try.

Speaker 2 (01:04:26):
So where did you grow up.

Speaker 3 (01:04:30):
And play soccer?

Speaker 2 (01:04:30):
But when I was, But but where did you? Why
soccer for you?

Speaker 10 (01:04:36):
And he's like, uh something more like.

Speaker 2 (01:04:42):
You just love the sports?

Speaker 3 (01:04:44):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (01:04:44):
I just I just loved the soccer because my my,
my dad loved the soccer, so that it's my passion.

Speaker 2 (01:04:50):
Do you play indoor as well?

Speaker 3 (01:04:52):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:04:53):
And you can really hear an indoor right, I absolutely
love that.

Speaker 1 (01:04:58):
Let's talk a little bit of about saying, Augustine, prep,
Have they gotten you completely prepared for this next chapter
of your life?

Speaker 9 (01:05:07):
I definitely think so. Coming in as a freshman, I
remember I was really just like lost and with like
the whole idea of college just how high.

Speaker 3 (01:05:16):
School would go.

Speaker 9 (01:05:18):
And I think throughout my four years, I was not
only able to just like learn what it was that
I want to do, but also just learn a lot
of life skills, you know, learn a lot of things
from going to school there. And I really feel like
they've prepared me for this next chapter in my life
because I'm going in there a little nervous because it's
it's obviously a big change in life, but I'm also
excited because it's just an opportunity that you don't get

(01:05:40):
every day, and so I'm just ready to make the
most of it.

Speaker 2 (01:05:42):
So and if this works, how great. If it doesn't,
college is still there for you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:48):
And look and when you read his bio and you
see that Angel has been involved in the Marquette Upward
Bound program.

Speaker 2 (01:05:56):
Angel has explored the world of higher education, is the
first chain.

Speaker 1 (01:06:00):
College bound student and and and valuable insight into college
readiness and future career paths. Not every school I think
in our area gets kids prepared for this and at
least gives you all of these different opportunities.

Speaker 2 (01:06:15):
And when you said look with with this school gave me.

Speaker 1 (01:06:17):
A chance to get in on huddle and to be
able to share this and then all the college prep stuff.
I think it's really important that you've got four or
five different paths that are available to you that I
think is just really rewarding. And if one works out, great,
that's your career.

Speaker 2 (01:06:35):
You know, we'll be watching you play on ESPN and
everybody will be cheering for you.

Speaker 1 (01:06:39):
And if not, then there's a different path. You come
home and and I'm sure that your mom will lets
you live at home again, right.

Speaker 2 (01:06:46):
Yeah, oh yeah that if you did.

Speaker 1 (01:06:54):
If you were going to college, what do you think
you would get involved in? What do you think your
your education would be with?

Speaker 9 (01:07:00):
I would definitely like learn more about business real estate.
I've always found that interesting, Like ever since we moved
into our most recent home, I think just seeing my
dad work around the house, like being able to fix
it and turn it into like our home, it was
it was incredible, and that like.

Speaker 2 (01:07:16):
How does does he know how to do all that
yeah he does.

Speaker 9 (01:07:19):
And the thing is, it's like he's learned how to
do it all by himself, like through his hard word,
just like Lord, is your dad's name, Javier, Javier?

Speaker 1 (01:07:27):
If you're listening, man, yeah, you gotta be so proud
of this kid. You know, trades Is did the show
that that you guys followed or did this show follows?

Speaker 2 (01:07:38):
I do a home.

Speaker 1 (01:07:39):
Improvement show for me tonight, every single day, every single Saturday.
Who's ever in today was Mike Matson, the owner of
color Will Painting. I say, are you guys looking Yes.
Everybody says, Look, if you have anybody at the high
school who's getting out of high school that wants to
start a career, come by, come by me.

Speaker 2 (01:07:58):
We we can. And it's from a like attricians to plumbing,
to roofing to painting to all of it.

Speaker 1 (01:08:03):
And your dad knows how to do all that stuff.
So the business side, keep doing that and then keep
learning from your dad because they you know that that
can save you a ton of money. I've always got
to bring people in to fix anything because I can
do a radio show on it, but I can't do
any of the fixing myself.

Speaker 2 (01:08:20):
That is for sure. When do you leave for Spain
near the end of August?

Speaker 9 (01:08:25):
I'm pretty sure I leave August thirty, So.

Speaker 1 (01:08:28):
You've got you got a little time. Graduations coming up soon.
How are you going to be at graduation?

Speaker 2 (01:08:35):
Are you? Are you excited about that? Or emotional?

Speaker 10 (01:08:39):
Very emotional? This is the first my kids is a graduation.

Speaker 2 (01:08:44):
So you're the oldest. Yeah, you're the oldest.

Speaker 5 (01:08:47):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:08:47):
Two years from now? Am I going to have the
next boy come in?

Speaker 3 (01:08:50):
Send?

Speaker 2 (01:08:50):
Where he is? Is he a good student athlete as well?
We got work to do.

Speaker 10 (01:08:54):
No, I'm I'm just I believe in him, but is
more than I I I think I ask him. Got
a lot of stuff from my kids saying this is
a lot of opportunities for him, and I'm so grateful too.
He's given them these opportunities and some I'm very proud

(01:09:18):
and it's like, I can how say things to God?
How give you this opportunity?

Speaker 3 (01:09:29):
Yes?

Speaker 2 (01:09:29):
You know what? And you're in a safe zone.

Speaker 1 (01:09:31):
We can talk about his faith and talk about how
important that is on this show and how important it
is to you. And you know, the year of last
for the oldest, so last time he's going to play
against Reagan ory the last time he's going to play
against this team.

Speaker 2 (01:09:45):
And it's hard. Man.

Speaker 1 (01:09:46):
I went through with two of them, and being a
parent is a difficult thing. But when you see these kids,
and you see a young man like this who has
already said thank you three times to me and three
times the valerie for getting him this award, you guys
did so good. I get seniors in high school in here,
a lot that won't look.

Speaker 2 (01:10:07):
Me in the eye. They don't smile.

Speaker 1 (01:10:08):
They're like, yeah, too cool for this room, and this
kid not that. And you got to be just really
really proud. And look, he's a great ambassador for your family,
for this school. And when he goes to Spain, he's
got Milwaukee in his heart, He's got the school in
his heart, and you know what he's gonna there's a
lot of temptation. He's eighteen years old, yeah, and he's

(01:10:30):
gonna he's.

Speaker 2 (01:10:31):
Gonna still hear you in his ear, going, don't do that.
Don't be doing that.

Speaker 1 (01:10:35):
And I love the fact that you brought up that
faith was important. It's an important part of your life here, man.

Speaker 9 (01:10:40):
Yet it is I think everything I have in life,
I owe it to God, and it's because of Him
that I am here where I am today, that I
get these opportunities, and it's just it helps me walk
more humbly knowing that God has always been there for
me and God has always blessed me. It's such opportunities,
and it's like, I don't feel like I deserve to

(01:11:04):
be these kinds of things, like cocky or anything like that,
because I mean God gave us this amen to you know,
appreciate him for it and glorify him and everything that
we do. So that's what I always try to do.

Speaker 1 (01:11:16):
Just when you're in Spain, you hear your mom's voice.
She's on the shoulder, right.

Speaker 2 (01:11:20):
She'll be there. No, no, no, no, make your bed before
you go. And she's done it.

Speaker 9 (01:11:27):
Since I turned to the teenager all on my on
my back, just reminded me of what to do.

Speaker 1 (01:11:32):
Yeah, oh yeah, good, good for them. The last line
in his bio, and this tells you everything you need
to know. Go to the current Electric Facebook page with
the last line. Angel Gomez Lopez is a true leader
and his story continues to inspire those around him. Look,

(01:11:52):
you think you're just going about your business every day,
and you know what, because of what you're doing because
of the kid you are. There are people all all
over that school that have their eyes on you. And
when you're at your local pick and Safe store and
you know they're out of something and you're upset, you
know what, there are people there that are going you
know who that is.

Speaker 2 (01:12:11):
You know what he's doing next year in August. You
know what he's done for the school. So keep that
up because you're a role model, whether you want to
be or not.

Speaker 1 (01:12:18):
And it's because of this woman who's sitting between us
and your dad and the lady's sitting behind us, and
the people at Saint Augustine Prep. Guys, the current Electric
Facebook page. He's a really good looking kid and he's
doing great things in our community and he's going to
be a good ambassador for us, his family and St.
Augustine Prep when he goes to Spain to start this

(01:12:41):
professional soccer career. He is Angel Gomez Lopez Kerrent Electric
Superhero the Week.

Speaker 2 (01:12:47):
It's good to meet you.

Speaker 9 (01:12:48):
It's going to meet me too much.

Speaker 2 (01:12:49):
Thanks for coming to the mic. You did good.

Speaker 1 (01:12:51):
You got me a little emotional. No prying on my show.
We're gonna get to a break other side of the break.
The woman who put this all together. We're to spend
some time together. She is Valerie Diaz, and I'm a
huge fan of hers. And I told the boys on
the Baseball Color I go. She scares me a little bit.
I told him the show Walters story. We're gonna talk

(01:13:11):
to Valerie on the other side. It's good to meet you.
It's gonna be hey, the other brother. I'll see you
in two years. You get going in that school work,
and I'll see you in two years. This is the
Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores only on Fox
Sports ninety twenty and your iHeartRadio App.

Speaker 2 (01:13:31):
Welcome back to.

Speaker 1 (01:13:31):
The Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented by your
local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on Fox
Sports ninet twenty your iHeartRadio App. I want to thank
Angel Gomez Lopez, our Kernel Electric Superhero of the Week man.
What an outstanding choice, What a great young man he is.
He's gonna do really good things with his life. And

(01:13:53):
thank you to him and his mom, and thank you
to Valerie Diaz for nominating him as our Kernel.

Speaker 2 (01:13:59):
Electric super of the Week.

Speaker 1 (01:14:01):
Speaking of current Electric I was supposed to have Kendra
on an hour ago, and I completely messed this up. Kendra,
I'm really sorry, and I got your text. I'm like
boy and it's sitting right in front of me, big
bold letters called Kendra. Hey, thank you for a couple
of minutes to your time. Can we talk about the
event that's coming up tonight at your art gallery?

Speaker 5 (01:14:23):
Sure?

Speaker 2 (01:14:24):
Sure, talk to me a little bit about what's going on.

Speaker 1 (01:14:27):
I know I bought my Raffle tickets, but give me
an idea the name of the gallery. You guys are
down on the East Side, I believe on Farewell. Talk
to me about the time it starts in. What's going
on tonight?

Speaker 5 (01:14:39):
Yeah, James make Gallery. We're in our eleventh year, at
the ninth year of our Art of Water show, which
is our beloved show celebrating the beauty and importance of
clean water for all, And tonight we are having a
drawing of over twelve pieces of artwork that were generously

(01:15:01):
donated by artists from all over the country that have
supported and been a part of the galleries since since
the beginning. The event starts at five o'clock and runs
till ten, and the drawing is at eight pm, and
you don't have to be present to win, and you
can buy tickets on the website still, Jamesmaygallery dot com.

(01:15:26):
So it's it's going to be a wonderful event and
we are really grateful for our artists support and grateful
for your support too.

Speaker 1 (01:15:35):
Mike, Well, my grandson turns six today, so I'm going
to a birthday party and I'm really sorry, but you
know his mom, you know, Missus McGivern, who's the teacher
out of the world to go her son turns six,
and I'm going to be at at that birthday party.

Speaker 2 (01:15:52):
But I've bought.

Speaker 5 (01:15:52):
My Happy Birthday thank you.

Speaker 2 (01:15:54):
To little Leah Michael mcgiffern. But I bought my.

Speaker 1 (01:15:58):
Tickets James May Gallery. If you go on their website,
Jamesmaygallery dot com, you get get You gonna be.

Speaker 2 (01:16:06):
Able to see the history, see what's going on.

Speaker 1 (01:16:10):
I know the the the painting that I hope if
you pull mine, I know which one I'm picking. And
I love the fact that you guys are doing this.
I love that that the art of water show clean
water is obviously something that's important to all of us,
and I think what you guys are doing is great
I'm a little surprised that's you're doing this on a

(01:16:31):
night that it's a very big birthday, not only for
my grandson but somebody pretty close to us. Chuck Smith,
the owner at Kern Electric's birthday.

Speaker 5 (01:16:40):
Yes, if the man we know and.

Speaker 1 (01:16:42):
Love, we know and love, and if I could sing,
i would sing Happy birthday to him, but I'm not
going to do it because I was told never sing
in public.

Speaker 2 (01:16:49):
Guys.

Speaker 1 (01:16:50):
From five to ten today, five pm to ten pm.
They're located on Farwell on the east side, right off
of Farwell and North Avenue, across the street, I think
from my Fisher's.

Speaker 5 (01:17:01):
Correct Yes, yes, that's the place.

Speaker 1 (01:17:03):
That is the place from five to ten, come on down.
Their hope is to raise fifty thousand dollars to the
future of the gallery. It's a very important day for
this company and this gallery and they do great work.

Speaker 2 (01:17:17):
Look, we.

Speaker 1 (01:17:18):
Talk a lot about that servant leadership heart when we
talk about the current Electric superhero of the week. But
that's what this gallery has. And look, they give back
a lot to our community and they give a chance
for artists to show their their their work, and I
think that that's really important. James May Gallery The event
starts at five o'clock. It goes till ten o'clock tonight.

(01:17:41):
Go down there, walk through it, buy a couple of
raffle tickets and help support this locally owned company. Kendra,
thank you. I'm so sorry I was late to call you.
This is totally on me. Yeah, I completely betev me.

Speaker 2 (01:17:55):
Yeah you bet.

Speaker 1 (01:17:56):
Thanks for sending me the text because I was so
focused down that Kurt Electric Superhero the week and the
great work that this young man, Angel Gomez Lopez is
doing at our community. Thanks a lot for a couple
of minutes your time. And again, if you go to
that website, it's jamesmain Gallery dot com and there's an
easy way for to buy tickets. If you can't go

(01:18:17):
to the event tonight, you can buy raffle tickets and
you're still in whether you're there or not, So go online,
buy a few tickets and help support this local art gallery. Kendra,
thanks a lot. Make sure you give Chuck a hug
for me and say happy birthday.

Speaker 5 (01:18:31):
Oh I will, I will. Thanks so much, Mike, you got.

Speaker 1 (01:18:34):
It, Kendra, thank you very much. All right, thank you sure,
sorry about that. Valerie Diaz, you've been here for the
whole two hours and thank you. Hey, Angel is everything
you said he was, and maybe a little bit more.
Like I'm telling you, I get a chance, as you do,

(01:18:56):
to deal with high school age seniors a lot and
juniors in high school, and very seldom do you get
a kid that lights up the room when he first
meets you and said, mister mcgivers, thank you so much.
This is such an honor and it shakes my hand
like a man. And I thought, man, okay, I'm gonna
like this kid. And then you put the microphone to
him and boil boy, does he make this school and

(01:19:18):
family proud? Oh?

Speaker 6 (01:19:19):
Yes, one hundred percent.

Speaker 7 (01:19:21):
He From the moment that I met him to today,
I have so much respect for him, the humbleness that
he carries himself with. I work with a lot of
our student athlete recruits, and when I tell you, Angel
has my heart like he goes above and beyond for
the community, for the school, for his family. So proud
of him.

Speaker 1 (01:19:40):
One thing I didn't tell him, and we talked about
this in San Diego is part of this current electric superhero.
The week when I talked to staff at schools, I
asked him, give me a kid that does great work
in the classroom, kid that is very active in the school,
A kid that is active to giving back in our community.
And what senior you guys can to miss the most

(01:20:00):
when they graduate. And when you said, oh me and me,
pick me, I've got one. And we talked a lot
about this young kid, and I couldn't wait to meet him.
And then I read the bio that you guys put
together and I thought, Holy Kyle, this kid's got it
going on. And then I meet his mom and I
get it. You know what she loves. She is loving
up on her son. And she said, look, both me

(01:20:21):
and my husband, we we've done a good job with
these boys.

Speaker 2 (01:20:25):
And I like that. She's going to miss him. Holy Cole,
you guys.

Speaker 5 (01:20:29):
Miss.

Speaker 7 (01:20:32):
I do not believe he will be coming back for
winter break unless we are able to make something happen.
But he will be away for his birthday for the
first time in years.

Speaker 6 (01:20:41):
She's gonna Christmas.

Speaker 2 (01:20:44):
Very She's she's going to be emotional when he gets
on that plane. Yeah, for sure, And I can understand
why because he's a big part of their family and
he helps make that family go. But go to the
current Electric Facebook page take a look at at uh
at our current electric Superhero.

Speaker 1 (01:21:00):
The week, we're going to get to a break the
last segment, we made some good friends in San Diego
and we.

Speaker 2 (01:21:05):
Had some fun.

Speaker 1 (01:21:05):
But we're going to talk about that trip, and I'm
going to ask you what you learned, because I learned
a lot on that trip.

Speaker 2 (01:21:11):
I thought I knew.

Speaker 1 (01:21:13):
I didn't know. I did not know, but I know now.
And I'm hoping my nephew, who's going through that that
boot camp right now, is hanging in there. He's week two. Yeah,
he's got a long way to go. He's got a
long way to go. She is Valerie Diaz again. She
is the assistant director College and Career at Saint Augustine

(01:21:33):
Preparatory Academy. And she's don't hold it against her. She's
the Chicago gal.

Speaker 2 (01:21:38):
By the way, That's okay. We was going to keep
her in the studio.

Speaker 1 (01:21:41):
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores,
only on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show,
presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores.
I want to thank my friends at those stores and
Metro Market stores.

Speaker 2 (01:22:02):
We will get back to doing our.

Speaker 1 (01:22:04):
Pick and Save student Athlete of the Week probably come August,
maybe before that, but come August for sure, and each
week I'll I head out to a different Pick and
Save or Metro Market store the closest to the school
of the Pick and Save student Athlete of the Week.
We got a beautiful plaque for our Pick and Save
Student Athletes a week. And these guys been with me
a long time. They believe in this, this grassroots stuff

(01:22:27):
that I do where we're highlighting, promoting, celebrating student athletes
at the high school level. And I want to thank
everybody at the corporate office for Pick and Save and
Metro Market. Jed and Emily, I just thank you so
much for staying with me for I don't know, it
seems like a zillion years, been doing this a really
long time, and you've been by my side ever since.

(01:22:48):
And I can't thank you enough. Valerie Di has been
with me now the last two hours. Man, you basically
put this whole show together, and I thank you for that. Hey,
the trip that we had to saydgo on the Educator's workshop,
I just tell people we did a US Marine boot
camp and they're like, what I go kind of kind
of some of it was like that. It was a

(01:23:10):
great trip for me. It taught me so much about
what it is to be a marine and why it's
important that we talked to high school kids about that opportunity.
They got a lot of different opportunities and roads they
can go down, but a US Marine Corps is one
of them. How did you feel about the trip?

Speaker 7 (01:23:29):
Oh, it was wonderful. I think it was a great
experience with great people. I don't think it would have
been the same experience had it not been the same
group of people. And I mean Blackwell was phenomenal. I'm
glad that he was our lead in America Captain America. Yeah.
He If we hadn't had him, I think our experience
would have been completely different.

Speaker 1 (01:23:48):
Do you know Collette and Michael had both They they
did a great job they did of guiding us, helping
us when we were doing the detract stuff that we
had to do. And I went first because I was
want to go first because then I can step back
and laugh at other people. Yeah, and our drill instructor

(01:24:09):
was tough when I came out to help you because
we're partners.

Speaker 2 (01:24:11):
Me and you, we're partnering.

Speaker 1 (01:24:14):
And I thought I could come out and maybe carry
one of those forty pound amimal things. And she lit
me up, man, and you were laughing at me, which
is awesome, but it was interesting because she said, no,
she can do this. You get away, get on the
other side of the white line. She doesn't need your help.
And you kind of looked.

Speaker 2 (01:24:29):
At me like I could maybe use a little help.
But the woman scared me, so I jumped out.

Speaker 1 (01:24:35):
But first, but first, lieutime Michael went out and said
to her, hey, remember and she goes, no, I'm fine,
I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing. And she did.
She she tried to hurt us a little bit, but
she didn't succeed. The Milwaukee group ung in there really well,
doing what you do at Saint Augustine. Prep are you telling?

(01:24:55):
Are you talking to kids differently now about the opportunity
and at least to listen to the recruiters from the
US Marine Corps.

Speaker 6 (01:25:03):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:25:04):
So, first and foremost, Porter phenomenal. He as she was
grilling me as we were doing the CFT test, he
was giving me words of encouragement on the other side.
So it really felt like, you know, the angel and
the demon from when I saw and I was just
trying to catch my breath. So I appreciate him.

Speaker 1 (01:25:21):
Okay, by the way, how impressive is he? One day
we're going to go we knew him when? Yes, I
believe that same with with Blackwell because he's moving to
Kansas here in a couple of months. Yeah, and he's
sent a great job in the state of Wisconsin. Collette
has not re upped, and so we're going to have
a new group that we're going to be working with.

(01:25:41):
But man, the recind perier boy did good.

Speaker 6 (01:25:45):
He did really good.

Speaker 7 (01:25:46):
And to come back to what you asked about the
students and the engagement. The moment I returned to school,
the seniors ran up to me, how was your experience,
what did you do? Where have you been? And so
it was a great conversation. This last week, a recruiter
I texted him and asked if he could come meet
with two of the students who were very interested in
moving forward. He came in, had a great presentation with

(01:26:08):
them and it was nice to be able to tag
team with him. Of he gives them the presentation of
what to expect from the Marines, what the requirements are,
and I gave them the perspective of this is what
I went through, and if I could do it, you
can do it.

Speaker 6 (01:26:23):
Granted we didn't do the entire ty.

Speaker 1 (01:26:25):
Yeah, we didn't do Reaper Hill, we didn't do all
of that stuff, but we.

Speaker 2 (01:26:30):
Got a small, a small taste of it. Yeah, and
again I didn't know what I didn't know. I thought
I could, Yeah, you go to boot camp, and then
I had no idea. The music part of it is
one of the parts that I have told one hundred people,
and I've talked.

Speaker 1 (01:26:47):
On this show and I talked last week. I had
no idea how if you can play an instrument, what
that can lead to in the Marine Corps.

Speaker 2 (01:26:56):
I just didn't know that.

Speaker 1 (01:26:57):
And I think it's really important that every part of
what we learned that we continue to be great ambassadors
for our US Marine Corps.

Speaker 6 (01:27:04):
Yeah, no, I agree.

Speaker 7 (01:27:05):
I also did not know that and now and I
think that's the beauty of it, right, Like getting to
do a program like this and getting to connect with Blackwell, Collette.

Speaker 6 (01:27:15):
Hagen is.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
Something else.

Speaker 6 (01:27:18):
I'm going with Porter and even Justin he was.

Speaker 2 (01:27:23):
Up in Appleton. Yeah, he's a good dude.

Speaker 7 (01:27:25):
Yeah, being able to just have this new group that
you can connect with. And I called Harker not that
long ago asking him for advice with the student and
he was so quick to be able to give me
a response. Following them on Instagram, they promote the music
side of it all the time.

Speaker 6 (01:27:39):
Yeah, I didn't realize it.

Speaker 1 (01:27:40):
Well, it's interesting because the I I got on a
conference call with a principal from a high school and
Porter and and and Michael and and I said, I'm
going to put the principal on because he's got some questions.
He said absolutely, and we talked about the music side
of it, because I was just shocked by that and
first of all, how good they were.

Speaker 2 (01:27:59):
They were amazing. In the interview that.

Speaker 1 (01:28:01):
I did with with the sax player, he said, look,
I was going to be a music teacher. And then
I started thinking about do I really want to hear
a six year old or a sixth grader play the
clarinet at eight am every morning? Or do I want
to continue being a musician. And the Marine Corps gave
me that opportunity.

Speaker 2 (01:28:21):
Before we go.

Speaker 1 (01:28:21):
Any further and talk more about our trip, your background
is very impressive to me. You're a young person that
says a lot with your life. Can we talk a
little bit about your background and the education.

Speaker 2 (01:28:32):
That you have.

Speaker 6 (01:28:33):
Yeah, for sure. So I'm Chicago born and raised.

Speaker 7 (01:28:35):
You know, I love myself Ridleyville, some Chicago Cubs, Chicago
White Sox.

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
Oh yeah, you're living in Kenosha.

Speaker 10 (01:28:41):
Now.

Speaker 7 (01:28:42):
I am a Bucks fan now, so I think you
know we're making the change slowly. Still diehard Bears fan.

Speaker 6 (01:28:47):
But yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:28:47):
I had a great opportunity when I was a sophomore
in high school. I tested out of high school and
tested into a college, Dura University's Advantage Academy, so I
was able to graduate at eighteen with my associate's degree
and network system administration computer engineering. From there, I used
to be a figure skater, so my dream was Marquette

(01:29:08):
broke my leg right before starting school, I was on
a figure skating scholarship. Ended up at DePaul and it
was the best thing that could have happened to me.
I graduated within a year with my bachelor's degree. My
credits transferred and doubled, which was phenomenal. I ended up
sitting in the l sat not knowing anything about the
l SAT just knowing that I wanted to go to
law school. I went to law school, absolutely hated it.

(01:29:31):
With one year left to graduate, dropped out. That was
my parents' biggest, you know, gripe with me. So I
dropped out, went back to DePaul, did my master's there
with them, completed my doctorate with them. I'm currently going
in for a certificate.

Speaker 2 (01:29:45):
So, yeah, how old are you?

Speaker 6 (01:29:47):
I am twenty nine now officially.

Speaker 1 (01:29:50):
Unbelievable twenty nine officially with your doctrine and going back.

Speaker 2 (01:29:55):
Yeah, you love school.

Speaker 6 (01:29:57):
Or I've always hated school, but I've been a good student.

Speaker 2 (01:30:00):
You've been really good at it.

Speaker 6 (01:30:01):
I'm good at being a student.

Speaker 7 (01:30:02):
I have my real estate certificate, I have my financial certificate,
data analytics certificate. Like anything that I can do. I
don't like not knowing things. And so if there's something
that I'm really interested in knowing a little bit more of,
I like to do research and if I can get
a certificate behind that, why not.

Speaker 2 (01:30:16):
Why not?

Speaker 1 (01:30:17):
And that's the reason that you wanted to do the
educator's workshop, I'm sure because you wanted to know. Yeah,
if you're going to tell students, here's this is one
of many opportunities that you can look at. You not
only want to go online, but now you want to
go do it. And I watched you.

Speaker 2 (01:30:35):
I can tell you this that.

Speaker 1 (01:30:38):
Blackwell and I have been friends for a long time, right,
and we hung out a lot in San Diego, and
I would sit up in the front seat and I
told him and our group, and our group was great
by the way, Darky laughed at everything I said. Anthony
made me laugh. Kelly was great. Jeffrey, I have Jeff.
I haven't gotten in yet, but jeff if you're listening,

(01:30:58):
we're going to have you come in to golf and
then I want to talk to you about the trip
to San Diego. Now former golf coach and a teacher
at Leamira. But I told him in our group and
I love everybody, but I thought you were the queen
bee for them, And it was because of the passion
you have for the school and your community, and and
the fact that you know a lot of people and

(01:31:20):
you are very active and you're willing to jump in
and the things that you can do if you believe
in the Marine Corps mission, that what you can do
for kids to give them the opportunity. I think is endless,
and he agreed with me. Everybody was very important on
that trip, but I pinpointed early on here that you

(01:31:41):
were the one. And when we sat outside of the
museum and I told you about the shows I do,
and you lit up and you were like, we got
to talk market baseball, We got a club, You got
to meet this current act super of the week. You
got We're going to be friends for a long time.
And I'm going to lean on you for the Saint
Augustine from I don't get a lot of people that
are willing to help me with the stuff that I

(01:32:04):
do in the city, and I have you now, And
you know, I don't know how long Coach show Walter
is going to be doing the stuff he does at
Saint Augustine Prep, but he speaks very highly of the
work that's being done in that building, and you do
and I get it now. Look, you talked when we
were there about the people running the school, and you're

(01:32:25):
a big fan of the people that run Saint Augustine Prep.

Speaker 7 (01:32:28):
Oh yeah, from the moment I stepped foot there. So
I come from working in operations in Chicago during COVID
really decided I'm going into education, started working at Colleges Alverno,
then Carthage, and then I transitioned into Saint Augustine. And
from the moment that, like my boots were on the
ground with them, the amount of genuine care that our
senior leadership has, the Ramier's Family Foundation has for our students, it's.

Speaker 6 (01:32:53):
Great to see.

Speaker 7 (01:32:53):
You don't always see it in the schools, And how
how much they value the importance of not only the
college prep portion of it all, but like life prep
and making sure that they're ready and they're good humans, right.
And so from the moment that I started working there,
my team of seniors, I taught the senior class last
year and I absolutely love all one hundred and eight

(01:33:16):
of them. They are my adopted kids, they are my
adopted siblings.

Speaker 2 (01:33:20):
This graduation is going to be hard for you emotionally.

Speaker 6 (01:33:22):
This one is going to end one hundred and thirty
of them.

Speaker 2 (01:33:25):
It's going to be hard. Hey, new facility.

Speaker 1 (01:33:27):
They bought a Cardinal Stretch and Saint Augustine Prep will
have a up and running school in that space.

Speaker 7 (01:33:35):
When do you think the North campus. I believe it's
not to open fall twenty twenty six soon soon.

Speaker 2 (01:33:41):
Are you going to be part of that. Are you
up on that campus?

Speaker 7 (01:33:44):
I will be cross collaborating with them in terms of
college and career is my understanding. But I will be
here at the south Side campus. That is where my
heart is.

Speaker 1 (01:33:54):
Hey, we've only got a minute left. But your job
of helping kids decide what the next chapter is? Is it
a difficult thing to talk to kids who might not
be prepared for a four year college, maybe a two
year or a trade school or military.

Speaker 2 (01:34:17):
Are kids open to having that conversation with you?

Speaker 6 (01:34:20):
They are?

Speaker 7 (01:34:20):
And I will say I have a phenomenal team of
I believe it's eight of us in the college and
career space, each one building relationships. Our relationship with the
student is first and foremost. So as we build that
relationship with them from K four all the way up
to twelfth grade, we are really pushing to get to
know what their interests are, what their dislikes are, how
can we help them? And I am able to talk

(01:34:43):
to students in a manner of this was my experience,
and this was everything I went through. Tell me about yourself,
tell me what you want.

Speaker 1 (01:34:50):
How important is it for you to be present? How
important is it for you to go to to watch
angel play soccer once in a while, or we'll go
watch and let these kids know, or they're in a band,
or they're in a play. How important is it for
somebody like you to be present?

Speaker 6 (01:35:05):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (01:35:06):
The first question I asked my students when I started
teaching the class was what do you need from me
as a member of this school, and not that I
am Montanis I mentioned earlier, said I need you to
show up for me because no one shows up, And
so that I took it personally, and I will show
up to any and every game that he invites me to.
And I tell all my students all the time, if
you invite me, I will be there. If you don't

(01:35:27):
invite me, then I know it's not going to be
a good game.

Speaker 2 (01:35:29):
Yeah, don't invite me.

Speaker 3 (01:35:31):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (01:35:32):
Man.

Speaker 1 (01:35:33):
I hope that you understand the kind of impact that
you're having. And I don't know if you do, but
I hope that you do. One day and you and
people have come up to you, I'm sure it said
thank you. You put me on the right path for
a career or for a life.

Speaker 2 (01:35:51):
Please keep doing what you're doing. We don't have enough
of you. Enough people like you that have that ministry
kind of feel and that mission feel of making sure
that these kids have every opportunity that everybody else in
the country has. But let's make sure that they know
other opportunities and get them going. Valerie Dias, I'm a
big fan. I'm a fan.

Speaker 6 (01:36:12):
I'm a fan of you.

Speaker 1 (01:36:13):
Well, I appreciate that, and we are friends and we
will be friends for a long time. If there's anything
I can do for you, not a don't have Julian
call me cause you some guy to say no to him,
not coaching baseball for him, but anything that you need.

Speaker 2 (01:36:26):
Thank you so much, Spencer. He did a great job.

Speaker 1 (01:36:29):
A lot of movie parts today and you're right, you
are the producer of the year at.

Speaker 2 (01:36:34):
Least on this show. Yeah, there you go. This is
the Varsity Blitz high school sports show is always presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores,
only on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.