Full Show - 8/2/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, August 2nd, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome into the Varsity Blitz. High school sports show is
always presented by your local Pick and Save and Metro
Market stores. Coming on the Fox Sports nine twenty and
your iHeartRadio app. Coming live from the Donovan and Jorgensen
Heating and Cooling Studios at nine Taylor and John Peter
are gonna join me. We're gonna talk about a camp,
a girls basketball camp going on tomorrow that Taylor's doing

(00:23):
with Ballgame Athletics at ten twenty Man, We're going really
different on this show, ty Chi. We're talking with with
Ray Gates and Tracy Douglas Wisconsin Tychi Academy. Next week.
We're transitioning into high school football this week. And look,
our first high school football game of the week on

(00:44):
my twenty four is Arrowhead against Marquette. And so we're
gonna be talking a little bit about Arrowhead football coming
up in a couple of weeks and try to get
their head football coach come on, and it should be
fun Arrowheads more than just football, basketball, baseball. I can
tell you that their track program. Look, when you talk

(01:04):
about some of the best programs in any sport in
the state of Wisconsin, the Arrowhead track program has got
to be in the conversation because of all the success
they've had recently, and got a chance to talk to
their coach. Talk to a guy whose son is in
studio with me and three years ago he was telling

(01:25):
me about watch out, this kid's going to do some
great things in the world of track and field, and
he certainly has. And I've got five track members. We've
got a mom here. She's like, you do not put
me on by the microphone. In fact, she didn't want
to come in. She was like, no, I'll stand outside
the studio. Don't worry. We're going to talk to these
student athletes. The first segment, we're talking with Ryan Heiman

(01:47):
and at least Trader Lease. You're a big time pole vaulter.

Speaker 2 (01:52):
Huh yep.

Speaker 1 (01:54):
Number one of the state's state record holder and nationally ranked. Yes,
my goodness, good for you. Do you know I think
pole vaulters you're crazy, right, So you're kind of you're
a little bit touched. You're going to be a senior,
So you want stayed as a sophomore? Ye one state
as a junior. Yes, here, were right. There's been no pressure,

(02:16):
no pressure, but to go back to back it's great,
but the three peete. Everybody's coming after you, kiddo. Tell
me how long have you been pole vaulted.

Speaker 3 (02:25):
I've been vaulting for four years now, so yeah, ever
since seventh grade?

Speaker 1 (02:31):
Really?

Speaker 4 (02:32):
Uh huh?

Speaker 1 (02:32):
Did you fall in love with there right away?

Speaker 4 (02:34):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:35):
You did?

Speaker 2 (02:36):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (02:36):
What about that sport? Because I find that there are
certain sports that I think the people are crazy that
do it. What about that sport made it so attractive
for you?

Speaker 5 (02:49):
Well?

Speaker 3 (02:49):
I came from a gymnastics background, right, so it was
an easy transfer and.

Speaker 4 (02:56):
It just looks super fun. So I was like, I
want to try.

Speaker 1 (02:59):
Did you think think when you think about back when
you first started. If I said to you at that
point one day you're going to be on my radio
show and you're going to be a back to back
stag champion and nationally ranked in pole vault, would you
have said, yeah, I can see that.

Speaker 3 (03:13):
No, I would not have a like right away no,
but then maybe two years ago?

Speaker 4 (03:18):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (03:21):
Really quickly? What what do you think makes a good
pole vaulter? Like? What is it? Is it all the
work you put in? Are you in the weight room
a lot?

Speaker 6 (03:29):
No?

Speaker 4 (03:30):
Not a lot?

Speaker 1 (03:30):
Not a lot? What makes a good pole vaulter is
it is it to have no fear the timing of it.
I had coordination to be able to to as you're
running full bore to put that that that vault, that
the stick where it needs to be.

Speaker 4 (03:48):
It's definitely a lot of speed that goes in.

Speaker 1 (03:50):
There's a lot of speed.

Speaker 4 (03:51):
Uh huh. So I mean as much of a technique.

Speaker 2 (03:54):
Sport it is.

Speaker 3 (03:55):
You have to have like the speed and athletic to
get the poll moving. And then the higher level you
get it more comes down to your technique and the
little things that, oh maybe I can do this part
of my vault a little bit better and then I'll
get a little bit higher.

Speaker 1 (04:15):
What is your what is your highest what's the state record?

Speaker 4 (04:19):
So thirteen eight and a half.

Speaker 1 (04:22):
And was it thirteen eight prior to you doing thirteen
eight and a half?

Speaker 4 (04:25):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (04:25):
Really good? Was thirteen thirteen eight and a half this year?

Speaker 3 (04:29):
Last year or so last year was twelve nine and
then this year I just got thirteen eight and a half.

Speaker 1 (04:36):
And that was the state tournament.

Speaker 4 (04:38):
You did that, so Drine state.

Speaker 3 (04:41):
I did not do that. That was I got twelve
six Duran State. But my room so big meat erahad
track puts on was when I hit thirteen eight?

Speaker 1 (04:52):
Did you have win behind your back? Or what made
you like? Were you even surprise you went thirteen eight? Um?

Speaker 4 (04:59):
Little, but I knew I could do it?

Speaker 1 (05:01):
And how close here? You? You want fourteen, don't you? Yeah?
I can just I don't know anything about your sport,
but I can see that that's what you're hoping for, Ryan,
him and how you been wonderful. I tried to vote
for you today as the National Track Athlete of the Year.
I just need to find out what my Facebook passport is.
Maybe you can help me with that because I'm an

(05:23):
old grandfather of six. Hey, Ryan, are you a multi
sport athlete? Yeah? I'm also in football. You are. I'll
see you in a couple of weeks at Hard Park.
What position you're playing? Football?

Speaker 7 (05:33):
Receiver and kick returner?

Speaker 1 (05:35):
Yeah that's a pretty boy. Come on, man, get on
the line, start hitting people. I'm just kidding. Not big
enough to play arrowheads line? How's the football team going
to be?

Speaker 8 (05:43):
You think we're looking really good right now? Everyone's staying
healthy and hopefully can say that way.

Speaker 1 (05:49):
A big I'm a big coach Harris fan. He's him
and I have been friends for a long time, and
he's a good dude, and he's he gives you a
lot of Lou Holtz kind of and you don't know
who that is. He used to be a coach in
Notre Dame. They could be ranked number one in the
country and they'd go, how you guys, guys going to
do this week and play a team that is one win.
He'd be like, that's the greatest team I've ever we've
ever played, and I don't think we're I think we'll

(06:11):
be lucky to get a win. But when he when
when coach Harris says, we got a chance to be
pretty good, that tells me as a guy who's on
the sidelines and talking high school football, the guy a
chance to be pretty good. Great year for track and
field for you. Huh? That was good? Yeah, it was
really good. It was really good. Did you know going
in and you're you're going to be a senior? Correct? Yeah,

(06:32):
so you're a junior. Last year was your junior year?
Did you know going in that you that that this
team had a chance to be really good? Yeah, definitely.

Speaker 8 (06:41):
I mean, we have all the pieces, we're all pretty young,
and we got another year under us. But I mean,
with Logan Hicks being gone from last year like we did,
there was a lot of uncertainties coming into this year.
But I mean we knew we had the talent for it,
and we were right there the entire year.

Speaker 1 (06:57):
Took second in state third, actually insane. Who beat you?

Speaker 8 (07:02):
I believe homes I got second and they beat us
by one point, and then the pier got first and
they beat us by two points.

Speaker 1 (07:08):
That's hard, right, Yeah. Track and field is one of
those sports that it's very individual, but it's team and
I find that. I find that really interesting. Old basketball coach, right,
I find the individual side of it is and then
the team part of it is a really different dynamic
for a guy like me because I'm used to all team, right,

(07:30):
and and track and field, you guys are individuals. But
then like the relay that you're on, right, is it
four by four by two? Four by two? How good
did that team do?

Speaker 8 (07:41):
So we broke our state record again for the third time.

Speaker 1 (07:44):
For the third time, and those other three guys they're like,
let him go first. They're sitting over here laughing at us,
and they're smiling, thinking I don't have to talk yet,
but they're coming just so you know, did you know
is this the same team that you guys have had
the let that that group was just the first nest
year that these four have run together.

Speaker 8 (08:02):
Well, it's the first year that these exact four have
been together. But me, Harper and Press we were together
last year. And then we also had Jackson Schultz on there. Okay,
but he was a senior, so he's gone. And then
now we got Trey Rash's man.

Speaker 1 (08:15):
I know that name, but the only because of the
basketball side of it, and the kick can see that
kick can play a little bit. Yeah, yeah, I think
if he if he could go, if he could hit
a jump shot, he'd be a really good player. But
he needs to shoot the ball more. Coach Hods, he's
listening to going McGivern. Don't tell that kid to shoot more.
He's really good. Did you guys? So you've broken the

(08:36):
state record the last three years.

Speaker 8 (08:38):
On this not the last three years. So we broke
it last year and then we broke it in prelimbs
of this year and then in finals again this year.

Speaker 1 (08:45):
Hey, do you guys also then you guys run in
different not just here in the state, right you guys travel?
Did you guys win the Nike one.

Speaker 8 (08:55):
Yeah, so we didn't win the four by two, but
we did win the four by one at Nike.

Speaker 1 (09:00):
Unbelievable on a national basis, Right, did you guys go
in knowing the numbers that you guys have have run.
If you guys do that, you have a chance to
win it? Or do you do any like scouting? Like, Okay,
that team's from markets On, they're really fast, you do
that stuff? Yeah, you're all smiling. I mean we were all.

Speaker 8 (09:19):
In on this Hastings team from Minnesota for the four
by two because they were the one team set ahead
of us, okay, and like we were just pretty much
looking at all their times and you know, we definitely
thought we could get them. But I mean we were
right there with them the whole time.

Speaker 1 (09:34):
Were you guys the one seed in the four by
one hundred?

Speaker 8 (09:36):
No, we were like we were like the eighth or
something like we were not that good of a seed.
And then we were performed way better than we were seated,
and then.

Speaker 1 (09:45):
Yeah, I guess way better. Do you know, nobody was
looking at you guys with fear and they will now
for sure at least do you travel too, and do
you go on some of these the all over the
country to do this.

Speaker 5 (09:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 4 (09:56):
So I went to Nike Nationals as well.

Speaker 1 (09:59):
How'd you do?

Speaker 2 (10:00):
Good?

Speaker 4 (10:00):
I got first for pole vault?

Speaker 1 (10:02):
Of course you did? Oh my good? Are you a
good student athlete? How are the grades?

Speaker 4 (10:07):
Yeah, they're they're good.

Speaker 1 (10:09):
Do I ask everybody Ryan? How the grades are in
this group? Yeah?

Speaker 8 (10:13):
I mean I'm sure we all got pretty good grades.

Speaker 1 (10:15):
And you're good? Yeah? Yea, hopefully do you at least
you do you get Are you being recruited right now?

Speaker 9 (10:21):
Uh?

Speaker 4 (10:21):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (10:22):
Yeah? If you could go to any have you made
a decision.

Speaker 4 (10:25):
Yet, No, I have not.

Speaker 1 (10:27):
If you could close your eyes at night, put your
head on the pillow and go this is the if
of all schools in the country, if I could, if
they would offer, I would go there. What's the school?

Speaker 4 (10:38):
Oh, it's hard.

Speaker 3 (10:40):
It comes down to what schools have the coaches and
because not every school has a po volt program.

Speaker 4 (10:46):
Okay, but I would probably say Tennessee.

Speaker 1 (10:49):
Okay, the Valves. Right. Have you been on campus there? Yes,
I have, if you get a chance. I used to
work with a guy that said, there's nothing like a
Saturday night football game at Tennessee. You every chance to
go to one of those, because he said, any kid
that's thinking about coming to school there, if they go
to a Saturday night football game, they're coming to Tennessee.
It's that much fun. Ryan, How about you recruiting for

(11:12):
track and field football? What's going on with.

Speaker 8 (11:14):
All the Well, last year I didn't play much in football,
so like the opportunities are very limited for that.

Speaker 1 (11:21):
Yep.

Speaker 8 (11:22):
But track, I'm getting some looks right now from a
couple of different colleges and still deciding on what I
want to If.

Speaker 1 (11:28):
You close your eyes at that in of the pill
where would you go?

Speaker 8 (11:31):
Well, I mean I was it would be Tennessee. That's
where I've always wanted to go. But not just because
she said that, but I've always wanted to go there
ever since I was a little kid. But I don't
know realistically, somewhere like Saint Thomas or Lacrosse would be nice.

Speaker 1 (11:47):
You know what we get guys, if you look this
young man up, Ryan Hymen h E I m an
you can still vote for the next five days as
the national track Athlete of the Year that gets Tennessee's attention.
So to my listeners, here's what I wanted you to
do go on Facebook. Go on you can go on Twitter.
Where do you find it? I found it on Facebook?

Speaker 8 (12:09):
Yeah, either one on Facebook?

Speaker 1 (12:10):
Twitter? Yeah. I know your password though, know your password
because coach and I both are like password. I don't know.
Once I get home, I'll be able to vote. I'm
telling you right now, I think you're in fifth place.
So I would love for this audience to move you
up to two three one maybe because that's when Tennessee
starts to notice, and I would I would love for

(12:31):
that to happen. Hey, how long have you been involved
in track? And what made you? What made you fall
in love with that sport?

Speaker 8 (12:38):
So I've always hated track, to be honest.

Speaker 1 (12:42):
Through honesty. That's awesome. You still don't though, right? No, okay, good?
Your coach is over there shaking his head. He's gonna
work you on hard after this boy.

Speaker 8 (12:52):
Throughout middle school, I was always a miler and an
eight hundred runner, and I was pretty good at that.
I mean I had like the my middle school school
records for like the mile on the eight hundred.

Speaker 1 (13:01):
Of course you did.

Speaker 8 (13:01):
And then I came into high school and then I
ran the four hundred and then sophomore year is when
I ran my first hundred, and that was pretty good.
And that's when I started running like the short distances.
But I would say I've been running track my entire life,
but I haven't, like, actually started taking it serious until
the sophomore year in high school.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
What makes do you like running the relays more than
individual Well?

Speaker 8 (13:25):
I like him both because I like running with my teammates.
But I also like running the individual events because I
just like beating my own prs.

Speaker 1 (13:33):
So I have a grandson. There'll be a sophomore at
late country Lutheran and his parents made him run cross
country last year. You would hate cross country, by the way,
if you hated running, and he did not. He went
into that thing kicking and screaming and fell in love
with it. He lettered as a freshman. I've got to
go buy him new shoes. That's what If he's listening
to Keygan, I'm coming, I got it. We'll do it

(13:55):
next week. But he kind of likes the long distance thing,
so he knows he's got to get out and run
and get and and and beat his times. How do
you get faster and and and is it harder to
do it on an individual basis or I would think
the team part. I've got a feeling that I would
drop that baton. Man. I just got to how much

(14:16):
do you practice with that? So a couple of questions,
how do you get faster? Is it all weight room
stuff or is it all working you know, individually on
your own? How do you get faster?

Speaker 8 (14:25):
Well, I think a big part of getting faster is
just staying consistent with your workouts. Coach Hereiott does a
great job with keeping that consistent throughout the season. But
also like eating right and nutrition is also a big part.
Like during the season, that's a big part of what
we do and that makes us faster also. But weight

(14:47):
room is definitely a thing too. You gotta get in
the weight room. Yeah, get stronger.

Speaker 1 (14:51):
The other guys in studio and I'll get to them.
Are they all multi sport athletes?

Speaker 8 (14:57):
So, yeah, Trey is a basketball player, Harper plays football
and then press is just one hundred percent track.

Speaker 1 (15:02):
Yeah, we got some questions for him. I'm going to
get him to play football this year. Yeah, yeah, no,
I'm not. I can't at all. Hey, guys, I'm going
to ask you your favorite memory and then we're gonna
get to a break because we've got to get to
these other guys, and I should have given you a
heads up. Favorite memory so far of being part of
this track program at Arrowhead, Ryan, let me start with you,

(15:24):
what would that be for you?

Speaker 8 (15:26):
Well, I gotta say definitely the hotel at State. I
mean that's I love that. It's a great team experience
and just hanging out with all my friends. Definitely still
some nerves in before State, but hanging out with them
makes it better.

Speaker 1 (15:41):
That's awesome. At least, how about you?

Speaker 3 (15:44):
I would say winning state for the second time because
it was with all of my best friends.

Speaker 4 (15:49):
So winning state is a team, yes, as a team.

Speaker 3 (15:51):
As a team, it was Yeah, it was so fun
doing it with all those girls too.

Speaker 1 (15:57):
I'm going to ask the three the three guys that
are coming to I don't want to tip them off,
but what's interesting to me is, again this is a
very individual sport that you guys are in your answers
off the top of your head. Because you know I
was going to ask this question, was hotel hanging out
with my team? Winning State is a team? You could
have said, well, are you kidding me? Breaking the state

(16:19):
record again? I'm the state record holder, that could have
been your answer. But what I love about this whole
idea of being this team and not the individual part
is your answer and your answer, and that tells me
the culture of the program. Really good, really good guys.
We're going to get to a break. Who's the funny one?

(16:39):
Then the next three guys coming. What do you think? Yes,
all right, we'll start with Press. Would you say hi
to your dad for me? He's a really good dude.
He is so proud of you. He was proud of
you three years and he told me, watch out. This
kid's he's really good and he's I know. He tells
you to clean your room a little bit, get home
a little earlier, get mywatch. I can tell you behind

(17:01):
your back. He says great things. He's really proud of
the young man that you are. For sure. What's the
chance me get your mom come into the microphone? None? Right,
She's like she wouldn't even come in studio. I love
that at least. Congratulations Ryan, It's really good to meet you, guys,
really good to see you. We'll talk to Press and
Harper and Trey on the other side of the break.
This is the Varsity Blitz High school Sports show presented

(17:24):
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
only on Fox Sports nine twenty in your iHeart Radio app.
And welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports
show as always presented by my friends at your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Coming from the
Donovan to Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios. Any issues you
have with your HVAC system or join their maintenance program.

(17:47):
They'll come out twice a year under two hundred bucks
for the year. They'll come out and make sure your
furnace is ready to go, make sure your ac is
is working well, and they'll take good care of the
large just employee owned HVAC company in the state of Wisconsin.
Go to Donovan Jorgensen dot com. So we're talking to
Arrowhead Track and guys, you've heard me say this the

(18:10):
last few years, one of the best all around programs
in the state of Wisconsin. Any sport. When the kind
of success that this program keeps having on the boys
side and the girls side is really really impressive. And
we're talking to a couple of track members. It was
great to talk to at least and meet Ryan and
talk to Ryan. We now have Press, Harper and trey

(18:32):
On and President. So let's start with you. So I
thought Press was short for Preston. It's Presley? Is your name?
Had a boy? Hey, come to the microphone if you can. Hey,
talk to me a little bit about how long you've
been running track?

Speaker 6 (18:45):
Ah?

Speaker 10 (18:45):
So I started track freshman year of high school. Didn't
really do it before.

Speaker 1 (18:49):
But did you fall in love with it right away?

Speaker 10 (18:52):
It's one of those things where you kind of just
got to get used to it. It's hard to work,
you know, so it's not easy at first, but once
you kind of get into your groove.

Speaker 7 (19:00):
I love it now.

Speaker 1 (19:00):
It's a great team sport, right, fantastic. I used to
do a TV segment for a show called Around the
Corner with John McGivern, and I would go around and
do segments in communities all over the state and talk
about a high school sport. I talked to a kid
who there was one program as a track program, and
he was a senior and joined that year, and I said,

(19:22):
what made you do it? He goes, I just wanted
to get more involved and do as many things as
I could, And he goes, can I tell you something?
I said, yeah, He goes, I am so upset that
I didn't do this my freshman year. He goes, I've
played all these sports at this high school, and I
fell in love with just being part of this track team.
He said, there's something different about being part of this team,

(19:42):
and I don't know that because I never coached it,
never did it. What would you say to that? Do
you agree with that?

Speaker 10 (19:47):
Honestly, there's nothing like being on a track team with
your friends and stuff like compared to any other sport.
I'd say it's honestly more of a team sport than anything.
A lot of people don't know that.

Speaker 1 (19:57):
I don't. I think it's an individual sport like wrestling, right,
Wrestling is a team sport. And prayers by the way,
speaking of Arrowhead wrestling Ben Askern, who is still fighting
some health issues, and it was boy, he had really sick,
huge into into wrestling, and prayers go out to him
and let's get him as healthy as possible. But but

(20:20):
I feel like track is more individual, and you're telling
me it's not.

Speaker 10 (20:25):
So like mainly our relays, that's where that's where it's
really you really start the bond. So I mean, we're
all training together the off season and working working out together,
and that's where it really starts to get fun.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
Hey, Trey resh, I grabbed the microphone and it moves.
You're gonna have to hold it. Look, you're a basketball player,
been playing basketball for a long time, really good basketball player.
By the way, you play, right, you travel all over
you're playing. Uh you travel with? What? Who do you
play au with or playground club? Okay, so you you've
been on basketball teams for a long time. You've been

(20:59):
on track teams for a while.

Speaker 6 (21:01):
Well, I did track in middle school and I broke
a lot of school records in Sussex where I went
to school, So I mean I always knew I was
fast as little, so I kind of got me in
the track.

Speaker 1 (21:09):
And what's more of a team sport? Do you think?
What would you say to that? Because it's so odd
to meet Tricky. I'm used to being in the basketball
locker room. We got twelve guys and you know, there's
no iron team, but there isn't me. Let's get rid
of that that kind of stuff. But track and field
for me seems more individual. Yet Prez who was you know,
He's gonna convince me it's more of a team sport.

Speaker 6 (21:31):
Yeah, I definitely think. I mean, when I started getting
into track, like I thought it was individual sport. Like
I it was like I want to do individual stuff.
But as soon as I got to high school and
started doing realize with these guys, it was like, man,
this is really a team sport. And before races at State,
you know, we're in the hotel room talking like we're
all together, all all the teammates are together, and just

(21:52):
felt like a team sport.

Speaker 1 (21:53):
So, man, that's awesome. Hey, let's go over to Harper Hughes.
What's going on and how you doing. That's good to
see you if you yeah, that's gonna stay there. But
then it comes to your trade moves. Hey, Harper, how
long you've been involved in track and field?

Speaker 9 (22:06):
So I really started freshman year, but I did a
bit in middle school. I ran a couple four hundreds,
but I really started a freshman year.

Speaker 1 (22:13):
And you're going into your senior year, Yes, sir, did
you know going in this year that that that especially
this group had a chance to do some great things.

Speaker 9 (22:22):
I knew with the guys that were returning, I think
we definitely had a chance at doing some great things,
but we definitely had to work hard during the offseason
and during the year to be able to do that.

Speaker 1 (22:32):
And so you were track and field is your sport?

Speaker 7 (22:34):
Uh, No, I do football.

Speaker 1 (22:36):
You do football football as well? You don't do football. Nope,
your track is just president. This is it's it. Yeah, first,
did I get you to you know, you as a
football coach? You want your boys coming out to play football?
You had no interest?

Speaker 6 (22:50):
No?

Speaker 7 (22:50):
I actually actually uh played every year until this year.

Speaker 1 (22:56):
Really really no longer my favorite in here. No longer
you're my favorite. What what what made you decide you
didn't want to play football?

Speaker 10 (23:04):
I really just wanted to start cracking down on track
because that's really where I found my interest.

Speaker 7 (23:07):
And I, you know, see myself.

Speaker 1 (23:09):
I just gotta I just got a text from Harris
saying they tell him I'm coming to his house this afternoon.
I didn't get a text from that. Hey, Harper, what
tell me what you run into? You do realize, obviously,
because that's what we're talking about. What else?

Speaker 9 (23:22):
So I mainly do the four one four two, and
then I do the open two.

Speaker 1 (23:27):
Hey, do you agree with me that people that pole
Vaulter a little bit touched up in the head?

Speaker 9 (23:31):
Yeah? I could I could, I could not do it
at least, but that at least you know she's the
toughest one here. Right, Yeah, I'm I'm scared of a ladder,
so doing.

Speaker 1 (23:40):
Harper Hughes is scared of a ladder? Hey, what makes this?
What makes this relay team so good? And and look
you have to trust each other? Hey, what which number
are you? By the way, So when you who's one,
who's two? And who's three? Four? And when you guys run,
who's the first?

Speaker 9 (23:58):
Well, for for Stay it was the third, and then
Press would lead it off, give it to either it
was Trey, Okay, was last?

Speaker 1 (24:09):
Who decides Who's who's one, two, three four? Coach? Yeah,
do you guys ever have that conversation like, look, maybe
I won't lead off today.

Speaker 9 (24:18):
No, we know Press is the best off the blocks.

Speaker 1 (24:21):
He he always gets you. Does he gets you a lead?

Speaker 11 (24:24):
Yeah?

Speaker 7 (24:24):
He gets us a great lead.

Speaker 1 (24:27):
Pressed, when you said, look, I want to concentrate, do
you feel like that you you want to run track
at the next level.

Speaker 10 (24:33):
It's definitely something I'm looking into, kind of seeing all
my options right now.

Speaker 7 (24:38):
So if if something didn't, uh.

Speaker 1 (24:40):
Let me guess, Tennessee, I guess so I guess you
guys can all just hang out together and and and
live at Tennessee. Where would you watch your school of choice?
You know?

Speaker 10 (24:54):
Honestly, I don't know. I'll be honest, No, I have
no clue. If you're like, what school would you go to?
I could not tell you.

Speaker 1 (25:00):
What else do you run? Other than the relays?

Speaker 7 (25:02):
I run the hundred?

Speaker 1 (25:03):
Okay? And and how'd you doing that?

Speaker 7 (25:05):
Pretty good?

Speaker 1 (25:06):
How good?

Speaker 7 (25:07):
I got a pr?

Speaker 1 (25:08):
This year's good for you? How'd you do in state
in the hundred?

Speaker 7 (25:11):
I wasn't in the hundred at stage?

Speaker 1 (25:12):
Okay? This is the coming year. You will be because
you because you're not playing football, you get exastrate on it. Harper,
how about you? What what what is the after your
senior year? What's the what's the goal?

Speaker 9 (25:24):
I'm playing football in college? You know I'm going to
Western Michigan.

Speaker 1 (25:29):
Congratulations, that's awesome. Good for you. What position you play football?

Speaker 5 (25:34):
Play?

Speaker 7 (25:34):
Receiver?

Speaker 1 (25:35):
Yeah? All those hey with without the holes? Who's going
to throw the wall to you?

Speaker 9 (25:38):
This? I got Nolan Hanson. He's got a cannon.

Speaker 1 (25:40):
He does you can spend it a little bit, well,
and I'll see that. Look, I'll be on I'm gonna
be on the other sidelines for that because it's at
hard parks. I'll be in the markets sidelines as well.
I'll be talking about you. If you drop it or
you fumble, I'm gonna go five minutes ripping. You don't
be doing that for sure. Hey, if we can move
it to trade basketball in the going to be your future?

(26:02):
Do you think is track and field? What?

Speaker 9 (26:04):
What?

Speaker 1 (26:04):
Because you got you got two more years, right, Yeah,
you're going into your junior year. Yep. What do you think?
Because I look, I hear a lot about you on
the basketball court, So you got some opportunities to play
at the next level. What's the goal?

Speaker 6 (26:18):
Honestly, I mean it really just depends on how like
I do in either sport, Like if I have more
opportunities in track or basketball, Like I pretty much love
him both equally, So I mean it'd be hard to
decide which.

Speaker 1 (26:30):
Track helps you as as a basketball player obviously, because
you can run all day. Does basketball help you in track?

Speaker 6 (26:36):
I think it helps me, Like, you know, when I'm
running two hundreds with the guys sometimes, you know, Ryan
always talk about like I don't really get tired because basketball,
you know, there's a lot of a lot of running.

Speaker 1 (26:46):
You bet yeah. And and coach has he gets you
guys on the line every once in a while, right,
gets you running line drills to making sure that because
the offense he runs, he needs for you guys to
be able to get down the floor a little bit
and knock down some shots. Student athlete, you do pretty
well in the classroom, all you guys, I'm worried about you. Press,
You're you're okay in the classroom. Man, I got to

(27:09):
pick on somebody to be the guys that let it happened. Harper,
how about you pretty good in the classroom?

Speaker 9 (27:16):
I got good?

Speaker 1 (27:16):
Yeah, that's good. Hey, let's go back to this favorite memory.
You guys had now an opportunity to think about this impressed.
I'm going to start with you. You guys have made
a lot of great memories with this program. Your favorite
memory of being part of this program? What would you
think so far it is?

Speaker 10 (27:31):
I'd probably say, uh, us as a team winning nationals?

Speaker 1 (27:35):
Honestly, how fun was that?

Speaker 7 (27:37):
Oh my gosh, that was awesome.

Speaker 1 (27:38):
And because you guys were like seated eight or something
and came out of nowhere right, how good was the competition?
It had to be some of the best teams in
the country. It was it was wasn't held by the way,
It wasn't organ Okay, oh nice trip. Oh yeah, you
wouldn't mind going there to run track. Maybe not at
that level, but that'd be a fun place to go, right.

(28:01):
Definitely when you after you guys won that thing, that
that joy had to be incredible.

Speaker 7 (28:06):
Oh my gosh, it was awesome.

Speaker 10 (28:08):
I remember running over to Trey because he was our
anchor in the relay, and I just gave him the
biggest hug.

Speaker 1 (28:14):
Did Hey, Trey grabbed the microphone when so when you
grabbed it, were you in first place when you got
the baton?

Speaker 5 (28:20):
Yeah?

Speaker 1 (28:21):
And so you had to hold people off. Yeah. I've
got to ask you this. When you're running, is there
can you see where people are? Do you look at all?
Or do you just focus on where you got to
get and and and just go? Are you just a
tunnel vision? That's got to be hard. First thing you're
thinking is grab the baton?

Speaker 7 (28:39):
Right?

Speaker 1 (28:40):
Is that's such muscle memory? How much do you guys
work on that part of this?

Speaker 6 (28:44):
I mean we work on it all the time, Like
especially before in Nashvills, like we were working on it
almost every day just to get it down.

Speaker 1 (28:53):
Do you can you only work on that on the
track or you're in the you're in the hotel thing.
Can you still work on it or do you can?
Some people overdo that a little bit.

Speaker 6 (29:02):
I mean I think you can probably overdo it a
little bit, but I mean usually you just have to
do on the track, you know, get the steps down.

Speaker 1 (29:08):
It's all timing, right, it is all timing. Hey Harper,
why yeah? Let me ask you your favorite memory being
part of this program.

Speaker 9 (29:16):
I probably have to say, like kind of the same
thing as Ryan, like the hotels, and then also like
after some of the hard work, I was just being
done and just maybe going out to eat or just
hang out with the guys after hard work out.

Speaker 1 (29:29):
How about you, Troy, same same question.

Speaker 6 (29:31):
I would have to say Nationals, Like that's just it
was just the greatest experience, like winning, winning with our guys.

Speaker 5 (29:37):
It was awesome.

Speaker 1 (29:38):
That night must have been a fun night for you
guys at that hotel. President smile like you guys, You
guys stayed out of trouble because I didn't get a
call for any bail money or anything, but you guys
stayed out of trouble. But the joy that you guys
had for that, yeah, is incredible.

Speaker 10 (29:52):
Well it was actually NBA Finals was the next day,
so Ryan and Harper actually left us and it was
just me and but uh we watched the finals and we.

Speaker 1 (30:02):
Want to got ice cream and now the whole day
family members with you.

Speaker 7 (30:06):
Yeah, all our families are with us.

Speaker 1 (30:09):
Is a good time you had to be And look,
you you understand, you're confident and this is a really
good program. But when you go into a situation like that,
there's something to be said about the number one ranked team,
right that the pressure you have as the number one
ranked team, there's no pressure being your ranked dat nobody's
expecting it. And when you guys come up, people are like,

(30:30):
who who is that? And where are they from? A
team from Wisconsin won the Nationals? I think is a
big deal.

Speaker 7 (30:37):
Oh yeah, a hundred.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
You know next year? Are you going back next year?

Speaker 7 (30:43):
I hope so? I hope so.

Speaker 1 (30:44):
So you could go back so your senior year, even
though if graduation comes, you can still compete in that correct. Yes,
you understand that that people now know who you are.
You put yourself on the map, and it's sometimes it's
harder when you're the hunted, and you're to be the
hunted in this thing in the States, you're the hunting.
Nobody likes the Arrowhead. You guys wear that with a

(31:06):
badge of body, whether it comes basketball, track field, football,
when people from the classic Gator City where you're sitting
and I say, who's the who's the rival? Who do
you want to beat? And it's used to always be
Arrowhead football? And now Muskigo's kind of gotten up there
a little bit. But Arrowheads are either one or two
track and field. Anybody who sits heat and here from mcguanago,

(31:29):
from Muskigo, from any of the good track programs in
that conference, it's Arrowhead.

Speaker 7 (31:34):
You're okay with that, press I'd say, big pride, and
honestly you do.

Speaker 1 (31:37):
Don't you wear that Arrowhead shirt all over the fight?

Speaker 6 (31:41):
Yeah?

Speaker 10 (31:41):
I mean, I think there's something to be said about
being everyone's rival because that means, you know, obviously you're
doing something right.

Speaker 1 (31:50):
Yeah, and they don't like you, They want to they
want to beat you. Harper, You're okay with that. You
know you're getting everybody's best shot when it comes to
track and field. When it comes to football, pretty close
to the same, right, mosquigoes there. Mcgwanago that with that
conference in football, you could go from top to bottom.
Now it's it's ridiculous. But track and field, anybody that

(32:11):
you talk to in that conference wants to beat you guys.

Speaker 9 (32:14):
Yeah, I mean, it's it's an honor to have that,
like the thought that we're like everyone's trying to get us.
So it's like it also kind of makes us work
harder knowing that people are trying to beat us all
the time. So it's it's it's it's a good thing
to have.

Speaker 1 (32:28):
What's harder for you practice wise? Football are track?

Speaker 9 (32:33):
It depends like probably some of the track workouts, like
some two hundreds are broken forwards, those are those are
pretty difficult. But the aftermath of that's good.

Speaker 1 (32:43):
Yeah, and football it depends how much hitting you're doing
that day.

Speaker 9 (32:45):
Or yeah, it depends how much running we got or something.

Speaker 1 (32:48):
Yeah, the running doesn't bother you, now it's some of
the other boys it might, but the hitting part. You
guys open camp for football Monday, Tuesday. You get uniforms
Monday or something on Tuesday or Tuesday. You guys started too, okay,
man looking forward to it of course, guys, it's and
it's a year of last, not for you. Rash, you

(33:09):
got another one, but do not. I'll just tell you
one quick story. Mcgwana. I was at mcgwanago doing Friday
night rivals and a guy came up to me. He
was not an adult, but probably toy IDDL twenty one,
twenty two, and he introduced himself and he said, look,
I went to mcguanago. I was all I was all team,

(33:29):
all Conference, second team, All State, and I miss it
so much. I would give you everything I own except
my truck and my dog to give me one more week.
And look, you'll love this story. And he goes, but
I want the whole week. I want Monday practice all
the way through and on a Friday night home game
against Arrowhead, and I go, really goes, I would. I would,

(33:50):
mister mcgiffern. I miss it so much. And I want
you to tell people, want you to tell some of
these guys don't take practices off. Don't don't do that,
because you're gonna miss it as much as I miss it.
And so I'll tell you get ready for track, so
you're of last coming up for you, get ready for football,
not gonna talk to you. You're a junior, but make
sure that you put everything you can because once it's over, man,

(34:12):
it's over. The other thing I'll tell you, guys is
now you're the leaders of this track team and you,
guys are the leaders of the football team as seniors.
Don't let any of these guys mess around. Right. You
can go to parties after you graduate, do all that stuff.
Back then people say to me, hey, look, why is
this kid? A couple of kids, they must be hurt.
And I know because I talk to these football coaches

(34:33):
all the time. Yeah, they're at a party they shouldn't
be at. They weren't doing anything. But there are a
couple of people had this in their hand. Somebody posts
on social they have to be They have to get
away from our team for a week or two because
of it. Don't let guys do that and make sure
that you're the leaders on this team for sure. Guys.
I thank you for coming in. I really do. And

(34:54):
and the fact that this program is something I talk
about on this program a lot because of how good
it it is. It goes right to your head coaches,
who's standing over there. Because of the hard work in
the sweat equity that he puts in and that you
guys put in there is gonna be a big old
bullsy in your back press. And you understand that I
am not happy with you right now. I'm not no, no,

(35:15):
I want you to play football. And you know what,
you still got a couple of days. You got a
couple of days. It doesn't matter how much time you're
getting on the team. You're gonna miss it. You're gonna
be up in the stands rooting for these guys going. Man,
I should be out there with my boys. Yeah, give
it another thought, Give it another thought.

Speaker 7 (35:32):
It might have to become a gator like a lease
you know what.

Speaker 1 (35:36):
Or hey, if you go to the game at Hard
Park that first game, come on over the sidelines with
me and I'll introduce.

Speaker 7 (35:44):
If Harper fumbles or something, can I come bashing you?

Speaker 1 (35:47):
Should? You should come over and I'm gonna say to
you live on the art. Do you miss it? And
you're gonna go? Man, I should have played a telling
you that's gonna happen. Coach, thanks for setting this up, Jason,
Jason Ryan, say hi to your dad for me. Tell
him I said, thank you very much. I wish I
could have got at least moms to come on and
talk about it's not how much how nervous she is

(36:10):
when her daughter's pull ball team, but she's like no
chance at all. Guys. Thank you, good luck next year,
Good luck in basketball. Thank you. Yeah you bet hard.
Park you come over to sidelines on my side, I'm
telling you, Coach Harris, if you're listening, yeah, I'm working them, coach,
I'm working them. Guys. Thank you very much. The other
side of the break, we're gonna talk to Taylor and
John Peter. Taylor's is helping run a girls basketball camp

(36:33):
that in the city walking not too late to get involved.
It's a free camp through ballgame athletics. We'll talk to
Taylor and John on the other side of the break.
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.
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz. High School Sports show

(36:54):
is always presented by your local Pick and Save and
Metro Market stores. Coming from the Don Jorganson Heating and
Cooling Studios. Hey got a text yesterday from my friend
at Pickensafe, and she asked me, I can tell you
that I'm gonna I'm gonna get involved in like a celebrity,

(37:14):
a begging thing or gonna They're gonna do this event
out at the Pick and Save in Pewaukee, which is
right by my house, and she's asked me to come
out and be evolved as a judge on August nineteenth
in Pilwaukee. It's a bag off event, and I'm a
celebrity judge. Obviously they can't find anybody more of a

(37:36):
celebrity than me. But it's ripe to my house and
I love my people at our local pick and Save
in Metro market stores. And I wanna thank Emily for
the invitation. And I'll start talking a little bit about
it as it gets closer. But August nineteenth, from ten
to noon at the Pewaukee Pick and Safe store, if
you want to come out and say hello in studio now,

(37:57):
John Peter, John and I have known each other a
long time. I'm John. How you've been?

Speaker 5 (38:01):
I have been fantastic?

Speaker 10 (38:03):
It is.

Speaker 1 (38:03):
I haven't seen you in a bit. It's good to
see you. Look good, brother. You got a little tan
on that vacation.

Speaker 5 (38:08):
I see yes, we had a wonderful vacation with the
family down Florida.

Speaker 1 (38:11):
That's awesome. So you and I are friends on Facebook
and I finally on Twitter and all that, and you
had posted a thing about your daughter Taylor running a
girls basketball camp tomorrow and I reached out and we
went back and forth, and I bothered you a ton
on vacation and I so apologized for that. But Taylor

(38:32):
happened to be in the car with you, so I
got a bunch of the information and I said, hey,
let's have Taylor come in and talk a little bit
about this camp and can kids still sign up? And
at first of all, Taylor's nice to meet you. I'm
a huge fan of your dad's. How are you.

Speaker 2 (38:47):
I'm doing great.

Speaker 1 (38:48):
He's a better athlete, you're your brother. You knew I
was going to start with this man. He's running track
at Marquette, right, Yeah.

Speaker 2 (38:56):
I would say I'm next up.

Speaker 1 (38:57):
Though, what about on the basketball? For can you beat
him in horse? He can play a little.

Speaker 5 (39:02):
Bit, I can.

Speaker 6 (39:03):
You know.

Speaker 2 (39:04):
I've had some competitive games with him. I can't say
that I beat him in a full game on one, definitely,
I beat him in some like to five games but perfect, Yeah.

Speaker 1 (39:14):
Perfect, I'm glad. I hope he's listening because you know
what he and today you could beat him in horse
Let's just.

Speaker 5 (39:20):
Say that he's listening. I know he's gonna give him
some stuff this interview.

Speaker 1 (39:24):
And what a really nice young man, great athlete for sure.
You're so proud of him. Huh.

Speaker 5 (39:29):
Oh my god, I'm so proud of my son. He's
doing so many amazing things. He's at Marquette on a
full scholarship. Academically, he's on the track team at Marquette University.
He just played in the Pro Am Basketball League this
summer at Mount mary College. He actually had a couple
of phenomenal games last week, so he's.

Speaker 1 (39:45):
Did you go and watch it?

Speaker 5 (39:47):
I do go out and watch it. This last week
we were in Florida, so I couldn't be there because
we were at Disney World, but but I got the
updates of you know, he was like thirty six points,
fifteen rebounds, eight assists. I mean, he was killing it.
So he's a phenomenal young man. Internship this summer. He's
just doing amazing things. And now Taylor, as she said,
is next up.

Speaker 1 (40:04):
Trust me, you and I talked about Taylor behind your back.
And Taylor, I can tell you that your father is
so proud of you. And I don't know if you'll
say that, Tea. I'm sure he will, and he's proud
of his son. But man, he's really really proud of you.
Talk to me a little bit about First of all, John,
where are you at and what are you doing now?

Speaker 5 (40:22):
So right now, I am a chief education officer with
an organization called Shining Star Christian Schools, and I am
the principal at the Holy Redeemer campus. We have a
new school called Bishop Daniels Sports Leadership and Management Academy. Okay,
and so we are. We've hired a new basketball coach.
His name is Marlon Townsend.

Speaker 1 (40:40):
Marlon Townsend talked to him two days ago and he'd
be here with us because he's helping Taylor run this camp.
But he's the new head coach by you.

Speaker 5 (40:48):
So, Marlin is a new head basketball coach for varsity
boys basketball.

Speaker 1 (40:51):
Is that for Holy Redeemer.

Speaker 5 (40:53):
It's for Holy Redeemer. It's part of our campus. And
he's been connected with my family and my son since
his son and my son played together since fourth grade.
And so his son went to Wisconsin Lutheran. So we've
got a lot of connections to Wisconsin Lutheran and Shining
Star organization. Some of our people who have attended there
and they're connected. And so we are Shining Star Christian

(41:13):
Schools and we are recruiting lots of students for thirty
fifth and Hampton campus. So we're at the Holy Demer campus.

Speaker 1 (41:17):
There you go, and as a basketball coach, we can't recruit,
but we can recommend and highly suggest. The WI doesn't
doesn't mess with us for that. You miss coaching.

Speaker 5 (41:29):
I do miss coaching, But actually I was coaching fourth
grade last year with my youngest son, Tristan Peta a.

Speaker 1 (41:37):
Little different than coaching high school. Coaching fourth grade, I've
done both. Taylor, Are you a basketball player?

Speaker 9 (41:43):
Yes?

Speaker 1 (41:43):
Yeah? And you play it at Holy Redeemer Or where
do you go?

Speaker 2 (41:47):
I go to Witnell High School?

Speaker 4 (41:48):
You do?

Speaker 1 (41:48):
Should the Mighty Falcons? Can you shoot it a little bitter?

Speaker 2 (41:51):
Yeah? I would like to say how good.

Speaker 1 (41:53):
Was the basketball team this year?

Speaker 2 (41:54):
We were pretty good. Went it was like twenty and
four our record or something like that, so we did
really good.

Speaker 1 (42:00):
What year are you? I'm a senior, so you're going
into your series.

Speaker 2 (42:06):
I'm going you got one year left, one year.

Speaker 1 (42:08):
How's the team gonna be next year?

Speaker 2 (42:10):
I think we're going to be really good. I think
this is probably going to be our best season that
I've had.

Speaker 1 (42:16):
You did you think a chance to play at the
next level? Is that what you're hoping for?

Speaker 8 (42:19):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (42:20):
Absolutely, That's been one of my goals, you know, since
I was in elementary school.

Speaker 1 (42:24):
So are you a multi sport athlete?

Speaker 2 (42:28):
I used to do track my freshman and sophomore year
alongside with basketball, but no, as of right now, just basketball?

Speaker 1 (42:35):
Do you play? Do you try? Did you play au
and and select? Who do you play for?

Speaker 2 (42:40):
I played for Chapman Basketball Academy this summer.

Speaker 1 (42:44):
Yeah. Both my grandson did as well. Yeah, all three,
two of them did. Yeah, that's awesome. What position do
you play?

Speaker 2 (42:51):
I'm a shooting guard.

Speaker 1 (42:52):
Yeah you can. You can step out and shoot. Are
you like the Clark.

Speaker 2 (43:00):
Go that far?

Speaker 1 (43:00):
But let's let's say that y'are what the what the heck?
Hey talk to me about ballgame athletics, ballgame athletics and
training dot com is where I found some information. But
talk to me about ballgame athletics and let's let's promote
this girls basketball camp that you guys are doing tomorrow. Correct, Yes,
And where's it that It's.

Speaker 2 (43:20):
At twenty two hundred North twelfth.

Speaker 1 (43:22):
Street, North twelfth Street. Okay, So and tell me about
why you're involved in it.

Speaker 2 (43:29):
Why I'm involved. So, I'm a debutante in the class
of twenty twenty five for the Pauline Redmond Coggs Service
and Leadership Foundation. So with that program, we're required to
do a volunteer project, and I chose something that I'm
passionate about, being basketball. And I decided that I wanted
to take this opportunity to help some young girls. And

(43:49):
I'm grateful that I have a close family friend, Marlin,
who lended me an opportunity to use his gym. And yeah,
so it's a partnership with ball Game, which is like
a basketball like training business that he set up.

Speaker 1 (44:06):
And yeah, good for you. You know, John, when our kids,
It's interesting me sometimes when our kids are asked to
do something like like Taylor's being asked to do, they
don't know how much they love giving back until they
do it. And You've done this for your whole life.

(44:26):
And again, I've known you for so long. The idea
of that having that servant leadership part is in you.
And now I see Taylor that this is where she
gets it from. And what's interesting to me is once
they start doing some of this stuff, they realize they
get more out of it than the kids they're working with.
And I know that's been your whole life, and I

(44:47):
know that your kids have that as well. The idea
that her giving back through the game of basketball has
got to put a smile on your face.

Speaker 5 (44:55):
It does put a smile on my face. The fact
that she could have done anything really in the servi
leadership opportunity and the fact that she picked basketball and
then she wanted to partner with Marlin and do this
camp with Ballgame Athletics was phenomenal. So I'm very proud
of her. The funny thing I got to tell you this.
First of all, she's being a little bit conservative about
her basketball team because her high school team won conference

(45:15):
the last couple of years and one regionals in the
last couple of years, so they've made it advanced to
sections the last couple of years. So we're hoping and
praying that they can do even better in her senior year.
But the funniest thing is. We have a youngest child.
His name is Tristan, and he is not really a
basketball fan. He's more of a science guy. But he
plays basketball and he's just he's just it's just funny

(45:35):
because Taylor and John love basketball and Tristan is like,
he just always talks about Man, you guys love basketball
so much.

Speaker 1 (45:45):
And what great is he?

Speaker 5 (45:46):
He's going into fifth grade this year.

Speaker 1 (45:48):
You know what I'm telling you. There a different sport
he likes more.

Speaker 5 (45:52):
He loves swimming.

Speaker 1 (45:53):
Okay, I'm taking him to the pool today.

Speaker 5 (45:55):
So he loves it.

Speaker 1 (45:56):
Man, good for him. He'll be the swimer of the family.
Were you a swim I was?

Speaker 5 (46:01):
I mean I've I'm casually and recreationally, yes, forever on
my left in the water. And I've always taught all
my kids how to swim. And he loves it. So yeah,
but he plays basketball. It's just he's not his passionate yet.
But maybe over time he'll have passion.

Speaker 1 (46:14):
Yeah you know what that first time that he has
about twenty in a game, and you know, some some
pretty girl from the school across the streets says, wow,
you're a good basketball player. Trust me, it's coming back.
It is coming Taylor, talk to me about this camp
that you're doing. What age girls can come?

Speaker 2 (46:32):
So it's ages eight to fourteen, okay? And basically it's
just like a skills session.

Speaker 7 (46:38):
So how long two hours?

Speaker 1 (46:40):
And what time does you start? Three thirty five thirty yep.
And it's twenty two hundred and North twelve Street. And
it's a free event. Yes, free girls eight to fourteen
can come and and you're gonna put them through dribbling,
shooting right elbow to elbow, all of that stuff. Is
your dad gonna go be on court with you? Or no?

Speaker 2 (47:00):
I don't possibly.

Speaker 1 (47:02):
You know what, if we can get more girls to come,
we were hoping for that. People that listen to this,
if you have girls, if you have granddaughters, if you
have nieces between eight and fourteen, that our good basketball
players are want to be better basketball players and they
get a chance to come and meet Taylor. Trust me,
you know what, You're gonna want to go watch her

(47:23):
play at Witnell. And as John said, she's very, you know,
very humble on how this team has done. How many
points did you average last year?

Speaker 2 (47:31):
By the way, I was about ten.

Speaker 1 (47:32):
Good for you? Double digits right to your as a
shooting guard. You got a rebound in that offense a
little bit too right in defense? That can you a
little bit?

Speaker 6 (47:43):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (47:43):
Yeah, that's actually something that I've had growth with the
last couple of years. You know, it's I have a
funny story about that. Actually.

Speaker 9 (47:50):
Uh.

Speaker 2 (47:50):
With my freshman basketball team, I got subbed out for defense,
like at the end of like close games, and then
that and then the next year with my au team,
I was getting subbed out for offense. So I definitely
have some development on the defensive end.

Speaker 1 (48:08):
Can you hear your daddy when you're playing in the crowd?

Speaker 8 (48:11):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (48:12):
I can.

Speaker 10 (48:12):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (48:12):
Who do you hear? Family members? Come?

Speaker 5 (48:15):
John? John?

Speaker 2 (48:16):
My brother easily?

Speaker 1 (48:17):
So do you know when my son played, I coached
him in high school and then he went to Marinatha
Baptist Bible College. After game one, my wife said, you
can't sit next to me because she said, I don't
cheer correctly. My son would go, look, the gym is packed.
I can't hear my coach who's on the sidelines, and
you're at the top of the bleachers, and I hear

(48:39):
every word you say it. I'm like, are you kidding?
I love that they come out and support you. Yes, right,
that's awesome. We're going to get to a break. On
the other side of the break. I want to know
more about ballgame athletics and and I don't know how
much you know about what they do, but on their website,
I can tell you this, Taylor. What was impressive to
me is it is it is a somebody that's trying

(49:03):
to give back to our community, which I just fall
in love with. I think if everybody had that servant
leadership art. When you look at what this is, unlock
your athletic potential. And when it says explore our diverse
skilled development programs designed to skill develop skills, installed teamwork,
and promote personal growth in young athletes, it's not. It

(49:26):
doesn't say, look, we'll teach you how to drive with
your left hand. It talks about let's promote personal growth
in young athletes. That's a great thing to be a
part of. And for you, right, you got this great
support team behind you. When you go home, You've got
a dad that will break down film with you. They're
not every kid in our city has that, and so

(49:47):
that you're willing to give back and spend two hours
to help these kids develop their skills and then promote
personal growth. I thank you for that. You're a fan
of what Ballgame Athletics does.

Speaker 2 (50:00):
Yeah. Absolutely. I think it's kind of a testament to
the kind of person Marlin is because his whole thing
is to help kids develop them and help develop children
like beyond like the basketball court. And I think that's
really important because obviously you want to help kids train
and to grow into their dreams and be able to

(50:20):
accomplish what they want to accomplish, but you also have
to help in the process of creating a great human
being and doing so, you know, you have to support them,
and that's exactly what Ballgame Athletics does.

Speaker 1 (50:33):
Hey, guys, get used to her voice that she will
be back during basketball season as one of our current
Electric Superheroes of the Week. I've had this conversation with
her father, I've had conversations with Taylor and everything that
I look for for that current Electric Superhero of the
week right there. They're they're they're involved in the school.
It doesn't have to be sports. They can be in musicals,

(50:55):
or they can be in the band or the marching band,
or they can be whatever. They're involved in the school.
They're a really good student as she is and then
have that servant leadership Hard and Taylor, you don't have
to answer it today, but back when you come back,
I'm going to ask you your motivation for having such
a strong servant leadership Hard. Where did that come from?

(51:17):
Because we're not born with that. That's a learned behavior
and somewhere in your life somebody taught you giving back
to people in our community is very important. And when
you come in as our current Electric Superhero of the week,
I'm going to ask you that question. You're so comfortable
where you are, It's all good. A lot of kids
are like, I don't want to talk on the radar.
You're doing just great. She is you, bet Taylor Peter.

(51:40):
I can tell you she's running this camp tomorrow between
I'm sorry, three thirty and five thirty twenty two hundred
North twelve Street in the City of Milwaukee. She's going
to be there, Marlon, and be there a couple other
coaches or just the two of you.

Speaker 2 (51:53):
Yes, I'm also going to have one of my former
teammates come and help volunteer. Who is that Callie King?

Speaker 1 (52:00):
Thank you, Kelly King. We should have brought her in.
She would have been great in here, Kelly, thank you
for having that servant leadership hard. It's a free event.
If you have a daughter, a niece, a granddaughter between
eight and fourteen that likes basketball, wants to be better
at basketball, would love a two hour skill development. You're
not gonna let kids just coming. You're not just doing

(52:21):
three point contests, right, This is skill development.

Speaker 2 (52:24):
Yep, we're gonna get you better.

Speaker 1 (52:26):
There you go that Taylor Peter says she's gonna get
you better. Take her up on that tomorrow from from
three I'm sorry, three thirty to five thirty. I should
write it down. Don't get old, Taylor, because you forget that.
I don't even know my nieces and nephew's names, I'm
telling you, but I know Rod Crew hit three eleven
the last year he played with the Minnesota Twins. That's
the useless knowledge. That's what I have. We're gonna get

(52:48):
to a break. Other side of the break will continue
our conversation. Taylor and John. Peter and John, we've known
each other for twenty twenty plus, twenty plus years both
and I've seen you and Jim's more than most. You're
kind of a gym rat, which I love and you
see me walking round in different gyms we coached against
each other. I think did I win that game? Yeah,

(53:10):
we're gonna get to other super break. I'm just gonna
talk to Taylor. John's out of the studio after making
that comment. This is the Varsity Flitz High School high
school I was gonna say, a high school basketball show.
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.

(53:33):
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show,
presented by your local Pick and Save in Metro Market stores.
Coming from the Donovan and Jorgans and Heating and Cooling Studios,
you get John Pete and I together and we're talking basketball.
If you remember back in you know ninety one. Oh
my goodness, in studio Taylor and John Peta. Taylor's John's daughter,

(53:54):
and she is running a girls basketball camp tomorrow. And
I thank you for coming in Taylor, by the way,
and I know, yeah, I really appreciate this. She is
going to be girls between eight and fourteen, between three
thirty and five thirty tomorrow, twenty two hundred North twelve Street,
in that gymnasium in that building twenty two hundred North

(54:16):
twelfth Street in Milwaukee, girls between eight and fourteen, three
thirty to five thirty, and don't think that they're gonna come.
And you know you five go against that five. It's
a skill development and she's doing this through Ballgame Athletics
and their motto and mission statement to explore our diverse
skilled development programs designed it for skilled development promote personal

(54:39):
growth in young athletes. And I love the fact that
that's what their mission statement is. And if you get
to go to this event tomorrow again it's free of charge.
Eight and fourteen year old girls. What if a boy
shows up with with a sister, they can maybe get
their hands on a ball, or they're gonna have to
sit and watch you play that by year.

Speaker 2 (55:01):
Yeah, well to see if it's one, I mean, I
wouldn't really see that as an issue.

Speaker 1 (55:05):
Yeah, but if there's twelve, we're gonna have to say no, no, no.

Speaker 2 (55:07):
This is a girl.

Speaker 1 (55:09):
This girls deal. Hey, you got a text from her
brother said he'll be there to help her.

Speaker 5 (55:14):
Brother John says, yeah, I'll be there out to help
with the cat. He's like your expert brother as a
basketball at Facionato.

Speaker 1 (55:24):
There you go. Well, and you know what, maybe at
five forty you guys can play that game of horse
and now whoever wins, I'll donate fifty bucks to your
favorite charity. How's that go? And you know what, Taylor,
I'm betting on you. And don't let me down, girl,
Do not let me down. Hey, John, you've been at
Holy Redeemer for four or five years something like that.

Speaker 5 (55:44):
This is my fourth year coming up.

Speaker 1 (55:46):
A big fan of what they're doing over there.

Speaker 5 (55:48):
Absolutely, So first of all, I definitely want to give
a shout out to Marlon Towns in the ball game,
athletics and training for the opportunity of providing Taylor to
do her service project with this basketball camp. First of all,
as a phenomenal human being, he does a lot of
great stuff with people in the community, particularly students and children,

(56:09):
providing them, as Taylor was saying, not just the basketball piece,
but also like the human growth piece. So he's just
a really good person and I'm blessed to have him
as one of my staff members at our campus. So
we're again we're Bishop Daniels Sports Leadership and Management. We're
at the Holy Redeemer Campus on thirty fifth and Hampton,
And we're part of Shining Star Christian Schools And so
if you look at the fire they gave you. We're

(56:30):
partnered with Milwaukee Bucks. We're partnered with Shining Star with
the Bucks.

Speaker 1 (56:35):
Hey, I'm sure. Yeah, no, it's just one offense. Sorry.

Speaker 5 (56:40):
So with the Bucks, like we are able to, like
last year we had Bobby Porters come out and do
a PEP rally with our school. We are able to
bring students to lunch and learn our activities at the
Bucks corporate office. So we have like a sports analytics program.
Last year we nominated Vin Baker for the Collegiate Basketball
Hall of Fame with the University of Hartford. Sure, so

(57:01):
this is like it's actually a really prestigious event. This year,
it's possible that we're going to be working on Cecil Cooper. Okay,
so we do they do different sports. So we offer
like the sports data analytics for our high school students.
We have a partnership with Strive three sixty five, which
does some phenomenal things in the community. Again, I would
like to give a shout out to Elijah Briggs, one

(57:21):
of my former students who played for me at Roosevelt.
We want a gold ball back and back in two
thousand and nine, Taylor response to talking about the ball
that was two thousand and nine. But he's part of
it forever. He's connected with our school now. I mean
he was an eighth grader back then.

Speaker 1 (57:41):
Man, you know what, it's good to see former kids
that we coached doing great things. Absolutely the idea of
giving back and trying to make our community. Look I John,
I don't know if you agree with me, but I
think I think now more than ever, I truly believe this.
You have to guys like us and people like Taylor

(58:02):
who are willing to give back and try to get
make sure that kids are staying on the right path.
I got a call from a former point guard to
ten days ago and a kid that I want to
stay championship with. I don't need to name names, but
thirty seconds into it, I let him know what it
was like to coach him, and he started laughing. He said,

(58:23):
I know, coach, that's why I'm calling. And I know
I was not. I was not. I've changed a little bit.
You know, that was four years ago, five years ago.
Here's what's going on in my life, and the reason
for the call was to say thank you and to apologize.
And I go, wow, that's awesome, because look, you want
to stay championship, but boy, you are a handful to go.
So that's not the exact.

Speaker 5 (58:44):
Word, you know, that's called growth.

Speaker 1 (58:46):
That is called growth. And he called to say thank
you and wondered if he could buy me lunch. And
I said, no, I'll buy you lunch. You don't need
to buy me lunch. Can I share a story, Taylor
with you on this we want to stay championship? And
on Saturday and on Monday I had to go to
this young man's house and drop something off of the
left in my car. And he lived right in the

(59:08):
heart in the city Milwaukee, tough neighborhood and he goes, you, coach,
you got a minute? And I go yeah, and he goes,
do you know I had forty family members at the
state semi finals the state championship game. I said no,
I didn't know that. He said yeah. They flew in
from Atlanta, drove from Chicago, drove down from Final Lag
and they were there for the state semis and the finals,
and after we won it, they all came here and

(59:30):
I go, they came here his small house, right, And
he goes, yeah, Big Smiley goes, come on, cause you
know us brothers. We had loud music. We had two
grills going. It was so fun. And he said, Coach,
at midnight, I heard all these car horns going off,
and I went out on the porch and all the
people in my neighborhood pulled their cars up in front
of my house and put their lights out, and they

(59:51):
were beeping, and they made signs that say congratulations, you're
a state champion. And he said, Coach, a lady across
the alley. She's old, like I said, okay, guys, I've
never talked to her, but I shoveled her walk twice.
He said, Coach, she had tears coming down on her cheek.
And she came up on my porch and hugged me
like I was one of her own. And she said,

(01:00:12):
nothing good comes to our neighborhood. You brought goodness to
our neighborhood. And he goes, Coach, this is bigger than
just me and you.

Speaker 9 (01:00:19):
Huh.

Speaker 1 (01:00:20):
And I'm telling you, I had tears flowing down my
I said, yeah, it's way bigger. And when we put
that ring on your finger. You're a stay champion. Nobody
can ever take that. He said, I'm getting a ring.
What's that cost to me? I said, no, I got it.
I'll pay I'm retiring. WI can't come after me. But
to understand where you're doing this camp tomorrow. It's so

(01:00:42):
important in the neighborhoods of the city of Milwaukee. This
kid is stay champion and for the rest of his
life he can go and say, look, I want to
stay championship. And I was the starting point guard at
this school and here's the ring. And it's so personal
to kids in the communities in this city Milwaukee that tomorrow,
when you're working with these girls, understand that if you

(01:01:05):
can get them just a little bit better on a
sport that's very personal in city Milwaukee. That's the reason
I wanted you here to say thank you for this,
for doing this, and I know that you have to
do some volunteer work, but this is what you chose.
And for guys like your dad and I, we understand
how personal it is to the kids that you're going
to work with Marln he understands it, and I certainly

(01:01:26):
think that you understand it as well.

Speaker 2 (01:01:28):
Right yeah, of course, no, that story is awesome. I
mean that, that's literally what it's all about.

Speaker 9 (01:01:33):
It.

Speaker 2 (01:01:34):
My main goal for this camp is for girls to
you know, leave and remember like I had fun and
I got better that day when I went to that
camp and it was awesome experience and just experience.

Speaker 1 (01:01:48):
Yeah, and you've gone to camps when you were a kid,
and you'll pick one or two things. And my hope
when I used to work camps is if we can
we can teach you enough thing that cherry pick one
or two or three, and when you get to the playground,
you get to a gym that you're getting shots up,
that you're gonna now go and mike it and do

(01:02:09):
a mic and drill or a superman drill or elbow
to elbow or dribbling drills. Something. Leave them with something
that when they go and they're just trying to get
shots up and everybody's shooting threes all day, but they
will take ten minutes away from that to do the
skill development, the box out drill that you taught them,
the passing drill that you taught them to get themselves better. John,

(01:02:32):
when I told that story, you know what I'm talking about,
how personal. It is in the city of Milwaukee for
this kid to share that story, John, I have shared
it a lot, but I'm telling you it puts tears
in my eyes a lot when I tell it because
that was so important. The one thing that I don't
think we did well enough as a coaching staff was

(01:02:54):
to explain to these kids that this is one memory.
Now go make more. Right some of our kids thought
that this was the biggest this was the mountaintop. It's not.
You still got to get up and go to work
the next day as a coach and stuff. This is
just one memory. But we put so much into we
got a chance to win a state championship that I
don't think we did a good enough job at explaining

(01:03:17):
you've got now go make other memories because we didn't
have a lot of kids for that team play at
the next level.

Speaker 5 (01:03:22):
Yeah, Well, sports is an amazing opportunity for kids to
grow and to become better decision makers, and so like
Taylor's opportunity tomorrow, and I talked to her about this,
is that when those kids leave that camp, that she
wants to give a positive impression on becoming a good person,
becoming a better basketball player, and as you said, take
one or two things from that camp that you can

(01:03:43):
work on in the future. Because when I go to camps,
or when I coach camps, or when I've had my
children attend camps, I always try to get something to
take away that you can build on for the future.

Speaker 1 (01:03:53):
Hey, John, do me a favor. If there's anything I
can ever do for you for the Bishop Daniels Sports
Leadership and Management Program. All you gotta do is reach out.
I look, we did. We lost touch for a little bit, right,
We hadn't talked in a bit, but understand that if
there's anything you need from me for that, please let
me know and I will help you. Taylor, can you

(01:04:15):
give me again? You said, Look, I'm doing this volunteer.

Speaker 2 (01:04:18):
I'm a deputhon for the Pauline Redmond Coggs Foundation.

Speaker 1 (01:04:22):
What is that?

Speaker 2 (01:04:23):
So it's just basically, well, it's a foundation and it
gives opportunity for young ladies to present themselves to society.
So the big thing at the end the celebration is
a ball, so you know, the big dress and everything
like that, but it's really about the process of fostering

(01:04:44):
like a community. And obviously the volunteer aspect to it
to help you just become a good young lady.

Speaker 1 (01:04:52):
And are you involved in in a lot of things?
And is that from the school or is that from
from from somewhere else.

Speaker 2 (01:05:00):
It's just based in the city of Milwaukee. It's not
related to my school in particular. And I'm in a
couple other programs. I'm also in Boys and Girls Club
Graduation Plus, which is like a scholarship and early like
a college program that helps you with like you know,
getting into college, like the college application process and all
of those things, and like you go on college tours.
It's really an amazing program.

Speaker 1 (01:05:21):
How are the great?

Speaker 2 (01:05:23):
I would say they're pretty good.

Speaker 1 (01:05:25):
You can get a little better or what?

Speaker 2 (01:05:27):
Yeah, for sure, I'm mad about like a three point
five for my GPA right now, Peter, you.

Speaker 1 (01:05:32):
Never had a three five, did you?

Speaker 9 (01:05:36):
You?

Speaker 5 (01:05:36):
And kids get mad when I say this. I was
fifth in my class at ro Washington High School back
in the days, okay, and I had like a three
point eight GPA, And they say, and this is what
they told me. Oh, but you didn't take the demanding
course loan that we have these days Washington.

Speaker 1 (01:05:53):
They were giving good grades like chick list, don't let him.
Don't let him tell you that good for you. What
do you think if you if you look into the future,
what do you think you want to get involved in?

Speaker 2 (01:06:05):
I want to be a lawyer.

Speaker 1 (01:06:07):
Okay, remember how nice I am to do you right now?
I might need might I got a few things going on.
I might eat you. I love that. So boys and
Girls Club, and you were about to say something else
that you're involved in. I thought, no, no, that was it?
Good for you?

Speaker 5 (01:06:23):
But I do want to say Boys and Girls Club.
I have to give a shout out to Andre Douglas,
my family, my oldest daughter's guy, my son John, and
now Taylor and later on it will be Tristan have
all worked through with Andre Douglas and the Boys and
Girls Club. They helped my son get a full scholarship
to Marquette University. He's doing some amazing things, and Taylor's

(01:06:46):
doing some amazing things. It's a great organization. So any
young people out there that can get connected with the
Boys and Girls Club in this grad plus program in
high school, it will provide a lot of training and
opportunities for you to prepare you for college.

Speaker 1 (01:06:59):
You did good, boy, John, you did you did good.
You know what I and I say this, I I
always wanted to know my kids are like when they
couldn't smell my cologne right when I'm not in the
car with him, when I'm at that party with him
and I'm not in the classroom. You did good, you
know what? She she look the second I meant Taylor
out in the parking lot right shook my hand, said

(01:07:21):
thank you for having us come in. Look, Johnny did
really good. These kids are awesome and Tristan and.

Speaker 5 (01:07:29):
You're give a shout out to mom. Kirsten Peter she
is she She lays down the line called Kirsten, Kirsten.

Speaker 2 (01:07:40):
I'm just I'm just I'm just afraid of Definitely.

Speaker 1 (01:07:45):
She's coming the next time with the current electric superhero
the week. Please bring your mom, and I'm gonna thank
her and I'm gonna hug her. You know what, She's
got to keep that boy in line right there. John's
her biggest child, for sure. I understand that because that's
me too. John. It's so good to see you again.
It is. And look the conversations when you are on

(01:08:07):
vacation we had when she was not in the car. Man,
I am so proud of her, and I see why
I get it now. Guys, if you have if you
have a daughter, a sister, a niece, a granddaughter that
between the age of eight and fourteen, tomorrow, between three
thirty and five thirty, it's a free event. Twenty two

(01:08:28):
hundred North twelve Street, twenty two hundred North twelve Street.
They're gonna make them a better basketball player, a better person.
And I can tell you if you get a chance
to thank Taylor and meet her, man shake her hand,
she can be a lawyer one day, and you're gonna
want to be nice, to be nice to her. Taylor,
I will be in touch with you. Maybe it's during
the football season, so I don't take you out of

(01:08:49):
basketball practice, but I can tell you right now you'll
be one of our current Electric superheroes of the week.
And I look forward to having you back in studio.

Speaker 2 (01:08:57):
Thank you so much, Thank you, Good luck tomorrow, thank you, you
bet you.

Speaker 5 (01:09:01):
I just want to say it's great to see you.

Speaker 1 (01:09:03):
Yeah, it's great.

Speaker 5 (01:09:04):
You run a great radio program. You do a lot
of great things in community. I've watched you on TV
with the Thursday Night Lights and all the other great
stuff you do on the radio. So keep up the
great work, and we appreciate the opportunity to be here
in the Peter family loves your show man.

Speaker 1 (01:09:17):
I appreciate that she should take over for me. Look
at no nerves. She's just like man. I don't get
a whole lot of high school kids as comfortable as
you are in that chair. So thank you for that again.
Tomorrow three thirty to five thirty. It's a girls' basketball camp.
It's a free one twenty two hundred North twelve Street,
brought you by Ballgame Athletics. And want to thank those guys.

(01:09:39):
And I want to thank Taylor for putting this on
other side of the break. Next week we're going to
transition to football. This might be the hardest one. We're
talking Wisconsin tai Chi Academy, Wisconsin tai Chi Academy on
the other side of the break. This is the Varsity
Blitz High School Sports Show, presented by your local Pick
and Save and Metro Market store, only on Fox Sports

(01:10:01):
nine twenty in your iHeartRadio app. Welcome back to the
Varsity Politics high school sports show is always presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Coming
live from the Donovan and Jorgenson Heating and Cooling Studios.
Any issues you have. Donovanjorgenson dot com the largest employee
owned h FAC company in the state of Wisconsin. And

(01:10:22):
what that means for you is, look, anybody that comes
out to work on your HVAC system is one of
the owners, and that sets them apart from any other
HVAC system company here in the state of Wisconsin. So
go to Donovan Jorgenson dot com. Next week we're gonna
start talking high school football and perfect timing. For my
friend Robert Jarsen, who I worked with for years, huge

(01:10:44):
fan of the work he does. He's a really good
man and I miss seeing him on a daily basis
over at the other radio station where I used to work.
But he reached out and we touch base and he
asked me if I knew much about the Wisconsin Taichi
Academy and said yeah, and I was being sarcastic, I
don't know anything about it, and he goes, let me

(01:11:04):
tell you about the great work that Ray Gates is doing.
When I talked about Tracy, my wife, and some of
the stuff they're doing, and I go, perfect timing because
I'll transition to high school football. But I have a
couple of segments open for Saturday and Ray Gates, he
is the Are you the owner and founder of Wisconsin
Taichi Academy?

Speaker 11 (01:11:23):
That's correct?

Speaker 1 (01:11:24):
Yeah, And look you're gonna understand he's not from Cutahey
when you hear this boy talk, he is for your
from Australia.

Speaker 11 (01:11:31):
That's correct.

Speaker 1 (01:11:31):
Yeah. And how did you get to the Milwaukee in
Wisconsin market?

Speaker 11 (01:11:36):
I mean it's a long story, but essentially ten years ago,
I came over here for a work opportunity. I'm a
physical therapist by profession, and I knew people in the area,
so we just thought the transition would be easy to
go somewhere where we know people.

Speaker 1 (01:11:51):
So here I am, hey, and talk to me your
history with tai chi? So I went into this thinking
that taichi was just Marshall arts. It's become a lot
more than that now.

Speaker 11 (01:12:04):
Yeah. So today, so tai chi, when we're talking about
tai chi, we're really talking about the Chinese martial art
taiji twan. Okay, it's hundreds and hundreds of years old,
but today it's practiced more for its health and wellness benefits,
and that tends to be what it's known more for
but it is important to recognize that it has martial origins,

(01:12:24):
and the martial aspect of it really helps to dictate
why you do certain things, why you move a certain way,
why it's important to have you balance a certain way.
But today a lot of people are less interested in
the martial aspect and more interested in the health aspect.
So that's why kind of why it's becoming more health known.

Speaker 1 (01:12:42):
Do you like that it's kind of going in that direction?
Does it bring more people in to understand it?

Speaker 11 (01:12:49):
I think it exposes more people to it, and I
think a lot of people come into it with that
idea in the back of their mind and then they
start to discover, oh, there's actually a whole lot more
to this. So we find I tend to find that
the people that come and stay with me, you know,
it's kind of like the old time, come for the health,

(01:13:10):
stay for the martial arts.

Speaker 1 (01:13:11):
There it is, Hey, how good has Tracy Douglas said this?

Speaker 11 (01:13:15):
She's very good. I mean she just went to National
Senior Games. We took a team down. There were four
of us that went, and Tracy did fantastic first time
out beginner's competition scored I believe one of the scores
was in the nines, which is incredibly high for someone
who's started out, and she came away with two gold medals.
So you can't beat that.

Speaker 1 (01:13:34):
You cannot. So Tracy Douglas, who was Robert Jarson's wife,
and I said, I knew that you were an actress
for a while, and now I've done some research on you.
Robert Jarson. You did Good Boy, by the way, y'all
kicked your coverage by a mile. She's way too good
looking for you. But that was your career for a while.

(01:13:54):
And I'm looking Mortal Combat and looking at all of
the movies and show that you've done. Do you miss
that world? By the way? I do?

Speaker 8 (01:14:04):
And I don't.

Speaker 1 (01:14:04):
I loved it, by the way. It's so nice to
meet you. I've look I've worked with your husband a
long time, and I've heard nothing but really good things
about you as as a as a wife and a
mom and as an actress. And didn't know that you
were so involved in tai Chi. So I got to
be nice to you because I don't want you to
messing with me. But I can tell you that behind
your back, I don't know anybody that speaks highly as

(01:14:26):
highly of his wife, as Robert does, and so I've
always wanted to meet you. So it's very nice to
meet you. Let's talk about being involved and when did
you start getting involved in Taichi?

Speaker 12 (01:14:37):
Well, first of all, I do have to say thank
you for those really lovely compliments.

Speaker 2 (01:14:40):
That's very kind.

Speaker 12 (01:14:41):
He's a wonderful human being and he knows other wonderful
human beings like you, so those words are especially kind.

Speaker 1 (01:14:47):
Do you like me more than sparky?

Speaker 2 (01:14:50):
Now you're in dangerous controversial.

Speaker 1 (01:14:54):
Nna. Well look at him shake and said, yeah, see
only because I've got you. Guys, let's talk about tai
Chi and why you've got involved in how well you've
been involved.

Speaker 12 (01:15:03):
I got involved with Taichi because I've always loved martial arts.
I had studied aikito, hop keto and taekwondo and Mortal Kombat.
I did have to do some martial arts choreography there.
I knew that when I left Los Angeles that i'd
come back to it one day, And the day finally
came scrolling on Instagram, saw something about tai chi and

(01:15:25):
I thought, I wonder if there's anything local, and I
had the great fortune to come across Ray and the
Wisconsin Taichi Academy. So for about a year and a
half I've been studying over there and loving it.

Speaker 1 (01:15:36):
You do, do you remember the first class? Is it
called the class?

Speaker 11 (01:15:41):
Correct?

Speaker 1 (01:15:41):
The first class you went to? Did you think, oh, no,
what am I doing? Absolutely?

Speaker 4 (01:15:46):
Yeah, you know you think you look at this and
you go, oh, this is.

Speaker 2 (01:15:49):
Going to be so easy.

Speaker 12 (01:15:50):
And it turns out when I go to class, I
go there and I get an introduction to what's happening,
but I don't know what's happening. And then I have
to go home and pray this and raise a wonderful teacher,
such supportive classmates. It makes it a joy to get
to learn, even though I don't know what I'm doing
when I'm in class.

Speaker 1 (01:16:08):
But you know now because you did really well in
this in this competition. And that's one of the reasons
that Robert reached out. Where do you find that a
lot where people that have done other things? And we
had this conversation. Right I was doing this burn boot
camp at four forty five. Every day I had dropped

(01:16:28):
a bunch of weight. Things were going well. I was
the old guy at this morning class because it was
me and like twenty five really fit girls, and I was,
you know what, Yeah, you're gonna love this because this
is all me. I was brought in by by Christy
Deputy said hey, come try this. And for about a
month I didn't talk to anybody else. I just wanted

(01:16:50):
to survive. And then I realized who was the champ
in this class? Who was the best of the best.
And a girl named Jenny was and I'm warming up
and I first time I talked to her, I said,
you better bring your a game today because I'm gonna
whoop you today. She goes, excuse me, and I said,
bring your a game to be the champ, you got
to beat the CHAMPI you're the champ. I'll be the champ.

(01:17:12):
She goes, bring it on, man, and I'm like, oh
I And I was doing this and I hurt my back.
We're doing these bear crawls, and I was right, I
was telling you this. I hurt my back and I
used to roll my eyes. Have people that hurt their back,
and I'm like, oh, come on. Then I realized I
will never roll my eyes at anybody back. So I
realized maybe I'm a little too old for the Burned

(01:17:32):
boot Camp got through the bad back, had a couple
of quartersone shots, got all that done, then went to
orange theory and tweaked it. And so now I'm nervous
about this, right, And I asked you would this be
good for me to be able to get involved in this,
to get a little sweat, to get a workout in,
And you say.

Speaker 11 (01:17:51):
Yep, I said, yes, that's that's the easiest thing. Like,
we get all sorts of people. We have people with
a variety of injuries. We have a lot of people
who come from different backgrounds. You know, some of them
have been heavily involved in sports or even in martial arts. Interestingly,
I get a lot of people have done things like
taekwondo or other things like that, and then they come
to taichi, And as Tracy said, a lot of people

(01:18:13):
think it's going to be easy. And it's not that
taichi is particularly hard, but it's a different way of thinking,
a different way of moving, and we're not used to it.
So it takes some effort initially to get it. But
once you get it, then you realize, oh man, this
is what I should have been doing all along.

Speaker 1 (01:18:30):
Tracy, did you feel uncomfortable? Are uncoordinated? The first couple.

Speaker 12 (01:18:35):
It wasn't uncoordinated, it was very much as Rachel said,
it's a different way of moving and the mindfulness that
goes into it, the precision and the embodiment aren't things
that we typically do on a daily basis, and I
think that's what made up more challenging for me.

Speaker 1 (01:18:53):
Would you tell people that it's not only good for
the body, but it's good for your heart and your
soul and your mind? And how long a class?

Speaker 2 (01:19:00):
By the way, a class is one hour long?

Speaker 12 (01:19:02):
And I absolutely cannot sing highly enough of the praises
of how good it makes you feel a sense of peace,
well being, yes, health and peace.

Speaker 1 (01:19:13):
So I'm trying to help me with this. I get
very competitive, like me talking smack to Jenny. I had
no chance this woman when when we would you know,
you would you would take barbells and lay in your
back and do she would. She would take sixty five
pound bar bells and then somebody have to help get
to her thigh and then she'd get she I was like,

(01:19:37):
are you kidding me? I can't carry to you sixty
five pound barbells. But I'm trying to be competitive with her.
Do you find cracy that you get competitive in these
classes or do you not even worry about what anybody
else is doing? You just want to worry about yourself.

Speaker 12 (01:19:52):
I would say that there is an awareness of our
classmates and it's more about eleve each other as opposed
to competing. We all are where we are and we
support each other where we are, and I think that
has a lot to do with Rai's philosophy and teaching.

Speaker 11 (01:20:10):
I would say that competitiveness comes within. So you're competing
with yourself. Is what you're doing today of a good standard?
And if it is so, how can you do it
better tomorrow? And the nice thing about tai chi is
that that never stops. So I've been doing taichi now
twenty five years and I'm still looking at things that
I say, this could be a little bit better, that

(01:20:30):
could be a little bit different, things like that, and
that for me appeals, That appeals to my personality. It's
a constant source of self improvement.

Speaker 1 (01:20:39):
So talk to me before we get to a breaking
Looking at your website and you can go to Wisconsintaichi
Academy dot com Wisconsintaichi Academy dot com. Reading about Master
Dennis White's big impact on your life, A.

Speaker 11 (01:20:54):
Huge impact on my life. I was very fortunate to
come across Master Dennis I had. I had a number
of martial arts teachers over my time. So I like
to say that I got a sense of what to
look for in a good instructor. And marcedenis still is
still going in Australia a fantastic instructor, So not only

(01:21:17):
in terms of learning tai chi, but in really revealing
that taichi is more than just something you do. It's
something that starts to influence your life and how you
look at life. So that was a huge influence.

Speaker 1 (01:21:31):
On Where are you guys located?

Speaker 11 (01:21:33):
So we currently have five classes. We have classes in
Cedarburgh at Faith Lutheran Church. We are in River Hills
at the University School. We're in war Toosa at Mount
Mary University, We're at Whitewater at the Cravath Lakefront Community Center,
and we're at Brookfield at Momentum Movement Clinic just off

(01:21:56):
of Janetchek Road.

Speaker 1 (01:21:58):
So Cedarburgh, River Hills toast of Whitewater and Brookfield. How
many of those classes do you teach?

Speaker 11 (01:22:03):
I teach all of them?

Speaker 6 (01:22:04):
You do?

Speaker 1 (01:22:05):
You're busy yes, I am. Yeah. Are you married, guy,
kids or anything? Yep.

Speaker 5 (01:22:10):
Married.

Speaker 11 (01:22:11):
I have a beautiful wife, beautiful daughter, and beautiful grandchild
who anytime I'm not teaching tai chi or working on
any of the other hundred things that I do, I'm
spending time with them.

Speaker 5 (01:22:22):
Hey.

Speaker 1 (01:22:22):
Hold, how old is the grandchild?

Speaker 11 (01:22:25):
She's just about to be three, three and two months.

Speaker 1 (01:22:27):
I have six of them, Yeah, five grandsons, and two
years ago had a granddaughter, Hadley Grace mcgiverern. And she
is in charge. Oh she is, no papa.

Speaker 6 (01:22:38):
I go.

Speaker 1 (01:22:39):
You're at my house, city my chair, eating my stacks.
I want to watch ball game Bluey. And then we
got to watch Bluey. You know how that goes? Hey,
before we get to a break tai chi? Do you
recommend it for younger athletes?

Speaker 11 (01:22:54):
Absolutely, It's one of the things that I'm trying to
encourage because you know, taichi has a stigma around it
that it's just for old people, and the reason for
that is because of the way that you learn it,
because of its gentleness. But it's still a workout, but
it's highly suitable for older people. It's one of the
easier forms of exercise that people can do. But it

(01:23:17):
doesn't mean it's just for old people. And frankly, the
younger you get involved, the more the lifelong benefit you
get out of it. But there's also really exciting things
stuff happening in the tai chi world. So, for example,
next year in Dhaka at the twenty twenty six Youth Olympics,
Wushu which is kind of the sporting term for martial arts,

(01:23:38):
Chinese martial arts in particular, which will feature tai Chi,
that's going to be part of the Olympics. And if
that is successful, then the International Wushu Federation is looking
at trying to get it into the mainstream Olympics as well.

Speaker 1 (01:23:52):
Wow.

Speaker 11 (01:23:53):
So you know, I was only saying to Tracy Robert
as we were waiting to come on.

Speaker 5 (01:23:59):
You know.

Speaker 11 (01:23:59):
My hope is that if we start looking at twenty
twenty eight, twenty thirty two for the Olympics, we get
young people involved. We might have some young people from
Wisconsin representing the US at the Olympics.

Speaker 1 (01:24:11):
I don't know when, but I'm going to come over
to the Brookfield location. My wife and I live in Pewaukee.
Oh nice, and I my fear I'll be very nervous
before I come because I don't want to look like,
you know, I fallen down, dude. I just want to
maybe observe and maybe jump in or whatever. But I
think i'd like to try this. I did nine round

(01:24:32):
for a long time, right, so that kind of thing.
I loved nine round because I got to hit things
and nothing hit me back, and nobody call the police.
And that's what I kept thinking. And now in my garage,
I have one of these half naked guys, right, I
put a shirt on because people look in the garage
and go, what is that? But I have boxing gloves,
so I still utilize that as a workout. But I

(01:24:54):
would love to try this. Is it did you Driples
sweat this or is it a workout where it's not
where you're not just went like crazy?

Speaker 11 (01:25:04):
It really depends on how much effort you put in it.
And maybe I'll let Tracy answer this as well, but
it depends on how much effort you put into it
you can get through and just.

Speaker 1 (01:25:13):
You answer it, sir, You answer it. Yeah, how what
you put in is what you get.

Speaker 11 (01:25:17):
At exactly right, So you can you can just take
it light and go through the movements and you'll still
get a benefit. But if you really want to work
hard on it, go deep in your stances, really work
on your leg strength, really challenge your balance, then yeah,
you're going to build it.

Speaker 1 (01:25:30):
It could make me a better golfer.

Speaker 11 (01:25:32):
I'd like to think.

Speaker 10 (01:25:33):
So.

Speaker 11 (01:25:33):
I have a couple of golfers in my classes, and
I always tell people I don't take any responsibility for
lowering your scores, but certainly you know it teaches you
to move more freely, and with something like golf, you
need that you need to do. Can't be stiff and
expect to be a good golfer.

Speaker 1 (01:25:50):
So appreciate started the interview and I didn't even let
you finish. Do you miss do you miss being involved
in the acting world.

Speaker 12 (01:25:58):
I actually I'm still auditioning. I just got back with
an agency in Chicago that spring, okay, And so that's
fun to get to do. It's nice now that I'm
doing it on my terms. I get to be selective
about what I do and don't want to do, and
if something lovely comes along and it's a fit and great.
Otherwise I'm enjoying my taiji. I'm enjoying a mental health

(01:26:19):
therapist by profession, and got a very full life as
you know with Robert and our kids.

Speaker 1 (01:26:24):
Yeah, thank goodness you have that background and mental health
having to hang out with Roberts, so good. Good for you. Hey,
Mortal Kombat Conquest was that's the big right, Yes, but
there's a You've been involved in a lot of things.
My brother John, whos an actor was in, was in
a movie Princess Diaries, and so he got to hang

(01:26:45):
out with Julie Andrews for and he goes, the first
time she walked in, he goes, I'm so nervous, but
being in a movie, he said, it's he didn't like it.
It's he said, you you rush and then you wait
for days and then you do one line and it
takes and he said, I have got to move quicker.
But he goes, in the beginning, I'm like, oh my goodness,
I'm in a trailer a jeu Lee Andrews. And at

(01:27:06):
the end he's like, age Ulie, I can't believe you know.
He said it just it didn't matter who she was,
because she was a very nice person, great product, great movie.
But but he likes the quickness of what TV or
stand up comedy brings to him. You got to be
patient to be a good actors, right, you do you
have to be patient, Tichi. You'll help with that.

Speaker 12 (01:27:27):
Yes, definitely give you that sense of equanimity inside of yourself.

Speaker 1 (01:27:32):
Good you using words I can't spell. I love that
she is. Tracy Douglas, Ray Gates, he is. He runs
Wisconsin Taichie Academy. On the other side of the break,
can we talk about this tournament you guys did? It
was in a national tournament in Iowa. Did you have
an idea you guys would would have so much success

(01:27:52):
or were you pleasantly surprised?

Speaker 11 (01:27:54):
I mean, I'd like to say that I was quietly confident,
but I will say that the the standard was higher
than I had anticipated, and that's a really good thing. Yeah, so,
because I think it can only go forward from there.
But yeah, I was. I was pretty confident that we
would do well. I'm just happy that we did as
well as we did.

Speaker 1 (01:28:13):
Tracy, were you nervous before?

Speaker 2 (01:28:15):
I sure was.

Speaker 1 (01:28:16):
Yeah. It's kind of good to get it to get
that feeling again, right of being nervous and competing and
having to beat other people that have judges, you know,
give you a good stords. We're going to talk about
that trip and what that looked like. He is Ray Gates,
and Tracy Douglas is big part of Wisconsin Taichie Academy.
She works out there. How many times do you go

(01:28:37):
to class a week?

Speaker 12 (01:28:38):
I go once a week.

Speaker 1 (01:28:39):
Okay? And are you still doing other martial arts as well? No,
but you practice tychi at home every day every day.
We're going to get to that on the other side
of the break, Robert, thank you so much for the information.
In fact, Robert, by the way, I talked to Jim
Morales the other day. He told me to say hello
to you. This is the Varsity bl It's High School
Sports Show presented by Your Life Local Pick and Save

(01:29:00):
and Metro Market stores only on Fox Sports nine twenty
and your iHeart Radio. A Welcome back to the Varsity
Blis High School Sports Show as I was presented by
my friends at your local Pick and Save and Metro
Market stores. Joined in studio Ray Gates. He is the
owner founder and he runs Wisconsin tai Chi Academy five locations, Cedarberg,

(01:29:21):
River Hills, Tosa, Whitewater, and Brookfield. Go to the Brookfield
one because maybe not next week, but the following week,
I'm going to reach out to Ray and say can
I come and try one and see? You know, maybe
don't come to that one. I don't want anybody talking
about how incoordinated I am and how I started crying.
They can't say that, right, I'm not going to cry
during the thing.

Speaker 11 (01:29:41):
And the thing I always tell people mine is that
you know, everyone starts somewhere, you know, like, no one
starts out as a masta everyone. I've stood exactly where
you'll stand when you come to Klaus. So everyone's going
to start somewhere. The important thing is to make a stop.

Speaker 1 (01:29:57):
Just make a start and try it and see if
you like it. How many classes do you offer in
each of the locations? Is it one a week or so?

Speaker 11 (01:30:06):
The way that we run it is that at each
location there's a beginner's class, and what we do is
we run a ten week term. So every ten weeks
we kind of start again. The people who are already
doing it, they just keep going forward from what they are,
but every ten weeks we start people fresh. And then
for those who have completed our first section, our first form,

(01:30:27):
we have an intermediate class after that where they start
to learn new things. And Tracy's recently started learning the
next actually just completed the next form, so that's exciting.
So next time she goes to competition, she'll be up
for a different kind of metal, so that'll be good.

Speaker 1 (01:30:42):
When will that be well, it really.

Speaker 11 (01:30:45):
Comes down to Tracy and when she wants to compete.
So unfortunately here in Wisconsin, we don't really have a
lot of like taichi or wushue competitions, and that's something
that we're trying to change. We're actually trying to get
it into the Wisconsin Masters Games for next year and
I've been doing some work with them to see if
we can get that up and running. But here in
the Midwest, competition is a bit lacking and that's something

(01:31:07):
that we want to change. But there's opportunities. A lot
of competitions on the East coast, a lot of competitions
on the West coast, down in Texas and Florida, there's
big competitions that run so there are Where was.

Speaker 1 (01:31:18):
The competition that you guys recently won the Gold Matters?

Speaker 11 (01:31:21):
So National Senior Games was in Des Moines, Iowa. It
moves around. I think it's held every two years. I
think the next one is in Tulsa, Oklahoma. So but yeah,
we we went down to Des Moines, and the nice
thing about that as driving distance.

Speaker 1 (01:31:35):
Now time out. What's the age? Because this girl between
us that she can't be considered a senior, So what
is the age?

Speaker 11 (01:31:43):
Well, for the record, I'm actually younger.

Speaker 1 (01:31:45):
So sorry, Ray, I love your brother, but I gotta
be honest. She looks a little younger than first class.

Speaker 11 (01:31:56):
I'll give you that.

Speaker 1 (01:31:57):
I'm going into kung fu.

Speaker 2 (01:31:58):
I'm not.

Speaker 9 (01:32:00):
Going to.

Speaker 1 (01:32:00):
I just look, you look great.

Speaker 11 (01:32:03):
So so National Senior Games, the age is fifty up.
So they say fifty to one hundred. But there was
like I think there was one hundred and two year
old competitor there, not necessarily. In tai Chi tai Chi,
the oldest competitor was ninety four.

Speaker 7 (01:32:16):
She became a favorite.

Speaker 11 (01:32:18):
Wow, and she's out there with a broadsword swinging that
around and we were just blown away by her. So
she was incredible.

Speaker 1 (01:32:25):
Did you how do you know? Did you invite Tracy to?
Tracy say to you, I wanted, I want to I
want to be involved in that.

Speaker 11 (01:32:32):
I usually promote the idea of competition to my students
and then it's up to them to decide if that's
what they want to do. So we don't force it
upon anyone. They make a decision and it will support
them one undred pent Tracy.

Speaker 1 (01:32:44):
Do you could then go out and perform? Is it individual?

Speaker 9 (01:32:47):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:32:48):
It's an individual that you don't go it as a team?

Speaker 12 (01:32:50):
We did both individual and team?

Speaker 1 (01:32:53):
You did?

Speaker 2 (01:32:53):
Yeah, we had the great fortune to do that.

Speaker 1 (01:32:55):
Was it harder for you to get prepared for the
individuals the team's had?

Speaker 12 (01:32:59):
I would say individual because it was my first time
and it was also the first time up in front
of the judges, and so after I had achieved that,
I knew our team was solid and had a little
bit of jitterous at the start of it, but then
quickly fell into flow because we're cohesive. We practiced beforehand

(01:33:19):
and there's such lovely people.

Speaker 1 (01:33:21):
How much practice did you guys get together? A few times?
We did?

Speaker 12 (01:33:24):
We got together three times?

Speaker 11 (01:33:25):
I think good?

Speaker 1 (01:33:26):
Yeah? Did you ray? When you go to an event
like that and you're watching a lot, right, you're seeing
different different parts of the country. Do you learn things
as a teacher from what the other guys are doing?

Speaker 11 (01:33:40):
You always learned something whenever you see other people doing
their forms of their tai chi. Because most people so
to start with understand that there's a lot of different
styles of tai chi out there, so you're always seeing
something different, you're always learning something new. And I think
even for me this time around, was understanding that, you know,

(01:34:02):
there's a lot of people that are trying to learn
taichi just off of videos or you know, things that
they're seeing online, and you know, I encourage those people
find a teacher, you know, because you'll just get so
much further with it.

Speaker 1 (01:34:15):
Guys, go to Wisconsin Taichi Academy dot com. Wisconsin Taichi
Academy dot com. I can tell you right now that
for new student registration Brookfield Thursday mornings at ten am,
Cedarberget's Tuesday morning, Wawutosta Tuesday evening, Whitewaters on Wednesday, Brookfield
River Hills, Our Thursday ten am and Brookfield six pm,

(01:34:38):
river Hills. If you go on on that website, you
go to new student registration under what we offer. Under
what we offer. The other thing you need to do
is is read about what about us?

Speaker 5 (01:34:51):
Right?

Speaker 1 (01:34:51):
What is taichi? You know your instructors are students, are affiliates,
They do a great job frequently ask questions on this website.
Make sure when you go to what we offer. Go
to new student registration if you've not tried this. I
talked to Ray and now I'm talking to Tracy, and
I think this is my next thing. Right Orange Theory.

(01:35:11):
It was great, but I think I'm going to try
this and see if it can give me what I'm
I'm looking for. And I will be there on a Thursday.
If not this coming Thursday, maybe the next thursday. But
on that website you can register, name, email, contact information,
and then answer a couple of questions and then you
can register. What's the cost to get involved in something

(01:35:33):
like this?

Speaker 11 (01:35:34):
So we start, we ask people to commit to the
ten weeks. So it's one hundred and twenty five dollars
for a class, so sorry for the ten weeks. We
do offer a discount for Senia's FA vets.

Speaker 1 (01:35:47):
You know, it's one hundred and twenty five dollars total
for ten weeks.

Speaker 12 (01:35:50):
That's great, And please do mention the scholarship for the youth.

Speaker 11 (01:35:54):
Yes, so again part of trying to get younger people involved,
we do actually offer a scollarship. It's aimed at now
I'm testing my memory, it's aimed at sixteen to twenty
five year old, okay, And essentially what we'll do is
we'll give you a year's worth of taichi training for free.
The only thing we ask for is that you commit

(01:36:15):
for the full year and you must attend at least
eight out of the ten classes each term. So that's
that's how we want to get young.

Speaker 1 (01:36:24):
Getting back to one hundred and twenty five for ten weeks.
I think you need to raise your price, pal, I
think I do. I look, I've been Orange Theory, Burn
boot Camp, all of these things. That's priced very reasonably. Yeah,
that's good for you. I will I will pay that
and try for ten weeks. And you're going to make
me tall, thin and good looking? Is that what? Yeah?

(01:36:47):
I have gonna look like Brad pet what you said
you could do?

Speaker 11 (01:36:50):
Yeah, yeah, yeah, it's written in the Yeah, it's written
in the fine print somewhere.

Speaker 1 (01:36:54):
Tracy Douglas, do you think you'll get back and compete again?
Did you enjoy?

Speaker 2 (01:36:57):
Absolutely?

Speaker 1 (01:36:58):
It was great.

Speaker 12 (01:36:59):
I loved it very I loved watching other people. I
loved being a part of a team, and I love
testing myself against my own limits.

Speaker 1 (01:37:05):
And I have to ask this is there's some the
with theater background in having to compete and show the
judges is do you feel like those two combine a
little bit?

Speaker 12 (01:37:16):
There is definitely that similarity of being up in front
of people and performing.

Speaker 1 (01:37:20):
Yeah, hey, Robert, I get it now you so says
she's way too good looking for me. I get it,
and so kind and just really very dedicated to some
of this stuff. How are your kids, by the way,
they're all good.

Speaker 12 (01:37:32):
They are, they are thriving.

Speaker 2 (01:37:34):
Thank you for asking.

Speaker 1 (01:37:34):
Yeah, you bet, You've bet another thing that Roberts are
so proud of. R It's so good to meet you.
Keep up the good work.

Speaker 11 (01:37:40):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (01:37:41):
Five locations enough. You're not looking to expand anymore, are you?

Speaker 11 (01:37:44):
I mean, I'm always opportunities. I don't know that my
family would be necessarily too thrilled about that, but we're
looking at opportunities. We'd like to try and get something
on the South Side because we have a lot of people.

Speaker 6 (01:37:55):
Down there that.

Speaker 11 (01:37:57):
Want to do it. You can't necessarily get to a clock,
so it's it's always in the back of my mind.
It's just looking for opportunities.

Speaker 1 (01:38:04):
Boy, it's good to meet you. I'll be in touch
and and be kind to me. Yeah. That that Thursday
morning at ten o'clock. Don't make the first one easy
and then think the next nine weeks you're going to
beat me up. Don't be doing that. Ray Gates, thank
you so much. Wisconsin, tai Chi Academy, Tracy Douglas, so
good to meet you. Keep out the good work.

Speaker 2 (01:38:23):
Thank you so much.

Speaker 1 (01:38:24):
Next time you compete, maybe I'll be part of that team.

Speaker 7 (01:38:26):
I would love you.

Speaker 1 (01:38:27):
I don't know. I'm not quite sure about that. Is
Robert he is, he just started. Proud of you. If
he got through it, I can get through it right.
I've seen him throw a ball that it's not pretty, and
it's not pretty, Robert thing. Man, it's so good to
see you, brother,