Catching Up with Christians: EP 3 - Michael Kinkenon, LVR Baseball Coach and 5th Grade Teacher

As family ties and the love for baseball converge, I had the opportunity to sit down with my new brother-in-law, Mike Kinkenon , and explore how these powerful themes shape our lives. Mike's double duty as a fifth-grade teacher and a baseball coach for the Las Vegas recruits has yielded a treasure trove of experiences, from fostering sportsmanship to inspiring young minds. Our conversation is a heartfelt journey through the shared connections and serendipitous moments that link our families, and it's peppered with stories that celebrate the competitive spirit we cherish in our favorite pastime.

Stepping into the shoes of a teacher or coach often means leaving an indelible mark on the lives we touch. This episode peels back the layers of such transitions, revealing the wisdom and responsibility required to balance passion with life's demands. Listeners will get an inside look at the life lessons Mike and I hold dear, such as the guiding principles of keeping faith and family at the forefront. These narratives intertwine, crafting a tapestry of adaptability and lifelong learning that resonates beyond the classroom or the baseball field.

The capstone of our discussion is a reflection on living an authentic Christian faith. We examine the practical ways we integrate spirituality into our hectic schedules, touching on the importance of prayer, the recognition of divine timing, and the impact of simple acts of kindness. Wrapping up our episode, I offer a prayer of gratitude and hope that resonates with anyone seeking solace or guidance in their own life's journey. Join us for an inspiring episode that's as much about personal growth as it is about the joys of teaching, coaching, and, of course, baseball.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to another episode of catching up
with Christians, and I'm yourhost, coach McCarty, alongside
my brother-in-law actually nowit hasn't been too long for that
title, right, and but superhappy that I can call your
brother-in-law Mike and Cannon.
Mike has been in my life for along time now, but, like I said,

(00:21):
you know it's been justrecently, was officially a part
of the family, which has been anamazing time, and so I'd love
for you to introduce yourself,mike, and kind of what you do
and how you got there.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
For sure I've been in your life longer than you
realized.
We can talk about that later.
But no, yeah, mike and Cannonfrom Las Vegas, nevada.
I've been very thankful for allthe opportunities I've got.
I've.
Baseball has been a part of mylife pretty much forever.
Right now I am currentlycoaching the Las Vegas recruits,

(00:58):
nine years specifically.
I do private lessons and then Iteach at fifth grade at Faith
Lutheran Academy and FaithLutheran has been a big part of
my life, which I'm sure we'llget to a little bit later on.
But thanks for having me.
I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (01:14):
Yeah, absolutely Absolutely.
So you know you touched up onsome great things.
So first off, talk about youknow how we know each other.
You know we're family.
Now I'll kind of you know, talkabout my perspective here,
quick, about.
You know this is a long timeago you talked about.
You've been in my life a lotlonger than I realized it has
been what?
Eight years, or is that off?

Speaker 2 (01:36):
Yeah, no, we're making our approach in eight
years together.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
Yes.
So, yeah, that's awesome.
So you know, I've seen Mikegrowing up around the ball field
.
You know, when he was coachingthe Las Vegas recruits, my dad
and I used to coach club balland I knew the name to the face.
But obviously, you know, untilyou know, him and my sister, you

(02:02):
know, were in a relationship.
We got to know each other.
But I won't forget that firsttime ever May have told me that
you guys, you know, were talkingand it was getting serious and
those things and I don't know,maybe six months to a year or
whatever it was, and not toosure of the exact timeline, but
you couldn't make it up.

(02:22):
We played my dad's team, playedyour team and that weekend
before and she told us on like aMonday, we were playing a
weekend tournament and y'allbeat the breaks off, yeah, 15-0.
I think you had like, was itZane?
And like George.

Speaker 2 (02:37):
That was that group.
Yeah, yeah.

Speaker 1 (02:39):
They were electric man, you, I don't know who it
was the left.
He was on the mound, shoved andthrowing gas at that age and
this absolutely wrecked us and Iwas like cool, okay, like this
guy, you know he's got a goodteam.
But I really admired yourcharacter and the teams you know
, you know their, theirsportsmanship, right.
I think that's a word that Idon't not a big fan of, because

(03:01):
everybody thinks like, oh gotta,everybody deserves a trophy and
all that stuff.
Well, that's not what I mean bysportsmanship.
I just mean even though whenyou're beating the team by a
good amount, you still hang yourhead high you still are you
know, giving respect to theother team and especially even
on the coaching side of things,right, there's some coaches,
when you beat them by a lot,they aren't the most you know.

(03:22):
Nice, after the game They'll be.
Just they'll kind of look downat you, right.

Speaker 2 (03:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (03:27):
So I definitely respected that, because you guys
, the Las Vegas recruits if thelisteners don't know, it's a
very well-ran organization herein Las Vegas known for taking
care of business on and off thefield.
So knowing that it's a classact organization but also a
organization that is successfulis a great thing.

(03:48):
But anyway, so I remember youknow that next day going into a
Monday after the tournament,she's like yeah, you know I met
this guy, you know he's great,all this and he actually coaches
club ball.
He's never heard of a teamcalled LBR.

Speaker 2 (04:00):
Yeah, yeah, we do.

Speaker 1 (04:03):
Yeah, we do and she goes.
Yeah, he actually coaches like14 you and I'm like really we
just played them last weekendshe's like oh, yeah, like, if
anybody knows my sister Meg, Ilove her to death, but sometimes
she doesn't only put two to twotogether, you know, and so we
love her.
We do.
We love her to death.
I love Meg and she's like, ohyeah, you guys do coach 14 you.

(04:25):
I was like yep, and they beatus.
And you know, fast forward.
And I was like man, you knowwe've seen them a long time and
you know that was that was areally kind of my first, you
know introduction of knowing ofyou and that you guys were
together and that type of stuff.
And then fast forward, I wantto say a couple of months after
that you came over for like adinner or lunch or something.

Speaker 2 (04:47):
We played a little MLB.
I don't know what else we wouldhave eaten.
Captain, it was a superappropriate dinner.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
Yes, yes, and played some show.
Played a little bit of the show.
That's when the rivalry started.

Speaker 2 (04:58):
Yeah.
You beat me up with theCardinals a little bit, but I
had to hold my own because all Iheard was how good you were.
I was like I better not mess up.
And I remember walking out ofyour room and I was like makes,
he's gonna be mad.
You're like.
He was like you won.
I was like, yeah, I won.
So that was like I think Igained your respect.
Like, more off the field, I cancompete with you in the show.

Speaker 1 (05:18):
So there we go.
You're right, man.
So that's kind of myperspective.
How would you kind of see, onyour end, maybe just kind of
meeting the family, maybemeeting me, like what was that
whole you know thing like?

Speaker 2 (05:29):
Well, you talk about like sportsmanship and stuff,
and you know it is a word, and Ithink like one thing I've
learned about your family, orour family, you know, I guess,
is the approach to everythingyou know.
We could talk specificallybaseball, but it's like you know
, are you respecting the game ofbaseball?
Are you respecting you knowpeople?

(05:50):
Are you you?
know and those are just thingsthat we've been and still from
our parents.
You know how we act and youknow I think you're on the same
page as me is it's like now it'sour job to carry that, so to
inspect and sportsmanship andteaching people how to do things
the right way.
But yeah, I'll never.
I will never forget that dinner.
That wasn't the pyramid housetoo, it was.

(06:11):
It was.
I remember going in and I justremember.
You know, I think the most, thething I remember the most was
makes face when she realized,like wait, you guys know each
other.
Like, oh yeah, we just we'rejust at the field together, but
you know, again, it goes back toyou know you and your dad being
out there.
And I think it says a lot.
You know, about people thattake the time that don't have

(06:33):
kids, you know, on a team tocoach, and there's nothing wrong
if they do.
You know, I think it's greatthat parents take the time to do
that.
You know what are that coacheshave as well.
But I think it says a lot whenpeople take time when they have
no real affiliation with a sportor or anything.
They just do it out of thegoodness of their heart, they're

(06:56):
passionate about it and theywant to try to make a difference
.
So I learned, you know, thatthat's.
That's a super important thingfor you.
You know, look where we're atright now.
You know, trying to do the samething just through a different
way.

Speaker 1 (07:07):
So no, that's, that's a great way to, you know, think
about it and I love the waythat you put that in and I
definitely agree and I thinkthat's how we bonded so early on
, with the respect and the loveof the game and just a lot of
our morals aligned, obviously,because you know we're family,
so you know, I knew that goingin, you know, and which is a

(07:31):
huge thing for me, so that'skind of to give everybody, the
listeners, that's kind of thebackground a little bit.
And they got married last year.

Speaker 2 (07:39):
It was a great wedding Almost a year, now
Almost a year In a year, march11.
So there?

Speaker 1 (07:46):
you go, man.
That was an incredible time.
It was amazing and I got to seea bunch of you know awesome
friends and family and I endedup you know I always joke around
with them I said I love them somuch I missed four games that
season to get that that wedding.
And us baseball coaches, youknow, and even Mike understands

(08:06):
like when you're sacrificing atdivision three level, that's 10%
of your games, because we onlyplayed 40 games.
But, of course I would havenever missed it.
But I always tell people it'slike that's how much I really
love these people.
You know what I mean that Imissed 10% of you know my career
for that of that season.
But I'm definitely it was anamazing time and I wouldn't have
ever missed it and it was sofun and things like that.

Speaker 2 (08:29):
And that goes with like something you know my dad
taught me growing up you knowwas.
You know your priorities inlife and I even teach my fifth
graders this, I teach the kids Icoach.
You know, nine year olds, youknow there's your priorities,
like your number one is yourfaith, number two is your family
, number three is your job.

(08:50):
You know dad always said schoolfor us.
You know, when you're growingup, school's your priority Faith
, family, school, and thenbaseball Yep, no, or your hobby,
whatever else it is you do.
And it's like I'm a really bigbeliever, you know, especially
as I've grown up, like whenthose things get out of order it
makes life hard and it makesyou know whatever you're doing

(09:14):
tougher and it makes it notnecessarily worth it.
And so you know that's a greatexample of doing those things.
And I, you know, sometimes,yeah, it means you have to make
hard decisions, but I trulybelieve, like if you, if you
stick to that faith, family,your job, in baseball you make
your decisions in that order and, like you'll be, you'll be set.
You know, as tough as it mightbe your, I don't I don't think

(09:34):
you can look back and questionwhether or not you made, you
know the right decisions, andthat's that's something that
I've.
I've done my whole life, youknow, ever since my dad taught
me that.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
That's, that's incredible and that's a great
way to look at it.
And I think sometimes it can betough.
You know, as a human or someonewho's got a lot of things going
on, you know you try to you.
As you get older and become anadult, you realize you can't do
everything.
Yeah, you can't.
You can't.
You have to prioritize things inlife, like you know.
It's like someone who loves tohelp.
You know, for me it's like Ilove helping so many people, but

(10:05):
it's like I can only fit somuch in my basket, right.
And then when you've got toprioritize things and and that's
a great way to put it, and it'sso much of what, what my dad
taught us to right, it's justkind of, you know, like you said
, prioritizing things thatmatter in your life and
attacking those 110% of youreffort, right, like not, you
know, doing 50% of yourcapabilities.

(10:26):
Give everything you can.
Yeah, and that's why you knowyou've been able to be
successful and that's why youknow you're being able to be
where you are.
So let's talk a little bitabout your, your career.
As far as your teaching, realquick, you know, faith, lutheran
is a faith based school,correct, and that that's pretty

(10:47):
cool in itself, but you teachelementary, you know, that's a
lot better than I could dance.

Speaker 2 (10:52):
Yeah, talk a little bit about that.
So.
So, teaching wise, yeah.
And once I finished playing, Idecided to stay up in Portland
and my coach, lewis and Clark,tom Flynn, he reached out and
was like, king, can you comemeet with me?
And you know, anytime you callto the coach's office, you know

(11:14):
whether you have a greatrelationship with him or not,
which I did.
And you know, coach was in mywedding and he called me in and
he was like you know, what areyour plans after graduation?
And you know, I had no clue, Ihad zero clue.
And he was like, well, wouldyou ever consider coaching?
And you know, and I had, I hadsome time in my four years where

(11:36):
I was still able to kind of Idon't want to say be a player
coach, but I was hurt, I missedquite a bit of time.
My junior year I tore aligament at my wrist, I missed,
I think I missed almost 30 games, but you know, pretty early in
the season, and so I couldn't doanything.
And so, you know, I kind of wasable to take a backseat, you

(11:57):
know, as a player, and be inthat kind of help model, you
know, with the players and youknow, especially catchers.
You know, we had anunderclassman that was going to
get quite a bit more time, andso I enjoyed it, you know.
And then I had always kind ofdabbled in it and so I was like,
oh yeah, like that would bepretty cool.
He's like would you want tocoach here, coach with me?
And I was like, absolutely, Iloved, I loved being at Lewis

(12:17):
and Clark.
You know, portland's a greatcity.
It was a good place to be.
And so I got into coachingcollege for a year, graduated
and I quickly learned like thisis awesome, you know this is
something I love to doSummertime recruiting trips.
I love that, you know.
Recruiting trip I got to.
I got to meet a lot of coolcoaches and just get so much

(12:40):
information from people.
You know there's so muchinformation out there and it was
something that took me a whileto understand.
Like, as a coach, you have tobe able to take in information
and be okay with not knowing andand and then adapting.
You know how can I convey that?
And so learned a lot, met a lotof really good people, you know

(13:04):
coaching.
And then the season kind of youknow, then we get back for on
campus for the fall and thenrecruiting kicked up and you
know, to me that was and I thinkyou know, a big point in my
life was I realized like I'm I'mnot as passionate about the
recruiting aspect as as I havethought I would be.
And you know, season wentaround and it was, it was good.

(13:24):
You know I enjoyed the baseballside of things.
And then there's the recruitingside.
There's a business side ofthings in terms of managing, you
know, schedules, helpingplayers yeah, flights have all
the schedules, and so that was,that was a lot for me, you know,
coming out of college andtrying to figure out what I
wanted to do and and even how todo it no-transcript and it was

(13:48):
really tough and it was reallyreally hard for me.
And I remember Christmas timewas kind of when I was, I was
struggling and then I was like,you know, season will be good.
So then we go through theseason and we were getting ready
to ramp up for recruiting againand I was just like I didn't
love it.
You know, and I know,especially with baseball or even
sports, there's, you know,there's a chain of command and

(14:09):
there's you got to pay your time, they pay your dues.
And then I I respect that, Ibelieve in it, I understand it,
I get it, but it wasn'tsomething I could see myself
doing.
And so, you know, I talked withcoach and you know he, he was
bummed, I was going to leave,but he totally understood and I
decided to move back home and umstill had no clue what I was

(14:29):
going to do and I just wanted tobe home.
You know, being born and raisedhere, I love it here in Vegas.
And so led to me going out andI went and played slow pitch
softball there you go.
Yeah, this is yeah.
So I played slow pitch softballand I ran into my buddy, dave
Anderson.
Yeah, I had coach at faithLutheran and, uh, dave was my

(14:52):
coach in the summer when he wasin college and I was still
playing summer ball going intomy senior year.
So we had a great relationshipand known Dave for a long, long
time and so he was like, hey,have you ever thought of you
know, getting into coaching?
And I was like, yeah, you know,kind of told him what I told
you and he was like, well, wouldyou want to come out and just
help out with the catchers, justwhenever you're feeling like it
?
Okay, you know.

(15:13):
I don't have anything going on.
You know I, literally we justmoved home trying to figure out
what path I wanted to take.
So I go out and you know, oneday turned into three, turned
into five, turned into hey, I'llbe back next week.
And then it was like do youjust want to coach here?
Yeah, I was like yeah, and so Itook.
You know, I took a job justbeing with JV head coach at JV

(15:34):
and then coaching all thecatchers.
And then after that, dave waslike you ever thought of
teaching?
And I was like no, never did.
But like absolutely the samething.
And I was that kid in highschool where it's like so many
people like, oh, kink, you'regoing to, you're going to coach
baseball and you're going toteach, and like you know people
like a head now that I told youso.
And so I started substituteteaching, working through all

(15:57):
the teaching stuff I needed todo, and I was set.
I was like you know what I'mgoing to eventually?
Like I'm going to coach withDave forever.
If not, he gets another job,I'll take over a faith and I'm
going to.
You know, I'm going to teachyou faith.
And you know, and that's whereI went to school, sixth grade,
all the way through.
I'm a faith faithful.
And there you go, you know, andso I was like it was, it was
awesome, you know it was, it waseverything I wanted.

(16:19):
And then, um, subbing was hardbecause, like I was, I was picky
, I'm going to be honest.
I only wanted to sub at faith.
I was spoiled, I knew it.
I knew a lot of people there,though, right, and so they would
just tell me I need a sub, Ineed a sub, but you know,
sometimes you go a month withoutit Getting a sub, yeah, and so,
um, so then I happened to goout to a faith football game and

(16:41):
there was a lightning delay,and so we went across the street
to the pint and just waiting itout, hanging out, grabbing some
food, drinks, and I ended upseeing my old sixth grade
teacher, okay, and he had justcoached, uh, the, the freshman
team or JV team, the day before,and so he was there, just, you

(17:02):
know, waiting for varsity, and Iwas like what's up, mr Cody?
And now he's the, he's the Deanat faith, okay, and but he was
my sixth grade teacher, and, um,I ended up meeting his wife,
and so he's like, hey, like youknow, I taught you know telling
her how we know each other.
And it goes on to she's like oh,I understand that you're a
substitute teacher, have youever thought of subbing

(17:23):
elementary school?
And I was like, uh, yeah, youknow, I'm like, I'm like, I'm
like I'm like, I'm like, I'mlike I'm like you know.
The answer is no.
I knew exactly what I wanted todo.
I was going to teach highschool and go through I didn't
know what subject, but I knew Iwanted to be around high school
kids.
And I was like no, but whenyou're not subbing for a while?

Speaker 1 (17:45):
you say yes.

Speaker 2 (17:46):
Say yes because I needed to, right, I needed it,
yeah, and so I was like sure, Igave her my phone number.
I was like, you know, reach out, I kid you, not the next week.
She's like, hey, would you beinterested in subbing third
through fifth PE?
And I was like, okay, like PE,sure we'll play golf or whatever
.
And I go to the Academy FaithAcademy, we just called the

(18:08):
Academy and I subbed and it was.
It was chill, like I didn'tthink anything of it.
It wasn't.
You know, it was fun, it wasgood, yeah.
And so I end up working,coaching, going, and then it
turns into hey, there's anopportunity for you to sub long
term.
We have a uh lady that has toleave and she can't stay any

(18:31):
longer because she was asubstitute for a woman that was
getting ready to they had justhad a kid, I believe, or was
getting ready to.
So like they needed a sub forthe sub.
So I was, I was that low and itwas like it was.
It was a fourth grade and I waslike sure, like how long?
And if I remember correctly itwas, it was three to four weeks,
Like it was.

(18:52):
It was a, it was a big chunk oftime, and so I was like let's
do it.
And I just went in and it wastough, it was so different.
Um, you know, it was somethingthat, looking back, it was like
I don't know how I did it.
I mean, I learned a lot fromthat experience and so I

(19:15):
remember when that finished, Iwas like I think I can do this.
I think I can teach this age.
I think I was still morecomfortable with older kids,
being able to work with them andand coach and teach them, and I
think I was comfortable with it.
And that was the thing I wascomfortable.
I didn't know if I was good,but I knew I was comfortable,

(19:36):
right.
And I think that's why I wasnot sure of myself.
And so it had gotten almost tothe end of that school year and
this would have been seven yearsago now and the principal
reached out and was like hey,like, would you be interested in
coming in and talking?
Not, it wasn't even aninterview, it was just talking.
And she was like we have anopportunity for a fifth grade

(19:58):
job that's opening up.
Um, is this something you wouldwant to do?
And I was like I think so.
And she was like okay, well,how about you set up a lesson
for this third grade class andyou're going to come in and
you're going to teach a lessonand we're going to come watch

(20:19):
you?
And then, depending on how thatgoes you know we'll see about
whether or not it's fit I'm likeokay, sounds good, so go in, I
teach a lesson on the Hoover dam.
I'll never forget this I suckedand at this time okay, at this
time Megan I were dating and wewere you know, and so I remember
calling her after I got in thecar.

(20:41):
I got in the car after and Ijust taught one lesson.
It was literally like 30minutes.
It was about the dam they weredoing like Nevada history.
And I remember calling Meg andI was like I'm pretty sure I got
fired and I didn't even havethe job and it was tough, like I
.
Just I was so unsure maybe eveninsecure is the right word.
We share about how I did.

(21:02):
And so I get an email fromDiana, our principal.
She was like, would you beinterested in coming in for an
interview?
I was like I must not have donethat bad.
I go in, have an interview.
And we finished the interview.
She's like, all right, likewe'll give you a call and let
you know.
And then, like the next day, Igot a phone call and we'd love
to have you come teach fifthgrade.

(21:22):
And so I have been.
This is my sixth year teachingfifth grade.
I never, ever, ever would havethought that that was an option
more.
So I didn't think I'd love itas much as I do.
I can't imagine myself teachinganother grade, wow.
And you know, and it's like I'dlook back and, like I said, use

(21:43):
that word uncomfortable.
It's like you got to douncomfortable things sometimes
because you just don't know.
And I mean it was the bestdecision I've made in teaching
coaching was was saying yes togoing and subbing and having
that whole door open.
You know I've had opportunitiesin the past.
You know I'm no longer coachingat faith.
You know just really enjoywanting.

(22:04):
You know, coaching the nineyear olds and being around the
younger kids and helping them,and you know it's time.
It was just time to move on.
You know nothing bad.
I love that place.
I mean, we're going to go to agame tomorrow actually, so, but
you know it was one of the.
They got the border battle thisyear.
So but no, it was one of thosethings like I look back and it's
like it's okay to try somethingdifferent.

(22:27):
It's okay to think you're notgoing to do well at it, but just
try.
And I mean I can't imaginegoing I had opportunities to to
move over to the middle school,high school and really try to
focus on getting in there andhaving an opportunity to really
coach at the high school levelfor a long time.
You know, and you know becauseI ended up moving my way up with

(22:50):
Dave, you know.
But I just I can't imagineteaching another grade.
And then you know the fact thatI'm at faith, so I didn't get
to go to the elementary school,I didn't go K through five, I
just went to the middle school,so six all the way through.
But we are a feeder school, youknow.
We do a lot of stuff with themiddle school, high school,

(23:11):
partner with them on stuff.
So it's cool to be involved inthe faith.

Speaker 1 (23:18):
So that's, that's an incredible story.
I think it's a testament tolike God, like you, you from the
story that you shared, right,it's like you also didn't put
restrictions.
Like you, when you felt likesure, I'm going to try this,
like you just went ahead and didit.
Like, even though there weresome of that like maybe
insecurity or doubt, like oh, Idon't know if I'm quite ready
for it, but it didn't stop youfrom trying it.

(23:39):
Like you still went, you know,head to the wall, like just
let's try it and I think that'spretty, you know, inspiring for
people that are listening.
Like, even if you're in aseason of not knowing or an
uncomfortable season, if youfeel like something's on your
heart to just try it, there's noharm in that right, there's no
harm in like giving it a shotbecause you don't know where God
is going to take that like yeahfrom.

(23:59):
The way I take that story islike Mike went in with no real
expectation and said, sure, letme try this, and now just found
a calling in a way that youreally love what you're doing.
And to the point, now you'recoaching younger guys because
I'm sure you know it's even morefun.
You know now that you're, youknow you have the connection
with the fifth grade age and nowyou're doing you know that

(24:20):
stuff with the younger kids inbaseball.
I think that's it's powerful toshow.
One, it didn't sound like youever put limitations on what God
could do for you.
And then two, you know you'repatient.
You were able to go throughthis uncomfortable season and be
like all right, let's see whatyou got going on, and that's
pretty powerful.

Speaker 2 (24:38):
You know the turning point I think I don't even know
if I can say my life, becausethat makes me feel really old,
but was was when I was inPortland.
I remember, around Christmastime, being in my room.
You know I had a roommate, Ihad a few roommates, we had a
house.
You know great, great peopleand I remember being around

(25:02):
Christmas and I was just lookingback you probably could say
depressed, like like I, be beinghonest, looking back, I was not
happy.
That was a time in my life whenI truly, truly can say like I
don't think I've ever prayedmore in my life than when I was.

(25:24):
I was just bumped, I don't know, you know.
I just remember being like God,I need, I need something, I
need to do something.
I don't know what I'm doing, Idon't know what I'm going to do,
but I knew I was unhappy, Iknew it wasn't the right place,
you know, and it wasn't anythinganyone had done.
It was just it wasn't what Ifelt like I was supposed to do

(25:45):
with my life.
And you know, I think thehardest part for people, you
know, to figure out what theywant to do and how they can do
it and how you can you know, besuccessful is is going through
those things that suck, you know, because we have a

(26:06):
misconception.
I feel like, as people, it'slike our lives are supposed to
be a certain way.
There's a path that we want togo on and you have to follow
that path, whether it's beenlaid out for you in your mind,
by your family, whatever, orwhat you want to do.
And it's like I got news for youguys.
You don't get to make that path, that's not something that you

(26:31):
get to do, and the quicker youcan accept that, then the better
.
I truly think the better theblessings that there are, or
even the opportunities you know,because, yeah, you're going to,
you're going to do things thatsuck, you're going to go through
things that are not fun, but,like, you have to just
understand what it's not our jobto understand and it's not our

(26:53):
job to plan those things.
You know you have to be patientand you have to just trust it's
going to happen.
You know, it's going to happenwhen God wants it to happen.
You know, in my class we talk alot.
You know, I have the privilegeto teach religion.
It's my favorite part of theday.
I get off on tangents like thisand the kids are like oh, mr K,
we got to go, we got time forPE.
You know, but it's like you gotto understand when you, when

(27:15):
you pray, right, like it's sucha big part.
You know, everyone thinks thatyou got to do it a certain way.
This, that is the other, it's,it's just like this yeah, yeah,
just talking to God, that's it.

Speaker 1 (27:26):
Yeah.

Speaker 2 (27:28):
Like, you know, one really hard thing for kids, you
know, and going off a littletangent, but it's hard for them
to understand.
Like, when you pray forsomething, it doesn't mean it's
going to happen, it doesn't meanyou're going to get what you
want, you know.
I tell him God is not a genie.
You don't get to ask him forthings and he's going to give
them to you.
Yep, you know, dear God, can Iplease get an A on this test?
Well, just because you didn'tstudy?

(27:51):
Probably not Right, you know.
And it's hard for them tounderstand that you know.
But I tell him God answersevery prayer, every single
prayer.
It might not be in the time youwant, it might not be what you
want, but he will answer it.
Amen.
And I think people need tounderstand that for everyday
stuff, you know, because we allhave our own things we're going

(28:12):
through, you know.
But if you can just take a stepback and really just like, hey,
I can't really do anything withmy situation other than try my
hardest and trust that God has aplan, it'll work out.
And I think everybody canhonestly take a second and like,

(28:33):
think of something like thatwe're at psych.
I could come up with tons ofthings.
You know that you just don'texpect them, but God knows when
it's right for you, and you knowyou just that's what faith is
right.
That's literally the definition, and you know, and that's
what's so hard for people to buyinto and to understand.

(28:55):
But when you do, you know itcould change your life and then
I think that that's why I'm herewhere I am.
You know, I'm so thankful foreverything I have.
You know, and I think it'sbecause you have to just know
God has a plan and it's on histime.

Speaker 1 (29:18):
Yep.

Speaker 2 (29:18):
You try to put it on your terms.

Speaker 1 (29:21):
Fortunately, you're going to lose that battle
forever, a hundred times, ahundred times You're losing that
one.

Speaker 2 (29:28):
Yes, yes.

Speaker 1 (29:29):
One thousand percent, and that was some amazing words
of wisdom.
And.
But I think the two biggesttakeaways is God will answer
those prayers, and and it's just.
And the second thing is is itjust may not.
It may not look like the wayyou wanted to or in the
timeframe that you want to, butit does not mean that he, you

(29:50):
know, didn't answer thoseprayers.
And now then I've really beenbig on in this season and I put
a little video out about thisguy's like a little tangent here
, short one, but basically yourcurrent season is a past prayer,
and I've said this a lotrecently and what I mean by that
is you can find something inyour current season of life.
It's something that God answeredin the past.

(30:10):
Like you know, whether it's ajob, whether it's a family
member thing you could haveprayed a year ago about it, or
it could be something you prayedabout yesterday, but you're
probably experiencing somethingin this current season of your
life that you've prayed for inthe past.
I think it's a great reminderto you know, seek and and also
remind yourself of the you knowgratitude, right to be
appreciative in this moment,because God is faithful and he

(30:32):
has answered prayers then and hewill again and I think just
remind ourselves to look intoour current season and really
look at it and nitpick and belike man.
I see him.
He's been faithful here becauseI know I prayed about that nine
months ago or a year ago and,yeah, you waited nine months or
a year, but it was answered.
It happened.

Speaker 2 (30:51):
And.

Speaker 1 (30:51):
I know in my own life like there's been some amazing
things that's happened recentlythat has just been answered,
prayers that just kind of remindme that he's still moving.
So to anybody listening, likeMike said, you know it might not
be your time, you know it mightnot be the way you want it, but
he's still answering prayersand we really just my biggest
recommendation is just remindpeople to just remember your

(31:12):
current season is a past prayer.
There's something going on yourcurrent season that I'm sure
you prayed for in the past andit's, mind you, that God is
faithful.
So I know we talked about thisa little offline.
You talk a little bit about howfaith is such a big place for
you Faith, the school and yourfaith and what I mean by that is
you've had, you know, I'm sure,opportunities.

(31:33):
It's really easy to go to CCSDor those types of things, right,
but one of the big reasons wetalked about is that you love
being able to be open and aboutthe faith and be able to teach
religion and those types ofthings.
So how does your faith and your, you know, belief in God and
Jesus affect, you know, maybe,your teaching style and also
your coaching style?

Speaker 2 (31:54):
Yeah, well, I think I think kind of both in one
coaching and teaching.
I think it's.
You know, the way I act is justI try to tell people.
Like you know, being aChristian is tough, okay, and
it's not easy in terms of whatpeople think of you or the
decisions that you make.
You know you don't have to bein everyone's face about God.

(32:17):
I think that your reflection ofJesus Christ so what I tell
kids right, like you know wehave we wear uniforms say faith
loose in an academy.
You know, on their chest, I'mlike when you guys go out in
public, you know if you'redisrespecting your mom and dad,
at the grocery store or whatever, people are going to see your

(32:39):
logo and they're going to belike, hmm, those kids at faith
life, that's how they act, and Iwas like, more so though,
they're gonna be like that's howChristian acts, and so I think
it's really important and itgoes back to what I was taught.
You know, faith, family, job,baseball, everything you do you
can put in a way that would bepleasing to God, how you carry

(33:03):
yourself, how you interact withpeople, how you deal with
challenges.
You know there is so manythings, especially today, I
would say people are down tocomplain about, there's so many
things.
But you know what, like, wehave an opportunity.
And this is where I feel thisis why I love being at faith is
because I had so many greatteachers and coaches through my

(33:23):
time at faith that truly shapedme to be who I am.
You know, I want to be able tobe that person for someone else
and you know learning throughfaith, because you know a little
backstory.
I went to faith.
Well, I had three, three middleschools that I was going to go
to and then faith was the onethat I really wanted to go to

(33:45):
and somehow I got in and my momgrew up in Utah.
She was raised Mormon and myfather moved all over the place,
pretty much stage, you know,was most of his life here in Las
Vegas, but he was raisedCatholic.
Okay, there was me.
So I kind of was just like Iknow, I'm just here and I got a

(34:08):
Bible the first day of faith.
I didn't know.
I didn't know what a book ofthe Bible was.
I didn't know what the numbersmeant.
I didn't know any of that.
Yeah, and it wasn't.
It wasn't a thing of like myparents didn't want me to they
just they wanted me to figureout what I was.
You know what I believe in myown, and so, anyways, looking
back, you know I don't feel likeI was like.

(34:28):
You know, I need to be this way.
I don't feel like that's how Iwas.
I need to be a Christian, Ineed to do this.
This is how I need to act.
I think it was just the peopleI was surrounded by and how they
acted.
There's one common theme andthere's Jesus Christ, their
savior you know, and it's like,wow, that's, that's all it takes
.
You know, I don't need to gocrazy, I don't need to hold a

(34:50):
big thing out in front of thestadiums and yell, and all you
know.
It's like that little simplething of you know, action speak
louder than words.
It's like I don't think I couldcome up with a more perfect
example of seeing how that youknow that seven years at faith
couldn't have helped make me whoI am, more so than it did.
You know, it's easy to be aChristian when you're on faith

(35:15):
faith campus, right, there'sreligion, there's chapel,
there's Bible's all over theplace, there's crosses.
It's easy, right.
And then you go out into thereal world.
Okay, right, you're not justgonna be like, all right, let me
look in the Bible for what Ineed to do.
Right here, it's it's hey, Ilearned all these things.
I learned how Jesus respondedto these.
I learned you know what Godexpects you to do.

(35:36):
And it's like, okay, that'sthat's what I need to do.
I mean, I'll never forget myfirst, my first English class in
Portland Oregon.
Okay, that's all we need toknow.
Right in Portland Oregon, theyhad as part of our required text
was the Bible, and I remembersitting there like how, how is

(35:56):
that gonna happen?
Like I mean a liberal artscollege and we're gonna read the
Bible.
And I remember going in and, Ikid you not, this kid was
wearing a black, everything wasblack, he had all black and he
had an upside down cross on hisshirt and I remember just being
like, wow, this, this might bethe most interesting class of

(36:20):
all time.
And it was.
It was just eye opening to mebecause I'm like I'm not, I'm
not on, I'm not a faith anymore.
Right, that stuff exists out inthe real world.
And and again, it's not like Iwas like I need to.
You know, put on my Christiansuit and be a Christian is just
like.
No, like I was raised from myparents that let me make those

(36:43):
choices, and they supported itand they sent me to a school
that had Christ at the center ofeverything they did.
And so you know, to answer yourquestion, I feel like I don't
sit and think about it.
It's just kind of who I havebecome as a person more so you
know, and it's like it, I'm notperfect.

(37:03):
I slip up with things, you knowit happens, yeah, but just
knowing like, okay, I know mypriorities in life.
I know I have, you know, christat the center of my heart.
I might not sit and speak toeverybody about it all the time,
no, and it doesn't have toalways be.
You know, you see somebodythat's struggling.
Ask him for help.

(37:23):
You know you see someone that'sstruggling to walk up to the
door.
Hold it a little bit longer.
You know, and see, doing thoselittle things I truly feel like
can, can be the spark thatsomebody might need.
You know, if I'm wearing myfaith shirt and people see me,
or I have my badge on orwhatever, you know it's not like
teaching.
When I'm like right, like nowI'm home, I can just be Mike.

(37:46):
You know you're Christianeither all the time or none of
the time.
You know you don't get a pickand choose, and I think that's
what people struggle withsometimes.
And you know again, you don'thave to be in your face about it
, you don't have to sit and yes,there is a time for that, you
know there is a time when peoplemaybe need to hear that, I
would say I'm not the best atdoing that, I just am like.

(38:07):
You know what this is, who I am, this is how I grew up, this is
what I was taught and and tryto be a reflection of that in my
everyday life.
You know so.

Speaker 1 (38:19):
I love that answer.
In so many different ways itresonates a lot with me.
I have similar approaches witha lot of those things you know.
I really believe that actionsdo speak louder words and I just
you know, I it's, you know inthe Bible just talks about you
know how not to judge eitherright and we don't know other
people's walks of life and, andit can be equally as valuable to

(38:42):
just you know, show people youknow, by our actions and it just
being like, hey, you need torepent, which to everybody that
goes and does those things, I, I, if God's calling you to do
that, I, you know, I commend youfor doing that.
Like that is awesome.
I couldn't do that, yeah likeyeah, if that's what God's put

(39:02):
on your heart, like good for you, and I'm thinking what you're
doing, the Lord's work, andthat's amazing.
And I think everybody I knowfor me, sometimes like I would
wrestle with, like am I doingenough?
Like am I you know, because I'mnot going around people be like
hey, you need to.
You know you accept Jesus asyour Lord and Savior.
And if I wasn't doing thatevery day and you know I would,

(39:25):
there was a season in my lifewhere I felt convicted, like, oh
, am I doing enough?
But then God gave me this piecethat, like by like I've been
doing lately, like by creatingthese videos and by creating
this podcast and just by helpingout at my church, and just by
doing that you're doing whatyou're being called to do, like
you don't have to be one ofthose people that, like I said,
have other Collins.

(39:46):
And so, to all the people thatare early on in the faith, or
maybe no matter where you're atin your faith is, just realize
that whatever God's calling youto do, like it looks different
for everybody and if you're hereand it's not smaller, it's what
he's called you to do, and so Ithink that's something that's
really important for everybodyto listen and do that.
If you're the one that'ssupposed to go clashing people

(40:06):
for the Bible, then that's whatyou're called to do.
And there one that's justsupposed to be a bagger at the
grocery store that wears aChristian shirt, but people
don't know up.
But you're the biggestChristian out there and you
might not even say a word.
You might be so introvertedthat you don't talk, but people
can still see Jesus through youbecause you know you got that
shirt on or whatever.
So I think that's reallyimportant.
Let's talk a little bit aboutlife can get hectic sometimes.

(40:29):
A lot of things going on yourcoach, you're married, you
graduated, you just bought a newhouse Amazing, a lot of these
different things going on.
How, what are some practicesmaybe in your life that help you
keep Jesus at the center?
Or maybe your relationship aswell as you know your personal
life, like yourself and coaching, how do you keep it all

(40:50):
together with Jesus at thecenter?

Speaker 2 (40:53):
Yeah, you know I not to keep copping out, but I just
I really focus on you know faith, family and and my job in
baseball.
I think it's important, nomatter how much you have going
on, to figure out what works forme you know, at the end of the
day, it's okay.

(41:16):
If you're not, you know theperson.
That's being okay.
I gotta make sure I do this,you know, in terms of
Christianity, or I'm in bigtrouble this week, right, like
you know.
I'll tell you this I start andend every single day with prayer
.
Every single night, I say thesame prayer in my head.
I don't sit and get on my kneesand pray and all that, you know

(41:39):
, it's just in my head to saythank you, god, for another day
and thank you for all theblessings that you've given me
and I love you and that's it.
And I think for me that that youknow, there's times, you know,
today is a rare day when I getto come home straight from work
and just kind of relax.
And it's nice, you know, to beable to just chill.
But, like, I love the dayswhere it's like yesterday, you

(42:00):
know, we're at work by 7am,teach till 3.30, and then I go
straight to the cages till eight, nine o'clock, sometimes, do in
practice, and it's like thatprayer at the end of the day,
especially at the end of the day, is, you know, to me that's
like, hey, I'm really blessedand today was a great day and I

(42:23):
know that I am in a positionwhere it's like I've been able
to speak my mind about what Ifelt today.
You know and that's just mygeneral one Sometimes, you know,
there's like, oh, today kind ofsucks, like what's up, man, you
know.
So that's a big one.
You know, I think for me, interms of how you know me and Meg
work, you know it's hardsometimes.

(42:44):
I'm not gonna lie, I am notperfect and I do not go to
church every single Sunday,especially when we've got a 8am
game and a tournament weekend.
It makes it really really toughand it's okay, right?
Like I try to tell people likethat's okay.
You know, it's not somethingthat you should get in the habit
of doing, right?
No, I could take 10 minutes.
I'm gonna sleep, I'm gonna goto the later service.

(43:06):
You know, I'm not saying that.
You know we make it a point totry to get to church when we
don't have those things, or evenjust watch online.
Like honestly, there's noexcuse to not have some type of
service.
You know, I'm very fortunatethat we get to do chapel at
school every single Wednesday,and you know, so fifth graders
lead chapel and so actuallyright now this trimester, my

(43:29):
class leads chapel every singleWednesday, so yeah, so I'm
pretty involved with that everyday.
So it's like you know, nottrying to shortcut anything on
my okay, at least that was achapel, right, and I love chapel
and it doesn't seem like aburden, you know.
I love being able to go, but youknow, a big one, for me too.
Like I know everybody's got oneof these.

(43:50):
There's more than enough apps.
I get a Bible verse every day.
Yep, it pops up.
I wake up usually between fourand five every day, oh, my
goodness.
Rise and grind, man get so much.
Four and eight, oh my goodness.
Yeah, every day between fourand five, but then, you know,
but I have so much stuff goingon after school, it's like I
need to get things done in themorning, you know.

(44:12):
So you get Bible verses on myphone every morning, just one,
it's just a symbol.
You look at the Bible app supereasy, you can set what time it
comes, and that's just aconstant thing.
And it's like, again, thosearen't giant things, you know.
No, I don't volunteer at ourchurch.
We go to the crossing.
It's super laid back.
Their theme, I love it, is comeas you are.

(44:33):
That's literally on the side ofthe building from every single
angle.
You know, and it's like that'swhat works for us, and I think
that's such a big thing forpeople is it's like find what
works for you.
You know, maybe you can't go tochurch, maybe your job doesn't
allow you to go to church.
Okay, watch it online, have aBible app.
I mean those are things thatthere's never an excuse, yep,

(44:58):
and it doesn't have to be acertain way.
There are, you know.
That is what is so amazingabout Christianity, and I mean
you can do it however you want,as long as you accept Jesus
Christ as your Lord and Savior.
He died on the cross and roseagain.
You're good, you know.
Now that doesn't mean you canact a fool.

(45:19):
I teach that to the fifthgraders.
Right, we talk aboutforgiveness and grace.
Right, you know you don't get aflick your sister in the ear
and then be like sorry, god, andthen you know and have them
forget no, because then again itgoes back to you're not
reflecting Christ in youractions, you know, and so,
anyways, you know it's justfinding what works for you.
And you know it is pretty coolthat you know Megan and I do get

(45:42):
to go to school together and beat a Christian school and be
able to have those conversations.
I feel like I have been in aposition over the last 10 years
no, maybe not 10, probably justsince Megan and I have been
together, even with just myfamily of like they go to church
when we go and ask questionsand trying to teach my niece and

(46:04):
nephew about stuff.
You know they don't go to faith.
Hopefully Kaylee goes next year, that's, she applied to get in
and you know they want her tohave a Christian education, and
so it's like being able to sharethose experiences and answer
questions.
And you know, just, christmas,explain.
You know how that.
You know what that stuff is,and you know Kaylee's like oh,
is it bad about?

(46:24):
You know, talk about Santa, no,but don't lose sight of what
it's about.
So you know, just being ableagain to have everything I try
to do be a reflection of what Ibelieve.
You know, because I feel likethere's a I don't I don't know
how to say this like I feel likeone of the reasons people get

(46:44):
so turned away by Christianityor any religion honestly
anything is when people arehypocritical about it.
You know, do we all mess up?
Yeah, do we all do dumb stuffat some point in our life?
Yeah, do we all.
You know you could make alaundry list of the things that
we mess up on, but it's okay.

(47:06):
And it's okay in the sense thatI mean you're not going to be
the perfect person with whateverit is you decide to do, but as
long as you can accept thatyou're trying to do the right
thing and you know, it's okay.
You know, like, just don't losesight of what you're supposed to

(47:27):
be doing, don't lose sight ofwhat the main focus is.
You know, yeah, do you know?
Do I?
And I don't know.
I'm trying to think of a goodexample.
It's like, do I say a bad wordevery now and then, yeah, you
know I do, I'm not going to lie,I'm not perfect, you know.
It's okay, though I don't makeit a habit.
I try not to, you know, try tobe better.

(47:49):
But I feel like people are like,oh well, you know it's
hypocritical, like I said withthe church thing, like, yeah, I
work at a Christian school and,yes, I try to go to church, I do
.
Do I go every weekend?
No, I'm going to be honest,right, but it shouldn't turn
people away because it can't dowhat society thinks you have to
do.
You know, no, I don't sit andread the Bible every single day.
If you do, great, that's notsomething that I do.

(48:11):
And so I think it's just peoplebeing able to understand like
it doesn't take a lot to be agood Christian, to be a good
person.
It doesn't, you know, haveChrist at the center of what you
do.
Try your best.
There you go, you know.
So it's kind of like I try tolive my life, so I love.

Speaker 1 (48:31):
You know a lot of things from that and I think a
couple of the biggest things isone, like you said, there's no
excuse to not being able to seeGod anymore.
Now, with resources like yourphone, having the Bible app to
anybody listening Bible app, youversion of Bible app is
incredible.
Use it all the time.
They have amazing devotionals.
It's anything you know.
They do Bible verses every day.

(48:53):
They do regular devotionals.
You can watch.
A lot of churches now havetheir services online.
Like you said, the crossingcentral church, a lot of really
great churches around lifechurch or elevation church.

Speaker 2 (49:06):
I know our whole faith community, faith community
Lurston church.
They stream all their services.
They have Saturday night andSunday.

Speaker 1 (49:13):
Exactly.
I mean the resources are outthere and you know, I think you
know I call it a faith journey.
Right, it's called a faithjourney.
And I think people are, youknow, at different phases of
their lives and journey.
And I'm personally in a seasonof my life where I'm being
called to take my faith to thenext level, and I don't think

(49:34):
everybody's necessarily calledto take it to the next level or
at that point yet in their lives.
But for me it's like I'm atthat point where I am spending
time every day in the word.
I am doing praise and worship,I am getting heavily involved in
my church because that's whatI'm feeling led to do.
And feeling led, but that'sokay if you're not there yet and

(49:56):
or that's not exactly where Godhas you, but I think, praying
just to ask God what is yourwill for my life, and I think
that's what you've done on earlyon in your life or earlier,
right, because now you'reteaching and you feel that peace
and God's made that clear.
That's where you're meant to be.
Then you know you're in God'swill for your life, it sounds,
but for all the people maybethat aren't there yet, it's not

(50:18):
that he's saying he's, you know,doesn't do?
You know all the other thingsthat other Christians does or
whatever it's?
He's, you know, living theGod's will for his life and he
is doing things with his schoolright that as chapel, and he's
still able to, you know, watch.
You know church online.
He's still raised the Bible app.
You know he prays, you know,every day.
Those things, like he said, areenough and I think that, like

(50:41):
he said, sometimes we spend alittle bit too much time as
Christians or followers ofanything to judging and being
hypocrites of other things andso.
But to all the people that arejudges, I get it.
I was listening to someone saylike this like if you truly
believe the word as much as yousay you do, then I can

(51:02):
understand.
Like, if you and I get this,because this is where I'm at too
I believe in Jesus Christ.
I believe that you have toaccept Him as the Lord and
Savior to go to heaven.
And when you have loved onesthat aren't there yet, or you
have people in your life thatyou're around that haven't, like
that's a scary thing and Ithink that's a difficult thing

(51:25):
for me to swallow, right so Ican understand where people are.
Like there's people around methat aren't there yet.
So I want to go tell them thegood news because I want to see
them in heaven.
I want to see them, you know,not have to bear the sins of the
world, because Jesus alreadydid that for us.
So I definitely see that sideof it.
So to all the listeners thatyou know, I think it's a

(51:46):
controversial topic, in myopinion.

Speaker 2 (51:48):
I just only want to know what it's like talking
about money.

Speaker 1 (51:53):
It is Well it is, it is.
But at the end of the day, twothings I want to follow up with
here was last thing, or last twothings would be you know, the
cool thing of baseball wise.
I'm gonna shift back intobaseball a little bit.
We connected early on baseballwise because we're both catching

(52:14):
guys, right, you know, you putyou caught in college growing up
and my brother, Grant, olderthan me, caught growing up, so I
instantly plumbed on tocatching and we really bonded
over that as well.
You know, I know Meg growing up,every person she loved was a

(52:37):
catcher.
I mean, she was the biggest,like Jared Saltzulamaki a fan,
she was the biggest.
She loves Barrett Tech.
Yeah, yes, Barrett Tech.
She loves all those guys youknow growing up.
And so you know, I think that'sreally fascinating.
So talk a little bit aboutcatching now, because I have a
lot of listeners probably thatare catching guys, because

(52:57):
that's my family, my paternity.
So you know, let's talk alittle bit about developing a
youth catcher real quick.
What are some big takeaways?
That, if you're working with akid because you're nine, you
right, or eight, nine, you yougot nine you catcher.
What are, what do you mean?
What is your, what is yourfocus with that kid and how are
you gonna help them get there?

Speaker 2 (53:18):
Yeah, yeah.
So catching's been been mything for well.
I think I caught the first timein my life and I sucked at it
and I hated it.
I wanna say I was 10 or 11.
I think I was right around 11.
So you know, over 20 years justloving catching.
I think that the number onething that you have to

(53:41):
understand as a catcher and evenas a coach you know, for
anybody that is coaching orwants to get into coaching is
your catcher is not a backstop.
You know, you look at catcherstoday and I get a lot of people
that are like well, you can'tcompare them to big leaders and
not like no, but like let's berealistic, that's where a lot of
people wanna get and they'rethe best at what they do.

(54:02):
So let's see how we can try.
You know, yes, for a nine yearold it's gonna look different,
but we can learn and try toadapt to that.
You know.
Number one, like don't beashamed if you're athletic and
you wanna catch.
You know, and there is a bigmisconception for a long time of
like you know, your catcher isyour big fat slow guy, just as
they're nibbles of gear onnowadays.

(54:23):
Yeah, you know it's like.
So you know, number one thingregardless is you need to be
fantastic at receiving.
That is your number one.
Yeah, that's my top.
There's so many showcases andthis and colleges that look at
you know your pop times and howhard do you throw.
That is a great tool to add toyour catching arsenal.

(54:48):
That is not what catching isabout.
You know, as you get oldercatching you're not worried
about whether or not you canhave a one nine pop time,
because if you've got a lefty onthe mound that doesn't pay any
attention to the base runners,you could have a bazooka on your
arm and you're not throwingthem out.
You know, and so that's that'sone thing is, you know I tell

(55:09):
people your catching job catch,block, throw.
Those are the things that youneed to focus on.
When I work with kids, whetherit's practice, you know we try
to incorporate practice time forcatching.
If it's a lesson, I don't carehow long.
At least half of that time isgonna be devoted to receiving.
You know it gets boring, itgets old, they don't like it.

(55:31):
But that is a game changer.
If you can catch the ball andpresent it to the umpire in a
way, that's going to help yourpitcher.
You know, no, you're not gonnaget the glory, the pitcher's
gonna get all the glory, butthat's not your job.
Your job is to make the pitcherlook good.
So I would say, number onespend time receiving.
There's no wrong receivingthing.

(55:51):
Honestly, catch.
Get used to catching the ball,whatever it is tennis balls,
ping pong, however you want toapproach it, bare man training
gloves, just practice catching.
You know, I had a coach incollege that was.
He got drafted by the Marlins.
I don't know how high up he got.
I know I didn't make it to thebigs, but he was involved with

(56:11):
the catching organization orcatching part of the
organization.
And when I got to college, Iremember we had four catchers at
the time, my freshman year, andhe was like you know, what are
your guys' approaches toreceiving?
You know, and when I wascatching, it was, you know, get
your thumb under, get your thumbunder.
Now you know we're workingthrough the ball and that's
really big.
And I remember he was like okay, and he was just like taking in

(56:32):
.
But you could tell he like knewwhat he was gonna say already.
You know, and I learned when Iwas with the Marlins and you
know we're all like expectingthis groundbreaking.
Like he's like just catch theball, just catch the ball, it
doesn't matter, right, like yourjob is to.
You know, the greatest catcherever Yachty, that's not even a
topic, I don't wanna get intothat with anybody.
He's the greatest catcher ever.

(56:53):
He talked about just presentingthe ball to the empire.
How can I show the empire thatthat was a good pitch?
Okay, so that's a really bigthing for me.
I will say, too, I hate theword frame.
I hate, that word I has ahorrible.
You know people don't know whatit truly means.
You know you go watch.

(57:13):
I see it a lot with the youngerkids and it's not to any fault
of their own.
They're trying to do somethingthey've seen on TV right.
But pulling the ball and doingall this, like what I tell
people, is like all you're doingis you're telling the empire
you think he's an idiot and youcan get that pitch called for a
strike.
That was two feet over thebatter's head, right.
So less is more.
But you know, if you'restarting, just practice catching

(57:36):
, feel the ball, you know, knowwhere you need to be.
You know, yes, there's lots oftechnicalities.
You know that we could get intowith your stance, your position
and this and that, but at theend of the day, like, get used
to catching the baseball, becomecomfortable catching the
baseball, you know.
So that's the biggest thing youknow and that's and we're very
fortunate, you know, our 90 team.
We've got four catchers andwe're comfortable.

(57:58):
And you know, ironically enough, where do you think two of them
play, they play middle and two.
They play middle and two youknow and that's the progression
that catching is really going.
You know, I was not thatathletic you know, I have guys
when I was doing high school orit's like hey, we want to work
on our footwork, go turn doubleplace, and there's lots of stuff

(58:18):
that people don't, do, you know?
I know when I was catching inhigh school, if I put my knee
down, like guys do now yeah, andyou get yellow, yeah, yeah, you
get yellow all the time.
Yeah, and that's not.
It's not saying it's wrong, itwas wrong, it's just things have
changed a lot.
You know the game itself at allages.
I look at the nine-year team Icoach.

(58:39):
Now I'm like I never even wantto have made the team.
I would have been on the otherend where the teams were beating
.
You know we're destroying.
I would have been the kid onthe other team, you know.
And it's like, but the game isjust moving so fast now, at all
ages, you know, and even in thebigs, like the game moves so
fast, like, yes, it's the samegame, nine to the bigs, whatever
, right, the game of baseball.
There's little rules here andthere, but like the pace, the

(59:02):
speed, guys throwing harder,they're faster, they hit balls
harder, it's like you have to beable, you know, to keep up with
that at every position, atevery position, you know.
So don't just stick that kidback there, you know.
You think that's just gonnasoak in the baseball all the
time and not be able to movelike they've got the most
important job and I trulybelieve it's the hardest job on

(59:24):
the baseball field.
You know, that's just physicallyyou know, mentally and, you
know, in terms of aresponsibility standpoint, like
it's not even a question, right,yeah, it's not even a question,
but there's just that's whatmakes it fun, you know, that's
why I loved it so much.
You know, I loved all thatresponsibility, I loved the
technicalities.

(59:45):
I loved, you know, I was justtalking to a kid I worked with.
He's 11, I was like, hey, doyou ever introduce yourself to
the umpire?
I don't even know why.
I thought of it.
I just asked him.
He was like no, I was like, youknow, but no one's taught him
that right, those are not thingsthat people.
I was like he's like, why not?
He's like I don't know.
I was like next game you have,you know, take your mask off.
Hey, sir, how's it going?

(01:00:05):
You know, don't call him bluethey don't like being called
blue.
No, no, you know, call him sir.
You know you learn their name.
You say it.
I was like, and you know whatthat's gonna do is that's.
You know, you protect him, youwork hard.
Yeah, that's gonna help you inthe batter's box.
I can't tell you, jesse, youremember Jesse, he umpire high
school baseball forever.
Do you know how many times Ididn't strike out on pitches

(01:00:28):
that were probably strike three?
But I took care of Jesse, Ididn't let him get hit, I
blocked the ball, I wasrespectful.
It's like that again,approaching things the right way
, doing things the right way, itpays off.
But, man, I didn't strike outso many times in high school
because I got to care of theumpire, you know, and it's like
that part's huge, you know.

(01:00:49):
So there's a lot that goes intocatching.
It's a lot more than peoplethink.

Speaker 1 (01:00:53):
Absolutely, absolutely.
He talks about a lot of greatstuff there, you know.
To wrap this thing up, I thinkyou know to be a coach and to be
an athlete, we gotta be willingto evolve, we gotta be willing
to grow.
One of my biggest mentors,jerry Weinstein.
He's one of the biggestcatching guys known to man.
But one thing I love about himand he's a dear friend of mine

(01:01:18):
is he's grown with the game.
The dude is 81 years old and,you know, has been in baseball
for 60 years, been inprofessional baseball for 40
years and is adapting to like,continue to wanna learn, and has
went from guys catching theball basically with two hands,
you know, when he first startedto now we're on one knee to work

(01:01:39):
through the baseball, all thesethings.
And not once was he yeah, he.
At first he probably was like,okay, I wanna freaking us out
before I start promoting it,that be end of the day.
He didn't, you know, havehangups Like he was.
Like I gotta grow, I gottaadapt, see why these young bucks
are teaching this and theseother things.
And so, to anybody listening,like, don't be turned off when

(01:01:59):
you hear something that you'renot comfortable with yet.
Just, you know, adapt, learn,reach out to people that might
know a little more than you, andthat's okay.
Don't be ashamed of reachingout to someone who maybe has a
little more experience in thosetypes of things, like I've
talked to so many catching guys.
I've talked to Mike, I'vetalked to other people and just
be like, hey, I don't know muchabout this area.
Or hey, vice versa.

(01:02:20):
People call me, say I don'tknow much about this.
Can you enlighten me or can wetalk about this?
Because if you truly wanna helpyour players as best you can,
you need to take your own prideand ego out of the equation and
be like I just need to get thebest information and learn the
best abilities and coach theseguys and the best of my
abilities with the most accurateinformation, and sometimes that

(01:02:42):
takes you taking yourself outof the equation and putting your
players in the best position towin.
And so last two questions.
Well, you know, talk about youknow.
On the catching topic, are you,do you teach any of your kids
one knee down, is it?
You know?
Are you, whatever they feelcomfortable with?
What's your style on that?

Speaker 2 (01:03:02):
Well, you know, to piggyback off, adapting, like
yeah, it's something I've had tolearn about, you know, and try
to see.
I do think I'm gonna go to thesecond part first, about being
comfortable.
That is the number one thing Ithink with catching is you have
to be comfortable.
It's hard enough.
If you're not comfortableyou're not gonna be successful.

(01:03:24):
And I think that that is thatis applicable to so many parts
of catching your stance, how youreceive, how you throw, how
you're approaching your blocking.
You know you have to be in aposition that you can succeed
and usually that means you'recomfortable with it.

Speaker 1 (01:03:44):
Yeah, and all three of those.

Speaker 2 (01:03:45):
Yeah, in any part of it, right, and so I think for me
I've had to learn how toapproach.
You know, something I didn't doright, like I said, I never,
ever, ever thought of doing that.
You know, if anything, I slidmy leg out because I thought it
looked cool like Yachty, andthen that was about it.
I can't feel it.
There was no real reason.
Honestly, I didn't have areason for it other than like it
was kind of comfortablesometimes and it looked cool.

(01:04:06):
Like that's not, you know.
So you know, being someone thatworks with the younger guys
right now, I think and this isfor anyone that wants to try to
get to that position, because Ido think it has a ton of
benefits I think a lot of it,though, is you have to have the
foundation of I can get into aprimary stance, I can sit there.

(01:04:29):
You know, I tell kids youshould be in a primary stance.
It's probably not going to looklike mine did, but you should
be able to sit there for 10minutes and watch TV and have no
issues.
You can't get to that stance.
We're not even going to worryabout one knee, because that
means to me that means you don'thave enough body control to be
able to do the other parts,because it looks less right,
like being down on one kneelooks less.

(01:04:50):
It requires so much moreactiveness, if that's even the
right words.
Right, you have physicality.
Right, you have to be able tomove a lot more.
You have to be faster, you haveto be stronger, you know.
So the same kid actually that Iwas talking about with the
umpire I mentioned, you know, wewere working on his throwing
yesterday and I was like, hey,have you ever tried catching

(01:05:12):
from a knee?
You know he's almost 12 now,he's a physical kid, and he's
like no.
And I was like, okay, I want tostart.
Like you know, next time wework I want to start introducing
it.
You know, I think it'simportant.
I really do.
I know colleges now there aretons of colleges.
You know, honestly, that that'swhat they teach.
That's what you have to do.
You have to figure out how todo it.

(01:05:32):
Um, organizations do that.
You know it looks different,but that's how you're going to
catch for him.
You know, or or you're notgoing to catch for him, right,
and that's what it is.
So I think, I think like for mebeing working with so many
younger kids, right now not alot, but I want them to know
that, like it's okay to do thatand yeah, you can do what you

(01:05:53):
see.
That guy on TV do Not yet.
But we can learn about how toapproach it because you you know
you can do right People'sarguments so you can't block
successfully from it, you can'tthrow guys out and it's like no,
you can't.
It looks way different than howyou might teach you know, 10, 15
years ago, but it can be doneand it can be done very
successful.
So it's just about making sureagain.

(01:06:14):
I just go back to like,teaching the kids, are you
comfortable, are you comfortable, are you comfortable?
Yes, there's certain thingswith receiving I believe you
have to do, you know.
Yeah, you have to throw, youknow, get in a certain spot, but
they have to be comfortable.
They're going to get eaten upback there.

Speaker 1 (01:06:29):
So absolutely, absolutely, no, that's, that's
incredible.
And I and I, you know, there'ssome things that you know, I, I
love that you mentioned thereand I go.
You know, like, my catchingstyle is like you have to be
comfortable, you have to be ableto be adaptable, you have to be
able to be mobile Right.
What I mean adaptable, you haveto be able to.
You know, if I'm in a stanceyou got to be able to receive a

(01:06:49):
pitch that when a picture missesby 12 inches, you know, or or
things like that.
So you have to make sure yourpre-pitch movement and your
stance allows you to beadaptable right With with your
movements.
And then another thing too isis mobility you have to be able
to move.
If you can't move, um, thenyou're not in the right position
, regardless of your traditionalor one knee down.

Speaker 2 (01:07:10):
And see kids.
That's why I love when I seekids.
It's like doing the showcasing,where they're like turned like
this, like I'm going to receivethat.
Okay, I was like so let me askyou this how are you going to
block this pitch?
And they're like uh, I'm likeagain now our priorities for
catching received block.
Now we're going like this andyou're not going to work.
It's not going to you know butyou have to be able to adapt.

(01:07:31):
You know you have to be able tomake those adjustments picture
to picture, right, I get olderand you start developing a
relationship with pictures.
You know.
Number one you have to knowwhat that guy's strengths are.
I had a guy in college that'slike.
When he was missing I knew I hadto angle my body just a little
bit.
Whether or not he knew I don'tknow, but to me I knew I could

(01:07:53):
close this off a little bit andbe able to get in the zone a
little bit.
He wasn't missing as much.
You know you have to be able todo that stuff and it's hard,
you know, for my age kids,because they haven't experienced
that enough.
But it's like you want to keepcatching, you want to be, you
know.
Look at, look at Greg Maddox'scatcher I don't remember his
name.
It got caught literally had ajob, always Right as long as

(01:08:16):
Greg Maddox was in the league.
He had a job because he wasable to do the things that Greg
wanted him to do.
He was able to do the thingsthat he felt made him successful
and it's like that is your jobas a catcher.
Okay, that is your job.

Speaker 1 (01:08:31):
And I love that.
I think that's amazing.
And I'm a one-me guy.
You know I teach a lot of myguys.
I'm the guy that you know Ilike to.
I find a stance that we can doall three of them in that they
feel comfortable with and wejust try to master that.
Yeah, I'm not I'm not huge intoteaching a couple guys.
We'll have maybe two or threestances, but I see a bunch of
kids and I see it all the timeand it drives me nuts.

(01:08:53):
They'll teach them like sevendifferent stances.
So, kickstand, let me write meyou know which Super hunched
over chest to sit and straightup on the high pitch.
All that's gravy.
But I would recommend find one,maybe two stances and just try
to perfect those as best you canLike my guys.
I caught a lot of guys, workedwith a lot of guys who were left

(01:09:14):
me primary with runners not onand then would go right knee
with runners on.
And you know I'm a big rightknee guy because I think it's
easier to throw out of.
So I teach a lot of my guysthat way.
But I appreciate you giving meyour thoughts on catching.
This was awesome.
Yeah, all the listeners I'mgoing to be actually working

(01:09:35):
with Mike and a couple of hisguys that he knows and we're
going to kind of do like alittle drill series type of
thing we're going to kind ofwork together on.
So you guys can kind of see mythoughts on catching, see what
Mike's thoughts are on catching,and we can just have a great
conversation.
And obviously the best for thekids is being able to showcase
their talents at their youngages and to, you know, maybe

(01:09:56):
some college coaches that arewatching or whatever you know
when they get older.
You know there you go Some kidsto look out for.
But I appreciate you tuning in,mike.
I always like to end these witha prayer.
Yeah, I'll just kind of endthis with a prayer here and look
forward to connecting againsoon.

Speaker 2 (01:10:12):
Right on.

Speaker 1 (01:10:13):
All right, sweet.
So, dear Heavenly Father, Iwant to thank you for bringing
us together and I thank you forour family, lord, and I thank
you for all the listeners thatthey're taking time out of their
day to be able to join us andlisten and hear our insights.
That, and at the end of the day, god, we just want to bring all
the glory and honor to you,lord, if we can just bring one

(01:10:33):
person to be at peace withwhatever they're going with
right now.
God, that you pray that ourlisteners understand that you
are with them through thisseason of the life, that you are
the God of impossible and youwill make things happen, god,
because we know that is whatyou're capable of doing.
And I'm thankful for my family.
I'm thankful for Mike and hisyou know relationship and in our

(01:10:54):
family, and I appreciate thathe is, you know, taking care of
my sister and all thosedifferent things.
God, I'm just so thankful forthis and it is in Jesus Holy
Name.
I pray, amen.

Speaker 2 (01:11:04):
Amen.

Speaker 1 (01:11:05):
Amen.
Well, I appreciate you tuningin and I'm sure I'll see you
soon.

Speaker 2 (01:11:09):
Awesome, sounds good, buddy.
Thank you so much.
Appreciate it.