ACES in the studio!

Lori Endicott-Vandersnick and Caira Dortch

In this episode, we hosted former Olympian, Lori Endicott–Vandersnick and Head women’s volleyball coach from Southwest Baptist University Caira Dortch. We looked into the mission of in season and out of season sports and how both high school coaches and off-season coaches need to communicate and bridge that gap with a centered focus on the athlete and their development. We also explored the value of multi-sport athletes and how beneficial it is for athletes to have experience in more than one sport if they choose to do so. As a former Olympian, and as a head volleyball coach at the collegiate level, my guests made excellent points in trying to provide the best experience for student athletes. 

Next week, we will re-air our “Thanksgiving dinner with Ned Reynolds and Art Hains” due to the audio issues on its original air date.  You do not want to miss hearing Ned and Art doing play by play and color analyst work of the hibachi chef at Nakato Steakhouse!

Steppin' Up!

Ray Meyer and Coach Keith Guttin

On this show, we previewed our new book, Raising Razorbacks: A Collection of Burnett Stories with an interview with Tommy Burnett, Billy Burnett, and Lacy Newman Humphreys who hosted the book launch party. Order online on our product page! We also previewed the upcoming Step Up to the Plate event with Coach Keith Guttin with Missouri State University Baseball.  We also caught up with talented local broadcaster Ray Meyer.  Take a listen!

Next week we have “Thanksgiving Dinner with Ned Reynolds and Art Hains.” We sat down at Nakato Japanese Steakhouse with these two talents and had some wonderful conversation.  Plus, wait until you hear the challenge, I gave them and how they responded. Yeah, teaser. Wednesday’s from 6:00-7:00 on JOCK 98.7FM!

Springfield Hall of Famers Game Night!

In this episode, we celebrated the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame season and had a plethora of sports figures.  We were very grateful for Ebbett’s Field in hosting the show and for all of the participants that were willing to join us and play some games on air.  We had, in no particular order, Corey Riggs, Art Hains, Ray Meyer, Ned Reynolds, Mark Stillwell, Mark Fisher, Dan Cashel, Lynne Miller, Lisa Tinkler, Becky Oakes, Reba Sims, Ed Beach, Bill Rowe, and Tom Mast who all braved the airwaves playing our segments of “Out of the Hat” and “This or That”.  What a fun evening! 

Join us coming up next week when we host Ray Meyer, and in two weeks, for our Thanksgiving Special, we sit down and have dinner with Ned Reynolds and Art Hains.  Join us on Wednesday nights from 6:00-7:00 pm on JOCK 98.7FM.

The Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame Board of Directors

SLAM DUNK!

Kelsie Cleeton unveiling her jersey from the rafters of College of the Ozarks

In this episode, we visit with former two time All-American from College of the Ozarks Women’s Basketball player Kelsie Cleeton and celebrate her career as a Lady Bobcat and the retiring of her jersey.  She also joined in on our insightful conversation with Missouri State University Director of Athletics Kyle Moats. We discussed the current state of Missouri State’s athletic programs, the new NCAA guidelines on pay to play, and the mental health support athletic departments are giving their student-athletes.

Next week we will have a huge rotation of sports figures in this town.  We will meet with the Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame board of directors.  It is too long of a list to name!  Join us as we play some games with some of our sports contributors in Springfield, Missouri.

Don’t forget to check out our new Human Champion Collection on our product page!

A proud former high school coach and Kelsie Cleeton

Kyle Moats, Kelsie Cleeton

Back in the RING!

John PInney, Michael Spinks, Hayden Hopkins

Michael Spinks

In this episode, we speak with former heavyweight boxing champion and Olympic gold medalist Michael Spinks.  He was a total gentleman while he recalled what the sport of boxing did for him and the journey he experienced through his career.  We also spoke with, and congratulated Miranda Atkins, on her title win this past weekend. Her, and Alicia Acero, in different weight classes, won world titles and showcased their skills by winning both of their fights in the first round.   We also hosted Hall of Fame and Southern Middleweight Boxing Champion John Pinney about his boxing career and his stand-up comedy career.  We wrapped up the show by debuting our new Human Champion Collection – check it out at https://www.acoachsperspective.com/hcc-product-line

Next week we will host Missouri State University Director of Athletics Kyle Moats about his thoughts on the new NCAA guidelines and what is happening in MSU Athletics.  We will also catch up with former two-time All-American Women’s Basketball player from College of the Ozarks, Kelsie Cleeton (yes, one of my former players) and celebrate some wonderful news she has to share. Tune in next Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 on JOCK 98.7FM!

A 1-2 Punch!

Alicia Acero, Hal Lewis, John Carden, Darrell Smith (Coach Smitty)

Alicia “White Lightning” Acero

In this episode, we were jabbin and punchin with some of the coolest in the industry!  First of all, thank you to radio host and American Idol coach Bobby Bones for sharing with us his journey and how he has developed such a multi-faceted career.  We then promoted a very special event.  Alicia Acero, a local boxer, will be going for a WORLD TITLE this weekend in Springfield, Missouri.  Her coach, Darrell Smith (Coach Smitty) shared with us, along with Alicia, how she got to this point.  Her story is amazing, and we are very proud of her path.  Coach Hal Lewis was also on the show and has some athletes from his gym fighting this weekend.  All of this is brought to us by John Carden from Carden Combat Sports and he is the event promoter.  We also received a special call from Heavyweight Champions and Olympic Gold Medalists (both!) Merciless Ray Mercer and Michael Spinks. Best of luck to all of the fighters this weekend! 

Details: Always Ready to Rumble Event

Saturday, October 26th 4:00 Amateur Fights; 7:00 Professional Fights

University Plaza 333 S. John Q. Hammons Pkwy Springfield, Missouri

Get tickets at Smittys Midwest Boxing Gym or at the Door!

Bobby Bones

Coaching and Promoting!

Kevin Agee and Ed Beach

In this episode, we met with the Content Strategist for Missouri State University, Kevin Agee, and explored his position and mission at promoting Missouri State University and how he accomplishes that with several outlets including social media. We also spoke with the Sports Information Director at Drury University, Ed Beach and how he uses several techniques to engage the community and inform fans about Drury Athletics. The insight of these gentlemen and their positions are fascinating. Coaches don’t only teach on the court, part of what they do is promote their program and Kevin and Ed gave out some valuable advice on how to do that and it relates to businesses and organizations, too!

Next week, we will hear from radio personality and American Idol mentor Bobby Bones and how his journey has propelled him into his multi-talented career. We will also catch up with Coach Smitty from Smittys Boxing Gym and hear about one of his athletes that will be going for a WORLD TITLE right here in Springfield, Missouri!

Tip your hat to these two!

Larry Nemmers and Mike Keltner

We welcomed in this episode two Hall of Famers, Coach Mike Keltner and NFL official Larry Nemmers. We spent the first half of the show talking about the psychology of coaches and officials in their game preparation, holding concentration, and minimizing distractions. . We then debuted a new segment called “Out of a Hat” where we drew random questions and they had to answer them on the fly. We are happy to report they did a tremendous job! If you missed it, make sure you listen on the website or Apple iTunes Podcast.

Next week we are going to look at coaching from another angle. We are going to dive into the business world and how to coach employees. Kevin Agee, Content Strategist from Missouri State University will be here along with Jeff Kessinger, Director of Communications for downtown Springfield. Wednesday nights - JOCK 98.7 FM 6:00-7:00!

I bet you didn't know it, but we had a poet!

Baseball Poetry Book by Loren Broaddus

This episode consisted of the return of our Major League Baseball correspondents Don Louzader and Ethan Bryan.  We also had a very special guest, and talented author, Loren Broaddus.  Ethan updated us on the Kansas City Royals and their season while Don shared with us the experience of feeling the champagne fly in the St. Louis Cardinals clubhouse after celebrating the path to the playoffs.  We then took an in depth look into the beautiful work of Loren’s book, Joe DiMaggio Moves Like Liquid Light.  This book of baseball poetry captures some beautiful memories, stories and experiences that entertain and generate conversation.  If you are interested, and you are, you can find a copy of his book at Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million and several other entities.  Check it out, it is a treasure!

Don Louzader, Loren Broaddus, Ethan Bryan

On our next show, we will have two Hall of Famers join us.  Former NFL official Larry Nemmers and former coach Mike Keltner.  We will be discussing some angles in Sports Psychology, plus debuting a new segment called “Out of a Hat”, tune in next Wednesday from 6:00-7:00 pm on JOCK 98.7 FM.  

Catching up at the MBCA Clinic and Wrapping a Series

In this episode we caught up with West Virginia Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins about his friendship with Charlie Spoonhour.  We then caught up with Coach Steve Forbes from East Tennessee State University about his vision and philosophy for ETSU.  We then wrapped up our Sports Psychology series with Becky Oakes and talked about the roles of state associations, national associations and school districts in the support and access of resources for the mental health of athletes and coaches. This has been a tremendous series full of valuable insights and information.  My thanks to all who made it possible and we will revisit this series again in the future! 

Coach Bob Huggins and MBCA Board Member Coach Bill Gunn

Coach Steve Forbes

Next week, my Major League Baseball correspondents, Ethan Bryan and Don Louzader, are back in full SWING (yeah, I did).  We will also have a very special guest Loren Broaddus and discuss his new book that is filled with baseball poetry, Joe DiMaggio Moves Like Liquid Light.

Getting mental with two of the top in the field!

In this episode, premier sports psychologist Dr. Patrick Cohn joins us and talks about the value of pre-game routine and preparation for maximum production. He also discussed the challenges with handling with perfectionism and playing with a fear of failure.  His tips for effective coping skills were valued and are also outlined on his website peaksports.com. He also has a great podcast on Apple iTunes.  We also caught up with Missouri State University softball coach, Holly Hesse as she explained the value and implementation of the DISC test and how it can make your athletes more coachable. 

Dr. Patrick Cohn

Coach Holly Hesse

Next week, we catch up with West Virginia Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins as he fondly remembers his friendship with Charlie Spoonhour.  We also speak to East Tennessee State University Men’s Basketball coach, Steve Forbes about his vision for his basketball program and how important it is to recruit quality people as well as quality athletes.

Hall of Famers in the House!

Tim Blasi and Mark Stratton

On this episode, we are joined by future Springfield Area Sports Hall of Famers Mark Stratton and Tim Blasi. Both of these gentlemen have accumulated many accolades over the years, but the most important ones are the influences they have had on their teammates and players. We had some tremendous guests call in and offer their heartfelt and genuine congratulations to them both. My thanks to Mark Bailey, Scott Bailes, Mark Resz, and Neil Chambers. Also, thank you to Christie Blasi and Sara Stratton Kaderly for helping arrange our special guests!

Next week, nationally renowned sports psychologist Dr. Patrick Cohn will be here as we pick back up on our Sports Psychology series. He will talk about pre-performance routines, combating perfectionism, maintaining focus and answer some of our college athletes questions. We will also welcome back Missouri State University softball coach Holly Hesse back to the show to talk about the DISC test and how you can use it to motivate your players.

Staying MENTAL!

Corey Bray, Hailey Diestelkamp, Connor Sechlor

In this episode, we continue to explore the mental side of the game in our Sports Psychology Series. We are joined by Drury University’s Director of Athletics Corey Bray, standout women’s basketball player, and NCAA Division II Player of the Year, Hailey Diestelkamp, and all-MVC and standout pitcher for the Missouri State University Bears baseball team, Connor Sechlor. Insights and discussion included mental preparation, dealing with anxiety, pressure, playing perfect, and tuning out negative voices. The positive message from the panel gave advice and guidance for athletes, coaches, and other contributors of athletic programs.

Next week, we catch up with Springfield Area Sports Hall of Fame inductees Tim Blasi and Mark Stratton. We may also have some surprise guest callers. We congratulate all of the inductees which also include Rich Johanningmeier, Bill Jasinski, Joyce Mahoney and Dick Jones. The banquet will be held on Tuesday, September 17, 2019 at the Oasis Convention Center, 5:00 reception with a 6:00 dinner and program.

We are getting MENTAL!

Don Keeton, Holly Hesse, John Schaefer

In this episode, we are kicking off a series on Sports Psychology. We assembled a panel of coaches to take us through their techniques for mentally training athletes for peak performance. We discussed visualization, using the mind’s eye, goal setting, dealing with anxiety, fear of failure, and many more. They gave out some excellent techniques and advice for athletes and coaches. We even talked about coaches holding their composure (which is not easy). My thanks to the talented panel that joined us including Coach Holly Hesse with Missouri State University Softball, Coach John Schaefer with Logan-Rogersville Boys Basketball, and Track and Field legend Coach Don Keeton.

Join us next week as Director of Athletics at Drury University Corey Bray and break down the mental side of sports even further as we continue with this vital topic!

Home Run!

My Cardinals (Don Louzader) and Royals (Ethan Bryan) correspondents duke it out on the night the Cardinals and Royals play.

Our trusty baseball correspondents, Ethan Bryan and Don Louzader, joined us in studio to update us on the Kansas City Royals and the St. Louis Cardinals. We also congratulated Don on his Fun Acre Open Championship and Ethan for making the Grip and Rib Baseball League! Check them out on Sundays! Follow Ethan’s journey at www.ethanbryan.com. We also told some W.O.W. (WHAT or WHY?) stories, too fun! My thanks to Chris Adams for his stories that he sent in (not that I gave him a choice) and to Matt Wright for sending in his story.

Next week, we are kicking off our Sports Psychology Series, we will be diving into the ins and outs of the mental and emotional side of sports. No pressure, but you better join us for these!

Celebrating Champions!

Paul Nahon, Don West, Corey Riggs

In this episode, we celebrate the back to back World Team Tennis Champions, the phenomenal Springfield Lasers. General Manager Paul Nahon joined us and recapped the championship season along with Springfield Lasers producer and broadcaster Corey Riggs and Don West. we discussed how the circuit is organized, how they fill their roster and a lot of other angles involved in running this championship program.

Next week we will have our baseball correspondents on, Don Louzader and Ethan Bryan, and we will CATCH up on the Cardinals and Royals. We will also talk about the new Grip and Rip league and will have some W.O.W (WHAT or WHY?) baseball stories!

There's a whole lot going on!

DU Athletic Director Corey Bray

On this episode we catch up with former Missouri State University Men’s Basketball standout, Rodney Perry. Coach Perry discusses where he has been and how he has stayed involved in the game of basketball and is currently the assistant coach at the University of Missouri - Kansas City. We also caught up with former Liberty North coach and new Head Men’s Basketball Coach at William Jewel. Chris McCabe. We discussed his vision for William Jewel’s program and also how he feels about youth sports. Then, we welcomed Drury University’s new Director of Athletics Corey Bray and talked about his vision for Drury and how his path and experience has prepared him so well for his new post here in Springfield.

Next week we will celebrate the tremendous season of the Springfield Lasers! In two weeks, we will hear from our Cardinals and Royals correspondents Don Louzader and Ethan Bryan on how our Missouri baseball teams are doing.

"I wanna be like Mike."

None of these players said that, but they should have! Michael Jordan was the BEST. These athletes are on the trail to greatness. Already having multiple Division I offers and some a Junior NBA World Championship they know what it takes to crawl up to the top. Listen to how they got their start in basketball, what they love about it, what they are looking for in a school and how they stay humble. Interviews include Aminu Mohammed, Grady Dick, Sam Thompson, Taj Manning, Max Wisner, and Luke Kasubky. We caught up with them at the Midwest Showcase in Kansas City ran by six state associations and hosted by the Missouri State High School Activities Association and the Missouri Basketball Coaches Association.

Next week, we catch up with Coach Rodney Perry, former Missouri State standout guard and current University of Missouri - Kansas City assistant coach We also will chat with Coach Chris McCabe, the new men’s basketball William Jewell coach. Also, joining us will be new Drury Director of Athletics, Corey Bray. We will talk about his plans and vision for Drury Athletics.

You Might Need a Jacket...A Straight-Jacket!

Tonight’s episode was a tribute to Hall of Famer Earl Austin Jr.s book series, You Might Need a Jacket, profiling short stories of crazy antics that occur in the stands during youth sporting events. Earl has covered high school sports for over 30 years in the St. Louis area and has heard and seen a lot of crazy behavior! This is a perfect fit into our Youth Sports series, as parents we have to be mindful of the experience we are providing our youth, and be mindful of the reputation and role modeling that evolves through that time in our lives. Little eyes are always on you!

My thanks to my youth athletes and their dads, who read some story’s from Earl’s book. These crazy stories coming to you from a child’s voice puts it into perspective and amplifies the ridiculous actions of “adults” at youth sporting events. My readers, Carter Riggs (Dad-Corey Riggs) and Brooklyn Friebe (Dad-Shane Friebe) did a tremendous job! They may be the next generation of sportscasters!

Next week, we are going to hear from some of the top Boy’s Basketball players in the country. Members from the Junior NBA World Championship team and other top recruits in the country took time to chat with us at the Midwest Basketball Showcase in June. Enjoy their interviews as they share their journey through the recruitment process.

Kicking off Our Youth Sports Series

Colin Barnett, Sam Plummer

In this episode we had a panel of youth sports organizations represented by Sam Plummer of the Boys and Girls Club and Colin Barnett from the YMCA. We discussed the mission of these organizations and the opportunities they provide for our youth. We also covered the training of youth coaches and expectations. Then, the big question, what is the role of a parent in youth sports? We discussed advice for parents and how to keep things in perspective for the sake of all involved. My guests did an excellent job expressing the desire to keep the focus on the kids and their experience and hope that coaches, officials and parents will positively partner with them in this mission.

On our next show, July 10, we continue with this series and host St. Louis Journalist Earl Austin Jr. and discuss his book, “You Might Need a Jacket.” that tells multiple stories of crazy (straight-jacket) parents and their antics at youth sporting events. You will not want to miss these stories!!