1 00:00:03,920 --> 00:00:07,440 Speaker 1: I think that that is massively important because it gives 2 00:00:07,440 --> 00:00:10,239 Speaker 1: you confidence. And if you can see yourself and it 3 00:00:10,520 --> 00:00:13,040 Speaker 1: only has to happen one time, you see yourself in 4 00:00:13,080 --> 00:00:15,360 Speaker 1: the game, went at home run with your eyes closed, 5 00:00:15,840 --> 00:00:19,400 Speaker 1: and then it happens, You're You're at a whole different 6 00:00:19,480 --> 00:00:25,400 Speaker 1: level of confidence, and that certainly gives you a massive edge. 7 00:00:26,360 --> 00:00:29,400 Speaker 1: This is the Reformed Sports Project, a podcast about restoring 8 00:00:29,440 --> 00:00:32,639 Speaker 1: healthy balance and perspective in all areas of sports through 9 00:00:32,720 --> 00:00:36,600 Speaker 1: education and advocacy. Hi, this is Nick Bonacore from the 10 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:40,240 Speaker 1: Reformed Sports Project podcast. We have an exciting new guest today, 11 00:00:40,280 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 1: country music star Matt Stillwell. You probably remember Matt from 12 00:00:43,800 --> 00:00:47,040 Speaker 1: his debut singles, Shine, which was a Billboards Country Music 13 00:00:47,120 --> 00:00:49,720 Speaker 1: Charts top fifty hit back in the late two thousand's. 14 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,800 Speaker 1: A former All Conference baseball player while attending Western Carolina University, 15 00:00:54,000 --> 00:00:56,800 Speaker 1: Matt joins me to discuss the power of visualization, the 16 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,840 Speaker 1: value of learning from and moving past failure, and why 17 00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,120 Speaker 1: believes preparation and confidence go hand in hand. Back in 18 00:01:04,240 --> 00:01:08,759 Speaker 1: the freaking fight, I am excited. Got another just phenomenal guest. 19 00:01:08,880 --> 00:01:10,640 Speaker 1: I don't know how I keep, you know, getting these 20 00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:13,119 Speaker 1: folks to to give me their time. But I'm very, 21 00:01:13,200 --> 00:01:16,200 Speaker 1: very humbled and grateful. Flipping the script a little bit here. 22 00:01:16,400 --> 00:01:19,400 Speaker 1: I love to talk to different people, different perspectives, get 23 00:01:19,440 --> 00:01:21,920 Speaker 1: all the angles and kind of bring them all back together. 24 00:01:22,440 --> 00:01:25,320 Speaker 1: But I'm super pumped to have a dude who was 25 00:01:25,400 --> 00:01:27,160 Speaker 1: fortunate enough to connect with a couple of years ago. 26 00:01:27,200 --> 00:01:30,120 Speaker 1: We've chatted several times, built a great relationship. We actually 27 00:01:30,120 --> 00:01:32,320 Speaker 1: know a lot of the same people through the circle 28 00:01:32,400 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: of college baseball country music stud Matt stillwell, Matt, thanks 29 00:01:36,600 --> 00:01:40,039 Speaker 1: so much for hopping on bro. Absolutely, Man, it's great 30 00:01:40,040 --> 00:01:42,319 Speaker 1: to talk to you, for sure, Man. And before we 31 00:01:42,360 --> 00:01:45,640 Speaker 1: get into your background and athletics and you're a sports 32 00:01:45,680 --> 00:01:48,000 Speaker 1: parent and all that stuff, you're your your neck deep 33 00:01:48,000 --> 00:01:50,000 Speaker 1: and it's just like we all are as parents. I 34 00:01:50,000 --> 00:01:53,560 Speaker 1: gotta ask though, man, like having been a college baseball player, 35 00:01:53,640 --> 00:01:56,520 Speaker 1: someone like myself at one point who was neck deep 36 00:01:56,560 --> 00:01:58,040 Speaker 1: in it. You were you were hoping to get you know, 37 00:01:58,160 --> 00:02:01,280 Speaker 1: get drafted, pursue that path, like we all dreamed one 38 00:02:01,360 --> 00:02:03,120 Speaker 1: day to play in the big league, but you ended 39 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:06,040 Speaker 1: up becoming a big leaguer in in in country music, right, 40 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,440 Speaker 1: So how did that start? Were you born with the 41 00:02:08,480 --> 00:02:10,480 Speaker 1: guitar in your hand? What what was it like for 42 00:02:10,560 --> 00:02:13,320 Speaker 1: you growing up? Was it was it music? Was it sports? 43 00:02:13,400 --> 00:02:16,200 Speaker 1: Was it both? How was it? It was? It was 44 00:02:16,400 --> 00:02:19,480 Speaker 1: way more sports, I would I would say almost nine 45 00:02:19,919 --> 00:02:23,639 Speaker 1: percent sports and maybe two percent music. I Um, I 46 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:26,600 Speaker 1: sang in church just like a lot of people do, 47 00:02:26,800 --> 00:02:29,840 Speaker 1: and then you know, chorus in school and stuff like that. 48 00:02:29,919 --> 00:02:33,800 Speaker 1: But it really wasn't you know, maybe sixth seventh grade 49 00:02:33,919 --> 00:02:37,040 Speaker 1: something like that. Um, I started kind of seeing I 50 00:02:37,360 --> 00:02:40,040 Speaker 1: sing in church. I did a solo that was my 51 00:02:40,200 --> 00:02:43,120 Speaker 1: very first thing that I've ever done from a singing standpoint, 52 00:02:43,280 --> 00:02:46,080 Speaker 1: and you know, I can still feel how nervous I 53 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,040 Speaker 1: was for that. You know. After that, I obviously continued 54 00:02:50,080 --> 00:02:51,880 Speaker 1: to sing a little bit. So I guess I felt 55 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,560 Speaker 1: uh pretty good about it, you know. Um, But really, 56 00:02:55,880 --> 00:02:59,400 Speaker 1: you know, sports dominated that whole thing. I didn't. Honestly, 57 00:02:59,440 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: I didn't a guitar up until I was out of college. 58 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:06,239 Speaker 1: Holy smoked so hot, Like did you have to work 59 00:03:06,280 --> 00:03:08,040 Speaker 1: your tail off on? Like how did you even? Like? 60 00:03:08,120 --> 00:03:10,320 Speaker 1: What were you to that? And what was that process 61 00:03:10,320 --> 00:03:13,399 Speaker 1: like of learned how to play? Yeah? So I had 62 00:03:13,440 --> 00:03:18,079 Speaker 1: taken a couple of piano lessons just to kind of 63 00:03:18,240 --> 00:03:21,600 Speaker 1: get some music theory underneath me. And and I had, 64 00:03:21,840 --> 00:03:23,960 Speaker 1: you know, the singing had had picked up a little bit. 65 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:26,840 Speaker 1: I did a couple of productions in high school and 66 00:03:26,919 --> 00:03:29,480 Speaker 1: with chorus and stuff like that. But you know, any 67 00:03:29,480 --> 00:03:32,880 Speaker 1: time that there was a conflict, you know, sports won 68 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,880 Speaker 1: that that battle every time. And so as I got 69 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,640 Speaker 1: into college, I did, you know, a couple of maybe 70 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,840 Speaker 1: three piano lessons something like that, um and and the 71 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:47,880 Speaker 1: guys would want me to sing it like parties and stuff, 72 00:03:47,920 --> 00:03:50,240 Speaker 1: and so that that kind of worked out a little bit. 73 00:03:50,280 --> 00:03:53,200 Speaker 1: But it wasn't like me sitting down and playing with 74 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,720 Speaker 1: a guitar. It was just like singing acapella or singing 75 00:03:56,720 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: along to you know, Clint Black or Garth Brooks songs 76 00:04:00,080 --> 00:04:03,800 Speaker 1: to impress the ladies or something. And but it wasn't 77 00:04:03,840 --> 00:04:05,800 Speaker 1: really in my head. But you know, I think it 78 00:04:05,880 --> 00:04:07,840 Speaker 1: was buried back there a little bit. But I'll tell 79 00:04:07,880 --> 00:04:12,800 Speaker 1: you I think the turning point I was I played 80 00:04:12,840 --> 00:04:15,360 Speaker 1: in the Valley League, the Shenandoah Valley League, and I 81 00:04:15,360 --> 00:04:19,479 Speaker 1: played for Winchester Winch at Winchester Royals, and you know 82 00:04:19,480 --> 00:04:22,640 Speaker 1: we would take those bus rides up and down one 83 00:04:23,160 --> 00:04:26,679 Speaker 1: and there was a guy on there and I'm gonna 84 00:04:26,920 --> 00:04:29,440 Speaker 1: kick myself because I can't tell you his name right now, 85 00:04:29,480 --> 00:04:33,720 Speaker 1: but he would he heard me singing or whatever, and 86 00:04:33,760 --> 00:04:36,920 Speaker 1: he would make me singing on the bus those bus rides. 87 00:04:37,320 --> 00:04:40,200 Speaker 1: And so I did that, and we went out to 88 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,440 Speaker 1: karaoke a couple of nights, you know, after games or whatever. 89 00:04:44,120 --> 00:04:46,440 Speaker 1: And I did that a couple of times. And that 90 00:04:46,520 --> 00:04:50,279 Speaker 1: was my junior year. So I was coming off, you know, 91 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:52,400 Speaker 1: a really good year at Western and we had won 92 00:04:52,440 --> 00:04:55,400 Speaker 1: the Southern Conference and got beat by Tim Tim Hudson 93 00:04:55,560 --> 00:05:00,839 Speaker 1: and in the regional. Uh, pretty small a justification. I 94 00:05:00,839 --> 00:05:04,280 Speaker 1: was two for four that day. Uh, not not against them, 95 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:06,720 Speaker 1: I was over to against him. They took him and 96 00:05:06,760 --> 00:05:09,640 Speaker 1: you know, he was an All American center fielder. Crazy, 97 00:05:09,880 --> 00:05:12,479 Speaker 1: just stupid, and uh with the kid they brought in. 98 00:05:12,520 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: I think his first name was Patrick. He was like 99 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:18,000 Speaker 1: a sandwich pick, you know, uh to he wasn't a 100 00:05:18,080 --> 00:05:20,440 Speaker 1: slout or anything. I got a couple of hits off him. 101 00:05:20,440 --> 00:05:23,760 Speaker 1: So that's my only justification in that region. But you know, 102 00:05:23,839 --> 00:05:25,880 Speaker 1: it's coming off a great season, had a lot of 103 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,279 Speaker 1: stuff going on, and got in the valley. I was 104 00:05:29,279 --> 00:05:32,159 Speaker 1: playing pretty good. But you know, for whatever reason, you know, 105 00:05:32,200 --> 00:05:34,280 Speaker 1: in my in my mind looking back and I haven't 106 00:05:34,279 --> 00:05:37,520 Speaker 1: really ever talked about this. Um, looking back at that, 107 00:05:37,960 --> 00:05:40,960 Speaker 1: it's really I would tell you that's kind of when 108 00:05:40,960 --> 00:05:44,600 Speaker 1: the good Lords started planning that seed. And um, you 109 00:05:44,640 --> 00:05:47,360 Speaker 1: can't see me using my hands right now, but I'm 110 00:05:47,400 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: just kind of doing a scale, so to speak. And 111 00:05:50,480 --> 00:05:52,920 Speaker 1: I always tell people it was right around that time 112 00:05:52,960 --> 00:05:57,200 Speaker 1: that music really started to come up a little bit. 113 00:05:57,440 --> 00:06:00,960 Speaker 1: And and now that baseball went down any stretches, just 114 00:06:01,040 --> 00:06:03,880 Speaker 1: music kind of started catching up to it. I. Um, 115 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:07,640 Speaker 1: I recorded a little five songs, five little gospel songs 116 00:06:07,680 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: that that winner going into the you know, my senior season, 117 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:14,640 Speaker 1: and then I didn't really have as good of a 118 00:06:14,680 --> 00:06:18,960 Speaker 1: season my senior year. Um, and so music really kind 119 00:06:18,960 --> 00:06:21,599 Speaker 1: of stuck it in there with me. And uh, that 120 00:06:21,760 --> 00:06:25,000 Speaker 1: was that transition period of my life. And you know, 121 00:06:25,160 --> 00:06:27,360 Speaker 1: it's easy to kind of see that looking back on it, 122 00:06:27,400 --> 00:06:30,599 Speaker 1: but at the time, it wasn't hard. Kind of struggling 123 00:06:30,640 --> 00:06:32,520 Speaker 1: on the field a little bit, you know, we were 124 00:06:32,560 --> 00:06:35,320 Speaker 1: still we still won forty five games, but I wasn't 125 00:06:36,120 --> 00:06:39,120 Speaker 1: um playing as well as I wanted to be. And uh, 126 00:06:39,360 --> 00:06:41,240 Speaker 1: and and so there was there was a lot of 127 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:47,440 Speaker 1: you know, internal struggle during that time, and and music honestly, Uh, 128 00:06:47,560 --> 00:06:49,240 Speaker 1: I look at that now, I kind of save me. 129 00:06:49,480 --> 00:06:51,240 Speaker 1: I can relate to so much we're talking about because 130 00:06:51,240 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 1: I played in you know, I played summer ball too, 131 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:54,600 Speaker 1: in in the Coastal Plaine League and in the New 132 00:06:54,600 --> 00:06:57,040 Speaker 1: England Cleegion Baseball League and those bus rides and men 133 00:06:57,080 --> 00:06:58,800 Speaker 1: just having a great time. But you know, I like 134 00:06:58,920 --> 00:07:02,400 Speaker 1: to always talk about how and find people stories of 135 00:07:02,520 --> 00:07:04,520 Speaker 1: it's it's so it's I want to say, it's such 136 00:07:04,560 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 1: a common threat, especially with with people who reached the pinnacle, 137 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:10,559 Speaker 1: regardless of their profession. It's almost like there's a sampling period. 138 00:07:10,560 --> 00:07:13,320 Speaker 1: And David Epstein, author of Range and the Sports Geene 139 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,200 Speaker 1: who have had on the pod um, talks a lot 140 00:07:16,240 --> 00:07:20,000 Speaker 1: about how that period of trial right, that that sampling 141 00:07:20,080 --> 00:07:24,720 Speaker 1: period is such a vital component to people ultimately finding 142 00:07:24,760 --> 00:07:27,240 Speaker 1: their passion. You know, that seems to be a correlation. 143 00:07:27,320 --> 00:07:29,440 Speaker 1: And you know, despite the fact that you were locked 144 00:07:29,480 --> 00:07:32,120 Speaker 1: in on athletics at a young age, you know, just 145 00:07:32,200 --> 00:07:34,560 Speaker 1: your background as far as your family is concerned. Was 146 00:07:34,560 --> 00:07:36,560 Speaker 1: it one of those deals where you know, parents and 147 00:07:36,640 --> 00:07:39,000 Speaker 1: guardians were like, hey, give it a shot, let you 148 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:41,600 Speaker 1: follow your path, or did you feel like pressed to 149 00:07:41,760 --> 00:07:44,640 Speaker 1: have to play athletics or did the did the opportunity 150 00:07:44,600 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: to kind of you know, try whatever you want or 151 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:49,960 Speaker 1: be a little diverse, keep that door open for you, 152 00:07:50,000 --> 00:07:52,360 Speaker 1: and you didn't feel that external pressure to have to 153 00:07:52,360 --> 00:07:55,360 Speaker 1: go and lock in baseball. Yeah, so I tell you 154 00:07:55,960 --> 00:08:00,320 Speaker 1: my I I was outrageously blessed with two pay parents 155 00:08:00,360 --> 00:08:05,400 Speaker 1: that didn't have athletic ability, um and really or any 156 00:08:05,520 --> 00:08:09,600 Speaker 1: musical ability for that matter. They supported me with what 157 00:08:09,640 --> 00:08:12,080 Speaker 1: I wanted to do. But I was never I never, 158 00:08:12,280 --> 00:08:14,600 Speaker 1: There was zero times in my life that I've ever 159 00:08:14,640 --> 00:08:19,040 Speaker 1: felt pressure to do anything. Now this is something that 160 00:08:19,200 --> 00:08:21,320 Speaker 1: I do talk about a lot, and I'm seeing it 161 00:08:21,360 --> 00:08:26,000 Speaker 1: with my girls now. My parents not one time ever 162 00:08:26,080 --> 00:08:27,800 Speaker 1: had to tell me to go outside and throw a 163 00:08:27,800 --> 00:08:31,080 Speaker 1: baseball against the chimney to catch groundballs or you know, 164 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:34,200 Speaker 1: but my dad, my dad built a field goal post 165 00:08:34,240 --> 00:08:36,880 Speaker 1: in our backyard so I could kick, and we had 166 00:08:37,040 --> 00:08:38,920 Speaker 1: you know, I had a basketball goal. But there were 167 00:08:39,559 --> 00:08:43,760 Speaker 1: literally you couldn't stop me from doing that. And even 168 00:08:43,800 --> 00:08:45,480 Speaker 1: as I got into high school, when I once I 169 00:08:45,520 --> 00:08:50,040 Speaker 1: got my my driver's license, even during football and basketball season, 170 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:53,240 Speaker 1: which I played both of those two, um, I was 171 00:08:53,360 --> 00:08:57,840 Speaker 1: in the cages at five am every day with my 172 00:08:57,880 --> 00:09:00,760 Speaker 1: buddy Chris has who's now a big he just um 173 00:09:01,200 --> 00:09:03,040 Speaker 1: was a line judge in the l s U Southern 174 00:09:03,040 --> 00:09:06,120 Speaker 1: game the other days and and he's a defense attorney, 175 00:09:06,120 --> 00:09:08,480 Speaker 1: but he and he was just as disciplined as me. 176 00:09:08,720 --> 00:09:11,319 Speaker 1: And we would meet and we go hit at five 177 00:09:11,400 --> 00:09:14,079 Speaker 1: in the morning, go to my grandmother's right down the road. 178 00:09:14,160 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: She cook us breakfast, and we'd go to school and 179 00:09:16,080 --> 00:09:19,640 Speaker 1: then we would have football or basketball that evening. And uh, 180 00:09:19,720 --> 00:09:21,520 Speaker 1: no one told me to do that, you know what 181 00:09:21,559 --> 00:09:25,679 Speaker 1: I mean? And I feel right, I feel completely blessed 182 00:09:26,120 --> 00:09:29,760 Speaker 1: to have that. And now even my girls come and 183 00:09:29,800 --> 00:09:32,520 Speaker 1: ask me to go through. You know, I try to 184 00:09:32,640 --> 00:09:37,120 Speaker 1: kind of give them that kind of um leeway, so 185 00:09:37,200 --> 00:09:42,160 Speaker 1: to speak. We certainly want them playing, and we certainly 186 00:09:42,480 --> 00:09:44,400 Speaker 1: helped them. And I coach a little bit and do 187 00:09:44,480 --> 00:09:47,120 Speaker 1: all that stuff, but I try to support it and 188 00:09:47,200 --> 00:09:49,400 Speaker 1: teach where I can, although they will not listen to me. 189 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:53,960 Speaker 1: You do you do realize that I've played more ball 190 00:09:54,040 --> 00:09:57,720 Speaker 1: than than everybody out here. That's that's coaching right now. 191 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:01,040 Speaker 1: But they I don't have to tell them to do anything, 192 00:10:01,080 --> 00:10:03,719 Speaker 1: which is a beautiful thing. And I do think and 193 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,680 Speaker 1: seeing it in music, seeing it in you know, whatever 194 00:10:06,760 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 1: profession you're in. I do think that there's that part 195 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:14,000 Speaker 1: of people that become successful. And you said something about 196 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:17,560 Speaker 1: me preaching the pinnacle earlier, No, sir, I do think 197 00:10:17,600 --> 00:10:20,040 Speaker 1: also athletic that gives you that I don't. I feel 198 00:10:20,080 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 1: like I'm still at the bottom, fighting as hard as 199 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,840 Speaker 1: I can. UM. But as a parent, I want to 200 00:10:25,880 --> 00:10:29,080 Speaker 1: support just the way that my parents supported me. But 201 00:10:29,160 --> 00:10:32,280 Speaker 1: I think that you're born with that um gene or 202 00:10:32,320 --> 00:10:35,920 Speaker 1: that that passion um to go out and do what 203 00:10:36,040 --> 00:10:37,920 Speaker 1: you what you really love to do, what you want 204 00:10:37,920 --> 00:10:41,480 Speaker 1: to do. You're talking about intrinsic motivation and you know, 205 00:10:41,559 --> 00:10:43,480 Speaker 1: having the willingness to go do things on your own, 206 00:10:43,520 --> 00:10:46,239 Speaker 1: which is I almost feel like at times this contradictory 207 00:10:46,280 --> 00:10:49,360 Speaker 1: today because everything is structured, everything is organized. We're pulling 208 00:10:49,360 --> 00:10:52,160 Speaker 1: our kids from here to there. You know what about 209 00:10:52,240 --> 00:10:54,920 Speaker 1: from from a musical standpoint, do you feel like you 210 00:10:54,960 --> 00:10:57,440 Speaker 1: need to introduce your kids or is that something that 211 00:10:57,440 --> 00:11:00,160 Speaker 1: you're finding Do they have any interest in in, know, 212 00:11:00,240 --> 00:11:02,840 Speaker 1: following your passion or seeing dad, you know, play music. 213 00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:05,760 Speaker 1: Is that something that they're interested in a little bit? 214 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: So Caroline and my oldest girl, UM, She's written a 215 00:11:09,400 --> 00:11:12,679 Speaker 1: couple of songs. She's ten now, but um, she's written 216 00:11:12,679 --> 00:11:15,360 Speaker 1: a couple of songs. And I think they see, you know, 217 00:11:15,440 --> 00:11:18,440 Speaker 1: my office is right there in the where my guitar 218 00:11:18,559 --> 00:11:20,600 Speaker 1: and all that stuff is right there in the house, 219 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:23,439 Speaker 1: and so they see me doing that. They they love 220 00:11:23,480 --> 00:11:25,559 Speaker 1: to go to shows and stuff. And I kind of 221 00:11:26,240 --> 00:11:29,760 Speaker 1: exposed it that way. But once she she brought me 222 00:11:29,920 --> 00:11:32,200 Speaker 1: lyrics one time and she's like, I'm right. You know, 223 00:11:32,320 --> 00:11:35,480 Speaker 1: like for a school project they go to it's called 224 00:11:35,480 --> 00:11:38,600 Speaker 1: Concord Christian School and so they have like chapel and 225 00:11:38,600 --> 00:11:40,600 Speaker 1: they'll get to Lee Chapel and she used written a 226 00:11:40,600 --> 00:11:43,320 Speaker 1: couple of songs for that, and she did all that 227 00:11:43,600 --> 00:11:47,400 Speaker 1: like that was her idea. UM, But I certainly once 228 00:11:47,520 --> 00:11:49,319 Speaker 1: she did it, I kind of helped her craft a 229 00:11:49,400 --> 00:11:51,000 Speaker 1: little bit of it and I would and played guitar 230 00:11:51,080 --> 00:11:54,640 Speaker 1: for it and the chapel. So I support it. But 231 00:11:54,720 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: I think that they're immerged with it, so they see 232 00:11:57,200 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: me doing what I do. I I talked more of 233 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:04,280 Speaker 1: about hard work then I do anything specific, like whether 234 00:12:04,320 --> 00:12:07,240 Speaker 1: it's you know, with softball and what they're doing or 235 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:11,800 Speaker 1: with with music. UM. And thinking back, even though my 236 00:12:11,880 --> 00:12:18,120 Speaker 1: parents weren't UM really athletically inclined. UM. Two of my 237 00:12:18,200 --> 00:12:22,640 Speaker 1: neighbors played college basketball, so there was I was always 238 00:12:22,640 --> 00:12:24,400 Speaker 1: around it, and they were probably they were five and 239 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: six years older than me, and so trying to play 240 00:12:26,960 --> 00:12:28,760 Speaker 1: with them, I think I had a lot. I saw 241 00:12:28,840 --> 00:12:31,880 Speaker 1: that too, write I saw their discipline and as a 242 00:12:32,000 --> 00:12:35,040 Speaker 1: young young kid, And I think that probably has a 243 00:12:35,080 --> 00:12:36,920 Speaker 1: lot to do with it, you know, especially when you 244 00:12:36,920 --> 00:12:39,400 Speaker 1: start talking about the environment that you grow up in. 245 00:12:39,480 --> 00:12:41,960 Speaker 1: When you see that, you see other people doing that, 246 00:12:42,040 --> 00:12:43,840 Speaker 1: you want to do that when you look up to them. 247 00:12:43,960 --> 00:12:45,400 Speaker 1: So I think that has a lot to do a 248 00:12:45,400 --> 00:12:48,240 Speaker 1: little bit with what my girls are doing and um 249 00:12:48,320 --> 00:12:51,440 Speaker 1: and watching me musically in that whole situation. So I 250 00:12:51,480 --> 00:12:53,720 Speaker 1: always talk about and I think it's so important to 251 00:12:53,760 --> 00:12:57,439 Speaker 1: extract as many as many life skills and lessons we 252 00:12:57,440 --> 00:12:59,800 Speaker 1: could take out a sport experience. I don't use sports 253 00:12:59,800 --> 00:13:02,400 Speaker 1: from my kids as a teaching tool to try to, 254 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:05,280 Speaker 1: you know, to help to help them get prepared for life. UM. 255 00:13:05,440 --> 00:13:07,520 Speaker 1: And you mentioned, you know, going into your senior year 256 00:13:07,600 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: having expectations at least yourself, you know, I want to 257 00:13:09,880 --> 00:13:11,880 Speaker 1: get drafted or whatever, and maybe not playing to the 258 00:13:11,920 --> 00:13:14,720 Speaker 1: best of your ability or whatever the case is. But 259 00:13:14,800 --> 00:13:16,600 Speaker 1: I'm sure there had to be that same type of 260 00:13:16,640 --> 00:13:20,680 Speaker 1: grind when it came to you know, getting started in music, 261 00:13:20,760 --> 00:13:23,319 Speaker 1: and more important even today, right, I mean maintaining, you know, 262 00:13:23,400 --> 00:13:25,920 Speaker 1: continuing to climb the ladder and achieve what you consider 263 00:13:25,960 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 1: to be your level of success and where you want 264 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:30,679 Speaker 1: to go. How many? How many times do you draw 265 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:34,679 Speaker 1: on the lessons that you learned struggling during athletics when 266 00:13:34,679 --> 00:13:36,959 Speaker 1: you're struggling or dealing with some adversity you know, in 267 00:13:37,040 --> 00:13:42,560 Speaker 1: your professional music world now of the time, I honestly 268 00:13:42,640 --> 00:13:45,000 Speaker 1: that's probably what I draw on the most, to be 269 00:13:45,040 --> 00:13:50,680 Speaker 1: honest with you, that time period um COVID time period. UM. 270 00:13:50,720 --> 00:13:52,920 Speaker 1: You know, I this is how I kind of relate 271 00:13:53,040 --> 00:13:55,240 Speaker 1: what I did. You know, I grew up watching my dad. 272 00:13:55,320 --> 00:13:58,200 Speaker 1: My dad was a Type one diabetic and from a 273 00:13:58,240 --> 00:14:02,080 Speaker 1: time he's fifteen, and I watched him get up and 274 00:14:02,080 --> 00:14:04,000 Speaker 1: go to work before the sun came up every day 275 00:14:04,120 --> 00:14:05,960 Speaker 1: and come home and then play with me when he 276 00:14:05,960 --> 00:14:07,839 Speaker 1: got home tired. But he did all that with a 277 00:14:07,880 --> 00:14:10,240 Speaker 1: smile on his face. So I've always had that in 278 00:14:10,360 --> 00:14:14,120 Speaker 1: my life, right, and then the athletics side of that, 279 00:14:14,600 --> 00:14:18,680 Speaker 1: UM really comes into play on several different levels. I 280 00:14:18,760 --> 00:14:24,120 Speaker 1: think that you have to be so internally driven and 281 00:14:24,240 --> 00:14:29,640 Speaker 1: disciplined when you're uh, well, obviously you and I played baseball, 282 00:14:29,640 --> 00:14:32,200 Speaker 1: so we can talk about that. But you know, you 283 00:14:32,440 --> 00:14:34,520 Speaker 1: it can't be your coach that's pushing you or your 284 00:14:34,560 --> 00:14:37,920 Speaker 1: dad that's pushing you. If you're trying to get somewhere 285 00:14:38,320 --> 00:14:41,040 Speaker 1: farther down the road, that has to come from within. 286 00:14:41,360 --> 00:14:45,040 Speaker 1: And I think learning through that process with me in 287 00:14:45,120 --> 00:14:48,960 Speaker 1: baseball and learning everything that I could about baseball, about 288 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:51,600 Speaker 1: catching groundballs, about hitting, you know, reading the signs of 289 00:14:51,680 --> 00:14:55,440 Speaker 1: hitting a million times, um, you know, looking at the 290 00:14:55,440 --> 00:14:59,000 Speaker 1: Eastman catalog and circling everything and beating that driven about Basepo. 291 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:01,800 Speaker 1: You remember that they were saying east Remember that were 292 00:15:01,800 --> 00:15:04,920 Speaker 1: talking about? Yes, dude, that was that was like the 293 00:15:05,000 --> 00:15:09,880 Speaker 1: series robut catalog for Christmas, And so I lay I 294 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:13,640 Speaker 1: remember this so specifically. I would lay awake all night 295 00:15:14,120 --> 00:15:17,280 Speaker 1: and do that. And you know, I feel blessed on 296 00:15:17,320 --> 00:15:22,040 Speaker 1: the passion side or whatever that is, because now even now, 297 00:15:22,680 --> 00:15:25,120 Speaker 1: and I've been making a living where it's the only 298 00:15:25,160 --> 00:15:27,720 Speaker 1: thing that I've been doing since two thousand and three 299 00:15:28,600 --> 00:15:32,040 Speaker 1: in music, but even now I will lay awake all 300 00:15:32,160 --> 00:15:35,360 Speaker 1: night and not be able to sleep because I dream 301 00:15:35,400 --> 00:15:38,320 Speaker 1: about and playing and I visualize, which I did a 302 00:15:38,360 --> 00:15:41,920 Speaker 1: lot of that in baseball. Um, I saw myself hit 303 00:15:41,960 --> 00:15:45,040 Speaker 1: home runs, I saw myself throw people out. I saw 304 00:15:45,080 --> 00:15:47,480 Speaker 1: myself do all that before I did, and I remember 305 00:15:47,520 --> 00:15:51,360 Speaker 1: doing like at Western I did a in a communication class, 306 00:15:51,400 --> 00:15:54,720 Speaker 1: I did a speech on visualization and I just learned 307 00:15:54,760 --> 00:15:57,520 Speaker 1: what it was. So the speech was absolutely horrible, But 308 00:15:57,600 --> 00:16:01,520 Speaker 1: I remember, you know, long ago before that has been. 309 00:16:01,520 --> 00:16:03,360 Speaker 1: That's a lot more prevalent now, at least in the 310 00:16:03,400 --> 00:16:06,240 Speaker 1: way people talk about it. I was doing that kind 311 00:16:06,240 --> 00:16:10,000 Speaker 1: of thing and I utilized that as much as I 312 00:16:10,040 --> 00:16:13,240 Speaker 1: do anything. But I I can't. There's something inside of 313 00:16:13,240 --> 00:16:15,480 Speaker 1: me that will make me lay awake all night and 314 00:16:15,520 --> 00:16:18,800 Speaker 1: plan what I'm doing. And so when COVID came around, 315 00:16:19,960 --> 00:16:22,320 Speaker 1: you know, I had to kind of figure out how 316 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: to continue to make a living. You know, I'm a 317 00:16:24,640 --> 00:16:28,800 Speaker 1: completely independent artist. So there's nobody, there's not a big 318 00:16:28,840 --> 00:16:31,360 Speaker 1: record label or somebody, you know, kind of floating you 319 00:16:31,400 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 1: a little bit. You've got to go and work to 320 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: get what you got, you know, and get what you get. 321 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,000 Speaker 1: And I had to really figure out what what to do. 322 00:16:40,080 --> 00:16:42,520 Speaker 1: And I had already started doing these hometown house parties, 323 00:16:42,560 --> 00:16:45,880 Speaker 1: and so I I decided I was going to double down. 324 00:16:45,960 --> 00:16:48,560 Speaker 1: I had a stage built, a trailer stage that I 325 00:16:48,960 --> 00:16:51,760 Speaker 1: drive by myself around the Country's been around the country 326 00:16:51,760 --> 00:16:55,640 Speaker 1: five times, and so I relate that right there to 327 00:16:56,080 --> 00:17:01,160 Speaker 1: those bus rides, the van rides, the you know, making 328 00:17:01,200 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 1: sure in summer ball that you're going out and lifting 329 00:17:03,920 --> 00:17:07,080 Speaker 1: and and and getting ground balls and stuff before the games, 330 00:17:07,080 --> 00:17:09,639 Speaker 1: because there wasn't you know, at least when I was playing, 331 00:17:10,440 --> 00:17:13,600 Speaker 1: we didn't have like team workouts. You just played every night, 332 00:17:13,760 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: you know, and so I someone had to make you 333 00:17:16,359 --> 00:17:19,520 Speaker 1: go and do that kind of stuff. Um, And I 334 00:17:19,600 --> 00:17:22,840 Speaker 1: draw on that because it gives you an edge. And 335 00:17:22,880 --> 00:17:28,440 Speaker 1: I think that within my industry now, I certainly look 336 00:17:28,520 --> 00:17:32,560 Speaker 1: at and take and draw on the preparation, you know, 337 00:17:32,600 --> 00:17:35,639 Speaker 1: whether that's working out, which is very similar to doing 338 00:17:35,920 --> 00:17:38,520 Speaker 1: you know, athletically, I still have to do that kind 339 00:17:38,560 --> 00:17:42,000 Speaker 1: of stuff that gives me that mental edge. It gives 340 00:17:42,040 --> 00:17:45,280 Speaker 1: me the you know, the confidence you know, when you're 341 00:17:45,320 --> 00:17:48,000 Speaker 1: prepared to do something, gives you that confidence to go 342 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:51,520 Speaker 1: out and do it. And I, you know, I don't 343 00:17:51,520 --> 00:17:54,600 Speaker 1: really see the direct competition like we're playing a game 344 00:17:54,800 --> 00:17:58,240 Speaker 1: in my industry now, um, it's very competitive on a 345 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:02,639 Speaker 1: macro scale, so to speak. But I certainly draw on 346 00:18:03,320 --> 00:18:06,000 Speaker 1: I'm gonna work my butt off and I'm gonna work 347 00:18:06,040 --> 00:18:10,359 Speaker 1: harder than everybody else aspect of what I did in 348 00:18:10,720 --> 00:18:14,760 Speaker 1: basketball and football and baseball. UM as a kid, I 349 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:16,800 Speaker 1: draw on it a percent of the time every day 350 00:18:16,800 --> 00:18:19,560 Speaker 1: in my life. When we returned, Matt and I discuss 351 00:18:19,600 --> 00:18:23,280 Speaker 1: how visualization can have a direct impact on your confidence. 352 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,520 Speaker 1: Welcome back where we left off. Matt and I were 353 00:18:33,560 --> 00:18:36,040 Speaker 1: about to talk about how we develops confidence in the 354 00:18:36,080 --> 00:18:39,679 Speaker 1: importance of teaching his kids to learn from failure. You 355 00:18:39,760 --> 00:18:42,879 Speaker 1: bring up visualization, man, and mindfullest I've had on. You know, 356 00:18:42,960 --> 00:18:45,840 Speaker 1: several guests like George Mumford recently, Seth Pepper and others 357 00:18:45,920 --> 00:18:48,560 Speaker 1: who who you know are into mental training and helping 358 00:18:48,600 --> 00:18:51,119 Speaker 1: athletes at the highest levels, and even you know younger 359 00:18:51,160 --> 00:18:53,840 Speaker 1: athletes you know work that part. And you hear you know, 360 00:18:53,880 --> 00:18:56,680 Speaker 1: the rest in Peace, Kobe Bryant talk about the Mama 361 00:18:56,720 --> 00:18:59,000 Speaker 1: mentality and all these different folks, you know, the getting 362 00:18:59,040 --> 00:19:00,880 Speaker 1: the mental edge like you talked about. And I remember 363 00:19:00,920 --> 00:19:03,200 Speaker 1: seeing a video on Twitter not too long ago, back 364 00:19:03,240 --> 00:19:05,760 Speaker 1: when Drew Brees was playing quarterbacks. Still and he's out 365 00:19:05,760 --> 00:19:08,720 Speaker 1: there doing reps by himself in the stadium, just visualized 366 00:19:08,720 --> 00:19:10,879 Speaker 1: and working on that. And then I also think about 367 00:19:10,920 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: you know, the ESPN thirty for thirty with the NC 368 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:17,200 Speaker 1: State Wolfpack, right the basketball team talking about jim Valvano, 369 00:19:17,359 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 1: how how they went out that miraculous run mid eighties 370 00:19:19,800 --> 00:19:22,439 Speaker 1: and won the national title. Um, and you hear the 371 00:19:22,440 --> 00:19:24,919 Speaker 1: players in that for thirty talking about how Jimmy v 372 00:19:25,480 --> 00:19:27,760 Speaker 1: would at the end of practices and this is the 373 00:19:27,800 --> 00:19:29,320 Speaker 1: beginning of the year. And I guess if you read 374 00:19:29,359 --> 00:19:31,200 Speaker 1: the story or listen to it, you know they were 375 00:19:31,200 --> 00:19:34,040 Speaker 1: they were pretty good, but you know they weren't considered 376 00:19:34,080 --> 00:19:36,119 Speaker 1: like a contender to win a national title. At the 377 00:19:36,200 --> 00:19:38,959 Speaker 1: end of practices, he would literally have them, you know, 378 00:19:39,040 --> 00:19:41,840 Speaker 1: cut down the nets like they just won the national title. 379 00:19:41,880 --> 00:19:43,200 Speaker 1: And and the team said that they would do this 380 00:19:43,240 --> 00:19:45,240 Speaker 1: all year. And in the beginning they'd be like, what 381 00:19:45,280 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 1: the hell are we doing? Like this is doesn't make 382 00:19:47,080 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 1: any sense. But the thirty for thirty would say like, 383 00:19:49,160 --> 00:19:51,399 Speaker 1: as the year went on, you start doing it, and 384 00:19:51,440 --> 00:19:53,480 Speaker 1: the more you're doing it, you start believing, Yeah, this 385 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:55,640 Speaker 1: is what we should be preparing for this. It made 386 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:59,920 Speaker 1: them believe so how much of those repetitions of visualization, 387 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:02,919 Speaker 1: how much does that give you an edge? Do you 388 00:20:02,920 --> 00:20:06,760 Speaker 1: think that is a major separator. I absolutely think it is. 389 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:09,400 Speaker 1: And I think you know, those guys that you brought up, 390 00:20:09,680 --> 00:20:12,760 Speaker 1: they learned how to harness it. I still haven't learned that. 391 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:17,280 Speaker 1: You know when it when that visualization becomes way more directed, um, 392 00:20:17,560 --> 00:20:20,399 Speaker 1: and you realize what's happening. I think early on I 393 00:20:20,520 --> 00:20:23,520 Speaker 1: used to have UM. I would look at it almost 394 00:20:23,560 --> 00:20:26,720 Speaker 1: as man I had this dream that I, uh, you 395 00:20:26,760 --> 00:20:30,239 Speaker 1: know that I had a double or whatever, you know, 396 00:20:30,520 --> 00:20:33,680 Speaker 1: and I would see myself so clearly this stuff happening, 397 00:20:34,359 --> 00:20:37,080 Speaker 1: and I would look at that as a dream. Right 398 00:20:37,119 --> 00:20:38,800 Speaker 1: Initially I was like, man, I had this dream, I 399 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: saw it, and then it was almost like deja vu. 400 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,720 Speaker 1: When it happened in the games, it was weird, but 401 00:20:44,840 --> 00:20:46,520 Speaker 1: I always kind of looked at I didn't know what 402 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,560 Speaker 1: to call that until I kind of learned about it. 403 00:20:48,960 --> 00:20:52,480 Speaker 1: And now people I think can have that edge because 404 00:20:52,520 --> 00:20:56,040 Speaker 1: they can be very specific about it, like coach Jimmy 405 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:59,159 Speaker 1: v making them cut down the nets. And as you 406 00:20:59,200 --> 00:21:03,600 Speaker 1: were saying, you know coach Leclair, I played for Keith Leclair, 407 00:21:03,880 --> 00:21:10,320 Speaker 1: go yes, um, he went a long time ago put 408 00:21:10,400 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: a sign of one thousand and two, which is, you know, 409 00:21:14,480 --> 00:21:17,959 Speaker 1: from Callowe, North Carolina, Omagh one thousand and two miles 410 00:21:18,640 --> 00:21:22,160 Speaker 1: and that was on our little bat and cage there 411 00:21:22,160 --> 00:21:26,359 Speaker 1: in Kullowe. And he talked about it all the time. 412 00:21:26,600 --> 00:21:30,159 Speaker 1: He you know, as we were raking the field, you know, 413 00:21:30,359 --> 00:21:33,159 Speaker 1: there was no grounds crew, none of that stuff. As 414 00:21:33,200 --> 00:21:34,960 Speaker 1: we were raking the field or going picking up our 415 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:37,720 Speaker 1: water log, you know, BP balls and all that stuff, 416 00:21:38,200 --> 00:21:41,680 Speaker 1: he talked about it. This is what you gotta do, uh, 417 00:21:41,760 --> 00:21:43,760 Speaker 1: you know, all of those things. And I think the 418 00:21:43,840 --> 00:21:46,719 Speaker 1: one thing, like at Western in particular, that that we 419 00:21:46,800 --> 00:21:50,480 Speaker 1: had that we could see too was Jack Leggett was 420 00:21:50,520 --> 00:21:54,520 Speaker 1: at Clemson doing it right. We're growing in Callowe, but 421 00:21:54,560 --> 00:21:56,919 Speaker 1: he started all that stuff. And so we we not 422 00:21:57,040 --> 00:21:59,440 Speaker 1: only could see what coach Leclair was able to do 423 00:21:59,640 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: and how he talked about it, but we knew that 424 00:22:01,880 --> 00:22:04,600 Speaker 1: there was another level to that and that it came 425 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:06,560 Speaker 1: from where we were from. And so we had that 426 00:22:06,760 --> 00:22:10,119 Speaker 1: whole little thing. During that you know, I think there 427 00:22:10,119 --> 00:22:13,760 Speaker 1: were thirty years of thirty plus wins and tons of 428 00:22:13,800 --> 00:22:17,200 Speaker 1: regionals and all that stuff, and and we harnessed that 429 00:22:17,400 --> 00:22:19,880 Speaker 1: and I think that's the level of visualization. I think 430 00:22:19,920 --> 00:22:22,919 Speaker 1: what Leclaire was doing is very similar to what Jimmy 431 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,240 Speaker 1: v was doing. You know that didn't come to Fruition 432 00:22:25,359 --> 00:22:28,560 Speaker 1: until Cliff was able to go with East Carolina, But 433 00:22:28,640 --> 00:22:31,040 Speaker 1: it was that same mentality that came from coach to 434 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:33,520 Speaker 1: Claire that it's very similar to what you just described 435 00:22:33,720 --> 00:22:37,880 Speaker 1: with Jimmy v Um. And I think that that is 436 00:22:38,080 --> 00:22:41,879 Speaker 1: massively important because it gives you confidence. And if you 437 00:22:41,920 --> 00:22:44,520 Speaker 1: can see yourself and it only has to happen one time, 438 00:22:44,920 --> 00:22:46,960 Speaker 1: you see yourself in the game, went at home run 439 00:22:47,680 --> 00:22:51,320 Speaker 1: with your eyes closed, and then it happens, You're you're 440 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:55,160 Speaker 1: at a whole different level of confidence and and and 441 00:22:55,240 --> 00:22:58,560 Speaker 1: that certainly gives you a massive edge. You know, as 442 00:22:58,600 --> 00:23:01,600 Speaker 1: you navigate to you sports culture with your kids, Yeah, 443 00:23:01,600 --> 00:23:03,520 Speaker 1: I believe a nine and ten year old and you 444 00:23:03,560 --> 00:23:05,080 Speaker 1: can correct me if I'm wrong on the age. But 445 00:23:05,400 --> 00:23:07,479 Speaker 1: how do you navigate, like, what are you gonna do 446 00:23:07,560 --> 00:23:09,959 Speaker 1: as a as a country music artist, as a former athlete, 447 00:23:10,000 --> 00:23:12,200 Speaker 1: Your kids are involved in different sports, how do you 448 00:23:12,320 --> 00:23:14,440 Speaker 1: navigate that making sure they don't get you don't get 449 00:23:14,440 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: caught in the rat race that is your sports getting 450 00:23:17,280 --> 00:23:22,480 Speaker 1: pulled in a million directions. That's hard, man, it's UM. 451 00:23:22,880 --> 00:23:26,800 Speaker 1: First answer, I have a wonderful wife that really really 452 00:23:26,840 --> 00:23:30,080 Speaker 1: supports all of that stuff because I do stay on 453 00:23:30,119 --> 00:23:31,840 Speaker 1: the road quite a bit, and so I'm able to 454 00:23:31,880 --> 00:23:35,919 Speaker 1: have a little bit of uh perch so to speak. 455 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:38,639 Speaker 1: That you know, I don't have to be all the 456 00:23:38,680 --> 00:23:43,399 Speaker 1: way in that rat race every weekend. UM. That being said, UM, 457 00:23:43,520 --> 00:23:47,000 Speaker 1: I certainly am at practices. I'm at UM as many 458 00:23:47,040 --> 00:23:50,840 Speaker 1: games as I can be. UM. And we've luckily been 459 00:23:50,880 --> 00:23:55,359 Speaker 1: able to find a good travel team that has coaches 460 00:23:55,520 --> 00:23:59,119 Speaker 1: and a coaching staff basically you know throughout the program 461 00:23:59,160 --> 00:24:02,400 Speaker 1: that played you know, and they have a really good 462 00:24:02,520 --> 00:24:06,880 Speaker 1: understanding of teaching the game, uh, making sure that you're 463 00:24:06,920 --> 00:24:09,639 Speaker 1: getting you know, your physical conditioning and and that you 464 00:24:09,680 --> 00:24:14,720 Speaker 1: know you're developing athletically and not just softball specific in 465 00:24:14,760 --> 00:24:17,920 Speaker 1: their case. But they teach the game UM. And they're 466 00:24:17,960 --> 00:24:22,680 Speaker 1: not crazy overly concerned with trying to win every tournament 467 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:26,840 Speaker 1: and get a fake green and UM. And so I 468 00:24:26,840 --> 00:24:30,520 Speaker 1: I kind of really lay into that side and I 469 00:24:30,560 --> 00:24:34,120 Speaker 1: try to support as best I can because having having 470 00:24:34,119 --> 00:24:36,960 Speaker 1: a good coach, having that side of things as a 471 00:24:37,040 --> 00:24:42,720 Speaker 1: kid is so important. UM that I feel very you know, 472 00:24:42,840 --> 00:24:45,040 Speaker 1: and even on their middle school team. My youngest is 473 00:24:45,080 --> 00:24:47,200 Speaker 1: in fourth grade, so she shouldn't be playing middle school, 474 00:24:47,240 --> 00:24:50,080 Speaker 1: but she does. He leads off. But they have great 475 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:54,000 Speaker 1: coaches and we've we've been very lucky about that. Great 476 00:24:54,040 --> 00:24:57,880 Speaker 1: coaches that teach the game and also understand that failure 477 00:24:57,960 --> 00:24:59,960 Speaker 1: is such a big part of that, and they're able 478 00:25:00,040 --> 00:25:03,520 Speaker 1: to talk to them about that failure, uh, and how 479 00:25:03,560 --> 00:25:06,719 Speaker 1: to deal with that. And I think baseball in particular 480 00:25:07,400 --> 00:25:11,480 Speaker 1: taught me so much about you know, you boot a groundball, 481 00:25:11,600 --> 00:25:15,320 Speaker 1: there's another pitch coming immediately, or if you you know, 482 00:25:15,640 --> 00:25:18,359 Speaker 1: if you strike it whatever. You know, the failure is 483 00:25:18,400 --> 00:25:21,080 Speaker 1: such a big part of the game. Uh, And that 484 00:25:21,280 --> 00:25:25,800 Speaker 1: honestly is really the part that moving forward, whether they're 485 00:25:25,880 --> 00:25:28,920 Speaker 1: nine years old or they're you know, all the way 486 00:25:28,920 --> 00:25:32,240 Speaker 1: in their profession doing you know, playing music for people, 487 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:35,080 Speaker 1: failures such a big part of that. And when you 488 00:25:35,160 --> 00:25:38,040 Speaker 1: have that foundation of learning how to deal with it 489 00:25:38,480 --> 00:25:41,520 Speaker 1: and how to move learn from it very important but 490 00:25:41,560 --> 00:25:46,080 Speaker 1: also moved past it, which athletics gives you in baseball 491 00:25:46,119 --> 00:25:49,359 Speaker 1: in particular and softball would particular really give you. Um. 492 00:25:49,400 --> 00:25:53,359 Speaker 1: I think that lesson is really where I try two 493 00:25:54,080 --> 00:25:57,480 Speaker 1: support the girls. You know, I don't you know, really 494 00:25:57,560 --> 00:26:00,600 Speaker 1: jump into the specifics about what they did what they 495 00:26:00,600 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 1: didn't do. I do try to show them when I can, 496 00:26:03,119 --> 00:26:05,280 Speaker 1: but other than that, I try to make sure that 497 00:26:05,320 --> 00:26:08,560 Speaker 1: they're having fun and um, that they learned from what 498 00:26:08,760 --> 00:26:10,720 Speaker 1: they did, you know, if if they made a mistake 499 00:26:10,800 --> 00:26:13,399 Speaker 1: or whatever, and build them up. And I think those 500 00:26:13,480 --> 00:26:16,640 Speaker 1: lessons are really the ones that last down the road. 501 00:26:16,880 --> 00:26:19,560 Speaker 1: And you know you talked about rat race with youth 502 00:26:19,600 --> 00:26:24,080 Speaker 1: sports man. I tell you watching some of these uh 503 00:26:24,359 --> 00:26:28,320 Speaker 1: parents and coaches and just get crazy and this stuff 504 00:26:29,160 --> 00:26:32,040 Speaker 1: for all the wrong reasons. Um, you know, learn the game, 505 00:26:32,119 --> 00:26:35,160 Speaker 1: make them have fun. Uh. You and I both probably 506 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:36,840 Speaker 1: I don't think we've ever talked about it, but you 507 00:26:36,880 --> 00:26:39,160 Speaker 1: and I both probably played with guys that were burned 508 00:26:39,200 --> 00:26:41,119 Speaker 1: out by the time they got to college. That was 509 00:26:41,160 --> 00:26:44,680 Speaker 1: their only goal. I'm gonna go play college baseball and uh, 510 00:26:44,800 --> 00:26:46,720 Speaker 1: but by the time they got there, they were completely 511 00:26:46,720 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 1: burned out. And I certainly don't want that for the girls. 512 00:26:50,800 --> 00:26:53,680 Speaker 1: But I'm not gonna harness them back when they want 513 00:26:53,720 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 1: to go play, you know what I mean, keep it light, 514 00:26:56,840 --> 00:26:59,880 Speaker 1: keep them bottom line is give the kids a space 515 00:27:00,000 --> 00:27:02,560 Speaker 1: in the freedom to allow them to go out there 516 00:27:02,600 --> 00:27:05,320 Speaker 1: and support them, love them. But you know, just remember 517 00:27:05,359 --> 00:27:08,040 Speaker 1: their their fourth graders, their fifth graders. You know there 518 00:27:08,200 --> 00:27:10,199 Speaker 1: there's an element of hey, we gotta keep it in 519 00:27:10,240 --> 00:27:12,280 Speaker 1: perspective here, and I think at times we lose that. 520 00:27:12,320 --> 00:27:14,360 Speaker 1: I can't thank you enough for coming on a chair 521 00:27:14,359 --> 00:27:16,600 Speaker 1: and Matt, where can we find you? Know? Where can 522 00:27:16,640 --> 00:27:19,520 Speaker 1: folks follow you? Where's the best places to go? Yes? So, 523 00:27:19,680 --> 00:27:23,000 Speaker 1: Matt Stillwell dot Com is the easiest thing that you 524 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:26,600 Speaker 1: can get to everything from there, Matt Stillwell dot Com. 525 00:27:26,640 --> 00:27:30,800 Speaker 1: On Spotify and Apple and YouTube, it's all Matt Stillwell music. 526 00:27:31,200 --> 00:27:34,119 Speaker 1: Very easy to find, blue check marks, so you'll know 527 00:27:34,160 --> 00:27:38,000 Speaker 1: that it's me and lots of lots of music, lots 528 00:27:38,000 --> 00:27:40,080 Speaker 1: of videos out there. You can go bench listen to 529 00:27:40,119 --> 00:27:44,600 Speaker 1: me and and watch me for sure. Definitely do it. Dude, 530 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:48,560 Speaker 1: crushes it. Great music, love them, great musician, but even 531 00:27:48,680 --> 00:27:51,680 Speaker 1: better human being. Man. I'm happy to have connected with that. 532 00:27:51,720 --> 00:27:54,480 Speaker 1: Can't thank enough for coming on and sharing. Bro Nick Man, 533 00:27:54,520 --> 00:27:56,639 Speaker 1: I love what you're doing and keep on doing it 534 00:27:56,680 --> 00:27:59,280 Speaker 1: and glad to see how much has grown. U s. 535 00:27:59,359 --> 00:28:02,480 Speaker 1: It's our very first conversation and honored to be a 536 00:28:02,520 --> 00:28:05,800 Speaker 1: part of it. That's Matt Stillwell country music singer and 537 00:28:05,880 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: former collegiate baseball player. Thanks for listening to the Reform 538 00:28:09,080 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: Sports Project podcast Dominic Boncourt and Our goal is to 539 00:28:12,160 --> 00:28:15,199 Speaker 1: restore a healthy balance and perspective in all areas of 540 00:28:15,240 --> 00:28:18,800 Speaker 1: sports through education and advocacy. For updates, please follow us 541 00:28:18,840 --> 00:28:22,080 Speaker 1: on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, or check out our website 542 00:28:22,119 --> 00:28:24,200 Speaker 1: by searching for the Reform Sports Project