WEBVTT 00:00:21.279 --> 00:00:25.179 Welcome, welcome, welcome to the second episode 00:00:25.179 --> 00:00:29.320 of It's More Than a Game podcast. And let me 00:00:29.320 --> 00:00:33.280 tell you, I am extremely blessed and very happy 00:00:33.280 --> 00:00:35.420 that I made the decision to start this podcast 00:00:35.420 --> 00:00:40.060 because it's just a platform for me to build 00:00:40.060 --> 00:00:42.820 a community, right? I really enjoy mentorship. 00:00:42.939 --> 00:00:47.299 I really enjoy leadership. And with my experience 00:00:47.299 --> 00:00:49.859 through the game, You know, having played for 00:00:49.859 --> 00:00:53.780 a very long time, reaching my goal of playing 00:00:53.780 --> 00:00:56.859 at the Division I level, it gives me the chance 00:00:56.859 --> 00:00:59.280 to really help the younger generation and provide 00:00:59.280 --> 00:01:03.100 guidance, sound guidance, on how to navigate 00:01:03.100 --> 00:01:08.200 the ins and outs of the game and really just 00:01:08.200 --> 00:01:13.989 to facilitate engagement. conversation about 00:01:13.989 --> 00:01:17.750 the games the the highs the lows the you know 00:01:17.750 --> 00:01:22.150 the the bad times the the boring times the hard 00:01:22.150 --> 00:01:25.870 times i think it's important for us as athletes 00:01:25.870 --> 00:01:28.930 who have been through it to curate this this 00:01:28.930 --> 00:01:31.650 community this trusted community for anyone involved 00:01:31.650 --> 00:01:35.090 in the game and that's players and it's not just 00:01:35.090 --> 00:01:40.329 subject to players only coaches trainers parents 00:01:41.609 --> 00:01:45.390 Whoever it may be, it's important to create this 00:01:45.390 --> 00:01:49.450 community for the younger generation of hoopers, 00:01:49.469 --> 00:01:54.010 because in the state of basketball today, there 00:01:54.010 --> 00:01:56.609 are a lot of politics. There's always been politics, 00:01:56.689 --> 00:02:00.049 but there are a lot of politics more so now than 00:02:00.049 --> 00:02:05.090 ever, simply because of, for an example, NIL, 00:02:05.290 --> 00:02:08.439 right? There is so much politics in the game 00:02:08.439 --> 00:02:10.819 that it's hard for the younger generation to 00:02:10.819 --> 00:02:16.080 navigate all of this and to kind of vet who really 00:02:16.080 --> 00:02:18.939 cares about them, who really cares about their 00:02:18.939 --> 00:02:20.879 journey, who really cares about their personal 00:02:20.879 --> 00:02:24.819 development. Because the unfortunate nature of 00:02:24.819 --> 00:02:29.539 the game today, there are leechers, there are 00:02:29.539 --> 00:02:31.819 people who are out there to take advantage of 00:02:31.819 --> 00:02:36.580 these kids. to take them off of the journey that 00:02:36.580 --> 00:02:39.599 these kids want to go to. So this is the platform 00:02:39.599 --> 00:02:41.960 that I get to use to really kind of deep dive 00:02:41.960 --> 00:02:44.060 into different topics around the game. If you 00:02:44.060 --> 00:02:47.240 enjoyed the podcast, whether you listened on 00:02:47.240 --> 00:02:51.319 Spotify, Apple Podcast, or you watched the video 00:02:51.319 --> 00:02:54.340 on YouTube, you got to see my pretty face. As 00:02:54.340 --> 00:02:56.300 always, let me know, provide feedback, right? 00:02:56.360 --> 00:02:58.560 Because this is supposed to be for you, whoever 00:02:58.560 --> 00:03:00.280 you are watching this, this is supposed to be 00:03:00.280 --> 00:03:03.789 for you. And if there are some topics or some 00:03:03.789 --> 00:03:07.050 things that we would like you want to discuss, 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.689 then just let me know. And I'll definitely be 00:03:09.689 --> 00:03:13.469 sure to implement that into future episodes. 00:03:13.530 --> 00:03:16.430 OK, I'm on I'm on platforms. Right. I'm trying 00:03:16.430 --> 00:03:19.189 to grow this community. Right. So we have this 00:03:19.189 --> 00:03:22.629 podcast, like I mentioned, Spotify, Apple podcast. 00:03:23.069 --> 00:03:26.090 It's on YouTube. I also have a tick tock. My 00:03:26.090 --> 00:03:30.039 tick tock is more so for players. It allows me 00:03:30.039 --> 00:03:33.620 to to really kind of just be real. No editing, 00:03:33.819 --> 00:03:36.800 no formality, really, but just to kind of speak 00:03:36.800 --> 00:03:39.580 my mind. I can answer questions. I can answer 00:03:39.580 --> 00:03:44.400 DMs, comments. More so focused on player development 00:03:44.400 --> 00:03:47.060 and growth through the game. Right. Because, 00:03:47.139 --> 00:03:48.919 again, there's a lot that goes on with the game. 00:03:48.960 --> 00:03:52.039 And for the younger generation of hoopers, it 00:03:52.039 --> 00:03:55.479 allows me to impart wisdom. You know, I played 00:03:55.479 --> 00:03:58.139 the game for a very long time. And that's what 00:03:58.139 --> 00:04:00.120 that allows me to do. I'm also on Instagram. 00:04:00.340 --> 00:04:02.939 Sorry, backtrack to TikTok. If you care to follow 00:04:02.939 --> 00:04:09.840 my TikTok, it is jlove22ihoop. If you also search 00:04:09.840 --> 00:04:12.680 Elite Fit Connect, you should be able to find 00:04:12.680 --> 00:04:16.759 me. Again, my face is there, so go follow me 00:04:16.759 --> 00:04:19.699 there. I have an Instagram, Elite Fit Connect. 00:04:20.539 --> 00:04:24.000 twitter youtube again elite fit connect so if 00:04:24.000 --> 00:04:26.220 you if you care to go follow me the more the 00:04:26.220 --> 00:04:31.600 merrier repost share comment like up to you but 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:34.339 that's going to help me grow this community that 00:04:34.339 --> 00:04:39.860 i think is very important for the game okay This 00:04:39.860 --> 00:04:41.959 is exciting, right? This is episode two. And 00:04:41.959 --> 00:04:45.740 today I really want to focus on the process of 00:04:45.740 --> 00:04:48.480 the game, falling in love with the process, right? 00:04:48.560 --> 00:04:52.139 Even when progress feels invisible, it's important, 00:04:52.259 --> 00:04:55.319 right? It's a grind. It's a grind. It's a grind. 00:04:55.399 --> 00:04:58.680 It's a grind. Everybody loves highlights. Everybody 00:04:58.680 --> 00:05:01.220 loves the highlights. You know, I grew up on 00:05:01.220 --> 00:05:04.660 the ball is life culture, right? Graduated high 00:05:04.660 --> 00:05:09.000 school in 2011. Okay. um i don't know if you 00:05:09.000 --> 00:05:11.620 remember but they still make them now but the 00:05:11.620 --> 00:05:15.120 ball is life mixtapes one of the best mixtapes 00:05:15.120 --> 00:05:18.560 ever was john wall right you have a kill car 00:05:18.560 --> 00:05:24.040 um who else who else who else i'm blanking austin 00:05:24.040 --> 00:05:27.660 rivers so many mixtapes out there and we just 00:05:27.660 --> 00:05:30.040 love that we consume that because we got to see 00:05:30.040 --> 00:05:32.660 the best of some of these great players to ever 00:05:32.660 --> 00:05:37.629 play the game but what it doesn't show is the 00:05:37.629 --> 00:05:41.290 low moments the grind the hustle the struggle 00:05:41.290 --> 00:05:44.970 the pain the sweat the tears the blood the amount 00:05:44.970 --> 00:05:48.089 of time it takes to get to that level to the 00:05:48.089 --> 00:05:52.649 tippy top to make it to the league right they 00:05:52.649 --> 00:05:55.410 don't show that and i think it's important for 00:05:55.410 --> 00:06:00.009 us as the leaders And, you know, I'm not saying 00:06:00.009 --> 00:06:01.910 I'm not trying to put myself on a pedestal, but, 00:06:01.970 --> 00:06:04.750 you know, I have the experience to to understand 00:06:04.750 --> 00:06:08.910 that what you see on TV or on YouTube or social 00:06:08.910 --> 00:06:12.370 media, whatever it may be. It's not necessarily 00:06:12.370 --> 00:06:16.589 reality. It's not. And I'm just being real. OK, 00:06:16.709 --> 00:06:21.829 so let me ask you this. What are some of the 00:06:21.829 --> 00:06:25.529 things that you might not see behind the scenes? 00:06:27.310 --> 00:06:30.089 When you're trying to improve your game or get 00:06:30.089 --> 00:06:33.170 to the next level and reach your goals. There 00:06:33.170 --> 00:06:36.110 are weeks when you might feel like you're putting 00:06:36.110 --> 00:06:41.649 in all the effort in the world and nothing is 00:06:41.649 --> 00:06:45.230 happening. Nothing is happening. That's when 00:06:45.230 --> 00:06:47.310 most people quit. That's when most people get 00:06:47.310 --> 00:06:49.629 discouraged. That's when people convince themselves 00:06:49.629 --> 00:06:55.470 that maybe this isn't for me. Sometimes it's 00:06:55.470 --> 00:06:57.910 valid. Sometimes you need to go through all the 00:06:57.910 --> 00:07:01.769 struggles to realize that maybe this isn't the 00:07:01.769 --> 00:07:04.170 route that I need to go to. Maybe I need to deviate 00:07:04.170 --> 00:07:07.189 a little bit. Maybe basketball isn't what I need 00:07:07.189 --> 00:07:10.410 to be doing for the rest of my life. But again, 00:07:10.649 --> 00:07:15.269 basketball is a great tool for life. But I'm 00:07:15.269 --> 00:07:18.529 here to tell you that's exactly when the process 00:07:18.529 --> 00:07:21.750 is working. You just can't see it. You just can't 00:07:21.750 --> 00:07:26.209 see it. I'm telling you. This is when we get 00:07:26.209 --> 00:07:30.970 into the topic of basketball politics, the reality 00:07:30.970 --> 00:07:33.970 of basketball politics. There's there's always 00:07:33.970 --> 00:07:39.430 been politics way back in the day to now and 00:07:39.430 --> 00:07:42.389 the future of basketball. There has always been 00:07:42.389 --> 00:07:45.350 politics. There will always be politics. Sometimes 00:07:45.350 --> 00:07:51.589 a less talented player will get the looks. I 00:07:51.589 --> 00:07:53.649 dealt with that, you know, I dealt with that. 00:07:54.360 --> 00:07:58.560 Growing up in the game, right? There might be 00:07:58.560 --> 00:08:01.319 teammates that you play with that get that starting 00:08:01.319 --> 00:08:03.800 spot, that get that starting position. They may 00:08:03.800 --> 00:08:08.680 be getting the camera, the lights, right? And 00:08:08.680 --> 00:08:14.100 everybody knows or you know that you put in way 00:08:14.100 --> 00:08:18.040 more work. You put in the grind, the hustle, 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:21.180 the work ethic, all that good stuff, right? You 00:08:21.180 --> 00:08:24.769 put in way more into the game. And it might even 00:08:24.769 --> 00:08:29.230 show on the court. But because of politics, that 00:08:29.230 --> 00:08:32.429 teammate might get those opportunities that you 00:08:32.429 --> 00:08:36.850 want. They might get the looks that you're looking 00:08:36.850 --> 00:08:38.769 for. They might get those scholarship offers 00:08:38.769 --> 00:08:44.149 that you've been praying for. That's just politics. 00:08:45.149 --> 00:08:47.710 Those are the things that you cannot control. 00:08:47.929 --> 00:08:52.309 And the last thing that you need to do as a player... 00:08:52.840 --> 00:08:55.820 Even if you're a parent, right, you need to understand 00:08:55.820 --> 00:09:00.320 that there are so many things in basketball, 00:09:00.580 --> 00:09:04.899 in sports, in life that you cannot control. So 00:09:04.899 --> 00:09:06.740 the worst thing that you can do is just waste 00:09:06.740 --> 00:09:10.679 time harboring over all of that and trying to 00:09:10.679 --> 00:09:13.600 manipulate what people think about you or your 00:09:13.600 --> 00:09:17.179 child so that you can get those opportunities. 00:09:17.279 --> 00:09:20.539 But it's impossible. You're wasting your time. 00:09:20.679 --> 00:09:23.289 You're wasting your effort. What you can do, 00:09:23.309 --> 00:09:27.889 focus on the things that you can't control, right? 00:09:29.789 --> 00:09:32.730 Stuff like that can eat you alive if you let 00:09:32.730 --> 00:09:35.429 it. I promise you it can. But focusing on what's 00:09:35.429 --> 00:09:38.330 out of your control will only drain your energy, 00:09:38.490 --> 00:09:42.269 okay? And that's just, again, the politics of 00:09:42.269 --> 00:09:45.809 hoops, of basketball. You can't control it, but 00:09:45.809 --> 00:09:48.909 you can control your consistency. There's a topic 00:09:48.909 --> 00:09:52.250 that I want to talk about. There's a concept 00:09:52.250 --> 00:09:57.710 called the law of thirds. Right. And so basic 00:09:57.710 --> 00:10:00.769 math. Right. You have three thirds in a whole. 00:10:00.870 --> 00:10:03.629 So we're splitting that whole into three thirds. 00:10:04.549 --> 00:10:07.870 And each of those thirds represent a certain 00:10:07.870 --> 00:10:10.950 piece of your journey, a certain aspect of what 00:10:10.950 --> 00:10:13.389 you might experience through your journey. Right. 00:10:13.450 --> 00:10:14.710 And we're going to relate this to basketball, 00:10:14.830 --> 00:10:18.000 obviously. But this is. Important for everything 00:10:18.000 --> 00:10:21.340 else, for your for life, for your career, for 00:10:21.340 --> 00:10:24.399 your relationships, family, friends, anything. 00:10:24.580 --> 00:10:29.159 The law of thirds is real. OK, so so what is 00:10:29.159 --> 00:10:31.820 the law of thirds? I'll explain it. Right. So 00:10:31.820 --> 00:10:35.519 the first third will support you no matter what. 00:10:35.899 --> 00:10:41.500 OK, this is honestly like what we all hope for 00:10:41.500 --> 00:10:45.360 in whatever we do. Right. These are the wins. 00:10:46.639 --> 00:10:49.419 The calls from the recruiters that we're looking 00:10:49.419 --> 00:10:51.259 for from the schools that we're looking for. 00:10:52.120 --> 00:10:55.120 These are, you know, earning that starting starting 00:10:55.120 --> 00:10:59.039 position on the varsity squad or on, you know, 00:10:59.039 --> 00:11:04.059 the college team. That's it's the success. It's 00:11:04.059 --> 00:11:06.899 what brings the happiness. It's what brings validation. 00:11:07.159 --> 00:11:10.500 Right. So that's the first third. The second 00:11:10.500 --> 00:11:16.259 third is. The the doubt, the the negatives, right? 00:11:16.539 --> 00:11:21.940 The pain, the struggle. The times where, like 00:11:21.940 --> 00:11:24.480 I said, you might be putting all this work, but 00:11:24.480 --> 00:11:26.460 the progress is invisible. You're not getting 00:11:26.460 --> 00:11:31.679 any validation. It might seem like you're failing. 00:11:33.500 --> 00:11:36.019 And this is where people quit. This is where 00:11:36.019 --> 00:11:40.139 people give up. This is where people. Start to 00:11:40.139 --> 00:11:42.340 doubt themselves and start looking elsewhere 00:11:42.340 --> 00:11:45.360 because they're not getting the satisfaction 00:11:45.360 --> 00:11:47.299 that they want. They're not seeing the success. 00:11:47.419 --> 00:11:49.360 They're not getting those opportunities that 00:11:49.360 --> 00:11:53.519 they hope for. That's a third, but everybody 00:11:53.519 --> 00:11:57.940 goes through that. OK, the final third is just 00:11:57.940 --> 00:12:03.659 the mundane, the boring time when. And when it 00:12:03.659 --> 00:12:05.899 comes to basketball, I like to think of when 00:12:05.899 --> 00:12:08.100 you're doing that detailed work where it's not 00:12:08.100 --> 00:12:12.200 necessarily hard. It's just boring. Right. You're 00:12:12.200 --> 00:12:14.500 going to the gym every day and you put up 100, 00:12:14.659 --> 00:12:17.320 100 shots. You should be putting away more than 00:12:17.320 --> 00:12:19.799 100 shots. You're putting up 500 to 1000 shots 00:12:19.799 --> 00:12:24.960 a day over and over and over again. Sometimes 00:12:24.960 --> 00:12:29.840 it can be boring. It can drive you insane. But 00:12:29.840 --> 00:12:32.279 that is a very important third that you have 00:12:32.279 --> 00:12:37.059 to go through. I think a perfect example is myself 00:12:37.059 --> 00:12:41.080 through Elite Fit Connect. Especially in the 00:12:41.080 --> 00:12:45.539 beginning stages, even now, it's hard to feel 00:12:45.539 --> 00:12:49.779 validated when you're starting a company, when 00:12:49.779 --> 00:12:54.639 you're trying to earn approval from whether it's 00:12:54.639 --> 00:12:57.259 your customers, your audience, people like you. 00:12:59.540 --> 00:13:02.620 Because it's a process. There's a lot of processes 00:13:02.620 --> 00:13:06.000 that go into building a company, building technology 00:13:06.000 --> 00:13:10.720 into something that I've done for so long, playing 00:13:10.720 --> 00:13:15.340 basketball, right? And there's a lot of doubts. 00:13:16.320 --> 00:13:19.299 There's a lot of negativity that I might go through, 00:13:19.379 --> 00:13:23.100 but that's just the way it is. I've made calls 00:13:23.100 --> 00:13:26.039 after calls after calls on getting investments. 00:13:27.019 --> 00:13:31.019 There are times where I feel ignored. There are 00:13:31.019 --> 00:13:34.899 times where I might feel discouraged because 00:13:34.899 --> 00:13:38.340 someone might not want to talk about what I'm 00:13:38.340 --> 00:13:40.659 doing, or they might not necessarily believe 00:13:40.659 --> 00:13:45.919 in what I'm doing, or they actually validate 00:13:45.919 --> 00:13:48.919 me in some sense, but it's not enough to get 00:13:48.919 --> 00:13:53.200 those investments, right? That's been a journey 00:13:53.200 --> 00:13:59.519 in itself. But on the flip side, the great thing 00:13:59.519 --> 00:14:03.860 about what I'm doing is the direct interaction 00:14:03.860 --> 00:14:07.899 with coaches and trainers and even players. Because 00:14:07.899 --> 00:14:11.159 I hear about the stories, the ups and downs of 00:14:11.159 --> 00:14:15.419 just the business of training athletes or the 00:14:15.419 --> 00:14:21.179 business of maintaining or retaining athletes. 00:14:23.639 --> 00:14:27.600 When I talk about a tool or a solution on how 00:14:27.600 --> 00:14:31.799 we can better the community and allow coaches 00:14:31.799 --> 00:14:35.820 and trainers to spend more time on the floor 00:14:35.820 --> 00:14:40.539 developing players versus spending time managing 00:14:40.539 --> 00:14:45.600 admin tasks, scheduling, payments, communication, 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:51.080 on the phone all the time, trying to handle the 00:14:51.080 --> 00:14:54.720 books, putting people on the calendar. that's 00:14:54.720 --> 00:14:58.620 the third that gives me the validation that wants 00:14:58.620 --> 00:15:01.519 me to keep going, right? And then there's the 00:15:01.519 --> 00:15:04.879 third that's just boring, right? Like, you know, 00:15:04.879 --> 00:15:08.080 after recording this video, right, I have to 00:15:08.080 --> 00:15:11.919 edit. I have to go through the process of making 00:15:11.919 --> 00:15:15.039 sure that the video is good, making sure that 00:15:15.039 --> 00:15:19.419 the audio is good, making sure that I'm not saying 00:15:19.419 --> 00:15:23.750 anything crazy or, you know, Making sure I don't 00:15:23.750 --> 00:15:25.669 go on these long tangents and, you know, just 00:15:25.669 --> 00:15:28.909 editing accordingly. Right. But that's the process. 00:15:29.009 --> 00:15:31.909 It might be boring, but I also understand that 00:15:31.909 --> 00:15:37.850 there there will be a reward after it. Or I might 00:15:37.850 --> 00:15:40.870 see the negatives from it. Right. It's just it 00:15:40.870 --> 00:15:43.990 depends. Right. But that's just the process. 00:15:44.090 --> 00:15:48.309 Right. And that's taught me that my energy has 00:15:48.309 --> 00:15:51.259 to go towards. what i believe in towards the 00:15:51.259 --> 00:15:53.840 people that i believe in who have like values 00:15:53.840 --> 00:15:58.519 who have the same vision who want to see my success 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:01.960 and vice versa obviously because eventually the 00:16:01.960 --> 00:16:06.220 neutral ones notice and the doubters they don't 00:16:06.220 --> 00:16:08.639 matter i just don't care i'm not in the business 00:16:08.639 --> 00:16:11.000 of trying to prove you wrong or trying to prove 00:16:11.000 --> 00:16:13.919 people who don't believe in me wrong okay the 00:16:13.919 --> 00:16:17.279 people that believe in me the ones who want to 00:16:17.279 --> 00:16:22.960 see success that's the reason why I do this. 00:16:23.080 --> 00:16:26.840 Because if you believe in what I do, then I'm 00:16:26.840 --> 00:16:28.399 always going to believe in you. And it's just 00:16:28.399 --> 00:16:31.639 mutually beneficial. At the end of the day, you 00:16:31.639 --> 00:16:34.399 have to feed the believers, ignore the doubters, 00:16:34.500 --> 00:16:38.039 and win over the neutrals with your consistency, 00:16:38.320 --> 00:16:41.059 with the hustle, with the grind. And that's really 00:16:41.059 --> 00:16:45.220 what the law of thirds is. And I really suggest 00:16:45.220 --> 00:16:49.639 that you implement that or you take that in and 00:16:50.039 --> 00:16:51.659 make sure that you understand that you're going 00:16:51.659 --> 00:16:54.700 to go through a row. You're going to be riding 00:16:54.700 --> 00:16:56.480 a roller coaster, right? You're going to go through 00:16:56.480 --> 00:16:58.159 the highs, the lows, you're going to go through 00:16:58.159 --> 00:17:00.299 the boring and the mundane time. So that that's 00:17:00.299 --> 00:17:02.820 the law of thirds. And I hope, I hope I explained 00:17:02.820 --> 00:17:08.140 that well. Okay. The, the next thing that I want 00:17:08.140 --> 00:17:11.039 to make sure that you understand is that, and 00:17:11.039 --> 00:17:13.460 I mentioned this early on in the video or in 00:17:13.460 --> 00:17:15.960 this podcast, right? That sometimes you could 00:17:15.960 --> 00:17:18.079 be the most talented individual on the court, 00:17:18.160 --> 00:17:22.319 but You might not see anything from it, right? 00:17:22.900 --> 00:17:26.140 But I will say that talent will get you noticed. 00:17:26.160 --> 00:17:31.140 Talent will get your names ringing in the tabloids, 00:17:31.140 --> 00:17:34.640 on the blogs, in the recruiting services, all 00:17:34.640 --> 00:17:36.579 that stuff, right? Talent is going to get you 00:17:36.579 --> 00:17:41.279 noticed, but your circle will get you those opportunities. 00:17:41.619 --> 00:17:44.819 And when I talk about this circle, right, building 00:17:44.819 --> 00:17:48.099 a circle, it's really just your network. Your 00:17:48.099 --> 00:17:50.940 network can include anything and everything between 00:17:50.940 --> 00:18:00.019 your coaches, trainers, parents, teammates, recruiters, 00:18:00.019 --> 00:18:02.619 scouts, really anybody involved in the game. 00:18:02.720 --> 00:18:06.960 That is your circle. And your circle is going 00:18:06.960 --> 00:18:10.740 to be the difference of being in the right runs 00:18:10.740 --> 00:18:13.579 or being in the right tournaments or missing 00:18:13.579 --> 00:18:17.690 those showcases. those events that actually matter 00:18:17.690 --> 00:18:21.269 okay so let's let's take a deep dive into the 00:18:21.269 --> 00:18:24.369 aau scene right so again i was a class of 2011 00:18:24.369 --> 00:18:29.750 out of high school and during my time it was 00:18:29.750 --> 00:18:33.150 more or less about the team that you played for 00:18:33.150 --> 00:18:37.410 the tournaments that you were in okay i want 00:18:37.410 --> 00:18:40.059 to say before that Before by time, it was more 00:18:40.059 --> 00:18:42.700 so just being able to produce and your stats 00:18:42.700 --> 00:18:45.220 would be able to tell your story and people would 00:18:45.220 --> 00:18:48.380 find you. When I grew up in the game, when I 00:18:48.380 --> 00:18:51.920 came up in the game, right, it was about showing 00:18:51.920 --> 00:18:56.200 out in those tournaments, right? Being on a team 00:18:56.200 --> 00:18:58.720 that could get you into the right environment 00:18:58.720 --> 00:19:02.319 and your coach could vouch for you. And all you 00:19:02.319 --> 00:19:06.440 had to do was grasp those opportunities and just 00:19:06.440 --> 00:19:09.339 ball out. because there were going to be people 00:19:09.339 --> 00:19:13.039 out there watching. And then once you start balling 00:19:13.039 --> 00:19:16.740 out, you're consistent, you're showcasing your 00:19:16.740 --> 00:19:20.500 ability, your skills, your name will start ringing 00:19:20.500 --> 00:19:23.119 a bell and people are going to be like, did y 00:19:23.119 --> 00:19:25.740 'all see so -and -so balling last night? Dropped 00:19:25.740 --> 00:19:29.039 a 30 -piece, double -double, triple -double, 00:19:29.279 --> 00:19:32.819 beat so -and -so. You got to keep your eyes on 00:19:32.819 --> 00:19:36.710 him. That dude is nice. That dude is cold. That 00:19:36.710 --> 00:19:40.170 dude is cold -blooded, right? That was my time. 00:19:41.009 --> 00:19:44.210 And I want to say now and again, I could be wrong, 00:19:44.289 --> 00:19:49.690 but this is just from me talking to folks, seeing 00:19:49.690 --> 00:19:57.109 what's going on. It's about who you know. There 00:19:57.109 --> 00:19:58.990 are a lot of kids playing the game of basketball. 00:19:59.410 --> 00:20:01.609 There are a lot of kids playing the game of basketball. 00:20:02.710 --> 00:20:05.400 Most of those kids want to make it. They want 00:20:05.400 --> 00:20:11.140 to get as high as they can in the game. But the 00:20:11.140 --> 00:20:14.920 higher you go, the less opportunities you'll 00:20:14.920 --> 00:20:19.400 find. And it's truly about who you know, who's 00:20:19.400 --> 00:20:24.240 in your circle. And so I say that to say, the 00:20:24.240 --> 00:20:28.900 younger you are, the better. The younger you 00:20:28.900 --> 00:20:34.490 are, the better. You get a head start into making 00:20:34.490 --> 00:20:37.769 sure that you are on the right teams. You have 00:20:37.769 --> 00:20:39.869 the right coaches who have all these contacts 00:20:39.869 --> 00:20:43.650 who have the credibility to get you to where 00:20:43.650 --> 00:20:46.630 you want to get to. You're playing with the right 00:20:46.630 --> 00:20:51.509 players. You're going to the right showcases 00:20:51.509 --> 00:20:57.509 to the right events. Maybe you're on an EYBL 00:20:57.509 --> 00:21:02.279 team. The Puma, Reeboks, Adidas, whatever it 00:21:02.279 --> 00:21:04.539 may be, so you can be in front of all these college 00:21:04.539 --> 00:21:10.400 coaches, these scouts. OK. Back in high school, 00:21:10.480 --> 00:21:13.680 right. You know, I thoroughly enjoyed my high 00:21:13.680 --> 00:21:17.000 school school ball experience, but I don't think 00:21:17.000 --> 00:21:22.440 my high school experience was the right experience 00:21:22.440 --> 00:21:27.019 for me simply because I don't think my coach. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:33.839 necessarily prioritized getting us to that next 00:21:33.839 --> 00:21:40.740 level and i don't say that in a negative i don't 00:21:40.740 --> 00:21:42.420 say that you know to throw them on the bus right 00:21:42.420 --> 00:21:44.799 it's just people have their different philosophies 00:21:44.799 --> 00:21:47.900 okay but i knew that i wanted to go play at the 00:21:47.900 --> 00:21:53.619 division one level and i just honestly don't 00:21:53.619 --> 00:21:58.569 think that a that my coach helped me you know 00:21:58.569 --> 00:22:01.170 get there right I heavily relied on AAU because 00:22:01.170 --> 00:22:06.130 I knew that AAU was such a you know good environment 00:22:06.130 --> 00:22:08.450 to be in to get my name out there and play in 00:22:08.450 --> 00:22:10.210 the right tournaments and play some of the best 00:22:10.210 --> 00:22:14.890 players right I played against a lot of players 00:22:14.890 --> 00:22:18.549 so the AAU was just my main bread and butter 00:22:18.549 --> 00:22:21.109 I thoroughly enjoyed high school because I got 00:22:21.109 --> 00:22:24.410 to play against Some of my I got to play with 00:22:24.410 --> 00:22:26.829 some of my best friends and we played together 00:22:26.829 --> 00:22:31.049 for so long, you know, we were subjectively successful. 00:22:31.490 --> 00:22:35.049 We won some games where we were busting the clock 00:22:35.049 --> 00:22:39.970 on most teams. And I had a blast. I had a blast 00:22:39.970 --> 00:22:44.670 playing, you know, on that team. But all that 00:22:44.670 --> 00:22:47.690 to say, right, is you have to make sure that 00:22:47.690 --> 00:22:53.430 the people that are around you. care about you 00:22:53.430 --> 00:22:57.309 and they can help you get to where you want to 00:22:57.309 --> 00:23:00.730 get to okay so if you're young if you're a young 00:23:00.730 --> 00:23:03.230 player navigating this space right you just have 00:23:03.230 --> 00:23:05.529 to do your due diligence and make sure that you're 00:23:05.529 --> 00:23:08.349 you're vetting right you're vetting these people 00:23:08.349 --> 00:23:10.289 you're vetting your coaches the trainers right 00:23:10.289 --> 00:23:12.670 making sure they they're they have the right 00:23:12.670 --> 00:23:15.910 credentials making sure that they have the contacts 00:23:15.910 --> 00:23:20.759 they built a rapport So that way, when you are 00:23:20.759 --> 00:23:25.039 producing, they can be like, they can go to, 00:23:25.039 --> 00:23:29.259 you know, your local school or D2, D3, or JUCO, 00:23:29.339 --> 00:23:32.940 NAIA, or shoot, if you're good enough, a blue 00:23:32.940 --> 00:23:34.779 blood and be like, hey, I got this player for 00:23:34.779 --> 00:23:37.279 you. I got someone who's been grinding their 00:23:37.279 --> 00:23:40.380 butt off. Come check them out. I promise you, 00:23:40.440 --> 00:23:42.619 I won't disappoint you. Okay, so you just have 00:23:42.619 --> 00:23:44.900 to, you just have to do your due diligence and 00:23:44.900 --> 00:23:47.299 make sure that the people in your circle are 00:23:47.299 --> 00:23:50.000 going to vouch for you. Because, again, I've 00:23:50.000 --> 00:23:52.859 seen hoopers with less talent get opportunities 00:23:52.859 --> 00:23:56.240 because their circle worked harder than the player 00:23:56.240 --> 00:24:01.119 did. So that's the biggest advice when it comes 00:24:01.119 --> 00:24:04.200 to circles and your network. Your circle at the 00:24:04.200 --> 00:24:06.900 end of the day is your cheat code. So build it 00:24:06.900 --> 00:24:11.980 wisely. Now, when I talk about this network and 00:24:11.980 --> 00:24:14.900 I think about me and my circle. I have a vision 00:24:14.900 --> 00:24:17.339 of building a solid community of coaches and 00:24:17.339 --> 00:24:21.180 trainers to make sure that the younger generation 00:24:21.180 --> 00:24:28.200 is not done dirty. There are a lot of people 00:24:28.200 --> 00:24:30.480 who should not be coaching or training, and I 00:24:30.480 --> 00:24:33.259 just want to kind of alleviate that, right? I 00:24:33.259 --> 00:24:38.920 had a conversation with someone in my area, a 00:24:38.920 --> 00:24:43.099 local trainer. He focuses a lot on football. 00:24:43.819 --> 00:24:46.960 But we talked about the importance of community. 00:24:47.259 --> 00:24:51.700 OK, we want to build a space where athletes can 00:24:51.700 --> 00:24:54.500 share their experiences. They can get guidance 00:24:54.500 --> 00:24:58.019 and have mentors. Mentorship is so important. 00:24:58.559 --> 00:25:03.480 And I wish I had access to this when I was younger. 00:25:03.599 --> 00:25:05.359 You know, I had a good community. Don't get me 00:25:05.359 --> 00:25:11.269 wrong, but I wish I had access to players. coaches 00:25:11.269 --> 00:25:13.910 and other trainers that have done it before who 00:25:13.910 --> 00:25:17.190 have experienced it because one, that would give 00:25:17.190 --> 00:25:19.710 me more clarity on what I need to do to get to 00:25:19.710 --> 00:25:23.109 where I need to. I become more educated on the 00:25:23.109 --> 00:25:27.890 process of navigating the recruiting experience, 00:25:28.490 --> 00:25:31.950 right? Understanding that it might be important 00:25:31.950 --> 00:25:35.369 to vet those college coaches to make sure that 00:25:35.369 --> 00:25:38.549 you're going somewhere that is built for you. 00:25:39.369 --> 00:25:42.349 That those coaches will actually do you right 00:25:42.349 --> 00:25:46.569 and not take advantage of you and make sure that 00:25:46.569 --> 00:25:51.029 you're in the right situation. Right. That community 00:25:51.029 --> 00:25:55.509 is very important because we consume a lot. We 00:25:55.509 --> 00:25:59.230 consume social media. We consume YouTube videos. 00:25:59.329 --> 00:26:03.309 We watch TikToks and Instagram and we see a lot 00:26:03.309 --> 00:26:05.930 of things that have nothing to do with us. But 00:26:05.930 --> 00:26:09.500 we want that because it looks good. Right. But 00:26:09.500 --> 00:26:13.619 most of these players that have made it, they 00:26:13.619 --> 00:26:17.900 have a great community. They have a solid foundation 00:26:17.900 --> 00:26:22.240 of people who care about them and who truly, 00:26:22.500 --> 00:26:25.480 truly want the best for them. Right. And that's 00:26:25.480 --> 00:26:29.400 what I'm trying to build. And as far as my company, 00:26:29.539 --> 00:26:32.660 Elite Fit Connect, I want to work with like minded 00:26:32.660 --> 00:26:37.279 individuals, leaders and sports and people who 00:26:37.279 --> 00:26:40.299 just care about. This young generation of athletes, 00:26:40.539 --> 00:26:45.039 basketball, football, volleyball, soccer, lacrosse, 00:26:45.099 --> 00:26:47.539 whatever it may be. Right. It's important that 00:26:47.539 --> 00:26:51.000 this community is built for these young players. 00:26:51.160 --> 00:26:55.559 OK. It's not always going to be sunshine. Right. 00:26:55.880 --> 00:26:58.799 You're going to go through injuries. Right. You 00:26:58.799 --> 00:27:01.420 might have an injury that sets you back. Shoot. 00:27:01.519 --> 00:27:04.279 I hurt my knee senior year of high school and 00:27:04.279 --> 00:27:08.240 I was scared out of my mind that. I was not going 00:27:08.240 --> 00:27:12.079 to be able to go play college basketball. And 00:27:12.079 --> 00:27:15.000 I did my best to, whether it was the right decision 00:27:15.000 --> 00:27:18.880 or not, I did my best to kind of hide it because 00:27:18.880 --> 00:27:20.759 I didn't want my recruiting stock to go down. 00:27:20.839 --> 00:27:22.940 You know, there was a lot of adversity that I 00:27:22.940 --> 00:27:25.480 was already going through to get my name out 00:27:25.480 --> 00:27:28.279 there, to get noticed that I was a good player. 00:27:29.059 --> 00:27:31.880 And so the last thing that I wanted was my injury 00:27:31.880 --> 00:27:35.019 to prevent me from reaching my goal of playing 00:27:35.019 --> 00:27:39.039 Division I basketball. Then there's politics. 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:42.740 Again, something that I went through. From the 00:27:42.740 --> 00:27:44.779 beginning stages of playing all the way through 00:27:44.779 --> 00:27:47.220 college. It's just something that you cannot 00:27:47.220 --> 00:27:52.279 escape. There's burnout. The burnout is real. 00:27:52.859 --> 00:27:56.099 The repetition, the grind, the hard work of trying 00:27:56.099 --> 00:28:00.000 to improve your game. Trying to make sure that 00:28:00.000 --> 00:28:02.759 you're the best you can be so that you can compete 00:28:02.759 --> 00:28:06.549 with some of the best players. Sometimes... That 00:28:06.549 --> 00:28:12.089 can burn you out. Physically and mentally. Mentally, 00:28:12.089 --> 00:28:15.589 maybe more than physically. And I truly believe 00:28:15.589 --> 00:28:18.730 that kids need support when they're going through 00:28:18.730 --> 00:28:22.170 these things, right? And I talked about before 00:28:22.170 --> 00:28:27.269 in the last episode how when I left the game, 00:28:27.569 --> 00:28:32.549 I kind of lost myself. And my wife helped me 00:28:32.549 --> 00:28:35.819 out of a dark place. after I stopped playing 00:28:35.819 --> 00:28:40.319 the game, right? And that just shows or it just 00:28:40.319 --> 00:28:45.900 truly emulate the power of community, okay? And 00:28:45.900 --> 00:28:49.339 I remember a point in time when I was questioning 00:28:49.339 --> 00:28:53.160 my college career and what I wanted out the game. 00:28:53.259 --> 00:28:59.099 And I remember my coach, my AAU coach, rest in 00:28:59.099 --> 00:29:02.500 peace, Tim, Coach Tim, and such a great coach. 00:29:03.559 --> 00:29:06.180 Probably the best coach that I ever had, truly, 00:29:06.180 --> 00:29:11.920 because he cared so much about the players. He 00:29:11.920 --> 00:29:15.619 cared like his life depended on it. And I remember 00:29:15.619 --> 00:29:18.720 I was just going through a rough time my sophomore 00:29:18.720 --> 00:29:23.220 year and and I'm laying in my dorm, just chilling. 00:29:23.460 --> 00:29:28.700 And he hits me up and he calls me and simply 00:29:28.700 --> 00:29:31.799 he just asks, what's going on? How are you doing? 00:29:32.669 --> 00:29:35.349 Almost perfect timing, the most perfect timing. 00:29:36.170 --> 00:29:39.930 And I told him, I'm like, hey, I don't know if 00:29:39.930 --> 00:29:43.950 I can do this. This is hard. It's not rainbows. 00:29:43.950 --> 00:29:47.049 It's not sunshine. I'm struggling, you know, 00:29:47.049 --> 00:29:50.609 because I was going through an injury. I wouldn't 00:29:50.609 --> 00:29:53.049 say my relationship with my coach was the best, 00:29:53.170 --> 00:29:58.609 my head coach in college. I lost playing time. 00:29:58.710 --> 00:30:01.470 I lost my starting position. So I was going through 00:30:01.470 --> 00:30:04.319 it. Because I spent so much time in the game 00:30:04.319 --> 00:30:09.220 that that's all I knew, pretty much. And through 00:30:09.220 --> 00:30:14.339 that conversation, he and I, that was the first 00:30:14.339 --> 00:30:16.200 time I ever told him what I was going through. 00:30:16.660 --> 00:30:20.380 And he was like, there are coaches that want 00:30:20.380 --> 00:30:23.599 you. Behind the scenes, he was doing whatever 00:30:23.599 --> 00:30:27.660 he needed to do to make sure that I was still 00:30:27.660 --> 00:30:31.440 going to get those opportunities if I decided. 00:30:31.869 --> 00:30:35.869 not to play for West Point if I wanted to leave 00:30:35.869 --> 00:30:38.630 and go to another school. And he gave me that 00:30:38.630 --> 00:30:41.430 opportunity. He gave me the ultimatum of like, 00:30:41.529 --> 00:30:45.890 hey, if you're not having a good time, if you 00:30:45.890 --> 00:30:48.930 don't want to play at West Point anymore, I got 00:30:48.930 --> 00:30:51.650 some coaches that want to see if you can still 00:30:51.650 --> 00:30:55.690 do it. Ultimately, you know, I decided to stick 00:30:55.690 --> 00:30:57.910 around West Point and just stop playing. That 00:30:57.910 --> 00:31:01.059 just, again, proves that. community is so important 00:31:01.059 --> 00:31:04.420 because if you have a great community you're 00:31:04.420 --> 00:31:06.539 going to have solid people around you and those 00:31:06.539 --> 00:31:09.119 those people in your circle and your network 00:31:09.119 --> 00:31:13.940 are going to work for you even when you don't 00:31:13.940 --> 00:31:17.500 ask for it when you least expect it okay and 00:31:17.500 --> 00:31:21.759 and that is why mentorship and community can 00:31:21.759 --> 00:31:24.619 carry players when their own confidence fades 00:31:24.619 --> 00:31:29.940 right And this is exactly why I built Elite Fit 00:31:29.940 --> 00:31:34.660 Connect. I don't even think I have to say it 00:31:34.660 --> 00:31:36.740 again, but I just want to build a community for 00:31:36.740 --> 00:31:39.039 this young generation so that they can navigate 00:31:39.039 --> 00:31:41.859 the ins and outs and everything that comes with 00:31:41.859 --> 00:31:44.460 the work and the grind of basketball and trying 00:31:44.460 --> 00:31:48.880 to get to that next level. On the technical side, 00:31:49.059 --> 00:31:51.779 this platform is going to give coaches and trainers... 00:31:52.000 --> 00:31:54.099 time back so they can spend more time on the 00:31:54.099 --> 00:31:56.099 floor because they just care so much about the 00:31:56.099 --> 00:31:58.859 game and about player development and seeing 00:31:58.859 --> 00:32:03.460 the success of these kids right this will create 00:32:03.460 --> 00:32:06.599 safe circles where integrity matters because 00:32:06.599 --> 00:32:09.599 i do think where the state of basketball is we're 00:32:09.599 --> 00:32:13.839 kind of on the on the cusp of losing that integrity 00:32:13.839 --> 00:32:17.799 and the ethics of the game um and you know i've 00:32:17.799 --> 00:32:19.680 sat with coaches who told me that they spend 00:32:19.680 --> 00:32:25.269 more time on the nuances of the admin the administrative 00:32:25.269 --> 00:32:29.250 task of you know building a training business 00:32:29.250 --> 00:32:33.410 or a coaching business right and when i talk 00:32:33.410 --> 00:32:35.849 about giving time back to them so they can spend 00:32:35.849 --> 00:32:39.710 more time on the floor i want to do that for 00:32:39.710 --> 00:32:42.049 them i want to say like hey you know i have this 00:32:42.049 --> 00:32:46.009 platform where you can just streamline all that 00:32:46.009 --> 00:32:48.690 stuff to the point of where you don't even have 00:32:48.690 --> 00:32:50.589 to worry about it. And it all does it itself 00:32:50.589 --> 00:32:52.390 so you can spend more time on the floor. And 00:32:52.390 --> 00:32:54.730 that's what I want to fix. And again, it goes 00:32:54.730 --> 00:32:57.369 back to the community, building a solid foundation 00:32:57.369 --> 00:33:01.329 of trusted coaches and trainers to spend more 00:33:01.329 --> 00:33:03.049 time on the floor with kids, right? Because at 00:33:03.049 --> 00:33:04.789 the end of the day, your environment matters 00:33:04.789 --> 00:33:07.990 as much as your effort, as much as your gift 00:33:07.990 --> 00:33:11.210 of playing the game, right? And Elite Fit Connect, 00:33:11.450 --> 00:33:14.990 EFC, we are trying to reshape that environment, 00:33:15.190 --> 00:33:20.140 okay? So, as a player, as a young player trying 00:33:20.140 --> 00:33:23.960 to make it, what can you do to navigate all of 00:33:23.960 --> 00:33:27.000 this? First, you have to set your standards. 00:33:27.779 --> 00:33:32.299 Set your standards. You are going to be your 00:33:32.299 --> 00:33:37.140 biggest critique. And that can also be to a fault. 00:33:37.240 --> 00:33:39.920 But you have to set the standards because without 00:33:39.920 --> 00:33:42.880 those standards, there's going to be no growth. 00:33:42.940 --> 00:33:45.680 There's going to be no development. Set those 00:33:45.680 --> 00:33:48.640 standards, right? Every day when you wake up, 00:33:48.660 --> 00:33:55.259 have one daily action no matter what, okay? For 00:33:55.259 --> 00:34:01.019 me today, I woke up and said, I am going to record 00:34:01.019 --> 00:34:03.960 this podcast today because it needs to be done. 00:34:04.019 --> 00:34:08.599 Because I have an opinion, but I have a voice 00:34:08.599 --> 00:34:11.829 that can be used to... positively affect the 00:34:11.829 --> 00:34:13.949 younger generation of hoopers okay so every day 00:34:13.949 --> 00:34:17.409 that you wake up set that standard set those 00:34:17.409 --> 00:34:20.750 expectations so you can continue on your journey 00:34:20.750 --> 00:34:25.090 okay the second thing is the thirds check i talked 00:34:25.090 --> 00:34:28.889 about the um the power of thirds or the law of 00:34:28.889 --> 00:34:32.989 thirds right so write down who's in each third 00:34:32.989 --> 00:34:37.030 for you right now okay if there's someone out 00:34:37.030 --> 00:34:40.130 there that's helping you reach your success, 00:34:40.409 --> 00:34:44.949 write that name down. If there's someone out 00:34:44.949 --> 00:34:49.289 there that's, you know, maybe pushing you through 00:34:49.289 --> 00:34:53.449 those boring times, the mundane times where it 00:34:53.449 --> 00:34:55.630 might seem like it doesn't matter, write that 00:34:55.630 --> 00:34:59.030 name down, okay? If there's someone out there 00:34:59.030 --> 00:35:02.730 who's the reason for the highs or the lows, right, 00:35:02.849 --> 00:35:06.190 the struggle, the hard times, write that name 00:35:06.190 --> 00:35:08.570 down. OK, that's going to help you just identify. 00:35:10.349 --> 00:35:14.150 One, what season you're going through, maybe, 00:35:14.210 --> 00:35:19.449 but to also who's involved in which third. And 00:35:19.449 --> 00:35:21.849 that can lead that leads into your network, your 00:35:21.849 --> 00:35:25.110 circle. And so with that, you need to audit your 00:35:25.110 --> 00:35:28.179 circle. Do your due diligence and make sure that 00:35:28.179 --> 00:35:30.739 the right people are in your circle. When you 00:35:30.739 --> 00:35:36.199 go work out, who's in the gym with you? OK, what 00:35:36.199 --> 00:35:40.340 group chats are you in? When you go play pickup, 00:35:40.500 --> 00:35:43.280 who what other players are in those pickup runs? 00:35:44.699 --> 00:35:47.940 Do they make you better? Do they challenge you? 00:35:48.400 --> 00:35:51.940 Do they push you? Do they motivate you? Do they 00:35:51.940 --> 00:35:55.679 inspire you? OK, so do that audit check. to make 00:35:55.679 --> 00:35:59.599 sure that your circle is tight, okay? Please, 00:35:59.659 --> 00:36:03.019 please, please. If you don't journal, I highly 00:36:03.019 --> 00:36:06.340 suggest that you do journal. Go buy a notebook 00:36:06.340 --> 00:36:10.480 or we're all addicted to this right here. So 00:36:10.480 --> 00:36:14.739 open that notepad, your notes app, right? And 00:36:14.739 --> 00:36:18.260 I want you to write down three times where you 00:36:18.260 --> 00:36:22.679 felt invisible or where you felt invisible progress 00:36:22.679 --> 00:36:26.909 in your life, okay? What was it? What was the 00:36:26.909 --> 00:36:30.329 result of it? So what came after it? And what 00:36:30.329 --> 00:36:34.510 did you do to build towards it? Right. What led 00:36:34.510 --> 00:36:37.789 you to that moment? OK, so so do that. Do that 00:36:37.789 --> 00:36:42.110 journaling journaling exercise. I do think that's 00:36:42.110 --> 00:36:44.449 going to do wonders for you. OK, it's all about 00:36:44.449 --> 00:36:46.550 reflection here. Understanding where you are 00:36:46.550 --> 00:36:49.269 at now. How did you get there and what you can 00:36:49.269 --> 00:36:54.159 do to turn that around if you need to. OK. We 00:36:54.159 --> 00:36:57.300 talked a lot. We talked a lot. So I think I want 00:36:57.300 --> 00:37:01.940 to close here. I think today's podcast was good 00:37:01.940 --> 00:37:05.639 for me because a lot of things run through my 00:37:05.639 --> 00:37:08.440 mind. So it's hard for me to make sure that I 00:37:08.440 --> 00:37:10.639 don't just go on these tangents and I don't really 00:37:10.639 --> 00:37:13.320 talk about things that don't necessarily matter 00:37:13.320 --> 00:37:18.360 to you. But in my head, you know, I'm doing my 00:37:18.360 --> 00:37:21.960 own reflection right now. Okay. But in that right, 00:37:22.000 --> 00:37:24.260 you need to understand that progress will always 00:37:24.260 --> 00:37:27.460 feel invisible before it shows up. And if you 00:37:27.460 --> 00:37:30.039 can love the process in the dark, you're going 00:37:30.039 --> 00:37:32.159 to shine through. I promise you, you're going 00:37:32.159 --> 00:37:34.760 to shine when the lights come on. Right. So don't 00:37:34.760 --> 00:37:37.300 waste your time fighting politics. You're going 00:37:37.300 --> 00:37:39.519 to waste your time. It's inevitable. Politics 00:37:39.519 --> 00:37:43.760 are politics. Don't waste your energy feeding 00:37:43.760 --> 00:37:46.820 doubters. The ones that bring you down or talk 00:37:46.820 --> 00:37:49.059 mess about you who just don't believe in you. 00:37:49.119 --> 00:37:53.000 Right. Build your standards, set your own expectations, 00:37:53.300 --> 00:37:57.619 build your circle, your close knit network, right? 00:37:57.699 --> 00:37:59.840 Build that community because at the end of the 00:37:59.840 --> 00:38:02.739 day, it's more than a game. It's about life. 00:38:04.179 --> 00:38:07.619 And if you're watching this, if you made it this 00:38:07.619 --> 00:38:10.619 far in the podcast, audio, video, whatever, again, 00:38:10.760 --> 00:38:12.980 I really appreciate you spending your time with 00:38:12.980 --> 00:38:17.440 me and can't wait to see you next week. It's 00:38:17.440 --> 00:38:20.599 been a pleasure. It's more than a game podcast 00:38:20.599 --> 00:38:23.019 hosted by Jalen. Peace.