WEBVTT 00:00:20.429 --> 00:00:23.670 What is good? Welcome back to It's More Than 00:00:23.670 --> 00:00:26.489 a Game podcast. I'm your host Jalen Harris, powered 00:00:26.489 --> 00:00:31.129 by Elite Fit Connect. Episode 4. Episode 4. Let's 00:00:31.129 --> 00:00:32.750 get into it. I really want to get right into 00:00:32.750 --> 00:00:36.270 it, okay? So if you keep up with the WNBA, right, 00:00:36.329 --> 00:00:39.090 and everything that goes on with it, there's 00:00:39.090 --> 00:00:41.390 been a lot going on this year, this season, okay? 00:00:41.969 --> 00:00:46.869 But what we just saw was Nafisa Collier, a WNBA 00:00:46.869 --> 00:00:50.859 star, an Olympian. arguably the best player in 00:00:50.859 --> 00:00:54.119 the league, leader of the Minnesota Lynx. They 00:00:54.119 --> 00:00:56.340 just got kicked out of the semifinals of the 00:00:56.340 --> 00:00:59.460 playoffs, but she didn't make headlines on the 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:03.079 court, right? She used her voice to speak about 00:01:03.079 --> 00:01:06.400 the problems, about the politics of basketball, 00:01:06.620 --> 00:01:10.140 right? She stood up at a press conference and 00:01:10.140 --> 00:01:12.140 called out the WNBA commissioner in the league 00:01:12.140 --> 00:01:15.219 office saying, flat out, this is the worst leadership 00:01:15.219 --> 00:01:18.040 in the world. That's crazy. That's crazy to me, 00:01:18.120 --> 00:01:21.340 right? But it's important for someone like her 00:01:21.340 --> 00:01:24.239 to use their voice for the betterment of the 00:01:24.239 --> 00:01:27.400 game, for the betterment of the players. Right. 00:01:28.439 --> 00:01:30.680 You have you have the people at the top, like 00:01:30.680 --> 00:01:33.439 the commissioner and other WNBA leaders. Right. 00:01:33.459 --> 00:01:35.680 They're treated. I mean, rightfully so. Right. 00:01:35.700 --> 00:01:38.200 They treat this as a business. So everything 00:01:38.200 --> 00:01:41.459 is transactional. Everything. Everything becomes 00:01:41.459 --> 00:01:44.560 transactional, especially in business. OK. And 00:01:44.560 --> 00:01:49.250 then. In most cases. Some of these leaders just 00:01:49.250 --> 00:01:53.189 lose sight of everything else that goes on, you 00:01:53.189 --> 00:01:55.629 know, beneath them, right? And I hate to say 00:01:55.629 --> 00:01:58.769 it that way, but that's just the fact of the 00:01:58.769 --> 00:02:01.090 matter, okay? If you haven't seen it and you 00:02:01.090 --> 00:02:03.549 watch the YouTube version of my podcast, I'll 00:02:03.549 --> 00:02:05.810 put some clips up there so you can see. And I 00:02:05.810 --> 00:02:07.609 want to be clear, this conversation is not about 00:02:07.609 --> 00:02:09.789 winning or losing. It's about something much 00:02:09.789 --> 00:02:12.310 bigger. The real threat to our league isn't money, 00:02:12.409 --> 00:02:14.770 it isn't ratings, or even missed calls, or even 00:02:14.770 --> 00:02:17.110 physical play. It's the lack of accountability 00:02:17.110 --> 00:02:19.509 from the league office. Since I've been in the 00:02:19.509 --> 00:02:21.270 league, you've heard the constant concerns about 00:02:21.270 --> 00:02:23.129 officiating, and it has now reached levels of 00:02:23.129 --> 00:02:25.509 inconsistency that plague our sport and undermine 00:02:25.509 --> 00:02:27.689 the integrity in which it operates. Whether the 00:02:27.689 --> 00:02:29.050 league cares about the health of the players 00:02:29.050 --> 00:02:31.169 is one thing, but to also not care about the 00:02:31.169 --> 00:02:33.590 product we put on the floor is truly self -sabotage. 00:02:33.810 --> 00:02:35.330 Year after year, the only thing that remains 00:02:35.330 --> 00:02:37.430 consistent is the lack of accountability from 00:02:37.430 --> 00:02:39.449 our leaders. The league has a buzzword that they've 00:02:39.449 --> 00:02:41.669 rolled out as talking points for the CBA as to 00:02:41.669 --> 00:02:43.430 why they can't pay the players what we're worth. 00:02:43.569 --> 00:02:46.150 That word is sustainability. But what's truly 00:02:46.150 --> 00:02:48.389 unsustainable is keeping a good product on the 00:02:48.389 --> 00:02:50.389 floor while allowing officials to lose control 00:02:50.389 --> 00:02:52.870 of games. Fans see it every night. Coaches both 00:02:52.870 --> 00:02:55.509 winning and losing. pointed out every night in 00:02:55.509 --> 00:02:57.610 pregame and postgame media. Yet leadership just 00:02:57.610 --> 00:02:59.669 issues fines and looks the other way. They ignore 00:02:59.669 --> 00:03:01.550 the issues that everyone inside the game is begging 00:03:01.550 --> 00:03:04.370 to be fixed. That is negligence. At Unrivaled 00:03:04.370 --> 00:03:07.270 this past February, I sat across from Kathy and 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:09.110 asked how she planned to address the officiating 00:03:09.110 --> 00:03:11.310 issues in our league. Her response was, well, 00:03:11.370 --> 00:03:13.569 only the losers complain about the refs. I also 00:03:13.569 --> 00:03:15.389 asked how she planned to fix the fact that players 00:03:15.389 --> 00:03:17.650 like Kaitlyn, Angel, and Paige, who are clearly 00:03:17.650 --> 00:03:19.770 driving massive revenue for the league, are making 00:03:19.770 --> 00:03:21.990 so little for their first four years. Her response 00:03:21.990 --> 00:03:35.469 was, Kaitlyn should be grateful. This is big, 00:03:35.770 --> 00:03:39.250 right? Especially coming from a player like Fifi, 00:03:39.370 --> 00:03:43.050 okay? And whether you disagree or agree with 00:03:43.050 --> 00:03:46.610 her delivery, the truth of the matter is, it 00:03:46.610 --> 00:03:49.870 takes courage, right? And it takes years of years 00:03:49.870 --> 00:03:53.060 of personal growth and development to... You 00:03:53.060 --> 00:03:55.539 know, step out in front of the world and express 00:03:55.539 --> 00:04:00.800 yourself for the betterment of you and your coworkers, 00:04:01.020 --> 00:04:05.080 your peers, the players, right? It takes true 00:04:05.080 --> 00:04:07.259 leadership to speak up when the system is just 00:04:07.259 --> 00:04:10.340 completely broken. And it's a reminder that leadership 00:04:10.340 --> 00:04:12.919 doesn't just happen in the huddles or the locker 00:04:12.919 --> 00:04:15.360 rooms. Leadership is influence, like we talked 00:04:15.360 --> 00:04:18.879 about last episode, right? Leadership is influence, 00:04:19.139 --> 00:04:21.639 it's responsibility, and it's accountability. 00:04:22.920 --> 00:04:24.759 And that's what today's episode is all about. 00:04:25.160 --> 00:04:28.779 Talk about process, talk about purpose and leadership. 00:04:28.879 --> 00:04:31.720 These are reoccurring themes in my podcast, if 00:04:31.720 --> 00:04:34.000 you haven't noticed. But we're going to talk 00:04:34.000 --> 00:04:38.500 about how process builds resilience, even when 00:04:38.500 --> 00:04:41.720 it might be invisible, okay? We'll talk about 00:04:41.720 --> 00:04:45.360 how your purpose defines your why. And of course, 00:04:45.379 --> 00:04:47.600 we're going to talk about how leadership, whether 00:04:47.600 --> 00:04:50.240 you're a player, a coach trainer or a parent 00:04:50.240 --> 00:04:53.060 has the power to shape futures in the game of 00:04:53.060 --> 00:04:56.279 basketball on and off the court because basketball 00:04:56.279 --> 00:04:58.420 has always been more than a game you know what 00:04:58.420 --> 00:05:03.040 it is you know what it is okay i think i think 00:05:03.040 --> 00:05:05.959 i mentioned this before i play basketball since 00:05:05.959 --> 00:05:09.399 starting at a very young age okay and in seventh 00:05:09.399 --> 00:05:11.220 grade i played at pflugerville middle school 00:05:11.220 --> 00:05:16.040 and we we had some dogs and we we went under 00:05:16.040 --> 00:05:18.259 -feeded We were throwing oops, you know, stuff 00:05:18.259 --> 00:05:20.660 like that. It was crazy for a seventh grade team. 00:05:20.839 --> 00:05:24.899 Mind you, my mom, who was a middle school coach 00:05:24.899 --> 00:05:27.560 at the time, she also was at Pflugerville Middle 00:05:27.560 --> 00:05:31.540 School, decided to move to a new middle school, 00:05:31.699 --> 00:05:35.079 Kelly Lane Middle School. And obviously being 00:05:35.079 --> 00:05:37.920 her son, I had the option to kind of choose school 00:05:37.920 --> 00:05:40.379 within the area, right, within the district. 00:05:40.699 --> 00:05:42.759 And, you know, I decided to follow my mom. So 00:05:42.759 --> 00:05:46.439 I went to Kelly Lane, brand new school. First 00:05:46.439 --> 00:05:50.139 eighth grade class there. And obviously I play 00:05:50.139 --> 00:05:52.899 sports. I play football and basketball. OK, football. 00:05:53.060 --> 00:05:54.819 I didn't care about football. I just played football 00:05:54.819 --> 00:05:58.620 just to stay fit, you know, just to compete. 00:05:58.779 --> 00:06:02.759 Right. Because I enjoy sports. I enjoy competition. 00:06:03.060 --> 00:06:05.779 That's just who I was growing up, who I am. Right. 00:06:06.980 --> 00:06:09.459 Didn't win a single game. In fact, we tied one 00:06:09.459 --> 00:06:12.389 game, lost every every other game. Right. From 00:06:12.389 --> 00:06:14.089 that point, I'm like, all right, I ain't playing 00:06:14.089 --> 00:06:16.850 football no more. This is this ain't it for me. 00:06:16.930 --> 00:06:20.189 So at that point, I decided to fully focus on 00:06:20.189 --> 00:06:22.730 basketball, you know, after after middle school. 00:06:22.769 --> 00:06:25.149 But that eighth grade season, the eighth grade 00:06:25.149 --> 00:06:28.189 year at Kelly Lane, I was excited because this 00:06:28.189 --> 00:06:32.470 was a new school. Some new players, no, pretty 00:06:32.470 --> 00:06:34.689 much new players that I played with, got to play 00:06:34.689 --> 00:06:36.730 with my best friend, some people that I came 00:06:36.730 --> 00:06:39.800 up with. Right. And. It was the worst season 00:06:39.800 --> 00:06:43.259 of basketball ever in my life. Right. And mind 00:06:43.259 --> 00:06:45.620 you, I'd say about 50 percent of those players 00:06:45.620 --> 00:06:47.620 on the eighth grade team I also played with in 00:06:47.620 --> 00:06:50.680 high school. So it wasn't that we didn't have 00:06:50.680 --> 00:06:53.180 the talent. It was just a new team, a new system. 00:06:53.279 --> 00:06:56.199 Right. The coaches there, you know, whether they 00:06:56.199 --> 00:06:57.720 knew what they were doing or not, that's besides 00:06:57.720 --> 00:06:59.779 the point. It was just all new. So it was hard 00:06:59.779 --> 00:07:03.180 to it was really hard to win. And I was very 00:07:03.180 --> 00:07:07.069 unmotivated after that season. very unmotivated. 00:07:07.110 --> 00:07:11.089 I mean, can you just imagine playing a game that 00:07:11.089 --> 00:07:15.810 you love and for a whole season having no type 00:07:15.810 --> 00:07:18.129 of success? That was tough times. I'm not going 00:07:18.129 --> 00:07:20.829 to lie. Mentally, like I almost wanted to quit. 00:07:23.290 --> 00:07:27.689 But that year taught me more about resiliency 00:07:27.689 --> 00:07:30.910 than winning a winning season could ever do. 00:07:31.149 --> 00:07:33.829 And at that same time, that kind of resilience 00:07:33.829 --> 00:07:37.800 is what Fifi, Nafisa Collier is demanding from 00:07:37.800 --> 00:07:40.060 the league, right? Resilience to admit mistakes, 00:07:40.220 --> 00:07:43.079 to fix the system, and to value players the way 00:07:43.079 --> 00:07:45.560 that they deserve, right? You have to understand 00:07:45.560 --> 00:07:49.360 adversity, you got to expect it. You got to expect 00:07:49.360 --> 00:07:50.800 it. We talked about the law of thirds. That's 00:07:50.800 --> 00:07:52.959 something that you have to expect. It's going 00:07:52.959 --> 00:07:56.480 to come. In what world is there a time where 00:07:56.480 --> 00:07:59.860 you're not going to experience anything? Because 00:07:59.860 --> 00:08:01.319 if you don't, you're just not going to grow. 00:08:02.120 --> 00:08:04.379 There's no chance for you to grow without adversity. 00:08:04.970 --> 00:08:08.389 OK. And with that in mind, you got to understand 00:08:08.389 --> 00:08:12.610 adversity is not punishment. It's not. Adversity 00:08:12.610 --> 00:08:15.050 is a beautiful thing. It allows you the opportunity 00:08:15.050 --> 00:08:20.350 to grow and prepare for the next thing. That's 00:08:20.350 --> 00:08:24.009 what it is right there. And so now. Right. You 00:08:24.009 --> 00:08:27.269 know, I talked about going from seventh to a 00:08:27.269 --> 00:08:30.230 seventh grade, from a extremely dominant team 00:08:30.230 --> 00:08:34.639 to eighth grade to just a new environment. with 00:08:34.639 --> 00:08:37.899 no success. And then we get to high school, right? 00:08:38.539 --> 00:08:40.700 Didn't make varsity as a freshman, which, you 00:08:40.700 --> 00:08:44.320 know, I was expecting myself to. Got pulled up 00:08:44.320 --> 00:08:46.799 to varsity later in the year. And sophomore, 00:08:46.980 --> 00:08:50.480 junior, senior year, relatively had a positive 00:08:50.480 --> 00:08:53.500 high school experience, right? There's a lot 00:08:53.500 --> 00:08:55.539 of factors that I think could have changed. Maybe 00:08:55.539 --> 00:08:58.379 some decisions I could have made for myself, 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:01.669 but I don't regret. the experience I had through 00:09:01.669 --> 00:09:03.490 high school basketball. I had a great team. Some 00:09:03.490 --> 00:09:06.490 of my best friends were on that team. We had 00:09:06.490 --> 00:09:09.129 a solid team and we were competing. We were pretty 00:09:09.129 --> 00:09:14.370 successful given the circumstances. But then 00:09:14.370 --> 00:09:17.549 going into college, that was a wake -up call, 00:09:17.690 --> 00:09:20.750 right? So I battled injuries. I battled some 00:09:20.750 --> 00:09:23.490 off -the -court issues, right? Being at West 00:09:23.490 --> 00:09:26.649 Point United States Military Academy, the structure, 00:09:26.909 --> 00:09:32.389 the discipline. The just rigor, having to really 00:09:32.389 --> 00:09:35.990 focus on committing time to other things outside 00:09:35.990 --> 00:09:38.870 of basketball and really putting focus on, you 00:09:38.870 --> 00:09:41.750 know, academics. Right. Because in high school, 00:09:41.789 --> 00:09:44.029 I graduated with a four or five and it just came 00:09:44.029 --> 00:09:46.649 super easy to me. You know, fortunately, I didn't 00:09:46.649 --> 00:09:50.549 have to study. I did homework pretty much the 00:09:50.549 --> 00:09:55.509 day of in most cases. But going into an academy, 00:09:55.690 --> 00:10:00.059 an institute like. a military academy west point 00:10:00.059 --> 00:10:04.159 it's it's a world of a difference right the discipline 00:10:04.159 --> 00:10:07.720 um and the other expectations right you're preparing 00:10:07.720 --> 00:10:11.279 to be a an officer in the united states army 00:10:11.279 --> 00:10:14.580 right it's just different but at west point i 00:10:14.580 --> 00:10:17.600 learned something extremely powerful you cannot 00:10:17.600 --> 00:10:21.320 fake your way through process the army taught 00:10:21.320 --> 00:10:24.159 me discipline right i mean i was raised in a 00:10:24.159 --> 00:10:27.259 military household my dad was a was an army officer 00:10:27.259 --> 00:10:30.340 right so i kind of grew up in that but being 00:10:30.340 --> 00:10:32.820 in it myself that that taught me even more discipline 00:10:32.820 --> 00:10:38.259 right the injuries taught me humility the things 00:10:38.259 --> 00:10:40.639 i went through you know the adversity taught 00:10:40.639 --> 00:10:44.019 me humility and all that taught me that either 00:10:44.019 --> 00:10:48.039 you adapt or you get left behind and i got left 00:10:48.039 --> 00:10:51.100 behind for a bit i did right i'm just just being 00:10:51.100 --> 00:10:55.019 frank okay but that's the same kind of adaption 00:10:55.019 --> 00:10:58.019 that Everybody has to make, and that's something 00:10:58.019 --> 00:11:03.600 that Nafisa called out in the WNBA, right? Leadership 00:11:03.600 --> 00:11:07.419 isn't about titles. It's about accountability, 00:11:07.860 --> 00:11:12.679 okay? And when leaders fail to adapt, everybody 00:11:12.679 --> 00:11:17.460 loses. Everybody. And that's why I harp on just 00:11:17.460 --> 00:11:19.919 the whole concept of leadership, because without 00:11:19.919 --> 00:11:22.940 good leadership in the game, what are we really 00:11:22.940 --> 00:11:25.840 doing? We're setting these kids up for failure. 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:28.860 That's simple as that, right? We're setting kids 00:11:28.860 --> 00:11:32.080 up for failure, right? And that starts at the 00:11:32.080 --> 00:11:37.100 youth level, okay? And then we could talk about 00:11:37.100 --> 00:11:39.179 the issues, you know, from ground up in basketball, 00:11:39.279 --> 00:11:41.960 right? At the youth level, we have middle schoolers 00:11:41.960 --> 00:11:46.200 getting ranked. Seventh and eighth graders are 00:11:46.200 --> 00:11:50.779 getting ranked nationally. And that is insane 00:11:50.779 --> 00:11:54.659 to me. That is absolutely insane to me. I understand 00:11:54.659 --> 00:11:57.259 it. We are competitive. We want to be the best 00:11:57.259 --> 00:11:59.639 that we can be. We want to we have these big 00:11:59.639 --> 00:12:02.480 goals and dreams and aspirations. Right. But 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:06.480 being nationally ranked in seventh and eighth 00:12:06.480 --> 00:12:09.220 grade is bizarre. It does not make sense to me. 00:12:10.620 --> 00:12:12.639 So, I mean, what does that mean? What does that 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:16.389 mean to me? Right. It means that these kids see 00:12:16.389 --> 00:12:19.269 these rankings and they glorify them, right? 00:12:19.389 --> 00:12:22.190 They think that being ranked number one or number 00:12:22.190 --> 00:12:24.929 two in the country is going to be the difference 00:12:24.929 --> 00:12:27.649 maker to their success in the future. These kids 00:12:27.649 --> 00:12:32.210 haven't even came close to growing up. They're 00:12:32.210 --> 00:12:34.710 still, they're tiny kids, right? They haven't 00:12:34.710 --> 00:12:38.649 matured. Their voices haven't even dropped. They're 00:12:38.649 --> 00:12:41.389 not strong. They're not even fully developed. 00:12:44.429 --> 00:12:48.230 ranking these kids when we can, you know, get 00:12:48.230 --> 00:12:53.070 ahead on building a community, a structure filled 00:12:53.070 --> 00:12:56.889 with ethics and integrity, teaching fundamentals, 00:12:57.389 --> 00:13:01.970 teaching the game, teaching how to navigate through 00:13:01.970 --> 00:13:05.389 the game. That's what we should focus on, not 00:13:05.389 --> 00:13:07.789 trying to get these kids to be nationally ranked, 00:13:07.889 --> 00:13:10.809 right? Because we just lose sight of what's truly 00:13:10.809 --> 00:13:14.870 important, okay? Again, right? If leaders don't 00:13:14.870 --> 00:13:17.529 focus on what really matters and they don't adapt, 00:13:17.889 --> 00:13:22.649 everybody loses. And if we're too focused on, 00:13:22.649 --> 00:13:26.350 you know, if I'm a coach trying to get this kid 00:13:26.350 --> 00:13:28.769 to be ranked number one nationally as a seventh 00:13:28.769 --> 00:13:33.409 grader. In my opinion, I think we're failing 00:13:33.409 --> 00:13:38.370 that kid. And so without that proper guidance 00:13:38.370 --> 00:13:40.769 and, you know, proper leadership, and I'm not 00:13:40.769 --> 00:13:43.820 saying I didn't have any of that, but. you start 00:13:43.820 --> 00:13:46.620 to go through those things. You start to go through 00:13:46.620 --> 00:13:49.399 adversity. I mean, you still will with it, right? 00:13:49.480 --> 00:13:52.580 But without that proper leadership, it becomes 00:13:52.580 --> 00:13:56.059 much harder to battle that adversity, to go through 00:13:56.059 --> 00:13:58.899 it, right? And when you go through it, that kind 00:13:58.899 --> 00:14:01.600 of dictates the way you move and the decisions 00:14:01.600 --> 00:14:04.700 that you make, okay? When I made the decision 00:14:04.700 --> 00:14:09.120 to leave basketball, of course, right? I felt 00:14:09.120 --> 00:14:11.659 lost. It was a game that I loved, the game, my 00:14:11.659 --> 00:14:13.779 first love, right? The game that I dedicated 00:14:13.779 --> 00:14:17.299 everything to. So who was I without basketball? 00:14:17.700 --> 00:14:20.740 I had to find a new identity. You know, it's 00:14:20.740 --> 00:14:23.620 just that's what it is. Those are things that 00:14:23.620 --> 00:14:26.240 you go through, anybody, right? No matter if 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.440 you stop playing at an early stage or you play 00:14:29.440 --> 00:14:32.539 for a very long time, there's going to be a point 00:14:32.539 --> 00:14:37.299 in time where you have to hang it up. And so 00:14:37.299 --> 00:14:40.659 without the proper preparation and the community 00:14:40.659 --> 00:14:44.440 that you come from, if you're not prepared for 00:14:44.440 --> 00:14:46.360 that, it's going to be hard to bounce back from 00:14:46.360 --> 00:14:51.779 that, right? And so back to Nafisa Collier, she 00:14:51.779 --> 00:14:54.299 didn't just complain that the system was broken, 00:14:54.480 --> 00:14:57.659 right? She built something new. She built something 00:14:57.659 --> 00:15:02.519 new that benefits the players, that puts them 00:15:02.519 --> 00:15:08.350 first, right? Setting aside the accolades and 00:15:08.350 --> 00:15:11.889 her personal success, she built something that 00:15:11.889 --> 00:15:15.990 is going to push the game further. That's in 00:15:15.990 --> 00:15:19.970 the form of Unrivaled. She's a co -founder of 00:15:19.970 --> 00:15:23.049 Unrivaled. They just went through another round 00:15:23.049 --> 00:15:26.409 of investments. Let's take a look at what they're 00:15:26.409 --> 00:15:31.110 valued at. Earlier this month, Unrivaled announces 00:15:31.110 --> 00:15:35.789 $340 million valuation after the first inaugural 00:15:35.789 --> 00:15:38.769 season. And that's just seven months after last 00:15:38.769 --> 00:15:42.230 season, right? This was the close of a Series 00:15:42.230 --> 00:15:45.950 B investment round led by Bestmore Venture Partners, 00:15:46.149 --> 00:15:47.929 which is obviously a venture capitalist firm, 00:15:48.070 --> 00:15:51.129 including investments from people like Serena 00:15:51.129 --> 00:15:56.110 Williams, Warner Bros, Discovery, Tribe Ventures. 00:15:57.529 --> 00:16:01.870 Okay, this valuation and additional funding is 00:16:01.870 --> 00:16:06.549 set to expedite Unrival's growth. OK, they outperformed 00:16:06.549 --> 00:16:08.649 last year. The revenue expectations in the first 00:16:08.649 --> 00:16:11.789 season was pretty much doubled. And this allows 00:16:11.789 --> 00:16:13.690 them to move quicker. This allows them to make 00:16:13.690 --> 00:16:17.330 a much bigger impact. And so what are they doing 00:16:17.330 --> 00:16:19.049 with that investment? That's I think that's a 00:16:19.049 --> 00:16:21.190 big thing to really know. Right. Some of the 00:16:21.190 --> 00:16:23.429 funds are going to be used to increase the venue 00:16:23.429 --> 00:16:26.909 space that they have in Miami. Right. So they're 00:16:26.909 --> 00:16:29.950 adding a 15000 square foot facility for players, 00:16:30.190 --> 00:16:33.669 including second practice court, additional seats. 00:16:34.120 --> 00:16:37.279 to the game arena. The average salary of players 00:16:37.279 --> 00:16:40.580 will remain at six figures, which is more than 00:16:40.580 --> 00:16:44.460 a lot of a player's salary. The last season, 00:16:44.539 --> 00:16:49.960 players earned an estimated average of $222 ,222 00:16:49.960 --> 00:16:53.799 and received equity in the league. So those players 00:16:53.799 --> 00:16:56.860 who started with some equity last season, now 00:16:56.860 --> 00:17:02.559 with this $40 million valuation, they're about 00:17:02.559 --> 00:17:05.309 to make some money. right their stock just went 00:17:05.309 --> 00:17:09.269 up okay so moving forward select athletes who 00:17:09.269 --> 00:17:11.369 join the league will also receive equity but 00:17:11.369 --> 00:17:13.349 this will be decided on a case -by -case scenario 00:17:13.349 --> 00:17:16.369 as contracts are negotiated okay now that's just 00:17:16.369 --> 00:17:19.369 business talk right there right obviously with 00:17:19.369 --> 00:17:21.930 the amount of shareholders they have now they're 00:17:21.930 --> 00:17:24.490 going to reap the benefits of these growing valuations 00:17:24.490 --> 00:17:27.609 right better resources again better facilities 00:17:27.609 --> 00:17:29.849 you know just a better environment right and 00:17:29.849 --> 00:17:33.140 and this is something that the feast of collier 00:17:33.140 --> 00:17:36.279 is championing okay and i think that's big right 00:17:36.279 --> 00:17:39.640 fixing something you know at some point in time 00:17:39.640 --> 00:17:41.799 you have to make a decision to not worry about 00:17:41.799 --> 00:17:44.940 what you can't control sure you can call it out 00:17:44.940 --> 00:17:47.240 absolutely you can call it out use your voice 00:17:47.240 --> 00:17:49.960 especially if you have a platform like fifi right 00:17:49.960 --> 00:17:54.819 but why not create something new create create 00:17:54.819 --> 00:17:58.009 a better community Create a better environment 00:17:58.009 --> 00:18:00.950 for players who are going through the same thing 00:18:00.950 --> 00:18:04.029 that you are. Or maybe have gone through the 00:18:04.029 --> 00:18:08.009 same thing that you did. Unrivaled is great. 00:18:08.130 --> 00:18:12.849 It's competitive. It's entertaining, right? It 00:18:12.849 --> 00:18:15.730 looks like these players have much more fun playing 00:18:15.730 --> 00:18:19.049 the game. It's great for consumers, for viewership. 00:18:19.730 --> 00:18:22.710 It brings a lot of eyes onto women's basketball, 00:18:22.930 --> 00:18:25.910 right? Women's sports in general. So let's break 00:18:25.910 --> 00:18:27.650 this down a little further, right? Because I 00:18:27.650 --> 00:18:30.210 want everyone who is listening to this to truly 00:18:30.210 --> 00:18:33.410 understand how groundbreaking this actually is, 00:18:33.529 --> 00:18:36.410 okay? Okay, so we talked about the business side 00:18:36.410 --> 00:18:38.849 of Unrivaled. So what is Unrivaled for those 00:18:38.849 --> 00:18:41.289 of you who don't really understand, okay? Unrivaled 00:18:41.289 --> 00:18:43.509 is a pro three -on -three women's basketball 00:18:43.509 --> 00:18:46.230 league co -founded by Nafisa Collier and Breonna 00:18:46.230 --> 00:18:49.490 Stewart. And it's different. It's just different 00:18:49.490 --> 00:18:52.009 because of the following reasons, okay? It's 00:18:52.009 --> 00:18:55.029 built. in the WNBA offseason so players don't 00:18:55.029 --> 00:18:58.029 have to go overseas just to make a living. We 00:18:58.029 --> 00:19:00.950 saw the issues of players going overseas. We 00:19:00.950 --> 00:19:03.869 saw Brittany Griner getting hemmed up coming 00:19:03.869 --> 00:19:06.869 back because she had something on her. But because 00:19:06.869 --> 00:19:10.869 of the way the WNBA worked, she felt the need 00:19:10.869 --> 00:19:13.650 to go overseas, to go hoop. So that's a pain 00:19:13.650 --> 00:19:17.079 point that Unrivaled is addressing. The next 00:19:17.079 --> 00:19:19.839 thing is unrivaled gives players ownership stakes, 00:19:20.039 --> 00:19:21.660 which is something I already mentioned. Right. 00:19:21.680 --> 00:19:24.180 Meaning that they aren't just employees. They 00:19:24.180 --> 00:19:26.759 are equity partners. They have decision making 00:19:26.759 --> 00:19:31.900 rights. Right. They have a say in a league, in 00:19:31.900 --> 00:19:36.099 a system, in an environment. And they can improve 00:19:36.099 --> 00:19:39.940 it for the betterment of the players. Right. 00:19:40.019 --> 00:19:42.720 Again, addressing another pain point that the 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:47.049 WNBA has. Lastly, it's designed to grow visibility 00:19:47.049 --> 00:19:50.490 for women's basketball, to highlight skill and 00:19:50.490 --> 00:19:52.950 culture in a fast -paced, accessible format. 00:19:54.009 --> 00:19:58.109 Again, addressing another huge pain point that 00:19:58.109 --> 00:20:00.789 the WNBA has. Because historically, people just 00:20:00.789 --> 00:20:04.349 don't watch the WNBA. There's been an increase 00:20:04.349 --> 00:20:07.390 in viewership because of players like Kaitlyn 00:20:07.390 --> 00:20:12.309 Clark, obviously, Angel Reese. But... We also 00:20:12.309 --> 00:20:15.329 got to understand that Unrivaled made a big impact 00:20:15.329 --> 00:20:17.769 on that as well, highlighting some of the top 00:20:17.769 --> 00:20:21.109 players in the league outside of the WNBA. Now, 00:20:21.150 --> 00:20:23.250 that's true leadership, in my opinion, right? 00:20:23.309 --> 00:20:25.750 That's true leadership, trying to find a solution 00:20:25.750 --> 00:20:28.869 to the problems, to the pain points that you 00:20:28.869 --> 00:20:32.809 see currently in the WNBA. That's process and 00:20:32.809 --> 00:20:35.789 that's purpose, really all just working together 00:20:35.789 --> 00:20:38.750 cohesively. And Fifi didn't just highlight the 00:20:38.750 --> 00:20:40.789 problem, right? She created that solution of 00:20:40.789 --> 00:20:44.400 Unrivaled. for the future. And it's great. I 00:20:44.400 --> 00:20:46.519 truly think it's great, right? And that's where 00:20:46.519 --> 00:20:48.640 I see myself too. And, you know, granted, my 00:20:48.640 --> 00:20:51.460 story is vastly different and I may not be building 00:20:51.460 --> 00:20:54.160 a league, but I am building a platform and I 00:20:54.160 --> 00:20:56.700 am building a community, okay? And, you know, 00:20:56.799 --> 00:21:00.519 like Fifi, right? I think every leader who's 00:21:00.519 --> 00:21:03.920 gone through it needs to have that mindset, right? 00:21:04.019 --> 00:21:06.680 What are the pain points that we see in our community 00:21:06.680 --> 00:21:09.519 in the game today and how can we address those? 00:21:10.089 --> 00:21:13.230 to the best of our ability. As always, we cannot 00:21:13.230 --> 00:21:15.970 harbor on what we can't control, but we can make 00:21:15.970 --> 00:21:19.390 decisions and changes into our daily lives and 00:21:19.390 --> 00:21:24.269 our mindset and the way we move and how we interact 00:21:24.269 --> 00:21:29.769 with kids who play. And I'm really talking to 00:21:29.769 --> 00:21:32.390 coaches and trainers, right? But people who are 00:21:32.390 --> 00:21:36.750 on the business side too, right? Maybe you own 00:21:36.750 --> 00:21:39.900 your own company or organization. Maybe you run 00:21:39.900 --> 00:21:43.160 your own league or maybe you run a sports tech 00:21:43.160 --> 00:21:47.859 platform. Is it more than just your product or 00:21:47.859 --> 00:21:49.720 are you just selling the product to make money? 00:21:49.920 --> 00:21:52.019 I haven't made a single dime off of Elite Fed 00:21:52.019 --> 00:21:55.059 Connect. Obviously, it would be nice to make 00:21:55.059 --> 00:21:57.960 some money off of it, but my biggest purpose 00:21:57.960 --> 00:22:01.940 is just to build a community, to build that trusted 00:22:01.940 --> 00:22:04.619 foundation for players growing up in the game, 00:22:04.759 --> 00:22:10.990 to give back to the players. To build a system, 00:22:11.130 --> 00:22:16.450 a system of structure and capabilities that help 00:22:16.450 --> 00:22:22.069 coaches and trainer be more effective. OK, we've 00:22:22.069 --> 00:22:23.990 got to restore this integrity in youth sports. 00:22:24.130 --> 00:22:26.809 Right. Again, like these kids should not be getting 00:22:26.809 --> 00:22:30.450 ranked at a young age, middle school. That's 00:22:30.450 --> 00:22:35.569 insane. OK. I'm trying to free up coaches from 00:22:35.569 --> 00:22:38.190 the admin headaches, right? Giving athletes true 00:22:38.190 --> 00:22:42.069 development opportunities, right? There was a 00:22:42.069 --> 00:22:46.349 thing that I, a video, I don't know if it was 00:22:46.349 --> 00:22:49.509 on TikTok or whatever, but it was like an argument 00:22:49.509 --> 00:22:52.329 about trainers, right? The need for trainers, 00:22:52.470 --> 00:22:55.150 right? Obviously, you know, people have their 00:22:55.150 --> 00:22:57.309 own opinions, right? One side of the spectrum, 00:22:57.470 --> 00:23:00.150 it's, you know, trainers are a waste of time 00:23:00.150 --> 00:23:02.700 and a waste of money. The other side of the spectrum 00:23:02.700 --> 00:23:04.619 is like, you cannot make it without a trainer, 00:23:04.720 --> 00:23:08.259 right? I think there's validity in both sides, 00:23:08.579 --> 00:23:11.859 but there's a balance to it, okay? And there's 00:23:11.859 --> 00:23:14.259 factors that you have to consider, right? One 00:23:14.259 --> 00:23:17.740 is, if you're at an early stage, we're talking 00:23:17.740 --> 00:23:20.279 like fundamentals, learning how to shoot, learning 00:23:20.279 --> 00:23:23.079 how to dribble, learning how to space yourself 00:23:23.079 --> 00:23:26.279 on the floor, the basic things. I don't think 00:23:26.279 --> 00:23:29.779 you really need a trainer, personally. I think 00:23:29.779 --> 00:23:32.039 you can use that money elsewhere, you know, just 00:23:32.039 --> 00:23:34.599 to better whatever it is, right? I really don't 00:23:34.599 --> 00:23:37.019 think you need a trainer at that age. But when 00:23:37.019 --> 00:23:39.759 you start competing and when you want to really 00:23:39.759 --> 00:23:43.140 further your game, especially with the way basketball 00:23:43.140 --> 00:23:46.579 has evolved, like it's such a technical sport 00:23:46.579 --> 00:23:49.000 now, right? You watch the NBA and they're doing 00:23:49.000 --> 00:23:52.019 these crazy moves. But these are things that 00:23:52.019 --> 00:23:54.359 they work on over and over and over and over 00:23:54.359 --> 00:23:57.400 and over again. And they have, you know, other 00:23:57.400 --> 00:24:02.259 perspectives. to validate that, to say like, 00:24:02.339 --> 00:24:05.279 hey, this is what you're doing now. It's not 00:24:05.279 --> 00:24:07.319 necessarily working, but maybe if you implement 00:24:07.319 --> 00:24:10.140 this and try this out based off of what I'm seeing 00:24:10.140 --> 00:24:12.880 and watching your game and watching how defenders 00:24:12.880 --> 00:24:16.480 play you, right? I think this move is something 00:24:16.480 --> 00:24:19.819 that you need to put in your bag, right? I think 00:24:19.819 --> 00:24:21.940 that's when training becomes super valuable, 00:24:22.160 --> 00:24:27.420 right? But with that, We have to make sure that 00:24:27.420 --> 00:24:32.880 these coaches and trainers are are legit. Right, 00:24:32.980 --> 00:24:35.619 because, again, back to the issue that we're 00:24:35.619 --> 00:24:38.960 talking about in the WNBA, right leaders, the 00:24:38.960 --> 00:24:41.160 problem is it starts with the leaders in the 00:24:41.160 --> 00:24:44.400 WNBA. OK, so when we look at, you know, training 00:24:44.400 --> 00:24:46.759 and player development, it's going to start with 00:24:46.759 --> 00:24:48.980 the trainers. It's going to start with the coaches. 00:24:49.200 --> 00:24:52.259 So if the coaches aren't aren't straight, if 00:24:52.259 --> 00:24:54.099 the trainers aren't straight and doing the right 00:24:54.099 --> 00:24:57.019 things, then. they're going to fail these kids. 00:24:57.200 --> 00:24:59.160 So it's a balance, right? You just don't want 00:24:59.160 --> 00:25:01.819 to go train with somebody just to say you have 00:25:01.819 --> 00:25:04.359 a trainer, okay? There are people in this world 00:25:04.359 --> 00:25:06.400 who don't know anything about the game, but they're 00:25:06.400 --> 00:25:07.880 going to call themselves a basketball trainer 00:25:07.880 --> 00:25:11.240 and say, I can get you to that next level when 00:25:11.240 --> 00:25:14.160 they have nothing to show for it. They might 00:25:14.160 --> 00:25:15.920 have never played the game. They might have never 00:25:15.920 --> 00:25:18.759 coached. So you have to do your due diligence, 00:25:18.920 --> 00:25:22.700 right? That's what it is. Don't just blindly, 00:25:23.079 --> 00:25:25.759 you know. trust put your put all your trust in 00:25:25.759 --> 00:25:28.420 someone in training right do your due diligence 00:25:28.420 --> 00:25:31.519 and find that trainer but this is where elite 00:25:31.519 --> 00:25:33.200 fit connect is trying to step in right we're 00:25:33.200 --> 00:25:34.839 trying to build a tool for those coaches and 00:25:34.839 --> 00:25:38.099 trainers just to better their their system but 00:25:38.099 --> 00:25:40.660 we're also trying to just you know build that 00:25:40.660 --> 00:25:44.579 community of coaches and trainers so that you 00:25:44.579 --> 00:25:46.700 know younger players don't have a problem finding 00:25:46.700 --> 00:25:49.259 a trusted trainer and that they can just worry 00:25:49.259 --> 00:25:53.599 about the game itself right That's what we're 00:25:53.599 --> 00:25:57.140 trying to do. And again, right, I have a totally 00:25:57.140 --> 00:26:00.180 different experience. I'm in an entirely different 00:26:00.180 --> 00:26:03.859 space in the game, but I have a very similar 00:26:03.859 --> 00:26:06.140 purpose. And that's making sure the game we love 00:26:06.140 --> 00:26:09.039 actually serves the people in it. That part, 00:26:09.059 --> 00:26:12.140 that part right there. And now, right, through 00:26:12.140 --> 00:26:14.680 adversity, we talked about adversity, right? 00:26:14.720 --> 00:26:18.339 We talked about the need for leadership, true 00:26:18.339 --> 00:26:22.000 leadership in the game to further it. To keep 00:26:22.000 --> 00:26:26.539 the people first, right? But all that comes with 00:26:26.539 --> 00:26:30.359 a process, right? Understanding the process and 00:26:30.359 --> 00:26:36.980 that realizing that sometimes the things that 00:26:36.980 --> 00:26:39.819 come from sticking with your process, it's going 00:26:39.819 --> 00:26:42.900 to be invisible for a very long time. And like 00:26:42.900 --> 00:26:45.299 I mentioned, I haven't made a single dime from 00:26:45.299 --> 00:26:49.720 EliteFit Connect, okay? It's a process, right? 00:26:50.220 --> 00:26:53.859 I've been doing this for under a year now, officially, 00:26:54.079 --> 00:26:57.119 right? I guess from ideation, it's been about 00:26:57.119 --> 00:27:00.099 a year and a half. But officially, right, we 00:27:00.099 --> 00:27:04.220 kicked off earlier this year in January, okay? 00:27:04.779 --> 00:27:07.000 Haven't made a single dime, right? Haven't had 00:27:07.000 --> 00:27:09.339 a single investment other than pouring into it 00:27:09.339 --> 00:27:11.640 myself, along with, you know, some of the other 00:27:11.640 --> 00:27:17.460 co -founders, right? It's a process. Everything, 00:27:17.740 --> 00:27:20.200 you know, the outcome has been entirely invisible 00:27:20.200 --> 00:27:22.740 at this point. I'm not going to lie, right? And 00:27:22.740 --> 00:27:24.519 there's some days I'm just like, what am I doing? 00:27:25.380 --> 00:27:27.779 Am I wasting my time? Am I wasting my resources? 00:27:28.000 --> 00:27:31.180 Should I just focus on everything else? But I 00:27:31.180 --> 00:27:34.680 truly believe that process compounds over time. 00:27:34.859 --> 00:27:39.460 If you're consistent every day, if you wake up 00:27:39.460 --> 00:27:43.279 with a plan, with motivation, with a purpose, 00:27:45.180 --> 00:27:47.460 You stick with the process. That's going to be 00:27:47.460 --> 00:27:50.839 just occasional intensity. I can't just wake 00:27:50.839 --> 00:27:54.279 up every other day ready to do it. Right. I got 00:27:54.279 --> 00:27:57.180 to do this every day or else this is just going 00:27:57.180 --> 00:27:59.180 to it's going to evaporate. Nothing's going to 00:27:59.180 --> 00:28:01.539 come from it. Right. So I got to be I got to 00:28:01.539 --> 00:28:04.240 be dedicated every day to this. If I really want 00:28:04.240 --> 00:28:07.660 to see this through. Right. Same thing to on 00:28:07.660 --> 00:28:10.740 the court. Right. If a player wants to get better, 00:28:10.839 --> 00:28:13.500 you know, I mean, you know the saying no days 00:28:13.500 --> 00:28:16.240 off. Right. Right. There's there's levels to 00:28:16.240 --> 00:28:18.039 it and there's other factors. Right. But like, 00:28:18.079 --> 00:28:20.700 really, there's no days off. What are you doing 00:28:20.700 --> 00:28:23.380 every day to get better or to put yourself in 00:28:23.380 --> 00:28:25.920 a situation that will further your growth and 00:28:25.920 --> 00:28:27.940 get you get you to where you want to get to in 00:28:27.940 --> 00:28:31.279 the game? As a trainer, right, if you really 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:34.339 want to be that trainer that everybody knows 00:28:34.339 --> 00:28:36.339 and respects, even though that's not what you're 00:28:36.339 --> 00:28:38.500 doing it for, but you want to make a difference 00:28:38.500 --> 00:28:40.920 in all these kids life, what are you doing every 00:28:40.920 --> 00:28:45.579 day? Are you just creating cookie cutter plans 00:28:45.579 --> 00:28:48.440 for these kids just to say, I'm a trainer and 00:28:48.440 --> 00:28:51.339 I gave them a workout. Now it's on them. Are 00:28:51.339 --> 00:28:54.680 you really investing your time into the craft, 00:28:54.940 --> 00:28:57.759 into the love for the game and into these players? 00:28:59.180 --> 00:29:03.619 Josh Washington. OK. He's a perfect example of 00:29:03.619 --> 00:29:05.460 this. And every time I talk to them, talk to 00:29:05.460 --> 00:29:08.720 him, I am super, super, super motivated and inspired 00:29:08.720 --> 00:29:12.000 to keep doing what I'm doing. OK, and he runs 00:29:12.000 --> 00:29:15.440 his academy and his whole training program and 00:29:15.440 --> 00:29:18.039 organization out of Lubbock. So who is Josh? 00:29:18.180 --> 00:29:20.839 Right. OK, so as I mentioned, he's from Lubbock. 00:29:20.980 --> 00:29:24.940 He has a organization called J .W .E. Josh Washington 00:29:24.940 --> 00:29:27.440 Elite, and he's created a place where every single 00:29:27.440 --> 00:29:29.960 player has the opportunity to fall in love with 00:29:29.960 --> 00:29:32.440 the game of basketball. Right. And that's that's 00:29:32.440 --> 00:29:34.559 key right there. He's providing that opportunity. 00:29:34.720 --> 00:29:38.900 He's created in an environment. To get these 00:29:38.900 --> 00:29:41.599 kids. To where they want to get to, whether they 00:29:41.599 --> 00:29:44.640 do or not. Right. But he's giving them that opportunity. 00:29:45.240 --> 00:29:48.700 OK, whether you are a beginner or getting ready 00:29:48.700 --> 00:29:51.079 to play junior or high school basketball and 00:29:51.079 --> 00:29:54.079 getting ready for your first college season or 00:29:54.079 --> 00:29:56.480 aspire to be a professional basketball player. 00:29:56.859 --> 00:29:59.259 JWE is the place for you. Hard work, determination 00:29:59.259 --> 00:30:02.779 and dedication are attributes that each JWE player 00:30:02.779 --> 00:30:06.279 exudes. Right. And we want you to be that next 00:30:06.279 --> 00:30:07.779 player. So this is straight from his website. 00:30:07.960 --> 00:30:11.400 OK. So let's take a look. I talk about, you know, 00:30:11.400 --> 00:30:13.319 making sure that, you know, these coaches and 00:30:13.319 --> 00:30:15.579 trainers are credible. They're validated and 00:30:15.579 --> 00:30:17.819 they know what they're doing. Let's talk about 00:30:17.819 --> 00:30:20.940 who he is. OK, so as I mentioned, he's from Lubbock. 00:30:21.119 --> 00:30:24.099 He's played for Texas Tech University. He played 00:30:24.099 --> 00:30:28.099 for Texas A &M, Corpus Christi. And I believe 00:30:28.099 --> 00:30:30.240 he played overseas for a little bit in Canada. 00:30:30.559 --> 00:30:34.119 Right. And, you know, he's been in the game for 00:30:34.119 --> 00:30:39.029 a while. OK. And he started. J .W. Lee in 2022, 00:30:39.549 --> 00:30:42.910 again, for players of all skill levels. But the 00:30:42.910 --> 00:30:47.769 one thing that I really commend Josh for is just 00:30:47.769 --> 00:30:50.509 the simple philosophy that he has. And that's 00:30:50.509 --> 00:30:53.730 just the power of showing up. So what does that 00:30:53.730 --> 00:30:56.650 mean? Right. The power of showing up. That's 00:30:56.650 --> 00:30:59.410 waking up out of bed and getting to the gym, 00:30:59.509 --> 00:31:02.089 even on the days that you don't want to as a 00:31:02.089 --> 00:31:06.160 player. You're showing up. Right. And forcing 00:31:06.160 --> 00:31:09.680 yourself through that mental game. Right. You're 00:31:09.680 --> 00:31:14.740 teaching yourself that. It's OK to to struggle 00:31:14.740 --> 00:31:18.000 sometimes. It's OK to kind of be unmotivated 00:31:18.000 --> 00:31:20.339 because it's hard to be motivated every day. 00:31:20.599 --> 00:31:25.079 But if you're disciplined. If you if you have 00:31:25.079 --> 00:31:29.259 a structure. Or a process and you set those standards. 00:31:30.180 --> 00:31:33.259 You're going to follow through. OK. Right. So 00:31:33.259 --> 00:31:36.589 just show up. Right. Even as a coach and a trainer, 00:31:36.650 --> 00:31:38.369 if you show up for your kids, that's going to 00:31:38.369 --> 00:31:40.670 mean the world to them. Right. And you're setting 00:31:40.670 --> 00:31:44.670 the example. All right. Josh emphasizes the importance 00:31:44.670 --> 00:31:47.529 of consistency and achieving excellence, whether 00:31:47.529 --> 00:31:52.650 on the court or in life. Again, I hope you can 00:31:52.650 --> 00:31:54.950 see like the similarities into like what I'm 00:31:54.950 --> 00:31:56.789 trying to do with Elite Fit Connect and some 00:31:56.789 --> 00:31:58.670 of these people that I have conversations with. 00:31:59.910 --> 00:32:03.069 Like the vision is the same, right? The vision 00:32:03.069 --> 00:32:06.289 is the same. Yes, we want to create a better 00:32:06.289 --> 00:32:08.849 environment in the game of basketball for these 00:32:08.849 --> 00:32:11.990 young kids. We want to create those opportunities 00:32:11.990 --> 00:32:14.930 for them to be successful and to get to where 00:32:14.930 --> 00:32:17.950 they want to be, right? But at the same time, 00:32:17.970 --> 00:32:22.269 you have to understand that basketball is not 00:32:22.269 --> 00:32:25.950 forever, right? It will not be forever, no matter 00:32:25.950 --> 00:32:29.809 how good you are. So as leaders in the game, 00:32:29.890 --> 00:32:34.019 we have to be sure that we understand that. And 00:32:34.019 --> 00:32:38.359 we accept that. And we teach our kids certain 00:32:38.359 --> 00:32:41.599 skills and characteristics and values and ethics 00:32:41.599 --> 00:32:46.559 and to have integrity for the game of life, not 00:32:46.559 --> 00:32:49.339 just basketball, but for everything else in life. 00:32:49.440 --> 00:32:51.099 And that's the beautiful thing about basketball, 00:32:51.299 --> 00:32:55.539 right? The power of showing up. I think that's 00:32:55.539 --> 00:32:59.279 that's powerful. OK. And big reason why I have 00:32:59.279 --> 00:33:01.480 a huge respect for Josh, just the way he moves, 00:33:01.579 --> 00:33:04.710 the way he talks. the way he loves the game. 00:33:06.210 --> 00:33:09.549 He's a man with a family, a big family that he 00:33:09.549 --> 00:33:12.829 prioritizes. He's a man of faith. He's a man 00:33:12.829 --> 00:33:15.509 of God. And those are the types of people that 00:33:15.509 --> 00:33:20.450 I love to work with. But for him, again, it took 00:33:20.450 --> 00:33:23.730 time. It took time. He didn't just wake up one 00:33:23.730 --> 00:33:27.430 day and say, I want to train kids. And he just 00:33:27.430 --> 00:33:29.869 started out successful. It takes time to build 00:33:29.869 --> 00:33:33.839 that system. That trusted system that, you know, 00:33:33.839 --> 00:33:36.480 kids can can come to you and trust and enjoy 00:33:36.480 --> 00:33:39.500 themselves in the game. It takes time. Right. 00:33:40.119 --> 00:33:43.099 Same thing with the WNBA. Nafisa Collier. Right. 00:33:43.099 --> 00:33:45.960 She didn't just wake up to and say, you know 00:33:45.960 --> 00:33:49.480 what, I'm going to create a league called Unrivaled 00:33:49.480 --> 00:33:52.960 and it's going to be successful. Right. There 00:33:52.960 --> 00:33:56.240 is a process to it, especially from a business 00:33:56.240 --> 00:33:58.980 standpoint. Right. There's things that you have 00:33:58.980 --> 00:34:01.619 to take care of. You have to get some money, 00:34:01.740 --> 00:34:03.400 you know, you have to have all your ducks in 00:34:03.400 --> 00:34:05.460 a row. You have to make sure you have the resources, 00:34:05.559 --> 00:34:07.740 right? Especially if you're airing this stuff 00:34:07.740 --> 00:34:09.920 on TV. You got to worry about players. You know, 00:34:09.940 --> 00:34:12.139 there's just a lot to it. It takes time. It's 00:34:12.139 --> 00:34:14.519 a process. And Lord knows where it's going to 00:34:14.519 --> 00:34:17.019 end, right? Who knows where Elite Fit Connect 00:34:17.019 --> 00:34:20.360 is going to end up? Fortunately, we can reach 00:34:20.360 --> 00:34:23.760 our, you know, our goals and accomplish what 00:34:23.760 --> 00:34:27.179 we want to accomplish. Who knows? But through 00:34:27.179 --> 00:34:29.789 that process, right, we have to trust it. We 00:34:29.789 --> 00:34:32.309 have to trust everything that we do. We have 00:34:32.309 --> 00:34:34.929 to trust, you know, the system that we put in 00:34:34.929 --> 00:34:38.489 place that it's going to work. It takes credibility, 00:34:38.829 --> 00:34:42.409 years of credibility, consistency, and trust. 00:34:43.969 --> 00:34:46.309 And that's the same for everything that you do 00:34:46.309 --> 00:34:48.329 in the game and everything that you do in life, 00:34:48.469 --> 00:34:51.650 right? And this is exactly why process and purpose 00:34:51.650 --> 00:34:55.190 cannot be separated. It goes hand in hand, right? 00:34:55.929 --> 00:34:58.929 Process is going to build your habits. But purpose 00:34:58.929 --> 00:35:02.889 makes those habits meaningful, okay? You can't 00:35:02.889 --> 00:35:05.409 have one without the other. Together, that's 00:35:05.409 --> 00:35:08.090 going to be what shapes your legacy. So it's 00:35:08.090 --> 00:35:09.929 time, right? I'm going to give you some actionable 00:35:09.929 --> 00:35:12.530 steps, whether you're a player, you're a coach, 00:35:12.590 --> 00:35:15.610 you're a trainer, or you're a leader in the game, 00:35:15.690 --> 00:35:18.250 right? I want you to conceptualize it and put 00:35:18.250 --> 00:35:20.349 it into practice, right? Everything that I talked 00:35:20.349 --> 00:35:23.909 about, okay? So what I want you to do is write 00:35:23.909 --> 00:35:26.090 down three things about yourself that aren't 00:35:26.090 --> 00:35:28.389 tied to stats. Okay, we're going to separate 00:35:28.389 --> 00:35:31.949 ourselves a bit from the game. And we're going 00:35:31.949 --> 00:35:35.190 to look at ourselves wholly, right? What are 00:35:35.190 --> 00:35:37.429 three things about yourself that aren't tied 00:35:37.429 --> 00:35:39.789 to stats? Players, and this is more specific 00:35:39.789 --> 00:35:41.849 for players, but I think coaches and trainers, 00:35:41.909 --> 00:35:44.889 they can do this exercise too. What are three 00:35:44.889 --> 00:35:48.949 things about yourself that aren't tied to what 00:35:48.949 --> 00:35:52.969 you do on the court with kids? Okay. Now for 00:35:52.969 --> 00:35:55.030 leaders, right? If you're a leader in the game, 00:35:56.039 --> 00:35:58.199 I want you to focus on leading with integrity. 00:35:59.500 --> 00:36:01.880 Do that for this week. Make that your focus. 00:36:01.920 --> 00:36:05.159 You should lead with integrity 24 -7, but in 00:36:05.159 --> 00:36:08.239 your head, the first thing in your mind is leading 00:36:08.239 --> 00:36:11.699 with integrity. So what does that mean, right? 00:36:11.840 --> 00:36:15.139 I want you to choose development over politics. 00:36:16.800 --> 00:36:24.260 I want you to choose commitment over money, okay? 00:36:24.699 --> 00:36:26.960 Things like that, right? Lead with integrity. 00:36:27.480 --> 00:36:30.159 Keep that in the forefront of your mind. For 00:36:30.159 --> 00:36:33.239 parents, I got one for you too. Have one conversation 00:36:33.239 --> 00:36:37.179 this week about identity beyond the game, okay? 00:36:38.179 --> 00:36:40.579 So my son is only five years old, right? He plays 00:36:40.579 --> 00:36:43.780 sports. He's playing soccer right now. And he's 00:36:43.780 --> 00:36:46.000 actually, he's probably the better one on the 00:36:46.000 --> 00:36:48.280 team, right? Two, this is second year playing 00:36:48.280 --> 00:36:51.719 soccer. You know, he's an athlete. Look at his 00:36:51.719 --> 00:36:54.119 dad. Look at his mama, right? He's an athlete. 00:36:54.239 --> 00:36:59.019 OK. But the one thing that for me as a parent, 00:36:59.119 --> 00:37:01.659 right, especially having played at a high level, 00:37:01.739 --> 00:37:05.179 the last thing I want to do is one, just stress 00:37:05.179 --> 00:37:08.219 out my son in the game or just in sports. Right. 00:37:08.679 --> 00:37:11.539 Because this this is not a time for him to, like, 00:37:11.579 --> 00:37:17.239 focus on winning or like being the best. And 00:37:17.239 --> 00:37:18.900 yeah, these are some things that we talk about. 00:37:18.980 --> 00:37:23.519 Right. But more importantly. I want him just 00:37:23.519 --> 00:37:26.219 to enjoy himself and learn, right? Learn, learn, 00:37:26.300 --> 00:37:29.000 learn as much as you can. And I'll get on him 00:37:29.000 --> 00:37:32.300 when he's not paying attention to the coach. 00:37:32.739 --> 00:37:35.000 Mind you, I coached the first season of soccer. 00:37:35.179 --> 00:37:37.260 I decided not to coach this season, but I'll 00:37:37.260 --> 00:37:39.179 get on him about, you know, paying attention 00:37:39.179 --> 00:37:42.769 and that. horse playing or, you know, fighting 00:37:42.769 --> 00:37:44.829 with other kids. Right. And I'll get him onto 00:37:44.829 --> 00:37:46.809 him in that regard. But I just want him to have 00:37:46.809 --> 00:37:49.969 fun and learn, just learn about the game, because 00:37:49.969 --> 00:37:52.469 the more you learn, the more you can apply that 00:37:52.469 --> 00:37:55.550 to other things in life. Right. Now, this winter, 00:37:55.670 --> 00:37:57.690 I'm going to be his first season of basketball. 00:37:58.210 --> 00:38:02.190 OK, we're just playing in a rec league. But same 00:38:02.190 --> 00:38:06.730 thing. Right. I want to teach him the game the 00:38:06.730 --> 00:38:09.579 right way. But I also want him to enjoy it. Right. 00:38:09.659 --> 00:38:11.400 Because I don't want him to have any negative 00:38:11.400 --> 00:38:14.599 connotations through the game. Right. Because 00:38:14.599 --> 00:38:17.199 the more you grow, the higher level you play 00:38:17.199 --> 00:38:23.780 at. The more you're exposed to all the other 00:38:23.780 --> 00:38:27.139 stuff. Right. So we're focused on just learning 00:38:27.139 --> 00:38:30.739 and having fun. OK. But with that, like I want 00:38:30.739 --> 00:38:34.920 to make sure that he understands that. his character 00:38:34.920 --> 00:38:38.780 and how he is, how he acts, you know, you know, 00:38:38.780 --> 00:38:41.559 we teach him about respect. We teach him about, 00:38:41.639 --> 00:38:44.079 you know, challenging yourself, you know, whether 00:38:44.079 --> 00:38:47.119 it's in school or in sports or being nice to 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:51.480 his sister, using kind words, right? That's applicable 00:38:51.480 --> 00:38:54.340 on and off the court. So for parents, again, 00:38:54.599 --> 00:38:56.679 right, have that one conversation this week about 00:38:56.679 --> 00:38:59.300 identity beyond the game, okay? And that's kind 00:38:59.300 --> 00:39:02.079 of what I'm talking about. If all of us players, 00:39:02.219 --> 00:39:06.579 coaches, Parents, leaders, take these steps. 00:39:07.500 --> 00:39:10.360 We're going to build such a healthy culture in 00:39:10.360 --> 00:39:12.639 the game of basketball. And that's what this 00:39:12.639 --> 00:39:14.679 show is all about. That's what this podcast is 00:39:14.679 --> 00:39:17.079 all about. That's what Elite Fit Connect is all 00:39:17.079 --> 00:39:21.519 about. That's what JWE, Josh Washington Elite, 00:39:21.699 --> 00:39:25.599 is all about. That's what BTY Basketball in Austin, 00:39:25.719 --> 00:39:29.500 Texas is all about. That's what Locked In is 00:39:29.500 --> 00:39:32.340 all about with Malcolm. We talked about him last 00:39:32.340 --> 00:39:35.849 week. Right. This is what Atholite is all about. 00:39:36.530 --> 00:39:38.849 Stormwoods out of Austin. That's why we do what 00:39:38.849 --> 00:39:42.929 we do. OK, to create a healthy culture in sports. 00:39:44.030 --> 00:39:46.670 OK. And, you know, I had all these points that, 00:39:46.710 --> 00:39:48.550 you know, some other points that I want to talk 00:39:48.550 --> 00:39:51.630 about that I wanted to talk about. But, you know, 00:39:51.630 --> 00:39:54.030 with everything that went on in the WNBA recently, 00:39:54.289 --> 00:39:56.889 Fizzy Collier, you know, showing us this week 00:39:56.889 --> 00:39:59.210 that leadership is about more than just wins. 00:39:59.329 --> 00:40:02.679 Right. I really wanted to focus on that. On that 00:40:02.679 --> 00:40:05.500 point, right, it's about accountability. It's 00:40:05.500 --> 00:40:07.780 about courage and creating something better for 00:40:07.780 --> 00:40:10.639 the next generation. OK, if you say, call your 00:40:10.639 --> 00:40:13.739 bill unrivaled, I'm building elite fit connect. 00:40:13.960 --> 00:40:16.000 And we have these other trainers and coaches 00:40:16.000 --> 00:40:18.460 who are just amazing, you know, building their 00:40:18.460 --> 00:40:22.260 own organizations. Right. And I hope, you know, 00:40:22.260 --> 00:40:24.980 we can all kind of, you know, band together and 00:40:24.980 --> 00:40:28.670 join forces, whatever that may look like. To 00:40:28.670 --> 00:40:32.110 just continue to further the game and build such 00:40:32.110 --> 00:40:35.329 a good, healthy community. And we all come from 00:40:35.329 --> 00:40:39.530 the same place. A place of deep rooted love for 00:40:39.530 --> 00:40:42.670 the game and a commitment to leave it better 00:40:42.670 --> 00:40:46.110 than where we found it or how we left it as a 00:40:46.110 --> 00:40:48.570 player, as the athlete. Right. So whether you're 00:40:48.570 --> 00:40:51.590 a player grinding for just a scholarship, trying 00:40:51.590 --> 00:40:53.309 to get to that next level or trying to make the 00:40:53.309 --> 00:40:55.989 team, make the starting squad, or whether you're 00:40:55.989 --> 00:40:59.739 a coach building a program. or a trainer, you 00:40:59.739 --> 00:41:03.099 know, developing an academy or a league, working 00:41:03.099 --> 00:41:05.559 on athletes, right? Or maybe you're a parent 00:41:05.559 --> 00:41:08.159 supporting your kid's dream. Remember, remember 00:41:08.159 --> 00:41:11.500 this one thing. The game will not last forever. 00:41:12.219 --> 00:41:15.059 But the impact that you make will. Promise you. 00:41:15.079 --> 00:41:18.900 Promise you that, okay? Thank you again for tuning 00:41:18.900 --> 00:41:21.320 in to It's More Than a Game, powered by EliteFit 00:41:21.320 --> 00:41:24.579 Connect. Please, if you enjoyed this show, Share 00:41:24.579 --> 00:41:26.539 it with the player. Share it with the teammate. 00:41:26.840 --> 00:41:28.639 Share it with the coach. Share it with the parent 00:41:28.639 --> 00:41:31.079 who really needs to hear this, right? Let's keep 00:41:31.079 --> 00:41:34.239 building this community together, okay? It's 00:41:34.239 --> 00:41:36.940 going to take a village, right? You know the 00:41:36.940 --> 00:41:39.219 saying, right? It takes a village to raise these 00:41:39.219 --> 00:41:41.440 kids, right? And that's what we need to do within 00:41:41.440 --> 00:41:43.880 the game, right? This is a village. We got to 00:41:43.880 --> 00:41:46.599 band together just to make it a healthy experience, 00:41:46.840 --> 00:41:50.679 okay? Always remember, it's more than a game. 00:41:51.099 --> 00:41:53.760 It's a process. It's a purpose. And it's legacy. 00:41:54.320 --> 00:41:56.719 All right. See you next week. Peace.