WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.080 --> 00:00:02.799 You're listening to Airy Bros. 2 00:00:02.960 --> 00:00:06.360 Radio, be there or B Square because it's all killer, 3 00:00:06.799 --> 00:00:07.559 no filler. 4 00:00:12.919 --> 00:00:15.759 This is Nick Polk and you're listening to Airy Brothers Radio. 5 00:00:23.160 --> 00:00:27.239 We have another exciting episode with a great guests coming 6 00:00:27.719 --> 00:00:32.280 back for an indoor coach, A track coach, across country 7 00:00:32.280 --> 00:00:36.600 coach is joining us tonight. Nick Polk from Lipscomb University, 8 00:00:36.759 --> 00:00:39.280 director of Track and Field and cross Countries with us tonight, 9 00:00:39.320 --> 00:00:42.000 so we're excited to get into that. But before we 10 00:00:42.119 --> 00:00:46.520 do that, please give us a follow on YouTube. If 11 00:00:46.520 --> 00:00:50.479 you're not already following, make sure you check Coach Polk 12 00:00:50.600 --> 00:00:53.000 socials and all that stuff with Lipscomb when we give 13 00:00:53.039 --> 00:00:56.759 those out. And if you're following on Spotify or any 14 00:00:56.759 --> 00:00:59.840 other podcast platform, if you'd be so kind to leave 15 00:00:59.880 --> 00:01:02.479 us rating and a review. And as always, you know, 16 00:01:02.560 --> 00:01:04.680 Jimmy and I love our coffee, so if you click 17 00:01:04.760 --> 00:01:06.799 on that link to Bias of Coffee, we would be 18 00:01:06.879 --> 00:01:09.319 greatly appreciated. If you're getting any value out of anything 19 00:01:09.319 --> 00:01:12.120 we're doing over here, by all means, throw a little 20 00:01:12.120 --> 00:01:14.719 love back and give us a little value as well. 21 00:01:14.799 --> 00:01:17.680 All right with that set? As I said, Nick Poulk 22 00:01:17.719 --> 00:01:20.760 is joining of this joining US this evening. He is 23 00:01:20.760 --> 00:01:23.640 the director of cross country in track and Field at 24 00:01:23.640 --> 00:01:28.120 Lipscomb University. He's been there since twenty nineteen. Under his leadership, 25 00:01:28.159 --> 00:01:31.879 Lipscomb has produced three NCAA Division One All Americans and 26 00:01:31.959 --> 00:01:36.680 three athletes have broken four minutes in the mile, including 27 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.640 the first ever sub four minute indoor mile. Fairly recently, 28 00:01:41.560 --> 00:01:44.239 coaches also led the women's cross country team to their 29 00:01:44.280 --> 00:01:47.280 first NCAA Division one National cross country appearance in twenty 30 00:01:47.280 --> 00:01:50.200 twenty three, where they finished eleventh, and they returned this 31 00:01:50.319 --> 00:01:55.040 year as well, finishing twenty third. Also, coach has been 32 00:01:55.079 --> 00:01:58.000 a four time Atlantic Sun Coach of the Year. His 33 00:01:58.079 --> 00:02:02.079 teams have claimed three consecutive Attic Sun Conference titles and 34 00:02:02.120 --> 00:02:07.040 earned fifty three postseason honors. Before he was at Lipscomb, 35 00:02:07.640 --> 00:02:11.159 coach has extensive experience with USA Track and Field, where 36 00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:14.960 he managed high performance program globally, and his coaching background 37 00:02:15.039 --> 00:02:18.479 includes multiple NCAA titles and All Americans at Grand Valley 38 00:02:18.520 --> 00:02:21.520 State and Elon, and coach was also an All American 39 00:02:22.000 --> 00:02:25.360 at Grand Valley State as well. Coach Nick Polkatt is 40 00:02:25.400 --> 00:02:27.439 an honor and a pleasure to have you join us 41 00:02:27.520 --> 00:02:30.639 for an episode of aery Bros. Radio. Thanks for joining us. 42 00:02:30.680 --> 00:02:31.599 How are you doing this evening? 43 00:02:32.039 --> 00:02:35.319 Good? Yeah, thanks guys, appreciate it. Thanks for having me. 44 00:02:35.639 --> 00:02:38.719 Absolutely is honor and a pleasure. So coach, before we 45 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:41.439 get too far into the episode, you know, we have 46 00:02:41.560 --> 00:02:45.000 coaches from junior college that are fans. We have parents 47 00:02:45.039 --> 00:02:47.800 and athletes that are fans. Any recruits anywhere you want 48 00:02:47.840 --> 00:02:51.840 the recruits or parents or coaches that are trying to 49 00:02:51.879 --> 00:02:55.560 connect with you, maybe get a Aery Bros. Pipeline down 50 00:02:55.560 --> 00:02:57.879 there at Nashville, the Flora Yours. 51 00:02:58.039 --> 00:03:02.960 Yeah. On social mostly what I look at is our 52 00:03:03.400 --> 00:03:06.719 Instagram and that's just lipscum x C TF so l 53 00:03:06.800 --> 00:03:09.719 I P s c O M b x c t 54 00:03:10.039 --> 00:03:13.000 F and I probably I think I have my own, 55 00:03:13.039 --> 00:03:15.719 but I never I haven't updated since probably maybe a 56 00:03:15.759 --> 00:03:18.199 couple of years ago. And so that's how I look. 57 00:03:18.319 --> 00:03:20.080 That's how we get. We get in contact with a 58 00:03:20.120 --> 00:03:24.560 lot of people, either on Instagram or Twitter probably are 59 00:03:24.599 --> 00:03:28.360 the two best ways. And yeah, we're pretty coaches are 60 00:03:28.439 --> 00:03:30.680 pretty easy to find, I think in cross country track. 61 00:03:31.599 --> 00:03:35.000 Yeah, we've been talking about how the the landscape of 62 00:03:36.000 --> 00:03:39.120 recruiting has changed so much since when you know, we 63 00:03:39.120 --> 00:03:41.080 were in school where you know, we get excited to 64 00:03:41.120 --> 00:03:42.960 get a phone call from from a coach and you 65 00:03:43.039 --> 00:03:45.000 drop what you're doing to take that phone call, and 66 00:03:45.639 --> 00:03:48.000 it seems like that that isn't really a thing that 67 00:03:48.120 --> 00:03:50.000 much these days. Maybe you got to send some text 68 00:03:50.000 --> 00:03:53.000 messages before you can get that phone call. But it's 69 00:03:53.240 --> 00:03:54.919 it's interesting how things have changed. 70 00:03:54.960 --> 00:03:57.400 And yeah, because it used to be used to not 71 00:03:57.439 --> 00:03:59.439 be able to do that. I've been coaching long enough 72 00:03:59.439 --> 00:04:01.719 to remember when you couldn't do that. It just didn't 73 00:04:01.759 --> 00:04:04.479 make any sense at all. Like if a kid was 74 00:04:04.520 --> 00:04:06.400 on campus and you wanted to say where are you? You 75 00:04:06.360 --> 00:04:08.319 had to call them, you know, and and so that's 76 00:04:08.360 --> 00:04:10.639 evolved so much. But yeah, it makes it makes life 77 00:04:10.639 --> 00:04:13.199 a lot easier to be able to utilize technology. 78 00:04:13.400 --> 00:04:16.600 Yeah. Yeah, I always say it's the best thing and 79 00:04:16.639 --> 00:04:18.439 the worst thing we have going for us right now. 80 00:04:18.680 --> 00:04:21.399 Yeah, no doubt. Yeah, especially like I know that's part 81 00:04:21.439 --> 00:04:23.720 of the topic for you guys too, is just like 82 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.360 when you're a smaller school and you don't have that 83 00:04:27.560 --> 00:04:31.240 like notoriety of a football game on Saturday. Social media is, 84 00:04:31.600 --> 00:04:33.360 you know, can be it's your branding, it's your way 85 00:04:33.399 --> 00:04:35.439 that its can see what are your colors or what 86 00:04:35.439 --> 00:04:38.360 your uniforms look like or you know, it just they 87 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:40.160 wouldn't know a whole lot about us without it. So 88 00:04:40.360 --> 00:04:42.439 it's it's it is kind of vital to what we do. 89 00:04:43.480 --> 00:04:47.240 Go Bison. Yeah, right, So coach, as we get into 90 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:48.959 one of the first things we like to always start 91 00:04:48.959 --> 00:04:51.360 off with coaches is, you know, Jimmy and I have 92 00:04:51.399 --> 00:04:54.319 an origin story, how we got into athletics, how we 93 00:04:54.360 --> 00:04:59.240 got into coaching. So curious. You're originally from Indiana, I 94 00:04:59.279 --> 00:05:03.600 believe correct, Yeah, what's your origin story as an athlete? 95 00:05:03.639 --> 00:05:06.560 And then how did that being an athlete, being getting 96 00:05:06.560 --> 00:05:08.560 into running, how did that lead into coaching? 97 00:05:09.079 --> 00:05:15.399 Yeah, I was Okay high school athlete and got recruited 98 00:05:15.399 --> 00:05:19.000 by my college coach, Jerry Baltis at Grand Valley State. 99 00:05:19.920 --> 00:05:22.079 He was from Indiana. Then I think it just we 100 00:05:22.160 --> 00:05:24.160 just had a kind of good connection and it wasn't 101 00:05:24.199 --> 00:05:27.040 as hard probably back then as it is now. And 102 00:05:27.120 --> 00:05:30.279 so we went up to Grand Valley and had a 103 00:05:30.279 --> 00:05:33.800 good experience there. And then I had no intention of 104 00:05:33.879 --> 00:05:37.079 like coaching. I actually didn't. I didn't want to do 105 00:05:37.120 --> 00:05:39.959 that at all, but I love sports, and so I like, 106 00:05:40.040 --> 00:05:42.720 I did an intern internship at Nike when I was 107 00:05:42.720 --> 00:05:45.120 in college. I got really lucky to do that. And 108 00:05:45.120 --> 00:05:47.800 then when I graduated college, I worked at Nike for 109 00:05:47.800 --> 00:05:51.839 a little bit, and then when I was there, I 110 00:05:51.920 --> 00:05:54.920 just I still realized like I still wanted to run, 111 00:05:55.079 --> 00:05:57.040 so I kind of was heading down that kind of 112 00:05:57.079 --> 00:06:00.240 corporate path, and like at lunch, I would go out 113 00:06:00.279 --> 00:06:03.360 and I would see Alberto Salazar and Galen Rup at 114 00:06:03.360 --> 00:06:05.480 the track and just kind of hover off in the 115 00:06:05.519 --> 00:06:08.600 distance and ask them what's going on and see if 116 00:06:08.600 --> 00:06:10.240 I could run with them and all this kind of stuff. 117 00:06:10.279 --> 00:06:12.360 So even though I was like kind of starting a 118 00:06:12.439 --> 00:06:15.360 dream job situation, I still kind of had that itch 119 00:06:15.439 --> 00:06:18.160 to run. And so while I was doing that, I 120 00:06:18.360 --> 00:06:20.319 just trained the whole time. And I ended up being 121 00:06:20.360 --> 00:06:23.439 able to join a group called Zapp Fitness in North 122 00:06:23.480 --> 00:06:29.480 Carolina to continue training, and so kind of left Nike. 123 00:06:30.560 --> 00:06:33.839 Did the professional running thing for about two years, and 124 00:06:33.879 --> 00:06:35.240 I would just hurt a bunch. I think I had 125 00:06:35.240 --> 00:06:38.839 something like nine stress fractures and I earned college and 126 00:06:38.879 --> 00:06:41.680 then like two kind of big ones when I was 127 00:06:41.959 --> 00:06:45.120 running posts collegiately, and so that was kind of like 128 00:06:45.480 --> 00:06:47.920 I knew my running days were over, and so I 129 00:06:47.959 --> 00:06:51.519 figured I'd probably transition back to you know, Nike or 130 00:06:51.560 --> 00:06:54.199 something in that kind of sports world. And then my 131 00:06:54.279 --> 00:06:57.439 college coach just he was really good at recruiting and 132 00:06:57.519 --> 00:07:01.560 recruited me to come take over like the assistant coaching 133 00:07:01.639 --> 00:07:04.319 job there with him. So I didn't want to do it. 134 00:07:05.759 --> 00:07:09.040 He called me and you know, it was like we 135 00:07:09.079 --> 00:07:10.720 have we have He almost like told me, okay, you're 136 00:07:10.759 --> 00:07:12.399 doing this. And then a couple of days later we 137 00:07:12.399 --> 00:07:14.319 hadn't talked, and he's like, so, like, are you taking 138 00:07:14.360 --> 00:07:16.000 this or you know, like he had a follow up 139 00:07:16.000 --> 00:07:17.920 with me, like he didn't even know if I said yes, 140 00:07:17.920 --> 00:07:19.800 And I'm not even sure I said yes. But a 141 00:07:19.839 --> 00:07:22.519 couple of days later I was coaching. And it took 142 00:07:22.560 --> 00:07:25.680 me like a year or two to enjoy it, I think, 143 00:07:25.959 --> 00:07:29.439 and and just kind of like, yeah, maybe kind of 144 00:07:29.879 --> 00:07:33.720 blaze my own path in it, and uh but yeah, 145 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:35.279 I just had a good experience doing it, just kind 146 00:07:35.279 --> 00:07:38.399 of kept getting better and better. Yeah, just kind of 147 00:07:38.759 --> 00:07:40.600 I kind of realized that's all I think I wanted 148 00:07:40.600 --> 00:07:42.279 to do at that point, was just be involved with 149 00:07:42.319 --> 00:07:44.959 young people and be on a campus and all that. 150 00:07:46.759 --> 00:07:50.079 So, coach, I want to address how coaching stuck with you. 151 00:07:50.360 --> 00:07:55.240 But you mentioned in turning at Nike spending time up there, Curious, 152 00:07:55.399 --> 00:07:56.759 do you still wear Nike? 153 00:07:57.680 --> 00:08:00.279 No, We're an under armored school, so I'm pretty much 154 00:08:00.040 --> 00:08:03.079 much by this time, you know, you just wear I 155 00:08:03.160 --> 00:08:05.759 just wear whatever free clothes I get. I don't all 156 00:08:05.839 --> 00:08:11.040 run my own clothes, so pretty much that, but I'll 157 00:08:11.079 --> 00:08:15.079 still wear yeah, some stuff. But the last two schools 158 00:08:15.079 --> 00:08:17.920 I've been at were under armour, so I just have, like, 159 00:08:18.079 --> 00:08:19.560 you know, so much of that going on. 160 00:08:20.160 --> 00:08:24.800 And being that you spend time in Oregon for that internship. Yeah, 161 00:08:24.839 --> 00:08:27.240 so Ridge feel free to jump in because I don't 162 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:29.000 know the name. But did you get to run on 163 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:31.920 that track that's like got a force in the middle? Yeah? 164 00:08:32.000 --> 00:08:34.360 Yeah, absolutely. That was on the campus. So that's where 165 00:08:34.360 --> 00:08:37.240 I'd like sneak out at lunch or before work or 166 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:40.039 after work because that's when there was like the Nike 167 00:08:40.200 --> 00:08:43.200 organ Project and Bauerman was there and so there's always 168 00:08:43.320 --> 00:08:46.720 you know, fast runners out running. That was who I 169 00:08:46.799 --> 00:08:48.559 kind of wanted to be, and so yeah, I was 170 00:08:48.559 --> 00:08:49.840 out there as much as I could be. 171 00:08:50.879 --> 00:08:54.240 That is amazing because, like Rich said, we grew up 172 00:08:54.399 --> 00:08:56.879 as our dad had this thing like if you're going 173 00:08:56.960 --> 00:08:58.600 to be a wrestler, you're going to be a runner, 174 00:08:58.759 --> 00:09:00.559 You're gonna know about it, You're gonna. 175 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:01.039 Know the history. 176 00:09:01.159 --> 00:09:04.200 So we grew up like in our bathroom, like we 177 00:09:04.320 --> 00:09:06.679 had all the old runners world and stuff like that, 178 00:09:06.840 --> 00:09:09.639 so we would like I would see stuff like that. 179 00:09:09.759 --> 00:09:11.519 So the fact that you got to spend time and 180 00:09:11.600 --> 00:09:14.159 sneak out for your launch break, I am envious of 181 00:09:14.200 --> 00:09:14.600 you in that. 182 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:18.240 Yeah, that was the dream, Like just to be able 183 00:09:18.240 --> 00:09:21.840 to do that and like live off your running and 184 00:09:21.879 --> 00:09:23.519 make a career out of it or whatever. You know. 185 00:09:23.879 --> 00:09:25.480 I think I was really just trying to find at 186 00:09:25.480 --> 00:09:27.720 that time, like how do I do this and make 187 00:09:27.759 --> 00:09:31.440 money and make it sustainable and all that, And I 188 00:09:31.519 --> 00:09:33.519 wasn't fast enough or durable enough to do it. But 189 00:09:33.559 --> 00:09:36.279 I'm like I've been able to thankfully do that since 190 00:09:36.320 --> 00:09:37.399 then for a career. 191 00:09:38.639 --> 00:09:42.440 So you mentioned going back to Grand Valley and being 192 00:09:42.759 --> 00:09:46.919 an assistant coach there, but you weren't sure. You weren't 193 00:09:46.919 --> 00:09:50.080 sure what did you have a moment did you have 194 00:09:50.120 --> 00:09:52.799 an athlete something that kind of stuck and you're like, oh, 195 00:09:52.960 --> 00:09:55.399 I can change lives, I can make an impact here. 196 00:09:56.039 --> 00:09:57.559 Yeah, I think so. And I think one of the 197 00:09:57.559 --> 00:10:01.120 things I always struggled with was like as an athlete, 198 00:10:01.159 --> 00:10:04.440 it's a selfish endeavor. You know. It's like you have 199 00:10:04.519 --> 00:10:06.960 to like you know, you know, hanging out with friends 200 00:10:07.000 --> 00:10:09.080 all the time, and you know, people aren't to go 201 00:10:09.159 --> 00:10:11.159 on vacations and you're not going, and you didn't have 202 00:10:11.200 --> 00:10:13.799 a lot of money. So like I was just getting 203 00:10:13.799 --> 00:10:15.679 to that point I think where I was, like my 204 00:10:15.799 --> 00:10:18.679 friends were making money at that time and they could 205 00:10:18.720 --> 00:10:22.600 go on vacation together and you know, or like you know, 206 00:10:22.679 --> 00:10:24.480 buy a nice car or whatever it would be. And 207 00:10:24.519 --> 00:10:29.399 like I just knew coaching was was some of that, 208 00:10:29.480 --> 00:10:32.879 like you're giving away your I would say, you're like 209 00:10:32.919 --> 00:10:35.720 that selfishness or like ability to grow yourself and you 210 00:10:36.039 --> 00:10:37.519 just take that and you put it into other people. 211 00:10:37.919 --> 00:10:39.480 And I think that took me a little while to 212 00:10:39.519 --> 00:10:42.919 realize like probably how selfish I was as an athlete 213 00:10:43.039 --> 00:10:46.039 in person, you know, and then as you get into coaching, 214 00:10:46.600 --> 00:10:48.919 you just give a lot of yourself to other people. 215 00:10:50.000 --> 00:10:54.080 That's like your time, your energy, you know, at that 216 00:10:54.279 --> 00:10:55.799 as an assistant coach and not making a lot of 217 00:10:55.799 --> 00:10:57.200 money and all that. So I think it just took 218 00:10:57.240 --> 00:11:00.480 me a little while to enjoy investing in other people 219 00:11:00.919 --> 00:11:04.720 when you probably spend like most of your life through 220 00:11:04.759 --> 00:11:07.799 college investing in yourself, you know, and so I think 221 00:11:07.799 --> 00:11:10.240 that's probably what took me the most to like. And 222 00:11:10.279 --> 00:11:12.840 then once you kind of recruit somebody and you make 223 00:11:12.879 --> 00:11:14.639 them better and you can kind of see like, oh, 224 00:11:14.679 --> 00:11:17.759 I'm like helping somebody grow. I think that for me, 225 00:11:17.840 --> 00:11:19.679 it's kind of started to click, you know, that it 226 00:11:19.759 --> 00:11:25.360 wasn't about me, it was about investing in other people. Yeah. 227 00:11:25.519 --> 00:11:27.399 You know, we talked to a lot of coaches and 228 00:11:28.159 --> 00:11:32.200 Damian Han as a Division one wrestling coach South Dakota State. 229 00:11:32.240 --> 00:11:34.240 He's from our home area, and he says, you know, 230 00:11:34.279 --> 00:11:37.200 you have two kinds of coaches and coaches that are 231 00:11:37.240 --> 00:11:40.600 in it because they're trying to build up their resume 232 00:11:40.799 --> 00:11:42.320 and they want to win because they want to win. 233 00:11:42.360 --> 00:11:44.399 And then they have coaches that are really in it 234 00:11:44.440 --> 00:11:46.720 for the development of the individual and the betterment of 235 00:11:46.759 --> 00:11:50.000 the human and making you know, better athletes, but better 236 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:52.559 humans and better better people that are going to be 237 00:11:52.600 --> 00:11:55.759 productive in society. And I think that's when I first 238 00:11:55.799 --> 00:11:58.080 started coaching. I was probably that first guy that was like, 239 00:11:58.159 --> 00:12:00.000 I want I want kids to run fast because it's 240 00:12:00.039 --> 00:12:02.679 going to make me look good now at you know, 241 00:12:02.720 --> 00:12:06.559 forty eight seem to be forty nine. It's like, well, 242 00:12:06.600 --> 00:12:08.559 I want you to still doing this when you're my age. 243 00:12:08.600 --> 00:12:10.279 I want you to be running like I'm still runner. 244 00:12:10.279 --> 00:12:11.480 I want you to enjoy it. I want it to 245 00:12:11.480 --> 00:12:15.240 be a lifelong passion and something you really enjoy doing. 246 00:12:15.360 --> 00:12:17.679 Like it'd be great if you run fast, you know, 247 00:12:17.759 --> 00:12:19.559 but I'm really here to make you a better human. 248 00:12:19.960 --> 00:12:22.720 Yeah. Absolutely, Yeah, And I think that's something that you 249 00:12:22.759 --> 00:12:25.799 struggle with because it does feel good to make somebody 250 00:12:25.879 --> 00:12:30.240 run fast, like internally, but if you know, and it's 251 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:32.240 something I mean a bigger conversation, but I fear with 252 00:12:32.320 --> 00:12:35.039 like where Division one is heading, is that it just 253 00:12:35.080 --> 00:12:40.360 becomes so transactional that you lose that like the growth 254 00:12:40.399 --> 00:12:44.039 of the person and the development. And you know, I 255 00:12:44.120 --> 00:12:47.000 grew I was an Okay high school runner, Division two 256 00:12:47.000 --> 00:12:51.159 college runner, so definitely experience like that growth. And none 257 00:12:51.200 --> 00:12:53.200 of us did it for like a big scholarship or 258 00:12:53.320 --> 00:12:56.720 fame or something like that. So I think, yeah, I 259 00:12:56.720 --> 00:12:58.440 think that's in me, and I have to try to 260 00:12:58.480 --> 00:13:01.120 like guard myself against turning into so like that guy, 261 00:13:01.159 --> 00:13:03.559 you know, the guy that is just out for results. 262 00:13:04.200 --> 00:13:08.000 Yeah, I would imagine it's fairly can be a challenge 263 00:13:08.000 --> 00:13:09.759 at the Division one level, and we'll get into some 264 00:13:09.799 --> 00:13:13.039 of those other things that you were talking about in 265 00:13:13.080 --> 00:13:17.000 a little bit Curious is that fitness those guys they 266 00:13:17.000 --> 00:13:19.080 were based out of North Carolina. Is that what made 267 00:13:19.120 --> 00:13:22.320 the Elon connection or was that just two kind of coincidental. 268 00:13:22.399 --> 00:13:26.639 Yeah, it's coincidental. But I really like North Carolina. I thought, 269 00:13:26.720 --> 00:13:28.720 like I lived there for about two years and totally 270 00:13:28.720 --> 00:13:31.879 different area like Boon or Blowing Lock Rock, North Carolina, 271 00:13:31.879 --> 00:13:35.600 which is in the mountains and is awesome area, but 272 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:37.840 I really like just the state of North Carolina. And 273 00:13:37.919 --> 00:13:41.559 so yeah, that when Elon came up, I was at 274 00:13:41.559 --> 00:13:44.200 Grand Valley and had I'd lived there for maybe ten 275 00:13:44.279 --> 00:13:46.480 or eleven years total as an athlete and a coach, 276 00:13:46.559 --> 00:13:50.000 and at that point, like my coach was just like 277 00:13:50.639 --> 00:13:52.519 he just had it down, like every day he knew 278 00:13:52.519 --> 00:13:54.080 exactly what he's gonna do because he did it last 279 00:13:54.159 --> 00:13:56.639 year on that day and just had the whole structure down. 280 00:13:56.679 --> 00:13:59.759 And so they afforded us a lot of opportunity to coach. 281 00:13:59.840 --> 00:14:01.080 But I kind of want to see if could I 282 00:14:01.120 --> 00:14:02.519 do this on my own, and what would be like 283 00:14:02.559 --> 00:14:05.720 if I had my own program, and so yeah, that 284 00:14:05.799 --> 00:14:07.759 was a good opportunity to like do my own thing 285 00:14:07.799 --> 00:14:09.360 a little bit but still be in North Carolina. 286 00:14:09.879 --> 00:14:14.440 Okay. You know we always talk about, especially as a director, 287 00:14:14.759 --> 00:14:18.440 you know, with wrestling coaches, to the head of the 288 00:14:18.440 --> 00:14:21.480 program is like the CEO of a business. And so 289 00:14:21.559 --> 00:14:24.519 when you took over and stepped into that kind of 290 00:14:24.519 --> 00:14:28.679 CEO role at Elon, But now at Lipscom, how has 291 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:32.919 how has your role evolved? I guess from stepping into 292 00:14:32.960 --> 00:14:35.279 it at Elon to what you're doing now in twenty two. 293 00:14:35.360 --> 00:14:38.360 Yeah, I mean, I think it's one thing that's more 294 00:14:38.399 --> 00:14:41.799 challenging at Lipscomb is we have a men's and women's 295 00:14:41.840 --> 00:14:45.039 like track program. At Elon we had men's cross and 296 00:14:45.080 --> 00:14:48.279 then women's ross and track, so there's a few more 297 00:14:48.320 --> 00:14:51.399 bodies to it, but a lot of it's the same 298 00:14:51.480 --> 00:14:54.840 kind of thing I think of just trying to like 299 00:14:55.080 --> 00:14:57.919 at Lipscomb, just we have our distance coaches that kind 300 00:14:57.919 --> 00:14:59.919 of helped me out, and then we have our sprint 301 00:15:00.279 --> 00:15:03.000 and jumps and kind of everything else coaches and just 302 00:15:03.039 --> 00:15:06.639 making sure people have what they need to be successful, 303 00:15:07.159 --> 00:15:09.320 and then the knowledge of just kind of like what 304 00:15:09.360 --> 00:15:12.519 are your parameters, you know, like we don't have everything 305 00:15:12.879 --> 00:15:15.559 we need. We don't have unlimited budgets. So just like 306 00:15:16.559 --> 00:15:19.679 I think, setting the expectation for what successes, and then 307 00:15:19.759 --> 00:15:21.399 just checking on people to make sure you know that 308 00:15:21.440 --> 00:15:23.720 they care and you're there and yeah, a lot of 309 00:15:23.799 --> 00:15:25.519 you know, it's like coaching the distance kids for me, 310 00:15:25.600 --> 00:15:28.240 but then it's like partially coaching the coaches and setting 311 00:15:28.240 --> 00:15:32.080 the tone and stuff. So thankfully, I think I'm in 312 00:15:32.159 --> 00:15:33.919 year six, you know, I think it gets a little 313 00:15:33.960 --> 00:15:36.279 easier that you you kind of know the structure and 314 00:15:36.279 --> 00:15:39.639 what's to come. So every year for me, I think 315 00:15:39.679 --> 00:15:41.080 it's gotten a little bit smoother in that. 316 00:15:42.799 --> 00:15:46.799 Okay, coach, you mentioned being in year six, So how 317 00:15:46.799 --> 00:15:48.320 did it start and how's it going? 318 00:15:49.200 --> 00:15:51.679 Yeah, So so I had a little gap in there 319 00:15:51.720 --> 00:15:53.960 too when I was at Elon. I was there for 320 00:15:53.960 --> 00:15:56.919 three years and it probably bounced, you know, around a 321 00:15:56.919 --> 00:15:59.519 little bit a little bit much at that time. But 322 00:15:59.600 --> 00:16:03.200 I left. I left coaching. We were having a daughter 323 00:16:03.960 --> 00:16:06.840 and my wife and I and and honestly I was 324 00:16:06.879 --> 00:16:09.279 kind of like a little bit burnt out on coaching 325 00:16:09.399 --> 00:16:13.200 at the time having a daughter. A good opportunity came 326 00:16:13.279 --> 00:16:15.120 up to work at USA Track and Field in the 327 00:16:15.200 --> 00:16:18.840 national office and a sweet job. Like I it was 328 00:16:18.879 --> 00:16:21.000 in my hometown of Indie, and so I could have 329 00:16:21.039 --> 00:16:25.639 our daughter, I get home with family and traveled like 330 00:16:25.679 --> 00:16:27.759 the world. So I went to almost every Diamond League 331 00:16:27.799 --> 00:16:31.440 meet and got to just do the professional side of 332 00:16:31.480 --> 00:16:35.120 the sport. So I you know, went from T two 333 00:16:35.320 --> 00:16:38.279 to D one to you know, working with professional athletes, 334 00:16:38.480 --> 00:16:40.279 and it was way more of like the one percent. 335 00:16:40.399 --> 00:16:42.519 So I wasn't coaching them or doing any of that, 336 00:16:42.679 --> 00:16:46.159 but helping them like find a doctor for an injury, 337 00:16:46.600 --> 00:16:51.200 sports psychology, sports science y type stuff for helping them 338 00:16:51.240 --> 00:16:55.519 with like grants and financial side of things. So so 339 00:16:55.559 --> 00:16:57.080 it was cool I got to do like the kind 340 00:16:57.080 --> 00:16:59.200 of little one percent for the top athletes in the 341 00:16:59.320 --> 00:17:02.679 US and got to travel the world and all this stuff. 342 00:17:02.720 --> 00:17:05.680 But I also it was a really nice break from 343 00:17:05.720 --> 00:17:08.160 coaching because it made me miss the ninety nine percent 344 00:17:08.240 --> 00:17:10.519 of the time with just the student athletes. And so 345 00:17:11.319 --> 00:17:14.039 I came to Lipscomb like really refreshed, I think, and 346 00:17:14.119 --> 00:17:18.039 ready to invest in the student athletes because I was 347 00:17:18.079 --> 00:17:20.359 able to kind of get check that like professional box 348 00:17:20.440 --> 00:17:23.319 and meet a lot of people and kind of do 349 00:17:23.359 --> 00:17:26.319 things at a high level. But yeah, so I transitioned, yeah, 350 00:17:26.359 --> 00:17:31.319 from USATF and yeah, it's been awesome six years. It's 351 00:17:31.319 --> 00:17:32.440 flown by so far. 352 00:17:33.759 --> 00:17:36.640 So you kind of mentioned running the full gamut of 353 00:17:36.680 --> 00:17:40.920 every experience as far as D two, D one USA 354 00:17:41.039 --> 00:17:45.559 track and fields, and before you had mentioned that recruiting's 355 00:17:45.640 --> 00:17:48.440 kind of changing a little bit with the ANIL and 356 00:17:48.480 --> 00:17:50.839 the ability to just kind of pay kids. What do 357 00:17:50.880 --> 00:17:53.640 you think the advantage of being at a smaller Division 358 00:17:53.640 --> 00:17:56.960 one school like Lipsyn is and what do you think 359 00:17:57.839 --> 00:17:59.640 you know some disadvantages might be. 360 00:18:00.319 --> 00:18:03.000 Yeah, I mean the biggest disadvantage I think is just 361 00:18:03.039 --> 00:18:07.799 like you're you're not typically like on anybody's radar to start, 362 00:18:08.000 --> 00:18:10.359 you know, like you're not the school that like the 363 00:18:11.400 --> 00:18:13.160 you know, you're at the hospital. They're putting you in 364 00:18:13.200 --> 00:18:16.720 the Alabama Onesie or the South Carolina. You know. It's 365 00:18:16.759 --> 00:18:19.039 like a lot of kids have that, Like from day one, 366 00:18:19.720 --> 00:18:22.000 my dad and my uncle, my mom went here, so 367 00:18:22.119 --> 00:18:24.319 this is where I'm going to school. So you always 368 00:18:24.440 --> 00:18:29.119 are fighting that battle. But I do think once you 369 00:18:29.160 --> 00:18:32.319 can get a program to a national level, it definitely 370 00:18:32.359 --> 00:18:36.640 opens people's eyes because we get recruits now that are like, oh, 371 00:18:36.680 --> 00:18:39.160 I just looked up the top all the schools at 372 00:18:39.240 --> 00:18:41.400 NCAA's and just emailed every coach you know, and it's 373 00:18:41.400 --> 00:18:44.480 like you would have connected with that athlete if you 374 00:18:44.519 --> 00:18:48.359 didn't make it into that pool of schools. So it 375 00:18:48.400 --> 00:18:51.440 definitely has gotten a little bit easier as you get 376 00:18:51.440 --> 00:18:53.559 things to a national level because you just have a 377 00:18:53.599 --> 00:18:56.400 little bit more eyes on you. But that is probably 378 00:18:56.400 --> 00:18:59.799 our biggest struggle always is just like fighting the battle. 379 00:19:00.079 --> 00:19:03.440 It's you know, the schools you see ESPN all the time, 380 00:19:03.559 --> 00:19:07.480 and but in that, you know, you get it in that. 381 00:19:07.519 --> 00:19:10.640 I think like we have also found, probably more than 382 00:19:10.680 --> 00:19:16.240 anything recently, that the kid the kids that are interested 383 00:19:16.279 --> 00:19:20.279 in Lipscomb or a place like us, like they're not 384 00:19:20.480 --> 00:19:22.960 interested in the big schools and vice versa. So if 385 00:19:23.000 --> 00:19:24.720 we lose a kid we're in the state of Tennessee, 386 00:19:24.759 --> 00:19:27.000 if we lose a kid to Tennessee, like they were 387 00:19:27.000 --> 00:19:28.880 never coming here, they wouldn't have been a good fit 388 00:19:28.920 --> 00:19:31.119 when they're here. And you get a lot of kids 389 00:19:31.119 --> 00:19:32.920 that go to those schools just because of the football 390 00:19:32.920 --> 00:19:36.079 program or just because of the notoriety or on Instagram. 391 00:19:36.119 --> 00:19:38.720 They want to, you know, show their friends that that's 392 00:19:38.720 --> 00:19:41.319 where they went to school. And we've often found that 393 00:19:41.359 --> 00:19:43.839 those kids just aren't good fits. And like one of 394 00:19:43.920 --> 00:19:46.359 the reasons that we've gotten good is because we don't 395 00:19:46.359 --> 00:19:47.720 have a lot of kids like that. Like, we don't 396 00:19:47.720 --> 00:19:49.319 have a lot of kids that came to run d 397 00:19:49.440 --> 00:19:55.519 one or to to look good and kind of you know, 398 00:19:55.640 --> 00:19:58.160 cash out once they get there. So pretty much everybody 399 00:19:58.160 --> 00:20:00.880 that came is like here for a reason and still 400 00:20:01.000 --> 00:20:02.880 desires to be good. Like none of them feel like 401 00:20:02.920 --> 00:20:05.920