Game Changers: Incredible Stories of Resilience in Sports

Kenny Servera is a lifelong New York sports fan and the host of the Podcast, Kenny the Sports Guy where he has interviewed hundred of athletes and coaches about their lives in sports and the impact that sports have on our society as a whole.  Listen in as Kenny tells his story about how sports saved his life and also reminds us about why sports can be uplifting and powerful when we need something to believe in.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

This week’s episode of Game Changers is a little different — we have not one, but three incredible guests joining the show. As you know, Game Changers is all about resilience and amazing comeback stories in sports and life, and my guests this week truly embody that spirit. Ryan Scoble, Steve Scoble, and Bob Betcher are the founders and board members of Lax for Life, an organization dedicated to raising awareness about organ donation and creating life-changing opportunities.

All three of my guests have hearts that they were not born with – they all received heart transplants, and all share a deep connection to lacrosse as a coach, athlete, or parent of an athlete. Both Ryan and Bob were national championship finalists—Ryan at Mercyhurst University and Bob at Ohio Wesleyan. Their stories are remarkable, and they are here to share how organ donation transformed their lives and why it’s so important. 

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Stu Singer is an exceptional

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Matt Sargeant grew up with Coach John Wooden's Pyramid of Success in the forefront of his mind - his youth coach introduced it to him at a very young age.  There was nothing that Matt loved more than basketball and after a very successful high school career at Ocean View High School in California, he played at Princeton University.  Like many athletes, Matt's journey was full of injuries, setbacks, comebacks and a strong desire to succeed no matter what the cost.  

Not surprisingly, Matt Sargeant is now a successful high school basketball coach at Notre Dame High School in Sherman Oaks, California playing in the very competitive Mission League.  Coach Sargeant has had a lot of success developing high school players into college-ready athletes and more than 20 of his players have gone on to play basketball in college.  He is also coming off a tremendous season with a win record of 31 and 4 winning the CIF Southern Section Division 1 championship. 

Listen in as he tells his incredible story and what led him to become the coach he is today.

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Bryant Mitchell has learned a lot of Life Lessons on the football field. Mitchell was a walk-on wide receiver on the football team at University of New Hampshire.  By his Junior year, he earned a partial scholarship and by his senior year, he earned a a full scholarship and a starting position.  But his story, like most, is windy and up and down. He faced significant injuries, battled self-doubt and worked incredibly hard to earn spot on the roster.  
After college Bryant continued to use the skills he learned on the football field to work in the Leadership Development space to help build teams, coach coaches and cultivate work environments that emulate the team environment that he grew up in.  His perspective from his sports journey gives him the insight to the inner workings of a winning culture.  You don't want to miss this episode!

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Mike Procopio is a Player Development basketball coach and a master of breaking down game film and providing players with the tools to maximize their performance. He was the Director of Player Development for the Dallas Mavericks for 6 Seasons from 2013-2019. He was also Kobe Bryant’s Strategic Game Coach for 4 Years from 2009-2012 where he gave Kobe detailed scouting reports and video breakdowns before and after games. 
Coach Procopio also spent 10 Years as the Director of Basketball Operations for ATTACK Athletics in Chicago where he worked for Tim Grover who was Michael Jordan’s Trainer.  In addition, he spent 4 Years as a Scout for The Boston Celtics. He founded Hoop Consultants which is a global basketball consulting company servicing players, coaches and scouts at all levels from high school, college and the NBA. Tune in to hear Mike's perspective on all things basketball....

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

 Matt Koman's journey is nothing short of extraordinary. His deep love for sports and relentless perseverance led him to play both college football and basketball, overcoming numerous challenges along the way. His story is marked by severe injuries, remarkable recoveries, and invaluable lessons learned both on and off the field. After graduating, Matt dedicated himself to enhancing the mental and physical well-being of others. He is a certified Holistic Lifestyle Practitioner, Peacemaker, Strength and Conditioning Coach, and Sports Performance Coach. As the co-founder of Opti Well Being Solutions and The Togethership, his impact continues to grow. Beyond all of this, he's a member of the USA Beach Handball Team, competing internationally. Tune in to hear his inspiring story, which might just motivate you to achieve something extraordinary. 

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Cricket Basa was a standout out soccer player at Montpelier High School where she was an All-State selection 3 times, the Times Argus Newspaper Soccer Player of the Year twice, the Capital League Player of the Year twice and played in the VT State Championship game in 2016.  After she tore her ACL in high school, she went to Holy Cross on a soccer scholarship.  During the first couple weeks ofher college soccer season, she tore her other ACL and was forced back into a grueling rehab.
Cricket left Holy Cross and walked on to the University of Vermont soccer team.  She fought her way to a starting position and then won the Most Outstanding Player of the America East Championship in 2021 after she scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute to give UVM its first America East Championship.

Listen in to her incredible story from the depths of multiple knee injuries to the glory of a championship season!! 

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

The list of basketball accomplishments by Lauren Manis is too long to list here.  Put simply, Lauren is a basketball STUD! She played at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA and was the first player in school history (men or women) to score 2,000+ points and have 1,000+ rebounds.  She is the Patriot League All-time leader in Rebounds with 1,188 rebounds.  She also had 58 career double-doubles.  She was the 2020 Crusader of the Year.  She was first team All-Patriot League and All Defensive Team.  She was League Player of the Week too many times to count.

Manis was then drafted by the Las Vegas Aces in the 2020 WNBA Draft.  After getting waived, Lauren played professionally in Hungary, Belgium, Greece, Israel and is now playing in Mexico.  Like all professional sports stories, hers is up and down and she shares the details this week on the Game Changers podcast.  Sit back and get inspired....  

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories. 

Eli Bremer's sport requires so many skills that it's hard to wrap your mind around it.  Most Americans don't know what the Modern Pentathlete is and Eli is the perfect athlete to explain it. Bremer is not only an Olympian who represented the United States in the modern pentathlon at the 2008 Beijing Olympics, but he is also a dedicated military officer, having served as a major in the United States Air Force. 

But Eli’s story doesn’t stop at his impressive athletic and military accomplishments. He’s also a respected commentator (who worked as a commentator for the 2004 and 2012 Olympics on NBC), a successful entrepreneur, and an advocate for athlete rights. His Olympic journey will amaze, inspire and entertain you!

Thank you for tuning in to this episode of Game Changers. We hope you found inspiration and motivation in the stories of resilience and adversity shared by our incredible guests. Remember, no matter what challenges you face, your ability to overcome them lies within. Stay resilient and keep pushing forward towards your goals. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing it with others who may benefit from these powerful stories.