Its Just Different Podcast

Your daughter wants to play college basketball. But if your family is only looking at D1, what could you be missing?Hardin-Simmons head women's basketball coach Kendra Whitehead joins Ashley Roberts to unpack the D3 conversation parents keep asking for: the level of competition, college costs, recruiting interest, and finding a program that fits the athlete and the person.They discuss how a coach evaluates recruiting emails and highlight film, why travel spending should connect to the schools actually recruiting your daughter, and the questions families can ask when interest feels unclear.In this episode:• What families misunderstand about D3 basketball• Why financial-aid examples require a closer look at actual family costs• How distinctive skills, personalized emails, and useful film help coaches evaluate recruits• When to explore other levels and ask a coach where your athlete standsFinancial examples reflect the situations discussed in the interview; they are not guaranteed aid offers or typical costs for every family.Join the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferent/about?ref=e5c985b2c58c47afb7bb18a0d15b34e6Connect with Ashley Roberts on Instagram: @_thisisashleyrShop DIFFERENT apparel: https://itsjustdifferentapparel.comUse code PODCAST for 15% off.Join the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferent/about?ref=e5c985b2c58c47afb7bb18a0d15b34e6

How do you know when your athlete needs a new team and how do you make that decision without feeling disloyal to the coach who believed in her?

Ashley Roberts sits down with Chay and Victor Mann, parents of college basketball player Chloe Mann, for an honest conversation about development, team loyalty, and raising an athlete without letting sports take over your relationship.

Both former Kansas State athletes, Chay and Victor share what their own experiences prepared them for and what they still had to learn as sports parents. From independent basketball to Duncanville and Chloe’s college journey from Cincinnati to Grand Canyon, they discuss how their family approached changing environments and making difficult decisions.

They also reflect on the sacrifices, money, and childhood moments they would approach differently.

IN THIS EPISODE:

• What’s different when the athlete becomes the parent

• How to include your child in major basketball decisions

• Team loyalty, independent programs, and knowing when to move

• Why being the star doesn’t always mean your athlete is developing

• How to evaluate training and development opportunities

• Playing multiple sports versus specializing

• Motivating your child without forcing your own dream

• Adjusting to college basketball and evaluating a transfer

• Protecting your relationship and your child’s identity beyond sports

• What Chay and Victor would do differently today

Whether you’re evaluating a club team, investing in training, or preparing your daughter for college basketball, this conversation offers questions to help your family think through the next step.

JOIN THE BASKETBALL PARENT COMMUNITY

Join the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:

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JOIN THE CONVERSATION

What would make you change your athletes team: development, the environment, or something else?

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Share this episode with a sports parent who is weighing their family’s next move.

Your daughter can score 20 points for one team and have a completely different job on another. That does not automatically mean a coach is holding her back—it may be the adjustment that exposes what she needs to develop next.Coach Kelley Meiklejohn joins Ashley Roberts to explain what changes between AAU and high-school basketball, why trust and communication matter, and how parents can support athletes without removing every difficult moment. They discuss changing positions, training outside team practice, balancing basketball with grades and sleep, realistic college levels, and why D2, D3, and JUCO can be valuable paths.In this episode:• Why an athlete’s AAU and high-school roles may be different• How coaches build trust through attendance, accountability, and communication• When adversity is productive—and when a role may truly be the wrong fit• Why games reveal trained skills rather than create them• How families can evaluate D1, D2, D3, JUCO, and other opportunities• What incoming varsity players must learn about pace, defense, IQ, and team cultureAshley on Instagram: @_thisisashleyrJoin the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferent/about?ref=e5c985b2c58c47afb7bb18a0d15b34e6Join Different First Access to shop new DIFFERENT merch before the public:http://itsjustdifferentapparel.com/firstaccess

Families are making expensive decisions about prep school and reclassification without checking whether their athlete's courses actually protect NCAA eligibility.In this episode, Ashley Roberts sits down with educational consultant Shanay Y. Howard to explain the transcript checks, Division I 10/7 requirement, prep-school questions, and athlete-support systems parents should examine before changing schools or adding another year.You'll learn:• Why high school graduation requirements and NCAA eligibility requirements are not the same• How to check every attended school's NCAA-approved core courses• What to ask about academics, housing, mental health, training, scheduling, and recruiting access• When reclassification may solve a real problem—and when it may only add costNCAA certification is individual and current rules can change. Confirm your athlete's situation with the NCAA Eligibility Center and the appropriate school professionals.Subscribe for direct, practical conversations that help parents make smarter decisions throughout the girls' basketball journey.Ashley on Instagram: @_thisisashleyrJoin the Basketball Parent Community for direct guidance, resources, and conversations with other basketball families:https://www.skool.com/itsjustdifferent/about?ref=e5c985b2c58c47afb7bb18a0d15b34e6Join Different First Access to shop new DIFFERENT merch before the public:http://itsjustdifferentapparel.com/firstaccess

Parents can spend thousands on basketball exposure and still end up with footage a college coach skips. Rare—Sean Rogers of Rare Footage Sports—breaks down the difference between a social-media highlight and useful recruiting footage, and why chasing attention can expose an athlete before she is ready.

In this episode, Ashley and Rare explain how parents can define the job of a video, evaluate a media outlet's credibility and relationships, avoid paying for edits coaches will not watch, and recognize what makes athletes stand out beyond scoring.

What you'll learn:

• How to decide whether footage is for memories, social reach, or coaches

• What to ask a media outlet before paying

• Why exposure can reveal weaknesses as quickly as it creates opportunity

• What coaches notice beyond points, including communication, leadership, grades, and parent behavior

Follow Rare on Instagram:

@rarefootagesports

Follow Ashley on Instagram:

@_thisisashleyr

Subscribe for direct, parent-centered guidance on competitive girls' basketball: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC0X3Dw6PhEInhKQM7s_MOow?sub_confirmation=1

Waiting for the right coach to discover your daughter is not a recruiting strategy.Brooke Bizzell earned three Division I offers while playing on an EYCL team. In this conversation, Brooke and her parents explain how they combined updated film, detailed outreach, repeated follow-up, live-period opportunities, player development, and NCSA to create recruiting interest—including the relationship that led Brooke to commit to Houston Christian.In this episode, you’ll learn:• Why a circuit or AAU program cannot do all the recruiting work for an athlete• How Brooke’s family made NCSA work for them• Why detailed schedules, film, and consistent coach outreach mattered• What families should consider when choosing an AAU team• How Brooke handled recruiting uncertainty without abandoning her team• What uncommitted athletes should do instead of waitingWatch through the end for Brooke’s advice to uncommitted 2027 athletes.Subscribe to It’s Just Different Podcast for honest conversations that help parents make smarter decisions throughout the girls’ basketball journey.

Stay in Touch

Ashley: https://www.instagram.com/_thisisashleyr/

Brooke: https://www.instagram.com/brookes_ballin12/

Should your daughter leave public school for a prep program—or can the right public-school environment be better for her development?Chris Desdunes (CD), father of Rutgers guard Chikae Desdunes, joins Ashley for an honest parent-to-parent conversation about the decisions that shaped Chikae’s path: independent AAU versus circuit basketball, a coaching change after committing to Penn State, a second recruiting process, official visits, prep school, NIL, and knowing when an athlete is truly ready for the next level.Ashley and CD break down:- Why independent teams have a harder exposure path than they used to- What families should watch for during an official visit- Why a coach’s contract situation matters before a commitment- When prep school can accelerate development—and when it may not- How to judge an athlete’s level without letting parent ego lead- What a serious sixth-grade-to-college development path can look likeKEEP IN TOUCHAshley Roberts: https://www.instagram.com/_thisisashleyr/RESOURCES FOR BASKETBALL PARENTS

Join the Basketball Parent Community: https://www.ashleynroberts.com/community

Shop DIFFERENT merch and use code Podcast for 15% off: https://itsjustdifferentapparel.comSubscribe for weekly conversations that help basketball parents make smarter decisions.

Your athlete is being evaluated before the first basket. KP explains why communication, body language, response to mistakes, role value, and projection can matter more than points or highlights—and how parents can help without taking over the journey.Kenneth “KP” Pannell is a national girls' basketball evaluator whose current work includes the ESPNW Top 100 team and ESPN HoopGurlz scouting. He is a voting member of the McDonald's All American selection committee and also works with Select Winter Series, USA Basketball championship selection, the Naismith Trophy Board of Selectors, and the Basketball Hall of Fame's Wootten Award Committee. He evaluates elite players across major grassroots circuits, which is exactly why parents should pay attention to what he notices before an athlete scores.Ashley and KP break down:- The difference between getting exposure and getting exposed- What earns an evaluator's attention before the box score- Why mistakes can reveal more than perfect possessions- How role players create real college value- How to evaluate camps before spending money- Why youth rankings should not control development decisionsKEEP IN TOUCHAshley Roberts: https://www.instagram.com/_thisisashleyr/KP: https://www.instagram.com/kpannell_/RESOURCES FOR BASKETBALL PARENTSJoin the Basketball Parent Community: https://www.ashleynroberts.com/community

Shop DIFFERENT merch and use code Podcast for 15% off: https://itsjustdifferentapparel.comSubscribe for weekly conversations that help basketball parents make smarter decisions.

Getting the offer is exciting. But choosing the wrong level, roster, role, or coaching fit can leave a talented athlete unprepared for the reality of college basketball.Texas Tech head coach Krista Gerlich joins Ashley Roberts to explain what families should evaluate after a college coach shows interest—and before an athlete commits. Coach Gerlich knows this journey from every side: she was an All-American guard on Texas Tech’s 1993 national championship team and is now the 2026 Big 12 Coach of the Year leading the same program.In this conversation, Krista explains why a phone call is not the same as an offer, why an offer does not guarantee playing time, what college coaches evaluate beyond talent, and how families can judge the right level and roster opportunity.IN THIS EPISODE:- Why recruiting has become more transactional- What “fit” really means to a college coach- What coaches evaluate after an athlete gets their attention- Why a recruiting phone call is not automatically an offer- How parents can judge the right college level- Why strong high-school statistics can be misleading- Questions families should ask during official visits- What coaches notice about athletes and parents- Why talented freshmen struggle with college practices- How athletes earn roles and playing time- Advice for 2027 recruits who still have no offersJOIN THE BASKETBALL PARENT COMMUNITY:https://www.ashleynroberts.com/communityLEARN MORE ABOUT KRISTA GERLICH AND TEXAS TECH:https://texastech.com/sports/womens-basketball/roster/coaches/krista-gerlich/4327

What does it really take to build a winning basketball program—and how can parents and athletes make sure they’re choosing the right path to get there?In this episode of It’s Just Different, Ashley Roberts sits down with Coach Stan Delus, head coach of Etiwanda Girls Basketball and Sports Academy to talk about building championship culture, developing athletes, and preparing players for the next level.With more than 27 years of coaching experience and a recent EYBL Nike Nationals Championship, Coach Delus shares his perspective on the evolution of AAU basketball, the impact of NIL and the transfer portal, and why finding the right fit matters more than simply chasing the biggest name.The conversation also explores player development, confidence, mentorship, college recruitment, and the importance of setting realistic expectations for young athletes and their families.Whether you're a parent navigating AAU basketball, an athlete pursuing the next level, or a coach focused on developing players the right way, this episode is full of insight on building a successful basketball journey—both on and off the court.In This Episode:- Building a championship culture in girls' basketball- How AAU basketball has evolved with space, pace, NIL, and the transfer portal- Why training and preparation matter at every level- Balancing basketball, family, education, and career- Building confidence and mentorship in the social media era- The importance of development for young athletes- Navigating college recruitment beyond the elite level- How coaches build trust with players and families- Finding the right AAU team and program for your athlete- Setting realistic expectations for the college basketball journeyAbout Coach Stan Delus:Coach Delus is the head coach of Etiwanda Girls Basketball and Sports Academy. With more than 27 years of coaching experience, he has built a reputation for developing athletes and creating winning cultures. He has coached top-tier talent, earned national recognition as a coach of the year, and most recently led his team to an EYBL Nike Nationals Championship.Key Takeaways:- Development takes time: Even elite athletes need consistent training, structure, and intentional development.- Maturity matters: Basketball can teach young athletes how to balance competition, education, relationships, and personal growth.- Find the right fit: The biggest or most recognizable program isn't always the best fit for an athlete's goals.- Coaching goes beyond tactics: Great coaches build trust, provide mentorship, and genuinely invest in their athletes.- Set realistic expectations: There are multiple pathways to playing college basketball, and understanding those pathways can help athletes and families make better decisions.- Culture creates consistency: Championship programs are built through standards, accountability, preparation, and a shared commitment to getting better.Resources for Basketball Parents:Join the Basketball Parent Community: https://www.ashleynroberts.com/communityShop DIFFERENT apparel and use code Podcast for 15% off: https://itsjustdifferentapparel.comFollow Ashley:https://www.instagram.com/_thisisashleyr/Follow Coach Delus:https://www.instagram.com/coach_delus/