As a special episode for Trending in Ed fans, we're releasing our latest episode of Running it Back, the Lessons Learned from Sports podcasting featuring Tarlin Ray and Trending in Ed host Mike Palmer. Sometimes it's hard to come directly at a topic so we use things like sports to help us work through unthinkable tragedies like what we've seen in recent weeks. If you enjoy this episode, check our Running It Back wherever you get your podcasts. Visit us at RunningItBack.fm for more.

Tarlin and Mike react to the powerful moments from sports leaders in response to the tragic shootings in Uvalde, Texas and Buffalo, New York. We listen to what Steve Kerr said and talk about what Gabe Kapler did as coaches and leaders of their teams respond publicly to the unthinkable events.

Then we run it back to the history of sports protests and activism ranging from Kaepernick, to Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf, to the leading role of the WNBA, the Brittney Griner situation, and Muhammad Ali's historic protest of the Vietnam War, among others, as we try to make sense of the senseless. And there's plenty of reference to famous soundbites from Marshawn Lynch, Rasheed Wallace, and Allen Iverson along the way to keep things lighter.

What lessons, if any, can we learn from all of this? How can we use sports narratives as tools to work through our response to the unthinkable? And what does this tell us about leadership and acts of conscience in these challenging times? We cover all of this and more on our latest episode. Listen in and enjoy.

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