Tale Lights Podcast

Tale Lights Podcast

By Erik ThormaehlenEducation
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Tale Lights Podcast episodes

  • #19 Dub Farris

    We reach back to humble beginnings in Carlsbad, New Mexico, to a career as the Head Football Coach at Odessa High, San Antonio Marshall, and Dickinson, all the way to becoming an athletic administrator with Round Rock and NISD, we cover it all! The name of Coach Dub Farris is easily recognizable because of the thousands of people that fill Farris Stadium on a regular basis, not to mention the many that drive by the beautiful facility (located along 1604 in San Antonio) on a daily basis. It was a real pleasure and honor to take an hour to listen in to stories from the career of a Texas High School Football Coaching Legend, as we traveled all throughout the State of Texas.

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    58 min
  • Tale Lights #18 Alan Rich

    Alan Rich was elected to the Boerne ISD Board of Trustees in 2006. Prior to that, he grew up in San Antonio, and graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School. Alan then went on to Abilene Christian, before returning to the area and become an elected member of the Boerne ISD School Board. Alan is the last remaining board member that I served with, and following the completion of his current term, will have 15 years experience on the BISD Board. We'll be talking about all kind of things school board related, as well as, Alan's background, family, and much, much more!

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    48 min
  • Tale Lights #17 Devlyn Lovell

    Coach Devlyn Lovell has coached teams at the Antonian College Preparatory High School to 15 state championships. We will be talking all about the TAPPS world and in the middle of two runs at Antonian, we'll talk about Coach Lovell's transition to the college world, before coming back to the high school level. Track and Field fans will want to listen closely, as well as those coaches out there that often think about the college ranks. We'll go deep into the process of making what is practically a career change, as we follow Coach Lovell's career from San Antonio all the way out to New Mexico and back. We'll talk all about his time running in college and going to Thomas C. Clark High School in San Antonio... What was that area even like before they built the rim and La Cantera? We can't wait to hear it all!

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    1 hr 52 min
  • Tale Lights #16 Dr. Robert Zayas
    Coach Zayas coached me twenty years ago in the eighth grade, when I was a snot-nosed little punk in the jr. high at Boerne Middle School! Believe me, I was not easy to deal with! Fast-forward two decades later and this man is in charge of the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (or what we call the "UIL" here in Texas). Coach spent a couple of years in Texas Public Education as a teacher and coach in Boerne and at Pflugerville Connally, prior to heading to New Mexico to work on his PhD. He ended up landing a job that lasted ten year with the New Mexico Activities Association (Similar to UIL), prior to taking a chance at the Executive Director role with the NYSPHSAA, and landing the job! We'll be talking all about Athletic Administration and what it takes to be in that line of work for our listeners that are interested in that particular area.
    43 min
  • Tale Lights #15 Steve Van Meter

    Coach Steve Van Meter spent the majority of his career as the Head Football Coach of the Friendswood Mustangs, a program that has only known four different head football coaches in it's entire 60+ year existence. "Coach Van" not only coached the mustangs for twenty years, but he also played on the 1973 Friendswood team that won the state championship, under Coach Henry Winston. In his twenty years at Friendswood, Coach Van Meter won more than 185 games in twenty-five total years as a head coach. He led teams to the State Semifinals on two occasions, and the quarterfinals three times while in Friendswood. Coach Van went on to Hutto and led the Hippos to the State Quarterfinals, as well. You won't want to miss this episode!

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    1 hr 30 min
  • Tale Lights #14 Russell Hawkins

    One of the few reporters I've ever liked!  Russell Hawkins has photographed some of the best athletes and biggest events in Texas sports.  We'll be talking about his time in the USMC, officiating football games out in El Paso, covering the Sun Bowl, and so much more!  Mr. Hawkins is a quiet and very humble man, and I can't wait for this sit-down interview to start chipping away at the great stories of a man that has been an unsung hero in making high school athletes feel like a big deal for a long time... whether they were a big deal or not.  Coming this weekend!  

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    1 hr 16 min
  • Tale Lights #13 Stan Leech

    Stan Leech is very unique in the State of Texas. Most ADs are head football coaches, but when Stan Leech got the chance to assume the Athletic Director position in Boerne, he orchestrated an era of unmatched athletic success in the small community by hiring quality coaches, supporting all programs, and loving kids, which ultimately led to levels of achievement beyond any era in Boerne history. You won't want to miss out on a podcast that is sure to include some great Sam Champion stories, and many stories about some of the best times in Boerne history, including his start in Yorktown working under episode #1 guest, Tommy Bludau. Coach Leech amassed over 800 wins as a head basketball coach and took teams in Boerne to the state tournament on two separate occasions, with a state runner-up team in 1990. Coming this weekend!

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    1 hr 21 min
  • Tale Lights #12 Bill Sultenfuss

    Lt. Col. Bill Sultenfuss is a retired United States Marine and retired public educator.  When I moved to Boerne in 1996, living on Park Place created great opportunities to make friends such as, Chris Lowry, Brad Henson, and Matt Beaman, which led to a highly rational fear of the scary old guy who usually screamed at us, "Get out of my yard!", while dropping passes by the tree he had planted in our South Endzone (AKA the start of his yard).  Coach Sultenfuss coached track, football, and taught numerous classes at Boerne High.  He was our world geography teacher in 9th grade and while his style may have seemed crass to some, he typically offered a harsh dose of reality to each of our individual deficiencies.  The style he used, one might say, has become obsolete in our over-sensitized country, which is a shame, because it was often a great motivator to be laughed at for failing math.  With three older brothers, I definitely understood what his angle was and was so fortunate to have been taught by Coach Sultenfuss.  I later passed math.  

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    46 min
  • Tale Lights #11 Dave Fulkerson

    Dave Fulkerson was the cross country coach at Boerne High School and Boerne - Samuel V. Champion High School, where he led teams to six state championships and the 2009 Nike Cross National Championship. Tune in to hear about his upbringing in Oregon, a state title in Hawaii, and much much more!

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    1 hr 25 min
  • Tale Lights #10.2 Bob Ledbetter

    His Texas Sports Hall of Fame Biography says it all! http://www.tshof.org/about/thsfhof/details/index.html?staff_id=846 Three state titles, three perfect seasons, the 1991 tie in the semifinals, and everything else one might imagine. This will be a podcast you can't possibly afford to miss.

    https://talelightspodcast.com/podcast-interviews

    58 min

About Tale Lights Podcast

From the publisher's feed

Texas professional educator, Erik Thormaehlen, sets out on an episodic journey of professional development. This podcast includes interviews with (mostly retired) coaches, superintendents, principals,…