The #beBetter Podcast

Send us Fan Mail

Jim Martineau has been the head women’s basketball coach at Clackamas Community College in Oregon City for 28 years and he has won a lot of games over that time. There is no doubt he is going to be in more than one hall of fame some day both as a coach and as an administrator. He also doubles as the athletic director at CCC as well. It’s not easy being a coach and a parent, but Jim has done it quite successfully for many years. He even got to do some double time as dad and coach when he got to coach his oldest, Mia for 3 years, that was one good thing that came from Covid. Jim shares some great stories about his early days as a head coach and the mentors that impacted him along the way. Dr. Martineau, that’s right, he has an honorary degree as well so don’t miss the secrets behind why this guy has been so successful.

Send us Fan Mail

Mark Bauer might be the tallest kindergarten physical education teacher in the country but that also means he probably has the biggest heart of any teacher as well. Mark spent his career teaching and coaching, but his favorite athletes has always will be his 2 kids, specifically the most listened to #beBETTER Podcast guest from episode #6, Ashley Bauer. Mark’s teaching philosophy is simple, and makes learning fun. His coaching philosophy is similar, work hard and accept the outcome. Our conversation takes many turns and gives us a glimpse into Ashley’s journey from the eyes of her parents. If you have not listened to episode 6 with Ashley, we suggest you do it before you enjoy our time with Mark.

Send us Fan Mail

The SWOCC Hasbeens are a group of incredible young women who all played basketball together at Southwestern Oregon CC. Kara, Heather, Jillian and Jessica were teammates before they were friends, but their friendship over the years has grown through weddings, kids and careers. Each of them came from different places but quickly learned to buy into the process by being grateful every day. Some great stories are shared in this episode about the bond between these 4 incredible people. They will tell you that the leadership of their coach and our host was the reason they grew together, but the simple reason they have stayed connected is that they are just good people working to be better every day. This episode was incredibly fun to record and we hope everyone enjoys it as much as we did to record.

Send us Fan Mail

Paul Rovella was about to become a teacher when a substitute teaching job quickly changed his mind. Substitute teaching tends to do that to people, but we are so glad he changed his path because now he works with farming and ranching families to help them navigate the wonderful world of California law. Get ready to learn some big words like “deleterious” and get some legal advice for anyone interested in “door bell ditching.” Paul and his wonderful family live on the central coast of California where he is navigating two young daughters and has some advice for those doing the same. Don’t let them compare themselves to others and find what YOU like, not what others want you to like. Don’t miss this episode because you will also miss Mike Story recollecting on a golf outing with Paul many years ago, there is a reason we call him Storytyme, it is fantastic.

Send us Fan Mail

Nikol Baker went to her first job interview with her mom, she wouldn’t recommend that to anyone nowadays, but it could not have worked out any better for her in the long run. We always think about the people who have impacted our lives and Nikol had an incredible mentor in her first teaching job. Her first boss told her she is going to make mistakes, but if anyone wants to get to you, they will have to go through me. This philosophy has stuck with her for many years and has molded her into the educator she is today. In her spare time she spends time with her daughters by watching them compete in the rodeo world and don’t forget her side hustle, SAM Coaching, where she works with young athletes on how to improve their mental toughness. Nikol is an inspiration for so many and this episode is only a glimpse into what she is doing to help people be better.

Send us Fan Mail

When Meadow McWhorter was 12 years old she had the independence to tell her dad, “No, I don’t want to practice today.” This simple interaction is one of the many reasons that Coach McWhorter is focused on listening to her athletes. She focuses on athletes who are teachable, not coachable, there is a specific difference. The difference is simple because when someone is faced with adversity they respond with their palms up or their palms down. And one more thing, in this episode, Coach McWhorter will teach everyone the difference between nice and kind. 

Send us Fan Mail

We typically record in the evenings on the West Coast, which meant that Greg & Kristen Perkins from InclYOUsion Sports (inclyousionsports.com) were 3 hours ahead in Massachusetts and life happens. Greg was taking care of the kiddos for bedtime but we still had the pleasure of talking with Kristen about their passion to help kids. Greg and Kristen created a quiz for parents to best understand what activities their kids are interested in and their training program for their coaches is beyond comprehension. Working with your spouse requires you to say what needs to be said and then “move on” but this couple is doing and saying what needs to be done and said on a daily basis to help kids find their passion.

Send us Fan Mail

Ann Walker has enjoyed exploring all types of things in her life from athletics to acting and mostly traveling. Her life has taken her from a small town in Iowa all over the country coaching basketball and eventually into athletic administration. It is clear that she is very successful at many things, but retiring was not one of them. She came out of retirement for a short time to get back into college athletic administration and then moved over to help with WeCoach where she worked for many years and now is on their board of directors. Ann believes that coaches can be honest and hard without being demeaning and she is working to help coaches learn how to do both. The key to her success, just be authentic.

Send us Fan Mail

Dom Montiel joined us this past fall to share his point of view on being a collegiate athlete and his decision to transfer from a Div. 1 college to an NAIA college to play football. As he looks forward to his senior season in the fall of 2026, he reflects on how he believes you need to outwork people to be successful, but you must also give yourself some grace. If you are not graceful with yourself you will just get frustrated and that will not help you achieve what you are working towards. Dom also shares how Madden Football has helped him as a QB, but the best advice he gives us as parents is simple: “be there” for your kids. Something he learned from his parents over the years. 

Send us Fan Mail

LeeAnnDra Marchese was ready to go into the military when a chance encounter opened the door to law enforcement. She is open and honest about how her childhood shaped her into the woman and mother she is today. She shares how she learned to work on her breathing so she could be more mindful on the way to an emergency call but don’t be fooled, if you touch her hair, “it’s on!” Law enforcement officers see a lot of sad and depressing things during their time on the job, but LeeAnnDra does an incredible job showing us the bright side of her career and how she continues to help others in need.