The #beBetter Podcast

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Growing up you might think that wrestling was the only thing talked about in the Zalesky house for the all-american and hall of fame wrestlers Jim and Lennie Zalesky, but you would be wrong. Jim only competed in 1 event when was in the 7th grade and neither of them really got into the sport until high school. A very modest start for these 2 gentlemen who are now coaching together in the first season at Cal Poly Humboldt after a 33 year hiatus for wrestling on campus in Arcata, CA. Lennie came out of retirement for this opportunity and Jim left another position to come coach with his brother. Listen to them share their stories from wrestling in the basement as kids to winning national titles at Iowa and now back together again on the beautiful north coast of California. 

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Coach Clink is known in the coaching industry as a guy who was always doing it the right way. Listen to him talk about how his past experiences shaped him and why his decision to retire was a family decision. Coach Clink’s first coaching job was at 12 years old and he never wanted to do anything else. There is no doubt he is a great coach, but he is also a great teacher and is continuing to help others through his new adventure “Building Championship Culture” (GregClink.com). Nothing is more important to him than family but his impact on others will continue for years to come.

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Warwick Schiller is THE Attuned Horseman and you may wonder why he would want to talk with us. He is a world renowned horse trainer, but he would say the horse is not the problem, he is helping to retrain their owners. Our conversation covers his 500 km race in Patagonia and his passion for helping people think about how their lives have impacted them along their Journey. Warwick has been a family friend for years and is so generous to share his stories with us. It doesn’t matter if you are a horse person or not, if you care about people you are going to want to listen to what he has to offer in this episode. 

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Coach Truesdale has spent her life and career dedicated to students and the game of softball. Although she started off as a basketball player, her love for softball grew from her high school coach and mentor into a hall of fame career. One of only 2 high school softball coaches to be inducted into the NFCA Hall of Fame, coach talks about the 833 career wins, but is more focused on having lunch with a former player. Listen to the message she shares about surrounding yourself with good people who are better than you so that everyone can be successful and ultimately be better.

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Ashley is a 3rd year nursing student at Loyola University Chicago, but before she decided to move to the midwest she was a starting high school basketball student-athlete. She decided to step away from the game she loved just before her senior season due to abusive language and treatment from her coach. Now looking back she realizes that she needed to focus on her own mental health and is grateful for the support her family gave her at the time. Ashley provides an incredible perspective for the next generation of student-athletes and hopefully her story will encourage coaches, teachers, administrators and parents to listen to the students/kids they are responsible for keeping safe. 

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Over 30 years in education, Pat Kennedy has been a parent, teacher, coach, administrator and official. He tried to retire, but is back coaching again and doesn’t look like he is going to stop helping people be better any time soon. Coach spends some time with the guys talking about all of the different relationships he has been fortunate to cultivate over the years and why he is driven to help others. An incredibly humble person, Coach Kennedy shares his focus on the people he worked with and why he loves what he does. 

**Trigger Warning**: Today’s episode of The #beBETTER Podcast covers a lot of different topics and we share some great stories with our special guest. Among those great stories something very sensitive comes up that we want our listeners to be aware of where we discuss the topic of suicide. The #beBETTER mission is and always will be to help people be the best versions of themselves, but at times we all may not feel like the best version of ourselves. We encourage anyone who might listen to this episode and feel like they need some help, or you know of someone who may need help, to please reach out to their local mental health experts and resources. You are not alone and there is always someone here to listen, all you have to do is reach out. We appreciate everyone who listens to The #beBETTER Podcast and we hope you enjoy today's episode. 

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Stanford University Associate Head Coach of Men's Basketball, Eric Reveno, discusses his coaching stops from Palo Alto to Portland to Atlanta and back again. Some great advice from someone who has made a career in coaching, but has never forgotten the true mission of athletics. Coach discusses his focus on helping his student-athletes be better people both on and off the court while also providing some great insight for parents out there who are raising the next generation. 

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Mike Story was born and raised in Orland, California. After graduating high school he attended Sonoma State University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Physical Education. He went on to earn a Teaching Credential in Mathematics and Physical Education. Mike taught and coached at the high school level for more than 14 years. During that time he coached high school basketball, tennis, golf, AAU basketball and his son’s Little League baseball teams. In 2014 he switched careers, leaving teaching for agriculture, where he is a 3rd generation farmer growing almonds. Mike now resides back in his hometown with his amazing wife, two labs and six “barn” cats. Their son is attending UC Davis where he is playing baseball for the Aggies.

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Dr. Gardner is a native of Eastern Idaho.  After earning a bachelor's degree from Utah State University, Jared continued his pursuit of higher education.  He holds a masters in counseling and a doctorate of education from Idaho State University.  Jared has spent the last fifteen years in higher education administration at various institutions at all levels of higher ed and in a variety of different positions.  While none of these jobs were directly related to sports, many of the positions Jared has held were directly involved in helping college students develop into the best versions of themselves.  Jared currently resides in Corvallis, Oregon with his wife, two children, and a not so friendly cat.

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Dr. Herbert grew up in Hollister, CA and played multiple sports through high school including cross country, water polo and swimming but basketball was his passion. He went on to earn his bachelor’s degree from Sonoma State University in 1998 and then his master’s degree from Humboldt State in 2002. Both degrees were in Kinesiology with an emphasis on teaching and coaching. After his graduation from Humboldt in 2002 he went to the University of New Mexico where he earned his Ph.D. in Health, Physical Education & Recreation with an emphasis in curriculum & instruction and a minor in educational psychology. Dr. Herbert has coached and taught at the middle school, high school and collegiate levels for over 15 years. He also spent 13 years in higher education administration. Dr. Herbert started the #beBETTER brand over 10 years ago when he developed his “parent sessions” to help parents understand the best ways to support their kids, communicate with coaches and feel good about their own parenting styles. Dr. Herbert currently resides in Eureka, CA with his wife, who coaches collegiate softball and his 2 sons. Both boys compete and participate in a variety of sports.