The HIT Show

In the third episode of the season, Traci Gage gets together with Kevin Carr to talk about her career in athlete lifestyle management. From scheduling an athlete's day to making sure that emails get sent out at the perfect time, Traci Gage tells listeners how she is able to stay on top of not only the lives of the professional athletes she works with, but also her own life. Additionally,Gage shares how her experience working in non-sports related fields prepared her to do what she does now. Despite constant moving pieces, Traci Gage stays organized and on top of both her and her athletes games.
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In this episode, Kevin Carr, CEO of Pro2CEO talks with Ashton Henderson, Deputy Athletic Director of Championship Resources and Culture at Michigan State University. Ashton Henderson discusses his path from playing college football to one day becoming an Athletic Director. Kevin Carr and Ashton Henderson share their thoughts on promoting athlete development, and the importance of showing up. Henderson explains what championship resources means to him, especially as it relates internally to the athletes themselves. From facing challenges head on to navigating red tape, Ashton Henderson gives his advice on pursuing a career in college athletics.
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In the Season 3 premiere of the HIT Show on the Athlete+ Podcast Network, Kevin Carr, CEO of Pro2CEO and Industry Professor at the University of Florida reunites with Erjaam Hayes, Program Director of Player Development at the NBA. Erjaam Hayes discusses his work within the National Basketball Organization, more specifically his successes, challenges, and advice for those looking to follow in his footsteps.

Erjaam Hayes and Kevin Carr discuss their career paths within the NBA. More specifically, their similar paths and trajectories. While not entirely linear, their respective journeys through the NBA, NBA G League, and NBA D-League, have given them perspective into many aspects of the game. Erjaam Hayes currently focuses on Player Development, where programs like G League Professional Pathway Program assist athletes with the transition into a professional league.
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Host Kevin Carr invites former WNBA player Rushia Brown to share her journey from being a seasoned athlete to an agent for change. Born in the Bronx and raised in South Carolina, Brown played basketball at Somerville High, eventually becoming a MVP in the Southern Conference and one of the top players in the WNBA. Brown also shares valuable insights into her post-basketball life where she's worked with numerous sports organizations and universities. Today, she uses her experience to mentor upcoming athletes and young women, advocating for their growth and progress in the sporting world.

Included in the discussion are topics such as the importance of education, the transition from sports to a professional career, developing oneself as a woman, and learning from personal mistakes. Additionally, Rusha delves into the programs she runs for young women and men, touching upon their objectives and how they promote understanding, financial literacy, and excellence. Towards the end of the episode, Rusha and Kevin delve into the landscape of women's basketball today, discussing challenges, growth, and steps needed to reach parity with the men's game. Learn more about Rushia Brown at her website.

In this episode of the HIT Show, we welcome Justin Forsett, former NFL running back and founder of Hustle Clean, and dive into his background and journey to business success after sports. Justin reflects on his NFL journey and highlights three important takeaways: the greatest gains in life and the NFL, the inevitability of adversity, and the power of hard work.

Justin emphasizes the role of consistency in achieving success and notes that success should be determined by purpose rather than solely by monetary gains, further analyzing Justin's transition from the NFL to entrepreneurship, including the battles of the mind he faced and how he came up with his first entrepreneurial endeavor, the Shower Pill. He shares his ideals of being his own boss and the path to entrepreneurship. As a black-owned business owner, Justin sheds light on the challenges faced by minority-owned businesses and the balancing act of being a father and entrepreneur.

Kevin Carr, CEO of Pro2CEO and Industry Professor at the University of Florida, welcomes Tracy Ellis-Ward, Senior Vice President of Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at Pacer Sports and Entertainment, to the HIT Show on the Athlete+ Podcast Network. Tracy Ellis-Ward discusses her early basketball beginnings, playing overseas, networking leading to job opportunities, multi-generational workplace communication, sustainability, social justice, new voices in sports, moving with kids, uplifting women in the workplace, and active lifestyles.

Ellis-Ward analyzes the evolution of the workplace, including aging demographics and the shift to remote work. Further, Ellis-Ward and Carr discourse about the difference around health and fitness for young girls and young boys, including the treatment and access based upon gender and class. The episode also focuses upon the perception of women in sports, and how coaches of all backgrounds can engage in some brave conversations with their players and staff about those issues.

Connect with Tracy Ellis-Ward on LinkedIn.

On this episode of the HIT (How I Transition) Show, Kevin Carr, CEO of Pro2CEO and Industry Professor at the University of Florida, hosts Dr. Chantelle Green, Director of Mind Health and Wellness for the Portland Trailblazers of the NBA. 

Dr. Green is responsible for helping players deal psychologically with the demands of the sport and to improve their personal development and performance; she also provides mental health education awareness to players and staff. Dr. Green previously served as the staff psychologist at the University of Oklahoma, providing counseling, sports performance, and psychological testing services to individual athletes and teams.

Dr. Green and Carr talk about the psychological and mental health aspect of athletic training. Through the athletic training program at the University of Florida and in the wake of her own injuries, Dr. Green discusses her initial impression of the psychological feats and difficulties that people face.

As an athletic trainer, Dr. Green recounts her time with the UF football team and how she applied academic lessons directly on the field. Through these experiences, Dr. Green was able to see that sports are dramatically impacted by the mental challenges surrounding performance, thus sparking her career in psychology and the NBA.

Stay up to date with Dr. Chantelle Green on LinkedIn.

Ronnie Burrell, the head coach of the Long Island Nets in the NBA G League, will be the guest on today's episode of the HIT (How I Transition) Show. Burrell, a native of New Jersey, spent more than ten years playing basketball in Europe. After finishing his basketball career, he obtained an MBA from Florida Atlantic University before making a comeback as a G League assistant with the College Park Skyhawks and the Long Island Nets. Before joining the Long Island Nets once more in September, he first worked as a player development coordinator for the Chicago Bulls.

Burrell and Kevin Carr, presenter of the HIT Show and CEO of Pro2CEO, had a lengthy discussion on how they both became players and coaches as well as how we transitioned from playing to coaching. According to Burrell, his path to coaching began with his time spent competing as a college athlete. He then went on to play professionally and had the good fortune to work with some of the top instructors in the industry.

Burrell and Carr also discuss how crucial it is to get along well with the players and how to customize the treatment of individuals while maintaining team standards. In their final discussion, they touched on the value of developing positive relationships with the players individually and organizationally.

Kevin Carr is back for another episode of the HIT Show with Arthur J. Hightower II. Hightower currently serves as the Senior Director of Player Engagement for the Los Angeles Chargers. He is a veteran in the player development space with expertise in athletic advising and over 18 years of experience with the Chargers. Prior to his current role with the Chargers, Hightower spent time working for the NCAA, the University of Maine, and the University of Houston. He holds a Bachelor degree from FAMU as well as a Master of Science in Physical Education from FSU. In this podcast, Carr and Hightower talk about Hightower’s career path, the importance of building genuine relationships in the sport industry, the development of HBCUs’ athletic programs, and much more. Click here to learn more about Arthur J. Hightower II.

Clark Kellogg, a former NBA player and current college basketball analyst for CBS Sports, joins Kevin Carr for another episode of the HIT show. Kellogg has years of experience in the basketball industry, both as a player and a commentator. He is also the voice of the popular video game, NBA 2k. Throughout the podcast, he shares his experiences from his time at Ohio State University, the Indiana Pacers, and the transition from player to commentator after his playing career ended prematurely. Kellogg shares insights on skills and attributes that are necessary to excel in the broadcasting industry and stories about his personal transition from player to commentator. More about Clark Kellogg can be found here.