Sports on the Spectrum

My guest today is Devon Slack. Devon is currently a lifeguard and swim teacher at the Santa Monica YMCA, teaching swimming skills to children ages 3-12 as well as adults. Devon was a gymnast for several years, first participating with and then coaching the Intermediate Girls Competition team at JAG Gym in Culver City, CA. Devon also played volleyball for many years, first serving as a captain of her high school volleyball team and then receiving a scholarship to play for a club volleyball team. Devon was recently diagnosed with attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, also known as ADHD. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

My guest today is Matt Steinhaus. Matt is currently in his ninth year as the Athletic Director at New Roads School in Santa Monica, where he has also served as the Varsity Baseball Head Coach. Matt coached, umpired and served on the Board of Directors of Santa Monica Little League for over 20 years. He has also coached a summer travel baseball team that competed in seven foreign countries. While in high school, Matt was a member of his school's water polo and swim teams. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Chris Fajardo is Chief Program Officer at Coaching Corps, a national nonprofit that provides volunteer coach recruitment, professional development for coaches through training, and mentorship support for active coaches, all free of charge to youth sports programs impacting under-resourced communities.Chris previously spent seven years in education, teaching marine mammal conservation and physiology as a dolphin trainer in Santa Cruz California and Belize, Central America. He then continued his career in education as a high school science teacher in Palo Alto, California. Chris lives in Los Angeles where he enjoys playing beach volleyball and continues to coach youth and play soccer. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dan is a senior sports columnist for the Boston Globe, covering the Boston Red Sox since 1981, and is the author of several sports books, including “The Curse of the Bambino,” “Francona: the Red Sox Years" and “Senior Year: A Father, a Son and High School Baseball”. Dan has been voted one of America's top sports columnists by the Associated Press Sports Editors and was honored in 2016 by the Baseball Hall of Fame in receiving the J.G. Taylor Spink Award. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dr. Kathleen Donohue is a clinical psychologist who works with children, adolescents, and adults in her independent practice in San Mateo, California. She has taught at UC Berkeley in the Department of Psychology and the Graduate School of Education and has published on peer rejection among schoolchildren, training issues for psychologists, and the research-practice divide. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

Mark Ulrich was an assistant coach for the Santa Monica YMCA's summer travel team. His enthusiasm for basketball and his players was so high that I always wanted to play my absolute best for him. Mark showed me that there is more than one way to coach a team successfully. Mark eventually became a coach for the girls basketball team at Santa Monica High School, which advanced deep into CIF Playoffs. Mark demonstrated that it's never too late to pursue your passion in sports. Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"My guest today is Zion Qurtman. Zion grew up in Santa Monica, CA and played in the Santa Monica YMCA Basketball League for many of the years I played there. We not only played on opposing teams, but we also played against each other one on one on the court. I loved Zion as a competitor – he was big for his age and extremely strong but also very agile for his size. Most importantly, he loved basketball as much as I did. Zion played the game very aggressively but he was always very friendly to everyone. Zion and I didn't get to play together until our final seasons, but it was a lot of fun to finally be teammates. Zion had to deal with the challenges that come with having ADHD, known as attention deficit disorder. Although Zion has since moved to Las Vegas and has become an amazing high school football player, I still consider Zion to be a really good friend. Please join me in welcoming Zion to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"Nicki grew up in Santa Monica, CA and, like me, he loved all kinds of sports growing up: flag football, baseball, soccer, golf, and skateboarding before focusing on basketball. Nicki played in the Santa Monica YMCA Basketball League for many of the years I played there. We played both on opposing teams and as teammates. I loved playing with and against Nicki – he was big and strong but also very quick. Most importantly, he loved basketball as much as I did. In 4th grade, Nicki was diagnosed with ADHD. But Nicki went on to become an amazing student-athlete through middle school and high school, successfully completing many AP classes and playing for his varsity basketball team at Santa Monica High School. He is graduating in 2021 and is looking forward to college. Please join me in welcoming Nicki Reiterer to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"I met Kurt when I decided to try out for the Santa Monica High School beach volleyball team in 10th grade. Although I started in volleyball many years after I began basketball, the prospect of playing on the beautiful beaches of Santa Monica, where so many stars like Sinjin Smith, Misty May-Treanor and Eric Sato had started, was too appealing to pass up. Like me, Coach Kurt also grew up and played sports in Santa Monica, pitching at an all-league level for Santa Monica High School and then UCLA's baseball teams.Kurt has been a kindergarten teacher for 25 years, teaching thousands of young students, including several mainstreamed students with Autism and Down's Syndrome. He created an original educational curriculum called “Rock & Roll Kindergarten”, introducing it to over 20,000 teachers across the country. Kurt's story is also interesting for me because he was diagnosed with ADHD while in college.Please join me in welcoming Kurt Schwengel to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"In some ways, the idea of Sports on the Spectrum might never have happened if not for a radio interview I did in the summer of 2020. I was asked to come onto a show called "Behind the Student-Athlete" on KQBH in Los Angeles. When the radio interviewers heard my story about how I have used sports to help my autism, they asked my dad to join me.My dad and I had such a great time doing the interview and telling my story that we wondered if perhaps there might be a larger audience to discuss autism as well as other mental and emotional health conditions and the role that sports can play in aiding those conditions, which led to Sports on the Spectrum and this website. But it might never have happened if not for this interview!" Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I was nine years old, I started playing basketball in a new league at the Santa Monica YMCA. Pete founded that league and was responsible for everything in it, dealing with players, coaches, refs, parents and more. In just a few years, the league grew from four to 30 teams and over 250 players. Pete was at every game, keeping statistics and cheering every player, even after they left the league. Pete was a huge supporter and influence on my sports life.Pete is also the radio announcer for USC Trojans football. Every Saturday in the fall, I can turn on the radio and hear Pete's distinctive voice calling the game and cheering on the Trojans. Pete showed me that anyone could turn a passion into a job for life. He inspired me to try things like Student TV in Middle School or even this podcast.Please join me in welcoming Pete Arbogast to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I started playing basketball in a new league at the Santa Monica YMCA, it consisted of only four teams. But by the time I left, it had grown to 30 teams and 250 players. Mathias was there from the very beginning of the league, first as a referee before becoming a coach and then a league administrator. His contributions to the league were so great that in 2018, he was inducted into the Santa Monica YMCA Basketball Hall of Fame.Please join me in welcoming Mathias James to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.

"When I was eight years old, I played on my first baseball team in Santa Monica, California. David was my Little League coach for the next three years and he was one of my favorite coaches of all time. And on top of that, we're both die hard Dodger fans! David coached over twenty Little League teams and spent his last four years as the League President.David is also an avid long distance runner. He completed the LA Marathon in 2015 and has run several other marathons since then.Please join me in welcoming David Harris to Sports on the Spectrum." Our GDPR privacy policy was updated on August 8, 2022. Visit acast.com/privacy for more information.