Team Player - Stories of Coaching and Leadership

Today we welcome a man who was one of Coach Kovo's 1st ever coaches waaay back in the Fall of 1996 on the Sugar Land Trojans 7th grade football team. He went on to a long coaching career at Elkins High School including as Head Girls Basketball Coach. He is now the College Prep and Career Readiness Counselor at Thomas E. Randle HS in LCISD - welcome Willie Yarber to the show! - Growing up on the East Side of Detroit before moving to Texas at age 13 and playing for a Metroplex powerhouse at #2 area ranked Richland HS! - - - - As a longtime Pistons and Lakers fan we head back to the 80s for a Bad Boys/Showtime era Start/Bench/Cut with the 3 legends of the time: Isiah Thomas, Earvin "Magic" Johnson, and Larry Bird! Then as a native Detroiter Coach loves him some Barry Sanders. But he also grew up in the era of the Steel Curtain and was a Steelers fan. So we do an RB legends Start/Bench/Cut with Barry Sanders, Franco Harris, and "Sweetness" Walter Payton! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

On the run up to 100 episodes we have another very special guest that impacted Coach Kovo's life as his 1st ever coach at Fort Bend Austin where he was the Head Freshmen Football Coach. He went on to become the long-time Head Baseball Coach for the Austin Bulldogs, and in retirement after a move to Big Sky Country he is still at is coaching linebackers, receivers, and JV Baseball for the Whitefish, MT Bulldogs - welcome Randy Ursery to the show! - Growing up in Gurdon, Arkansas, a small town in the Southwest corner of the state where he was a proud member of the Go Devil football and baseball teams! - After graduating from Henderson State University in Arkadelphia, AR, Randy had a few stops in Oklahoma and Louisiana before finally finding his way to the Lone Star State; a place he would make home for 30 years beginning at Quail Valley Middle School! - A hot topic in youth sports today revolves around year-round baseball culture, overuse injuries, and the benefits of being a multi-sport athletes. Coach Ursery was blessed to see multiple different examples of big 6A programs where the baseball and football programs worked together in unison although that is not always the case. Coach shares his thoughts on the development of baseball/football athletes. - Any longtime Fort Bend ISD people listening won't want to miss Randy reminiscing of the Fort Bend of the late 80s and early 90s - a time when there weren't so many campuses and every Friday night at Edward Mercer Stadium was a true spectacle to behold, along with his battles against Fort Bend ISD baseball legends like Rick Carpenter, Herb Espinosa, Israel De Los Santos, Clint Welch, Jody Albright, and Rodney Hernandez!! - Finally as the longest tenured Head Coach in Austin Bulldog history, heck the Field is even named after him, we get Coach Ursery's all-time Austin Bulldog Baseball Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special guest today who made a tremendous impact in the life of Coach Kovo's younger brother Ryan (ep. 56) when he was the OL coach for the Fort Bend Travis Tigers. He went on for another successful stint coaching at Cinco Ranch and Alief Elsik and now is a Partner with the New York Life Insurance Agency (Coach Kovo is actually a long-time client) - welcome Matt Farmer to the show! - Growing up in the Northwest Kansas town of Colby in a graduating class of 87, and yes Matt Farmer did grow up on a farm! But don't let the small town fool you, those boys could play some ball and Matt was a part of a very special class his senior year. All of this included the 205-pound version of Matt Farmer delivering a huge pick-6!! - Matt took a chance on himself developing his skill set at Fort Scott Community College and parlayed that investment into a great opportunity seeing a new part of the country at a 4-year school as a proud Richmond Spider football player! - As someone who successfully transferred from one school to another to improve his stock we take a dive into the role of the transfer portal in today's college game, how it's seeping down into the high school level, and even possibilities for how to share revenue with the players. - Coach had a several stops at successful programs across the Houston area including Spring Westfield, Fort Bend Travis, Cinco Ranch, and Alief Elsik. But it is his last year at Travis that we really dig into, a team that he helped lay the foundation for when they opened it as a brand new school, culminating in their 1st District Championship in school history against a heavily favored juggernaut in the Elkins Knights. - Finally as a longtime O-line guru, we get Matt Farmer's official personal big dawgs of the trenches Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

As we make our approach to 100 episodes we begin our tribute series to the coaches who made a difference in Kovo's life as a young man. What better place to start than the man who so impacted Coach Kovo's while serving as the Head Football Coach of the Austin College Kangaroos in Sherman, TX. He never left his beloved Austin College and is now the Director of Athletics and Kinesiology Department Chair - welcome David Norman to the show! - Growing up in the East Texas town of Big Sandy as the Head Coach's son and bearing witness to his father leading the 1st ever integrated football team in Big Sandy history. A job he did so well that not only did it lead to state championship rings, but an eventual run to the town mayorship! - Coach is our 1st ever alumnus to win championships in THREE different capacities! 1st as a football player at Big Sandy, then our 1st collegiate champion as he was a member of the iconic 1981 NAIA National Championship football team at Austin College, and finally he even won one as a coach when he was a part of the Denison Yellowjacket 1984 State Championship team!!  - Save for the stint at Denison and very early coaching experience at the current State Champion Gunter Tigers, it's been all AC since 1989! Most people think of David Norman, Head Football Coach, but what not a lot of people may know is he was also one heck of a baseball coach for the Kangaroos! - Coach Norman beautifully puts things in perspective about the power of athletics when he shared the story of how at the 10-year reunion of the 1981 National Championship team they put the game film on and were hanging on every play reliving the memory of that game. By 20 years, the game was going in the background but the players were more focused on remembering the funny things like the long bus trip to Sul Ross University, all things that happen to all teams and that would have happened even without that championship. By the 40th reunion they didn't even talk about the game at all! The games fade away, but you are always left with the power of that brotherhood. POWERFUL. - Finally as the ultimate Kangaroo who first arrived on campus in 1979 and essentially never left, we are treated to David Norman's Austin College Kangaroo Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We are kicking off Season 3 of the Team Player Podcast by making history as we are often prone to do with our 1st ever guest from the Private School world! We always make the call for recommendations and today's guest came expressly recommended from a Team Player on Twitter = he is the Head Football Coach at Houston Christian High School - welcome A.J. Eisenman to the show! - Growing up in Spring after moving from the crisp mountain air of Greeley, CO! - Coach graduated from a bona fide Northside Powerhouse as a proud Spring Westfield Mustang. However, he jokingly describes himself as the program's "bad luck curse" as all 4 years that he was a student and the one year that he was there as a coach were some of the RARE times the Mustangs did not make the playoffs! - AJ talks about what led him to make the move to private school after spending his entire life up to that point in public schools, and how being at a faith-based institution has changed his life, along with how his program emphasizes the players' true purpose as way more than just a football player. - Coach describes playing for it all this past postseason and describes the differences between TAPPS and SPC football, along with the dynamics of a student body that doesn't come from a defined attendance zone including the occasional off years like the top he had a class of only 3 incoming freshmen football players! With that experience we ask coach what he thinks about the state of Oklahoma approving a "one-time" no questions asked transfer rule and the UIL's attempt to resist the transfer portal making its way down to HS, and finally Coach gives a private school perspective on the state's school voucher debate. - Finally although his Bronco fandom has worn off after years and years of being a Houstonian you never forget your first love. So Coach gives us his "Mile High Salute" Denver Bronco Mt. Rushmore and answers a class of 83 Start-Bench-Cut with 3 Hall-of-Fame signal callers in John Elway, Jim Kelly, and Dan Marino! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We are staying in the Softball world this week - today's guest comes to us expressly recommended by TPP alum Jamie Henk (ep.85) and when Coach Henk talks we listen! We've also got a Team Player Podcast 1st today, as our guest is our first one who is currently serving as both the Head Softball Coach AND Head Principal of Liberty High School! Welcome Karen Slack to the show! - Growing up in Cajun Country, the small town of Jeanerette outside of Lafayette, LA with sugar cane fields and crawfish ponds all around you. It was in 5th grade however that Karen moved to Liberty, and she's been in love with that community ever since. - Coach explains what is was like playing on the 1st ever Liberty High School Softball Team when the sport was offered for the 1st time in 1995, and describes how when she started at UH that there was no softball team. It seems crazy now given the extreme popularity of softball at the college and high school levels but Softball didn't even start at a major university like Texas until 1998. - Karen is an outlier in that she is a coach who has ascended to the highest levels of leadership academically as well. During the course of her storied career she has advanced to serve as both a Department Chair and is currently serving as Head Softball Coach and Head Principal! We discuss how oftentimes coaches get a bad wrap in the classroom, but how in order to be a great coach you really need to be a great teacher, and how she has found that coaches are often amongst the best classroom teachers on her staff, and how there are some excellent classroom-only teachers that she would add to her coaching staff any day! - Karen isn't our 1st TPP alum to win a state championship, heck she isn't our 1st to win multiple championships as Jessica Tully-Mitchell Bragg won 2 state volleyball championships at Denton Calvary Academy. But she is our first to win THREE state titles bringing home the gold in 2018 as well as back-to-back titles in 2022 and 2023! Coach tells us what has gone into the tremendous success of late at Liberty High School. - Finally as someone who has dedicated their entire adult life to her beloved Liberty High School, we are treated to Coach Karen Slack's all-time Liberty Panther Softball Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

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We got another Team Player Podcast first for you today, as we welcome in our 1st guest who went out and got a job promotion between now and the time we recorded the show! At the time of recording he was the Head Football Coach at Waltrip HS, but now he is now an Assistant Athletic Director in the Houston Independent School District - welcome Jeremy Kirt to the show! - Being a 3-sport athlete and graduating #7 in his class at THE James Madison High School, and playing under the legend himself, longtime Marlin Head Football Coach Ray Seals!! - Jeremy describes how Coach Seals was the type who carried himself with a quiet demeanor, but when he spoke you best believe everyone was listening! - Coach talks about the importance of big playoff victories from teams locally like Lamar and the Heights as well as statewide with teams like South Oak Cliff and Austin LBJ in instilling that belief in his players that they too can go on playoff runs. - Coach received an athletic scholarship to play football at Lamar University in Beaumont and then was able to stay and begin his coaching career with the Cardinals. From there he begin his high school coaching career in a small town at Anahuac, returned to his alma mater at Madison, gained experience at a few other area football powerhouses before being handed the keys to his 1st Head Coaching job leading the Waltrip Rams! At - Finally Jeremy maintains that all Madison Marlins can pick each other out of a crowd, so who better to give us his definitive James Madison HS Mount Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a great guest today who we believe is our first guest to hail from the Bryan/College Station area. He is now the Defensive Coordinator for the Galena Park Yellowjackets - welcome Chris Morales to the show! - Growing up on the Westside of Bryan, TX and being a proud Bryan Viking alongside future pro, Super Bowl Champion, and Aggie Legend Ty Warren! Coach shares all kinds of fun 90s old-time rivalry traditions with their bitter rivals across town at A&M Consol and down the road with the Temple Wildcats; as well as the time he met Tejano Legend Selena!!! - Coach is a firm believer in the value of allowing and encouraging students to be multi-sports athletes and shares the value he received in his time as a football and baseball player while at Bryan High. - As a proud Southwest or Texas State Bobcat Alum and a man who honors traditions coming from Aggieland, Chris shares with us some of the time honored traditions at Texas State like jumping in the river after graduating or showing up to class fresh off floating the river!! - Starting his career at Galena Park High School where in a Team Player first, he coached TPP alum Sergio Gonzalez (ep19) before getting the opportunity to return to his hometown to coach at Rudder. But at the end of the day Galena Park was always the one. Chris shares how Galena Park has it's own unique "small-town feel" and the cool story behind historic Dement Field. Coach also shares how important it is for him to work at schools with students from a similar background so he can help them by relating to their story. In a related note we talk about why representation matters for the next generation of coaches and the importance of the Hispanic TXHSFB Coaches Association. - Finally as a loyal Bryan Vikings alum, Coach Morales gives us his all-time Bryan Viking Football Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have an excellent guest today that comes to us specifically recommended by Team Player Podcast Alumnus Andres Gomez (ep51). She is the Head Softball Coach at Splendora High School - welcome Jamie Henk to the show! - Growing up in Lindale Park on the Houston's Northside and how her time as a student at Trinity Lutheran Downtown shaped the foundation of who she is to this day. - Starting a tradition at a brand new school as a 4-sport athlete at New Caney Porter High School, and the impact that THE Coach Angela Gober Bell made on her life! - Playing softball at San Jac and then finishing her education up in Huntsville at SHSU, and a great conversation on how a younger version of herself was the type to push back on authority when she wanted to know the "why" behind what they were doing, and how she often sees herself in some of her players and how that strengthens her relationship with them! - Beginning her coaching career on the travel ball circuit with legendary Coach Michelle Rochinski before taking her first high school Head Coaching job at Northbrook and landing her dream job at Splendora! Coach shares some gems on the techniques she used when leading a program at Northbrook that had long periods of struggles to win ball games, the innovative initiatives she is implementing at Splendora, and the importance of preserving the mental health of a coach! - Finally as a huge OU Sooner Softball fan we have Coach Henk's Boomer Sooner OU Softball Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special episode today with a man who stands as one of the greatest coaches across the entire state of Texas. He has led the Fort Bend Marshall Buffaloes to unprecedented levels of success as Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator and I'm proud to call him an old friend - welcome James William to the show! - Growing up South of the Windy City and playing ball for a legendary coach at Homewood-Flossmoor HS. - Coach stayed in the Land of Lincoln for college heading down state to beautiful Champaign-Urbana as he accepted a football scholarship to play corner for the Fighting Illini alongside perhaps the greatest singular linebacking corps in collegiate history in Dana Howard, John Holecek, Simeon Rice, and Kevin Hardy! - Coach Williams draws from his experience both as power 5 collegiate player and GA along with having coached many high level players during his career to share several gems with us about the use of outside trainers, the transfer portal, and the traits he has seen from his former players who have made it to the pros like Devon Achane and Kendall Sheffield. - James shares the INCREDIBLE story of how when he led the entire offseason from January till the end of the year BY HIMSELF when he was 1st hired as Head Coach at Marshall. From those humble beginnings to trips to the state championship game as one of the premier programs in the state of Texas, Coach Williams has been there providing steady leadership every step of the way. - Finally as the greatest coach in Marshall Buffaloes history, James gives his all-time Bus Moving Fast - Marshall Buffs Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

Today we have a guest that Coach Kovo has known of for a long time and we are excited to get to know him better. He actually was on the same GHFCA "Say No To Drugs Poster" with Coach Kovo, Vince Young, and other area players from the class of 2002. He is now the Head Football Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at La Porte HS - welcome Kevin Berneathy to the show! - Growing up in "The Rock", Galveston Island, and playing for Flexbone Legend Paul Lanier. His play-sheet seriously was an index card - just like in the movie, "Remember the Titans" when Denzel Washington as legendary coach Herman Boone said, "I run 6 plays. Split Veer. It's like Novacaine. Just give it time, it always works." - Kovo and Kevin reminisce about what it was like traveling for away games at the Division 2 and Division 3 level: no airplanes, all charter busses, truck stops, Chic-fil-A or subway sandwiches with a Gatorade, and sometimes Golden Corral for a special treat on the way there! - Coach has been a part of many legendary blue-collar, hard-nosed football programs as an assistant including La Porte, Dickinson, and La Marque. But it was during his time as OC at Angleton that his career really exploded. He recounts the legendary Regional Final game that was so good that it took Overtime to decide it. - Coach recounts his time as Head Coach at Dobie including a win for the ages against area-power Summer Creek, and tells you why you can expect that same brand of smashmouth football to carry over now that he is leading the La Porte Bulldogs. - Finally as a kid born in Williston, ND and who moved around the region for his dad's job in the Oil industry as a kid, Coach Berneathy is a diehard Broncos fan. He gives us his definitive all-time Denver Broncos Mount Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special guest today who has been a part of some very impressive playoff runs in recent years. He is now the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at Tomball High School - welcome Dave Handal to the show! - Coach describes the pride of growing up in Lake Highlands, TX, the rivalry with the legendary Plano Wildcats, and the 5 Lake Highlands alums who are currently Head Coaches at premier football programs. - After graduating from Texas A&M where he was a self-proclaimed Intramural All-American, Dave earned an internship that soured him to "America's Team" and led him to embark on a successful career in coaching!! - It was during his time as Head Coach at Galena Park that Dave and Coach Kovo sparked up a friendship over working together to try to overcome similar challenges. After a great time at Galena Park, Coach moved on to become Defensive Coordinator at Tomball HS where he got to be a part of an amazing State Semifinal run that no one outside that Fieldhouse saw coming - made even more sweet by getting to share it with his youngest son who was the starting Middle Linebacker. - Coach shares some gems about how he learned to get past the mindset that your worth as a coach is defined solely by that score on the scoreboard, plus as a noted funny guy Coach Handal holds court by sharing some great stories of the funny encounters that seem to follow him, including coaching future 3x All-American Gonzaga Basketball Player Drew Timme as a kindergartner! - Finally as the consummate Texas Rangers fan we get Coach Handal's all-time Ranger Mount Rushmore, along with a fun Mavs Start-Bench-Cut with legendary names like Nowitzki, Doncic, and Nash! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

In part 2 of the oral history of the legendary 2013 Ridge Point vs Texas City Playoff game we have another key actor in that night. At that time he was the Offensive Coordinator of vaunted Stingaree attack led by future Longhorn and pro football player D'Onta Foreman. After that game a friendship was born that continued through some struggles that he and Coach Kovo shared as 1st time Head Coaches. He is now the Offensive Coordinator and O-Line Coach for the Boerne Greyhounds - welcome David Wilkinson to the show! - Growing up in Richardson, TX just up the road from downtown Dallas during the time when the Mavericks were always bad and a ticket was easy to come by, and a summertime trip out to the Ballpark at Arlington for a Rangers game was never too far away. - Playing HS ball at JJ Pearce with Aggie Legend Rich Coady and having future CFP Championship Game Head Coach Sonny Dykes as his Offensive Position Coach! - After considering extending his playing career at Austin College or Hardin-Simmons, David decided to head to Aggieland and enrolled at Texas A&M University and then beginning his coaching career back at his alma mater at JJ Pearce. - You won't meet many people more authentic and sincere than David Wilkinson. So, it's no surprise Coach provides a refreshingly REAL assessment of the things he learned during a tough stint as Head Football Coach at Baytown Lee; where the wins on the field to refill his emotional cup were few and far between, and how he learned that he was spending too much time "majoring in the minor". - Finally as a diehard Cowboys fan we give Wilk a tough Dem Boyz O-Line edition with legendary names like Larry Allen, Nate Newton, and Erik Williams! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We've got a real one in the Team Player Podcast Studios today - he and Coach Kovo went toe to toe one chilly afternoon at TDECU Stadium but despite that battle they are still great friends and proud Fort Bend Austin Bulldog alums. He is the longtime Head Football Coach of the Foster Falcons and current front man of the Grand Oaks Grizzlies - welcome Shaun McDowell to the show! - Growing up in Mission Bend as your typical 90s kid complete with tackle in the grass - touch in the street neighborhood football games, travel by bicycle, and trips to the old icon: Fame City and the Water Works next door. - Shaun describes what it was like going from wearing maroon as a Kempner Cougar, to becoming one of the men in black as a part of the 1st graduating class of the Fort Bend Austin Bulldogs!! - After serving his country as a member of the United States Coast Guard, coach began his career back home at Fort Bend Bush, before gaining Offensive Coordinator experience at Cy Creek under longtime Head Coach Craig McCaig. From there he got his 1st Head Coaching Job back in Fort Bend ISD at Willowridge HS, but it was as the leader of the Foster Falcons that he really made his name. - After all of the success at Foster, Shaun decided it was time for a new challenge and shares what we can expect from another newer and up-and-coming program at Grand Oaks HS in Conroe ISD. - Finally as one of the original Austin Bulldogs and as the man who took the Foster Falcons to never-before-seen heights we get Coach McDowell's official Austin and Foster HS Mount Rushmores!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a great episode today with a guy that I had met in passing over the years but never really got to visit with, and boy was it worth the wait as Coach had so many great stories and lessons to share with us. He is now the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at my alma mater, Fort Bend Austin High School - welcome Trey Herrmann to the show! - Growing up in the Bear Creek area and wearing the iconic Kelly Green of the Mayde Creek Rams! Coach was in Katy during a time when he could still go hunt ducks before school in the area that is now Cinco Ranch! - Playing for Mayde Creek means you get to play for legendary long-time Head Coach Joe Sheffy - Trey shares some great Joe Sheffy stories and talks about the contempt he felt at the time for his fellow Katy ISD brethren at Katy and Taylor high! - Coach talks about getting his first head coaching job at Bellaire HS and shares a laugh out loud story of the "flip this fieldhouse" moments he had with Fort Bend Travis Head Coach Trey Sissom, as well as some Mission Impossible moments he had scaling walls to break into his own office! - After getting his feet wet at Bellaire, Trey talks about being a part of a dramatic turnaround at Katy Taylor as well as some interesting insights into how kids in small towns play for different reasons many a time, and how perhaps the mindset of his kids at Danbury were more like the kids in Fort Bend and Katy in 1997 than in 2023. - Finally as a man who is now approaching his 5th Head Coaching stop Coach Hermann shares with us his definitive personal Mount Rushmore with one player from each of his four previous stops! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

This was a very fun episode with one of the true good guys in coaching who seems like he always has a smile on his face. He is the former Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at Clear Lake HS and currently the Offensive Coordinator for the legendary Allen Eagles - welcome Larry McRae to the show! - Growing up in Clute, TX as a typical kid who loved to spend his time out fishing before moving to Angleton in the 5th grade. - Larry shares what it was like playing on the pristine grass at Wildcat Stadium and about the "home field advantage" in that visitors locker room which may or may not have had the AC turned on during football season!! - While many around the halls of Allen HS may now refer to him as "Big Larry" there was once a former NFL Offensive Tackle who hailed from Aldine Eisenhower that gave Larry an even better nickname that was fit for the WWE! The "Bonecrusher" shares what it was like playing in the Big 12 including a matchup with the famed Nebraska Cornhusker "Blackshirt Defense" and future pros Grant Wistrom and Jason Peter. - What it was like starting a new program in long-time "one-horse town" Alvin, TX, and spending many years working the Lineman Challenge circuit and leading one of the best offensive lines in the city before venturing out and leading his own successful program at Clear Lake HS. Coach McRae also shares invaluable advice to parents on what things to look for when deciding which college camps to attend or who to hire as a personal trainer. - Finally as a guy with an eclectic mix of favorite teams we play some fun Mt. Rushmores for the Baylor Bears, Tennessee Titans, and the San Antonio Spurs, before closing out with an Astros Start/Bench/Cut with Altuve, Bagwell, and Biggio!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a really great show today with a guy that Coach Kovo had never met prior to recording. But one of our Team Player alums (Sonny Wilson ep.70) recommended him and boy was he right that this guy would be a great guest. He is in sales now but he was formerly the head football coach of the Burnet Bulldogs - welcome Jerrod Rye to the show! - Growing up in Georgetown, TX when it was still a small town!! - Going to college at Tarleton State in Stephenville, TX where an interaction with a baseball coach helped shape his coaching philosophy. - A HILARIOUS story about Coach Rye's 1st assignment - the dreaded "Get Back Coach"! - Coach talks about his ascent to becoming Head Coach at Burnet and why many hirers seek out former coaches for careers in sales. - Finally as a diehard Cowboys fan we play some fun Start-Bench-Cuts, with big names like Lamb/Pearson/Bryant, and Aikman/Romo/Prescott Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

Today's guest is a guy that Coach Kovo had one of his greatest duels on the field with one cold, rainy night in November of 2013. At that time our guest was the Offensive Coordinator of one of the most physically imposing teams in the Houston area, the Texas City Stingarees. After that battle a mutual respect was forged and friendship was born! He is now the Regional Sales Manager for CoachComm - welcome Chase Fickessen to the show! - When you think of the true power programs in the state you likely include the Lake Travis Cavaliers. However, Chase was there in the days before the state championships, playoff appearances, or even .500 records. He tells us what it was like, and hen he could see the tide beginning to turn. - Chase dipped his toes in the world of collegiate coaching and shares advice for young coaches on the pros and cons of coaching in college vs. high school. He also shares an interesting theory that Coach Kovo had never heard before but that totally makes sense related to the professionalization of collegiate sports in today's ever-evolving landscape. - In part 1 (an episode with former Texas City OC David Wilkinson is yet to come) of the Oral History of Ridge Point vs Texas City 2013, Chase and Kovo reminisce about that fateful night when two area heavyweights duked it out on the field at Clyde Abshier Stadium. - After becoming a dad for the first time, Coach re-evaluated some things and decided to give a career in sales a try. 6 years later he's still going strong. Chase shares what led to that decision along with what it's like living in one of the few true "one-horse" towns inside of the Greater Houston: Friendswood, TX! - Finally as an OG Cavalier, Chase gives us his all-time Lake Travis Football Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have another Team Player Podcast first today as we welcome our 1st Assistant Principal into the TPP Studios! If that weren't special enough, it was another TPP first as this meeting was scheduled on a chance occurrence at a local Old Katy coffee hot spot. Our guest coached for many years at his alma mater at Dulles HS with time not only as an assistant football coach, but also as a Head Soccer and Strength and Conditioning Coach, but he has now set his sights to a career as an administrator serving as an Assistant Principal at L.V. Hightower HS in Fort Bend ISD - welcome Stephen McCormick to the show! - Growing up in the legendary football town of Plano, TX just north of Dallas, where he grew up dreaming of starring for PESH - as a member of the Plano East Senior High Panther Football Team. But then after freshman year he made his move south down I-45 to the sweetest city in the country: Sugar Land, TX where he starred for the FBISD "Mothership" the original, the one and only John Foster Dulles Vikings! - Stephen talks his perspectives now as an administrator between the massive enrollments of the Plano ISD Senior Highs that house juniors and seniors only vs the numerous smaller campuses that make up Fort Bend ISD. - Coach tells us what it was like playing for FBISD Coaching Legend Jim Creech as well as being a part of a team that had one of the area's most innovative and high-scoring offenses of the 2000s. - After his playing days ended at East Texas Baptist University in Marshall, TX, Coach came back home and spent his entire career back at his alma mater. Coach Kovo and Stephen take a trip down memory lane talking all things Dulles including who they saw as their rival: Elkins or Clements, the importance of data-driven strength and conditioning to athletics, and what he learned from coaching both girls and boys soccer and basketball. - Finally as a diehard UNC fan we hear Coach's Tar Heel Mt. Rushmore, and Stephen educates Coach Kovo on the difference between Columbia and CAROLINA Blue!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

Today's guest dropped an excellent SAT word on me when he described our leadup to this episode as "Serendipitous" - must be that Austin College education! He followed in the footsteps of his older brother Austin as an excellent Safety for the Austin College football team before becoming a Strength and Conditioning Coach at the collegiate level. He has since moved on to live the dream designing and selling weight rooms to schools across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana as a Territory Manager for PLAE - welcome Evan Coachman to the show! - Evan jokes that he grew up in Allen when it was still a small town, then did the same in Frisco before it blew up, so now all of the residents in Van Alystne, TX better watch out for explosive growth! Evan shares stories of his time growing up as a coach's son in those two towns as well as diving into a discussion that any parent of young children will want to listen to describing the approach to social media for youngsters. - Much like Coach Kovo, Evan played on many middling or losing teams growing up so the two coaches discuss what it takes to turn a program around after periods of mediocrity. Evan was able to experience a turn-around 1st hand though along with fellow Austin College alum Vance Gibson as the Frisco Fighting Raccoons were able to turn in a 9-win season by his senior year! - Coach describes his time as a player at Austin College as well as diving into topics ranging from giving coaches time to turn around a program to the importance of investment in the program and facilities by administration. - As a strength and conditioning "sicko" as Coach Kovo likes to lovingly say, Evan gives parents more gems regarding what sports and activities to get your children involved with to help them experience a lifetime of healthy movement. - Finally, Evan's sporting interests vary from teams all across the Metroplex including FC Dallas and Everton out of the English Premier League. However as a dedicated Dallas Cowboys fan we ask Evan for his personal Cowboys Mount Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

For the 2nd week in a row we welcome a guest from the world of girl's basketball into the Team Player Studios! Like Coach Kovo she is also a Fort Bend ISD product and after spent many very successful years as the Head Girls Basketball Coach at Hightower High School. Now she has recently moved on to become an Assistant AD in her native Fort Bend ISD - welcome Deb Mize to the show! - Growing up in Duncan, OK before flying "across the pond" to spend some of her formative years in just south of London in Surrey, England! - After splitting time abroad and North of the Red River, Coach was finally able to put down roots in First Colony where she went on to become a star for the Clements Lady Ranger basketball team under the guidance of my good friend and former FBISD Principal Lori Oliver! - Deb stayed local after HS and spent many a winter night filling up the bucket in the cozy confines of Sharp Gymnasium on the campus of Houston Baptist University before finishing her career at the Division 2 level at St. Edward's University in Austin. - As an administrator that is privy to sitting in on interviews for head coaching positions Coach Mize shares some extremely valuable feedback on what ADs are looking for from applicants as well as an in-depth discussion of serious topics such as sharing athletes between sports and negativity in the stands. You also won't want to miss her story of running across WNBA and ESPN star Chiney Ogwumike at the state final in Austin's Frank Erwin Center and what went into her wardrobe decision for the big game. - Finally as the longtime captain of the ship of the ladies basketball program on Hurricane Lane we get to hear Coach Mize's definitive Hightower Hurricane girls basketball Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a great guest today whose career could be set to the song "All I Do Is Win" as he is our 1st ever alumnus to win a state championship as both a player and a coach, and if that weren't enough he actually won TWO state championships in two different states for good measure. He is the most intense pickup basketball player that I've ever met, and my good friend. He is now the Head Girls Basketball Coach and Assistant Athletic Director at Barbers Hill High School in Mont Belvieu, TX - welcome Bryan Harris to the show! - When you think of how the Jersey Shore is depicted on reality TV I would venture to say Bryan Harris is just about the furthest thing from that but believe it or not as a native of Toms River, NJ that is exactly where Bryan grew up! - Bryan shares what it was like living smack dab in the middle of huge metropolitan cities like NYC and Philly, winning a state championship as a HS baseball player, and falling in love with the New York Mets. - In yet another Team Player Podcast First, I believe Bryan is our first veteran and his story seems like it's straight off the silver screen. From serving his country as a way to pay for college, working under the LEGENDARY Pat Summitt as a practice player for the Tennessee Lady Vols Women's Basketball program and guarding Chamique Holdsclaw every day at practice, before capping it off by successfully walking onto and earning a spot on the men's team at Tennessee! Rocky Top, you'll always be home to me!! - From winning a state championship in Florida, to taking the Clements Rangers back to the playoffs after a long drought, to winning it all again at Manvel Bryan has done it all as a coach but has now added Administrator to his resume in his current role as Head Coach and Assistant AD at Barbers Hill. Kovo and Bryan talk coaching theory and how he approaches his job now that he is wearing "two hats". - Finally as a diehard Mets fan we hear Bryan's Mets Mt. Rushmore, play a fun Dallas Mavericks Start-Bench-Cut, and finish off with Bryan's all-time personal Mt. Rushmore of the young ladies that he has coached! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special episode today as we gear up for the Women's World Cup with a girls soccer episode!! This guest comes expressly recommended by one of our alums (Caitlin Riley ep.3) she is a proud Sweenyian and Head Girls Soccer Coach of the Sweeny Bulldogs - welcome Sam Rakowitz to the show! - Growing up in Sweeny, TX and let me tell ya, Coach Rakowitz bleeds columbia and navy Blue (Coach Kovo's favorite color combo in the history of sport)! - Sam was a rare SEVEN SPORT ATHLETE at Sweeny HS and shares the incredible story of how cheer almost led her to enroll with a nearby rival! - In one of the great all-time stories shared on the TPP we find out how Sam ended up joining the TLU women's soccer team before a road trip to ETBU and Lousiana College. Spoiler alert: this story is set for the silver screen complete with an extra time game-winning goal!! - Coach Kovo and Sam talk about what it takes to build a program that doesn't have a JV or junior high component as well as the intricacies of the multi-sport athletes that is a must-hear for every youth sport parent. - Finally as THE authoritative Sweeny Bulldogs historian we ask Coach for her definitive Sweeny Bulldog Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special episode as our guest today runs his own youth sports program (NextLevelSports) and he and Coach Kovo take a deep dive inside of youth sport culture today! But not only does he work with the youth, he is also the Varsity Assistant Basketball coach for the Marble Falls Mustangs - welcome Sonny Wilson to the show! - Growing up in Dublin, no not Ireland, Texas before settling in good ole Burnet durn'et! - Playing for legendary coach Bob Shipley while in HS at Burnet and loving the experience so much that he is one of our few Team Player Podcast alums to be able to come back to his alma mater to coach! - In perhaps THE most legendary turnaround we have ever heard of, the Marble Falls Boys Basketball team actually had an "O-fer" in basketball which isn't easy to do when you are playing 30 games a year! After going 0-30, the VERY NEXT YEAR they go out and WIN THE DISTRICT TITLE. Seriously this is the stuff of the silver screen, and if Coach hasn't written a screenplay yet we need to get on that! - Coach Kovo and Sonny spend a greater portion of the show talking about his experience running Next Level Sports and discussing the state of youth athletics today. - Finally as part of a string of Cowboys fans that have come through the Team Player Podcast Studios, we play a fun How Bout Them Cowboys WR edition of Start - Bench - Cut with some legendary #88s in Irvin, Bryant, and Lamb, along with an Aggie Football Mt. Rushmore and as a rare die-hard Boston Celtics fan in the Lone Star State we finish with a Celtic legend Start - Bench - Cut with big names like Bird, Tatum, and Pierce! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We are making Team Player Podcast History on several fronts today: he's not our 1st pre-med student but we believe he is the 1st to successfully apply and attend Med School, he is not our 1st former roommate of Coach Kovo's but he is our 1st Best Man in Coach Kovo's wedding, and the 1st QB that Coach Kovo protected during his old OL days. He is the Offensive Coordinator and Quarterbacks Coach for the Fort Bend Clements Rangers - welcome Derek Ruthardt to the show! - Growing up throughout the great state of Texas - from San Angelo to Midland to Lytle to the farming town of Josephine. - Achieving the rare feat of being both the starting Quarterback and Valedictorian at Community HS in Nevada, TX! - Learning to be a flexbone option QB at Austin College and the serendipitous story of how Coach Ruthardt and Coach Kovo squared off against EACH OTHER in their 1st ever game as HS football coaches one fateful afternoon at the "Sugar Dome" on 7th street in old Sugar Land, TX. - Being a part of dramatic turnarounds throughout his coaching career including most recently as a part of the staff at Fort Bend Clements that went from 0-10 or 1-9 seasons to the brink of challenging for their 3rd consecutive playoff berth! - Finally as our resident QB expert, we get a How Bout Them Cowboys QB edition of Start - Bench - Cut with names like Romo, Aikman, and Prescott and finish with an all-time NFL QB Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We've got another heavy hitter in the house today as we welcome in the man who led the Harker Heights Knights to their best season in school history this past year with an appearance in the Regional Final where they fell to the eventual state champs. Eerily similar to the 2007 season at Fort Bend Clements where Coach Kovo met this guy as another successful member of the Jeff Hulme coaching tree. He is now the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator for the Colleyville Heritage Panthers - welcome Jerry Edwards to the show! - The old Cross Canadian Ragweed song says "You're Always 17 in Your Hometown" perhaps that would fit Quitman, TX where Jerry grew up graduating in a class of 200 and having his dad be the town Mayor!! - Starting as a pre-med student at Texas A&M before one chance outing at a Mexia HS playoff football game changed his life forever. - How another chance occurrence led to Jerry's resume landing on the desk of one Coach Jeff Hulme, starting a decade-long partnership coaching winning football. - Leading Harker Heights back to prominence with a record-breaking season to remember, including fulfilling a childhood dream of leading a visiting team into legendary Ratliff Stadium in Odessa. - Finally as a fellow self-proclaimed "Friday Night Lights" TV nerd, Jerry puts on the blue-tinted Oakleys and assumes the role of Head Coach Eric Taylor (who he actually met at a bar in Marfa, TX - not even kidding) and settle the ultimate QB1 Start-Bench-Cut debate: Vince Howard, Matt Saracen, or Ray "Voodoo" Tatum along with some fun Fighting Texas A&M Aggie Wrecking Crew and QB Start-Bench-Cuts! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We are making Team Player Podcast History again today as we welcome our 1st ever 2A coach into the TPP Studios. He is the Head Football Coach and Athletic Director for the Louise HS Hornets - welcome Manny Freeland to the show! - Growing up in the LEGENDARY Edna, TX!! - Going across the state to the Texas Panhandle in Plainview to attend Wayland Baptist University where you just might hit a tumbleweed on your way down the highway! - Coach Freeland has perhaps the most diverse resume imaginable going from small towns to big cities and everywhere in between including a stop in Alief ISD whose unique lottery system for school attendance has long fascinated Coach Kovo! - The importance of playing multiple sports at as small school including some hilarious, truly laugh out loud, stories from Coach's childhood, including some about a certain famous tough "SOB" who walked those same Edna HS halls. - Finally, Coach's dad sounds like the kind of man old West tall tales are made out of and he passed down his fandom of some of his eras most powerful teams to Manny. Coach Freeland has the tough task of completing his Cowboys and Big Red Machine Mt. Rushmores!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We've got a very special guest today - kind of like Jordan and the Bulls in the late 80s and early 90s he has been getting his program better bit by bit each year until this year they finally busted through their ceiling. For the 1st time since 2005 they were able to advance past the 2nd round of the playoffs, and this year it was alll the way to the Regional Semis against state power Humble Summer Creek led by TPP alum Carlesa Dixon (ep. 22)!! He has upheld the standard that many former Team Player Podcast alums set waaay back in 2010. He is the Head Girls Basketball Coach for the Memorial HS Mustangs - welcome Jyusef Larry to the show! - Growing up in the quaint Arkansas town of Lonoke where everyone knows your name and the played some pretty dang high-level basketball. - Staying in The Natural State to attend Harding University alongside another TPP alum Kenny Simpson (ep. 50). - What it was like coaching a future NFL star in Josh Gordon at Westbury Christian. We might as well call it the six degrees of Jyusef Larry instead of Kevin Bacon as Westbury Christian is the alma mater of another TPP alum who comes up in our conversation, the Head Basketball Coach of the Northbrook Raiders, and THE biggest Chiefs fan you know, Jason Campbell (ep.18)!! - This past year Coach Kovo was treated to being assigned broadcasts of many Memorial Mustangs football games in the fall. Memorial Mustangs fans will delight in hearing more about the school and long-time leader of the athletic department, the ever-dynamic Gary Koch, before diving into the main course. The story of the history-making 2022-2023 Memorial Mustangs Girls Basketball team!! - Finally, much like Coach Kovo, Jyusef was a contrarian as a child which explains his eclectic fandom as a diehard Cubs, Bears, and Michigan Wolverines fan! Go Blue!! Coach gives us his Cubbies Mt. Rushmore, a hard-hitting start/bench/cut with names like Butkus, Singletary, and Urlacher, and gives us his ultimate Michigan Wolverines Hoops all-time starting 5! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special show tonight as Team Player Alumnus Michael Vitek (ep37) dreamt up the idea of interviewing Coach Kovo for an episode! So for the 1st time Coach Kovo will relinquish the controls to hand hosting duties over to Coach Vitek and fellow TPP alum Chris Fisher (ep27). Former Ridge Point Defensive Coordinator, Aldine HS Head Football Coach/Campus Athletic Coordinator, and current Daktronics Sports Marketing Specialist Coach Kovo (James Kowalewski) steps into the hot seat at Team Player Studios! - Being born abroad in Tokyo, Japan before spending his formative years in Sugar Land, TX. - The fortuitous break of briefly living right across the street from historic Mercer Stadium before settling in for a great 4 years as a Fort Bend Austin Bulldog. - Continuing his love of the game by becoming an Austin College Kangaroo in the North Texas town of Sherman. - Overcoming a disastrous 1st semester as a teacher at Clear Brook HS before finding new life at Fort Bend Clements HS. Inhabiting a t-shack next door to a future prominent coach led to the opportunity of a lifetime at Fort Bend Ridge Point, and then a childhood dream was realized becoming the Head Football Coach at legendary Aldine Senior High! - Finally Kovo is posed with the monumental task of picking his 5 most memorable episodes as host of the Team Player Podcast! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We've got a heavy hitter in the building today and a man who Coach Kovo is proud to call his friend. He has upheld the standard that many former Team Player Podcast alums set waaay back in 2010. He is the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at our beloved Ridge Point HS - welcome Rick LaFavers to the show! - Growing up in perhaps the windiest city in the nation (take that Chicago!), on the vast flat expanses of the Llano Estacado where the joke is the only trees are telephone poles - beautiful Amarillo, TX! - Getting lucky enough to be the last class of 9th graders to be housed at the junior high before becoming a member of the Amarillo Golden Sandstorm - that's right you may know them better as the Amarillo Sandies, and they're one of our states most iconic programs with the record and the distinctive logo to back it up! Speaking of iconic, Rick even had the pleasure, or displeasure, of meeting Mojo's star RB Chris Comer in the hole on buck sweep - a name many of us will remember as the Odessa Permian star who replaced Boobie Miles in silver screen adaptation of the book Friday Night Lights. - Pursuing his dream to play big-time Southwest Conference Football by heading East to Fort Worth and walking on to the TCU Horned Frogs football team before eventually becoming a rock on defense and Team Captain from his safety spot. - Beginning his career coaching collegiately with stops at places like Alabama, Texas A&M, and Rice University before leading a dramatic turnaround as Head Coach at Lamar Consolidated. Then the opportunity of a lifetime presented itself in the way of coming home to lead the proud Ridge Point Panthers football program. - Finally, in honor of TCU's magical run to the College Football National Championship Game this past year, Rick gives us his Horned Frogs Football Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We're making Team Player Podcast history again! This time we welcome our 1st ever Broadcaster into the TPP Studios! He is a main man on Dave Campbell's Texan Live and someone Coach Kovo has had the honor and pleasure of working alongside - welcome Gavin Moritz to the show! - Growing up in Atascocita and getting paired up with a future 1st round NFL draft pick one fateful day in off-season! - Finding his passion for broadcasting at the young age of 16! - There's an old saying, "don't ever meet your heroes", but this couldn't have been further from the truth when Gavin met a certain diminutive quarterback that he had always admired. - Coming into his own with Dave Campbell's Texan Live, and the relentless pursuit of improvement as a broadcaster. - Finally, as one of the few San Diego Padres fans that you'll ever come across we get Gavin's definitive "Pads" Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

The Team Player Podcast is heading down under!! We welcome our 1st ever Aussie into the Team Player Studios and even though it was 5am his time he brought the energy! He's pushing Most Interesting Man in the World status as he has done a bit of everything in his life: elite Rugby League, MMA, and even competitive Arm Wrestling! Sly Stallone in Over the Top anyone?? Now he coaches and works with businesses to improve wellness and performance - welcome David Lindsay to the show! www.davidlindsay.com.au - Growing up in Engadine - just 40 minutes southwest of downtown Sydney. - Pursuing a professional Rugby League before a career-ending and nearly life-altering injury led him to competitive arm-wrestling. - It was another gruesome injury that led David to find a passion on the mat with MMA which he still coaches to this day. - Channeling his competitive drive and boundless energy to help employees in the workplace feel better and perform better. - Finally, we would be remiss not to ask a former elite Rugby Leaguer for his all-time Rugby Mount Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special show tonight as we welcome one of Coach Kovo's longtime friends in coaching as they were two of the original Panthers at Ridge Point HS. He is now the Defensive Coordinator at Seven Lakes HS, welcome Phil Dober to the show! - Growing up in Berea, OH and going to school in the heart of downtown Cleveland, OH at Cleveland State University. - Making the decision to leave home behind to start a new life in the Lone Star State teaching and coaching at Sharpstown HS. - Getting the call to move on to Ridge Point HS where he really cut his teeth and learned all about the unglamourous aspects of starting a new program. - Getting his 1st opportunity to be a Defensive Coordinator at Fort Bend Clements with TPP and RP alum Bobby Darnell, before once again joining TPP and RP alum Jimmy Hamon at Katy Seven Lakes! - Finally, having presided over the DL that was the engine to RP's 1st breakout season in 2014, Coach Dober is fully equipped to give his personal top 5 all-time Ridge Point Panther Defensive Linemen! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing livesFollow on Twitter @coach_kovoHit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome!Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. CyrMusic for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

It's another very special show today as we welcome in our 1st guest who was both in Coach Kovo's wedding and where Coach Kovo was in his wedding! We also now complete having both of Coach Kovo's coordinators at Aldine HS become TPP alums joining Coach Nate Shallenberger from episode 52. He is the former Defensive Coordinator at Aldine HS for six seasons and is currently an offensive line coach at Mayde Creek HS in Katy ISD, welcome Albert Estrada to the show! - Moving several times from El Paso to several cities throughout the Rio Grande Valley as his father was traveling for work as a pharmacist, before settling down in the quaint Pecan Grove subdivision in Richmond, TX. - Becoming a 2-year starter and big time contributor alongside Coach Kovo on the offensive line at Fort Bend Austin HS. - Going from 235 pounds to over 300 pounds in his quest to become a collegiate offensive lineman. - Learning the Katy 3-4 defense under Coach Dan Schreiber at Fort Bend Austin, helping Coach Kovo in his first foray into Head Coaching at Aldine HS, and now rejoining an old friend and teammate at Mayde Creek HS while going back to his roots and switching over to coach O-line. - Finally for the Fort Bend Austin Bulldog alums listening out there, Albert gives his definitive Austin HS football Mt. Rushmore! Spoiler alert there are some people on his list that have gone on to do some seriously great things in life! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

Today's guest is someone who Coach Kovo has never had the pleasure of working alonside, but who has worked with Team Player alums Cirilo Ojeda (ep4) and Sergio Gonzalez (ep19). After helping lead a dramatic turnaround at Sharpstown HS as Offensive Coordinator, he now serves as the Apollos head football coach, welcome Matt Torres to the show! - Growing up in beautiful El Paso, TX. - Being a multi-sport athlete at Irvin HS in El Paso. - Heading down to the picturesque Big Bend part of Texas to continue his education and football career at Sul Ross State University in Alpine. - As reported by TXHSFB Godfather Matt Stepp, Matt shares the distinction with only a handful of other families that have had 3 separate brothers earn head football coaching jobs in Texas! - Finally growing up in El Paso hours away from any other professional sport allowed Coach to have a diverse array of fandom influenced by family members and a memorable football card. As a lifelong Buffalo Bills fan, Matt gives his Bills Mt. Rushmore!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

It's another Team Player 1st as we have our first guest who grew up under the bright lights and big buildings of Brooklyn! He eventually found his way down to Texas where he and Coach Kovo had some serious battles when he was the Offensive Coordinator at Fort Bend Marshall HS. He is now the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at Cy Springs HS, welcome Oji Fagan to the show! - Growing up in Flatbush, Brooklyn where he relished the diversity that he and his brothers on the team enjoyed. - His mom encouraged him to strike out on his own away from his friends at Lafeyette HS right by the city's waterfront. He also was a high school classmate of his future wife. While they didn't know each other well at the time, she actually worked in the camp of a certain famous Brooklyn prize fighter that any 90s kid will remember well!! - Going upstate to the University of Albany where he played for legendary 700+ win coach Bob Ford and learned what it took to be part of a winner. - Taking his career to the next level coordinating some very explosive offenses on deep playoff runs at Fort Bend Marshall including a trip to the state championship! Under the tutelage of legendary HC James Williams, Oji learned the skills necessary to lead Cy Springs to one game out of the playoffs in only his 2nd season! - Finally as a native New Yorker, Coach Fagan gives us his G-Men Mt.Rushmore along with as an offensive guru, settling the QB Goat debate for us!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a very special episode the show today where we are making lots of Team Player Podcast history with a pair of firsts. It's the first time we are welcoming in one of Coach Kovo's childhood friends into the TPP studio, and our first time welcoming in a guest who has not worked professionally as a coach, but instead has volunteered countless hours coaching his 2 sons in all of their youth sports. Positive coaching at the youth level is so incredibly important and that it is why it is our pleasure to welcome Dan Shook to the show! - Growing up in Sugar Land, TX and reminiscing on Sandlot-esque times creating professional basketball franchises at recess! - Making the decision to travel across the district each day to become a part of the brand new Engineering Magnet Program at Hightower HS. Not only was the magnet program brand new, but you have to remember that all of the sports were to. Dan recounts starting a new baseball program with kids that were spread out all across the district, all while competing in one of the toughest baseball districts in the country. - Going to his dream school at the University of Texas in Austin, and sowing the seeds as a coach in club and intramural that would eventually blossom into the coaching moments he has shared with his sons. - Coach talks about the impact that investing in your kids through youth sports has, and cautions the mindset of parents feeling like their child's entire future hinges on this pitch or that at bat. - Finally as a bona fide Texas Longhorn football historian we let Dan put on the headset and whistle and make some tough Start - Bench - Cuts! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We're making Team Player Podcast history as we welcome our 1st guest from the same gene pool as Coach Kovo - he is the Defensive Coordinator of the Kiefer Trojans in Kiefer, OK and Coach Kovo's younger brother - welcome Ryan Kowalewski to the show! - Growing up in Sugar Land's New Territory community and the value of being in one place for K-12. - Witnessing the start of the winning tradition at Fort Bend Travis HS and delivering the school's 1st ever district championship in upset fashion. - Using his talent as a deep snapper to earn a full scholarship to the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. - One of the rare coaches who have accomplished the triple crown of coaching in high school, college, and middle school and how those varied experiences have strengthened the coach he is today. - Finally Ryan provides his Travis Tiger Football Mount Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

In another edition of Team Player Podcast without borders we welcome another guest from the Beaver State, the Great State of Oregon - he follows in the footsteps of Kevin “K-Dawg” Swift in ep 13, and like Coach Swift this is another coach I met through the HSFB Twitter Community, he is the longtime head FB coach of Central Catholic HS in Portland, OR welcome Steve Pyne to the show! - Growing up in the Rose City - Portland, OR within a quick drive to the old Rose Garden (now called Moda Center), home of the Portland Trailblazers. - Heading south to attend college at Western Oregon University, where he ended up with an interesting arrangement starting at age 19, making the 140-mile roundtrip to coach at his HS alma mater for gas money!! - His coaching journey started with going across the border into Idaho before returning home and settling in as the longtime Head Coach at Catholic Central complete with multiple state championship rings to show for it! - It's a veritable who's who of big-name head football coaches Steve has met in his lifetime, including a hilarious encounter with a young Lane Kiffin! - Finally with only one big pro sports team in Portland, coach has an eclectic mix of favorite teams spread clear across the United States. We play St. Louis Cards Mt. Rushmore, Fighting Irish Start/Bench/Cut with names like Bettis, Brown, and Ismail. Then we play a Washington Start/Bench/Cut with Monk, Green, and "Riggo", before finishing with a Blazers Start/Bench/Cut with Clyde the Glide, Dame Lillard, and a mystery clutch substitution by coach of a late 90's star! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We had the pleasure of meeting today's guest through Coach Kovo's work with the Seven Lakes Sports Podcast and boy are we ever glad we did. His coaching method and his investment in developing every single athlete in his program are both refreshing and inspiring - and he has the hardware to prove that his methods work - he is the longtime Head Wrestling Coach for at Seven Lakes HS - welcome Mike Demarchi to the show! - Growing up in the Cleveland area's Eastlake, OH on the shores of Lake Erie. Coach Kovo asks about his favorite movie of all-time: Major League, and about the quintessential 80's wrestling movie: Vision Quest. - Taking his bumps on the wrestling mat and the time he was on the track in the 4x400 with a future NFL running back. - Attending the University of Toledo and being recruited by Alief ISD to come down to Texas to start his teaching career. - Starting the wrestling program at Seven Lakes HS and having the privilege of coaching his son. - Finally Coach gives his USA Wrestling Mount Rushmore, and plays some fun Ohio State Buckeye Start/Bench/Cuts with names like George, Griffin, Galloway, Ginn, Boston, Spielman, Katzenmoyer, Hawk, and Carter. Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

What better way to start Season 2 of TPP than to welcome in the man who introduced Coach Kovo to podcasting! He was Coach Kovo's Nose Guard on his best team at Ridge Point and now he is coaching at Nolan Ryan Junior High in Shadow Creek Ranch, welcome Mike Obi to the show! - Growing up in the legendary Pearland Oiler/Dawson Eagle feeder system before moving to another up and coming football power at Ridge Point HS in Missouri City as a freshman. - Obi shares what it was like behind the scenes as a player on that magical 12-1 Panther team in 2014. - Coach has a lot of interests outside of the work day including his collaboration with Coach Kovo on a Houston HSFB/Roughnecks/Gamblers podcast (please help us by subscribing at: youtube.com/@HTownPickEm) but perhaps his biggest passion is his love for fragrance. Mike shares how he started this journey including to the point where he started a fragrance line of his own! - Like many of our Team Player Podcast alums, coaching is a 2nd career for Mike. Listen as he shares what caused him to come back to education and how he feels about it now. - Finally, all Ridge Point Panther football fans listen-in, Mike gives his definitive top 5 leaders on that legendary 2014 squad. Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

Happy Birthday to us!! Team Player Podcast turns one year old this week - that's right we have been bringing you a weekly story of a coach making a difference for the past 52 straight weeks! So let's celebrate this milestone with a guy that really helped Coach Kovo cut his teeth as a Head Coach when he was Kovo's Offensive Coordinator at Aldine High School. He is now the Assistant Head Football Coach at Fort Bend Hightower HS, welcome Nate Shallenberger to the show! - We have a certified "inside the looper" as Coach Shall was born and raised in the heart of Houston's beautiful West University! - From there Coach went on to attend HISD's Lamar High School where he relished in being a part of a diverse student body and had the distinct honor and pleasure of playing for the legendary Tom Nolen!! - For the 2nd week in a row we welcome an Aggie into the Team Player Studios, and once again we have someone who found the Spirit of Aggieland a little later than some others. - Kovo and Shall reflect on some good times at Aldine including the time Coach Kovo thought he was going to get fired at halftime, and the time they took a 1-6 Aldine Mustangs team into a rainy Saturday afternoon at Thorne Stadium and pulled off an upset for the ages against the playoff-bound Nimitz Cougars! After that trip down memory lane we dive into Coach Shall's other stops including the Hightower Hurricanes catching lightning in a bottle this year with a very impressive return to 6A football, and a rejuvenated rivalry with the Ridge Point Panthers for the Fort Bend Tollway Cup. - Finally being a native Houstonian we had to get Shall's definitive Astros Mount Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms

We have a true treat on today's show - one of the best human beings in the coaching profession, and someone who truly is living out the American Dream. He is now the Head Football Coach at Northbrook HS, welcome Andres Gomez to the show! - Being born in the 5th largest city in the world, Ciudad de Mexico, before moving to Katy, TX at age 9. - Coach Gomez becomes our 5th Team Player alumnus to have won a state championship as a player, having been a part of the legendary 1997 Katy State Championship Football Team! - Andres knows all about the Sprit of Aggieland as he was a proud member of the Corps of Cadets in his time as a student at Texas A&M University. - Coach reflects on the legacy of his parents working so hard to provide a different future for he and his two brothers, all of whom are now Texas A&M graduates AND Texas HS football coaches where they are impacting the next generation of students. Once again, a true American Dream story! - Finally having grown up outside of the United States, Coach was a true free agent in terms of his fandom when he arrived and like many 80's and 90's kids it was coming home from school to WGN on the TV that cemented his Cubs fandom! Having also fallen in love with the dominance of the '85 Bears we ask Andres to give us his all time Bears and Cubbies Mt. Rushmores! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We once again dip into the network of our good friend and founder of TXHSFB Chat - Coach Chris Fisher. This guest comes highly recommended and is simply one of the best at producing resources to help coaches both schematically and with the even more impactful questions of how best to lead and manage a program. He is now the Head Football Coach at Southside Carter HS in Batesville, AR, welcome Kenny Simpson to the show! - Growing up moving between multiple states. - From championship seasons to 0-10 seasons, Coach has experienced it all, and provides some gems on how to persevere in moments of adversity. - As a published author Coach can win a chalk war with the best of him, but Coach Kovo digs into some of Adam's best works that are centered outside of X's and O's. - Coach was headed out to sunny San Diego the day after this recording, and this beautiful games continues to take Coach Simpson even internationally as he strives to teach and share the lessons he has learned during his career. - Finally Kenny is perhaps the first diehard Miami Dolphins fan that Coach Kovo has become friends with and the two can relate over the beauty of the struggle to become a contender - Coach Simpson reflects on his years of fandom and gives his Dolphins Mt. Rushmore! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

Today's guest is someone we met through the Twitterverse coming highly recommended from our good friend and founder of TXHSFB Chat - Coach Chris Fisher. He does a wonderful job sharing and cultivating knowledge with the rest of the TXHSFB community and is now the Co-DC at Schertz Clemens HS, welcome Adam Harvey to the show! - Growing up in the Land of Tumbleweeds and wide open spaces in the Texas Pandhandle, the birthplace of Waylon Jennings, Littlefield, TX! - Putting down the basketball to find his true calling on the gridiron as an expert secondary coach! - It's a veritable who's who of pro players that Coach Harvey has had the honor to coach and to coach against! - The time he met Peyton Manning, and the conversation he had with the football legend! - Finally with all those pros he's coached it surely wasn't easy for Adam to pick his all-time top 5 - but he did and it was one heck of a list! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We've got another Austin College Kangaroo edition of the Team Player Podcast this week! In September of 2022 she won the coveted THSCA Coach of the Week award to cement her status as one of the top coaches in the state of Texas. She is now the Head Volleyball Coach at Boerne Champion High School, welcome Jessica Tully-Mitchell Bragg to the show! - Growing up in the Land of Enchantment, picturesque Ruidoso, New Mexico!! - Finding her way to Austin College in Sherman, TX where she met her future husband and began their journey as a coaching duo! - Successfully completing the coaching Triple Crown: starting her career in college coaching at TLU, before transitioning to hs while also being involved in the club coaching circuit. - The time she didn't realize she was opening the gym for legendary Aggie and Cowboy linebacker Dat Nguyen! - Finally an opportunity where after coaching elite volleyball for the past 15 years - Coach is able to give her all-time greats their flowers with her dream starting six! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're keeping the Team Player Podcast firsts rolling for a record 7th week in a row, this time it's the 1st guest where Coach Kovo was in their wedding! Much like TPP alum Jimmy Hamon, he is a guy that dreamed of being a head baseball coach but has brought his talents from the diamond to the gridiron. He is now the Head Football Coach and Campus Athletic Coordinator at South Houston High School, welcome Patrick Longstreet to the show! - Growing up in a veritable Titletown, USA in La Marque, TX and how winning state championships honestly was simply just the expectation. - Finding his way to Huston-Tillutson University in Austin and how much he loved his time at an NAIA HBCU. - Starting his coaching career in Bastrop, before making some lifelong friends at Clements HS, and refining his skills at B.F. Terry that prepared him to take over the reins at SoHo. - Looking back on the single days with Coach Kovo, before meeting the love of his life, and having to Google to find out her dad was kind of a big deal as an Aggie and NFL legend!! - Finally as an HTown sports fan through and through we play some fun Astros, Rockets, and Texans start/bench/cuts! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're making Team Player Podcast history for a 6th week in a row as we welcome our 1st ever guest from the Mitten as well as our first ever baseball coach! He was also a former HS Athletic Director, but now he calls our beloved Daktronics home, welcome Sean Maloney to the show! - Growing up in Livonia, MI (the same hometown of Coach Kovo's wife by the way) and playing against a guy at the AABC World Series who you may have heard of, oh just Ken Griffey Jr, and attending the famed Orchard Lake St. Mary's who has been racking up NATIONAL baseball titles in recent year. - Coaching stops at Bowling Green, Eastern Michigan, and returning to his alma mater at hometown Madonna University before becoming an AD. - Talking "going up North" and the natural beauty of Michigan, as well as him having some beers and playing some golf with 2 of Coach Kovo's all-time favorite Lions linebackers!! - Reminiscing on old Tiger Stadium and talking about the beautiful ballpark that stands on that site now, as well as the very brief uniform atrocity that his beloved Tigers very briefly rolled out in the mid-90s. - Finally we end with Coach giving us his Lions and Tigers Mt. Rushmore's as well as an RB legend Start/Bench/Cut with names like Sanders, Harris, and Payton! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're making Team Player Podcast history for a 5th week in a row as we welcome our 1st ever guest from the Land of Lincoln (you can take the boy out of Illinois, but you can't take the Illini out of the boy) as well as our first guest to work with Coach Kovo at Daktronics!! This guest has a resume that would make the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World blush!! He is a former collegiate basketball coach and now he sells video displays and scoring systems across the Hoosier State and the Midwest, welcome Steve Carroll to the show! - Growing up in Urbana, Illinois the sister-city to Champaign where the University of Illinois is located, along with being the hometown of REO Speedwagon - Roll with the Changes is Coach Kovo's favorite! - After a stellar career in basketball crazy down-state Illinois, Coach continued on with successful stops as a grad assistant with the Illini complete with a Big 10 title and an Elite 8 appearance, along with stints playing basketball abroad in the Phillipines Basketball Association - After a successful career as a coach, Steve hung up the whistle to pursue a career in sports marketing including stops with branding the Reebok Pump with Shaq and Dominique Wilkins (ALL 90's kids remember this shoe!), Jordan Brand, Red Bull, and even publishing books by legendary coaches like Bob "The General" Knight and Dick Vitale - Coach Kovo does his best Dickie V impression - that's AWESOME BABY!!! - It's one thing to be buddy-buddy with REO Speedwagon, but Kid Rock??? Really?! Listen to the jaw-dropping story of how Steve befriended Robert James Richie (better known as Kid Rock) and here's a hint - you NEVER would have guessed how this happened! - Finally we end with letting Coach put on the whistle one last time to roll out his all-time University of Illinois Fighting Illini starting 5. We also play some fun Mt. Rushmore's including one with his beloved St. Louis Cardinals. Coach is known to always wear either his trademark Illini or Cardinals ballcap and his fandom shines through with the quality of his picks. I-L.....I-N-I!!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

We're making Team Player Podcast history for a 4th week in a row as we welcome our 1st ever coach who works with our middle school athletes into the Team Player Studios! He has worked at all 3 levels - elementary, middle, and high school, and his list of accomplishments was so long that Coach Kovo had to take a water break to read them all! He is the Athletic Coordinator of the record-breaking, uber-successful Jones Toro athletic program and an old friend, welcome Laurentis Butler-Thomas to the show! - Growing up in Rushwood, TX in the Greater Greenspoint/Spring area right at the confluence of 3 school districts, where he could have just as easily went to Eisenhower (Aldine ISD) or Klein Forest (Klein ISD) as he did Westfield (Spring ISD) - It was Westfield where he ended up at and Coach is a true student of Westfield history, and names off a laundry list of Mustang greats, including some legendary coaches he played for such as Emory Bellard who is credited as the Father of the Wishbone Offense! - Laurentis is the true example of someone who was doing amazing things for years in relative obscurity because he wasn't racking up championships early on in his career. But he kept working hard and loving kids, and once he got his big opportunity, boy did he ever take advantage of it! Great reminder to all of us coaches that our value is defined by more than just wins and losses! - For the 2nd week in a row do not call this man a Texans fan! Much like Jerry Hurtado the week before, Laurentis bled Powder Blue, but instead of taking his fandom to Tennessee like Jerry, Coach Butler reps Them Boyz!! We do another fun Oilers Mount Rushmore with a slightly newer generation than last week, and for any Westfield and Aldine alums, you are in for a real treat as we do a special edition of Westfield HS and Aldine ISD Mt. Rushmores!! Join the Team Player Revolution! The biggest help is to leave a 5-star rating. This is what moves us up the rankings so more people can hear the stories of coaches changing lives Follow on Twitter @coach_kovo Hit us up at teamplayerpodcast@gmail.com - we lift up our own inside Team Player Nation, all guest suggestions/feedback is welcome! Art for the Team Player Podcast was created by Kaiser St. Cyr Music for the Team Player Podcast is from the single One More/Good Enough by Avrion - available on all platforms --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app