Podcasts about Bowling Green State University

1 Timothy 4:8 NIV “For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”   *Transcription Below*   Brian Smith, author of The Christian Athlete: Glorifying God in Sports, is a staff member with Athletes in Action and a cross-country coach at Lowell High School. A former collegiate runner at Wake Forest University, he earned a BA in Communications and Journalism before completing his MA in Theology and Sports Studies at Baylor University's Truett Theological Seminary. Brian lives in Lowell, MI with his wife and three children. You can find him on Twitter @BrianSmithAIA.   Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades' experience discipling college and professional athletes. With a heart for reconciliation and justice, he also works as a racial literacy consultant and marriage conference speaker, blending Biblical wisdom with practical living in the midst of complex cultural realities. He has two theological degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He and his wife Amy have four children and live in Xenia, Ohio.   The Christian Athlete Website   Thank You to Our Sponsor:  Sam Leman Eureka   Questions and Topics We Cover: What is one of kids' greatest game day complaints?  Is it true that young athletic success is a predictor of adult athletic success? What are a few tips for instilling a heart of gratitude in our young athlete, rather than entitlement?   Related Savvy Sauce Episode: 230 Intentional Parenting in All The Stages with Dr. Rob Rienow   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV) Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   *Transcription*   Music: (0:00 – 0:11)   Laura Dugger: (0:12 - 1:51) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Dugger, and I'm so glad you're here.   The principles of honesty and integrity that Sam Leman founded his business on continue today, over 55 years later, at Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka.   Owned and operated by the Bertschi family, Sam Leman and Eureka appreciates the support they've received from their customers all over Central Illinois and beyond. Visit them today at lemangm.com.   Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski are my guests for today.   They are co-authors of this recent amazing book entitled, A Way Game, A Christian Parents Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. And from the very beginning, I was captivated, even with one of the endorsements from Matt Martens, who's the president and CEO of Awana, and he summed it up this way, A Way Game provides a much needed perspective shift on one of the most sacred idols in our culture, youth sports. So, Brian and Ed are all for youth sports, and yet you're going to hear there's a different way to approach it than what we've been trained in culture.   And they're going to share some wonderful and very practical insights. I can't wait to share this with you. Here's our chat. Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Ed and Brian.   Ed Uszynski & Brian Smith: (1:51 - 1:54) Thanks for having us, Laura. Yeah, good to be here, Laura.   Laura Dugger: (1:54 - 2:04) So, excited about this chat. And will the two of you just start us off by sharing your family's stage of life and your involvement in sports?   Brian Smith: (2:05 - 3:29) Yeah, there could be a lot on the back end of that question. I'll start with sports, then get into family. I've been involved in sports my entire life, played every sport imaginable growing up, got cut from just about every single sport my freshman year of high school, ended up running track and cross country because it was the only sports that you could not get cut from at my high school.   And I ended up being pretty good at it by the time I was a senior, won some state championships, ended up getting a scholarship to run at Wake Forest University. So, I did that for four years right out of college. I coached a little bit collegiately.   Soon after that, I joined staff with a sports ministry called Athletes in Action that Ed and I have a combined 50 years with Athletes in Action. And really, that's been my life ever since. I've been ministering to college and pro athletes, discipling them, helping them figure out what does that actually look like to integrate faith in sport.   Even today, I live in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I coach high school cross country while I'm still on staff with Athletes in Action. I have a middle school Bible study that I run on Wednesday mornings.   Been married to my wife, who I actually met in high school. She was a distance runner too, and she ran at Wisconsin. So, we've been married for 20 years.   We have three kids, a high schooler, a middle schooler, and an elementary schooler who are all involved in sport at some level, some way, shape, or form.   Laura Dugger: (3:30 - 3:34) Wow, that's incredible. Thank you, Brian. And Ed, what about you?   Ed Uszynski: (3:34 - 5:04) Well, my story is very parallel to Brian's, just different sports and some different numbers. Just tack on 15 years. Yeah, I was a basketball player.   Grew up on the west side of Cleveland with a high school football coach. My dad was, but I was a basketball player. I played at high levels all the way through my 20s, got to play overseas.   I mean, this was a long time ago, but I got everything I could out of that sport. And as soon as I graduated from college, though, I started to work with that Athletes in Action ministry that Brian mentioned. So, I've been working with college and professional athletes for 34 years now.   And same, coached at different levels, have four kids. Amy and I have been married for 26 years. We have four kids, three are in college, and one's in ninth grade, who has a game this afternoon, actually.   So, we've just been going to games and have been involved in going to sports stuff for the last 20 years with our kids. And really what happened with Brian, and I is that we looked up a decade ago and realized this youth sports thing was a fast train that was moving in directions that we weren't used to ourselves, even though we've been around sports our whole life. It's like, there's something different happening now.   And then thinking about it as Christians, like, how do we do this well as Christ followers? We don't want to separate from it. We don't want to just go for the ride. How do we do this as Christian people? And that's what got us talking about it and eventually led to this book.   Laura Dugger: (5:05 - 5:23) Well, the book was easy to read and incredible. And I'd like to start there where you begin, even where you go back before going forward. So, when you're looking back, what are the factors at play that changed youth sports over time?   Ed Uszynski: (5:26 - 6:17) Well, I'll say this and then Brian, maybe you jump in and throw a couple of them out there. I mean, youth sports is a $40 billion industry today, which is wild to think about. It's four times how much money gets spent on the NFL, which is just staggering.   I can't even hardly believe that that's true, but it is. And it's really just in the last 20 years that that's happened. I mean, 50 years ago, you couldn't have had the youth sport industrial complex, as we refer to it.   You couldn't have had it. There were a bunch of things that had to happen culturally, as is true with any new movement or any paradigm shift that happens in culture. You've got to have certain things be true all at the same time that make it possible.   So, Brian, what were a couple of those? Again, I'll throw it over to you. There's six of them that we talk about in the book. And I think it's really fascinating because I'm a history guy.   Brian Smith: (6:18 - 8:40) Yeah. And we can obviously double click on any of these, Laura, that you want to, but we talk about how the college admissions process became an avenue where youth sports parents saw, man, if we can get our kids involved in some extracurriculars and kind of tag on high level athlete to their resume, it actually helps with the college admissions process. And so even the idea of college scholarships became an opportunity for youth sports parents to get their kids involved.   And then, yeah, maybe sports can actually get them into college. We talk about the economic shifts that happen, the rise of safetyism and helicopter parenting. ESPN was a massive one in 1979.   This thing called ESPN starts, and we get 24-7 coverage of sports, which they started exploring even early on. What does it look like to give coverage to something like Little League World Series and saw that it didn't really matter how young the sport was, it's going to draw a national audience. And so, we've almost been discipled by ESPN really over the last 50 years with this consistent coverage.   We talk about the rise of the sports complex. This one to me is like the most fascinating out of all of them. In 1997, Disney decided to try to get more people to come to their parks.   They built a sports complex, just a massive sports complex. The idea was, are the older kids getting sick of the Buzz Lightyear ride and the Disney princesses? So, let's build a sports complex and maybe it'll be something else that will draw this older crowd too.   And what happened was, I mean, a lot of people started coming to it, but kind of the stake in the ground game changer was when 9-11 hit. In the months and years after that, they saw a lot less people go to their parks, but population actually doubled going to the sports complex, which is wild to think that people were afraid to go to theme parks for a vacation, but they were willing to travel across state lines to play sports at the Disney complex. So other cities and municipalities took notice of that.   Today, there's over 30,000 sports complexes like Disney's, which again, this is all adding to the system of the youth sports industrial complex. Did I miss any, Ed?   Ed Uszynski: (8:41 - 10:47) Well, no, and that's good. And the reason why we even put all that on the table, again, everybody kind of intuitively knows if you're involved, you know, something's not right. But I think it's important to say this is not normal what's happening.   It's a new normal that's been manufactured by a bunch of cultural trends, by a bunch of entrepreneurs that are doing what entrepreneurs do, and they're taking advantage of the moment, and they are generating lots of money around it. So, it should be encouraging. If it's not normal, that means actually there's a counter way of going about this.   There really can be reformation. But when all this money gets involved, the two biggest consequences that come out of that is our kids start getting treated like commodities, which they are, and we could talk the whole time even just about what that means. But maybe even more importantly, or what comes out of that is that beyond their physical development, most coaches and clubs are not paying any attention to their emotional development, their psychological development, their spiritual development, all the different aspects of what it means to be human that, frankly, used to be paid quite a bit more attention to in youth leagues when I was growing up.   I'm 58 now, so I was playing in the 70s and the 80s. And it used to be expected, at least at some level, even among non-Christian people, that you would take those aspects of a kid's life seriously. And now those just aren't prioritized.   And so, what do we do about that? Again, that's kind of our whole point is, well, as Christian people, we're really supposed to be our kid's first discipler anyways. And part of that role and part of taking on that identity is that we would be asking, what is God trying to do in the wholeness of their life, the entirety of their life, even in the context of sports?   So again, I don't want to get ahead of myself here, but that's why we're trying to poke into that to say, oh, we could actually make change. We may not change the whole system. In fact, we won't. Most of us won't be expected to do that, but we can make significant change in our corner of the bleachers and what happens with our kids.   Laura Dugger: (10:48 - 11:05) That's good. And just like you said, to double-click on a few places, first of all, real quick, the 30,000 number, I remember that shocking me in the book, but I'm forgetting now, is that worldwide, the amount of sports complexes or is that just in America?   Brian Smith: (11:05 - 11:06) That's domestically in the US.   Laura Dugger: (11:07 - 11:52) Yeah. That is staggering. And then one other piece, all of this history was new to me as you brought it all together, but it was also fascinated.   This is from page 32. I'll just read your quote. The American youth sports ball began rolling when a British movement fusing spiritual development with physical activity made its way across the Atlantic Ocean at the turn of the last century.   And Ed, that's kind of what you were touching on, that they were mixing, I'm sure, spiritual, psychological discipleship, physical. Can you elaborate more on what was happening and where it originated? Because we've come very far from our origins.   Ed Uszynski: (11:53 - 13:18) Yeah. And there's been a bunch of really great books written about this topic called muscular Christianity. This idea, like you just said, Laura, of wedding physical activity through sports with our spiritual development and expecting and anticipating that somebody that was taking care of their body and that was engaging in sport activity, that was the closest thing to godliness.   That opened up the door for you to also be developing spiritually. And there was an expectation that both of those are going on at the same time. A bunch of criticism about that movement, but it was taken seriously.   The YMCA is actually a huge byproduct of the muscular Christianity movement. The Young Men's Christian Association created space for sports and for athletic activity to take place under the banner of you're also going to grow spiritually as you're doing this. So again, that was a hundred years ago.   And that's not really what AAU stands for today. The different clubs and leagues that we get involved in just don't talk that way anymore. Of course, culture just in general has shifted away from sort of a Judeo-Christian ethic guiding a North Star for us.   Even if we're not Christian people, that used to be more of a North Star. That's gone now. And so, it really is not expected in sports anymore.   Brian Smith: (13:18 - 13:55) And what we're saying is we cannot expect organizations to own that process for our kids. We can't outsource the discipleship of our kids to the youth sports industrial complex or the YMCA or the AAU. It really does start with us as Christian parents to be the primary discipler of our kids.   And there is a way to take what's happening on the field or the court or the pool and turn it into really amazing discipleship opportunities. But it means, and Ed is starting to tease this out, it means we need to change our perspective as parents when we sit in the bleachers or on the sidelines of what we're looking for and even the conversations we have with our kids on the back end.   Laura Dugger: (13:57 - 15:29) And now a brief message from our sponsor.   Sam Leman Chevrolet Eureka has been owned and operated by the Bertschi family for over 25 years. A lot has changed in the car business since Sam and Stephen's grandfather, Sam Leman, opened his first Chevrolet dealership over 55 years ago.   If you visit their dealership today though, you'll find that not everything has changed. They still operate their dealership like their grandfather did, with honesty and integrity. Sam and Stephen understand that you have many different choices in where you buy or service your vehicle.   This is why they do everything they can to make the car buying process as easy and hassle-free as possible. They are thankful for the many lasting friendships that began with a simple welcome to Sam Leman's. Their customers keep coming back because they experience something different.   I've known Sam and Stephen and their wives my entire life and I can vouch for their character and integrity, which makes it easy to highly recommend you check them out today. Your car buying process doesn't have to be something you dread, so come see for yourself at Sam Leman Chevrolet in Eureka. Sam and Stephen would love to see you and they appreciate your business.   Learn more at their website, LemanEureka.com or visit them on Facebook by searching for Sam Leman Eureka. You can also call them on 309-467-2351. Thanks for your sponsorship.   Laura Dugger: (15:30 - 15:31) And I want to continue getting into more of those practicals. Do you want to give us just a taste or an example or story of what that might look like?   Brian Smith: (15:32 - 16:54) We keep saying, we keep talking about the importance of the car ride home that it's tempting for us and not us broadly in the U.S., tempting for us, Ed and I, as people who have done this for 50 plus years and who should know better, it's tempting for us as discipled by an ESPN over analyzing everything culture and want to talk about sports to get in the car ride home with our kids and all we want to talk about is how game went, what they did right, what they did wrong, what they could fix next time.   Maybe instead of passing to Tim, they should take the shot next time because they're wide open. They just hit three in a row. So, and what our kids need from us in those moments is less coaching, less criticizing, less critiquing, and they just need us to connect with them.   The stats on kids quitting youth sports is crazy right now. Its 70 percent are quitting before the age of 13, in large part because it's not fun, and a lot of kids are attaching this idea of it not being fun to the car ride home with their parents who, let's say this too, most of us are well-intentioned parents. We're not trying to screw our kids up.   We want what's best for our kids, but the data and the research and the lived experience continues to tell us what our kids need from us is just to take a deep breath, connect with them, less coaching. Ed keeps saying less coaching, more slurpees.   Laura Dugger: (16:55 - 17:07) I like that. And that ties in. Is it called the peak-end principle that you discovered why kids are resisting that critique on the way home?   Brian Smith: (17:07 - 18:17) Yeah, absolutely. The peak-end rule in psychology is known as this: we, just as humans in general, not just kids, we largely remember things in our lives based on the peak moment of that event, but also how the event ends. And so, the peak moment in sport can be anything from something that goes really well, like they scored a goal or made a basket or something that did not go well, just like a massive event that took place that they're going to remember.   But then it's also married to how that event ends. So, if you think for kids, how does every youth sport experience end? It ends with the car ride home.   So, if they're experiencing the car ride home as I did not live up to mom and dad's standards, or there's fear getting into the car because they don't know what their parents are going to say, how are they remembering the totality of their youth sport experience? It is, I didn't, I didn't measure up. I wasn't enough.   It felt like sports was a place that I needed to perform for my parents or my coach. And I always feel a little bit short. We want to help parents see like there's a different path forward that can be more joyful for you, but hopefully more joyful for your kid as well.   Ed Uszynski: (18:17 - 21:37) Well, and, and I'll just, let me keep going with that, Brian. I thought you really articulated all that so well. I can just imagine a parent maybe thinking, was there never a time to correct?   Is there never a time to give input? And we would say, well, of course there, there is, they need far less of it from us than we think they need when it comes to their sport. And again, we can talk about that.   They need far less of that from us. They need us to be their parents, not to be their coaches. Even if we are their coach, they need us to be more their parents.   But there is a time to do it. We're just saying the car ride home is the worst time to do it. And that's usually the time that most of us, you know, we've got two hours of stuff to download with them.   And that's just, it's not a good time. But the other thing that Brian and I keep talking about is how about, what if we had some different metrics that we were even trying to measure? So, most of the time our metrics have to do with their performance.   Like what, what are we grading them on? Again, depending on what the sport is, there's these different things that we're looking for to say, how you did today is based on whether you did this or you didn't do that and whatnot. And we're saying as parents, and again, starting with us, we needed some other metrics that were actually more concerned about what was going on in their soul.   So again, I'm sure we'll talk more about this, but the virtues, how did love show up in the way they competed today? Where that usually is tied to them noticing somebody else. Do I, am I even asking them any questions about that?   Are they experiencing peace in the midst of all this chaos and anxiety that shows up at every game? How do we teach them to experience peace? How do they become other-centered instead of just self-centered all the time in a culture, a sport culture that's teaching them to always be the center of attention and try to be?   So, we just have needed to exchange some of what we had on that performance list, like tamper that down a little bit and maybe expand the list of categories that we're looking for that actually will matter when they're 25. And we keep saying this, our goal is that they'd come home for Thanksgiving when they're 25. And so, we need to stay relationally connected to them and how we act on the car ride home day after day after day after day, year after year is doing something to our relationship.   But we also are recognizing that it's really not going to matter whether Trey finishes with his left hand at the game today when he's 25, it's not going to matter. It's not going to matter probably a year from now, but how he goes through the handshake line after the game and the way he addresses other people, and whether or not he's learning to submit to authority, whether or not he's learning to embrace other people's humanity. Yes, even in the context of sports, that's really going to matter when he's 25.   It's going to matter when he's married. Those are the things that will matter. And we say that as people who are older and have been involved in ministry and have worked with college athletes and see what happens in their lives even after they're finished, and they have no idea who they are anymore.   And this thing that's dominated their life has not actually prepared them well to do life. And that's a problem that we say, let's start changing that when they're six and not hope they're figuring it out when they're 22.   Laura Dugger: (21:38 - 22:11) I love that because that's such a theme throughout those virtues that you talked about, but discipleship and sports are a tool or a way that we can disciple our kids. I also love that you give various questions throughout the book and even quick phrases. So to close that conversation on the car ride home, if we say, okay, that's what I've been coaching the whole way home, what is a question we could ask our child afterwards and a statement we could say and leave it at that and do it a better way?   Brian Smith: (22:12 - 23:56) The question I have consistently asked my kids after learning that I've been doing this the wrong way for a long time, I tweet my question to they get in the car and I say, is there anything that happened today from the game that you want to talk about? And it's frustrating to me because 99% of the time they say, no, can we listen to the radio? And we listen to the radio, or they play a on my phone, but I'm respecting their desire that they're done with what just happened and they're ready to move on to the next thing, even though I really want to talk about what just happened.   And then the statement that I want to make sure that I'm consistently saying that they're hearing is I love you and I'm proud of you. So, game didn't go well. Yeah, you did play well today.   That's okay. Hey, I love you and I'm proud of you. Game went well today.   Awesome. Great job. Hey, I love you and I'm proud of you.   So I want that to be the consistent theme that they're hearing for me, which is hopefully going to help them better understand the gospel later in life, that as they get older and older, hopefully they'll begin to realize it seemed like the way that my mom and dad interacted with me when I was performing in sport, but their love was not attached to my performance. That seems really similar to what I'm learning more and more that Jesus does for me, that I'm trying to do all these things that are good. But from what I'm understanding about the gospel, it seems like Jesus loves me in spite of what I do.   He loves me just because He's connected to me, that God loves me because I'm a son or daughter, not because I'm performing as a son or a daughter. So, in a very real way, I really am hoping that I'm giving a good teaser for my kids now for when they fully experience the gospel as they go through the life.   Ed Uszynski: (23:56 - 24:47) Another really good connecting question. I love how you said all that, Brian, is if they don't want to talk about the game, is it okay, did you have fun today? And they can only go in one of two directions.   No. Well, tell me about that. Why not?   And it opens up the door to talk about, well, because I didn't get to play or because something bad happened. And again, tell me more about that. Tell me more about that.   Or they say, yes, great. What happened that was fun? And it creates a very different conversation in the car.   And it opens up, again, relational possibilities that go way beyond, why do you keep passing it when you should be shooting it? Wow. And just all the different ways that that comes out of us, depending on sport, depending on their age.   But those are great questions. Go ahead, Brian.   Brian Smith: (24:47 - 25:41) I just asked my son this morning. He's a freshman. His wrestling season is almost done.   And I just asked, like, what has been most fun for you in wrestling this year? And his first thing was, I feel like I'm learning a lot. And that's really fun for me, which he's on a really good team.   He's had a lot of success. He's made a lot of good friends. But even that gave me a window into his characters.   My son enjoys and I knew this is true about him. But my son enjoys learning, which means he enjoys the process of getting better and better and better, which can happen in school, it can happen doing stuff in the yard, it can it can also happen in sport. But for me to remember moving forward, yeah, he he's probably going to have a different metric for what's fun in sport than I often do for him.   Yeah, like I wanted to learn. I want him to win though, too. He's happy with learning right now.   So, I need to be happy with that for him.   Ed Uszynski: (25:41 - 26:34) If I can say this, too, again, I don't want to be vulnerable on your behalf. But then knowing this, he's lost a lot this year to really good kids. Yeah.   And so much of the learning has been in the context of losing. So, you as a dad, actually, you could be crushing him because of those losses and what he needs to do to fix that and what he needs to do so that that doesn't happen again. And it's like he's already committed to learning.   How do you just how do you celebrate the loss? Like he took the risk to try something new in this movie. He tried to survive an extra period.   That's a process when and it's we just need to get better at that. Like you genuinely can celebrate that. That's not just a that's not like a participation trophy.   It's acknowledging now, do you're taking you're taking the right steps that are actually making you a winner, even if you don't have more points at the end of the game right now.   Laura Dugger: (26:34 - 26:54) Yeah. Yeah. And that long term win that you're talking about, even with character and you've talked about fun and asking them about fun.   Is it true that that's the main reason kids are dropping out of sports at such a rapid rate before age 13 is that it's just not fun anymore?   Ed Uszynski: (26:55 - 28:58) Yeah. Yeah. And why is it not fun?   And again, this is where Brian and I are always getting in each other's business. And we know that this conversation gets in all of our business as adults. But why is it not fun?   It's not fun because of the coaches and it's not fun because of the parents. We are creating stress. We are creating again collectively because we're all in different places on the on the spectrum on this in terms of what we're actually doing when we show up at games.   But if you even just go to any soccer game and you be quiet and just listen to what's happening and everybody's shouting and screaming things and there's contradictory messages being sent and there's angst at every turn and there's an incredible celebration because this eight year old was able to get the ball to go across the line for another goal. And what that's doing inside the kids is it is creating a not fun atmosphere. Let's just say it like that.   That's a not fun atmosphere when you're eight, when you're 10, when you're trying to figure out how to make your body work. You're trying to learn the game that you're unfamiliar with and you're trying to do what this coach is telling you to do. And you're also trying to do what all the parents are telling you what to do.   And if it's a team sport, you're trying to interact and play with other kids who are all in that same state of disarray, which is very stressful and frustrating. And we're just adding to it. So instead of removing it, instead of playing a role that says, we're going to keep diffusing that stress.   And again, I'll speak for myself. Too often, I have been the one that's actually adding to it. And so, kids are just like, why would I do this?   Why would I want to get in that car again with you? It's not fun. This is a game.   And so, there's a million other things that I can do with my time where I don't have everybody yelling at me and I don't have to listen to you correct me for two hours.   Laura Dugger: (29:00 - 29:21) Well, and one other thing that surprised me, maybe why kids are dropping out, you share on page 47, a quote that research reveals a strange correlation. The more we spend, the less our kids actually enjoy their sport. So, did you have any more insight into that?   Brian Smith: (29:21 - 30:50) Yeah, this was a real study that was done at Utah State. Researchers found that the more money parents are spending, again, let's say well-intentioned parents, the more we're spending in sports, the less our kids are enjoying. And the more they have dug into it, they're finding, and intuitively it makes sense.   If you buy your kid a $600 baseball bat, what's the expectation that they're supposed to do with this really expensive bat? When they swing, they better hit the ball, and they better get on base. If we're going to buy you this expensive of a bat, you can't just have process goals with it.   You better swing and hit it. And that's causing stress for kids. If you travel across state lines and you go to Disney to play at their sports complex, you're not there for vacation.   You're there to perform. So even if parents are saying we're trying to have fun, kids know when you're traveling and you're getting all this good equipment and you're on the elite team and you're receiving the best of the best stuff, they know it comes with some sort of an expectation. College athletes can barely handle that type of pressure and expectations, but we've placed this professional on youth sports from fifth five-year-olds to 15-year-olds, and it's just crushing them.   It's crushing them. Again, college athletes and professional athletes can barely handle it. They need mental health coaches for sports, but we're expecting that our five-year-olds can handle it, and they can't.   Ed Uszynski: (30:51 - 31:19) And they may not even be able to articulate it. So that's the other thing. They may not be able to identify what's actually going on inside and put it into words.   So again, that's why we're trying to sound the alarm for ourselves and for others who are listening, because we can do it different. Again, just to even keep spinning it back in an encouraging direction, we can do this different. We can change this this week in our corner of the bleachers.   We can start over again.   Laura Dugger: (31:21 - 31:48) Absolutely and make a difference. And before we talk about even more of the pros with sports, I think it's also necessary to reflect and maybe even grieve a few things. So, what would you say are some things families are missing out on when they choose youth sports to overfill their calendar, that that's all that they make time for?   What do you think they're missing out on?   Brian Smith: (31:51 - 33:16) Yeah, I think a couple that come to mind are family dinners are a big one. That's big for us in the Smith house, is just having the ability after a long day to sit at the dinner table together, to eat food together, and to process the day and be with one another. But when my kids' practice goes late, it means we're either eating almost towards bedtime or we're eating in different shifts.   And so that's something that we grieve. I think for me, when my schedule is full, I'm tempted to adopt the mindset that what's happening on the wrestling mat or on the track matters more than it actually does. And it robs me of the ability to just take a deep breath and smile and enjoy watching my kids play sports.   That without an intervention or a pregame devotional in the car for myself, I risk sitting in the stands or being on the sidelines, being stressed out and putting pressure on myself and pressure on my kids and gossiping about why the coach didn't put this kid into the people next to me, instead of just enjoying the gift that is sports and watching my kid try and succeed and try and fail. That is a gift available to me as a dad to watch my kid do that. But the busyness often robs me of that perspective.   Ed Uszynski: (33:17 - 36:06) Well, and the busyness robs, again, if you're married, that busyness eventually wears away at your relationship. And it's not just sports. I mean, busyness, we can fill our schedule, overfill our schedules with any number of things.   We can overfill our schedules with church stuff to a point where it becomes detrimental to our relationship. If we don't set boundaries so that we're making sure we're doing what we need to do to be face-to-face and to be going to areas beneath the surface with each other in our relationship and being able to do that with our kids as well, eventually there's negative consequences to that. It may not happen right away, but I've definitely experienced that.   We've experienced that in our home where it's easy to maybe chase one kid around for a while, but what happens when you add three into the mix and you haven't really done a time budget or paid attention to the fact that when we sign up for all these things, you get a month into it and you realize, oh, we have to be in different places at the same time. So, we're not even watching stuff together anymore. We're just running.   I can endure anything for a season, but what youth sports wants now in every sport from the youngest ages is that it becomes a year-round commitment. So, you're not even signing up to play a season anymore. You're signing up for a year in most cases because after the games, then they're going to have training.   They're going to have this other thing going on. And so again, can we say, well, we'll play the actual season, but then we're not going to do the additional training over these next three months. Again, we want to give parents' permission that you can say no to that.   Well, we paid for it. Well, it's okay. If you want your kid to be on that team and you like this club or whatever, then you pay the money and you just say, we're going to sit those three months out and we're going to use those three months actually to have people over our house for dinner.   Again, whatever's on the list, Laura, that you said about being more holistic and not letting sport operate like an idol in our life where it's taken on, it's washed out everything else in our life. We can get back in control of that by just saying no a little bit. You can go to church on Sunday.   Even if there's tournament games going on on Sunday, you can go to the coach early and say, hey, we just, in our family, we just don't want to be available before 12. Are you okay with that? And most of the time coaches will be.   The kid might have to sit extra maybe for not being, whatever. Okay. That's not going to be the end of the world that they had to sit out an extra game or had to sit out a half because they weren't available on Sunday morning.   It might actually make a huge difference that they weren't at church for two and a half years in the most formative time of their life.   Laura Dugger: (36:07 - 37:36) And a lot of times the way of wisdom includes reflection, getting alone with the Lord and asking, have we overstuffed our schedule this conversation today? Let's talk specifically with youth sports. Is that trumping everything else?   Because what if we're putting it in a place it was never intended to be as an idol where we sacrifice hospitality or discipleship or community or even just a more biblical way of life? I think we have to bring wisdom into the conversation for what you've mentioned. Whether it's worth it, if they're even enjoying it, how much we're spending on it, and do we have the budget to allocate our finances that way and evaluating the time just to see and make sure that it's rightly ordered.   Did you know you could receive a free email with monthly encouragement, practical tips, and plenty of questions to ask to take your conversation a level deeper, whether that's in parenting or on date nights? Make sure you access all of this at thesavvysauce.com by clicking the button that says join our email list so that you can follow the prompts and begin receiving these emails at the beginning of each month. Enjoy!   But if we flip that to if youth sports are rightly ordered, then what are some things that we can celebrate or reasons that you would want families to give this a try?   Brian Smith: (37:37 - 40:09) The massive positive that we keep coming back to is we have a front row seat to see our kids go through every possible emotion in sport, the highest of highs and the lowest of lows. And then if we have the right perspective, we are armed with awesome opportunities and awesome information that we're seeing. We get to see what our kids are really good at.   We get to see their character gaps. And then we get to be the ones who, again, who are their primary response, primary disciplers. It really goes back to like, are we trusting youth sports for too little in our kids' lives?   Like many of us are trusting that our investment is going to get them a spot on a team, or maybe they get an opportunity in high school, maybe in college. And what we're saying is, yeah, that maybe. And that's not a bad end goal.   But if that's everything that you're investing into youth sports, it's not enough. Like what you have available to you every single day is to ask your kid if they showed somebody else's dignity on the field. You don't know if your kid's going to hit a home run today.   That may not be available to them their entire life. What's available to them every single day is to ask a question to their teammate, to see somebody and show dignity to them. And that's really, it's like, it's almost the opportunity of a lifetime for us as parents who, when our kids get home from school, we really don't know what happened most of the day.   We asked them how it went and we get the one-word answer. In sports, we don't have to guess. We get to see everything that happens.   And again, if we are actually trusting youth sports for discipleship investment, that's a good ROI. That's a good return on our investment. But we need a consistent intervention almost daily to say, no, this is why they're in sports.   Yes, I want to see them get better. I want to see them have fun, but Holy Spirit, would you help me see things today that I normally don't see? Holy Spirit, would you put them in circumstances and relationships today and in the season that's going to help them look more and more like Jesus by the time the season's done?   Holy Spirit, would you convict me in the moment when I am being a little too mouthy and saying things that I shouldn't? Would you help me to repent? And God, in those moments where I'm actually doing wrong on behalf of my kid, would you help me to humble myself and apologize to them?   And God, would you repair our relationship that way? So again, all of these options are available just because our kid's shooting a ball or they're on the field with somebody else tackling other people. We're trusting youth sports for too little.   Ed Uszynski: (40:10 - 41:10) That's all big boy and big girl stuff. It just is. I don't normally naturally do any of that.   I have to be coached into that. I have to be discipled myself. I have to work through my own issues, my own baggage, my own fears about the future, my own idolatrous holding onto this imagined future that I have for my kid, irrespective of what God may or may not want.   I've got my own resentment. I've got my own regrets from the past. I wish things had gone differently for me, so I'm going to make sure they go different for you when it comes to sports.   And it's hard to look in the mirror and admit that I have anger issues. I mean, youth sports create a great opportunity for me to get up all my pent-up frustration from the day. We've given ourselves permission to do that, in most cases, to just yell and yell at refs and gripe about coaches and yell at kids.   Brian Smith: (41:10 - 41:31) Because that's what we do at the TV, right? When our favorite team is playing, we've conditioned ourselves to say, awful call, that was terrible. Then we get on social media and we complain about it.   We are discipling ourselves to this is how it's normative to respond within the context of sports. Then we carry all that baggage to our six-year-old soccer game.   Laura Dugger: (41:33 - 42:02) Well, I love how you keep pointing it back toward character and discipleship. You clearly state throughout the book, sports don't develop character, people do. But could you maybe elaborate on that a little bit more and share more now that we've listed pros and cons, you still list a completely different way that we can meaningfully participate while also pushing back?   Brian Smith: (42:04 - 43:49) I'll start with the first part, and then you can answer the second. We use the handshake line as a great example of why character needs to be taught to our kids. If you just watch a normal handshake line left without coaching, the kids are going through it, especially the ones who lose with their head down, they have limp hands, there's no eye contact, and they're mumbling good game, good game.   Sometimes they don't even say it, they'll say GG stands for good game. They don't just learn character by going through the handshake line. If anything, that's going through it like that without any sort of intervention or coaching, that's malforming their character.   That's teaching them when things don't go well, that it's okay for them not to be a big boy or a big girl and look somebody in the eye and congratulate them. What needs to happen? An adult needs to step in and say, hey, as we go through the handshake line, whether you win or lose, here's how we do it with class.   We shake somebody's hand, we look them in the eye, and we say good game. Even if in those moments we don't actually mean it, we still show them dignity and honor. And then when we're done going through the handshake line, guess what we're going to do?   We're going to run down the refs who are trying to get in their car and get out of here, and we're going to give them a high five and say, thank you so much for reffing today. That stuff needs to be taught. Our kids don't just come out of the womb knowing how to do that.   We have to teach them how to do it. Sometimes good coaches will do that, but the more and more we get sucked up into the sports industrial complex, we're getting well-intentioned coaches, but we're getting coaches who care more about the big W, the win, than the character formation stuff that happens.   Ed Uszynski: (43:49 - 45:27) They need to keep hearing it over and over again. I have a ninth grade Bible study in my house the other day with athletes and a whole bunch of my son's basketball team. Exactly what Brian just said, I actually was like, wow, I've got them here.   There was a big blow up at a game the other day, and we wound up talking about it. I said, I'm going to take this opportunity actually to say what Brian just said. When you go through a handshake line, this is how you go through it.   I watched what happened in the game a couple days later. Basically, they did the exact opposite of what I told them to do, and they lost. It was just what Brian said.   They went through limp handed. They didn't look anybody in the face, and they weren't even saying anything. I just chuckled to myself, and you know how this is as a parent.   They may or may not do it. Of course, those aren't my kids. I have more stewardship over my child, who actually, he is doing what I've asked him to do because I've re-emphasized it across time now.   It's not a failure because they didn't do what I said. Again, the pouty side of me wants to be like, forget it. I'm just not even going to try anymore.   It's like, no, they're kids. That was the first time they've heard that. They're going to do what their patterns have, the muscle memory that's been created by their patterns, just like we do as adults.   The next time I have a chance to bring that up again, I'm not going to shame them. I'm just going to go over it again with them. Here's how we do it.   It's super hard to do this, guys, when you just want to be violent with people or you want to cry. You got to pull yourself together. That's what big men do.   That's what big women do in life. They pull themselves together in those moments and do the right thing.   Brian Smith: (45:28 - 46:01) You don't know whether the fifth time you say it is going to stick or the 50th time. Your responsibility as the Christ-following parent is to do it the sixth time and the seventh time and the seventh time and trust that God is going to take those moments and do what he does. We're ultimately not responsible for our kids' behavior.   We're responsible for pointing them in the right direction, and then hopefully, yeah, the Holy Spirit steps in and transforms and changes and convicts in those moments, but it might take some time.   Ed Uszynski: (46:02 - 47:47) Tom Bilyeu So that's how you push back, Laura. You were asking that. How do we push back without being just completely involved in it or going for the same ride that everybody else is going for?   There's just little moments like that scattered throughout. Literally, every day that my kids are involved in youth sports, the car ride over, what happens on the way home, how we talk about it, what happens during the game and what we wind up talking about out of that, the side conversations that happen that just get brought up apart from games of how we interact with people and so-and-so looks like they're struggling. What do you know about that?   That's how we push back, that in our corner of the bleachers, oh, how we interact with other parents. We haven't even talked about that yet, that I can take an interest in more than just my own kid in the bleachers and spend way more energy actually in cheering for other kids and just trying to give them confidence and spend way less time trying to direct that at my own child who knows that I'm there. In fact, my side kid has said he doesn't want to hear my voice during the game.   It distracts him. He's like, I'd much rather that you cheer for other people. It's like, okay.   Having questions ready for other parents during timeouts and as you sit there for hours together, what do you talk about? Well, I could be the one that actually initiates substantive conversations over time with them and asks them about what's going on in different parts of their life. And in having done that, people want to talk.   They want a safe place actually to share what's going on in their So let me be the sports minister. Let me take on that identity and actually care about other people.   Laura Dugger: (47:49 - 49:47) I love that. Even that practical idea of just coming to each game, maybe with a different question, ready to open up those conversations. And I'll share a quick story as well.   Our two oldest daughters recently just gave cheerleading a try at a local Christian school that allows homeschool kids to participate. And this is an overt way that somebody chooses the different way. So, it's the coach of the basketball team.   His name is Cole. And at the end of every game, we saw him consistently throughout this season when it was a home game, whether their team won or lost, he would ask them, okay, shut off the scoreboard. It's all blank.   He gathers both teams. As soon as the game is over teams, cheerleaders, the stands stay filled with all the parents. And he says, this is not our identity.   The world and Satan, our enemy, who's very real. He wants us to put our identity here, but it's not here. You made us better tonight by the way that you played and you were able to shine Jesus.   And we're going to go a step further and we're going to do what we call attaways. So, he's like, all right, boys, you open it up. And his team is trained.   They say to the other team, Hey, number 23, what's your name? I loved how you pushed me so much harder tonight and says, my name's Ben. And so, their Attaway is, Hey, Ben.   And everybody goes, Hey, Ben. Yeah, Ben. Yeah, Ben Attaway.   And everybody just erupts in clapping. And the other team is always blown away and they are just grinning, whether they just lost. So, the boys go through that for a while and then they open it up to the other team and they start sharing Attaways.   And then they open it up to the crowd and the parents are able to say, I see the way you modeled Jesus by being selfless with the ball or whatever it is. So, Cole said that his college coach did that many years ago and he's passed that on. And I love that's one way to redeem the game.   Ed Uszynski: (49:47 - 51:39) Wow. Beautiful. Beautiful.   Yeah. That's amazing. And, you know, I, so Brian and I talk about this too.   And I coached at a Christian school. So, we, we think that it's really important if you're going to play sports and you're going to be a Christian coach that you actually take the game seriously. And that we actually are here to compete and we are here to try to win.   There's nothing wrong with that. And we're going to pursue excellence when we show up with our bodies, and we train for this sport and we're going to try to win. Cause I think sometimes we end up kind of going all or nothing, especially within our Christian circles.   We're uncomfortable with that. And it's like, yes, do that. And on the backside of that to do what that coach did is amazing.   It's that, that is, that is exactly what we're saying. We're also going to try to form our souls in the midst of this. We're going to try to win on the scoreboard.   Okay. The game's over, we lost, we won, whatever. There's more going on here than just that. And can we access that together? And again, that's so rare. Probably everybody listening has never even heard of anything like what you just said.   It would be amazing if a bunch of people did, but that's what we're saying. Let's do more of that. Let's find ways to have more of those conversations in our sphere of influence.   Maybe we're not the coach, but we can do that in our car. We can do that when we're at dinners with the other, with other players and other team, you know, we, we can do that. We can take that kind of initiative.   If we have those categories in our mind, instead of just being frustrated that my kid didn't get to play as much tonight. And I'm that bugs me. It's like, okay, it can bug you.   And now I gotta, I gotta be a big boy and get more out of this than just being frustrated that he or she didn't get to play as much. It's hard.   Laura Dugger: (51:40 - 52:11) Absolutely. Well, and like you guys are doing having Bible studies outside of the, the team that you can instill values in that way and share scripture that they're memorizing to go out there with excellence for the Lord. So, I love all of that.   And I've got just a few quick questions, just kind of for perspective. I want to draw out something from the book. Is it true that young athletic success predicts adult athletic success?   Brian Smith: (52:13 - 53:51) It is not true. This is, this is not a hot take. This is researched back more and more research they're doing on this.   And they're finding that there's not a direct correlation between a young elite athlete and them continuing that up into the right trajectory and being an elite athlete later in life in large part, because when puberty hits, like everything is a game changer. So, this is, I found this fascinating and this is probably going to be new to you too. This just came out today.   At the time we're doing this podcast, the winter Olympics is going on in Norway. It's just like, they're killing it. Nor Norway's youth sports system.   This is wild. They give participation trophies for all the kids. They don't keep score until 13 years old.   They don't do any national travel competitions, no posting youth sports results online. So, there's no online presence of youth sport results. And their country motto is joy of sport for all.   And they're, they're killing it right now in the Olympics. So, like, that's not to say, like you got to follow their model and then you're going to win all these gold medals, but it is, there is something to just let the kids have fun. And the longer they play sport, because it's fun, the better opportunity you're actually going to have to see them blossom and develop some of these God-given gifts that they might have.   Don't expect it to come out before they're 13. Even if it does, there's no guarantee that it's going to continue on until they're 23. Just let them have fun.   Ed Uszynski: (53:52 - 55:55) Brian, we, Brian and I got to speak at a church the other day about this topic. And there was a couple that came up afterwards and they asked the question of what, so when do you think we should let our kids play organized sports or structured sports? And so again, Brian and I are careful.   Like I, there's no, there's no one size fits all answer to that. We would suggest as late as possible, wait as long as possible. Because once you start doing structured sport where there's a coach and you have to be at practices and the games are structured and there's reps, it just cuts away all the possibility they have to just play and just to go up to the YMCA and just play for three hours at whatever it is that they like to do.   And they said, well, it's encouraging to hear that they said, because we, we actually are way more into just developing their bodies physically. And so, we do dance with them, and we do rock climbing and they were kind of outdoorsy people, and they just started listing off all these things they do because we want them to become strong in their bodies, and learn to love activity like that. And I just thought, again, that's, that probably would cause a lot of people to freak out to hear that, that they have eight, nine-year-olds that aren't on teams yet.   They're just, they're training their bodies to appreciate physicality and to become coordinated and to, you know, to get better at movement. And it's like, what sport is that not going to be super helpful in five years from now, even when they're 12, 13 years old. And now they really do want to play one sport, and they do want to be on a team.   They're going to be way ahead of the kids actually that just sat on benches or stood in the outfield, you know, day after day after day at practices. Again, that's maybe hard to hear, but maybe there's some adjustments that need to be made again; to give ourselves permission to say, we don't have to get on that train right now. You don't have to, your kid's not going to be behind.   They actually could be ahead. If you do the kinds of things we just talked about.   Laura Dugger: (55:56 - 56:11) I love that. And even that example with what it looks like played out with Norway and also, do you have any other quick tips just for instilling and cultivating a heart of gratitude and youth sports rather than entitlement?   Brian Smith: (56:13 - 57:33) I'm a high school cross country and track coach, and I have kids on my team who want to get faster at running, but instead of running, they want to lift weights and they want to do plier metrics. So, there's, yes, there's a spot for that. But the way you get better at running is to run.   You got to run more miles and more miles. And I think gratitude is similar. That gratitude, part of it is a, it's a feeling, but it's also a muscle that we can flex even if we don't feel it.   And so, I would encourage parents who are trying to instill gratitude into their kids to give them practical things like, hey, after practice, just go shake your coach's hand or give them a fist bump and tell them, thanks for practice today, coach. That that's a disciplined way to practice gratitude that will hopefully build the muscle where they're, they're using it later in life. After a game, I taught my kids this when they were young and they still do it today.   Go shake a ref's hand. I mentioned this earlier, just a really, really practical way to show thankfulness and gratitude to somebody who really doesn't get a whole lot of gratitude pointed at them during a game or after a game. If anything, they have people chasing them through the parking lot for other reasons.   I want my kids to be chasing them down to give them a fist bump or a high five. And so, gratitude is something that we can just practice practically. And hopefully the discipline practice will lead to a delight and actually doing it.   Ed Uszynski: (57:34 - 59:39) And how do we cultivate an inner posture? Cause I tend to be a cup half empty type person. I'm a, I'm a whiner by nature and a continuous improvement.   There's always something wrong. And I'm, it's easy for me to find those things just as a person. I'm not even saying that as a dad or a coach or anything.   And it's been super helpful to me in the last decade, even to just like, I can choose to shift that. There, there is, there's a list of things that are broke, but there is always a list of things that are good. There's always something good here to be found.   And even as I've tried to like, again, tip the scales more in that direction, I can keep pushing that out of my kids. So, so this, you know, my ninth-grade son tends to just like, he doesn't like a whole bunch of what's going on in basketball right now. So, I keep asking him if he's having fun.   He says, no, like, why not? Or like, who did, why did you not have fun today? So, it's just the same thing every day.   I'm like, okay, who did you enjoy even being with today? Nobody. And I'm like, dude, I don't believe that actually.   I just, I don't believe that. There was somebody that you had some moment with today that you enjoyed, or you wouldn't want to keep going back up there because, and he does. So, give me a name.   Okay. Lenny. What happened with Lenny that was fun? And I make him name it. Like I'm, I'm, I'm trying to coach him through it. And sure enough, he does have some sentences of what was fun today.   And it's like, good, let's, let's at least hold onto that in the midst of all the other stuff that's not right. Let's choose to see the thing that was good and that you enjoyed and that we could be thankful for. Not everybody got to have that today.   Again, I have to have my, I have to be the parent. I have to be the discipler. I have to be in, you know, in charge of my own soul that wants to be negative all the time and say, nope, we're going to, we're going to choose gratitude today because the Bible tells us to do that.   There's something about that posture that opens the door for the gospel to be expressed through us. So, let's practice.   Laura Dugger: (59:40 - 59:50) Well said, and there's so much we could continue learning from both of you. Where can we go after this chat to learn more from each one of you?   Brian Smith: (59:52 - 1:00:14) Yeah, we do a lot of our writing online at thechristianathlete.com. And so, if you go there, you can see articles that are specifically written for parents, for coaches, for athletes, all around this idea of what does it look like to integrate faith and sport together? So, the

Recently, Nadine Saylor has been creating a series of gas and oil cans featuring imagery of her local surroundings. These more "masculine" objects remind her of the things her grandfather had in his shed. In thinking about gender and how it relates to the objects with which we surround ourselves, she investigates what role gender plays in our world writ large. Assistant Professor of Glass and Sculpture at University of Nebraska, Kearney, Saylor is originally from Hershey, Pennsylvania. She received her BFA in Photography from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and her MFA in Glass from Alfred University in upstate New York. Since then, she has taught at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, Harrisburg Area Community College in Pennsylvania, and at Southern Illinois University in Carbondale. In addition to teaching at the collegiate level, she has taught many workshops internationally including The Studio at the Corning Museum of Glass and Penland School of Craft in North Carolina. She has also given demonstrations nationally and lectured internationally. Saylor has exhibited in many exhibitions across the country including the Cafesjian Art Trust, in Shoreview, MN, Toyama's International Glass Exhibition 2024 in Japan and has shown at SOFA Chicago. She recently completed a commission of two works Carrie Oilcan and Copper Kettle Nebraska for the Federal Reserve Board Gallery to be on display in Washington, DC, and to compliment her works commemorating American industry that were purchased in 2024. Derivative of her childhood, Saylor's works are instilled with love of Americana and history along with an interest in the stories behind the objects, the places, and the lives they have touched.  For example, Saylor's series of pincushions began with the familiar Tomato and Strawberry forms. In researching the history of these objects, the artist learned the pincushion was placed on the mantle to ward off evil spirits. When tomatoes were out of season, women made them out of fabric and used them as voodoo dolls. "I enjoy these kinds of historical narratives and use them as a vantage point in my work," she says. Imagery tells a story on the surface of many Saylor works. For example, Foggy Morning in the Black Swamp is a replica of an antique coffee pot she found in an antique store. The imagery on the surface is inspired by the artist's bike rides on the old railroad trail bike path through the Black Swamp.  She states: "My surroundings continue to affect the imagery on my glass as I lived on a farm in Southern Illinois with an array of chickens, goats and horses. This nostalgic life took me back to traveling to my grandmother's house in the countryside of rural Pennsylvania. Not only does my current rural life in Nebraska play a part in my glasswork, but I am also interested in the memories sparked by certain objects and what roles they play in our lives."   

Are you struggling to decide if you should take action now, or wait for the "perfect" time to launch your career? What if the path to a life you love lies not in waiting, but in betting on yourself and following proven systems? In this high-voltage episode, Steve welcomes Aidan Licata, National Executive of the Year at YEAA and a record-breaking student entrepreneur, for an exclusive look at how mindset, discipline, and real-world action create surprising results. From extreme ownership to the art of choosing your circle, Aidan Licata shares battle-tested frameworks for winning, whether you're a rookie manager or aspiring leader. This is more than advice; it's a call to action for anyone ready to break out of average and build a story worth telling. Don't miss the deep truth bombs and actionable steps that could save you from years of regret. Tune in now for the strategies and inspiration you won't find anywhere else.     Timestamped Highlights [00:00] – The raw truth behind a student's life-changing business journey [00:03] – Why betting on yourself feels terrifying and why Aidan did it anyway [00:07] – "I failed fast"—The hidden power of embracing struggle and learning quickly [00:09] – Panic, laziness, and self-betrayal: Are you sabotaging your own victory? [00:13] – Extreme ownership: The Navy SEAL mindset that beats excuses every time [00:16] – How "choosing your circle" really determines your future (and your mindset) [00:21] – Failure as fuel: Aidan's unconventional take on why chasing mistakes unlocks growth [00:26] – Blunt accountability, real goal setting, and why most interns miss the mark [00:34] – High-impact compartmentalization: Winning at business and at life with focus [00:36] – Why waiting for the right time is a myth (and the daring shortcut to action)     About the Guest Aidan Licata is the National Executive of the Year at Young Entrepreneurs Across America (YEAA), known for leading rookie managers to record-breaking results and running a $440K student painting business while still in college. Grounded in a finance and accounting education at Bowling Green State University, Aidan has mastered the art of coaching, mindset transformation, and leadership under pressure, making him a sought-after mentor for aspiring young entrepreneurs

In this episode of BG Ideas, Dr. Kristine Ketel joins us to discuss the relationship between humans and robots. Kristine recently earned her PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University in the Spring of 2025. Based on her research on the cultural and ethical implications of artificial intelligence and human robot interaction, she argues that robots aren't all bad. She highlights how robots are not replacing humans but instead they are being used as a tool to help flourish human relations and interactions. While integrating robots into more aspects of our lives may initially feel threatening, she reminds us that these technologies also bring meaningful possibilities and benefits. Listen to find out what else she says about human relationships with robots. Do you want to know more about Kristine and her work? Check out her LinkedIn here.A transcript for this episode can be found here.

Findlay Mayor Christina Muryn joins us to recap and discuss her State of the City message (at 14:48) --- Ahead of the President's State of the Union address, the Democracy and Public Policy Network at Bowling Green State University released the results of its first national poll of registered voters on the midterms and beyond... BGSU Political Science Professor Dr. Robert Alexander shares his thoughts on both (at 26:00) --- Around Town: It's always a flippin' good time... This year's Kiwanis Pancake Day event is almost here (at 49:38)

Host Polly Swingle is joined by the physical therapists, occupational therapists, speech therapists, and clinical psychologists involved in the creation and implementation of the Memory Health Program (MHP) at The Recovery Project. This program is built to support both those living with dementia and their loved ones through their journey with compassion, expertise, and personalized care. Visit therecoveryproject.net to learn more!Abbey Seevers is an Occupational Therapy Doctoral student at the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) where she plans to graduate in May 2026. Abbey earned her Bachelor of Science in Applied Human & Sport Physiology at Wayne State College in 2023. She has a passion for working with patients with dementia and has a long history working as a Certified Nursing Assistant in long-term memory care and home health throughout her high school, college and graduate schooling years. For her Doctoral Capstone project at UNMC she has partnered with TRP to develop this Memory Health Program.Jordyn Sebastian, MA, CCC-SLP, graduated with a master's degree from Eastern Michigan University. She is licensed in SPEAKOUT! and a certified VitalStim provider for dysphagia therapy.Riley Janssen, OTD, OTRL, is a licensed Occupational Therapist who earned her Doctorate in Occupational Therapy from Western Michigan University. She joined The Recovery Project in 2024 following graduation. Riley serves as one of the occupational therapists on the Power Over Parkinson's program team at the Clinton Township location. She is passionate about working with individuals with neurological conditions and is committed to ongoing learning and evidence-based practice to provide the highest quality care.Dr. Madeline Wideman, PT, DPT, has been a Physical Therapist at The Recovery Project since 2018. She earned her Bachelors degree in Allied Health Science from Bowling Green State University in 2014 prior to her Doctorate of Physical Therapy from Oakland University in 2017. She specializes in neurological and orthopedic diagnoses with a primary focus in spinal cord injury and CVA. She is also dry needling certified.Dr. Tiffany Tuttle is a clinical psychologist who provides mental health services to adults and older adults with underlying medical issues. She treats depression, anxiety, distress, and assists in trauma recovery. She has over 20 years of experience providing counseling and her approach is strength-based, supportive, and always patient centered. Helping individuals live their best life despite barriers they have encountered is a hallmark of the work Dr. Tuttle provides her patients. She can be reached at 248-245-2306 and found online at patientcenteredpsych.com.Learn more about The Recovery Project! View our website at www.therecoveryproject.net Call us 855-877-1944 to become a patient Follow us on Instagram Like us on Facebook Thanks for listening!

Benjamin grew up on the irrigation ditches on the 100th meridian.She received her Bachelors in Arts from Hastings College in 2001 and worked as a studio assistant for Jun Kaneko until 2006. In 2008, I received my M.F.A from Bowling Green State University, Ohio.Benjamin fuses water drought data with monumental, scaled ceramics, and her work has been featured  at the Joslyn Art Museum, Museum of Nebraska Art, the Great Plains Art Museum, and private galleries in the Midwest. In 2013, the Nebraska Arts Council awarded me an Individual Artist Fellowship Grant. My artwork has been published in Ceramics Monthly, Clay Times, NY Arts Magazine, Lark Crafts: The Best of 500 Ceramics, 500 Ceramic Sculptures, and in Sculpture Magazine.

In this episode of BG Ideas, Dr. Clayton Rosati, Associate Professor in the School of Media and Communication at Bowling Green State University and ICS Fall 2025 Faculty Fellow, discusses how the raise of artificial intelligence (AI) impacts our landscapes, communities and resources. Specifically, he focuses on the growing infrastructure that is being built around the country, from Virginia, the so-called internet capital of the world, to Northwest Ohio. Dr. Rosati touches on his studies regarding the history of culture and how AI is affecting the data that is being collected in different places where data can be stored, such as “server farms” or “data plantations.” Listen as he explains how server farms impact labor, natural resources such as water, and energy cost. We invite our listeners to check out Dr. Rosati's work which can be found on his page: https://www.bgsu.edu/arts-and-sciences/media-and-communication/faculty-and-staff/clayton-rosati.html.A transcript for this episode can be found here.

DAN DAKICH- American basketball sportscaster. He is a former player, assistant coach, interim head coach for the Indiana University Hoosiers, former head coach at Bowling Green State University and a member of the Indiana Basketball Hall Of Fame.

In this episode of BG Ideas, Dr. Rachel Walsh, Associate Teaching Professor of English and International Studies at Bowling Green State University and ICS Faculty Fellow in the fall of 2025, discusses Pat Heartly and Dick Fontaine's recently restored documentary on James Baldwin, I Heard It Through the Grapevine (1982) and how it foreshadows the current backlash to diversity, equity and inclusion. In I Heard It Through the Grapevine, James Baldwin visits the settings of the 1960's civil rights struggle in the south. Join us, as Dr. Walsh explores the power of multiethnic US literature from James Baldwin to Ocean Vuong to resist disenfranchising. Listen to how Dr. Walsh talks about the struggles with traditional literature and the growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in literature. Want to know more about Dr. Walsh? Click here to check out her website. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

Welcome to the Pinkleton Pull-Aside Podcast. On this podcast, let's step aside from our busy lives to have fun, fascinating life giving conversation with inspiring authors, pastors, sports personalities and other influencers, leaders and followers. Sit back, grab some coffee, or head down the road and let's get the good and the gold from today's guest. Our host is Jeff Pinkleton, Executive Director of the Gathering of the Miami Valley, where their mission is to connect men to men, and men to God. You can reach Jeff at GatheringMV.org or find him on Facebook at The Gathering of the Miami Valley.Brian Smith ran track and cross-country at Wake Forest University, where he graduated with a communications and journalism degree. He has been on staff with Athletes in Action for the past 15 years, helping athletes and coaches live biblically at the intersection of faith and sport. He is the author of The Christian Athlete: Glorifying God in Sports and coauthor of Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. He resources the athletic community at The Christian Athlete. Ed Uszynski (PhD, Bowling Green State University) has been a content specialist for Cru, Athletes in Action, and FamilyLife for over three decades. He also serves as a oneness and diversity consultant for church and parachurch organizations. He has written for a range of online platforms such as Desiring God, Mockingbird, and The Washington Times. He is a frequent speaker and podcaster on topics of race, sport culture, and marriage.

In this episode of the Elevate Care podcast, Nishan Sivathasan sits down with Eric Wallis, Senior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer at Henry Ford Health, to discuss the changes happening in acute care. Henry Ford Health is leading the way by reimagining how care is delivered.Eric dives into the successful implementation of a virtual care model designed to support bedside nurses, reduce burnout, and improve patient outcomes. He shares insights on navigating the change management process, the vital role of listening to frontline staff, and the exciting future of AI in healthcare.About Eric WallisEric Wallis, DNP, MSA, RN, NE-BC, FACHE, was appointed Senior Vice President and System Chief Nursing Officer in December 2021, bringing over 20 years of nursing and healthcare leadership experience. His career began as a bedside nurse and progressed through roles of increasing responsibility in both large academic medical centers and community hospitals, including serving as the President of Henry Ford West Bloomfield Hospital. A transformational leader passionate about improving healthcare delivery, Eric holds degrees from Bowling Green State University, Central Michigan University, and Texas Christian University. He is a fellow of the American College of Healthcare Executives, is certified as a Nurse Executive, and serves on the Michigan Hospital Association Legislative Policy Panel and the Oakland University School of Nursing Board of Visitors.Chapters00:00 – Introduction00:20 – From Bedside to Boardroom03:13 – The Need for a Virtual Care Model06:16 – Designing the Workflow10:22 – Selecting the Right Technology Partner12:11 – Leading Through Change15:07 – Measuring Success18:56 – The Role of AI in HealthcareHenry Ford Health: Henry Ford Health | Henry Ford Health - Detroit, MIAMN Healthcare: amnhealthcare.com Sponsors: We're proudly sponsored by AMN Healthcare, the leader in healthcare staffing and workforce solutions. Explore their services at AMN Healthcare. Learn how AMN Healthcare's workforce flexibility technology helps health systems cut costs and improve efficiency. Click here to explore the case study and discover smarter ways to manage your resources!Discover how WorkWise is redefining workforce management for healthcare. Visit workwise.amnhealthcare.com to learn more.About The Show: Elevate Care delves into the latest trends, thinking, and best practices shaping the landscape of healthcare. From total talent management to solutions and strategies to expand the reach of care, we discuss methods to enable high quality, flexible workforce and care delivery. We will discuss the latest advancements in technology, the impact of emerging models and settings, physical and virtual, and address strategies to identify and obtain an optimal workforce mix. Tune in to gain valuable insights from thought leaders focused on improving healthcare quality, workforce well-being, and patient outcomes. Learn more about the show here. Connect with Our Hosts:Kerry on LinkedInNishan on LinkedInLiz on LinkedIn Find Us On:WebsiteYouTubeSpotifyAppleInstagramLinkedInXFacebook Powered by AMN Healthcare Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In this episode, Steve Fretzin and Jay Harrington discuss:Reframing business development as relationship-buildingThe power of owning a book of businessClarifying motivation to overcome resistance to business developmentExecuting business development with focus, structure, and preparation Key Takeaways:Business development is not selling or persuasion but consistent, helpful relationship-building over time. The myth of “natural rainmakers” keeps lawyers from starting when business development is actually a learnable skill. Approaching business development like legal training makes it practical, repeatable, and less intimidating.After several years of practice, firms expect lawyers to have portable client relationships. A book of business creates leverage, autonomy, and flexibility across firms or career paths. Without one, even strong lawyers may find their options limited.Many lawyers avoid business development due to fear, overwhelm, or discomfort with selling. Sustainable effort starts by defining a clear personal “why,” such as freedom or stability. Because client work always takes priority, business development only happens when time is protected intentionally.Consistent actions like scheduled outreach, focused contact lists, and light thought leadership compound. Effective networking prioritizes generosity, warm introductions, and strategic communities. Securing a meeting is only the start; preparation and process determine whether opportunities close. "Business Development is not some secret. It truly is just relationship building, being consistent, being helpful to people." —  Jay Harrington Check out my new show, Be That Lawyer Coaches Corner, and get the strategies I use with my clients to win more business and love your career again. Ready to go from good to GOAT in your legal marketing game? Don't miss PIMCON—where the brightest minds in professional services gather to share what really works. Lock in your spot now: https://www.pimcon.org/ Thank you to our Sponsor!Rankings.io: https://rankings.io/ Ready to grow your law practice without selling or chasing? Book your free 30-minute strategy session now—let's make this your breakout year: https://fretzin.com/ About Jay Harrington: Before joining Latitude, Jay spent more than 25 years in the legal industry as a practicing attorney and entrepreneur. He began his career in corporate restructuring with Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom LLP in Chicago and later practiced at Foley & Lardner LLP in Detroit. In 2009, he founded his own boutique law firm in Detroit, where he represented companies and executives in complex business disputes and restructuring matters.For the past decade, Jay has advised lawyers and law firms on business development, marketing, and strategy through his own consulting firm. He is a frequent keynote speaker and workshop leader at law firm retreats, bar association events, and professional conferences, focusing on topics such as productivity, leadership, and practice growth.Jay is also the author of three books for lawyers—The Productivity Pivot, The Essential Associate, and One of a Kind—each focused on helping attorneys build rewarding, sustainable, and successful practices.He earned his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School and his B.A. from Bowling Green State University, where he played Division I baseball and competed in the 1998 College World Series Regionals.Outside of work, Jay is a U.S. Soccer–licensed coach and manages his twin daughters' competitive North Storm club team. He and his wife, Heather, live in Michigan with their three daughters. He enjoys spending time outdoors—hiking, mountain biking, and paddle boarding—and experience has taught him that the best ideas often come while on the trail or on the water. Connect with Jay Harrington:  Website: https://latitudelegal.com/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayharrington/ Connect with Steve Fretzin:LinkedIn: Steve FretzinTwitter: @stevefretzinInstagram: @fretzinsteveFacebook: Fretzin, Inc.Website: Fretzin.comEmail: Steve@Fretzin.comBook: Legal Business Development Isn't Rocket Science and more!YouTube: Steve FretzinCall Steve directly at 847-602-6911 Audio production by Turnkey Podcast Productions. You're the expert. Your podcast will prove it. 

In Episode 258, Christine Tulley, President and Executive Writing Coach of Defend Publish & Lead, discusses the importance of planning ahead for summer 2026 writing opportunities and skill development, even though it's only December 2025, because many programs open registration in January. She recommends several writing retreats and institutes she's personally experienced or researched, including Bard College's Institute for Writing and Thinking (a five-day immersive summer program focused on writing and teaching), Writing in Depth Academic Writing Retreat (a productive long weekend in rural Ohio where she made significant progress on her book), Bowling Green State University's Summer Faculty Writing Retreat (strategically timed for late July before the fall semester ramps up), and Hollins University's Tinker Mountain winter retreat in February for those who can't wait until summer. She particularly highlights the new virtual Textbook and Academic Authors Institute as an affordable option for those who can't travel, emphasizing that skill development is important at every career stage, and concludes by mentioning her coaching practice's holiday special discount.   Writing Opportunities  Bard College - Institute for Writing and Thinking (IWT)  Hollins University - Virtual Winter Recharge (Feb 20-22, 2026)  Bowling Green State University summer Faculty Writing Retreat (July 29-31, 2026)  2026 TAA Institute for Textbook & Academic Authors (Virtual, June 12-13, 2026)   Resources HOLIDAY COACHING HOURS - All hours at lowest prices for the year Tuesday Toolbox - contact christine@defendpublishandlead.com for subscription information Set your writing goals with us! Try us out in a free consultation. Check out our current and past workshops at Eventbrite for writing support content. A FREE webinar is posted each month. Missed a workshop? Request a workshop or webinar recording from christine@defendandpublish.com Don't forget about the wonderful resources at Textbook and Academic Authors Association. The organization can be found at: https://www.taaonline.net New to TAA? Join for just $25 using discount code DP25! You will also receive a copy of the eBook, Guide to Making Time to Write: 100+ Time & Productivity Management Tips for Textbook and Academic Authors.

Amy Boros and Shari Insley teach middle school science in different parts of the state, but they share a passion for bringing the real world into their classrooms for their students. Over the summer, the Perrysburg Education Association member and the North Olmsted Education Association member shared grant funding to travel far out into the real world for a once-in-a-lifetime learning experience that will enhance their students' learning for years to come. On this episode, they share how they're using what they saw and did in Iceland to help their students learn and grow in Ohio, and their advice for other educators who want to experience this kind of real-world professional development for themselves.SEE THE HIGHLIGHTS | Click here to see some of Shari's photos from the Fund for Teachers fellowship in Iceland. Click here to see Amy's highlights from the trip. EXPLORE THE OPPORTUNITIES | Amy and Shari mentioned several grants and learning opportunities available to Ohio science educators. See the following links for more information about some of them:Fund For Teachers Grant  Teacher Air Camp  Yellowstone Educator Opportunity Summer 2026 Amy and Shari also shared an OEA Technology Grant to buy cameras and go pros to use on their trip and in their classrooms back home. Please note, OEA is in the process of redeveloping and streamlining the Affiliate Grant Program, and as part of the transition, no applications are being accepted for Technology Grants for the 2025-26 cycle. Make sure you listen to Episode 16 of Public Education Matters to learn more on the OEA grants being offered right now.SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS | If you'd like to share your feedback on the Public Education Matters podcast, including your ideas for what you'd like to hear about - or talk about - on future episodes, please email educationmatters@ohea.org. SUBSCRIBE | Click here to subscribe to Public Education Matters on Apple Podcasts or click here to listen on Spotify so you don't miss a thing. You can also find Public Education Matters on many other platforms. Click here for some of those links so you can listen anywhere. And don't forget you can listen to all of the previous episodes anytime on your favorite podcast platform, or by clicking here.Featured Public Education Matters guests: Amy Boros, Perrysburg Education Association memberAmy Boros teaches 5th and 6th grade Science at Hull Prairie Intermediate School in Perrysburg. She has experience in classroom teaching at the elementary, middle school and collegiate levels; educational classroom technology; grant researching, authoringand evaluation, as well as educational consulting and conference presentations in both mathematics and science. With degrees from Bowling Green State University and the University of Toledo, Amy is currently in her 30th year in education.Amy is an accomplished grant writer who has been awarded thousands of dollars in grants for her classroom, school, district, and outside organizations. In addition, Amy has authored several articles about middle school science education in Science Scope Journal and Science and Children Journal, publications of The National Science Teachers Association.In 2019, Amy was invited to participate in an extensive research project onboard the Lake Guardian, an EPA research vessel on Lake Erie; selected as one of 15 educators to collect data alongside scientists. While on board, she evaluated the presence ofmicroplastics, toxic algae and microbial organisms in surface water and sediment throughout Lake Erie's basins.She continues to work alongside scientists by helping with research, most recently in Costa Rica and Yellowstone National Park.Amy was awarded the 2022 President's Innovation Award in Environmental Education, a joint award from the White House and the EPA for her environmental education work inside and outside of the classroom.Shari Insley, North Olmsted Education Association memberShari Insley is a middle school math and science teacher for North Olmsted City Schools with 20 years of experience in education. Of her 20 years in education, the past 18 years have been dedicated to North Olmsted, and her first 2 years were spent teaching in Gallup, New Mexico.Shari earned a B.S. in Middle Childhood Education in Mathematics and Science and a Master's degree in Curriculum and Teaching from Bowling Green State University in Bowling Green, Ohio. In addition to her teaching expertise, Shari was honored as the recipient of the 2024 Presidential Innovation Award for Environmental Educators. She has also served on the Strategic Planning Committee for the Science Education Council of Ohio the past 2 years.Since 2016, Shari has dedicated her summers to participating in educator courses to expand her knowledge of freshwater ecosystems in the Great Lakes. She has taken part in grant opportunities through Ohio Sea Grant at The Ohio State University's Stone Laboratory, sailed aboard the R/V Lake Guardian with the EPA, and worked with the Gelfand STEM Center at Case Western Reserve University. Most recently, Shari was awarded a Fund for Teachers grant to travel to Iceland in the summer of 2025, where she explored the country's unique geothermal and glacial environments to enrich her environmental science curriculum.Connect with OEA:Email educationmatters@ohea.org with your feedback or ideas for future Public Education Matters topicsLike OEA on FacebookFollow OEA on TwitterFollow OEA on InstagramGet the latest news and statements from OEA hereLearn more about where OEA stands on the issues Keep up to date on the legislation affecting Ohio public schools and educators with OEA's Legislative WatchAbout us:The Ohio Education Association represents nearly 120,000 teachers, faculty members and support professionals who work in Ohio's schools, colleges, and universities to help improve public education and the lives of Ohio's children. OEA members provide professional services to benefit students, schools, and the public in virtually every position needed to run Ohio's schools.Public Education Matters host Katie Olmsted serves as Media Relations Consultant for the Ohio Education Association. S...

Send me feedback!Is a relationship between an 18 yr old and 40-yr old appropriate? I evaluate two clips of Andrew Wilson arguing in favor and argue why he's wrong.SUPPORT THE SHOWGet a 10% discount by using the code LibertyDad at Black Guns Matter shop.OR, use the referral linkFIND ME ELSEWHERELinktreeSHOW NOTESwhatever (Dating Talk #182)Bowling Green State University

In this exciting new episode of BG Ideas, we sit down with Dr. Clayton Rosati, Associate Professor of Media Studies at Bowling Green State University and Claire Cromly, an undergraduate student who took Dr. Rosati's course about media, place, and power through the works of James Baldwin. During this conversation, our guests navigate the construction of social environments, the values within them, and the importance of illuminating minority voices and experiences in the dominant narrative. Listen as they discuss their respective experiences of teaching and learning. For Claire, reading Baldwin in the classroom has encouraged her to think critically and to reframe the way she understands the world in which she lives. For Dr. Rosati, Baldwin is an avenue through which he can illustrate the racialization of spaces, using his work to act as a liaison that showcases the interconnectedness of spaces we don't generally think of as related. His goal is to empower minority voices and experiences in America through the amplification of them in classroom spaces and larger scholarly discussion. A transcript for this episode can be found here.

The ability to pay for a college education usually depends on stable economic conditions and clear, predictable rules. But what happens when everything seems to change every day? Amy and Mike invited financial aid advisor Ed Recker to explain what federal policy changes mean for financial aid. What are five things you will learn in this episode? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to students? What federal policy changes will have the potential biggest impacts to colleges & universities? Has the U.S. Department of Education's reduction in force (RIF) impacted the financial aid process? Were there any changes to the FAFSA or federal student loans? Are there any benefits to completing the FAFSA early? MEET OUR GUEST Ed Recker is a Director of High School Relationship Management with Sallie Mae, serving high schools, states, and professional organizations throughout the U.S. He joined Sallie Mae in 2019, and has over 20 years' experience in the financial aid and enrollment industry.  Prior to joining Sallie Mae, Ed was a Senior Consultant within the Enrollment Division of Ruffalo Noel Levitz, held the position of Vice President for Enrollment Management at the University of Findlay, and held various financial aid positions at the University of Findlay, Terra State Community College, and Bowling Green State University. Ed holds a M.Ed. in Higher Education from the University of Toledo, and resides in Ottawa, OH with his wife Kate and daughter Evelyn. Ed appeared on the podcast in episode #492 to discuss The Better FAFSA For New And Previous Filers and in episode #544 to discuss First Impressions Of The Better FAFSA. Find Ed at Edward.Recker@salliemae.com. LINKS FAFSA 2026-27 - How to Apply for Financial Aid FAFSA Simplification: A Better FAFSA Process Means a Better Future for Borrowers | Federal Student Aid - Financial Aid Toolkit RELATED EPISODES HOW ARE POLITICAL CHANGES SHAPING HIGHER ED UNDERSTANDING YOUR COLLEGE TUITION BILL WHAT IS A NET PRICE CALCULATOR? THE PRICE YOU REALLY PAY FOR COLLEGE ABOUT THIS PODCAST Tests and the Rest is THE college admissions industry podcast. Explore all of our episodes on the show page. ABOUT YOUR HOSTS Mike Bergin is the president of Chariot Learning and founder of TestBright, Roots2Words, and College Eagle. Amy Seeley is the president of Seeley Test Pros and LEAP. If you're interested in working with Mike and/or Amy for test preparation, training, or consulting, get in touch through our contact page.  

We have a good snapshot of how Ohio voters are feeling, a year out from the election that will decide the governor's office and Congress. Bowling Green State University is out with its latest poll.

Bobby and Meghan talk with Brian Smith and Ed Uszynski about how families can keep faith central in the world of youth sports. They discuss what inspired Away Game, how parents can manage emotions and expectations, and practical ways to support kids without sideline coaching. Hear real stories of transformation as parents shift from performance-driven mindsets to gospel-centered parenting that brings spiritual health and joy, both on and off the field. Get the Book Here.Download a FREE Parenting Athletes Guide at Empoweredhomes.org.About the Authors As two dads who've seen both the challenges and beauty of youth sports, Brian and Ed offer relatable wisdom to help parents guide their children spiritually in every season. Brian Smith is the author of several books, including The Christian Athlete, and has been on staff with Athletes in Action since 2008. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Brian has a master's degree in Theology and Sports Studies through Baylor University. Brian lives in Lowell, Michigan, with his wife and three kids and writes regularly at the christianathlete.com. Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades' experience discipling college and professional athletes. He's written articles, essays, and training manuals at the intersection of faith and sport and is the lead strategist for Content Mercenaries. He has two theological degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University. He and his wife Amy have four children and live in Xenia, Ohio.About Empowered Homes Who we are? The primary purpose of Empowered Homes is to connect church and home by equipping families, leaders and ministries to grow in the areas of marriage, parenting, personal growth. discipleship strategy, family ministry, and leadership development. We value the family as the first institution designed by God for spiritual formation, relationships, and reflecting His image. We seek to ensure that every element of church life supports and equips that essential role. What we do? Empowered Homes Ministry provides practical, gospel-based resources to connect church and home. The majority of our resources are offered online through our website empoweredhomes.org. We also partner with churches and ministries to provide conferences, equipping events & ministry coaching.Empowered Homes Podcast Show us some Love! Do you appreciate The Empowered Homes Podcast? Like, subscribe, comment, share. Every bit of your engagement helps us be open-handed in sharing resources to grow strong families, leaders and ministries. Thanks for your help in Empowering Homes for the gospel! FB : https://www.facebook.com/EmpoweredHomesResources Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/empoweredhomesresources/ Youtube: ...

In this episode of Purple Political Breakdown, we're diving into the data that reveals what Ohio voters are actually thinking ahead of the midterms. I break down a comprehensive survey from Bowling Green State University and YouGov that exposes the priorities, concerns, and political attitudes shaping Ohio's political landscape.What You'll Discover:The Voting Gap Crisis - Why 10% of non-white Ohioans didn't vote compared to just 3% of white voters, and what this means for future electionsEconomy Takes Center Stage - 22% of voters cite the economy as their top concern, with threats to democracy tying at 22%. Learn what specific economic issues are driving Ohio votersThe Male Voter Problem - Exclusive breakdown of why male voters are the only demographic saying we're headed in the right direction, and what Democrats need to do about itGovernor Mike DeWine Exposed - A complete profile of Ohio's current governor, from his gun control flip-flops to his evolving stance on LGBTQ+ rightsThe Independent Advantage - 70% of independents say we're on the wrong track. If you're running for office in Ohio, this is your opportunityParty Line Reveals - Crime and immigration dominate Republican concerns (11% and 18%), while Democrats focus on threats to democracy (46%). Understanding these divides is critical for 2026 strategyKey Takeaways for Ohio Candidates:Housing costs and grocery prices are THE winning issuesHealthcare messaging needs work across all partiesThe National Guard issue has built-in Republican support through crime/immigration concerns50% of Republicans say economic conditions are "about the same or worse" under TrumpWant to be on the show? If you're an Ohio political candidate or want to discuss Ohio politics, reach out: thetrendgoldenfate@gmail.com Subscribe on YouTube: Purple Political Breakdown Available on all major podcast platformsPurple Political Breakdown - Bringing you local political analysis that inspires advocacy and action in your community.Standard Resource Links & RecommendationsThe following organizations and platforms represent valuable resources for balanced political discourse and democratic participation: PODCAST NETWORKALIVE Podcast Network - Check out the ALIVE Network where you can catch a lot of great podcasts like my own, led by amazing Black voices. Link: https://alivepodcastnetwork.com/ CONVERSATION PLATFORMSHeadOn - A platform for contentious yet productive conversations. It's a place for hosted and unguided conversations where you can grow a following and enhance your conversations with AI features. Link: https://app.headon.ai/Living Room Conversations - Building bridges through meaningful dialogue across political divides. Link: https://livingroomconversations.org/ BALANCED NEWS & INFORMATIONOtherWeb - An AI-based platform that filters news without paywalls, clickbait, or junk, helping you access diverse, unbiased content. Link: https://otherweb.com/ VOTING REFORM & DEMOCRACYEqual Vote Coalition & STAR Voting - Advocating for voting methods that ensure every vote counts equally, eliminating wasted votes and strategic voting. Link: https://www.equal.vote/starFuture is Now Coalition (FiNC) - A grassroots movement working to restore democracy through transparency, accountability, and innovative technology while empowering citizens and transforming American political discourse FutureisFutureis. Link: https://futureis.org/ POLITICAL ENGAGEMENTIndependent Center - Resources for independent political thinking and civic engagement. Link: https://www.independentcenter.org/ Get Daily News: Text 844-406-INFO (844-406-4636) with code "purple" to receive quick, unbiased, factual news delivered to your phone every morning via Informed ( https://informed.now) All Links: https://linktr.ee/purplepoliticalbreakdownThe Purple Political Breakdown is committed to fostering productive political dialogue that transcends partisan divides. We believe in the power of conversation, balanced information, and democratic participation to build a stronger society. Our mission: "Political solutions without political bias."Subscribe, rate, and share if you believe in purple politics - where we find common ground in the middle! Also if you want to be apart of the community and the conversation make sure to Join the Discord: https://discord.gg/ptPAsZtHC9

In this episode of BG Ideas, we speak with Dr. Sidra Lawrence, Associate Professor of Ethnomusicology, and Dr. Amy-Rose Forbes-Erickson, Associate Professor of Theatre and Performance Studies at Bowling Green State University. Together, they were recipients of the ICS Interdisciplinary Team-Teaching Program, through which they co-designed and co-taught a course titled Africana Performance and the Aesthetics of Resistance. Through the Team-Teaching Program, their course brought students into conversation with the history of Black theatre and music from the 1960s to the present, highlighting how artistic expression has long served as a form of cultural resistance. Drawing on dramatic literature, performance, and sound, Dr. Lawrence and Dr. Forbes-Erickson encouraged students to think critically about the intersections of colonialism, race, gender, and sexuality, and to consider how genres such as jazz, rap, and hip-hop, have shaped political and creative movements across time. In this robust discussion, we reflect on the rewards and challenges of collaborative teaching, exploring how their disciplinary perspectives came together to create a dynamic and inclusive learning environment. We also learn how Black performance and music traditions continue to influence activism, community building, and the ongoing pursuit of liberation both in the United States and around the world.A transcript of this episode can be found here.

Dr. Kim Lombardy shares a story about a gentleman who presents with neck pain after having a surgical fusion. Dr. Kim Lombardy is a native of Sandusky, Ohio. After suffering from chronic pain and illness, stemming from a childhood accident, and being under medical care for 20 years, he was referred to a local Sandusky chiropractor, Dr. Vince Darr. After a series of spinal adjustments, Dr. Lombardy's pain began to recede, and his health was restored. He was so impressed that he changed his major from Pre-Veterinary Medicine to Pre-Chiropractic. After completing his undergraduate studies at Bowling Green State University, he enrolled in Sherman College of Chiropractic in Spartanburg, SC, where he graduated in 1980. Dr. Lombardy moved to Augusta, GA, and opened Woodland Chiropractic Life Center which later became Lombardy Chiropractic Clinic. He practiced for 29 years before being appointed Assistant Clinical Professor in the Orthopedic Department of the Medical College of Georgia, the first chiropractor to obtain that position in the history of MCG.   After two years he returned to private practice. Dr. Lombardy served as Vice-President of the Georgia Chiropractic Association for three years. He has the highest level of training in Activator Methods (painless instrument adjusting) and Cox Technic for disc problems. He has also studied Advanced Clinical Nutrition to help the body heal from the inside as well. Dr. Lombardy brings over 40 years of clinical experience to better help patients regain their health naturally. He is married to Edna Lombardy, and they have four children and nine grandchildren. They are members of St. Mary on the Hill Catholic Church.   Resources:   Failed Back Surgery Syndrome Patients Undergoing Flexion Distraction Chiropractic Treatment: A Case Series To schedule an appointment with Dr. Lombardy Find a Back Doctor The Cox 8 Table by Haven Medical

On today's episode of The Lives of Writers, Erin Slaughter and Lena Ziegler interview each other about literary friendship, navigating disclosure, dignity, and responsibility in memoirs about trauma, writing with compassion about your previous self and real-life people who have harmed you, the emotional realities and real-life risks of publishing memoir, and more.Erin Slaughter is the author of The Dead Dad Diaries (Autofocus Books, 2025). She is also the author of the short story collection A Manual for How to Love Us (Harper Perennial, 2023), and two books of poetry: The Sorrow Festival (CLASH Books, 2022) and I Will Tell This Story to the Sun Until You Remember That You Are the Sun (New Rivers Press, 2019). Her writing has appeared in Lit Hub, Electric Literature, CRAFT, The Georgia Review, Prairie Schooner, and elsewhere. Originally from Texas, she holds an MFA from Western Kentucky University and a PhD from Florida State University. She is currently Assistant Professor of Creative Writing at Coastal Carolina University.Lena Ziegler is the author of A Revisionist History of Loving Men (Autofocus Books, 2025). Her writing has appeared in Split Lip Magazine, Indiana Review, Literary Orphans, Miracle Monocle, Duende, Dream Pop Press, Anti-Heroin Chic, Gambling the Aisle, and others, and she has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize. She is a co-founder of the literary journal and press The Hunger. She holds an MFA from Western Kentucky University and a PhD from Bowling Green State University. She is the host of the music and literature podcast Reading Michael Jackson, available on all major podcast platforms. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband. She believes in magic, the transformative power of language, and the resilience of the human heart. Both these books are available together as part of the Autofocus Fall 2025 box.____________Conversation topics include:-- Becoming best friends and ideal readers a decade ago-- Starting The Hunger journal and press after MFAs and going into PhDs-- Their memoirs with Autofocus coming out a week apart-- Non-judgement and trust as readers, audiences, and friends-- Lena's A Revisionist History of Loving Men, which deals with understanding sexual abuse in a context of normalized sexual violence-- Erin's The Dead Dad Diaries, which deals with the murder of her father by her stepmom when Erin was 16 (and its effects as she came of age in her twenties)-- The dangers of memoir in creating a fixed narrative for the self-- Navigating disclosure, dignity, and responsibility in memoirs about trauma-- Memoir as the willingness to take up space -- The value in writing from personal experience-- Capturing the messiness of your coming of age with compassion-- The terminology victim and survivor and the complexity of human experience-- Accepted or expected narratives of trauma / self-determining justice-- Bringing compassion and humanity in writing to people who have harmed you-- The emotional reality about publishing a personal book about family or that family may read-- Bending form to tell these stories in memoir-- Questioning the story you're telling in memoir-- The shifting nature of truth-- More about the emotional reality about publishing a personal book about family or that family may read-- Shame and healing (and not healing)_______________Podcast theme music  by Mike Nagel, author of Duplex and Culdesac. Here's his music project: Yeah Yeah Cool Cool.The Lives of Writers is edited and produced by Michael Wheaton.

In this episode of the Braun Performance & Rehab Podcast, Dan is joined by Madison "Maddy" Foster to discuss her journey as a student studying forensic sciences, as an athlete in cross country and track and field, and beyond. Madison “Maddy” Foster is a senior cross country and track and field athlete at Bowling Green State University, where she's competed on the roster for two Mid-American Conference (MAC) Championships. A Michigan native and former Michigan State University runner, Maddy's journey reflects both speed and self-discovery. With personal bests of 17:23 in the 5K and 21:30 in the 6K, and a 4th place finish at the 2021 Michigan Cross Country State Championships, she's proven her competitive edge on the course. But beyond the times and titles lies a deeper story, one of overcoming mental health struggles, injury setbacks, and performance plateaus that tested her identity and resilience as a Division I athlete.Today, Maddy shares an honest look at the reality of collegiate running, balancing ambition with wellbeing, and the lessons learned from chasing both personal growth and podium finishes. Follow Maddy on Instagram: @maddyfoster13*SEASON 6 of the Braun Performance & Rehab Podcast is brought to you by Isophit. For more on Isophit, please check out isophit.com and @isophit -BE SURE to use coupon code BraunPR25% to save 25% on your Isophit order!**Season 6 of the Braun Performance & Rehab Podcast is also brought to you by Firefly Recovery, the official recovery provider for Braun Performance & Rehab. For more on Firefly, please check out https://www.recoveryfirefly.com/ or email jake@recoveryfirefly.com***This episode is also powered by Dr. Ray Gorman, founder of Engage Movement. Learn how to boost your income without relying on sessions. Get a free training on the blended practice model by following @raygormandpt on Instagram. DM my name “Dan” to @raygormandpt on Instagram and receive your free breakdown on the model.Episode Affiliates:MoboBoard: BRAWNBODY10 saves 10% at checkout!AliRx: DBraunRx = 20% off at checkout! https://alirx.health/MedBridge: https://www.medbridgeeducation.com/brawn-body-training or Coupon Code "BRAWN" for 40% off your annual subscription!CTM Band: https://ctm.band/collections/ctm-band coupon code "BRAWN10" = 10% off!Ice shaker affiliate link: https://www.iceshaker.com?sca_ref=1520881.zOJLysQzKeMake sure you SHARE this episode with a friend who could benefit from the information we shared!Check out everything Dan is up to by clicking here: https://linktr.ee/braun_prLiked this episode? Leave a 5-star review on your favorite podcast platform

In this episode of The First Day from The Fundraising School, host Bill Stanczykiewicz, Ed.D., welcomes Abashek Bhati, Ph.D., Associate Professor at Bowling Green State University, to dive deep into the ever-buzzing world of social media fundraising. Spoiler alert, it's not just about asking for money. Drawing on fresh research, Dr. Bhati reveals that nonprofits who blend a variety of six message types (instead of hammering the “donate now” button nonstop) can boost their fundraising results by a whopping 96%. That's nearly doubling your impact just by mixing up your posts. So, what are these six magical message types? Beneficiary stories, mission-focused content, engagement asks, expressions of gratitude, goal attainment updates, and fundraising ask. While asking remains the most frequent (and necessary) message, Dr. Bhati's research shows that over-reliance on it can lead to donor fatigue faster than you can say “algorithm change.” It turns out donors want to feel part of a story, not just a transaction. The conversation gets even juicier when Bill and Dr. Bhati dig into the science behind why these message types matter. Want more donations? Try publicly thanking donors (which can lift giving by 59%). Need to hit that campaign goal? Posts showing you're just $50 short create FOMO that can spike donations by 79%. It's all about creating that “whirlpool effect” of engagement, where your message spreads further and deeper. They wrap with practical tips for fundraisers of all organizational sizes. Don't have a massive marketing team? No problem. Start by planning posts ahead, use scheduling tools, and lean on your board, volunteers, and existing supporters to build your social media presence. Because as Dr. Bhati reminds us, social media fundraising isn't a magic bullet, it's a strategic dance. And when you choreograph your messages well, donors don't just listen, they leap in.

Reuploaded for Spotify Making waves across the country, three activists discuss their experiences organizing Take Back the Night, sharing insights into safety, survivorship, and making a difference.  Kori Koschalk-Newmister is a higher education professional focusing on eradicating interpersonal violence. Her 20+ years in prevention education have allowed her to educate, empower, and support thousands of individuals in her community. She is currently the Assistant Director of Interpersonal Relations at Bowling Green State University and pursuing her Masters in Popular Culture. When she's not on campus, you can find her with her wonderful partner, Mike, pups, Lily and Marvin, watching reality TV (specifically on Bravo). Rebecca Pacheco (she/her) is the Development & Education Manager at Embrave: Agency to End Violence and the Coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA). She is driven by her passion for gender equity, intersectional feminism and ending gender-based violence. She is a strong advocate for the policy and system-level change that is necessary to prevent gender-based violence and properly support survivors of violence. Faith Fluker is a 22-year-old reproductive justice and sexual health advocate pursuing a degree at Auburn University. She started as a curvy and confused preteen, but has recently become a confident young woman who believes in sticking up for herself and those around her. Faith has worn many hats in the past, including President of her college's Planned Parenthood chapter, where she hosted a Take Back the Night March. She is also a Spring ‘25 initiate of the Kappa Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Sydney Tiller Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Making waves across the country, three activists discuss their experiences organizing Take Back the Night, sharing insights into safety, survivorship, and making a difference.  Kori Koschalk-Newmister is a higher education professional focusing on eradicating interpersonal violence. Her 20+ years in prevention education have allowed her to educate, empower, and support thousands of individuals in her community. She is currently the Assistant Director of Interpersonal Relations at Bowling Green State University and pursuing her Masters in Popular Culture. When she's not on campus, you can find her with her wonderful partner, Mike, pups, Lily and Marvin, watching reality TV (specifically on Bravo). Rebecca Pacheco (she/her) is the Development & Education Manager at Embrave: Agency to End Violence and the Coordinator of the Peel Committee Against Women Abuse (PCAWA). She is driven by her passion for gender equity, intersectional feminism and ending gender-based violence. She is a strong advocate for the policy and system-level change that is necessary to prevent gender-based violence and properly support survivors of violence. Faith Fluker is a 22-year-old reproductive justice and sexual health advocate pursuing a degree at Auburn University. She started as a curvy and confused preteen, but has recently become a confident young woman who believes in sticking up for herself and those around her. Faith has worn many hats in the past, including President of her college's Planned Parenthood chapter, where she hosted a Take Back the Night March. She is also a Spring ‘25 initiate of the Kappa Chi Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc. Host: Katie Koestner Editor: Sydney Tiller Producers: Catrina Aglubat and Emily Wang

Gordon Ayers was selected as a Beck's Player with Heart because of his involvement and dedication to his school, sports, and community. Gordon plays basketball and competes in track and field, in which he throws shot put and discus. He enjoys the competition in high school sports, appreciates the bonds created with his teammates, and loves being able to work together as a team. Gordon is also involved in his school's FFA chapter, where he has been an officer for two years and earned his State FFA Degree. Through FFA, he is able to meet new people and has learned responsibility, confidence, and leadership. He also likes to raise and show both goats and dairy beef feeders, and competes in career development events such as ag sales and soil judging. Agriculture is an important aspect of Gordon's life and runs deep in his family. His grandpa is a third-generation farmer and raises corn, soybeans, wheat, and beef cattle to sell through his family's meat market. Gordon takes pride in keeping the tradition alive, inspired to keep the same work ethic and dedication in his own work when raising livestock and showing his animals. He knows it's hard work and that nothing comes easy, but the effort he puts in always pays off. Gordon is a nine-year 4-H member, has been part of his county's Junior Fair Board for two years, and served on the Royalty Court this past summer. After high school, Gordon plans to attend Bowling Green State University and major in finance through the College of Business.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Producer/host Maria Vasquez Boyd welcomes artists Francisco and Fredy Gabuardy, Consuelo Cruz Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement Belger Arts, artists Tyler Suter and Hannah Schelb. FRANCISCO and FREDY GABUARDY- Kansas City-based media artists Francisco Gabuardy and Fredy Gabuardy are identical twins, but their styles are not hard to differentiate. Francisco explores a collection of personally meaningful symbols like spikes and pie graphs, while Fredy is a builder and often includes sculptural elements in his work. Cadejo, their first collaborative exhibition, was four years in the making. It showcases 10 pieces, eight highlighting the push and pull of their unique styles and shared Nicaraguan origins, and two representing their own studio practices. Cadejo refers to a mythical, dog-shaped spirit they grew up hearing stories about. In Central American folklore, it represents "good" and "evil," light and dark. It can protect and attack, lead away from harm or toward danger. They were inspired by the dual nature of cadejo, reflected in their complementary or perhaps, at times, seemingly contradictory styles and approaches. The works, in turn, reflect their relationship as twins, mirroring each other at various points in life and art. For the Gabuardys, the key aspect of cadejo is its mysterious ability to lead. But whether to safety or peril, the artists must keep moving forward. The brothers created the works using a series of self-imposed "rules," game play, and improvisational techniques. Each collaborative effort involved new negotiations and strategies with every action and counteraction. How much space does one occupy? Who gets to enter the conversation, and when? The results are both uncanny collisions and gentlemanly covenants in mixed media, expressing twin communication that goes beyond words. The works are exercises in trust and intention. In this series of collaborations, the artists demonstrate a tenacious investment of energy and time, and an expansive curiosity around process, material, and formalism. The works are packed with personally meaningful symbols, exuding cryptic beauty in their unexpected compositions. The artists invite viewers to approach the works with an open mind, reminding us that these abstractions hold infinite interpretations. They see the pieces as stanzas, sentences, or small thoughts that can serve as starting points for the viewer's own narrative. Artists talk can be viewed here, Unraveling ‘Cadejo: A Twins' Journey - YouTube www.fredygabuardy.com www.franciscogabuardy.com Kansas City Public Library Central Library 14 W. 10th St. KCMO Guldner Gallery now through September 20 CONSUELO CRUZ, Vice President of Marketing and Community Engagement Belger Arts Belger Arts Residency Programs, Hannah Schelb, Ceramics Artist in Residence, Tyler Suter, Glass Artist in Residence Belger Crane Yard Studios continues to host national and international artists through its Residency program. A residency provides ceramic artists with the opportunity to expand their body of work or create a special project that may be outside the scope of their routine studio practice. The residency program gives driven, self-directed artists opportunities for rigorous professional development and enhanced self-sufficiency practices. Within the studio community, resident artists engage in constructive dialogue and immerse themselves in their work. Residents foster the development of the studio's creative environment and create outreach opportunities within the local community. Outreach opportunities include teaching classes or workshops, giving public presentations, and critiques. Through community involvement, residents create educational opportunities for the appreciation and critical understanding of ceramics, thus employing and evolving Belger Crane Yard Studios as an innovative, artistic resource. Hannah Schelb, Ceramics Artist in Residence: Hannah Schelb started working in ceramics in 2009 while attending Augusta State University. After receiving her Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2012, she started a studio practice and eventually moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she worked in glaze production and taught community classes. In 2016 and 2017, Schelb attended summer residencies at Chautauqua School of Visual Arts in Chautauqua, New York, while teaching after-school programs in Cincinnati, Ohio, during the school year. She was accepted into the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2019 and graduated with a Master of Arts and Fine Arts in May 2021. She was the director of ceramics for the summers of 2020 and 2021 at a summer camp in Harrison, Maine. Schelb became a lecturer for the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 2022-2024 and started showing work at several prominent galleries. Schelb recently completed her 2024-25 residency term at the Belger Crane Yard Studios and is returning for her second term. The Glass Residency is open to emerging glass artists looking to further their artistic and professional careers and gain experience teaching and working with the public. This residency is ideal for artists looking to develop a body of work, who thrive in a shared, communal space, and are preparing for the next step in their professional pursuits. Resident artists advance their art practice in a spacious state-of-the-art facility equipped for glassblowing, kiln forming, sandblasting, and coldworking. Work alongside nationally recognized artists throughout the year and help develop and inspire beginner glassblowers. Resident artists teach a class of their own design, plan and lead public glassblowing demonstrations, and engage with the public during hands-on glassblowing experiences. Tyler Suter, Glass Artist in Residence: Tyler Suter is a St. Louis-based studio artist who, since an early age, has had a profound love for the natural world. Working primarily with glass, his current body of work explores the repetition of form and pattern that can be found throughout nature, from micro to macroscopic. Developing this body of work involves exploring various glassworking techniques and incorporating ceramic components. Tyler received a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Studio Art with a concentration in ceramics from Bowling Green State University. He has had work featured in numerous group exhibitions, including Bravo! BGSU: A Celebration of the Arts (2018). He has also conducted public demonstrations and private classes, sharing his passion for glass with the community. Tyler recently began an artist residency at the Belger Glass Annex in the inaugural year of the residency program. Since 2000, the Belger Arts Center has encouraged viewers to explore, question, and deepen their understanding of art and of the world around them. Drawing upon the extensive Belger Collection as well as a rich variety of local, national, and international artists, the Belger Arts Center has staged over 100 large-scale exhibitions that represent some of the best in contemporary art. Belger Crane Yard Studios is a ceramics studio, education center, and gallery space located in downtown Kansas City's Crossroads district. Learn new techniques or master old ones with wheel throwing, handbuilding, and special topic classes, for beginners to professional potters. Our world-renowned Artist-in-Residence program has made Belger a center for contemporary ceramic art, fostering artists to explore their craft. The adjoining Belger Crane Yard Gallery hosts exhibitions featuring world-class glass, ceramics, and multimedia artists. The Belger Glass Annex is the third Belger Arts location and opened to the public in October 2021. It is the first public glass blowing studio in Kansas City of its scale and scope. The facility boasts state-of-the-art glass blowing equipment and tools, a furnace that holds 300 pounds of molten glass, and three workstations. The Belger Glass Annex is a Midwest hub for glass art, education, and appreciation, strengthening Kansas City's reputation as an arts destination. www.belgerarts.org Belger Arts Center 2100 Walnut Street Kansas City, MO 64108 816 - 474 – 7316 gallery@belgerarts.org Belger Crane Yard 2011 Tracy Avenue Kansas City, MO 64108 Events • October 3, First Friday: Opening of Put a Lid on It exhibition (lidded vessel invitational) and Fall-Focused Glass Demo with Glass Pumpkin Sales • Eight resident artists have arrived: (https://belgerarts.org/air) Four new ceramics residents + two returning ceramics residents + two residents for our NEW Glass Residency(https://belgerarts.org/glass-residency-programs)! • November 7, First Friday: Opening of Holidays at Belger Crane Yard Gallery • November 21 and 22 Holiday Sale at Belger Crane Yard Studios • We also kicked off Saturday Socials in our ceramics studio—like Date Night but without the pressure of having to bring a date. We still have Date Night on Fridays: https://belgerarts.org/ceramics-date-night-saturday-socials

At the Glass Art Society's (GAS) 2025 conference, Trailblazing New Traditions, held in May in Arlington and Fort Worth, Texas, Zachary Layhew and Hoseok Youn presented a unique collaborative glassblowing demonstration where Youn's Venetian fantasy vessels intersected with the baroque, cubist influences of Layhew's practice. The artists shared their unique approaches to traditional techniques and designs, both makers transforming the context of tradition through the lens of their original personalities. The result was a figurative sculpture constructed from historical goblets and decorative stemware, combined with the line patterns of cane. Goblets and cane are common and popular in the glass tradition, but this demonstration showed the community a creative and innovative way to elevate those methods to new frontiers while paying respect to their origins. Layhew started his glass career at the age of 14 by taking an introductory intensive at the Pittsburgh Glass Center (PGC) called Teen Bootcamp. He quickly fell in love with the material and the community surrounding it. Through the years, the artist has focused on his technical skills in glass and developing his personal voice through sculpture. His work revolves around a combination of glassblowing, cold working, and then further reheating, manipulating, and assembling the pieces.  Working as an artist and instructor at PGC, Layhew assists other Pittsburgh artists in his spare time. He will teach Lines, Rings, and Patterned Things at Foci, the Minnesota Center for Glass Arts, from November 12 through 16. In December, the artist has a residency at Keystone College, Factoryville, Pennsylvania, and through the rest of 2025 and 2026, he will teach eight-week classes at PGC. Additionally, Layhew creates production work that is sold online and in person.  A South Korean glass artist specializing in glassblowing, Youn holds a BFA degree in glass and ceramics from Namseoul University, Cheon Ahn, Korea, and earned an MFA in glass from Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Illinois. He has taught at Bowling Green State University as an adjunct professor, was a studio artist at Toledo Museum of Art and a studio lead at Belger Arts in Kansas City, Missouri.  Youn's artistic practice focuses on Venetian traditional glass, figurative sculptures, and photography. He is inspired by heroes and villains based on pop culture and toys. His work reflects the image of his ideal successful self, combining crystal clear glass, elaborate vessel forms, intricate stemware, and abundant details. In 2026, he will teach a workshop at Pilchuck Glass School, session 7. Click this link for details https://www.pilchuck.org/programs/sessions/lost-and-found Enjoy this conversation with Layhew and Youn about their individual work in glass as well as their groundbreaking collaborative demo at the 2025 GAS conference.  

How can Christian parents and other Christian leaders best navigate youth sports? What are some of the toxic elements of youth sports that Christians can avoid, or strategically use as an opportunity for ministry and growth? Our guest today, Ed Uszynski, is the author of a new book Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. Ed joins Sean and Scott to discuss how our perspective of youth sports needs to shift so we can better watch, coach, and help young people participate in youth sports. Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades of experience discipling college and professional athletes. He has written articles, essays, and training materials at the intersection of faith and sports. He received his PH.D. in American cultural Studies from Bowling Green State University. ==========Think Biblically: Conversations on Faith and Culture is a podcast from Talbot School of Theology at Biola University, which offers degrees both online and on campus in Southern California. Find all episodes of Think Biblically at: https://www.biola.edu/think-biblically. Watch video episodes at: https://bit.ly/think-biblically-video. To submit comments, ask questions, or make suggestions on issues you'd like us to cover or guests you'd like us to have on the podcast, email us at thinkbiblically@biola.edu.

Today's guests are Ed Uszynski and Brian Smith, authors of the book Away Game: A Christian Parent's Guide to Navigating Youth Sports. Their book and today's conversation are designed to help parents transform the complexity of youth sports into a platform for discipleship. The book equips parents with practical, Biblically based solutions for raising athletes in secular sports culture. Topics:How do sports develop character?How do we stand out in youth sports culture?How can we support our kids through their failures?How do we view winning and being the greatest?What can we learn from Uncle Rico?Find out more about the book HEREAbout Brian Smith Brian Smith is the author of several books, including The Christian Athlete: Glorifying God in Sports. He has been on staff with Athletes in Action since 2008. A graduate of Wake Forest University, Brian has a master's degree in Theology and Sports Studies from Baylor University. About Ed Uszynski Ed Uszynski is an author, speaker, and sports minister with over three decades of experience discipling college and professional athletes. He's written articles, essays, and training manuals at the intersection of faith and sport and is the lead strategist for Content Mercenaries. He has two theological degrees from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School and a PhD in American Culture Studies from Bowling Green State University.Purchase a copy of The Sports Devotional: Pro Football Edition TODAY.Visit the Fantasy Football Fellowship website to sign up and participate in our exciting and encouraging ministry.Learn more about our sponsor, Upward Sports, to find out how you can reach people for Jesus through sports. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Send us a textLogan Bell's story begins not in a town, but in a village—a one-square-mile dot on the map called Lisbon, Ohio. It's here where his baseball journey took root, nurtured by parents who somehow balanced demanding work schedules with never missing a game. When most people ask where Lisbon is located, he simply references Youngstown, a familiar landmark that anchors his small-town origins in something recognizable.The rhythm of Logan's early life followed the seasons of sports—football in fall, basketball in winter, and baseball dominating the summers. But what stands out in our conversation isn't just the athletic achievements, but the deliberate efforts to maintain normalcy amid the demands of competition. From wing nights after practice to street hockey games with friends, these moments provided crucial balance and kept the pressures of performance in perspective.His college baseball path reflects both perseverance and adaptability. Starting at Akron as a 17-year-old freshman surrounded by junior college transfers in their twenties forced early maturity. After partially tearing his UCL, Logan found his way to Bowling Green State University, reuniting with a coach who had first recruited him years earlier—a relationship that proved pivotal in his development both on and off the field. Now training in Florida while completing his master's degree, he's pursuing professional opportunities with an unwavering "no Plan B" mindset.Throughout our discussion, Logan offers thoughtful perspectives on the changing landscape of college athletics, MLB economics, and the unique challenges faced by small-market teams. But most memorable is his closing message about pursuing dreams without apology: "If you have this idea of what you want to do and what you want to be, don't let anybody tell you that you can't be it." With supportive parents, loyal friends, and grounding faith, Logan demonstrates that sometimes the journey itself matters more than the destinSubscribe for exclusive content: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1530455/support Buzzsprout - Let's get your podcast launched!Start for FREEDeemed FitBe a part of our movement to instill confidence motivation and a willingness to keep pushing forwardBuddy's Beard CareBuddy's Beard Care provides premium men's grooming products at an affordable price.Sweet Hands SportsElevate your game with Sweet Hands Sports! Our sports gloves are designed for champions,ShankitgolfOur goal here at Shankitgolf is for everyone to have a great time on and off the golf courseTactical BrotherhoodThe Tactical Brotherhood is a movement to support America.Dubby EnergyFROM GAMERS TO GYM JUNKIES TO ENTREPRENEURS, OUR PRODUCT IS FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS TO BE BETTER.Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links. If you make a purchase, I may receive a commission at no extra cost to you.Support the showFollow us on all social mediaX: @mikebonocomedyInstagram: @mikebonocomedy@tiktok: @mikebono_comedianFacebook: @mikebonocomedy

Today's guest embodies everything this podcast stands for. He's a Heisman Trophy winner, a former NFL All-Pro with the Tennessee Titans, and now the head football coach at Bowling Green State University. But Eddie George's story is about more than football — it's about leadership, resilience, and the pursuit of excellence in every arena of life. From the spotlight of the NFL to the challenge of developing young men through coaching, he brings a mindset rooted in discipline, purpose, and impact. Get ready to be inspired by the one and only — Eddie George.

Dr. Ed Uszynski (PhD, Bowling Green State University) has been working with collegiate and professional athletes in various roles with Athletes in Action since 1992. He's the author of Untangling Critical Race Theory: What Christians Need to Know and Why It Matters (IVP) and his most recent book, Away Game: A Christian Parents Guide to Navigating Youth Sports, coauthored with Brian Smith. To listen to our "extra innings" conversation, head over to Theology in the Raw's Patreon page to become a member of the Theology in the Raw community. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

In this episode we challenge the ideas about invisibility of Asian Americans in the urban Midwest by discussing Rebecca Jo Kinney's Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland: Race and Redevelopment in the Rust Belt (Temple University Press, 2025). Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland links the contemporary development of Cleveland's “AsiaTown” to the multiple and fragmented histories of Cleveland's Asian American communities from the 1940s to present. Kinney's sharp insights include Japanese Americans who resettled from internment camps, Chinese Americans food purveyors, and Asian American community leaders who have had to fight for visibility and representation in city planning—even as the Cleveland Asian Festival is branded as a marquee “diversity” event for the city. Importantly, this book contributes to a growing field of Asian American studies in the U.S. Midwest by foregrounding the importance of region in racial formation and redevelopment as it traces the history of racial segregation and neighborhood diversity in Cleveland during the 20th and 21st centuries. Rebecca Jo Kinney is a Fulbright Scholar and an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. Dr. Kinney's award-winning first book, Beautiful Wasteland: The Rise of Detroit as America's Postindustrial Frontier argues that contemporary stories told about Detroit's potential for rise enables the erasure of white supremacist systems. Her third book, Making Home in Korea: The Transnational Lives of Adult Korean Adoptees, is based on research undertaken while she was a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea. Her research has appeared in American Quarterly, Food, Culture & Society, Verge: Studies in Global Asia, Radical History Review, Race&Class, among other journals. Donna Doan Anderson (she/her) is a research assistant professor in the department of History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

In this episode we challenge the ideas about invisibility of Asian Americans in the urban Midwest by discussing Rebecca Jo Kinney's Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland: Race and Redevelopment in the Rust Belt (Temple University Press, 2025). Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland links the contemporary development of Cleveland's “AsiaTown” to the multiple and fragmented histories of Cleveland's Asian American communities from the 1940s to present. Kinney's sharp insights include Japanese Americans who resettled from internment camps, Chinese Americans food purveyors, and Asian American community leaders who have had to fight for visibility and representation in city planning—even as the Cleveland Asian Festival is branded as a marquee “diversity” event for the city. Importantly, this book contributes to a growing field of Asian American studies in the U.S. Midwest by foregrounding the importance of region in racial formation and redevelopment as it traces the history of racial segregation and neighborhood diversity in Cleveland during the 20th and 21st centuries. Rebecca Jo Kinney is a Fulbright Scholar and an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. Dr. Kinney's award-winning first book, Beautiful Wasteland: The Rise of Detroit as America's Postindustrial Frontier argues that contemporary stories told about Detroit's potential for rise enables the erasure of white supremacist systems. Her third book, Making Home in Korea: The Transnational Lives of Adult Korean Adoptees, is based on research undertaken while she was a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea. Her research has appeared in American Quarterly, Food, Culture & Society, Verge: Studies in Global Asia, Radical History Review, Race&Class, among other journals. Donna Doan Anderson (she/her) is a research assistant professor in the department of History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-american-studies

In this episode we challenge the ideas about invisibility of Asian Americans in the urban Midwest by discussing Rebecca Jo Kinney's Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland: Race and Redevelopment in the Rust Belt (Temple University Press, 2025). Mapping AsiaTown Cleveland links the contemporary development of Cleveland's “AsiaTown” to the multiple and fragmented histories of Cleveland's Asian American communities from the 1940s to present. Kinney's sharp insights include Japanese Americans who resettled from internment camps, Chinese Americans food purveyors, and Asian American community leaders who have had to fight for visibility and representation in city planning—even as the Cleveland Asian Festival is branded as a marquee “diversity” event for the city. Importantly, this book contributes to a growing field of Asian American studies in the U.S. Midwest by foregrounding the importance of region in racial formation and redevelopment as it traces the history of racial segregation and neighborhood diversity in Cleveland during the 20th and 21st centuries. Rebecca Jo Kinney is a Fulbright Scholar and an interdisciplinary teacher and scholar of American Studies and Ethnic Studies at Bowling Green State University, Ohio, USA. Dr. Kinney's award-winning first book, Beautiful Wasteland: The Rise of Detroit as America's Postindustrial Frontier argues that contemporary stories told about Detroit's potential for rise enables the erasure of white supremacist systems. Her third book, Making Home in Korea: The Transnational Lives of Adult Korean Adoptees, is based on research undertaken while she was a Fulbright Scholar in South Korea. Her research has appeared in American Quarterly, Food, Culture & Society, Verge: Studies in Global Asia, Radical History Review, Race&Class, among other journals. Donna Doan Anderson (she/her) is a research assistant professor in the department of History at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/american-studies

  Aaron is joined by Ben Thomason. Ben recently earned his doctorate in American Cultural Studies from Bowling Green State University. His dissertation is entitled, Making Democracy Safe for Empire: A History and Political Economy of the National Endowment for Democracy, United States Agency for International Development, and Twenty-First Century Media Imperialism. In this episode, we discuss two of Ben's latest articles for CovertAction Magazine, both of which deal with the US dirty war on Syria. The first article is “The U.S.A.'s Longest ‘Democracy' Project in Syria Has Resulted in the Empowerment of Al-Qaeda.” The second article, soon to be published, is “Western Soft Power Agencies Established a Support Front for Armed Insurrection in Syria led by al-Qaeda-Linked Rebels.” Special thanks to: Dana Chavarria, production Casey Moore, graphics Michelle Boley, animated intro Mock Orange, music

The Trombone Corner Podcast is brought to you by Bob Reeves Brass and The Brass Ark.  Join hosts Noah and John as they interview Dr. Brittany Lasch, trombone soloist and professor at Indiana University.   About Brittany: A winner of the S&R Foundation Washington Award and Astral Artists National Auditions, trombonist Brittany Lasch brings authenticity and unshakeable commitment to all aspects of her music-making. Increasingly in demand as a soloist with orchestras and brass bands alike, Brittany balances an intensive performance career with her role as a sought-after educator and newly appointed Assistant Professor of Trombone at the renowned Jacobs School of Music at Indiana University. As a serial collaborator and commissioner of composers, Brittany is a musical explorer creating new repertoire for her instrument from some of today's most compelling voices, and true ambassador in expanding recognition for the trombone as a powerful solo voice for today. Brittany has appeared as a soloist with ensembles ranging from the U.S. Army Band “Pershing's Own”, Rodney Marsalis Philadelphia Big Brass, and for concerto performances with the Queens Symphony, National Repertory Orchestra, Bucks County Symphony, Bowling Green Philharmonia, Manhattan School of Music Philharmonia, and others across the country. With playing described as “masterful” (Syracuse Post-Standard), American Record Guide recently hailed Brittany as an "excellent soloist" across a diverse range of repertoire.  Brittany has been a featured guest artist at numerous festivals, including the International Trombone Festival, the International Women's Brass Conference, and the American Trombone Workshop. She was a winner of the National Collegiate Solo Competition hosted by the U.S. Army Band, the Eisenberg-Fried Brass Concerto Competition at the Manhattan School of Music, the Zulalian Foundation Award in Boston. Her trombone quartet Boston Based won the 2017 International Trombone Association's Quartet Competition. In 2018, Brittany was awarded 2nd place in The American Prize Solo Instrumentalist competition. A prizewinner in numerous other competitions, she received the coveted John Clark Award upon graduation from the Manhattan School of Music for outstanding accomplishment in brass performance. For six seasons, Brittany was the Principal Trombone of the Detroit Opera Orchestra at the Detroit Opera House. She has performed with orchestras nationwide, including the San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Indianapolis Symphony, St. Louis Symphony, Detroit Symphony, Nashville Symphony, The Florida Orchestra, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, ProMusica Chamber Orchestra, Rhode Island Philharmonic, the Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, the Vermont Symphony, Albany Symphony, Syracuse Symphony, and the New World Symphony in Miami Beach. She participated in the Verbier Festival Orchestra for two summers, and has also appeared at the Spoleto USA Festival, the Pacific Music Festival in Sapporo, Japan, the Castleton Festival, and the Aspen Music Festival. An active presence in the global trombone community, Brittany's performances for the current and past seasons include Argentina's Trombonanza, Portugal's Gravíssimo Festival, as well as appearances in Japan and Korea. As an advocate for new music, Brittany has commissioned and performed several new pieces for the trombone, including acclaimed composer Reena Esmail's major Sonata for Trombone and Piano, which she commissioned for her Astral Artists recital in Philadelphia. Brittany gave the premiere of the orchestrated version of Martin Kennedy's Theme and Variations for Trombone and Orchestra with the BGSU Philharmonia under the direction of Dr. Emily Brown. She also recorded the work with the BGSU Philharmonia, which was recently released on the Albany Records label. Other recent projects include collaborations with composers Inez McComas, Adam Har-zvi, and David Miller. Her debut solo album Dark Horse features works by Samuel Adler, Tony Plog, Reena Esmail, Shawn Davern, and the album's pianist, Thomas Weaver. A native of Park Ridge, Illinois, Brittany earned her Doctor of Musical Arts degree from Boston University, where she received the Brass Department Award. She also holds a Master of Music degree from Yale School of Music. With a deep commitment to education, she has previously served as faculty at the College of Musical Arts at Bowling Green State University and the Boston University Tanglewood Institute. She has also been a featured teacher and performer at summer festivals, including the Sewanee Music Festival and the DC Trombone Workshop. Recent residencies include those at the University of Central Arkansas, James Madison University (Tromblow'in), University of Iowa, Oklahoma State University, Stetson University, the University of Florida, and as the guest artist at the 2023 Frühling Posaunen hosted at Ithaca College. She has presented masterclasses at universities across the country and internationally. Brittany Lasch is an Edwards Trombone Performing Artist. She also proudly uses and endorses ChopSaver Lip Care. Outside of music, Brittany has recently completed her eleventh full marathon and loves spending time with her cats, Clove and Poppyseed.

NASA tells In Touch about a condition that affects the vision of around 70% of their astronauts. It is called SANS and although the space agency aren't currently seeing hugely negative affects to their astronaut's vision upon returning to Earth, they are concerned about what could happen once we begin longer-term space exploration, with this being considered a 'red risk' of reaching Mars. Dr Sheri Wells-Jensen is a huge space enthusiast and within her role as a Linguistics professor at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, her focus is on welcoming disability as necessary part of future space exploration and potential occupation. Sheri describes the concept of her work and also shares her experience of flying in micro-gravity. Presenter: Peter White Producer: Beth Hemmings Production Coordinator: Jack Thomason Website image description: Peter White sits smiling in the centre of the image and he is wearing a dark green jumper. Above Peter's head is the BBC logo (three separate white squares house each of the three letters). Bottom centre and overlaying the image are the words "In Touch" and the Radio 4 logo (the word ‘radio' in a bold white font, with the number 4 inside of a white circle). The background is a bright mid-blue with two rectangles angled diagonally to the right. Both are behind Peter, one is a darker blue and the other is a lighter blue.

Yes you guys, THE one & only Eddie George is in the Side Piece house, baby!! I have been SO excited for this one too as we all know about my love for THE Ohio State Buckeyes where Eddie played and won the Heisman! Now Eddie is dominating on the field again but as a coach for Bowling Green State University! Eddie and I chat the difference between playing & coaching and how it's going as he begins this journey leading another awesome team. For all his incredible success, Eddie is so humble, genuine and just an overall absolutely amazing man! This is an episode you cannot miss

Where is “the cloud,” anyway? It's in a bunch of nondescript warehouses all over the country. Zachary Crockett serves up the story. SOURCES: Chris Kimm, senior vice president of global customer care and customer experience at Equinix.Raul Martynek, C.E.O. of DataBank.Clayton Rosati, associate professor of geography at Bowling Green State University. RESOURCES:"How Data Center Alley Is Changing Northern Virginia," by Mac Carey (Oxford American, 2025)."Noisy, Hungry Data Centers Are Catching Communities by Surprise," by Sean Patrick Cooper (The New York Times, 2024)."As Data Centers for AI Strain the Power Grid, Bills Rise for Everyday Customers," by Evan Halper and Caroline O'Donovan (The Washington Post, 2024)."Data Plantation: Northern Virginia and the Territorialization of Digital Civilization in 'The Internet Capital of the World'," by Clayton Rosati, Aju James, and Kathryne Metcalf (Online Media and Global Communication, 2023)."A New Front in the Water Wars: Your Internet Use," by Shannon Osaka (The Washington Post, 2023). EXTRAS:"Why Is It So Hard (and Expensive) to Build Anything in America?" by Freakonomics Radio (2023).Data Center Map. 

A new poll shows Trump has a 47% approval rating while 48% disapprove—a statistical tie—but that number is down 7 points from February. The poll's co-director, Bowling Green State University political science professor Robert Alexander, joins the show.

This episode of Burn It All Down was recorded in front of a live audience at Bowling Green State University on March 27, 2025.We're back...for a single live show. If you have not heard the show itself, you can find it on your feed now. This is the Q+A with the live audience that followed. We are not resuming weekly shows at this point, but we do have another live show scheduled at the end of May in Gatineau, Canada (more on that to come). If you are interested in bringing BIAD to your location for a live show, please contact us through our website: ⁠https://www.burnitalldownpod.com/⁠EPISODE NOTES: We want to thank Dr. Vikki Krane, the Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium, Amy J. Kolk, and everyone else at BGSU for bringing us back together for a live show. A special shout out to Phil Beskid for recording all of our audio. This episode was produced by Martin Kessler. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: ⁠http://www.burnitalldownpod.com⁠NOTE: We will have a transcript for this episode available on our site as soon as we can, though not as quickly as we used to. We are not the well-oiled machine we used to be; things take more time these days.For BIAD merchandise: ⁠https://teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-down⁠Find us on Bluesky: ⁠https://bsky.app/profile/burnitalldownpod.com⁠; Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/⁠; and Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/

This episode of Burn It All Down was recorded in front of a live audience at Bowling Green State University on March 27, 2025.We're back...for a single live show. We are not resuming weekly shows at this point, but we do have another live show scheduled at the end of May in Gatineau, Canada (more on that to come). If you are interested in bringing BIAD to your location for a live show, please contact us through our website: https://www.burnitalldownpod.com/EPISODE SUMMARY:This week, Shireen, Lindsay, Amira, Brenda, and Jessica talk about sports at, what feels like, the end of the world. They discuss the dissonance and relationship between all the good that is happening within sports and the brutal societal attack on trans people's civil rights, especially on trans girls and women in sports, the rollback of diversity/equity/inclusion on college campuses as athletes begin to secure more labor rights, and the United States' horrific isolationist and nationalist movements as the US, Mexico, and Canada get ready to host some of the world's biggest international sporting events.And, as always, you'll hear the Burn Pile and Torchbearers, starring, well, us.EPISODE NOTES: We want to thank Dr. Vikki Krane, the Social Justice through Sport and Exercise Psychology Symposium, Amy J. Kolk, and everyone else at BGSU for bringing us back together for a live show. A special shout out to Phil Beskid for recording all of our audio. This episode was produced by Martin Kessler. Shelby Weldon is our social media and website specialist. For show notes, transcripts, and more info about BIAD, check out our website: http://www.burnitalldownpod.comNOTE: We will have a transcript for this episode available on our site as soon as we can, though not as quickly as we used to. We are not the well-oiled machine we used to be; things take more time these days.For BIAD merchandise: https://teespring.com/stores/burn-it-all-downFind us on Blueskey: https://bsky.app/profile/burnitalldownpod.com; Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurnItAllDownPod/; and Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burnitalldownpod/

A bill called the DRIVE Act, which would address one of the hottest topics in the trucking industry – speed limiters – is back in Congress. Also, two university researchers' work has demonstrated a connection between truck drivers' total compensation and safety out on the road. 0:00 – Newscast 10:12 – Researchers say driver pay linked to safety 39:32 – OOIDA: Call on speed limiter bill now

With a degree in marketing from Bowling Green State University and over seven years of experience, Lauren specializes in branding, web design, photography, and videography—helping businesses in and out of agriculture establish strong, authentic brands. She'll share insights into storytelling, digital trends, the role of AI in marketing, and how print and online media serve different purposes.We'll also chat about her life on the farm, raising Chianina-Chiangus cattle, showing pigs, and balancing family life with business. Plus, she's expanding her team this winter—so if you're in the market for a career in ag marketing, now's the time to tune in!In this episode, we sit down with Lauren Schmid-Brough to explore the intersection of agriculture, marketing, and entrepreneurship. As a fifth-generation farmer and owner of Lauren Schmid Marketing and Design, Lauren brings a unique perspective on branding, storytelling, and digital strategy for ag businesses.We discuss her background in farming, her involvement in FFA and 4-H, and her experience raising cattle and show pigs. Lauren shares how she turned her passion for agriculture and design into a successful business, offering branding, web design, videography, and more. She also dives into the role of AI in marketing, the importance of brand authenticity, and how businesses can create an impactful online presence. Want Farm4Profit Merch? Custom order your favorite items today!https://farmfocused.com/farm-4profit/ Don't forget to like the podcast on all platforms and leave a review where ever you listen! Website: www.Farm4Profit.comShareable episode link: https://intro-to-farm4profit.simplecast.comEmail address: Farm4profitllc@gmail.comCall/Text: 515.207.9640Subscribe to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSR8c1BrCjNDDI_Acku5XqwFollow us on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@farm4profitConnect with us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Farm4ProfitLLC/

Editor's Note: This podcast was produced as part of Persuasion's partnership with the Civil Discourse @ MIT program, at which Spencer Case spoke late last year on the topic “Does Citizenship Require Patriotism?” To learn more about Civil Discourse @ MIT, visit the program's website here, and to see prior episodes in the series click here. Spencer Case hosts Micro-Digressions: A Philosophy Podcast. He's the author of many academic philosophy articles and coauthor of Is Morality Real? A Debate. He is currently an assistant teaching professor in the Bowling Green State University philosophy department.  In this week's conversation, Yascha Mounk and Spencer Case explore the difference between patriotism and nationalism, what extremists get wrong, and how to think about self-identification in the debate about trans rights. This transcript has been condensed and lightly edited for clarity. Please do listen and spread the word about The Good Fight. If you have not yet signed up for our podcast, please do so now by following this link on your phone. Email: podcast@persuasion.community  Website: http://www.persuasion.community Podcast production by Mickey Freeland, and Leonora Barclay Connect with us! Spotify | Apple | Google Twitter: @Yascha_Mounk & @joinpersuasion Youtube: Yascha Mounk LinkedIn: Persuasion Community Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices