{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.0,"endTime":22.32,"body":"It is Word of the Third, my reflections on purpose, life, and growth."},{"startTime":22.32,"endTime":28.24,"body":"I'm Toby Brooks, speaker, author, professor, and forever student. Each week on Becoming Undone I bring you guests"},{"startTime":28.24,"endTime":32.64,"body":"who have dared bravely, risked mightily, and grown relentlessly. High achievers"},{"startTime":32.64,"endTime":36.78,"body":"who've transformed from falling apart to falling into place. But every third"},{"startTime":36.78,"endTime":42.48,"body":"episode it's my turn to reflect, refine, and reprocess on Word to the Third. I'm"},{"startTime":42.48,"endTime":46.32,"body":"super stoked to be back here with you today family. It has been a long hard"},{"startTime":46.32,"endTime":50.48,"body":"summer around the house. We've still got about a month to go."},{"startTime":50.48,"endTime":54.62,"body":"Two things have happened this summer that I hadn't planned on that have really impacted"},{"startTime":54.62,"endTime":56.68,"body":"my ability to get these shows cranked out."},{"startTime":56.68,"endTime":58.6,"body":"First, I'm in school again."},{"startTime":58.6,"endTime":61.88,"body":"Taking formal grad classes has really impacted me."},{"startTime":61.88,"endTime":62.88,"body":"It's been a big adjustment."},{"startTime":62.88,"endTime":65.2,"body":"Now, it's not a bad adjustment."},{"startTime":65.2,"endTime":69.32,"body":"It's just been more work than I expected to keep up with the papers and the projects and"},{"startTime":69.32,"endTime":70.32,"body":"the tests."},{"startTime":70.32,"endTime":76.92,"body":"As a matter of fact, this episode today is being done partially out of procrastination. I've got an economics"},{"startTime":76.92,"endTime":80.94,"body":"midterm that I really don't want to study for. The other thing that's"},{"startTime":80.94,"endTime":85.52,"body":"happened has been baseball. My son Tay is heading into his senior year at Lubbock"},{"startTime":85.52,"endTime":89.72,"body":"Christian High School. I've talked about him and his team on the show before. They"},{"startTime":89.72,"endTime":93.92,"body":"won state in football and basketball last year and made the Final Four in"},{"startTime":93.92,"endTime":100.9,"body":"baseball. Tay's first love is baseball, no doubt, and after a really solid junior year, he was on the fence for"},{"startTime":100.9,"endTime":102.52,"body":"what to do for college."},{"startTime":102.52,"endTime":105.76,"body":"On one hand, he's considering going to Texas Tech to major in engineering."},{"startTime":105.76,"endTime":111.08,"body":"It's a large school, offers lots of options academically, but I think he knows that Big"},{"startTime":111.08,"endTime":114.56,"body":"12 baseball isn't what he was put on this earth to do."},{"startTime":114.56,"endTime":118.28,"body":"On the other hand, he could go to a smaller school and keep playing the game he's loved"},{"startTime":118.28,"endTime":120.84,"body":"since he was two years old."},{"startTime":120.84,"endTime":122.68,"body":"It's a tough choice."},{"startTime":122.68,"endTime":125.4,"body":"He's played a little travel ball, but I wouldn't say a lot."},{"startTime":125.4,"endTime":128.64,"body":"He certainly hasn't done the whole showcase or college recruitment thing."},{"startTime":128.64,"endTime":134.12,"body":"So in order to try and keep his options open, he decided to go all in and play a full summer"},{"startTime":134.12,"endTime":135.32,"body":"of travel ball."},{"startTime":135.32,"endTime":139.92,"body":"I'd gladly drop everything to watch either of my kids do what they love."},{"startTime":139.92,"endTime":142.2,"body":"This summer was no different."},{"startTime":142.2,"endTime":149.64,"body":"This summer, it was hard. He joined a team with very few players and coaches that he knew or knew"},{"startTime":149.64,"endTime":154.26,"body":"him. I watched him deal with that first weekend of playing two or three innings"},{"startTime":154.26,"endTime":159.24,"body":"of a game tops. He might get one at bat, hitting from the nine or the ten hole,"},{"startTime":159.24,"endTime":164.78,"body":"and hardly got to pitch at all. It was humbling and if I'm real honest I took"},{"startTime":164.78,"endTime":173.22,"body":"it harder and worse than he did. He kept plugging away though, doing what he does. My son has never been the real flashy"},{"startTime":173.22,"endTime":177.58,"body":"type. He's always been kind of a team first guy. I can remember him consoling"},{"startTime":177.58,"endTime":182.66,"body":"and coaching up teammates in the dugout when he was seven or eight years old. You"},{"startTime":182.66,"endTime":186.38,"body":"think I'd learn my lesson about flashy by now so I'm gonna kind of take an"},{"startTime":186.38,"endTime":191.5,"body":"aside. Once when I was in college I had a job at the Anderson Indiana YMCA as a"},{"startTime":191.5,"endTime":196.8,"body":"youth sports coach. I coached six-year-olds playing soccer. Now that's a story for a few other episodes."},{"startTime":196.8,"endTime":199.8,"body":"But as the fall wore on, basketball season started."},{"startTime":199.8,"endTime":205.8,"body":"I had to pick my team from an open tryout of over 100 7 and 8 year olds."},{"startTime":205.8,"endTime":207.3,"body":"It was overwhelming."},{"startTime":207.3,"endTime":212.8,"body":"The tryout consisted of a free throw, a rebound, a layup, another rebound,"},{"startTime":212.8,"endTime":221.56,"body":"and a dribble down the floor, ending with a 10 foot jump shot. From that limited assessment, me and eight or nine other guys had to"},{"startTime":221.56,"endTime":228.12,"body":"pick our teams and we had those teams all season long. As I watched, I quickly"},{"startTime":228.12,"endTime":231.8,"body":"developed a strategy. These were kids from all over town, all different walks"},{"startTime":231.8,"endTime":236.64,"body":"of life. Some of them knew each other, some of them didn't, but how on earth am"},{"startTime":236.64,"endTime":242.64,"body":"I gonna rank order 100 kids into my draft list? I started with a quick checklist."},{"startTime":242.64,"endTime":245.0,"body":"Dribbling, jump shot, speed."},{"startTime":245.0,"endTime":248.68,"body":"Then I added another box that I'd later regret."},{"startTime":248.68,"endTime":249.68,"body":"Gear."},{"startTime":249.68,"endTime":252.72,"body":"Today, we'd call it drip or swag."},{"startTime":252.72,"endTime":255.04,"body":"Some of the kids looked like ballers."},{"startTime":255.04,"endTime":257.36,"body":"They had matching Nike shorts and jerseys."},{"startTime":257.36,"endTime":259.08,"body":"The wristband pulled up to the elbow."},{"startTime":259.08,"endTime":260.08,"body":"New Jordans."},{"startTime":260.08,"endTime":265.28,"body":"If a kid was swagged out, I just made an assumption that he was probably a baller."},{"startTime":265.28,"endTime":268.1,"body":"And his mom or dad probably practiced with him more."},{"startTime":268.1,"endTime":269.38,"body":"Seemed logical to me."},{"startTime":269.38,"endTime":270.76,"body":"It was a disaster."},{"startTime":270.76,"endTime":275.78,"body":"I've rarely worked with a more spoiled, entitled, less coachable bunch than that squad of 8"},{"startTime":275.78,"endTime":280.3,"body":"or 9 northern Indiana youth who might have dressed the part but didn't really know how"},{"startTime":280.3,"endTime":281.66,"body":"to act it just yet."},{"startTime":281.66,"endTime":285.38,"body":"So you'd think I would have learned my lesson, but I haven't."},{"startTime":285.38,"endTime":288.74,"body":"As a dad, I've always been about fitting my kids out with all the cool gear so they could"},{"startTime":288.74,"endTime":289.74,"body":"look the part."},{"startTime":289.74,"endTime":292.04,"body":"But they've never really been super into it."},{"startTime":292.04,"endTime":297.72,"body":"Not my daughter Brennan and certainly not my son Tay. He just kept doing what"},{"startTime":297.72,"endTime":302.64,"body":"he does. His abilities don't scream for your attention like most superstars. But"},{"startTime":302.64,"endTime":306.72,"body":"if you watch him, and I don't think this is my dad goggles here, he does the"},{"startTime":306.72,"endTime":311.72,"body":"little things really really well. He shows up on time, he gives consistent"},{"startTime":311.72,"endTime":316.52,"body":"best effort, he picks his teammates up, he challenges them when they need it, but he's not the type"},{"startTime":316.52,"endTime":322.82,"body":"to lift himself up by putting others down. Weekend after weekend, game after game, stuff"},{"startTime":322.82,"endTime":328.0,"body":"started happening. He quickly adjusted to the pitching and he started hitting. He was"},{"startTime":328.0,"endTime":332.4,"body":"hitting in the neighborhood of 600 from the plate. When he got opportunities on the mound,"},{"startTime":332.4,"endTime":340.68,"body":"he threw well. He's a lefty who will work the corners and throw a lot of ground balls, he became a trusted part of the team's rotation."},{"startTime":340.68,"endTime":344.76,"body":"I could not have been prouder of him for the way he didn't complain or blame, and"},{"startTime":344.76,"endTime":348.2,"body":"just slowly and steadily earned his way into being a big part of his new team's"},{"startTime":348.2,"endTime":349.4,"body":"roster."},{"startTime":349.4,"endTime":352.88,"body":"From batting 10th and playing two or three innings in right field the first week of"},{"startTime":352.88,"endTime":357.32,"body":"the season, to batting lead off and being the starting pitcher on Friday,"},{"startTime":357.32,"endTime":359.8,"body":"he was confident, he was happy."},{"startTime":359.8,"endTime":363.12,"body":"That weekend he faced four batters in the top of the first."},{"startTime":363.12,"endTime":367.24,"body":"All were 18-year-olds and all are college commits for next season."},{"startTime":367.24,"endTime":370.56,"body":"One reached on an error, but he'd held one of the better teams we've faced all summer"},{"startTime":370.56,"endTime":372.32,"body":"scoreless through one inning."},{"startTime":372.32,"endTime":377.08,"body":"He walked to the plate in the bottom of the first looking confident, but he quickly grew"},{"startTime":377.08,"endTime":380.36,"body":"frustrated at two pitches that were clearly down being called strikes."},{"startTime":380.36,"endTime":385.56,"body":"He swung at the next pitch more out of self-defense than anything, because he absolutely hates"},{"startTime":385.56,"endTime":386.56,"body":"strikeouts looking."},{"startTime":386.56,"endTime":388.72,"body":"He fouled it off, he winced in pain."},{"startTime":388.72,"endTime":392.96,"body":"I got a new lens for my camera and I was messing with it trying to get some good pictures of the"},{"startTime":392.96,"endTime":397.6,"body":"at bat and in between I saw him kind of messing with his batting glove on his left hand. He"},{"startTime":397.6,"endTime":402.24,"body":"finished the at bat, a strikeout swinging. I felt my pocket buzz shortly afterward as I went back"},{"startTime":402.24,"endTime":410.0,"body":"from my spot on the third baseline to the bleachers. It was Tay. I think I broke my finger."},{"startTime":410.0,"endTime":412.0,"body":"I texted back,"},{"startTime":412.0,"endTime":414.0,"body":"sigh, want me to look?"},{"startTime":414.0,"endTime":416.0,"body":"I don't normally do the"},{"startTime":416.0,"endTime":418.0,"body":"dugout dad stuff, and he never"},{"startTime":418.0,"endTime":420.0,"body":"texts from the dugout, but it was serious."},{"startTime":420.0,"endTime":422.0,"body":"As he's gotten older, we've worked"},{"startTime":422.0,"endTime":424.0,"body":"through some of his injuries together, and I think"},{"startTime":424.0,"endTime":426.0,"body":"he's started to respect the fact that I once"},{"startTime":426.0,"endTime":428.0,"body":"worked with Team USA, and for a while"},{"startTime":428.0,"endTime":430.0,"body":"I'd worked in the minors. I think he trusts"},{"startTime":430.0,"endTime":432.0,"body":"me, and I trust him enough to know"},{"startTime":432.0,"endTime":434.0,"body":"that if it hurt bad enough for him to ask for help, it was probably pretty bad."},{"startTime":434.0,"endTime":439.0,"body":"Sure enough, I looked at it and it was already swollen. He'd been hit by that"},{"startTime":439.0,"endTime":443.08,"body":"inside pitch on the index finger of his throwing hand. At best, he had a"},{"startTime":443.08,"endTime":448.4,"body":"contusion that was gonna hurt for a few days. At worst, it was a fracture. At worst"},{"startTime":448.4,"endTime":453.44,"body":"still, it was an unstable fracture. For a quick assessment, I was concerned that it"},{"startTime":453.44,"endTime":461.48,"body":"was indeed broken, but he's tough. He wanted to try to throw with it first"},{"startTime":461.48,"endTime":463.16,"body":"before we decided whether or not"},{"startTime":463.16,"endTime":465.36,"body":"we needed to go for additional care."},{"startTime":465.36,"endTime":467.32,"body":"One pitch was all it took."},{"startTime":467.32,"endTime":470.16,"body":"I knew immediately that his summer season was over."},{"startTime":470.16,"endTime":471.24,"body":"One inch."},{"startTime":471.24,"endTime":473.78,"body":"One inch would have made all the difference."},{"startTime":473.78,"endTime":475.64,"body":"One inch further up the handle of his bat"},{"startTime":475.64,"endTime":476.84,"body":"and it's a foul ball."},{"startTime":476.84,"endTime":478.66,"body":"Just like a thousand other foul balls"},{"startTime":478.66,"endTime":480.48,"body":"he's hit in his career."},{"startTime":480.48,"endTime":484.12,"body":"One inch further outside and it doesn't hit him at all."},{"startTime":484.12,"endTime":488.12,"body":"One inch further inside and he doesn't swing defensively fearful of that"},{"startTime":488.12,"endTime":492.76,"body":"dreaded third strike looking. In one of my favorite all-time sports movies any"},{"startTime":492.76,"endTime":498.08,"body":"given Sunday, Al Pacino's character, pro football coach Tony D'Amato, talks about"},{"startTime":498.08,"endTime":500.44,"body":"it in his locker room speech."},{"startTime":500.44,"endTime":507.44,"body":"Because in either game, life or football, the margin for error is so small."},{"startTime":507.44,"endTime":513.44,"body":"I mean, one half a step too late or too early, and you don't quite make it."},{"startTime":513.44,"endTime":517.44,"body":"One half second too slow, too fast, you don't quite catch it."},{"startTime":517.44,"endTime":521.44,"body":"The inches we need are everywhere around us."},{"startTime":521.44,"endTime":530.0,"body":"They're in every break of the game, every minute, every second."},{"startTime":530.0,"endTime":535.0,"body":"On this team, we fight for that inch."},{"startTime":535.0,"endTime":543.0,"body":"On this team, we tear ourselves and everyone else around us to pieces for that inch."},{"startTime":543.0,"endTime":548.0,"body":"We claw with our fingernails for that inch."},{"startTime":548.0,"endTime":552.0,"body":"Because we know when we add up all those inches,"},{"startTime":552.0,"endTime":558.08,"body":"that's going to make the difference between winning and losing"},{"startTime":558.08,"endTime":564.0,"body":"The difference between a season-ending injury and a base hit."},{"startTime":564.0,"endTime":566.92,"body":"The difference between a bruise that could use some ice and a fracture that would take"},{"startTime":566.92,"endTime":569.24,"body":"five pins to correct."},{"startTime":569.24,"endTime":572.76,"body":"The difference between getting to enjoy the fruits of all the hard work and commitment"},{"startTime":572.76,"endTime":578.16,"body":"of your summer and watching it evaporate in an instant."},{"startTime":578.16,"endTime":579.84,"body":"They had surgery yesterday."},{"startTime":579.84,"endTime":585.4,"body":"They did indeed put five pins in the proximal phalanx of the index finger of his throwing"},{"startTime":585.4,"endTime":604.76,"body":"hand."},{"startTime":604.76,"endTime":609.96,"body":"His baseball season is indeed over, and the start of his football season is in doubt."},{"startTime":609.96,"endTime":616.8,"body":"But what I've seen my son do is, to me at least, extraordinary."},{"startTime":616.8,"endTime":620.8,"body":"No pouting, no sulking, no blaming."},{"startTime":620.8,"endTime":625.68,"body":"Instead, grit, determination, focus."},{"startTime":625.68,"endTime":628.72,"body":"So the next time something doesn't go my way,"},{"startTime":628.72,"endTime":631.28,"body":"I try and remember my son and his willingness"},{"startTime":631.28,"endTime":634.28,"body":"to look beyond the inches that could have been"},{"startTime":634.28,"endTime":637.62,"body":"and embrace and crush the ones that are."},{"startTime":637.62,"endTime":640.62,"body":"♪♪♪"},{"startTime":640.62,"endTime":655.0,"body":"Bricks and Buckets. Each week on Becoming Undone I reflect back on the highs and lows"},{"startTime":655.0,"endTime":660.28,"body":"of my week in bricks and buckets. Bricks are attempts that miss the mark, while buckets"},{"startTime":660.28,"endTime":665.24,"body":"sail through the net clean and true. It's like a basketball equivalent of roses and"},{"startTime":665.24,"endTime":667.16,"body":"thorns or happies and crappies."},{"startTime":667.16,"endTime":676.2,"body":"My brick this week, other than the obvious, discussion board posts. Teachers, what are we doing with these terrible exercises and homework?"},{"startTime":676.2,"endTime":680.12,"body":"Taking grad classes again has shown me life through the eyes of a student for the first"},{"startTime":680.12,"endTime":684.24,"body":"time in a while, and I'll be honest, it can be pretty terrible."},{"startTime":684.24,"endTime":685.68,"body":"Mostly because of us teachers."},{"startTime":685.68,"endTime":691.48,"body":"Just stop with the research papers masquerading as organic conversations struck up with friends"},{"startTime":691.48,"endTime":692.64,"body":"at some coffee shop."},{"startTime":692.64,"endTime":693.64,"body":"They aren't."},{"startTime":693.64,"endTime":698.28,"body":"And for all things holy, just stop with the mandated reply to x number of classmates."},{"startTime":698.28,"endTime":700.5,"body":"It is trash. Quit."},{"startTime":700.5,"endTime":704.2,"body":"My bucket this week? Tay finally got surgery."},{"startTime":704.2,"endTime":708.08,"body":"It was quite an ordeal to navigate the hellscape that can be the American"},{"startTime":708.08,"endTime":709.56,"body":"health care and insurance system,"},{"startTime":709.56,"endTime":713.6,"body":"but we did it. He's pinned, he's casted, and we can start rehabbing soon."},{"startTime":713.6,"endTime":717.36,"body":"He's gotten older, I've loved the time we spend together"},{"startTime":717.36,"endTime":720.48,"body":"as I've worked on his various ailments. He's kind of injury prone."},{"startTime":720.48,"endTime":724.32,"body":"And this one's going to be no different. I will love every second of"},{"startTime":724.32,"endTime":729.2,"body":"getting him back to full speed and strength. What about you? What are you"},{"startTime":729.2,"endTime":732.64,"body":"working on or waiting for and what are you doing in the meantime to get better"},{"startTime":732.64,"endTime":736.72,"body":"every day? I'd love to hear about it. Surf on over to Undone Podcasts and drop"},{"startTime":736.72,"endTime":741.84,"body":"me a note. You can check the info for this episode out on UndonePodcasts.com"},{"startTime":741.84,"endTime":749.44,"body":"backslash EP42. Also be sure to tune in for upcoming episodes as I've decided to"},{"startTime":749.44,"endTime":751.44,"body":"4-2"},{"startTime":751.44,"endTime":759.14,"body":"Also, be sure to tune in for upcoming episodes as I've decided to split a fantastic interview with former NBA player and SIU Saluki legend"},{"startTime":759.14,"endTime":763.78,"body":"Chris Carr into my first ever two-part episode. Those will be dropping this week"},{"startTime":763.78,"endTime":770.5,"body":"After that, we'll have motivational speaker and leadership expert Tim Kite as well as world-renowned strength coach Ron McKee"},{"startTime":770.5,"endTime":772.5,"body":"This and more on becoming undone"},{"startTime":772.5,"endTime":775.66,"body":"I'm Toby Brooks and this has been Word to the Third."},{"startTime":775.66,"endTime":796.08,"body":"Becoming Undone is a Nitro-Hype creative production written and produced by me Toby Brooks. If you or"},{"startTime":796.08,"endTime":799.96,"body":"someone you know has a story of resilience, victory, to share for Becoming"},{"startTime":799.96,"endTime":806.16,"body":"Undone, contact me at undonepodcast.com. Follow the show on Facebook, Instagram,"},{"startTime":806.16,"endTime":811.04,"body":"and LinkedIn at Becoming Undone Pod and follow me at Toby J Brooks. Listen,"},{"startTime":811.04,"endTime":818.3,"body":"subscribe, and leave us a review at Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts."},{"startTime":818.3,"endTime":820.6,"body":"Till next time everybody, keep getting better."},{"startTime":820.6,"endTime":825.6,"body":"♪♪♪"},{"startTime":825.6,"endTime":833.88,"body":"Bye."}]}