Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
Welcome to "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr.!
In this enlightening and empowering podcast, we delve into the minds of the next generation—the brilliant and dynamic youth who hold the keys to our collective future. Join our host, Kevin Handley Sr., as he takes us on an inspiring journey through conversations with young visionaries, activists, innovators, and changemakers from around the world.
Each episode of "Out of the Mouth of Babes" brings you candid and thought-provoking interviews with these remarkable young individuals who are making a significant impact in their communities and beyond. From tackling pressing global issues to spearheading innovative projects, these youth leaders are reshaping the world as we know it.
Kevin Handley Sr., a seasoned and compassionate host, skillfully uncovers the stories behind these young achievers, delving into their motivations, challenges, and the transformative experiences that have shaped their journeys. Listeners will be inspired by the depth of insight and wisdom these young guests possess, proving that age is no barrier to effecting meaningful change.
Whether you're a parent, educator, community member, or simply passionate about youth-driven initiatives, "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" offers a unique platform to learn, engage, and celebrate the voices of the youth. Together, we can gain valuable perspectives and support the aspirations of these incredible young leaders, nurturing a brighter and more inclusive tomorrow.
Join us as we amplify the voices of the youth and discover the extraordinary potential that lies within "Out of the Mouth of Babes: Our Future Leaders" with Kevin Handley Sr. Be ready to be moved, motivated, and inspired!
Out of the Mouth of Babes "Our Future Leaders"
S1 EP9 pt2 - Ballers' Bond: Friendship Through the Game
Young basketball enthusiasts Josh Horton, a freshman, and Julian Smith, a senior with a 3.2 GPA, join us to share their incredible journey in the world of hoops. We explore their daily routines, inspirations, and the impact of role models like LeBron James and Kyrie Irving. The floor is open to a passionate debate over the greatest basketball player of all time, with Michael Jordan and LeBron James each finding their champions. Gritty players like Draymond Green and Patrick Beverly are spotlighted for their relentless spirit, illustrating what it means to have "that dog" in you. Reminiscing on past challenges, the camaraderie and enduring friendships formed through the game shine through their stories.
Nostalgia takes center stage as we recount memorable moments on the court, sibling rivalries, and influential experiences at Richmond High School. The beats of Rod Wave and Michigan's Babytron underscore the importance of music in setting the pre-game mood and fueling athletic endeavors. As the conversation shifts to future aspirations, we spotlight the importance of personal growth, team success, and thoughtful college choices. The discussion also introduces historically African-American fraternities like Omega Psi Phi as avenues for leadership development. Join us in this engaging episode, where passion and ambition meet the rhythms of basketball and life.
Welcome to Out of the Mouth of Babes, the podcast for our youth and our future leaders. Today I got two special young men in the house. I want them to first introduce themselves. First and last name grade GPA. If you got one and all of the activities that you're involved in Turning it over to you.
Speaker 2:My name is Josh Horton, I am a freshman. I currently don't have a GPA right now and I am a basketball player at Richford High School.
Speaker 3:My name is Julian Smith. I'm a senior, my current GPA is like a 3.2, and I play basketball.
Speaker 1:So both of you gentlemen have been playing basketball for a long period of time. Is that correct? Yes, Talk to us a little bit about some of the levels. So you started out in what? Elementary?
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:So talk to us a little bit about that.
Speaker 2:I've been playing up my whole life so everything's been harder for me and pushed me harder throughout the basketball aspect of life.
Speaker 3:I've been playing since I was five, so I've just been going through little leagues and stuff like that. But I say, when I hit middle school, that's when I really was like yeah, I want this.
Speaker 1:So what's a typical day like for you all training.
Speaker 2:Typical day is I wake up, get dressed, eat, go to school after school practice and then I get home, rest and recover.
Speaker 3:Yeah, that's pretty much the same. I mean, if you're lucky, you got time to squeeze in something that you like to do on the outside game, chill, just whatever. But yeah, it's, wake up, dress school Right after school, you in the gym.
Speaker 1:So what's inspired you guys to be excellent basketball players?
Speaker 2:One thing that inspired me is my older brother. Just watching him go through what he's went through it makes me want to like have the same path as him.
Speaker 3:One thing that inspired me is, I'd say, watching NBA. Just seeing LeBron James and stuff like that. It just made me like I want to do what they do. I want to be like them.
Speaker 1:So, as you mentioned LeBron James, we just had a conversation in the last session and the conversation was centered around who's the greatest basketball player of all time. Now I want to make sure we're clear who's the greatest of all time and who is your greatest?
Speaker 2:The greatest of all time is Michael Jordan hands down. My greatest of all time is probably Kyrie.
Speaker 3:Yeah, the greatest of all time is LeBron, for sure. I'm sorry, go ahead, I mean hands down. Time is.
Speaker 1:LeBron for sure. I'm sorry, go ahead.
Speaker 3:I mean hands down, it's LeBron James, and my greatest of all time is probably LeBron. I love Kyrie.
Speaker 1:Talk to us a little bit about how do you look at like, what are some of the attributes that you feel like that makes LeBron the greatest of all time?
Speaker 3:Longevity. His overall, I'd probably say. Besides Steph Curry, he's inspired the whole game of basketball. Other than that, lebron is him.
Speaker 1:I can respect that. I don't agree with it, but I can respect that. Nah, I'm just messing with you. So I'm a messing with you. I'm a Chicago Bulls fan From Northwest Indiana Michael Jordan, you know what I mean. One of the things we also talked about was this whole notion of when I was watching basketball. There were these guys that were just tough, gritty basketball players, and we talked about Dennis Rodman, charles Oakley, bill Lambert. You guys know who Bill Lambert is. Man, you better learn who Bill is. Hey, bill Lambert was that dude who you started talking about. When the Detroit Pistons had a lot of success, it was because of Bill Lambert. He would come up and elbow you in the face. He didn't care, but he was one of those guys. So are there guys now in the league that you guys know that are just those tough, gritty, get-in-your-face type guys, and who are they?
Speaker 2:Yeah, right now I just got to go with Draymond.
Speaker 3:Green. Yeah, I'll probably say Draymond Green. And yeah, right now I just I got to go with Jermon Green. Yeah, I'll probably say Jermon Green, and for sure I got to give credit to Patrick Beverly. For sure Westbrook like that too. He got that dog in him.
Speaker 1:So you guys, you just mentioned a key word that dog in him. Talk to me. What is that dog in him, what does that mean to have that dog in him?
Speaker 3:You want to take it Like to me it's like you don't care what's going on, you're going to do you. You're going to do whatever it takes to make your team win. I would say it's seeing the best player on the court or just whoever you know got that dog in them also and looking at him like I got him. He not scoring.
Speaker 1:Do y'all feel like y'all got that dog in y'all?
Speaker 3:For sure yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, you know, one of the things I appreciate about the young fella in the middle is, since he was in like the fourth grade, I would always say I'll beat you at basketball and he has never wavered and said, no, I'll beat you. So I appreciate that, even though I'll back him up all the way back to the wall or something and hit one of those spin moves on him.
Speaker 1:He's never done that he's never done. That Did you you can be a witness To. When I came down In the 8th grade and was giving y'all buckets no.
Speaker 2:I wasn't giving you buckets? Was he feeding you, josh, josh?
Speaker 1:You know, I got the video, josh, you know, I always keep a video.
Speaker 2:Nah, he had one okay. Josh, was it nasty nah, he just went down court full of J and then he got a layup.
Speaker 1:There's no way you let.
Speaker 2:Kevin, give you bucket, that's OD.
Speaker 1:I'm not gonna lie. Hey, it was even me, bro. I hit him. I hit all of them with the uh, no, he did not he ain't gonna do that to us, though he know it's good. Aw man, I've been whooping on them forever.
Speaker 2:No, no, he didn't even do it to me.
Speaker 3:I'll believe when I see it.
Speaker 2:They didn't even beat us bro.
Speaker 1:Talk a little bit about Some of the things you guys have done In the community In terms of Do you guys volunteer, do you give back?
Speaker 2:Last year we did do community service by the library. That's what I really be doing. I just do stuff with the high school.
Speaker 3:Coach Wright be having us give back. For sure we was. Just we're going to help set up at the library or across from the library. And then last year we did a few things like with the kids going to the elementary, you know, giving them like some enjoyment and stuff like that.
Speaker 1:Now, both of you guys were in middle school at one point and and I'm assuming that both of you may have had some trials and tribulations in school. How do you overcome, like some of the trials and tribulations in school? How do you overcome like some of the trials and tribulations and, more importantly, how do you teach other kids to deal with the challenges of middle school?
Speaker 2:The way I looked at it was it's just middle school. You just got to get through it. You got another year of life coming in high school. You got to focus on that. You can't just be stuck on that one thing.
Speaker 3:Yeah for sure, just know, I mean you got a whole other world out there, except what. You go wake up and go to this middle school. I mean it gets serious when you get to high school and even after high school it gets even more serious. So I would say, just don't dwell on what you're going through right now, because I mean it's going to get better for sure, just because when you leave middle school you've got a whole different. It's a whole new, fresh opportunity.
Speaker 1:Now we talked a little bit about the high school which you guys both attend. Now what do you guys think about the new high school cell phone policy?
Speaker 2:My opinion. I don't think it's going to affect anybody, because if they're on their phone and they're doing their work, what's going to make them want to do their work without their phone?
Speaker 3:Yeah I would say I mean it ain't really affecting nothing too much. I don't even really hear people talking about it and ain't nothing? Especially as I speak for me, like in my classes, I don't even really hear people talking about it, especially as I speak for me, like in my classes, I ain't seen no one who has gotten their phone taken or gotten to it with the teacher about having to get their phone taken or took.
Speaker 1:So you guys agree that we need to have a cell phone policy?
Speaker 2:I don't think it really affects. So whatever it goes, then I got to follow it. It's authority figures, so I just follow it.
Speaker 3:I would say no just because I mean we need our phones. But I mean if a teacher tell me to put my phone up, then I'm going to do it.
Speaker 1:So yeah All right, you guys are both in high school. All right, you guys are both in high school. Talk to me a little bit about your best experience on the basketball court.
Speaker 2:One of my best experiences is getting to play with the older people that I've always looked up to, knowing that I can still compete with them a little bit.
Speaker 3:One of my best experiences is, I'd probably say, actually coming to this school or Richmond High School and just meeting a whole group of people and just some brothers I'll be able to build with.
Speaker 1:Now, Josh, you mentioned your older brother. Do you feel like you can beat him on the court?
Speaker 2:Yeah, any day.
Speaker 1:Okay, yeah, I see him standing.
Speaker 2:I see he's in the booth. Stop the cap.
Speaker 1:Stop the cap. I see he stood up in the booth, so you feel like so. Have you guys ever played one-on-one?
Speaker 2:Yeah, multiple times.
Speaker 1:Who wins?
Speaker 2:I beat him on Facebook Live. He tried to fight me. One day he beat me like three times. The record's like 273. Nah, I remember the day, Like it was yesterday. He jammed my finger and then my mom put it on Facebook Live. He tried to fight me after.
Speaker 1:I was like Do you have any older brother, siblings?
Speaker 3:Yeah, I got two older brothers.
Speaker 1:Do you play them in basketball?
Speaker 3:Yeah, but they can't mess with me, they can't mess with you. As soon as I got to high school, it was over. You said it was over.
Speaker 1:Huh, yeah, you just.
Speaker 3:They just talk about how they used to beat you now huh, yeah, they think they can beat me, but nah, they can't.
Speaker 1:All right, you guys listen to. What kind of music you listen to before the game?
Speaker 2:It just depends. Sometimes I listen to Rod Wave Lil Baby.
Speaker 3:It went out.
Speaker 2:Which one?
Speaker 3:This one.
Speaker 2:I can hear you, you hear me. Yeah, all right.
Speaker 3:I mean I tried to listen, but no, I can't hear myself, no more.
Speaker 2:Okay, that's fine. No, it just came back in. All right, there you go. I listened to Rod Hold on.
Speaker 1:Let's start over.
Speaker 3:So you good, Nah, hold on. It went out again, is it on? Pull it up. Yeah, let me put this on the table. There we go. All right, man, I'm good, you good, yep.
Speaker 1:All right, talk to me a little bit about what kind of music you listen to. I can always edit this out. So, chicka, chicka, chicka Remix. So, gentlemen, talk to me about music music who you? Listening to. I listen to rod wave, little baby, if the young boy, I just got a whole mixture man, somebody told me I was listening.
Speaker 1:Somebody told me that rod wave is like listening to um dion warwick before a game, or diana rose. They said it's slow. And how can somebody? I'm just telling you what somebody said. How can you get hype listening to ron wade?
Speaker 2:just like he speaks life, like life into you.
Speaker 1:So you're like you're thinking about it but I heard people be falling asleep when he's, when he's when he's rapping not me all right, I just chill, lay back with him lay back with him right away.
Speaker 2:I just be chilling.
Speaker 1:All right, what about?
Speaker 3:you Really. Babytron, rio, juice, wrld. I got a wide range, but really, before a game it's a lot of Michigan, a lot of Detroit, flint, all that. They just got to be in so I can lock in All right.
Speaker 1:So the Babytron and the Rio. I felt like that was like the names of Voltron characters.
Speaker 3:Nah, are they rappers? Yeah, from Detroit, uh-huh. Okay, so I respect Midwest. I was Michigan.
Speaker 1:Okay, michigan. Yeah, I respect Midwest music because I'm from Gary, so I like all the Chi-Town, lil Durk and all them. Yeah, twista is one of my all-time favorites, so I got to check out. Is it Baby Tron, baby Tron and then Rio the Young OG. Rio the Young OG. You know who I'm listening to right now is Killer Mike. Y'all listen to Killer Mike, I listen to RMC Mike.
Speaker 1:Man, you got to listen to Killer Mike. How do you not? Killer Mike is by far right now the greatest. He has the best album out of the year. The other thing I'm bumping is that Mexican OT.
Speaker 2:No, I can't listen to him. My friend tried to get me to listen to him. What? No, I can't. Johnny Dang.
Speaker 1:Oh man. And then the other one. I'm looking at my phone, big X to plug Texas. Who's that?
Speaker 3:Hey man can at my phone big extra, plug, texas, who's that? Hey man, can you play that big extra?
Speaker 1:plug texas, you're gonna have to see this one. I also listened to that shaq and kobe you heard that no it's um rick ross and meek mills a new song to just drop.
Speaker 3:I ain't heard that yet.
Speaker 1:It's that big eggs. Hey, it's that big X. Alright, that's good man, I'm trying to tell you. But that Killer Mike is something fierce too, and I'm going to tell you this that Killer Mike is by far the greatest, the best album out this year, Hands down. There's not another album. I'm just going to tell you this, Michael. There's not another album out this year that's better than this Killer Mike. Killer Mike is. He was back in the day.
Speaker 3:Where are you from?
Speaker 1:Atlanta he was around with Goody Mob all of them back in the day Hit that down by law by Killer Mike. It is conscious rap. That's why I like it. Now sometimes I like Ignaz stuff too, so I'll pop that, like I said that Texas or that you know riding them swangers and all that, but I love stuff they got. They put something in your head.
Speaker 3:So you like J Cole.
Speaker 1:I like J Cole absolutely.
Speaker 3:You heard him on that For All the Dogs.
Speaker 1:Stay inspired. Listen to this right here. I owe it to myself. Stay down on it, and it ain't been hard throughout the journey. It's been a journey. Just listen to the lyrics when they come in hey man, y'all get a sippin' yellow, my nigga. You itchin' and twitchin' and glitzin' my nigga. Hey man, hey just y'all get a chance, y'all check it out. Come back and tell me what you think. Talk to me a little bit about anything you guys want to talk about. Is there anything you want to leave with the listening audience?
Speaker 3:Nah not really. Nah, I got a question. How you, kyrie?
Speaker 1:Yeah. So you know what? To be honest man, I'm not a big basketball, I don't really follow basketball like that, but I do respect his game and I do respect him. So I'm hoping he does well, but I'm not a big fan of him, I don't really. I like Durant, I like my man from the Bucks, the big boy Giannis, and I think with Damian lillard, boy that's they gonna um, they're gonna um, do some things.
Speaker 2:I don't like that, that's like that. You got no bag. You know what? He got no bag what's that mean? Like all he does is one thing. Like he can't say no moves like all he does is one move and get to the basket and try to finish over everybody so how many points does he average a game? Still, that don't mean you got a bag. Kd got a bag.
Speaker 1:KD does he?
Speaker 2:can score from all three levels. Giannis isn't a three-level scorer.
Speaker 1:But he still how much he averages a game.
Speaker 2:He's still, but I don't rock with Giannis. If he gets a shot, he might be nice. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.
Speaker 1:That's kind of how I feel.
Speaker 2:Nah his shot is.
Speaker 1:I'm telling you like my shot is off the chain. No, it's not. No, it's not.
Speaker 3:No, it's not.
Speaker 1:Hey but for real while I got y'all here. You know that we got the Impact Youth Center over on South 5th Street. I just got basketball courts put up in there. If y'all looking for a place to just go get free throws up or around the rim stuff, no dunking, I can't have y'all tearing stuff out of my ceiling Set and rider.
Speaker 1:I know. That's why I looked at them. No dunking, because it'll come right out the ceiling. We got three goals in there. South 5th Street. It's a place for kids to go. We have poetry in there. We got chess club coming in there, but it's just a place for kids. Guys are coming, guys and girls are coming to relax and hang out, so we'll be there on Tuesday and Thursday. There are five wrestlers in there, so if you want to come check it out, just roll up in there and check it out, but it's open to y'all.
Speaker 2:So this season, talk to me a little bit about what you expect for yourself. I just expect playing JV. Maybe get a little bit of varsity time this year just to get a feel for high school basketball.
Speaker 1:So they don't have ninth grade teams.
Speaker 2:They do.
Speaker 1:Okay, so you done already, like you just said. Hey, I'm with you, I'm with you.
Speaker 3:I love the confidence I expect to come in and really surprise people on what I can do, because due to things that happened last year, I wasn't able to do that. So I definitely think I got something to prove, not only to myself but to the people that come out and watch and overall for the team. I expect we're going to be coming for sure. It's not that.
Speaker 1:Man, I am excited about both teams the girls and the guys' basketball teams. We should have some success. I want you guys, as you're a senior this year, right as you continue to keep looking at colleges and universities that you're going to attend please find some places that will meet your needs overall. You know what I mean, not just the fact that some place to go play ball. I'm going to advise you to apply to as many schools as possible. You know, as you guys know, my son's a senior. We've applied to 15 schools already and we're going to keep applying, because the goal is people. You need to put yourself in a position where you choose them and not just they choose you.
Speaker 1:Now also, I'm just going to do a little shameless plug If you guys should be knowledgeable about fraternities. You know, I'm not sure if you guys know, but there's a group, divine Nine historically African-American fraternities. As you can tell, I am a member of one, omega Psi Phi Fraternity Incorporated. Some of the great people that are members, I'm sure you've seen Big Shaq Diesel out there Throwing up the hook. Michael Jordan's a member. So those are some. Steve Harvey, there's a lot of great men out there. So as you look around, you're talking about having the dog in them. We keep the dog in us. Hey, this is Out of the Mouth of Babes. Podcast for our youth, for our future leaders Signing out.