BeTempered Episode 108 - From Small Town Star to Division I Reality with Mason Shrout

At five years old, Mason Shrout made a decision that most kids only dream about.

He was going to play Division I basketball.

What followed was years of sacrifice, long drives, early mornings, pressure, criticism, and expectations that most people never see. Mason grew from a kid in rural Ohio into Preble County's all-time leading scorer, a historic Final Four participant, and eventually a Division I athlete at Purdue Fort Wayne. But the road was anything but easy.

In this episode, Mason shares what it was like growing up with strict parents who pushed him to be his best, the AAU experiences that humbled him early, and the criticism he faced after making the decision to reclassify. He explains how he learned to block out negativity, trust the people closest to him, and use doubt as motivation instead of allowing it to become a limitation.

Mason also takes us behind the curtain of the recruiting process, the pressure of being one of the most talked-about athletes in the area, and why he chose loyalty to his community over opportunities that could have taken him elsewhere. He reflects on the unforgettable Final Four run at UD Arena and the lessons learned from carrying expectations on and off the court.

Hosts Dan Schmidt and Ben Spahr then dive into the realities of college athletics, including balancing a demanding Mechanical Engineering degree with Division I basketball, redshirting, fighting through disappointment, and learning how comparison can rob athletes of joy and purpose. Mason also discusses his faith journey, baptism, and how staying grounded in something bigger than basketball has helped him navigate success, setbacks, temptations, and pressure.

This episode is about much more than sports. It's about identity, resilience, humility, discipline, and what happens when the dream you've chased your entire life finally becomes reality.

Listen now:
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Support the show:
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Transcript

Sponsor Message And Patreon Invite

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I want to share something that's become a big part of the Be Tempered mission. Patreon. Now, if you've never used it before, Patreon is a platform where we can build community together. It's not just about supporting the podcast, it's about having a space where we can connect on a deeper level, encourage one another, and walk this journey of faith, resilience, and perseverance side by side. Here's how it works. You can join as a free member and get access to daily posts, behind the scenes updates, encouragement, and some things I don't always put out on other platforms. And if you feel called to support the mission financially, there are different levels where you can do that too. That support helps us keep producing the podcasts, creating gear, hosting events, and sharing stories that we believe can truly impact lives. And here's the cool part Patreon has a free app you can download right on your phone. It works just like Facebook or Instagram, but it's built specifically for our community. You'll be able to scroll through posts, watch videos, listen to content, and interact with others who are on the same journey. At the end of the day, this isn't just about content, it's about connection. It's about building something together. Not just me and Ben putting out episodes, but a family of people committed to growing stronger through real stories and real faith. So whether you just want to hop on as a free member or you feel called to support in a bigger way, Patreon is the door into that community. Because at the heart of Be Tempered has always been simple real stories, raw truth, resilient faith, so that even one person out there that hears what they need to hear, and Patreon helps make that possible.

SPEAKER_04 2:09

Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, where we explore the art of finding balance in a chaotic world.

SPEAKER_06 2:14

Join us as we delve into insightful conversations, practical tips, and inspiring stories to help you navigate life's ups and downs with grace and resilience.

SPEAKER_04 2:22

We're your host, Dan Schmidt, and Ben Sparr. Let's embark on a journey to live our best lives.

SPEAKER_06 2:28

This is Be Tempered.

Why Mason’s Story Matters

SPEAKER_04 2:30

What's up, everybody? Welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast, episode number 108-108. Hey, today on the podcast, we sit down with Mason Shroud, the all-time leading scorer in Preble County history, and a young man now entering his second season playing Division I basketball at Purdue Fort Wayne. But this conversation is about much more than points and trophies. We talk about the pressure that comes with being the guy in a small town, the discipline and the sacrifice required to chase big goals and the transition from being a hometown star to stepping into college locker room where everybody was the best player from somewhere else. We also dive into Mason's recent baptism, his growing faith, the temptations young athletes face, and what it truly means to stay grounded while pursuing greatness. This is a conversation about identity, pressure, purpose, faith, and learning who you are when the expectations get heavy. Mason Strout, welcome to the Be Tempered Podcast. I appreciate you guys having me. Yeah, man. We're excited you're here. You made the trek all from all the way from Fort Wayne. Yeah. Via Camden, Ohio, right? That area. And uh, you know, we we uh I know you've been talking to Ben uh over the past month or so at Edge working out, and and uh we made the connection and and were able to get this this scheduled before you take off to the terrible place of Punta Cana on vacation. And uh so no, we're we're excited that you're here. We're excited to uh, you know, I think you're our second youngest person that we've interviewed, which is uh exciting uh to learn um, you know, what life is like for a young man like yourself, you know, in the middle of college. I take myself back to those college days and um life was a lot different for me than I'm sure it is for you because I didn't have social media, we didn't have cell phones, we didn't have all those things. Um, so it's a it's a whole different ballgame now for you. So thank you again for for being up here.

SPEAKER_01 4:49

Well, I appreciate you guys having me.

SPEAKER_04 4:51

Yeah, so we like to start every podcast from the

The Five-Year-Old D1 Promise

SPEAKER_04 4:55

beginning. So if you would talk about what life was like for you growing up as a kid. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 5:02

So um a lot of people that know me know my parents are were very strict growing up. Um, they always, I mean, had had goals set in mind for us, knew the goals we had set in mind for ourselves, and um held us accountable from really, really early. Um, so starting at the beginning, um, when I first realized I wanted to play Division I basketball, I I kid you guys not, I was sitting in my grandparents' living room. I was five, and we are um my whole family was huge Kentucky Wildcat fans. I mean, my grandpa never missed a game, never had a he could talk for hours about Kentucky basketball. Um, so we're sitting there and we're watching the uh UK game, and we're all just sitting in the living room, and I remember I look back at my parents and I was like, I want to play Division I basketball. And you know, my parents are always like, I mean, you know, as parents, your your five-year-old turns around and tells you they want to be a fireman or an astronaut or something, and you're kind of like, oh, whatever. Like, yeah, right. Um, but I mean, I did, and then from from that point on, I mean, anybody who's around me knew I always had a basketball in my hand. They knew what I wanted to do. I wasn't really interested in any other sports. Um, and I think my parents kind of realized quickly how serious I was about that at the age of five, moving on to six and whatever. And I mean, I always tell that story because it's like a big point in my life where I was kind of like, that's what I want to do. And after that, I never kind of never really looked back. Like that was kind of my decision right away, and they kind of just went with it and they did everything possible they could to make that five-year-old dream come true.

SPEAKER_04 6:43

Did your your parents, did they play sports, your grandfather? I mean, was there a draw there from them?

SPEAKER_01 6:49

Yeah, so um, so my mom and dad both played basketball. They both quit their senior year. So it was kind of a joke I had with them going into my senior year. I was like, what if I quit? But uh, so they both stopped playing basketball. My mom played volleyball, my dad played football and baseball. Um, my grandpa played, my dad's dad played basketball at Middletown. He was um two time state championship champion, uh, Middletown middies. Um, and then his cousin was Jerry Lucas. Uh-huh. Um, I don't know if you guys know who that is, but he played in Middletown as well. And he's the only player in history to ever win a high school championship, college championship, NBA championship, and a U.S. gold medal. Um so I don't know if that still is the fact today, but but at the time it was. Um and so my mom's dad also played basketball. Uh we were just a big basketball family. My my mom's sister, uh, she played Division I basketball at Eastern Kentucky. Um so we were just a big basketball family, loved basketball. We'd sit around and watch basketball all day as a family, and that's kind of where the love of the game kind of centered from.

SPEAKER_04 7:56

So talk about where home is as a kid, where you where you live in, what town, what area.

SPEAKER_01 8:00

Uh so I live right outside of Gratis. Um, we live on a got 22 acres out there, uh, a lot of hunting land, um, a lot of creeks that run through it. Uh we got a big old barn, big old half half court basketball hoop. And um, yeah, that was about it. We live right outside of Gratus, about eight minutes from Eden, eight minutes from Camden, and five minutes from Gratis.

SPEAKER_04 8:22

Small town USA, very rural. So you're five, you're six years old, you make that statement, and and um, you know, you can remember that, which is which is hard to believe. Five and six years old. I don't remember you know, being that young, but obviously that was uh a big, a big time in your life that you remembered. So talk about talk about school at that age and and then what life looks like as as you start to, you know, recognize maybe you have a little bit of of talent in the game. You obviously have the love for it, but talk about school and talk about that progression as a kid.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

Yeah. Um, so one thing I struggled with when I was younger was um finding the difference between confidence and cocky when I was in first, second, and third grade. I was a little bit taller than everybody, and I was a little bit ahead of everybody and when it came to basketball. And um I think I leaned a little bit more on the cocky side. And my parents were kind of like, we gotta get a hold of this early, can't let it continue. Um and so growing up, that was a big, big issue for me in those in those grade school years. Um, and and my parents, I mean, they shut it down real quick. They they let me know that they weren't gonna let let me act like that and stuff like that. So um, but growing up, like you said, with uh with through those um years, once I decided that I wanted to do that, uh, I didn't start playing AAU until I was in fourth or fifth grade. Um, I started playing at the Y in Eaton when I was five years old. After I said that statement, they were like, We need to get him in basketball. Um, and like I said, growing up, I was always the tallest person. I was always, yeah. So it was like basketball kind of fit for me. Um and um what was the second half of the question? Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:09

Well, talk about school a little bit. How how were you as a student at a young age? Were you a good student? I mean, obviously we know basketball was a passion, but how was school for you?

SPEAKER_01 10:16

Uh school, I mean, I've I've never had an issue with being a good student. Um, I think at those ages I was really hyper. I had an issue with staying in my seat, not talking while teachers talking. Um, but I've just always been a charismatic person. I just like to meet meet new people, make new friends, um, talk. And that got me in trouble when I was younger. Um, I always had good grades. I always brought home good grades, but um my report card always had a need to stop talking next to it. I think every boy at that age has that.

SPEAKER_06 10:48

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 10:50

That's good. And then at home, you know, you're living living on a small farm. What what'd you do for fun at home?

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Play basketball. Did you?

SPEAKER_04 10:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Basketball was life. Yeah. I mean, um, my uh so I used to ride the bus sometimes. I would um go to a daycare in gratis, and then I would ride the bus to school and then back there, my mom would pick me up um before she started working at home. And I would wake up in the morning and my mom always had a little checklist we had to complete before we could watch TV or anything like that, like brush our teeth and eat and stuff like that. And I'd get done with that. My brother would go in and watch TV and I'd go pick out which basketball I was taking to school that day. And then I would dribble it on the on the pavement outside, and then I would dribble it once we got to the daycare, and then I'd dribble it onto the bus, and then I'd get off the bus and dribble it, and I'd get yelled at in school for dribbling in the hallway. Um, I just always had a basketball on my hand. Um, and the bus driver, every time she sees me, she's like, This is the first time I've ever seen you without a basketball on your hand. It's always a joke she says. But um, yeah, so I mean, it was I just always had a basketball in my hand. Just had that love. Yeah, I did.

SPEAKER_04 11:56

And and I am I'm sure as you continued to grow, um, not only physically, but you know, if you got a ball in your hand at all times, you're you're getting better, right? So you continually to improve and you you start AAU. So talk about talk about when um maybe you met that first competition that you were like, oh, okay, this isn't just playing at the Y.

AAU Humility And Real Competition

SPEAKER_01 12:21

Yeah. Um, so like I said, I started AAU when I was in either fourth or fifth grade. And um, I played in the Metro program when I was second grade, I played up with third grade. Um and, you know, even then I I excelled. Um, but I think it was the first time that I kind of met that competition was when I started AAU. It was like these guys are just as developed as me, if not stronger, more physical, more athletic. Um and I mean, I tell everybody that sports is a lot different outside of Purple County. Um, once you get outside of Purple County, there's there's some guys out there, you know? And so I think it was about that time I started AAU when it was when I was kind of like, all right, like maybe I need to do more than just have a basketball in my hand 24-7. Maybe I need to work on this and work on that. And and that's what I kind of mean when my parents were holding me accountable, was it wasn't just in the classroom and stuff like that. Like they would make sure I was practicing this, make sure I was practicing that. And then if I wasn't, I had to listen to them. And it got to a point where I was just kind of like, all right, I'm just gonna do it. So they don't have to tell me to do it, and I don't have to listen to them do it, telling me to do it. Um, so I would say it was kind of around that time when I was kind of like, all right, I love this sport, this is what I want to do, and maybe I gotta do more than just what I'm doing to kind of get to that level.

SPEAKER_04 13:42

And you made the comment earlier that on on um your homestead there, that there's a barn with a half court gym in it.

SPEAKER_01 13:49

Yeah. That was that always there? Yeah. So um growing up, we just had one of like the basketball hoops that you could roll around, move around and stuff. And then when I was probably in seventh or eighth grade, I think my dad got one of the ones that goes into the ground. Um something. Yeah. So I always had always had a basketball hoop in that in the barn. The barn, I forget how tall it is, but I mean, it was you could comfortably play basketball in there, half court, and just have to get all the the tractor and the boat and all that stuff out of there. So I could actually not worry about it because at one point I was just like, I'm not gonna make, I'm not gonna wait on him to take it out. I'm just gonna start shooting it. And then I'd hit the boat or something, and then I'd have to listen to him about that and stuff. And so I was just like, I'll just wait for him to get it out of there. But uh yeah, so I was just, I mean, I'd come home from school and I'd eat a snack and I'd go out there, and then if my parents needed help with anything, they'd tell me. If not, I'd just play basketball all night. They knew where to find you. Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 14:48

Yeah, yeah. So you're playing AU, you're going through school, schools progressing. Talk about, you know, maybe the middle school years before you get into high school. What's life like for you there?

SPEAKER_01 14:58

Yeah. Um, so like I said when I talked about uh being in school, not being able to sit in a seat, talking and stuff. I was very, very immature for my grade, um, for my age. Um and that was kind of when my parents made the decision to uh to reclass me. Um and and a lot of it, I mean, obviously in the back of our mind, it was like, oh, this is gonna help mountain basketball. But majority of it was I was just there was no way they could send me to high school or middle school, the way I was, I mean, acting. I was so immature and and all that stuff. Um so I reclassed and I did a year at South. I redid the sixth grade, and then I came back to Shawnee for seventh and eighth grade. And and that kind of gave me on the sports side of it, that kind of propelled me even more. Like I was even more confident. I was and and I think the kind of the kind of way the way it would have worked out was I would have been my birthday's in May, so I would have been turning 17, turning 18, going into my freshman year of college. This time I was 18, turning 19. So part of that was also a big help. It helped me with maturity, physicality, stuff like that. Um, but middle school was a blast. I mean, my I had a great, great set of teammates those years, and um I mean, I met some of my best friends throughout those years, and uh, we won a seventh grade championship, league championship, tournament, eighth grade league, and we got beat in the tournament championship. Who gotcha? Monroe. Monroe. I fouled a guy on a on a rebound with 0.3 seconds left, and they were in the bonus, and he banked in the second free throw. Banked in the second free throw.

SPEAKER_04 16:40

Nice. Yeah. When you when you made that transition stay, you know, go over to South, was that hard for you mentally?

Reclassing School And Taking Heat

SPEAKER_04 16:48

That was probably the hardest year of my school years.

SPEAKER_01 16:52

Um it was just you know, I mean, everybody over there knew that I had done it. Um, I caught a lot of grief for it. A lot of people just said it was for I wasn't good enough in basketball, that I had to do it to excel in basketball. Um, and I just caught a lot, a lot of grief because like I said, I was a good student. So I had everything I learned sixth grade at Shawnee memorized. So by the time I got to South, I knew everything. Um, and that was kind of the biggest thing was I just caught a lot of grief from not just students, from teachers, from parents. Um, and and that's something I dealt with all the way out throughout high school was just people. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 17:33

And to put that in perspective, that's 11, 12-year-old catching grief. Yeah. You know, like that's insane. Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 17:39

So how do you get through that? What I mean, uh especially as a kid full of energy, and all you want to do, you know, you're you're a high achiever to be where you're at right now. So you always are, you know, wanting more, wanting better, you know, and and uh, you know, very active in what you're doing. So how do you deal with that when because there's kids out there like now who might be dealing with the same thing. So what advice would you have for them to say, hey, here, here's what I did or here's how I got through it? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 18:04

Um, I would say the biggest thing that helped me was just being open and honest with my parents about it. Um, you know, a lot of kids just want to come home and and not really communicate with their parents about what's going on at school and what what they're going through and stuff. Um, and I mean, my parents, I've God bless me, were the two best parents I possibly could have had in my situation. Um, I mean, they always had my back, they always helped me through whatever was going on. Um, so just sitting down and having conversations with them about it um really helped me out. And and I wasn't a sit on the couch kind of kid growing up. I was uh I want to get out and do something. So if I was upset about something, I'd pick up a basketball and just go play basketball in the barn, or I would go run around with my brother and play football in the backyard or go hiking through the woods and stuff like that. So there was a lot of things I did that um at that age that kind of helped me get through those sort of things. Um, but I would say the biggest thing was probably my parents and sitting down with them and having conversations and just being open and honest with them.

SPEAKER_04 19:05

And that's great advice. I I hope, I hope all the kids out there, no matter you know what stresses or struggles you're going through in life or in school or with friendships or whatever, you know, it's okay to have those conversations with your parents because, you know, as adults, we've been through a lot of similar situations and and uh, you know, every parent wants to help, right? You know, you don't want your kid, you don't want your kid to struggle. Um, so that's that's great. Um, all right. So you're you're back at Preble Shawnee, you're in middle school, you're getting ready to transition into high school.

SPEAKER_01 19:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 19:38

Talk about that transition.

SPEAKER_01 19:39

So that was when a whole nother uh level of um just grief started. Uh is he gonna be able to play high school basketball? Is he gonna be able to excel how he did in in junior high at the at the varsity level? Um and I think people once the season started found out real quick that I was gonna have no issue. And that was probably my biggest motivation going into my freshman year was all these people are wondering am I gonna be able to compete at that level? Am I gonna be able to hold my own? And and I worked my butt off. Um, I would say through seventh and eighth grade was kind of when I first started transitioning my jump shot from shooting down here to up here. Um, and that's a big jump, especially for seventh and eighth grader, because you don't got the strength to shoot from up here. And I mean, I spent countless hours every day in the gym with my dad. We would go down to Camden and we would just shoot and shoot. And he wouldn't let me shoot anywhere outside of the paint doing it at first because he was like, you just got to get the muscle memory down before you can do that. Um, and I would say that was probably the biggest transition I made in my game to be able to carry over to to varsity was because I mean you're playing against older guys, stronger guys, and um taller and stuff like that. So you got to be able to shoot over top of them and and stuff like that. So um I would say, I mean, that was my biggest thing was like, uh is he gonna be able to is he gonna be able to play? And um, I think my first game I played at Oakwood, um, and this was COVID. It was freshman year, it was COVID, everybody was shut down. We played at Oakwood in the pit that they got.

SPEAKER_06 21:15

And that's a that's a hard court to shoot in because the depth perception and the crowd on top of you.

SPEAKER_01 21:21

No. So we we played in Oakwood first game. Um, and we went out there, there was no fans. We weren't allowed to have any fans. It was just us and the cheerleaders. Okay, so we're we're in there, whatever. And I think I had I think I had 19 points that game, scored my first varsity points and um and stuff like that. But still at that point, you're just kind of like there's no fans in there. It kind of felt weird. It wasn't really basketball. Um, and then we went to Waynesville. We started off back to back away games my freshman year. We went to Waynesville and we were allowed to have three tickets per person. And um, I think that game I had 34 points, and I think that's when people were kind of like, all right, he's gonna be all right, he's gonna be Able to do it.

SPEAKER_04 22:01

Talk about using that, you know, as an athlete, especially with where you were at and and the success you had in middle school going into high school and all the talk. Because I remember it, I was I was coaching uh Metro with my youngest son, uh, who's now a sophomore. And I remember I think you were in eighth grade then, because I remember we would play Prebel Shawnee and you would be a ref or um Cooper. Talk about no bias. But you know, I I think it's important for people to understand, you know, when you are a high achiever, when you when you've tasted success and you want to continue to to reach higher, and you've still got that five-year-old dream of wanting to play Division I college basketball. Here's your transition into high school basketball, small town USA, everybody talks, everybody knows your business. Um, whether it's people in your community or people outside of your community, you hear that.

SPEAKER_01 23:02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 23:03

Especially with social media. So, how do you, as a young man, transitioning into a young man at that time of your life, how do you use that as motivation and not use it, you know, some people use it to get better. Other people use it and go down. You know, they let it consume them. So, how do you not let it consume you in a negative way?

SPEAKER_01 23:27

Yeah. Um, I think that's just the competitive side of me. Um, I mean, growing up, I was competitive in everything. Like um, when I was younger, it was who could do the times tables faster, me or my brother. And then it was when we got into middle school, who could get to the front seat of the car faster, who could call shotgun faster? Um, and just my whole life, I've been a competitor. I've been competitive in everything I've done. Um, so I'd feel like that that kind of played a big role in in taking those negative comments that I got and those um doubts in my in me from other people. Um, and I kind of turned those into fuel and used them as like, you know, and I'm not gonna let them dictate who I am. I'm not gonna let people tell me what I'm gonna be or if I'm gonna be able to do something. I'm just gonna do it, and I'm gonna prove them wrong and I'm gonna shut them up. It's kind of my mindset. And sorry, that was kind of what my uh my parents always said too. It's like you can either use it and you can let it tear you down, or you can let it build you up and you can use it as motivation and achieve what they say you can't do.

SPEAKER_04 24:33

You mentioned a word there that we talk about a lot, which is doubt. Was there ever doubt in your mind as a young kid?

SPEAKER_01 24:42

Yes.

Freshman Year Pressure During COVID

SPEAKER_01 24:43

Um I would say there was a little bit of doubt in my mind going into that freshman year. I was kind of like, you know, it is a lot of older kids, a lot of stronger kids. I mean, they're 18, 19 year olds, and I'm 15, and it's kind of like, am I gonna be able to do this? Um and then once I had those first couple games, I was like, you know what, this is this isn't as bad as I thought it was gonna be. You know, I kind of kind of got hyped up a little bit more than it was. And um, and then I would say another time that I faced doubt was sophomore year going into sophomore year. No, I'm sorry, sophomore year going into junior year. Um, June 15th, that's when the uh recruiting window opens for high school athletes. That's when colleges can start recruiting or whatever. And um before that, you can get offers, but schools have to go kind of through your parents or through your coaches. They're not allowed to direct directly contact you. And um, and I'm playing on a Nike circuit team, and all my teammates are like most of my teammates are already getting offers. Like these schools are contacting them through their coaches and stuff. And at that point, I was kind of like, man, what like what am I doing wrong? You know, I'm I'm working my butt off, I'm practicing every day, I'm playing hard, I'm scoring points on the circuit. I'm you know, I'm doing everything right, but it's like, what am I doing wrong? You know? Um, and and that was kind of a big moment of doubt. I spent a lot of time with my mom and in in prayer and in conversation with her. Um, because at that point, you know, you just want that first offer. Like you just, you want it. You you need to get it so you can just the weight of your shoulders can just go off. And um, and we spent, I mean, we spent night after night after night just praying about it, talking about it. You know, every path is different, every, every situation's different, everybody's road to to what they want to achieve is different. And um, and and I would say that was the other time that doubt really, really crept into my mind and kind of took over a little bit.

SPEAKER_04 26:43

But you mentioned a couple key things there, prayer, you know, and and you know, your your sounds like your mom and your dad, you know, continued to encourage and to push you and to say, hey, look, this is not your path. Like your path is not gonna get this scholarship offer as soon as that window opens up. It'll come at some point. You just gotta keep your head down, keep working, keep doing, keep doing the right thing. That's impressive. Talk about going into your senior year of high school, what what life was like for you, not only in basketball, but school. Uh, you had made the comment we talked on the phone last week. You'd made the comment, and I don't know what at what point in your life this was in school, that there were other schools calling. Yeah. And not colleges, but high schools. Yeah. Talk about that and maybe like that first call that came in and and why you decided not to leave your hometown to go play for somebody else through high school.

SPEAKER_01 27:44

Yeah. Um, so that that that really started going out of my sophomore year. I finished it up my sophomore year. I had a really good um sophomore year. I think I averaged uh 22 and 12 that year in my sophomore year. Um, and you know, I still hadn't been getting any offers and stuff. And um, and I had a couple prep schools reach out to me, wanting me to uh to come and play for them. Um there was a couple, there's one in Arizona, uh, one in Kentucky. And, you know, at that moment, you're just kind of like, wow, like the school in Arizona wants me to come play for them. Like that would be sick. That'd be a cool opportunity. But then you got to kind of take a step back as a 16-year-old kid and be like, hold on, it's in Arizona. That's hours away.

SPEAKER_04 28:29

That's not gratis, Ohio.

SPEAKER_01 28:31

No, exactly. Um, so it took a lot of, like I said, a lot of conversation, a lot of prayer. Um, but I I think that that was a lot of a way more simpler, simpler decision than I made it. Um, I think I spent a lot more time thinking about that than I ever should have, stressing myself out about it than I should have. Because like where I am now looking back, I wouldn't, I wouldn't trade thing. Um, you know, I had a I had a phenomenal four years of high school. Um, spent it with some of my best friends. Uh I made some of the best memories I'll ever make in my life. Um and you know, school, school was was challenging. Um, like I said, a lot of there was a lot of negativity. Um, right, even before I had started getting offers, like people were like, oh, he's you know, he's just good for Prabhasani. Like he's not a division one basketball player, blah, blah, blah, whatever. Um, but once once those offers kind of started rolling in, kind of the negativity started to go out the window. Like I didn't hear it as much from junior, senior year. Um, and at that point, when I had started getting offers, I was kind of like, I can just play basketball now. Yeah, like I can just go back to being a fifth grader, sixth grader, and just love the game and play it for fun and not really have to worry about the future. Um, I would say during basketball games was about the only time I didn't worry about the future in that moment because then I had to pick a school.

SPEAKER_05 29:59

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 30:00

Um and so I I would just say that those those years were, I mean, those were some of the best of my life so far. Um and I wouldn't trade it.

SPEAKER_04 30:13

So you you decide, and hey, I'm staying here, you know, it it would have been a lot on your family too. I mean, I'm sure, I'm sure there were many conversations there. But I think what's cool, especially this day and age with transfer portals in college and NIL and and everybody jumping ship, which is so hard for me to even wrap my mind around. Um, because, you know, I went to the University of Dayton, I was there for four years. I paid my dues. You know, we kind of talked about it a little bit. Freshman year was was was tough. Sophomore year was the hardest year I had had. And then junior year I started and and played. And the brotherhood that I built was amazing with for those four years. And now guys are jumping ship. And I understand it. Like I, I, if if there's money out there to be made, I I understand it. I just I think what it's leading us, the road that it's leading us down uh for young people is when you get out into the real world, and if you jump ship a couple of times, as soon as things get hard, are you gonna jump ship again? And I think it's impressive for you as a young man, where you were at at that stage of your life, in small town USA, and I mean small town USA, Camden, Ohio, Gratus, Ohio. It doesn't get much smaller than that. Small communities, everybody knows everything about everyone. There's good and bad to both of that. And you make the decision. I'm staying here. This is my community, these are my people. I've grown up with all these kids, and and um, you know, I'm loyal to this community and I'm gonna make the best of it. I that's impressive. It's very impressive for a young man as talented as you are, and as you were going up, you know, through those those grades. So talk about your senior year. Okay, talk about what senior year was like for you in high school.

Recruiting Doubt And Staying Home

SPEAKER_01 32:06

So summer leading up to senior year. Um, I had already committed. Um, I committed to PFW. Um, and my dad just wanted, we were just like, let's just get this out of the way.

SPEAKER_04 32:16

You know, how did that feel when you committed?

SPEAKER_01 32:19

Phenomenal. Um, I mean, it was just like I was happy. I mean, the the the dream that I had when I was a five-year-old, I I did it. Um and it was a big weight lifted because you know the I will say that the recruiting process is one of the most stressful situations ever. Um, because you're just call after call after call, zoom call after zoom call, um, text after text, and just trying to keep up with all of it and and and separate the different parts of the conversation you're having, you know, the real from the what are they, you know, kind of shining and and and kind of just throwing at you to make you think like, hey, this is this is real, you know. But um it was a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Um and I I remember having my signing day. Uh we'd I had already signed, but we did it at the Aero Madness event that we had um that Coach Turner had started. Um we'd have the second grade all the way up through varsity would play for 20 minutes in front of the whole town or whatever, and whoever came. And and I had my signing day after that, and I mean it was like the whole community was there, and it was awesome. What'd that mean to you? It meant the world. I mean, it it it just kind of gave me the feeling that, you know, I made the right decision when all those schools were calling. Um, those prep schools were calling, you know, and and going back to that a little bit, it was kind of like I had goals that I wanted to set for myself. Obviously, the top of that list was play Division I basketball. And it probably would have been a little bit easier had I went to one of those prep schools, you know, playing on that national stage and stuff like that. But, you know, I kind of just my dad was kind of like, you know, think about the example you want to set. Think about the kind of person you want to be, the kind of goals you have. And and a lot of those goals centered around, I want to do this at Prabhasani. I want to do this to show this little kid that it's possible to do it at Prabhupashani. Um, and that was a big part of that commitment was, you know, I spent a lot of time in my speech talking about, you know, thanking God, obviously, and just thanking the community because, you know, they had a big part of it. Um, I mean, we sold that gym out countless times. We packed UD Arena countless times, Kettering Fairmont packed that out. Um, and there's a lot of people in that community that can say that they never missed a game that I played in in high school. And and it meant the world to me, you know. And and after my signing, um, I was kind of like, you know what, it's my senior year. I'm just gonna go out and play and have fun and enjoy the year. And then when the year's over with, I'll start focusing on college ball and stuff like that. And, you know, that was probably the the greatest year of my high school, you know. We um obviously we had um, I forget our exact record, but I think we only lost four or five games that year. Um, and I think we had the I think that was the most wins in a single season in Shawnee rec in Shawnee history. Um obviously we made it to the first final four in Shawnee history, and that's a different conversation of itself. I mean, the way that it wasn't even just the Shawnee community, no, it was Eaton, it was south, it was north, it was trail, it was all Purple County, and then it was I was there. All the WOAC. Yeah, and I mean it was all the WoW schools that's you know supporting us, and and you know, it was it was a surreal feeling driving through Eaton to go up and get some food and just seeing outside of Skyline, outside of McDonald's, outside of all these places having signs out for for us and and supporting us and stuff. And um I mean, it was just the way that the community came together that that week for us was was something yeah, very special. I never yeah, never could have dreamed of it. Yeah. Um and you know, just going into that senior year again, it was just like, let's just have fun, let's just see what we can do. You know, we got a really talented group of guys. Uh, we had a lot of um a lot of guys that had a lot of varsity experience from the year before. Uh we had lost one starter from my junior year, and we were like, let's just go out and see what we can do. And and we started off, I think we started off on a 14-0 run. Um leading into I think it was the 13th game that year. I had rolled my ankle on a Thursday, and we had a game on Friday, and then we had a game on Saturday, and we played north on Friday, and um, I couldn't put pressure on my ankle waking up Friday morning, and I was kind of like, uh, you know, I don't, I don't know. I had never missed a game in high school. I had played every single game in high school leading up to that. Never missed one, never sat out for injury or anything like that. Um, and and that that really took a toll on my mental health that whole day. And I was kind of like, you know, I haven't missed a game. I don't want to miss a game. I can't I can't walk on my ankle. Right. Um and but then, you know, like having a conversation with my parents and stuff about it, and they were like, this is a big, a big learning point for you, you know. Um, you're the leader of this team, and and you got to kind of understand that at some point you just gotta take a step back and trust your teammates and and just have have trust that they're gonna go out there and do what they do and then be able to pull that game out. And I think they won by 36. Um I mean, it was awesome. And next day we played Madison. Um, and I woke up, we went through walk through or whatever, and I I had a little bit more movement or whatever, and still couldn't put a whole lot of pressure on it, couldn't do a whole lot of layups and stuff. And um, so I left walkthrough and they were like, he's not playing, told everybody he's not playing, and Madison was good that year. They were really good. They just beat Valley View the night before by uh I think it was 10 or 12, I think. Um, and Valley View was really good that year too. And uh they just beat Valley View by 10 or 12, and and I was like, man, I I gotta play in this game. Like I just, you know, I just I I gotta be, I gotta be out there. And um, so I I spent, I think, I spent from after walk through, finished around 10:30 or 11. I spent from 11 till 3 in the training room, just doing everything I possibly could. Um, and and nothing was working at all. And so finally we were doing uh, she was the trainer had my ankle up in the air like this, and I was laying on my stomach, and she was just pushing like all the swelling down into my calf. And she did something and it hurt, so I flexed my foot, and all you hear is just this. And I was like, Oh no, did my foot just break? What just happened? Um, and after that, it was just like no pain. Like, I was fine. Wow, and she didn't believe me. She was like, Ah, you're lying, you just want to play. I'm like, no, seriously, I can I can move, I can walk, whatever. And um, so we went down to the junior high gym and she was like, I'm gonna put you through a couple drills, whatever, see if you can actually do anything. And I went through everything perfectly fine. Um, I mean, it was the craziest thing ever. And so week before that, uh, we had so we had three three stretches of um away games, and I was, I believe I was um 40, 44 or 45 points away from breaking 2000. And it had been a it had been on my mind for months. Like, you know, nobody had ever done it in Prebo County, and I I was super hyped to be the first, but I didn't want to do it in an away game. I wanted to do it at home, I needed to do it at home, but I was like, I can't, I also just can't not score and just so I can get it at home. And I went down on my ankle and I didn't play that night or whatever, and then we went to Madison and I had 22 points, and then we played forget where we played at next. Um, and I think I had I might have been 50 something away from 2000, and I had 19 or 20 points that next game, and then we rolled around a home game. And that was a moment where I was like, wow, like you know, for me to roll my ankle, first of all, which I hadn't had an issue with all my high school career, haven't sit out of game or anything, to not being able to put pressure on it, to waking up the next day, not being able to put pressure on it. Trainer does something, pops, boom, I'm good. Let's go out and play. And then I just took a step back, and you know, like the whole time I had been praying and praying, like, let this work out to where I play at home and I get to break 2000. And that moment I was just kind of like, wow, you know, God works in mysterious ways, you know. And it was kind of like it took me rolling my ankle and being all upset about that and sick, and I mean, mad at the world that I couldn't play in a game to being able to break 2000 in front of like the home crowd and against Bradford. And um, and that that day leading up to that game was a whole different scenario. I mean, that was a crazy. I had a 103 fever that day. And so I went to school because we had that rule where you had to be at school for half the day to be able to um play in the game. Yeah. So I had to go to school. So I went to school, and I just sat in one of my teachers' rooms, like, told all my teachers, like, I'm sick. I don't want to get anybody else sick, I don't want to be around anybody else. Like, I'm just gonna hang out in here. If there's work, send it, I'll do it. And so I just sat in this room, this small little room. It was our uh hope squad leader's room, and I just sat in there all day with 103 fever, and then we go into lockdown. We have a school shooting like uh threat. Oh man. So I'm sitting in this tiny room for three hours and I can't get out and go to the bathroom or anything. I was so upset. I was like, oh my gosh. And I was supposed to leave at half a day. Now I can't leave it at half a day because I'm sitting in this tiny little room all day. And now I just remember that day so clearly because it was just that moment, it kind of hit me like, you know, I'd spent all this time praying for this to work out this way. And then it just it worked out that way with me getting hurt and stuff like that. So it was it was a surreal moment realizing that, you know, that sort of thing.

SPEAKER_04 42:41

Yeah. So you obviously you talked about briefly you make it into the final four first time. I don't was that first time Preble County history or Preble Shawnee history? I don't know.

SPEAKER_01 42:52

I think Gratis, Gratis High School did it in um 53, maybe. Okay. I could be wrong. I think it was 53. You were a junior, Dan.

SPEAKER_04 43:02

Yeah. Nice. Yeah, nice.

SPEAKER_06 43:05

Love the layup.

SPEAKER_04 43:06

Yeah. Softball. Um, so you make it into the final four, UD arena.

Final Four Run And 2000 Points

SPEAKER_04 43:13

You played the uh was it the Lou? Is that who you played? Yeah. Yep. Um talk about that experience because that's ultimately where your high school career ended. But talk about that day. You talked about the community support, not just your local community, but all the county. I mean, that it was that was an awesome experience, you know, to be a part of and to watch and to cheer you guys on. But talk about what it was like, the game, and how it ended, and when you recognize high school basketball's over.

SPEAKER_01 43:46

Yeah. Uh so leading up to that game, it was kind of like you know, these guys got multiple Division I guys. They got a guy signed to Michigan State, a couple of guys with offers from the Big Ten, and then you're just kind of like, wow, like we are severely. It's a David and Goliath situation. That's kind of what it was. And you know, we got guy, we got people from the community that are telling us, you know, just go out there and have fun. And I'm that's not what I want to hear, you know. I don't want to be just told to go out there and smile and have fun. And and um so leading up to that game, it was like I said, it was a surreal moment seeing all these um all these businesses and communities surround us and and wish us good luck and and send us like goodie bags and stuff like that for us. And um, and then we get on the bus and we have a police escort to the game, and and we're all just kind of like, you know, this is this is insane. Like we'd had a police escort before, but you know, we've got fans and students lined up on whatever road we took all the way down it until you get out of Preble County, and it's just like some of these people we don't even know. I don't even know if they've ever watched a Purple Shanti basketball game, but you know, they're just out here supporting us. And I mean, it was it was awesome. Um, and then we get to the arena and there was a game before us, and we're watching that game, and then we go in about the end of the third quarter. But with the way the state rules works out, you can't get on the court till like an hour before the game. So their game ended, and we're sitting in the locker room waiting for this time to to end. You know, we're playing music and getting all hyped, and we're just, you know, you know, that was kind of for me where I just kind of took a step back and I was like, you know, this is awesome. You know, this is my last year high school basketball. Obviously, I'm moving on and playing it after high school, but um that was kind of when it hit me where I was like, you know, I'm just gonna enjoy every single second of this that I can. Um and you know, we got out to warm-ups and stands were starting to kind of fill up or whatever. And then we go back in with 10 minutes left on the clock and we come back out, and I'm in it was like the loudest I've ever heard in my life. Like we come out and it is just aero nation everywhere. Everywhere. Um, I mean, it was so loud in in UD Arena. And um, so we come out and we warm up and the game starts. And I think we we got outscored in the first quarter 19 to two. We did not come out ready to go at all. And we actually outscored them the rest of the game. The let the last three quarters we outscored them by, I think it was um I think we outscored them by seven or eight points. Um so looking back, it was kind of like, you know, if we didn't come out so flat, we could have been in it, we could have had a chance, you know. Um but I mean, like I said, that was it was just an insane moment walking out of that tunnel before the game and and seeing all these like faces that have been here all year and you know showed up periodically and and supporting us, and and I mean it was it was surreal.

SPEAKER_04 46:55

I mean so you walk off that court that last time, how'd that feel?

SPEAKER_01 46:59

Um so we had two other seniors on our team that year, um, Logan Holly and Case Rail. And we had been playing each with each other since sixth grade. Um, I mean, they were two of my closest friends in high school, still are. I hang out with them all the time. And you know, we we we kind of met at half court, and I mean, all 5,000 Aero Nation fans stood up and gave us a standing ovation. And, you know, at that moment we were just kind of like we're not upset the way it happened, we're just kind of happy that it happened, you know, and and we kind of put our arms around each other. There's a picture of us all putting, we have our arms around each other sitting on the bench, and and uh, I mean, obviously we're crying, you know, and stuff, but you know, like I said, that uh I had I was extremely blessed with with those two guys being a part of my uh my high school career, having them uh having them by my side all four years and and uh you know off the court, we're all hanging out and stuff. And so, you know, walking off the court, it was it was pretty uh it was pretty tough because you know there's there's not much quite like high school sports. Yeah. Um, but like I said, it was I wouldn't have changed it for for anything. Obviously, state championship would have been nice, but but uh you know it was it was surreal. Like you just you're there with two of your closest friends and you're you're just looking at the whole community. And I mean, I don't think there was a house in Purble County with a light on that night.

SPEAKER_04 48:25

That's right.

SPEAKER_01 48:26

Yeah, that's awesome. And it was it was awesome.

SPEAKER_04 48:28

Yeah, that's great.

Purdue Fort Wayne And Engineering Grind

SPEAKER_04 48:30

So now let's talk about that transition. High school basketball's over, you graduate high school. I did I asked you earlier what your major was, which is mechanical engineering. Okay, so I I want everybody who's made it to this point to understand, you know, it's been a lot about basketball, uh, you know, about overcoming adversities and doubt and all those things. But at the same time, you tell me you're you're you're gonna be an engineer. I think all of us recognize that's not an easy path to take. Yeah. So we know that your uh your grades had to be good. So you graduate high school, talk about where you go to college and what that transition's like now, leaving small town USA to go to Fort Wayne, Indiana.

SPEAKER_01 49:14

Yeah. Uh so I uh ultimately end up choosing to go to Purdue Fort Wayne to play basketball and and uh study mechanical engineering. Um and you know, picking my major, I was kind of like, I like math, I like problem solving. Um, and I didn't want to just go to school and get my schooling paid for just to get a general education degree or a a business degree. Like I wanted to do something where um like I was gonna be set, you know, like I was gonna make good money out of high school or out of college and and stuff like that. Um now I didn't know how much was gonna go into a mechanical engineering degree and how tough it was actually gonna be. Um but you know, Purdue is it's it's a um Purdue is a really good engineering school. Like we graduate with a Purdue degree, and it's one of the top engineering degrees you can get. Um, so they are very strict on everything over there and and certain classes and stuff like that. Um but you know, moving out of moving out of Camden, it was it was a quick transition. You know, I graduated, I think we graduated on the 11th. Um, I had my graduation party on the 17th, and then I moved into school, I moved into Fort Wayne up there on um May 30th. So I had graduated and moved in in 20 days. And I mean, obviously the whole after basketball was over through March, April, and May, I was amped up. I'm like, let's get up there, let's get to work, you know. And then I got up there and my parents left and I'm like, well, what do I do now? You know, I ain't gotta buy my own groceries and I gotta do my own laundry and you know, and um so that was kind of a um a moment where I just had to like take a step back and kind of realize, you know, I'm on my own now. I gotta figure it out, gotta kind of grow up and and and understand the real world. And um, and I still don't think I have a true feeling of what the real world is yet, obviously. Uh we're a little spoiled being Division I athletes. And um, but you know, I got up there and I was like, I was actually I wasn't supposed to move in until June 9th, but I decided to go a week early because I was like, I got nothing going on. I'm already graduated, I'm already like, let's just go ahead and move in and get to work early and and stuff like that. So I I moved in and we started workouts, and that was kind of when I got my first welcome to big boy ball, you know? Like I was we were playing playing pickup and I get switched on to one of our one of our guards who's playing overseas now, making a lot of money, and I get switched off a ball screen on him, and you know, he just kind of looks at me and he just kind of giggles, and I'm like, oh man, what did I get myself into? You know, and he just in and out cross, bump, fade, and then he just starts giggling again. And I'm like, oh my gosh. So I was, I mean, that was kind of probably my biggest moment where I was like, wow, like, welcome to college, dude. You're not uh you're not the man anymore. You're you're low man on the totem pole now. You gotta kind of work your way up. So yeah, that was a it was a big adjustment for me moving to college and and uh I mean I've always kind of been an independent person. Um, you know, growing up, like I always I wasn't a homebody, I would say. Like I would always want to go and hang out with friends and spend the night at places and and stuff like that, do things. Um, so it wasn't a big adjustment being away from my parents and stuff. Like obviously going to grocery store and stuff was different. Like, hey, I don't know what to get. Like, what do I get? You know, now I gotta spend 250 bucks for the groceries for the next two weeks. Like, um, but other than that, like it was kind of just like, you know, I just felt like I was at a long AAU tournament.

SPEAKER_04 53:04

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 53:04

Um, playing being up there throughout June. And I mean, I think for the first month, I came home every weekend. We get the weekends off, and I'd come home every weekend. And I think my parents were kind of like, all right, dude, hey, listen, you're you're burning gas right now, you're putting miles on your truck. You need to stay up there for a little bit, stay away. And so I did, or whatever. And then we came home in August, and then the season started, and I ultimately decided a red shirt, which I think was the greatest decision I made. Um, it kind of gave me a year to adjust physically and mentally to the game because the game is 10 times faster than high school and AAU. I mean, 10 times faster. Um, so that retro year was perfect for me. It kind of let me sit back, take a back seat, and uh, you know, just kind of learn the game from a different perspective. I mean, we had talked earlier how I had refed games and stuff. So I had learned from a player standpoint, I'd learned from a refing standpoint, and I had never really, you know, learned from a spectator's standpoint other than just watching college basketball on on TV. So it was, it was, it was perfect for me because I got to learn and I got to digest everything and understand everything and um understand why we did certain things. You know, it's it's easy to tell someone to go do something, but when they understand why, they probably put a little bit more effort into it and an initiative. So it was really good for me that year was.

SPEAKER_04 54:25

That's good. Then you you've just recently completed your sophomore year. Yes. So which redshirt freshman year, right? Yeah. Um talk about that because I I'm I I don't I don't know exactly how it went for you, um, but I'm sure there were there were struggles throughout that year. So talk about what this this past year was like for you.

SPEAKER_01 54:45

Yeah. I uh this year I struggled very I struggled a lot mentally this year. Um you know, I went into the year and I was hoping to play a lot. Um I had worked my butt off. Um, and I still think that the biggest thing for me was physicality. Um, I struggled on that part. Um but I struggled with, you know, knowing that I could be out there and and and help the team win and not getting the opportunity to. Um, but I also kind of understood it. You know, I had three guards in my position that were juniors and seniors. Um they know they had paid their dues, they had spent the time doing what I'm doing, what I had been doing all year, and um, and they understood the the game at a deeper level than I did because they'd been in college so long. And um, you know, it just kind of took me just realizing like you gotta you gotta pay your time, you know. You gotta you gotta pay your dues. Exactly. Yeah. You know, you gotta you gotta be the guy that's getting a cup of water for somebody of at one time, one point in your life, so you're gonna appreciate it when people are doing it for you. That's right. You know, so that was uh that was a big adjustment for me. Was you know, my redshirt year was kind of easy. I went into every game knowing I wasn't gonna play because I had made that decision. But you know, last year I would go into games, you know, hoping like, hey, maybe I'm gonna get a chance to go out there. And in some games I did, and like I when we played Ohio State, I got out there for two and a half minutes, three minutes, and got offensive rebound, got fouled, made two free throws, um, played Grand Canyon, uh got fouled on the lip, made two free throws, hit a couple threes in some big games. Youngstown State hit a three uh to take the lead before halftime. Um, like I had some made some significant plays. So then that wasn't helping me out either because I was kind of like, you know, why am I not out there? I'm making these plays while I'm playing. And um, you know, when I do get my chance, I'm making the most of it. But like I get like it goes back to paying your dues and understanding, you know, that there's uh there's a seniority list when it comes to this sort of thing. And and and, you know, unless you're a six foot eight freak athlete, you know, most freshmen don't play their first year, and then most redshirt freshmen don't play 30 minutes their their first year. So, you know, just making that adjustment, understanding, you know, the the the deeper level to that um really helped me out. Took a lot of uh, like I said, a lot of prayer and a lot of conversation with my parents.

SPEAKER_04 57:10

Well, a lot. And I'm sure you found yourself doing a lot of comparison in your mind. And you know, you're comparing yourself to this guy or that guy who's getting more time than you, and you in your mind is thinking, uh, I'm better than him, or I can contribute more than him. And we've had it said on this podcast a lot that comparison is the thief of joy. And um, you know, for you to recognize that, you know, as that season progressed, I think is very, very important because uh that's a that's a big turning point in a lot of athletes' minds. And I found myself my sophomore year that same way. Like that was the hardest time, you know. Made the travel squad, I'm the low man on the depth chart, but I'm not, I'm hardly practicing because I'm the low man, I'm not getting in the games. I mean, I was like, what am I doing? You know, I put all this work in. I'm doing the same thing he's doing and he's doing and he's doing, but I'm not getting the time. And then I really took a deep dive and was like, well, just like what you said, maybe I'm not being physical enough. So what's that mean? I got to hit the weight room, right? In my case, it was I know that I don't have the speed that I need. I was, I was probably a little too heavy where I was playing. I needed to come down. So in that offseason, I'm like, I'm dedicating myself to running, to doing plyometrics, to doing all these things to help increase my speed. But that time, uh, in football, it's a little different because there's 110 guys, you know, on a college football team, and we had 40 guys on our class, but I mean, guys were just quitting like crazy, you know, because you were you're going one way or the other, right? You're either gonna, you're either bought in. Yes, coach, I I'm bought in and I'm gonna keep going and I'm gonna improve, not only to help me, but to help the team. So uh proud of you for getting through that, man, because that I I know that feeling. It's tough. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 58:57

Especially, especially the young Sound State game. Because I I remember watching on my phone, and I remember right before halftime you hit it, and I'm like, oh, like they're gonna, there's no way because I did you hit two? Is that what it was?

SPEAKER_01 59:07

I hit one and then I got a steal and got fouled on the lead, they call it, but right, yeah.

SPEAKER_06 59:12

Yeah, and I was sitting there like, well, they're gonna start in the second half minute. I don't think you touched the court again in the young sound. I didn't play in the second half. And I'm like, wait a minute, like, what are we doing here? And yeah, no, so I I bet that was super frustrating for you.

SPEAKER_01 59:23

It was. Um, yeah, it will it was a big adjustment because you know, like I said, we you go you go from being the guy to you're surrounded by the guys, and then you have the guys there, and you know, just adjusting to that was was a big um a big change for me. And and it kind of kind of helped me mature. I mean, you know, there's a good side to every every struggle. Um, and I'd say the good side to that struggle was just realizing what you need to do to better yourself in those type of situations. And for me, it was

Playing Time Frustration And Comparison Trap

SPEAKER_01 1:00:00

physicality, um, put some weight on, could being a scrawny little kid, eat a cheeseburger.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:04

Um so well, and then the other thing too is is that being from a small town, when you come home, what's everybody doing? Hey, how's it going? Why aren't you playing as much? You know, so there's that pressure, even though a lot of people don't intend, you know, that they don't they don't recognize the question that they're asking you is actually confirming that doubt in your mind, you know, but you got to deal with that. Yeah. And unless you've ever faced that, you don't understand it. And so, you know, I I can only imagine as you come home, you're home, you know, here this summer. Hey, Mason, saw you play against Youngstown State. Man, you had to, why didn't you play the rest of the game?

SPEAKER_05 1:00:43

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:43

You know, you're thinking the same thing, but then that's more pressure people are putting on you. So it it takes a special person to be able to compartmentalize that and use that when you leave here. You said you're going to the gym. I guarantee you, in your mind, you're remembering a conversation or a comment that somebody made, and you're thinking, all right.

SPEAKER_01 1:01:06

Yeah, yeah. Exactly. Yeah. Um, no, yeah. I mean, that was that that's definitely a struggle because you know, you're you're you're at school all year and you're like, dang, I wish I would have played, you know, you know, and then you come home and everybody's like, why weren't you playing? And it's, you know, and and like I've always been the type of guy that doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you say to me, I'm gonna give you the conversation. I'm gonna have a conversation with you, even if I don't want to talk about it. And there was probably many conversations about that that I didn't want to talk about, but I'm going to with you. And I'm gonna tell you how how it affected me and how I feel about it, and and what you do with that information is up to you at that point.

SPEAKER_04 1:01:44

But well, I think it goes back to what you had had said when you were facing the challenge in sixth grade. You said, don't be afraid to have a conversation with your parents. Exactly. Right. And now that you're now that you're a man and that you've been through all that you've been through, good and bad, and the and the struggles, now it's not just having that conversation with your parents, having a conversation with your younger brother, having a conversation with whoever comes up and wants to talk to you, you know, and not being afraid, not shying away, you know, from those things. That's that's part of growth. Yeah, exactly. And and uh it's impressive.

SPEAKER_06 1:02:18

Um and the pressure that you've had for like a long time. Because I remember when my neighbor, Darren, when he first talked to me about you, it was probably around sixth grade, and he the first thing he said was he'll be one that goes like division one. And it's like, holy smokes, like, how are you saying that about a sixth grader? You know what I mean? And he was like, No, Ben, like you don't understand. Like, if you saw him on the court, like you would understand. So like I can't imagine that pressure. Because granted, that was a conversation to me, but that was the expectation at a young age for you in that, you know, in your hometown. Yeah, and then you moved schools, so then you got that pressure. So you just almost built by pressure your whole entire life.

SPEAKER_01 1:02:54

Yeah. And and and it, I mean, like I said, I wouldn't change it because it shaped me who I am. Um, and I learned a lot of valuable lessons along the way. Um I mean, there wasn't a time where there was a little kid that wanted to come up and have a conversation with me where I didn't stop and have a conversation with them or sign something for them or, you know, take a picture with them because it's just like one day I'm gonna be 30 years old, and only per only thing people are gonna remember is that I went to the Final Four my senior year, and nobody's gonna want a picture with me, or nobody's gonna want to autograph, you know. So I was like, let's just enjoy it while I got it. And, you know, I remember being a little kid wanting to autograph some pictures with the high school basketball players and stuff. So it was like, you know, it was it was it was I was blessed in that aspect too, having having so many younger people that looked up to me, and and I was always trying to set the best example that I possibly could for him.

SPEAKER_06 1:03:47

That was Jude's background on his phone for like two years. Eaton, I think it was your senior year against Eaton. Yeah, Dane was like, Dane, because you know, we're supposed to go to Shawnee and Dane's like, you want to meet Mason? And Jude's like, yeah. And I'm like, Dane, like, you don't want he's like, no, no, no, like Mason will love it. So you have a picture with uh we have a picture with Mason with Jude and Cy when they were super little, and that was Jude's background for like two years.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:09

So that's good stuff. Good stuff.

Baptism Faith And Temptations For Athletes

SPEAKER_04 1:04:12

All right, I want to transition here to your faith. Okay. So you've mentioned a couple of times, uh, you know, as you as you're sharing your story growing up, uh, the many times that you prayed, you know, just asking for guidance and for healing and all those things. But I I noticed recently that you were baptized last June, right? Yes. So talk about the role that faith has played in your life to this point and then why you decided to get baptized. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:41

I wouldn't say faith put a role. I'd say faith was the foundation. Faith kind of held everything up and kept it running. Um, you know, I had a lot being thrown at me at a young age, and I had a lot um being thrown at me in high school. And, you know, growing up, um, I grew up in church every Sunday. Me and my mom and my brother would go, um, and we did that all the way up until I graduated, and now I go up to a church up in Fort Wayne um every Sunday. And, you know, faith has just always been the center of everything for our family, for my uh my mom and and that side of the family, and my dad and that side of the family. And we grew up in church, went to church every Sunday. Um, and I had one, I've been wanting to get baptized for forever. Um, I think when I graduated high school was when I wanted to get baptized. Um, because in high school I kind of struggled with a little bit of like, you know, I struggle with cussing sometimes. And, you know, I don't want to get baptized and then and then cuss. And then, you know, that that side of thing, I I struggle with that. And, you know, there's a lot of also a lot of temptations that goes on in in high school and and going into college and stuff. And, you know, I didn't want to feel like I was letting God down in that sense of, you know, giving my life to him and then and then turning right back to the things that kept me away from him. And um, so you know, I I went to college for a year and I had still wanted to get baptized, and I told my mom that I'd wanted to get baptized and you know, working it out with my basketball schedule and stuff like that. And then I came home in uh in May, creek was freezing. Um and so they were uh talking to Pastor Larry over at church, and he was like, let's just wait till push it off until the end of May and early June. Maybe the creek will be a little bit warmer. It wasn't. Um but you know, it was it was an awesome feeling. I had I had my whole family there, I had most of the church there. Um, it was after the service. Um, I had my girlfriend and her whole family there. Um, and it was it was it was a huge moment for me because I'd been wanting to do it for so long, and so much of my life revolves around my faith, my religion. And um, you know, it was it was awesome. Like I wouldn't uh wouldn't have changed anything about it. Um it was great.

SPEAKER_04 1:06:58

Yeah. That's great. All right, I got some rapid fire questions for you. All right, we haven't we haven't done this before. So these are these are rapid fire.

SPEAKER_06 1:07:09

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:09

Favorite NBA player of all time. Kobe Bryant. Yes, best player you've ever played against.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:17

Probably Miles Colvin.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:20

Where's Miles Colvin?

SPEAKER_01 1:07:22

He's a wake forest now. He was at Purdue. Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:07:26

Favorite meal steak and potatoes. He's a farm boy. Favorite gym shoe. Paul Jordan 5. Favorite movie.

SPEAKER_01 1:07:42

These are tough ones. I know it's not I'm not doing much rapid fire on this one. Um what's the one with Adam Sandler and the he's a basketball agent? What's the name of it? Oh, um, hold on. I can't think of the name of it. He's like uh he's like an NBA scout.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:06

Yes, yep. Trey Young and all those guys are in it.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:09

I haven't seen that one.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:10

I won't think of it. Hold on, man.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:11

What is it called? I'm sure Murph on Patreon, he knows.

SPEAKER_06 1:08:15

Look it up, Sean.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:17

We'll we'll come back to it. Okay. All right. Favorite pump up song before a game. Hmm. Remember you're baptized. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:08:29

Ooh. You got a go-to? I'd probably say any Zach Bryan song.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:33

Okay. Yeah. All right. What's harder? High school pressure or college pressure?

SPEAKER_01 1:08:39

High school.

SPEAKER_04 1:08:41

One thing people would never guess about you. Could play the drums. The drums? The drums. Like real, just like bang bang, or like really playing drums. Like I can really play the drums. Yeah, we'll have to see that. Favorite thing about being home in Preble County?

SPEAKER_01 1:09:02

Just seeing everybody, you know, everybody that supported me. Um, everybody that, you know, came to games, and and I would say my my favorite part was is um going back and watching high school basketball games, and you know, the people that always wanted to come up and and talk to me after games, and uh, and the little kids that wanted to take pictures with me and stuff, seeing them in middle school and high school now playing and and and they got dreams and aspirations for themselves and and watching the younger generations that I played with, even um watching them graduate and stuff like that. Like I watched my brother graduate the other day, and that was an awesome moment for me. So stuff like that, man. I just I'm a very home and I'm a very sentimental guy. Like I yeah. So it's awesome. Love it.

SPEAKER_04 1:09:47

If basketball disappeared tomorrow, what would you want to do? Fish. There we go. Dream vacation spot.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:02

So many. I would love to go to Jamaica.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:06

Okay. Favorite fast food. Culver. Your go-to snack.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:16

Bowl of cereal.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:18

What flavor?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:20

Um, cinnamon protein Cheerios. Oh.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:25

I didn't know there was a protein.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:27

Yes.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:27

Has it got like steak in it?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:30

I don't know what it is, but it's got 12 grams, so I get it.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:34

I've got some eggs in it, maybe.

SPEAKER_01 1:10:36

Pour two servings and get 24 out of it and get the road.

SPEAKER_04 1:10:40

Who was your biggest influence growing up?

SPEAKER_01 1:10:44

I'd probably say my parents. They spent a lot of time um, you know, pushing me in the right direction and let me uh, you know, it wasn't like they were pushing me in the right direction and and forcing me to make the right decision. They let me make the wrong decision a couple times, learn from my mistakes. And um, you know, like I said, I was I was blessed with two amazing parents that, you know, just didn't have it all figured out in the in the basketball realm, but they got me through life.

SPEAKER_04 1:11:13

That's well, the and the thing that we talk about a lot, discipline is love. And I don't mean discipline by like scolding your kids. I mean discipline like, hey, if this is what you want to do, you need to do it consistently, and you need to do it when you don't want to do it. Those are the times you need to do it.

SPEAKER_01 1:11:29

Yeah, I remember um so I was best friends with Wilson Slugs growing up. Went to Eaton, grew up with Wilson, playing AU with them all the time, and me and him got gold passes to go to Kings Island. So we would want to go to go to Kings Island every single weekend. Um, and I remember my dad sitting down with me and he was like, listen, like if basketball is really what you want to do, sometimes you're gonna have to make sacrifices. You're gonna have to sacrifice Kings Island on the weekends sometimes so you can be in the gym working out, and you're gonna have to sacrifice going over to your friend's house this night so you can wake up early and go get a workout in before school. And, you know, that was kind of a big moment for me, and that that moment sticks so clearly in my brain because at that moment I was kind of like, he's right, you know, this is this is something that I want to do, and it's something that I want to do with my life, and I'm gonna have to start making sacrifices for the things that are seem more fun than going in and shooting a thousand shots, but it's what I gotta do to get get where I want to be.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:25

So that's good. Early morning workout or late night gym session?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:30

Late night.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:32

Late night. What's your biggest pet peeve?

SPEAKER_01 1:12:35

Hmm talking with food in your mouth. That's good. That one drives me nuts.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:44

So there you see the food. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:12:46

Or as food starts coming out of there.

SPEAKER_04 1:12:48

Oh, yeah. All right, and this is this is the last question that we always ask. I do want to get into one more. Actually, I'll we'll do that. We'll do this first. You mentioned your brother.

Brotherhood And His Younger Brother’s Path

SPEAKER_04 1:13:01

Yeah. Talk about your brother.

SPEAKER_05 1:13:03

Okay.

SPEAKER_04 1:13:03

Talk about who he is, the man he is, what he's recently going through right now, and where he's going.

SPEAKER_01 1:13:09

Yeah. Um, so you know, I I always felt so me and my brother fought all the time growing up. I mean, it's what brothers do. Yeah. You know, you fight older brother, you gotta pick on him a little bit, toughen him up. Um earmuffs, Jude. But I've always um I've always had a real sentimental spot for my brother because, you know, I I if I was in his position, I know I would feel a certain type of way. You know, growing up with me as your older brother, um, you know, it's it's a lot of how's Mason doing, you know, what's Mason up to. Um, and he kind of like got pushed to the side a little bit. And not by my parents, I'm just talking about other people that, you know, were interested in in me and how I was doing stuff. So, you know, growing up, I kind of realized that early. And it was kind of like, you know, I want to make him feel involved in it. Um, and he started playing basketball and he ended up stop, he ended up quitting basketball, but he wanted to play his sophomore year because that was my senior year, and he wanted to we wanted to do that together. Um, but you know, I keep going back to having amazing parents and stuff, but I was I was truly blessed with an amazing, amazing dude as a brother. Um and you know, he he supported me, even feeling certain type of ways about how you know he was treated and and stuff like that. So, you know, he's supported me all throughout these years and and he calls me all the time and when I'm up at school and asks me how I'm doing, and and we talk all the time. And we've gotten so close over the last two years. He's grown up so much since I've moved out. Um, and and you know, he actually so he graduated a couple days ago, and and in eighth grade, you write a little note to yourself. Our eighth grade uh social studies teacher makes you like write a letter to yourself for when you graduate, and and on his letter it said something about you know living in my older brother's shadows. And I'm gonna get a little sentimental here because you know, he's he's a great dude, you know, and he's he's always in the letter he talked about paving his own way, and he spoke it into existence, you know, he's going playing division one track, and he's gonna uh go and throw shot putting disc and hammer there. And he kind of find found his niche, found his his his calling. Um, you know, everybody in the community probably wanted him to go play football somewhere. He had a bunch of schools off, or not offering, but um, you know, recruiting him, seeing if he was interested. And he was like, I have no interest in beating up my body like that. So um, you know, he found his found his calling just like he told himself in the eighth grade, and you know, he's getting ready to go do it. And obviously recently he broke his foot, he didn't get to finish out his senior year, and I remember finding that out. I was um I was out to eat with my girlfriend, and my parents called me and they told me. And we were sitting in this super nice steak restaurant. We were celebrating our two years, and we were sitting there, and uh, I mean, we both just started crying because, you know, he had worked so hard, he'd spent, he stopped playing basketball, you know, he sacrificed times that he could have been getting extra reps in football to to go and you know work on his technique and throwing and stuff, and coming home from from college and he's out working on his rotations and and stuff like that, and he's lifting all the time. And, you know, he had he really had a lot of a lot of goals and aspirations set for him this this year, make it the state, win state, be able to do that sort of thing. Um, so you know, we sat in this super nice steak restaurant just bawling, you know, felt terrible for him. And and you know, he's handled it super well. Like he's been, you know, this is just a part of my my journey. It's a part of who I'm gonna be when I'm older, and I'm gonna look back on this and use it as a lesson to either teach my kids or help my kids go through something. And I mean, it kind of helps that he's doing it after school, so he's got got that to look forward to in college and stuff, but no, like one of the greatest dudes you can sit down and have a conversation with. He's hilarious, he's funny. I mean, he's awesome. Yeah, awesome.

SPEAKER_06 1:17:14

Always has a smile on his face, always has a smile on his face.

SPEAKER_04 1:17:16

He does, man. Finds the light in everything. And he's going to Miami University to throw. Yep. Yeah. It's amazing. And it it's it's cool for for me to hear. I'm I'm the older brother. I have a younger brother, four years younger than me. Is Cooper's how old two years younger than you? And you know, you don't realize that. I mean, you obviously did realize that, you know, hey, uh I'm sure for him, his whole life was he's not Cooper, he's Mason's brother. Yeah. Right. You know, and I don't know that pressure. You don't know that pressure, but um, for him to to write that down in eighth grade, yeah, you know, you know he was struggling with it. And then to see where he's at today and and how he's paved his own way and you know, gonna go into division one sport again. What's his major gonna be? Does he know?

SPEAKER_01 1:18:06

Uh I think he's he's doing civil engineering. Jeez. So he wants to wants to do engineering as well.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:11

Trouble is there a glutton for punishment going to college. Makes my communication major look pretty bad. Oh, that's awesome, man. That's uh I wanted to get him in there because I I know um, you know, I know your family's tight. You know, you've you've talked a lot about your parents and how important they've been in your life. And and uh, you know, it's an amazing story um you know, to have a young man like you in the middle of it. Like you're you're not through, you're not through the fire, right? I mean, you you're actually, you know, you know what you need to do to get better, but that doesn't mean next season's gonna be great.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:49

Exactly.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:50

You don't know.

SPEAKER_05 1:18:50

Yeah.

SPEAKER_04 1:18:51

But here's what we do know is that you're gonna figure out a way. You're gonna figure out a way. And the the the two things you can control are your attitude and your effort. You can control those two things, and and you've done that to this point. Doesn't mean that you don't face doubt, you don't face fear, you don't face uncertainty, you don't find yourself comparing yourself to, you know, another guy at your same position. Why am I not playing? That's human, man. And and especially as a competitor, um, it's hard not to do that stuff, but man, use it as motivation. You know, it's uh you're you're an inspiration to your family, to your community, to to all the kids uh in our area that we're able to watch you play, watch you grow, and and people are continuing to watch, and that's pressure, but pressure creates diamonds. So remember that.

SPEAKER_06 1:19:39

And as long as you got that foundation right, you know, you say it creates foundation. As long as that's there, you're gonna be successful no matter what.

SPEAKER_04 1:19:45

I got one last question.

What A D1 Athlete Day Looks Like

SPEAKER_04 1:19:47

You got anything you want to add in here?

SPEAKER_06 1:19:48

Yeah, just for like the kids and just for people that's never been a D1 athlete, what's the day like for you during the season?

SPEAKER_01 1:19:54

So during the season, um so last last this past season, our uh our practice slot was 9.30 to one. Um so we would we'd have to be in the weight room by 9.30, ready to go, 9.30 to 10:30 lift. Um usually if you can, you can get there around 8:38, get on the gun, shoot for a little bit. I'd usually get there around 8:45, shoot a little bit, stretch, warm up. Um 9:30 to 10:30 is a lift. 10:30 to one is practice, and we'd go the full two and a half hours. Yeah. Um, so then around one, we would uh we'd be done. We'd um hit the showers, get changed, whatever, film at 1.30. We'd be in film from usually 1.30 to 330. Um, and then you would have about two hours off, go to class, do homework, whatever you need to do, get it get some food. And then we're usually back by 5 30 or 6 watching film again for the team we're getting ready to play. So it's it's a full-time job. It's a full-time job. I I will say that, but I will say that if you really enjoy it, it's 110% worth it.

SPEAKER_06 1:20:59

Yeah. Yeah. Any advice for kids out there that want to follow in your path?

SPEAKER_01 1:21:04

Just work. You know, um, don't don't listen to anybody that's not in your close circle. Um they're not your parents or they're not related to you by blood, don't listen to what they say, you know, negatively. I mean, you just gotta believe in yourself. Believe in yourself, trust in God, everything will work out. Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 1:21:26

That's good. I love it. Yeah. I just love that your parents, man, they they did something right with you boys, I tell you. Two division one athletes. And I mean, obviously they believe in you and believe in your guys' dream. And man, I just hope we can live in, you know, that live up to your kind of parents, you know, as as young parents. That's what our goal is, is to get whatever you know, it might not be sports, but whatever our kids' dreams are, to just throw fuel on that, like build that fire up. And man, they did something with you boys having two Division I athletes. That's discipline. I mean, oh yeah, countless discipline, understanding the sacrifices. I mean, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_04 1:22:01

So much, I mean, so many life lessons through everything that you you've done. I mean, you can you you obviously learn a lot in school, especially in engineering and and trying to attain that degree. But man, the life lessons that you learn through sports, especially team sports, um, I mean, it's every day I go back to something happens and I, you know, think about football, getting knocked down, man. You got to get back up, right? You know, you can't you can't lay there and feel sorry for yourself. So all right, last

Legacy Of His Grandfathers And Farewell

SPEAKER_04 1:22:32

question. Okay. If you could sit on a park bench and have a conversation with someone living or deceased, who would it be and why?

SPEAKER_01 1:22:43

I'm gonna pick two. Okay. It would be my mom's dad and my dad's dad. Both my grandparents. Um grandpa's. Growing up, they both, I mean, had they knew what my dream was and they wanted to see me accomplish it. Um, they both passed away before they could. Um they both passed away before they could watch me play a high school basketball game. Um, and that's really stuck with me for a long time. Um, I would just love to have a conversation with them. My uh my dad's dad always greeted me. He never called me my Mason. He always called me a superstar. That was that was his that was his nickname for me. Every time he saw me, there's my superstar. I was my superstar. And then uh my my mom's dad, um his n his nickname for me was Rooster. Always called me Rooster because he said when I was born I had these long skinny legs. And I think I can count on one hand the amount of times he actually called me Mason. Wow. Never called me Mason, it was always Rooster. Um and you know, those two guys had had had done so many things over their their years, and I think sitting down with them for even five minutes and asking both of them two questions, I would learn more than I've learned in my 21 years on this earth because you know, my dad's dad was state champ, played college basketball, went to the army, um, got out of the army, you know, moved back to back to Ohio and and settled down, had two kids, and and he had five different types of cancer while he was alive. And he beat all of them. And you know, conversation with him would just be, you know, adversity, how to come over, come, come out of, come out of adversity on top, you know, and then a conversation with uh with my my mom's dad would just be, you know, just let him know I did it. You know, he he was he was there when I told my parents I wanted to play division one basketball, and and he uh I mean he talked to me all the time, you know, you're gonna be wearing a UK jersey one day. And and even though that that might not be true, but you know, it's it's just having a conversation with those two dudes, I think I would learn so much. Yeah, because they had been through so much.

SPEAKER_04 1:25:00

It's a great answer, man. From from five years old making that statement to 21 years old today, you know, going into your uh you'll be going into your sophomore year, right? Um, you know, and and the life lessons, the challenges you face as as being the guy in a small town USA and small community and you know, all the things that that go into that that a lot of people don't understand. Um, you know, you're an inspiration. Yeah, you continue to be an inspiration. And I'm excited to see, you know, what the next, you know, two, three years look like for you in school. But more importantly, I'm excited to see the man that you continue to become, you know, when when basketball is over, whenever that is, and when life starts for you, and and hopefully you're blessed with a family and and I'm sure we'll see you coaching. Uh uh, there's no doubt you'll you'll be coaching someday. And yeah, so we're we're excited. I'm excited to to see that and and again grateful for you to to come up here and to share, you know, not all the great things, you know, the hard things, you know, the the tough things that a lot of people don't see. And uh it's in it's important uh I think for for not only our community, but for all those young kids out there who aspire to to play college sports or whatever it is in their lives that you know you learn the most in those darkest times, those those challenges. So thank you.

SPEAKER_01 1:26:25

I appreciate you guys having me.

SPEAKER_04 1:26:28

We good?

SPEAKER_01 1:26:29

We good.

Like Share Subscribe And Outro

SPEAKER_04 1:26:30

All right, everybody. Continue to like and share and subscribe and do all those things. Go out and be tempered.

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Patrons Glass, a clear choice.

SPEAKER_02 1:27:06

I want to share something that's become a big part of the Beatempered mission. Patreon. Now, if you've never used it before, Patreon is a platform where we can build community together. It's not just about supporting the podcast, it's about having a space where we can connect on a deeper level, encourage one another, and walk this journey of faith, resilience, and perseverance side by side. Here's how it works. You can join as a free member and get access to daily posts, behind the scenes updates, encouragement, and some things I don't always put out on other platforms. And if you feel called to support the mission financially, there are different levels where you can do that too. That support helps us keep producing the podcasts, creating gear, hosting events, and sharing stories that we believe can truly impact lives. And here's the cool part. Patreon has a free app you can download right on your phone. It works just like Facebook or Instagram, but it's built specifically for our community. You'll be able to scroll through posts, watch videos, listen to content, and interact with others who are on the same journey. At the end of the day, this isn't just about content, it's about connection. It's about building something together. Not just me and Ben putting out episodes, but a family of people committed to growing stronger through real stories and real faith. So whether you just want to hop on as a free member or you feel called to support in a bigger way, Patreon is the door into that community. Because at the heart of Be Tempered has always been simple real stories, raw truth, resilient faith. So that even one person out there that hears what they need to hear, and Patreon helps make that possible.