Gregory Vetter Podcast

What They're Building in Annapolis | Coach Hunt on Leadership & Standards

• Gregory Vetter • Episode 38

Share episode

Use Left/Right to seek, Home/End to jump to start or end. Hold shift to jump forward or backward.

0:00 | 1:05:51

Send us Fan Mail

When Coach Hunt took over Annapolis High School football, he inherited more than a program.

He inherited a culture he believed in and saw opportunities to make it even stronger.

This conversation isn't really about football.

It's about leadership.

Greg sits down with Annapolis High School Head Football Coach Dewayne Hunt for an honest discussion on discipline, sacrifice, standards, and what it takes to build young men in a world that's increasingly allergic to accountability.

Together, they discuss:

• Why character matters more than talent
• The difference between coaching players and developing people
• Parenting, social media, and the challenges facing young athletes today
• Why excuses destroy potential
• How culture can transform a program and a community
• The importance of relationships, standards, and sacrifice
• And why leadership starts with serving others

Coach Hunt shares lessons from the Naval Academy, stories from Annapolis High School, and the philosophy that's helping create opportunities for the next generation.

Because winning isn't something you do on Friday nights.

It's something you build every day.

And as Coach Hunt says:

"No sacrifice. No victory."

🎯 Full episode out now on The Gregory Vetter Podcast.

Visit My Website: https://www.gregoryvetter.com/

Podcast: https://youtube.com/@gregoryvetter?si=pMLS8CMW_tqaBFGi

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/glvetter?igsh=MW5rN2tqeWdreXJ1cA==

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gregorylvetter?_r=1&_t=ZP-917lH2Ah5Tz

Youtube Shorts: https://youtube.com/@gregoryvettershorts?si=Qg4bRQL4xmRl8cwQ

My Substack: https://gregoryvetter.substack.com/

Purchase My Books Here: https://www.amazon.com/stores/Gregory-L.-Vetter/author/B0DSJRHJQS?ref=ap_rdr&shoppingPortalEnabled=true&ccs_id=a24a52fb-666f-43a2-9eeb-40b8266ae702

SPEAKER_03

We had very elite athletes, the number one running back in the state every year. Where does he go? Nowhere. In a state where guys are going to big time schools and he's going nowhere. But I look back on this concept of exposure and then the roadmap. If I want to go here, what do I actually need to do?

SPEAKER_02

Number one, everyone in the world has some type of talent, but you have to be committed. The second thing, you have to love it, not just like it love it. And then family. You gotta make sure that your family is all in. Last thing, sacrifice. I have a slogan: no sacrifice, no vice. You're going to have to sacrifice a lot of things if you want to achieve great things.

SPEAKER_03

Now, these guys have the opportunity to go big time. What culture are you creating and promoting? Like, what are the main values?

SPEAKER_02

I want to be a part of something different. And I'll explain this a couple of things.

SPEAKER_03

Uh and Mo, also an alumni. We've been having discussions for years about Annapolis high school football specifically, but all their sports from when we were there in the late 90s, early 2000s, and how magnificent the sports were. But when it came to football, and I think that's why it's so interesting that you're here, we're gonna talk about all types of wild shit. Um we'll get into it, but I'll I'll start it off with this. Nobody from Annapolis High School, even though we had like the number one running back in the country or in the state every year, broke the rushing record every year. Absolutely, ever went anywhere big, ever, that I could remember. And like you would be there, scrimmage teams, play teams, number one running back, newspapers are writing about this dude, breaks a record, does this, does that, it's never been broken before. Where does he go? Nowhere. Absolutely. And so now you're here. How long have you been the coach?

SPEAKER_02

So this is my going on my sixth year as the head coach. I've been coaching at Annapolis for eight years, two years under uh coach uh Gumaloy, who's a good friend of mine, and then he stepped down and I end up being the head coach.

SPEAKER_03

And now you have really cultivated a culture and resources where these guys are starting to go big time or they have the opportunity to go big time, kind of like we always talked about well, why isn't this guy going to Alabama? Like, how is he the best running back in the state in a state where guys are going big time to big time schools and he's going nowhere? And you know, that translated somewhat into lacrosse as well. I definitely saw it in basketball. I mean, we had one of the that's why I ran indoor track because I the basketball team was awesome. Because I took weight training and it ended up being a basketball class, and dudes were doing 360 dunks. Sure, sure, sure. And I looked in the mirror and I said, Greg, I don't know if you got that, buddy. You're a good athlete, though. You're a good athlete. I said, I'm gonna focus on lacrosse. So uh it's great to have you. Thank you. Let's talk about Annapolis high school, and we'll get into public school in general. We'll get into rec sports because we already started talking about it a little bit. But for years, decades, Annapolis has had very elite athletes, and what has happened is they either get recruited to go somewhere else, um, or they go to Annapolis and don't go anywhere. They just kind of go there to not not reach their college potential. Maybe they're reaching their potential at Annapolis, but then you know, they're just not getting the looks. They're or they're not getting the resources to connect the dots to go and from the number one running back in the state, and I'm gonna keep using that as an example because we lived it every year. We had a guy, yes, we had a guy, and um and then didn't go anywhere. So what are you doing differently just in anything? I I don't even know what it would be where you're going, no, we are gonna get you to where you need to be.

SPEAKER_02

So um, first, like during those times, times are a little different, right? Like, you do have a lot more um social media, internet, things like that that can help uh student athletes in today's time, right? Because even student athletes can kind of get themselves recruited without high school coaches. But uh I feel like the biggest difference is my relationships with a lot of collegiate level coaches. Yep. Because I coached at the Naval Academy, I met a lot of coaches during that time. Um, my relationship with uh to name drop Bill Bolichek's alumni, but that was high school, my relationship with him. So, like when I talk about a student athlete and they hear that, their ears, right, and then they talk about that same athlete to someone else, it sticks. Yep. It sticks, right? And once they look at him and say, Oh, this kid can really play, he can do this, then the word gets out. Now that's just on the recruiting side. Yeah, I think on the academic side, it's a different level as well. What we created is we created a like a work study program for our pro for our football program where the kids have this after school in the fall and in the spring. So having our GPA at a certain level makes us recruitable from the beginning. So we eliminate, yes, when we play, we had great athletes who might have had like a 2.4 or 2.3. That seems high.

SPEAKER_01

That's that's not high.

SPEAKER_02

Like when you look at the when you're talking about scholarship being recruited, right? Like Division I and Division II, who can give our scholarships, you gotta have a 3.0 or higher. Yep. Last year our team had a 3.4 GPA as a whole with a hundred student athletes. It's crazy. Now that counts our managers as well. They kind of help us out. We have a little bit more girls, but still have that bring in the nerds, yes, have that high GPA, it makes all of our guys recruitable. So when coaches come in and we show them the list, their GPA, their SAT scores, they already have their NCAA number. So we make sure all of our sophomores who are going into their junior year fill out their NCAA clearinghouse. We sit them down, we do all that. And our time, I didn't even know what that was until I was about to almost graduate, right? I couldn't agree more. So, like I mean, it was not a thing. Correct, correct. So being a hit of that, right? Like I always told myself, if I got in a position, I'm gonna do more for that part, right? Because that's stuff that the kids can take care of on their own, but we can give them a little bit more guidance, right? Now, now being on the field, you gotta play, right? You gotta show your talent. That's when we come in, right? That's where me and my staff, we have to advocate for these kids. We have to articulate for them about how great they are, not just as a player, as a person. Yep. And because of those relationships, and once you get one kid and and and and a team sees that, oh, an apps has some talent. Like uh, I'll just use um Kimari Taylor. He was my first kid to go Division I. Uh, my very first year as a head coach, he went to Towson University. Go Tigers. Full scholarship, full scholarship. Uh, he was a running back, he played uh uh slot, he went on to play at Towson University. Um, and then we have many more. Like just recently, Tyler Woolmack, he was a uh the Rose Trophy winner, which is like the Heisman Award winner and high school. He shared the the award with uh Malik Washington, who's the quarterback at Maryland, who was at Spartan. Those two guys tied for the best player in the area. Yep. Well, Tyler's at Villanova, full scholarship. Yep.

SPEAKER_03

It's unbelievable. I mean, one of the things where I look back and you you saw kids, and I'll speak only to this the main sport that I played, which was lacrosse, and you would see where some of these other kids are going, and then you look at yourself and you go, I I feel like I have similar talent. Or if not better. Why am I not getting those looks or those calls? What am I doing wrong? And at my time at Annapolis High, we didn't have a lot of resources to get us into college. I actually had uh the Saverna Park High School coach trying to help me get into college. And you know, it all ended up working out. Um, but I look back on this concept of exposure. Are you being exposed to what hard work can turn into? And then the the roadmap. Sure. Are you doing the things? Like if I want to go here, what do I actually need to do? And I know we never had that conversation. No, no, and to think I I remember I had started a salad dressing company, I'm in Princeton, New Jersey, and I've told this story before, and I was sitting there after a long day of demoing, and I go, I wonder where Princeton is. And it was across the street. So I go, I'm gonna go check this place out. Sure. So I walk on this campus, man, and it is one of the most beautiful places. And I thought to myself, if I had been exposed to this as a freshman, like, hey man, you may not be able to get in here. Correct. But if you do these things, the probability of you going here will be dramatically higher. Absolutely. I probably would have done some things different. Uh now again, it all worked out. Hooray for me. Great, great, great. But that's not true for the rest of the kids that just didn't go and play anywhere. And so outside of kind of this isn't even really the basics, but you go and guys, this is what's required. Here's what you're gonna be working on. What culture are you creating and promoting? Like, what are the main values that you're screaming in these kids' faces? Because I I that's what I would be doing. Um that that you're like, this matters the most.

SPEAKER_02

Absolutely. And and I'll explain this a couple of things. Number one, commitment. You have to be committed to what you're trying to achieve in life, right? Like everyone, everyone in the world has some type of talent, right? But you have to be committed. You have to be committed. The second thing, you have to love it, not just like it. A lot of kids like doing what they do, right? Like sometimes I tell my son, hey, you want to do this? Yeah, he likes it, but you have to love it to really want to pursue it, right? And then sacrifice, right? I have a slogan, no sacrifice, no victory. You're going to have to sacrifice a lot of things in your life if you want to achieve great things. Yeah. And sometimes your sacrifice, it gets, let's say, unnoticed by people, right? But they don't see what you're doing in the dark. Yeah. Because you're not, you're not always looking for that applause, right? Yeah. So, and then the last thing is uh family, right? You gotta make sure that your family is all in, you're all in with your family. So that's how I kind of build our culture at Annables. Yeah, I'm gonna be committed. They don't they know the time that I'm putting in, the extra hours. I'll drive, I'll drive a kid all the way to a college on a weekend, and my wife's all in on that, right? She's like, okay, all right, take that kid somewhere. She might be a little upset, but like she's all in. She understood that. She's supposed to be having a picnic. That's right, that's right. You know, like like I said, uh uh love. I got love, and these kids might go through a lot of things in their lives that we don't understand. Oh because we got all kinds of backgrounds at an apple size. That's what makes us diverse and unique. That's why I love it, right? You might have someone who is really wealthy on one end and someone who doesn't have a lot. I had multiple kids living in my house. Oh, I know growing up.

SPEAKER_00

In high school.

SPEAKER_02

I remember and some of the greatest parties we can talk about of all time.

SPEAKER_03

Yes, that's right. No video documentation.

SPEAKER_02

That's right. Let's let's keep that out of here. But for when I'm talking about this, uh the distance, right? But when you when you come together playing football, we don't even look at that. Yep. We don't look at that. So pure meritocracy at its finest. But I still have to approach each student athlete different. Yeah. Each kid different. Just because what's going on, right, in their life, right? Some kid might not be eating every day. Yeah. Some kid might be throwing away food all the time, right? So we gotta balance that. That's where the the love, right? And then, like I said, the sacrifice, man. The sacrifice is huge on both ends for my coaching staff, from my players, right? These four short years, right, go so fast and the student athletes don't realize it. Dude, they're so short. They don't realize it. So that's why from day one, we go into the middle schools. We do a middle school signing day. We make the kids get excited about getting signed to play for Napas High School. I don't think no one else does that. I'm kind of like I probably should pat nap and I'm putting it out there, but hey, this is this is what we do, right?

SPEAKER_03

Like, nah, he doesn't do that.

SPEAKER_02

But the kids get excited, they show up, but from day one, we we add, we we teach them these three or four things that our program is built on. Right? And then when the kids see that, they trust you. When the when the parents see all these things we've done, they trust you. And you gotta have a little fun, right? It can't always be hard on them all the time, right? Like you gotta have a little fun. We always have a uh a party at the end of the summer and we do different things, but the changing the culture, and not saying the culture was bad, the the culture, I thought the culture was great, but I knew we needed something different. Yeah, like when I took over, it wasn't like kids were quitting and doing things, it just wasn't where the world was hitting at the time, right? Like for my for my vision, my view, right? And then once I got an opportunity to take take over, it was still baby steps, right? And we're still not like winning state championships, right? But our records are better.

SPEAKER_03

Yep. Kids are going to college, which is unbelievable to me.

SPEAKER_02

Uh, and you're talking about full scholarship opportunities. We're sending five or six guys to school every year, regardless if it's division one to division two, division three, or whatever.

SPEAKER_03

To me, that's the craziest part, right? Because that that was always the one thing where it's like, okay, we're in the state championship again, and we got all these great guys, and they're all county, and they're all metro, and they're a high school all American. Where are they going? Nowhere. And you're just like, how? Yes, yes, it it's it's hard to believe. How is this possible? It's hard to believe.

SPEAKER_02

Yeah.

SPEAKER_03

And now you're solving that problem, which I again, so talk to me. You're at the Naval Academy. Yes, sir. Great job. Wonderful culture there. Amazing. I mean, if you're a college coach, any sport.

SPEAKER_02

That's where you want to be, man.

SPEAKER_03

I'll tell you, that place is awesome. Unbelievable. Uh, but you go, yeah, I'm gonna go to Annapolis High School.

SPEAKER_02

Well, that's not quite how I but tell tell me what happened. So um, Coach Kenny Amatalolo, uh Coach Ken, that's what I call him. He's a good friend of mine. Uh, he's known me since I was probably around the age of 12, maybe a little younger, 11, 12. My dad was one of the head chefs of the U.S. Naval Academy for a long time. Okay. So I had I had a lot of opportunities to go on the Navy yard. It's like, do you go to grandma's house or do you go to the Navy yard with Pop, me and my brother, and run around on those fields and play basketball? Definitely that one. So, yeah, it's a smorgasbord for us, right? Like, so I I got to see some of that, and he he got to know me because I was playing basketball with him at lunchtime, and he he realized I was a good basketball player. He's like, Oh, hunt, you can play with us. And and I got a lot of opportunities to play with him. And as I got older, you know, I went to school, college, different things like that. And then I started coaching youth league football, uh, the Annapolis Crusaders, which is no longer an organization. I remember it. And had some a lot of success with those kids at that time. Uh, I give a lot of credit for my coaching, uh, startup coaching journey with to Gene Slocum. He is the one who actually reeled me in to be a coach for Youth League. And I was in college at the time, and I was like, ah, no, I don't want to really do this. And he's like, man, you'll be the perfect guy. You you love kids, you got a lot of energy. He reeled me in, and I thank Gene Slocum. I'm telling everybody that Gene Slocum is the reason why I started really getting into coaching uh football. And it started at Ops Crusaders. Um, so thank you, Gene. But anyway, so I got I started coaching youth league, uh, Crusaders. Crusaders folded. I had a few kids left, went to POW. Pow kids were like, Coach, I don't want to go to Pow. That's because they didn't like the colors.

SPEAKER_01

No, it's just, you know, Crusaders and Pows, like, all right. I know, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_02

And then I was like, hey guys, we're still one team. We're one Annapolis, we're gonna do POW. And they're like, all right, coach, we'll go to POW. We end up winning a championship that year. Yeah. Uh, and then we started just take rolling at Powell, winning a lot of games, win, win a lot of championships, won like four or five counties, states, regions, all this stuff. Like, we're amazing time at PAL, right? And then um, I was still going over to Naval Academy, having fun. I was talking to my guy, uh, Gunny Owens. He's actually uh he he he he's a gunny sergeant for the U.S. Naval Academy. He's actually uh Kevin Durant's uh security guard now. Like he's retired and everything. He's a South Carolina. He and I still uh Timmy Timothy Owens is a real name, he's from South Carolina. Uh we still talk, but anyway, so he was like, hey man, let's let's go let's go see coach right today. I said, Man, you know what? It'd be amazing if I had an opportunity to coach on the staff at Navy, right? He was like, well, let's go talk to Coach. You and Coach are tight. I'm like, nah, man. I'm like, I'm just not ready. He was like, all right. So he was like, hey, let's just go over to the uh field house, right? And let's have some lunch real quick. And I'm like, okay, I was about to leave a yard, and uh he brings me over there and he's like, hey, coach, uh, Coach Nehemiah, uh, Coach Hans wants wants to talk to you about coaching on a team. I'm like, what? Coach Nehemiah's like, all right, come in, come in my office. He sat me down. I'm kind of sweating and I'm nervous. Like, we just finished playing pickup ball, but like I talk to him all the time. Yeah, but I'm kind of nervous now because like I was kind of put on the spot. I didn't have a certain tie on, suit, and nothing, none of that stuff, right? And I just said, uh, coach, I just I would like an opportunity to just uh be the put be a part of your staff. And he was like, Oh, don't worry about that, huh? We could do more than that. I can I'll give you a position. And I was like, for real? He was like, Yeah, don't worry about it. So he's like, just show up uh uh to meeting tomorrow, eight o'clock in the morning. I was there 7, 15, whatever it's there early. 6 45 a.m.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, sitting in the dark.

SPEAKER_02

Wait, waiting. I'm sitting at the table, so like all the coaches, uh, the hit, like all the position coaches sit around this round table, and then like all the TAs and the general assistants, we sit on the outskirts. So I'm in the outskirts. I got my navy gear. I already had navy gear because my dad, right? Yeah, I had navy gear, I had stuff, right? I'm sitting there, I'm like waiting, and I'm like, is this real? Like I'm sitting in a meeting. That must have been surreal. It was, and like I'm listening to all the things that they're doing, and I'm like, okay, I know a little bit about that. I know nothing about this, like it's different level, right? Yeah, I just skipped like high school coaching and went straight to college, and then uh to make a longer story, a little shorter, right? Like the first year I did a lot of stuff, um, and coach was truly truly amazed because like we had away games, and I would pay my own flight to get there. And I like I'll never forget one of the second longest games in NCAA here history. We're playing FAU when Coach Lane Kiffin was the head coach at FAU. Uh we're down there in Florida and it thunderstorms, but they're down like two touchdowns, and we have the ball, and it's in the fourth quarter, and they want to call the game, but he doesn't want to call the game because this is his first game at FAU as the head coach. He's not trying to lose it to Navy. Right. So, I mean, the game started at like six or something. We didn't end until like midnight because we were we're still sitting in the locker room waiting, waiting for storm out. We ended up waiting the storm out, everything was done. Mind you, I flew down there on my own to be with the team.

unknown

You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_02

So I missed my return flight. I had to book a new Flight because I figured okay, the game will be over in three hours. I had like 10 o'clock flight. I gave myself more enough time. I didn't think it was gonna go into like triple overtime time, right? So I ended up having to figure out getting a flight uh back. Um a good friend of mine, Bert, he was working for the uh airline. He went to Annapolis High School. Um, he was working for uh uh Southwest. He helped me out, he got me a flight back, so I ended up getting back. So when I got back, Coach Nehemat was like, Coach Hunt, like I saw you down in Florida. Like, I knew you was there. We talked, but like, how'd you get down there? I said, I paid for it, Coach. I'm part of the team, like whatever it takes, I gotta make it work, right? Like he was like, I understand that, I know, but I really don't want you doing that. So I'm like, I understand, Coach, but I'm I'm all in. Right.

SPEAKER_03

And then you can pay. I didn't say that. I know, I know, I know, I know.

SPEAKER_02

So then, like, you know, the season goes through. I I do a couple more games like that, right? Like, and it cost me about a thousand dollars to travel, but I wanted the experience. I wanted to be a part because sometimes that value is bigger than being paid, uh uh uh being on TV, just learning and the experience was it was great. So by the end of the season, we go into spring. Coach brought me in in front of all the coaches and told everyone, he was like, you know what? I seen Hunt do all these amazing things, blah, blah, blah. We're gonna hire him as our first non-paid coach in the school's history. So I so I gotta have to do everything. Like, now I got to travel, now I got I didn't have to pay for any of that stuff. I had my own locker next to Coach Ashley Ingram, that was my guy, and and and Coach Justin Davis, who's uh on the staff with me. He's my DC at Annapolis High School. He coached with me at Navy, Coach RB Green, who's the head coach now at Spading High School. I'm good friends with him. Yes, those guys were my guys, you know. Uh uh Coach uh Mick Yokitis, you know, uh all those guys, uh Jasper, those my guys, right? Like Coach Newberry, the head coach now. Me and him are really tight because of those moments, right? Yeah, like because I was willing to sacrifice, something greater came out of that. Didn't have to pay for anything anymore.

SPEAKER_03

Well, and it always does. I mean, that's like a that could be a case study in Napoleon Hill's Think and Grow Rich. Right? It's it is the unwavering commitment to something that you believe in, and the universe repays you tenfold for that commitment. And the craziest part is that no one does it. That's right. Right? This whole concept of doobie gets versus get-be-doos. You know, if you do what needs to be done and be who you need to be, you're gonna get what you deserve. That's right. Versus everybody else is a get-be-doo. Yes, give me, give me, give me. Give me, then I'll be who you need me to be, and then maybe I'll do what you need me to do. And you're like, that's not how greatness happens. That's right. It's the other way. And it is almost like a sign, like you're you're paying tribute to the football gods, being like, I'm here, I am on this journey, I'm gonna go do something. Side note, I'm gonna need a little help eventually because can't keep doing because the bank account's negative, but um, that's really awesome. So you became a coach at Navy. Yep. When did you go and become a coach at Annapolis? What happened there?

SPEAKER_02

Okay, so now to add all this together, I become the coach at Navy four and a half, almost five years now. Like we win the Commander in Chief trophy. I could do all these things, and I'll tell anybody this right now. The Army Navy game is the biggest college football game that you can imagine. I know they talk about um Ohio State and Michigan. Uh it can't compare. No. Army Navy is the biggest level. On another level. I mean, so that I'll leave that like that. So four four and a half, almost about five years go by. Um coach a lot of good players, uh, Keenan Reynolds, uh Malcolm Perry, guys that made the NFL, you know, uh Diego Forgot, these guys were amazing. And then Coach Good Molloy gives me a call. And he's like, hey, Coach Hunt, you think about what do you think about coaching high school football, helping me at Annapolis, being my assistant head coach, defensive coordinator? And I said, uh, Coach G, I love you, man. We brothers, but nah, I'm good, man. I'm coaching college football, Navy. Like this is this is beyond a dream. Like I never even imagined, like I didn't coaching youth league. I never thought I would be coaching Navy football. Yeah, for sure. So I was like, I no, thank you. Um, and then he kind of reached out to some other people in the Naval Academy as well, like uh Coach uh Brian Blick and um Coach Nehemat. So then I sat down and talked to Coach Kenny. I said, hey, I got this opportunity from Coach Gumalloy, and he explained to me uh that I could, you know, I could help him out, be a DC for him, and be assistant head coach. But I said, Coach, I'm I'm set, man. I'm here. Like I'm a fireman still, right? So like I know we didn't talk about that, but I'm a fireman, so I'm going on 20 years now. Next year will be 20 years for me as a firefighter. But at that time, I had around like uh, I want to say like it was like 14 or 12-ish years, right? And and Navy wanted to bring me on as a paid coach at that time too. I was gonna be quality control manager. Uh, and I appreciated that, but I at the time I couldn't take it because uh I'm a fireman. Like my career, I was like halfway through, yeah, and I wanted some more stability for my family because we all know the coaching game in college football, you could be there for three or four years and they could fire you. Now the the military institutions are a little different, they're not quite that way, but it can happen, right? Yeah, but anyway, so we he and I sit down and talk. He said, Well, let me talk to you. I said, Yes, sir. So, about after an hour and a half, we're in his office. He has a beautiful office too, by the way. We're in his office talking, and he explained to me the big change that I could have and the impact in Annapolis versus the Naval Academy. He's not, he wasn't saying that I couldn't do it at the Naval Academy, but he knew I had grassroots here. He knew the community knew who I was, and I was an athlete and I played basketball, baseball, football, track. I was a fireman. He knew the sacrifices I was making for the Naval Academy. He said, Man, they need a person like you to help these kids. And I kept saying, Coach, man, I'm at a level that I I want to be at. Yeah. So, like, what do you what are you saying? He said, Sometimes you gotta go backwards to move forwards. He says, It's not a negative thing, but it also allows you to do a lot of different things as a coach. Where right now, you know, I I was dealing with like long snappers, kickers, holders, punters, and I was kind of like the special teams guy, and I did a lot of film breakdown with our uh uh grad assistants. Um, so I was that guy that made sure all the film was chopped up for the week and all that stuff. And and he's he's like, you'll get so much more out of your experience because you're gonna have to do a lot. And he was like, you know, I think it'd be good for you. And I said, Coach, I like coaching with you. And he said, Don't worry about it, it'll happen again one day. And I'm like, all right, like, so I'm starting to think, and I'm like, well, he's telling me like I should do it. And I'm like, uh I'm still like no. So I go home. I talk to my wife, and I'm like, hey, babe, like, Coach Nehemat thinks I should take the high school job and help out, but I'm in Navy already. Like, this is like home. And he and she was like, Well, do you believe in what he's saying and stuff like that? I said, he's like, my mentor of coaching, and I've never had a mentor for that, right? Like, I kind of just like I said, Gene Slocum got me in the game, but he wasn't my mentor. Like, yeah, coaching here, my was a guy I looked up to. That's where I get the love and a lot of stuff that we do at Annapolis, it's like mimicking what he did at Navy, right? Um, so she sat me down and she was like, if he thinks it's right and you believe in what he's saying, like, you know, you should take a chance at it. So then I called Coach Good Malloy back and I said, Hey man, I'll I'll I'll take the job. He sits me down, we we talk, he interviews me. I end up being a defensive coordinator, assistant head coach to him. And I'm like, all right, he and I, we're gonna change the world. We're gonna change the world. First year we come out, we had a really good team. I thought it was still one of the greatest teams that I ever had. We went three and seven, but we had a lot of guys that were injured, right? But I I thought it was like that talents that we just had. Like, you know, where we grew up, I'm like, oh man, we could really do something. Yeah, but then like 12 kids get hurt. I'm like, oh man, this is crazy. And then the very next year, COVID happens. So now COVID happens. We only have like a four-game spring league, because now we couldn't do the fall, and then you know, they finally kind of let kids come back, and we could do like that that spring league the following year, right? So now it's like, man, wow, this didn't really work out. College was still kind of playing, right? You know what I mean? And I was like sitting back thinking, then What have I done? Yes, and then the craziest part happened. Coach Gumaloy calls me and says, Hey man, I'm gonna step down. But I think you need to take this over to the next level. I've done all I could do. I just think they need a new face and a new person. You're the you got the energy. You have this is you. And I'm like, Coach G, do not do this to me. I do not want this because I know what it entails. Like, I see all the work that you had to do and everything. Like, I'm like, dude, you just got me from Navy. Like, I was like in a good position, right? Like, so it is very true when people say in order to grow, you have to be uncomfortable. Yeah, right. So I was completely uncomfortable. I had to revisit my wife again. Like, I'm not gonna do anything without talking with her, right? Because it still affects her everything that I do, right? Like coming from Navy, yes, I was home more because I didn't travel as much, right? But I was still like, I'm just away a lot, still high school, because I have to do more things than I've ever had to do, right? When I was versus coaching Navy. So then he was like, I think you need to do it. And he was like, you know, also, if you don't apply, like, I don't know if you guys would be coaching it or not, but it's whoever gets the job, right? Right. So then there was we had a good staff too, uh, Juwan Petty, good friend of mine, he's actually the head coach at North County, right? He was on a staff with me, and they all like Coach Hunt, man, you gotta do it. I'm like, oh man. I talked to my wife, she's like, you know what? This is a sign of God, because if you don't do this, and as as passionate you're about Annapolis sports, and I'm very passionate, always have been, no matter what. Annapolis, till we die. I don't care. Like, Annapolis athletes are some of the greatest in the world. I told people that. She was like, who will do this and have the same passion as you? Do you believe someone has the same passion that you have for, especially in that Anna sports? I kept thinking, and there's probably somebody that does, but I couldn't think. I was like, I don't know.

SPEAKER_03

Tom Spackianudis for the wrestling team is the only one I can think of.

SPEAKER_02

I'm like, I don't know. And she was like, Well, you got your answer then. I applied, went through an interview process, a couple of different coaches got down to the end, ended up getting a job. Um and now I'm so grateful that Coach Gummoloy, Coach Nehemat, it kind of like pushed me in this position, right? Um because of what what's happening now for the kids, right? And and and just the program.

SPEAKER_03

Dude, it's shocking. Again, I if I Mo and I talk all the time about it, and it's one of those things where you know, I carried the chip on my shoulder going to Annapolis High School for a very long time. Because there was pride in all of the athletics of how good that we always were, but then there was like a I don't even know how long, 15-year stretch, 15, 20 years, 20-year stretch where they sucked at everything. Then you're like, damn, this is tough, man. Like if they're not good at because when we were there, being that good at stuff brought everybody together. Sure, sure. Everybody was at the football games, everybody was at the basketball games, lacrosse games, everybody was at the lacrosse games, everybody was at the wrestling matches, the parties, everybody was at the parties, we had team days, we had parties, everybody was together. Black, white, brown, no one gave a shit. It was like we were amazing at stuff, we were all proud to go there, everybody was winning state championships. And if you don't have that kind of reason to bond and have pride in place, that is a rough place to go. Sure. That is a rough place because it's a rough place to go anyway, it can be, absolutely, and then if you don't, if you're not winning, or at least competing, it can be, and everybody's not kind of coming together for for a common reason to celebrate why you're there, that's that's tough. Sure. And so the fact that you have brought that culture not only back to what it once was, but multiplied it by two or three or four, or whatever it is, I mean, uh it's nothing short, in my opinion, of a miracle. No, I'm not kidding. Because if you look at what has happened lacrossewise, and let's just use that as an example, and you said it, there's social media, there's club sports, there's all of these, and so the rationale and the reasoning behind a high school decision to me now, especially with NIL money, it's so much more significant than it's ever been. Absolutely. And so the fact that you're able to bring this thing back from the dead and get kids full scholarship to Division I schools, I mean, I just it's absolutely insane to me.

SPEAKER_02

Like I said, I think it's a lot of hard work. There, there's kids getting kids to believe in you, getting parents to believe in you, because it's easy, like private schools are the way to go, right? Like that's that's the theme across the nation. That's not just here. Like if I get my kid to a private school, he'll go to college. Well, that's not true either, right? Like, it's not true. You you have to perform still, you have to do certain things, right? Like my uh the the thing I always tell parents is like, because that's that's the person you have to sell the most. The kids that they'll pretty much play almost anywhere, right? Yeah, they might want to play at a part, but they'll play almost anywhere. The parents are the ones you have to sell. That how can you help my kid develop, uh, have an opportunity, and grow as a person, right? Yeah, those are the things I I I hone in on, right? Because I don't give out scholarships, colleges do. Yeah. But if I check all the boxes that we're talking about earlier, that I make sure that you're ahead of the game, if we check those boxes, I can put you in a space where this college coach can say, This is a great athlete. Now I have to make a decision if I want that player.

SPEAKER_03

Well, not only that, but to have a leader of a sports team that is going to have a dramatic impact on their child, there's this concept called the second male. All boys need a second male to reinforce or give additional values that a father cannot provide. Correct. Like the fat, you know, as a dad, you can yell from the rooftops, yeah, hey man, you know, you should do this and this and this and this. And they go, shut the fuck up, dad. You know, like, okay, you're smart and you're athletic and this, but like there's always a portion of that where they're like, dude, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about. You're my dad. That's right. You're my dad. Yeah. And then if you have a second male who's in there who's going, wake up early, be organized, be disciplined, sacrifice, do what's required. You know, there's no victory without sacrifice. But and they're saying similar things to what you've been preaching, that is gonna then be embedded in their character, which is at the end of the day, isn't that what we're all trying to do as parents? Develop kids with character that can go on in the world and be effective humans. Like, you don't need to say successful, say effective. Yes. I don't give a shit what you say, but it's like at the end of the day, I want my kid going out into the world and being a stand-up human that's gonna do what's right, lead by example, leave things better than when they found them, that's right, and be able to show other people this is what's possible if you put your mind to it. And so we got that second male concept. If you have a coach that's the opposite of what you need, there is still a lot you can learn a lot, correct, right? All the things not to do. Yep, but that sucks. It's hard. That sucks, man. It's hard. And you know, you get a different chip on your shoulder then. You don't have a mentor, you don't have a guy that you trust. Yep. You're you start acting out of it, it is almost like a fear mindset where it's like, I don't know what this guy's gonna do. I gotta do shit on my own, I can't rely on anybody. It's anger and fear. It's anger and fear. Yeah, and it it's not great. No. And you know, when when you can have somebody that you trust and is acting in your best interest, which is rare. You know, like you can name on one hand the amount of dudes that you've had in your life that are fucking acting in your best interest. A couple of fingers. Like it's not many, yeah, yeah. You and you they usually have your last name. Yeah, yeah, you know, and so the fact that you can do that, it is just such an interesting, rare moment at a time where it really shouldn't be happening at an apple physi. You know, like you are, I think your wife had amazing questions of like, who is that dedicated and passionate with that pedigree? And mind you, you are the the perfect person because you have a different job that can give you the income required to support your family. Correct. So it's like it is a perfect storm for good, where you have the financial stability and wherewithal and knowledge and pedigree to come into an environment and turn it into something that it just it just hasn't been. And so, I mean, kudos to you because again, um, as an Annapolis high alum, you know, you sit there and you're like, for 20 years, you're like, fuck, dude. Oh man, we used to be something, yeah. And the only press that school was getting for a long time was bad press. Was not good, and so it it's cool, it's really cool. And Mo keeps me in the loop, you know, he's always like, Man, Hunt's down there doing something.

SPEAKER_02

I appreciate brother Mo for that. Like, like, and it's not just me though.

SPEAKER_03

So, like, I understand, like, you know, a fish rots from the head down. Yes, sir. And if and if you weren't there, the rest of the guys wouldn't be there either. So I understand how the team works, yeah, but you know, you're the engine or you're the heart, and a really phenomenal body without a heart ain't doing shit. Understand. I know from the fire department. Well, you're right. Right? You're right, that's right. It's like, wow, this guy's in perfect shape. His heart's not working. That's right. He's fucked. That's right.

SPEAKER_02

You're right, you're right. So I I mean, I thank you for that. Those great compliments. I just like always like to make sure that my supporting Cast, not just me, my other coaches, the other people who do so many different things, down to yourself, like helping, you know what I mean? Like I get it, donating you, making sure kids get opportunities. Like I'm just blessed to know the people that I know, the connections that I've made, and they're willing to help the kids as well, right? To get the most out of their lives, right? So I know I always a lot of people give me a lot of credit. I always say my last name is my family, my staff, yeah, my my group of individuals who help. We're all Coach Hunt, right? We're all under one umbrella. Of course, I am the head, so I have to take the good with the bad, right? Like, but it's all of us, right? Without those guys and girls who who do many things behind the scenes, countless things that people don't see from either my my buddy Brandon Gully. I do I have to say this, Brandon Gully is Imagine Athlete does tremendous work for Annapolis High School student athletes. Yeah, and and mainly for the football program, where our kids get to do so much stuff, so much stuff that maybe they couldn't afford to do at times, right?

SPEAKER_04

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02

And he him and his his program and his and Pam and Ashley, all those ladies, they make sure they take care of our kids throughout the year. Yeah. Not just during the football season throughout the entire year. Yeah. They're checking up on them. We're doing research, how to help uh the mind, body, and soul of a student athlete. Yeah, there's so many different things. And the more you pump all this love, this positive energy into kids, man, they like they want it. Kids just want really direction, right? Yeah. They want they want someone to like give them guidance and directions. Because they don't know everything. They're gonna say that, oh, I know how to, but they want to learn. Yeah, they want to learn, they want to be better at stuff. So if you can give them that, and give them that positive uh environment, that that great atmosphere constantly, right?

SPEAKER_03

Because it's thought that's right. They're gonna catch it. They're gonna catch it. They may not listen in the beginning, but if you have this constant, never-ending stream of consistent messaging, yep, eventually something is gonna land. I think the other part for you that's working in your favor is you've figured out how to have success stories. Because without those little success stories to go, you know, so and so went here. That's right. And this guy went here, and this guy went here. And you want to know why? Because he did boom, boom, boom, boom, boom. XYZ. Because if you don't have the success stories, eventually the kids are like, dude, what are you talking about?

SPEAKER_02

Why why am I gonna do this?

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, that's right. But but you have those, which I think is very important to keep the journey going.

SPEAKER_02

I and I also believe that my personal success as an athlete, right? Kids first, some because kids can kind of tell if you're bullcracking, right about stuff.

SPEAKER_03

Dude, I everything you said about coaching youth sports, I coach youth sports. It was the greatest thing I ever did.

SPEAKER_02

Sure. I think every I really believe every high school coach should at least experience that youth league coach before they get there so they can understand.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, how why are these kids such assholes? Oh, their youth league coach was a piece of shit and didn't teach them any of the necessary habits. It was the greatest thing I ever did. Public speaking wise, leading by example, doing what you say you're gonna do. Cause they can see through your soul. They can see it. They're they're like, Who is this bitch? You know, because they're they're used to some fat dad rolling up talking shit. Do this, do that, my dad. Thank God I was playing professionally when I coached. That's right. Because I'm like, This is proof. Yeah, watch me on TV on ESPN the Ocho. That's what bro Lacrosse was all about. That's right. That's right. The fucking ocho. But if they wanted to watch, they go, okay, you know, this guy was a D3 guy. That's right. Figured out how to play pro. He knows what he's doing. I had all my assistant coaches that were pro like pro guys. So anything we were saying, they could talk all the shit they wanted. It's like, dog, this doesn't translate. That's right. You talking shit to a coach and not working hard and showing up late and being a bad teammate and talking, like you can run until you shit yourself. Because that we ain't going for that. That's right.

SPEAKER_01

That's right. The disciplined guy has to be there. That's right.

SPEAKER_03

You know, you well, and again, none of that translates to the stuff that matters. If you want to go to high school, no one's got time for a bad kid. That's it. Like, no one cares about your skill. Like, okay, you can be skilled. If you're making everybody else worse, don't need you. It's it's not worth it.

SPEAKER_01

That's right.

SPEAKER_03

I'd much rather have a well-oiled machine where everybody believes. Because, and again, lacrosse is different than football, but when there's a ground ball and somebody's got to go sacrifice themselves for it, that's right. They're gonna go do it. That's right. Whereas the arrogant little asshole, he's not gonna go get it. Yeah, he's too pretty. I'm too good. I'm the most prolific. Yeah, yeah. I'm the most prolific score that's ever lived.

SPEAKER_02

That's the same in every sport. You got that, yeah.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, and it's like, no, dude, I want the grinder. I want the dude who's showing up at 7 15 for a 8 a.m. meeting, sitting in the dark with his journal and two pens ready to rock. Yes, yes. I don't need the dude showing up two minutes late. That's right. Talking shit. That's right. And, you know, that's you said it, it's universal in all sports, but um man, I'll I'll tell you a fun fact, too, about one of my players currently, right?

SPEAKER_02

Uh I won't say his name necessarily on here, but like he's a young man who never played football ever in his life. I went to uh Bates Middle School, eighth grade, him and his buddy, both of those guys never played. I'm a Bates alum.

SPEAKER_01

I'm a Bates alum as both the Cougars.

SPEAKER_02

But the Cougars! That's right. He and his buddy, they're on the football team, they're seniors now, they're really good players now, but they never played ever in their life, their parents didn't let them. Right now, this kid has an opportunity to play at a Division I level as a long snap. Cool. And his journey to getting there was nothing but hard work. Yeah, and he listened to every single thing I said, and it was like the end of the world. Like coach said, let me do this, yeah, I have to do this, and he took it beyond that, right? Yep, and for and the reason why I wanted to mention that is you don't have to start off as the best athlete. Ever. It's how hard you're willing to work. Now you gotta have some type of talent, you gotta have something, so you can start with, but you don't have to be the best. Yep, like he's never played football, he wasn't like not the fastest kid, not the biggest, not the strongest. But a month ago, the University of Florida worked this kid out as a long snapper. Unreal. But see how hard work has put him in a position where he's possibly gonna be a scholarship-based kid, no matter where it is, division one, division two, whatever, like that, right? He never played football. Unbelievable. So I I use those stories, like you said, those stories. I tell talk to kids that hey, I I never played, coach, I want to come out, and I'm like, sure. And I will bring those kids with me when we go back to the middle schools. Like he he'll tell you his story. I didn't play, didn't know. It's the long game, man.

SPEAKER_03

And nobody plays the fucking long game. Yep, because they want it now, they want it now, they want it now. Well, and the biggest problem about the long game, in my opinion, is the parents, they think these fucking kids are NFL ready or MLL ready in eighth grade. Their balls haven't fully dropped. You're right. We gotta see what kind of dude this guy is gonna be. Correct. And thank God I was so bad in eighth grade. Thank God. Because I look on my journey and I'm like, if my dad knew anything about athletics, he would have looked at me in eighth grade and been like, you need to hang this shit up. You suck. But he was just super supportive. He didn't care if I went to college, he didn't care if I played well in high school. He just goes, Listen, man, you don't quit. That's right. If you're doing something, work hard. If you're gonna be a bear, you might as well be a grizzly. That's right. Figure it out. I can't provide you any insight. Go find an expert, ask questions. How did they get to where they needed to go? What did they do to be good? And then you should probably do some of that. That's right. And not to say it's that easy, but it is. You take the plan and you layer in the hard work, and you do what an expert tells you to do, and guess what? It's probably gonna work out in some degree. Maybe you're not going full ride to the number one team in the country and they're giving you a Lambo when you show up. But the experience of the character building of that journey, that is why it needs to be done. That's why it needs to be done. Builds character, builds character. And guess what? Sports are gonna end, yep, and then you're gonna be in life. Yep. And then you're gonna see what the world has for you. That's right. And the greatest thing that ever happened to me was just being an athlete with coaches that didn't really like me, and I had to fight my way and claw my way for the field, and I had to fight my way and claw my and guess what? That's what life is. Yes. And so when shit doesn't go your way, you can revert back to that time you had a horrible ref, or the time you had a horrible defensive coach, or the time that you know you lost in overtime, and you can go, eh, okay, I know how to deal with this. You wake up early the next day, you fucking grind, you keep your chin up, you write your goals down. That's right. You put a plan in place, and you take one step towards your dreams and your goals, and then you just keep doing that. No matter what the weather is, every day, no matter what kind of fucking mud you're walking through, or prick or bushes, or whatever. That's right. It's like, and then eventually you're gonna end up somewhere. I don't know where it's gonna be because we're too young to know the end destination yet, but um, you're gonna get somewhere. That's right. And that somewhere is probably better than where you are right now. At least that's what I think.

SPEAKER_02

I think that's great. Like, I mean, I tell kids all the time, choose your heart. Yeah, life's gonna be hard either way.

SPEAKER_01

Like, if you want to get in shape, right? It's really hard to be in shape.

SPEAKER_02

But if you don't want to be in shape, it's really hard being fat and big. Insect. You know what I mean? So choose your heart. Choose your heart, and that's all that's all up to you, man. We have all the resources. I just want to pour into kids as many resources and opportunities so they at least have a chance. Because when they start high school, these are like the most important times of their lives, right? Yeah, because they're still not really sure what they want to do, even when they're about to graduate, right? Like, yeah, they want to play ball, they want to do all this. You and I didn't.

SPEAKER_01

Like, we we knew you're just like, hey, I want to play sports, yeah.

SPEAKER_02

But you don't know what you want to do and what you want to be really become, and that changes when you get into college. Oh, I want to be a doctor, I want to be a lawyer, and then you're like working for some construction business. Yeah, it's like I still don't know what I want to do. I keep asking Mo. I I think I know what I want to do. I I want to retire from the fire department eventually and be a football coach, apparently, but I I think I'm close to what I what I want to do. But yeah, this gives me great joy. Uh, so it's not like working for me. That's why I can do it, right? Yeah, like I I love everything about it. Um, I couldn't imagine coaching any other high school, yeah, right, because of the the connection. Yeah, like I'm just so connected to this community, and yeah, like we're all alone, we're friends, we grew like I don't know if I could have that same passion if I was coaching, like let's just say and not say anything wrong about like uh Northeast High School or something, right? Like I'm not from the community, like I I think I coach there, of course, but like how much work that I'm putting into it and investing in time, it would be different, right? Like, like I would still do my best.

SPEAKER_00

Parents start coming at you that you played against when they were at Northeast, and you're like, bitch, I might not say that, but I understand.

SPEAKER_01

That's great.

SPEAKER_02

Like that, that's it's just sometimes I sit back and I'm like, man, when you think about it, like I'm the hit coach of football at Annapolis High School. I've played here. It's cool. Like I remember these days. They were good days. And I try to explain to those kids like you guys are building your own future, you're building your own memories, the new legacy of Annapolis. You know, uh, we can't worry about what happened 15, 20 years ago. You're living in the moment. Yep. And this is how you can leave your legacy. You can leave what people remember Annapolis High School. And and thus far, these guys have been doing a great job of guys and girls leading the way, um, providing information for other kids, making other kids want to be like a part of Annapolis High School. Like when you when we're getting kids who are choosing to come to Annapolis over a private school, that's huge. Yeah. That's huge to say, I want to stay at my local public school. I want to be a part of something different. I want to be a part of this wave, this change that we're seeing happening. And it's happening for all of our sports, right? Like, because of I think like football always sets the tone of the school year, right? Not saying we're the best or anything, but we set the tone of the school year. It's the it's the biggest program, and it's the first thing that kids do. Like you're gonna have to teach them how to play lacrosse, man. So I've been me and Coach Green have been talking a lot, and I've been trying to throw players to him. Like, the problem is they don't know how to play, right? Like they they play football, but and then our baseball coach is doing a great job, and I try to send guys. I like when our players play multiple sports, yeah. Because if all the best athletes play all the sports, we'll be better as a program. Yeah, and that's what we did back in the day, and I encourage that to all our athletes. I always tell them play multiple sports, man. Yeah, like be involved as much as you can, because we talked about earlier, this is a short time of your life, yep, and enjoy it and be great at everything.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, it's necessary. And um, I'm a bit obviously a big fan of multi-sport athletes. One, I just think from an injury prevention perspective, you can't do the same movement patterns 365 days a year. Correct. You're gonna wear those mechanisms out and they're just gonna blow out. So I I did always feel like you did take one step back from a skill perspective when you switch sports, because I was the type of that just like fully committed to the new sport, but then athletically you took probably two steps forward. Correct. Because you're like, okay, I'm building muscles over here that I wasn't building over here, and you know, the greatest thing I probably ever did was run indoor track to freaking get in shape for lacrosse, man. I mean, running for hours, you know, you you would then go and they're like, we're running sprints. I'm like, this ain't shit, dude. That's right. That's you know, like this came from the track. Yeah, like, are we doing it for three hours? Because if not, this is gonna be nothing. Correct. So I highly recommend any of that stuff for anybody because you know, every sport, you gotta be fast. Sure, you gotta be strong. Sure. Nobody likes slow, weak people, it never works. There's not a sport that needs slow, weak people. That's right. They need fast, strong people. That's right. Put yourself in a position to be fast and strong if I can give you any recommendation at all.

SPEAKER_02

And that's the beauty for us at Annapolis, right? Especially with the football program, a lot of success as well. Our offensive line coach, Coach Brian Brown, is our track coach. Yeah, so a lot of our guys run track, spring track, uh uh spring track, yep. Yeah, shot put, and they do indoor track as well. Yeah, so they get a lot of those quick twitch muscle movements, they get more, uh, they get faster, more explosive. It's like our bigs will do the shot put and stuff like that. And he will work with me and say, okay, coach, what days you got workouts? Because if I don't need the bigs for these two days, they're gonna go in the weight room with you guys, yeah, because they're not throwing. Yeah, so we're just making it work. We're making and like I that's why I say it's not just me, it's everyone working together from our athletic director, Pete Alvenos, our principal Miss Whalen, everyone like making all that stuff work so these kids can have this great success. That's why I try to like I know I appreciate the applause, but I I I I know it's more than just me that's making this stuff work, man. Yeah, it's not though.

SPEAKER_03

Well, do you have anything else that you want to talk about that we have not talked about?

SPEAKER_02

Well, I I want people to know I do have a wife and two kids. My wife is an awesome woman. She's uh my heart, she's a big part of why I'm able to do a lot of this stuff. Yeah. Because this is for any young coach, older coach, anybody who's been coaching. If you're married, your wife or your significant other, they're making great sacrifices. And if they're not all in, man, it could be a really tough time. And your kids, right? Like your kids, they might miss a little bit of some some things, right? And I try not to do that at times, right? That's why I always like I gotta schedule a lot of stuff out properly. And and I'm ripping and running. I'll I'd rather be tired than miss out on something for them, right? Yeah, we're gonna make that happen. But like for any young coach out there who's thinking about getting into coaching or high school or youth league or whatever you're doing, right? Like, yes, you have to be all in, but you're gonna have to have great balance, especially if you're married and you got kids. You can't sacrifice that time as well for for doing that. You're just gonna have to figure it out. Uh just be honest. Can you do it? Be honest with your significant other and make it happen. Um, that's just something I really wanted to share because it can be rough, right? Like it can. I I don't know if I could have done this without my wife being on board. Well, you would be single. That's what I'm saying. That's what I'm saying. So I I appreciate her for that, and I want everybody to know that, man.

SPEAKER_03

Yeah, I actually had my wife on. So we did we put something out on social media like what uh podcast do you want me to do next? And we got a bunch of awesome topics, and one of which was I want to know, I want to hear from your wife about what it took from her point of view to be able to build a company while having kids and the sacrifices, and and so I've always said this show me your spouse, and I'll tell you whether or not you're gonna be successful in life. Because it's true. Yes, if your spouse is not locked in, and you are not aligned with your dreams, and you're pulling in two opposite directions, you're either going to stand perfectly still, like tug of war, or the rope is going to break and you're gonna go one way, she's gonna go the other way, and that ain't good. No, no, so that's awesome. Again, she gave you great advice, man. Sure. I mean, sure. Is there anybody other than you that is that dedicated to an Apple sports and that can do it? And the answer was no, and here you are. So you need to come up with some award on your team of like the supportive Miss Hun award, right? Yeah, exactly. Right? That's a that's a big time award. Yeah. Uh well, thank you for coming, man. It was great catching up. I think you're doing an unbelievable job at old AHI. I appreciate it, man. Keeping it, keeping it relevant. Uh, this is the Greg Vetter Podcast, Coach Hunt in the house. Thank you, thank you. Go, Panthers. AHI, you know.