Welcome to the Sandcrab family, Coach AJ

Coach AJ, my current co-host is now the leader of the Lady Sandcrabs. During this episode, we will discuss his vision for the program, his journey into basketball, building a program, community and school pride, his style of play, and most importantly player development. Sit back and enjoy the hot takes from the new Seabreeze Girls Basketball coach!! #ClawsUpBaby🦀

Transcript

SPEAKER_01 0:00

Welcome back to Hoops and Handset with my co-host as well as my newly hired Seabreeze girls basketball coach. Close up, baby. Coach AJ. Man, listen, we ain't been on in a long time. I know people have been waiting for this episode, but we was trying to be patient with it. I was trying to let you figure out when you wanted to go about and do it. So we're gonna get it done today, man. So I'm excited to have you on, man. How's it going?

SPEAKER_00 0:30

Oh man, you know, I'm chilling. Just chilling, excited on my new role. You know, I'm finally ahead coach. Like Coach Henry said, and I can start crying about it, start whining. So, you know, I'm just excited, coach. I'm really excited, though, for real, man.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Yeah, so it's before we get this interview going and popping, man. I need all y'all boys coaches to uh all send me a dollar. You know what I'm saying? I'm gonna post my cash app um on the page after this. Send me a dollar because I finally got him out y'all way. Coach leave y'all alone. Now, what that does mean he's gonna be doing some foolishes with them girls, man.

SPEAKER_00 1:09

Oh, the portal open, coach. Girls, the portal open, baby. It's open.

SPEAKER_01 1:14

See, normally, normally when he when he's talking that portal is open stuff, I chime in and tell him to chill out. He ain't in my business no more.

SPEAKER_00 1:22

So boys can do whatever they want to do. The portal open, baby.

SPEAKER_01 1:27

You gotta believe it. Coach AJ in the house, the portal open. Hey, he ain't in my business no more, so I'm gonna leave him alone. He can say what he wants to say now. The portal still open is open for girls, too. Yeah. So man, I am uh super excited for you, man. I you know, we both of us had our Meet the Parent meeting on Friday, man, and you had a nice little turnout about that, man. So yeah, you know, man, I'm I'm excited for you, man. But hey man, it's a long ride over that bridge, boy.

SPEAKER_00 1:57

It's worth it though. It's worth it though. Okay. Like you say, after the um really the initial meeting I had with the girls when I went and met the girls at the school, man, they excited, they ready for change. So that's what really made me more excited about it. You know what I mean? It's been down a long time, you know, similar to the boys, it's been down a long time, but you know, changes come. So just gonna build it one step at a time in a way in my image, my likeness, you know, how I want to program to be around with girls. But the girls was excited, man. I think they was ready. And then the parent meeting, the parents was excited too, man. You know, they ready to get started, they ready for a change. So I'm just gonna give them what they want. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 2:35

And then I'm gonna put this out here for everybody, man. Normally, man, you know, when I interview people, you know, we be BSing around, and and then I'm gonna give him the same type of energy that we give everybody. So, you know, uh, don't matter. It don't matter that we're gonna be working side by side in the same in the same gym. But I gotta close up, maybe you already know it.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

Clause up, baby. Clause up for real, but watch this though.

SPEAKER_01 3:00

First question for you, man. What made Seabreeze the right place for you for you to become a head coach?

SPEAKER_00 3:08

Really, because it was that Seabreeze really was at um it was at zero. You know, when you go back and you look at like the match preps over the years and you see how like it was down. And you know, a lot of people probably don't want jobs like that, but you know, you know, when I was coaching Shuat Carrie, used to always say, like, you started like at the jobs that nobody really wanted. You get what I'm saying? So when I seen that, I was like, yeah, I'm finna take the program that nobody wanted. You know what I mean? No, it was down, down bad. So, you know, I like a challenge. You know, I like to try to build things, you know, at all the schools I coached at, I feel like I was a part of building, rebuilding something with the um coach that was at the school. So when I seen C Rigs was up, you know what I mean? I was like, yeah, I got AAU girls, I got daughters of my own, I got girls I've been working with for years in the gym. So I think it was like uh it was the right time, and it was the right school, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Oh, yeah, that's awesome, man. Kind of like kind of like the same journey I took, man. You know, a lot of people want a lot of people want those ready-made jobs, man. But you know, it is more beneficial, man, when you pull it out the mud, man, and kind of you know get it done. But what next question what are your first priorities as a new head coach?

SPEAKER_00 4:19

What are you what are your first priorities as your first my first priority is to get in the community, you know what I mean? Seabreeze is uh Ormond has always been a basketball area. When you really think about it, girls and boys. If you go back and look at some of the kids that come came out of there, so me, I'm just gonna lock in. All the kids that's zone for Seabreeze, I want them at Seabreeze. Whether they in middle school, whether they're at other high schools, I want them to come home. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 4:44

So stop, we gotta back up. Other high schools, what you hold on.

SPEAKER_00 4:50

I mean, if you at the high school, do you what you say, Coach? You are I'm being real. Can I answer the question? Coach. Go ahead, man. Go ahead, man. Coach, so you know the girl, if you you know what I mean. It it was bad at Seabreach, but you know, it's finna be different now. You know, I was uh uh really I hired two of the best young coaches, you know, Coach Sierra, you know what I mean, Coach Jay Parks, you know, we in the we finna touch down, man. We finna completely change the whole program in a winning culture, a defensive-minded culture, and you know, we finna play. So all the girls, you know, that went to other schools that you know didn't want to go to Seabreeze because it was bad. Come on back home, huh? Come home. Like you said, Coach, when you got the job, you say you want all the kids that's zone for Seabreeze. That's it. You gotta love it. You can zone for Seabreeze, no, we finna be in the pot of blue, the red, the black. You know what I mean? It's a new new swag. You know, gotta walk like a trap star. You know, this is how we do it. Come home, man. This is a different era now. Led by Coach AJ, and I got my team behind me. We we 100, now so you ain't gotta go to them other schools if you don't want to. You can stay home now.

SPEAKER_01 5:49

Oh Lord, okay, okay. So, my next question for you, man, and you know, this is something that I've had an opportunity to be around um because I've been there the last four years, man. I've watched some girls' games and talked to them, whatever. Um, how do you plan to actually get the girls excited about Seabreeze basketball?

SPEAKER_00 6:12

Really, just when I when I went and talked to them, you know, I felt like they their confidence was just like No, hold on, hold on, hold on, hold on.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

Let me stop you. When you told me after you talked to them, I'm gonna put your business in the street, you was like, Coach, I felt bad, but them girls almost had me feeling emotional over there, man.

SPEAKER_00 6:30

Coach, because I had coached, I did because I I you know we talk, we talk trash, you know, me and you would be on here, we but we also talk real basketball more so than we be crabbing around on the um podcast. But like it's still, you know, this ain't no knock against nobody, but I feel like when you're in a role as a high school coach, man, you still have to take it a little serious. You get what I'm saying? It can't just be like those girls feel like they they didn't, you know, wasn't nothing put into them. It wasn't nothing into it. It was just, we just, you know what I mean? So I ain't gonna keep dwelling on that. That's in the past, but when I was talking to them, like being around boys, as long as I was around boys, man, I I've been around, I would say, probably a good 10 boys over the last 12 years that was excited about basketball, excited about learning all the rest of them, really thought they was better. I already knew everything. You can't tell them nothing. But to go around those girls that come off of losing season after losing season and to still be excited about learning and playing and wanting to play for a new coach, man. That was just like that was crazy to me. That's why I caught, I couldn't believe it. I was thinking I was gonna walk in there with two, three, four girls, but nah, man. Them girls still here, they still trying to grind, so that's gonna make it a whole lot easier with kids that want to work and want to, you know, get better. And I feel like after that conversation, they know what time it is, man. They know the swat different now. It's different now. I promise you that.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

I love that, man. And so that's just you know, I mean, and it's crazy because it sounds almost identical uh four years ago when I walked into the place, like just being able to bring back a little excitement to the program, man, and it goes a long way. So, one of the most important things that that like because I talk to a couple of the girls every now and again, and um we always talk about the off-season. There have been parents and some other girls that have asked to come work out with the boys' team, and you know, uh uh in the past I've always said no because it's just hard to manage them girls and them boys in there, so it's hard for me. So, how important is the off-season? How important is offseason is going to be for the girls' program?

SPEAKER_00 8:34

Oh, that's that's the most important part to growing and rebuilding the program is the off-season, you know, just about some of the stores they never had off seasons. You see what I'm saying? It was just always about a month before the season they got ready to play. But you know me, basketball is year-round now. You know what I mean? I'm gonna implement me and some of my coaches, you know, and with per new balance basketball finna unleash the AAU program with the girls, uh, at more teams, high school teams. But with the um, with just Seabrees, man, we gotta be in the summer leagues, man. We got to be at camps, clinics. I got a couple people coming that's gonna run a camp for me. That's gonna be really solid. You know what I mean? I'm gonna wait the way to put the name out who the person is coming, but when I do that, I mean, I think it's gonna change a lot and it's gonna uplift the girls and like, you know, the pursuit of basketball. You know, when I was talking to them at the parent meeting, I was trying to tell them like it's just different. The off-season is the most important season. You know what I mean? So offseason, we at we in the gym, man. I'm a gym rap. I've been like that since I've been coaching. You gotta be in the gym if you want to be good and be successful. You can't just not be in the gym. So we're gonna be in the gym all summer, grinding. Got a couple people coming in to work with the girls, give them a little different swag about this stuff, going into the fall season. And it also when fall starts, we in fall leagues and everything. You know what I mean? So it's just a it's a just totally a rebuild, bro. You know what I mean? Like, I'm gonna rebuild it in my image, you know what I mean? Toughness, defense, man to man, 55. We back in the building. You know what I mean? Then we'll see where where it plays out. I hope I'm good though, man. I was doing all this trash talking. Hey, listen, boy.

SPEAKER_01 10:08

Listen, I'm hoping I'm good, man. That's gonna be Hey, listen. That's what I was getting ready to say. Listen, man, I don't know if I like this new age. Yeah, this old dog on politically correct, you sounding like you know you you you ain't gotta sell me though. You know, so you sitting here answering. But I gotta be good.

SPEAKER_00 10:30

That's crazy. I should man, I should just stay this coach.

SPEAKER_01 10:33

Listen, you've been talking, you've been talking heavy for a long time, man. When I can't, you've been talking heavy. So you're gonna have to you're gonna have to show improved. So one of the things that one of the things that's super important, man, about you know, coming in as the new coach is trying to get buy-in. What does buy-in look like for Seabreeze girls basketball? How you gonna get those girls to like buy in?

SPEAKER_00 10:57

The the buy-in, the buy-in is what they spoke on in the meeting. You get what I'm saying? You can't you can't be saying that you never got to get in the gym, you never got to work out, you never got to train. And then when you finally get the opportunity to do that, to not show up. And like I told them in the parent meeting, like if you have been used to not being in the gym, you plan around not being in the gym. You see what I'm saying? But now you have to plan around being in the gym. And you know, so the buy-in from them is gonna be y'all have to, just like me, I have to walk it like I talk it, they do too. So now when the gym's open, you have to show up. You have to be in the gym, man. That's it, really. That's the buy-in. Once I see that or how that plays out, then I know it. But I just got a feeling that those girls are ready, man. I think they're ready. I could just tell how they was talking, and I ain't like I said earlier, I ain't been around too many boys with that type of mindset, bro. The mindset is everything, bro. And they coming off losing season after losing season after losing season. Yeah, it's it should be easy for them to be like, man, but they weren't in there like that, coach.

SPEAKER_01 11:58

Yeah, I feel you on that. So listen, we talked a little bit about building the program and you know, the things that you're gonna do, but like when we talk about standards, right? What type of standards will every player in your program be expected to meet?

SPEAKER_00 12:11

Well, the the standard to me is defense. You know that I'm a defensive coach, so you have to be tough. The standard is, you know, doing your classwork, doing what people tell you on campus, listening to your parents, all that ties into being good. You see what I'm saying? Not just the basketball part, but the school part, listening to your teachers. You know what I mean? People tell you to do something on campus, you gotta do it. You see what I'm saying? I'm big on discipline in all aspects of being around the team on the campus, all of that. So you have to be, you have to listen. If you don't listen, man, then nothing's gonna work if you don't listen. Not just to me, to your teachers, your parents, everything like that. So the standard is, man, we finna be tough-minded kids, we finna play tough from start to finish. That's it. There's no more, you know. Like I talked to them at the meeting, like everything goes back to the meeting. I asked them, man, like, you know, they say they feel like teams in the area think they ass. You see what I'm saying? So they always call forget that. But I got it. Back up, go back up.

SPEAKER_01 13:05

Go ahead, back up, back. Hold on, we got to rewind that. The girls told you that they feel like the teams in the area think that they're bad.

SPEAKER_00 13:14

Yeah, I asked them. I said, what y'all think the teams in the area gonna say about y'all? First thing about that we're ass and we're sorry. And guess what I'll tell? Get what I told them. Yeah. I said we got a trick for them this year. I got a trick for all that. Get what I'm saying? And it might not result in wins right away, but it's just, you know, a mindset when you when they see, oh man, they not laying down no more like that. Oh yeah, we ain't laying down, never. So, you know, it's just you know, building the confidence back up in the team that nah, we just ain't laying down. This ain't the old seabreeze, just the new one. And it's led by yours truly, Coach AJ, out the trenches. This is how we're gonna get down now.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Listen, so we talked, yeah, we talked a little bit about building the program. Now we're gonna kind of transition into uh player development, right? So, what type of player, so that the girls can know and the fans can know, what type of player are you looking for at Seabrees?

SPEAKER_00 14:10

The positionless player, because the game has revolved into positionless basketball. You get what I'm saying? Not in the category of being a five or four or three or two, being able to play basketball at every spot on the court. You get what I'm saying? So, you know, if you six-foot, you handle the ball, you're gonna be handling the ball. I want kids with all types of skill sets and to understand their skill set. You might not be the best ball handler, but you might be the toughest player defensively on the team. You see what I'm saying? Might not be the best shooter, but you get to the rim. You see what I'm saying? So it's just all about having an overall skill set. You know what I mean? Yeah. When you have good key teams and good kids with all around skill sets, your team's gonna be good because you can't pick and choose which ones you want to take away or for everybody just playing basketball.

SPEAKER_01 14:54

Listen, man, to all of our audience and our fans, you know, some of you guys may actually think I I actually sent him these questions ahead of time. I didn't. I see he sounds like he's running for the goddamn mayorship with some of the.

SPEAKER_00 15:06

Coach, I am the male in the city, man. They know where I'm from. I'm the male, man. They know where I'm from.

SPEAKER_01 15:10

You sound like it, man. So one of the things that I had to kind of deal with when I got there, man, is confidence, man. You know, like giving those young men that I received some confidence. So, how do you plan to uh build confidence in the girls on your team?

SPEAKER_00 15:28

Coach, to be honest, I don't think I really I'm not gonna really have to build that. Just from when I met them, like they was sometimes I think with how the program was or what I hear it was, like if kids want to be in the gym, man, you gotta make that sacrifice to be in the gym for them. I don't think they really lacking confidence. I think just why would what you know what I mean? Like they was just it just wasn't there to do. So, you know what I mean? But when I was talking to them, I think they confidence is there. You know what I mean? I think they needed you know a little bit more swagger around them. Like I told them that we like, yeah, this ain't this ain't bro, this ain't that at all. Not all it's on my face, bro. Like, I just moved different, you know what I mean? So, you know, that's just how it's gonna be. But uh confidence, I don't really think just by talking to them, I don't think they really lacked any confidence. I just think just lack like just being around the game, like like they say, no summer league, no fall league, stuff like that. So I think they're ready to rock and roll, to be honest with you.

SPEAKER_01 16:26

So now one of the things that was that has always been hard for me to do as a head coach is uh, you know, making sure everybody is super doggone clear on their roles, right? So for you, how are you gonna help players understand their role? Because that's the hardest thing to do for me as a head coach is like, listen, your job, you know, you might want to go out here and shoot the three a thousand times, but that's not what you do. So, how are you gonna help your girls understand what their role on the team is gonna be?

SPEAKER_00 16:57

Well, we're not looking at the roster and then some of the incoming kids that I got from some of the middle schools, you know, I think the role is gonna be, the roles now just gonna be whoever, you know, getting to it. You know what I mean? Because it's just so young. So the roles is that that really can't really be determined right now, to be perfectly honest with you. Because all of them are similar in age, they're similar in grade, you know what I mean. So I haven't really seen on play to see what they can and can't do besides a couple of the middle schools who um schoolers who I seen that's like when you called me and told me I couldn't, I couldn't believe it, coach. Yeah, three people called me and told me a couple of girls. I was like, I was like, man, Ray probably just saying that, you know what I mean. And then when I and then somebody else called me, then coach Howard called me and said, Man, you got like three, four girls up here that can play. And then I was like, Oh, when I would have seen them play, so just roll, I think that'll come in time, you know what I mean. I ain't really gonna define what a kid's role is until we all we get in the gym and stuff like that. But when that time comes, I'm definitely gonna put put down because you know the coach is the culture, bro. Like, like it is what it is. That's how it's gonna be at Seabrees with the girls, the coaches, the culture, you know, everything on my face. So whenever I start putting down, that's just how it's gonna be. You know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 18:11

Okay, so you know, we talked a little bit about you know, rebuilding the program, players and development. So every you know, everybody wanna know a little bit about your X's and O's. So, what style of basketball do you want Seabreeze fans to see?

SPEAKER_00 18:24

Up tempo, get what I'm saying, pressure defense, get into the rim. We're not playing no laid back basketball. We get into it. So, y'all already know me. It's 55, trap or die. Y'all already know that. That's what we're coming up. Hey, remember that? Remember what I text you last night, and your response was right on. So we're coming to that. No doubt about it. It's not around here, but I'm finna bring it around here with these girls. We're coming at you, trap or die.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

So basically, so basically, you're gonna be a more of a defensive-minded team. Yeah. Up temple on offense. Okay.

SPEAKER_00 18:56

Yeah, we're pushing the ball on offense and we pressuring the ball on defense from this end to that end. That's how we finna play. And watching the girls, I feel like they're tough enough and athletic enough to be able to do it. So that's what we're finna do.

SPEAKER_01 19:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 19:08

All game. All game. All game, coach.

SPEAKER_01 19:11

So when they come in the gym, it's it's uh 55 all day, huh?

SPEAKER_00 19:15

Coach is 55 all day. Trap or die.

SPEAKER_01 19:17

Hey, the last time I heard 55, somebody told me 55 was dead.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

So it was it wasn't dead when we beat them twice. We ain't run 55, did you? Boy, we was in zone. So all the wow, I would have run zone. Uh we 55 with the girls, though.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

Oh, I love that. So, what do you think separate winning teams from average teams? What's the difference in that? Well, I think with CB's was, you know, I ain't gonna say it was bad, it was average. It was average.

SPEAKER_00 19:45

I think um with the winning teams, man, I think it's more so the mindset of the kids. You know, I know the coach is the culture, but at some point the coach is not playing. You see what I'm saying? So you have to have the mindset that we want to win as the team, as the kid. You see what I'm saying? As the student athlete, like we want to win. Like we our coach can talk us up a mountain, but if we just out here playing like we don't want to win or we don't care. And I've been around kids that just don't care. They only care about their individual self and how many points they score or don't score, and and it can get real bad. You see what I'm saying? But at the end of the day, I think the kid gotta want to win more so than the coach. You know what I'm saying? So, like, that's that's always fall on the kid more so than the coach at the end of the day. And the team gotta want to win, you know what I mean? Win, lose, or draw, you gotta build a team if you want to win. That's how I look at it.

SPEAKER_01 20:36

So, how important are effort plays gonna be to your program? Because that's one of the things that a lot of people don't realize is that like a lot of the game, most of the game in high school basketball is played in transition, right? So, like, how important are the effort plays and rebounding going to be to your team this year?

SPEAKER_00 20:55

Well, this year's gonna be real important because all of we're gonna kind of be like a younger team, you know what I mean? So they got to play hard. So I think the effort is.

SPEAKER_01 21:03

How many do you think you're gonna have?

SPEAKER_00 21:06

Probably the two. I think everything else is gonna be 11th, 10th, and 9th. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, so I just think effort is gonna be big, and I think that'll set the tone for the program. If you play hard and let people know, like, you know, me, I'm a Georgia Bulldogs fan. Like, yeah, Georgia can be beat, but it's gonna be it's real hard to beat Georgia. That's how it's gonna be for Seabreeze. You might be able to get us this year, but after that, bro, it's gonna be hard to beat us. I already know. I can just see it.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Yeah. So one of the things that I learned this year, man, and and and it took me a four years to realize this is that Seabreeze High School do have a lot of pride and a lot of community support. So, because we were able to, for our last two playoff games, especially for the uh championship game, we were able to pack the gym. Right? So just a question for you how can the Seabrees community support the girls' program?

SPEAKER_00 21:57

You know, they always can make donations to the school, you get what I'm saying? Man, because you know, you gotta you gotta be able to do more things now that we're gonna be going to camps and and it costs because everything costs, they know everything costs, everything costs game five dollars, everything cost when you text me the price of one of them camps.

SPEAKER_01 22:13

I was like, God damn, man, that's like ain't no way, man.

SPEAKER_00 22:16

But we gotta go to them because you know I get before, like it wasn't they wasn't doing that, so you know, like I say, you can get used to not doing, but now you got a coach that's finna be doing, and that stuff is expensive, so you know you can always make donations to the um program, you know what I mean? Things like that. You could come to the game, come watch the girls play. You see what I'm saying? I think that's a another thing, you know. We gotta get kids in there. But I think you know, shout out to you though. I think you changed a little bit of that though, you know what I mean? When you took over the boys' program, I think you're showing now that you can win at Seabridge like it used to be. You get what I'm saying? You don't have to go to another school and all that just to be a part of the winning school. You get what I'm saying? I think you showed that with the boys, and you lost some of your better boys and still won. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? No sneak, there's no discs, but that's what hey, it is what it is.

SPEAKER_01 23:01

And so, what I'm gonna do, man, because I know how hard it is financially, in our basketball program. We didn't, I mean, we did well raising money last year. So I'm gonna be your first, not my team, me. I'm gonna be your first uh donation. Uh and I don't know how I'm gonna get it to you, man. You know, I'll be able to shoot you over $100 or something. Yeah, or you don't see it. Tell me how to get to it, man, because I want to stand behind you, man. I want to be able to help you, man. So, you know, $100 ain't much, but it's a start. So, like what I know. No, it is a start.

SPEAKER_00 23:30

I appreciate that, because you know it's much.

SPEAKER_01 23:32

I'll donate that to you guys as soon as I see you. Next time I see you, I give it to you.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

So I appreciate that.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Now, one of the things in here, man, that's super important are the younger girls, right? So, what do you want the younger girls in the area to see when they watch how your team play?

SPEAKER_00 23:48

When they watch Seabreeze play in the summer leagues and when they come and work out things of that sort, they're gonna see that. Like Coach AJ really knows what he's talking about. He just ain't been really talking trash the last 10, 12 years about it. But they're gonna see a coach that's, you know, trying to get kids ready to play college basketball if they want to. And if you don't want to, you want to just be successful in high school, we're gonna have good teams. So you're gonna have you're gonna be around with good coaches. Coach AJ got connections, you're gonna be around good trainers, people that can come in there, work you out, things of that sort. It's just a whole different vibe with me and everything that I have. Like, you know, the connections that I got, you know, over the years of coaching. So when the kids, young kids come around, they're gonna see now you're gonna have a travel program, you can play for girls only. Now we're gonna start running, you know. I ain't gonna put all my stuff out there. You know, they like the copycat. So I ain't gonna put all the stuff out there, but just know the young girls, man. Y'all already know it's claws up. So when you start seeing some of the stuff, just tell your parents, yeah, I want to go play with Coach AJ the you know, per basketball sapphire's about to drop this summer, June and July. You get what I'm saying? So that's his house in the B, coach.

SPEAKER_01 24:55

No, I get it, I get it, man. So that is a that is an excellent way to look at it, man, because if you got them doing more, they'll want to come by and participate. So when you uh think of when you think back on, you know, building the programs and you know, making because you know, CB, I don't think CB's had a JV last year. I want to say they had it the year before. So my question to you is how important is it building a connection with the middle school and you know other youth programs around here?

SPEAKER_00 25:23

Coach, like I always told you, the JV is called JV for a reason. You see what I'm saying? Yeah. I was a JV coach. I know how important JV is to any program. So we're having a JV team. There's just no way around it. I don't care if it's seven, six, seven girls. We're having a JV team because I know that's important because eventually when kids start to graduate, if you don't have nothing to replace it with, then you could be in some situations, like I know a couple of schools is around here not. But you know, we're having that like period in like the middle school basketball with the girls, like I was telling you a couple weeks ago. I'm seeing 15 girls on teams, 10 girls on teams, 12 girls on teams. I'm seeing all these girls, but I am like, well, where's after that? What's going on? But when they get to high school, they don't play. When they get to high school, they don't play. I mean, I just like I don't, I don't, you know what I mean? So when I seen that, I couldn't believe it. Like I seen, I think was it silver saying that 15 girls look like. You get what I'm saying? I'm just like, well, how can some of these teams not have JV teens? You know what I mean? So you know me, I'm a I'm I was a J V coach for a long time. So, you know, I believe in JV. So that's that's the that's the backbone of your program. I always believe that. So, you know what I mean? Kids, when you get through playing, you know, O Bill Mesh, the ones that's zone for C Breeze out of Henson, man. Like, we playing when you get to high school, right? Coach AJ believes in that your team matters, JV matters, so that's how we're gonna be rocking.

SPEAKER_01 26:55

That's good right there, big dog. That's good. So, like for me, one of the things that I used to be really disappointed in was when I used to go to the girls' games, um, and the only people used to be in the stands were the the parents, and you know, a lot of my boys went to the games because typically we had practice afterwards. Yeah. But like I go to the girls' games and like watch them, watch my guys go crazy and like cheer for the girls like it was crazy. So, what message are you gonna have for all of all of the kids at the school who may not have attended a girls' basketball game? How are you gonna get some of the fans, some of the some of the kids at the school to come out and watch?

SPEAKER_00 27:38

I I would just say like be a friend. Like, you know, a lot of the boys and girls like their friends in high school, they grew up together, so come watch a friend play. You get what I'm saying? Don't be a friend on Instagram or a friend walking around the hallways. Come be a friend if your friend got a game, boys and girls. Girls, you got friends that play on the boys team, go support them, go watch them play. And then at this point, once they see the vibe and the swat that you know, Coach AJ, you know, Coach Parks and Coach Kirby Bringing, they just gonna want to come. You know what I'm saying? They're gonna come and check us out. You get what I'm saying? We're in the pile of blue, coach. Hey, come in the pile of blue, man.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

You already know it. Listen, man. Hey, well, I told you the last time, you know, this is back when you was a JB coach, coaching coaching creek. You over here talking about how how awesome y'all was gonna be. Well, you be writing a lot of tickets, man. You know what I'm saying? So you better be in the city.

SPEAKER_00 28:25

We just had a tough year this year. You know what I'm saying? We should we should have been good this year, too. I gotta give people the book. But you know, we played 15 playoff teams, too. Final four, that's a hard. That's tough, Coach. But with the girl coaching, we locked in, Code already. I got, you know, got the assistant coaches who I want. They locked in, you know, they in the city. We know we had a little, you know, we talked a lot after the parent meeting. We got uh over there. I saw y'all over there. We got everything in place, man. We is in place, not just for like we finna build it, but for the future. Get what I'm saying? Like, we got code. Like, man, you know, coach Joe test me, told me, man, you out here playing chess, not checking. Coach, you already know what I'm doing. It's low, it's coach, it's coach, it's finna get real, it's finna get tough now. I'm just telling you. Hey, I ain't mad at you so. It's finna it's finna get ugly. Coach, don't tell what I did, though. Don't tell what I did. Okay. You know, I always coach boys, no, but when I have my daughter, I start coaching girls. You get what I'm saying? So I got a I really got a good 12, 13 girls. You get what I'm saying? Like, that's always payments since like second, third grade. Get what I'm saying. I know about six, seven, eight of them, they're they will be there. You get what I'm saying? You know, touchdown in Daytona, what you know, coach, it it is Oh Lord. Then my assistant coaches, you know, they they got relationships with the girls and all that, man. You get what I'm saying? But I also say this though, like, we're gonna have fun, but the the main purpose is to like to win the games at the end of the day and build a real program. You get what I'm saying? Not no team, a program. The program, not no a program to where the community can be excited, the school can be excited, and just bring it back how it used to be. Because when I was in high school, Cree's boys basketball team was good. Get what I'm saying? Yeah. So then, like what you did with the boys, man, taking over a program that was bad. Now they know that you can win at Seabreeze. So that's what it's gonna be on the girls' side of things, too.

SPEAKER_01 30:24

All right, so we talked a lot about in the beginning about the uh rebuilding the program, player development, um, community and community pride. So now I want to talk a little bit about your journey, man. You know what I'm saying? Just talk about what shaped you as a coach. So, you know, when you look back on your coaching career, who helped shape you as a coach?

SPEAKER_00 30:44

Well, really, you know, when I was when I had my daughter, I had took some time off from coaching. I was trying to get back into coaching when she was about six, but nobody would put me on. The first person who put me on was you. So stop, say it again. Say it again. We start talking and stuff like that. I was like, man, did you say we didn't know what you're doing? Didn't even know you like that, though. You didn't even know coaching. I just thought you start making your little crazy post, I think, on Instagram. Yeah. That's why I said I was like, oh, he kind of like me. So then we just started talking. So then when you put me on that cavalry, you know what I mean? You taught me a little taught me some stuff. You taught me a final faux lesson that I probably won't do, but you taught me that one. But now you taught me a lot of stuff about basketball how it's mostly about the kids having fun because a lot of the uh kids not going to college. That's just that's especially. It was different back then than where they could probably go to school. Like, you know, we had a bunch of divisional.

SPEAKER_01 31:34

Yeah, we had a couple of that went.

SPEAKER_00 31:36

Now it's just really, really hard. So if you get an um opportunity to go play college basketball, any school, any level, just take that because it's it's about money, and with money, they want the best of the best. And that's not saying kids aren't the best of the best, but if you want that experience of college basketball, you gotta um go do that. So, you know, you taught me that about it, just gotta let the kids have fun in high school and let whatever happens after that play out how it plays out. So then when I went to Joe, Joe, when I went to help Joe coach at Mainland, you know, he taught me some stuff too. He one thing he said to me, he said, make sure you're ready to coach, be ahead coach when that time comes, because it's um it's not as easy as you think it is. And I think the reason I think he said that is because he's at Mainland, and Mainland got a thousand kids that can be on that basketball team, but we all know everybody can't make that basketball team. No doubt about it. You see what I'm saying? So I think he was telling me, like, bro, you think it's it's easy, like, like, but it's not really that easy. So he taught me, like, and I know why he said that, because like Mayland just is just is just loaded at Mainland. So I think he was trying to say, like, bro, you gotta cut good kids too. You get what I'm saying? And you know, Howard taught me some stuff. He taught me a lot of stuff about, you know, the um the paperwork type stuff, you know, things of that sort. He taught me that about how to deal with parents too. He says just a whole uh, so you know, I learned a lot from a lot of people that I coached under, but you know, I think all those experiencements are gonna help me be a successful coach, to be honest, which you know what I'm saying?

SPEAKER_01 33:00

Yeah, that's what's up. So, like what you said earlier about the time we were at Calvary, because people don't believe that you know, uh we were winning games and we were sending guys to college over there. Yeah, that actual game, that actual team that we was one game away from the final four, I wanna say four out of the starting five went on to college.

SPEAKER_00 33:18

Yeah, Cody. You know what I'm saying? We weren't plugging it, we weren't plugging stuff like that back then. We would just tell you. Yeah, man, you just were just like, we could go back, we would plug all that because we would have plugged all that, Cody.

SPEAKER_01 33:28

And you know, uh not only not only not only was our kids going to school at that time, we was helping other kids from other programs go to school too, but people don't know that, you know, because I remember coming back from Atlanta when you got by the kid. Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah. Because then, you know, people say we'd be around here hating and stuff.

SPEAKER_00 33:47

So but they was excited, they was excited about D2, man. You made a couple calls, man. We had them with D1, man. That's real, that's facts. Yeah, that's fact. You know, they don't they don't know. But a little bit about me, like man, you know, we grew up in New Sumer, you know what I mean, originated from Georgia, you know what I mean. You know, my dad was a uh basketball player of basketball, taught me and my brothers how to play. So he was a tough coach, tough man, so he instilled toughness in us. So, you know, almost like a defensive-minded coach, you get what I'm saying? A toughness coach. So I get that from my dad, my older brothers, and stuff like that. So when we touch down, bro, like like it's it's gonna be all you're gonna have to have beat us, bro. Like, period.

SPEAKER_01 34:25

You're gonna have to beat us. So now, what is one lesson basketball has taught you that you want your players to learn?

SPEAKER_00 34:34

Basketball taught me that playing basketball taught me that when I was coming up, you know, when I was getting in a lot of trouble and stuff like that, it actually did help me stay out of trouble. And people say that, but they don't really understand. But I grew up in a different era than like most of the kids growing up now. Like we grew up in a in a real tough era environment down here in New Smyrna. So it was just just it really gave me something to do other than that. Yeah, I wasn't doing that, but it just taught me like how to really stay out of trouble, man. Find some time to do something, get in the gym, do something, go to the park, do something, opposed to being doing what everybody else is doing. It taught me not to be a follower. You see what I'm saying? Yeah, because it was as it was a turning point, you know. When I got out my program, I had to either go this way or I had to go that way, and I just chose to go this way. And basketball was a big part of that.

SPEAKER_01 35:24

Yeah, so what will your players learn from you beyond basketball? You know, you know, like I tell people all the time, like, I'm never gonna be known as Coach Ray, Coach Gaze, or whatever you want to call it, because I ain't no goddamn coach. That is just not who I am. Like, I just have to know a little bit, and yeah.

SPEAKER_00 35:42

So I kind of love basketball, but I yeah, like with me, like I always tell kids that come around me, like it's in this generation, man. Like the kids that's been like come up under me and they'll tell you like I'm a truth-telling coach. So I think kids will learn like just honesty about stuff, like even just in life, man, just being sometimes you can't tell the truth, big dog. You can't coach they're gonna learn the truth. You get what I'm saying? So, like, and but I think that'll help kids, man. I think when you most so don't be honest with kids, I think that hurt them more so than anything. You know what I mean? If you tell a kid like, man, bro, man, you ain't finna go to college for this, but you're gonna have a lot of fun at high school to have a little successful local high school career. That kids can they'll fight hard for you like that. You get what I'm saying? Yeah, that don't mean like you saying they sorry because every kid not going to college. That's just how it is. But I tell kids the truth, man. You know what I mean? Truth telling. That's just what it is.

SPEAKER_01 36:32

I'm a truth teller, too, though.

SPEAKER_00 36:33

Yeah, like I'm not finna sugarcoat it.

SPEAKER_01 36:35

So, like most people call my truth telling dream killer.

SPEAKER_00 36:39

No, it's the truth.

SPEAKER_01 36:40

Hey, it's the truth. Like, hey, college basketball is hard. Like, it was hard back when we were in school, it's even harder now. It's it's just not for everybody. So I'm a truth teller, Cody. So I tell people, hey man, you never go into school, but what you can do is you can have a great high school career. Yeah, not telling you that you're going to play at no Texas or Auburn, none of that. So I'm not doing none of that. Look at the look at look at the stuff. So uh, so my next thing for you, man, is is like what excites you most about this opportunity?

SPEAKER_00 37:11

That you know, the rumor, Mills, you know, is the school was bad. And you know, I'm just fortunate that I got the job, you know what I mean? So, you know, it's a lot of things. A lot of people turn the job down. You get what I'm saying? So I'm glad they turned it down so I can get it.

SPEAKER_01 37:25

Ain't nobody turn no job. Don't was right here, people right here telling these fibs. Ain't nobody turn no job down. Get out of here.

SPEAKER_00 37:33

Coach, you can't do that on no podcast, because this is a civil podcast. Yeah, all right, okay. But you know what I'm saying? But I'm glad they turned it down so yours truly can get it. You get what they're doing.

SPEAKER_01 37:44

Turn it down, huh?

SPEAKER_00 37:45

So when they turn it down, now I'm fortunate to be the head coach. You get what I'm saying? So now I get to build a program in my image, my likeness that no, that was never thought of to be good. You get what I'm saying? We was bad. It might be bad again this year, it might be, but like I told, like me and the coaches was talking about after next year, bro.

SPEAKER_01 38:05

It takes time to build, bro. Especially, especially if you build it the right way. Now you can easily go out here and pull. Now, back when we was at Calvary, man, we had to kind of move some pieces around and get a couple kids that other coaches didn't want. And, you know, other coaches recommended them to come, but I didn't go to everybody. That was only Coach Joe. He sent me over two kids, no, three, four kids that were bona fide, some of the hardest working kids I've ever coached. Um, but like pook of them. Puka Drew, sir. And George and all the boys, like, them dudes just was like workers, man. And so it was. But like that's the thing that we talk about all the time, man, is that you know, like, building a program takes time. Like, like, yeah, you're not gonna have that. Now you may get lucky, man, and have a little bit of overnight success, but then once you start that pattern of bringing in kids from different schools, you can never stop that.

SPEAKER_00 39:03

And you gotta keep it going because it's or or or you're eventually gonna leave and just go find another school.

SPEAKER_01 39:09

Because you're not taking the time to invest time into your JV.

SPEAKER_00 39:12

So that's well, coach, like my basketball mind, my basketball mind is old school. Yeah, so when I'm looking at the roster makeup of what we have, like it there's it's just so much youth, so they're young. Yeah, you love that. So I'm building that way. Of course, you know, again, I say again for everybody on the podcast the kids that zone for Seabree's that's tell them. I just want my kids to come back home. You get what I'm saying? Like, you ain't gotta go to this school, that school. Seabreeze got a new coach, it's not the same coach, not the same swag, it's a different swag. So, like, yeah, you can come to Seabreeze now, come back home, baby. You know, come home, come back home like LeBron, baby. That's it. But if you don't, we straight either way.

SPEAKER_01 39:55

You're talking about it. Hey, and before I go on to this next question, if anybody in the chat have a question that you want me to ask Coach AJ, feel free to throw it in there. I don't care what it is, as long as it's age appropriate, you know, I will uh I will I will ask them for you guys. But for me, man, my next question before we kind of get into the rapid fire part of it is when people look back on your time leaving Seabreeze Girls basketball, what what do you want them to say about you?

SPEAKER_00 40:24

That he he changed the when he changed the whole culture. You get what I'm saying? And then watch this. I plan on being there a long time. So if you know what we talked about today, we just leaving y'all our gist like that no more. And nobody looked like Code Howard say, bro, listen, listen. Code Howard said this numerous times. It goes in phases, because remember what we said when I was at that game. Yeah, it's it's it's it's up there now. So, but hopefully when I leave, not be a long time because I ain't getting nobody nothing. They're gonna have to file me for me to leave. I ain't getting nobody nothing. Hopefully, I have a couple state championships by then. You know, since I always talk about final foes and state championships, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 41:04

Yeah, I get that, bro, because that's the thing that happened with me, man. Like I'd never forget it, man. It was Chris Jackson from D-Land was like, Coach, I cannot believe you left Trinity when you did, and the very next year them fools go to the state championship game. You know what I'm saying? Because I got, I'm like, man, I'm tired of driving all the way over here. With all the kids that we brought in there, the very next year they go to the state championship game. That's crazy. So it's like every time I see him, man, he reminds me that he said, Coach, you better not ever cool. You need to wait it out. It kind of feels like it's like.

SPEAKER_00 41:36

Yeah, it's so crazy. As soon as I go to as soon as I go to Creek, man, they're back to bat final four. It's bad, man. I don't really miss three final foes. Yeah. I miss one at Calvary. We was in the Elite Eight. Right when I that's very next year I leave Joe, man. They're in back to bat final. It's bad. It's bad. Oh man, we should have gone last year. Last year though, creep should have gone. We was the final fourteen last year, man. Yeah before, yeah before. We were the final four.

SPEAKER_01 42:07

Boy, are you about to make me cuss when you're gonna go?

SPEAKER_00 42:08

No, no, this year just year before last like with Devon and Varquise and all then, we're the final fourteen code.

unknown 42:13

Listen.

SPEAKER_01 42:15

Yeah. I'm telling you, Nakko. So rapid fire. These are just quick questions, one word answers, and then if you want to elaborate on it, you can. All right. One word to when you think about Seabree's girls basketball, give me one word. Oh, that's a good question.

SPEAKER_00 42:34

Um that's a good one.

SPEAKER_01 42:40

Interesting. Interesting. Okay. What's your favorite drill? Oh, defense or slide drill. I know the answer to this question, but I'm gonna ask you anyway. Defense or offense. Defense. Pregame hype music or calm focus? Pre-game hype music, what is the biggest key to winning? Listening. Listening. What's your favorite basketball quote? Roger Fox.

SPEAKER_00 43:14

It's some Bobby Knight stuff. I know it's some Bobby Knight stuff. There's a lot of them though, man. Give me one. One of them would be, you know, everybody wanna win, but if you have a the willingness to prepare to win, that's from Bobby Knight.

SPEAKER_01 43:25

I know it's Bobby Knight. Ah, this is a good question right here. Toughest team you want on your schedule.

SPEAKER_00 43:31

New Surney Beach.

SPEAKER_01 43:34

Ooh, that's gonna say it with your chest, big dog. Say it with your chest. The last one. One thing every Sand Cat every Sand Crab player must bring every day. Toughness. So we're gonna close with this these last two questions. What is your message to current and future Seabrees girls basketball players?

SPEAKER_00 43:58

Seabreeze is the place to Be you don't have to go to those other schools no more. The quality of the coaching staff, you know what I mean? The quality of the school is like you say, everything's at Seabridge now. You don't have to go nowhere else to play basketball.

SPEAKER_01 44:12

Cole, you done said that about four or five times in this in this interview, man. Like, listen, you know, we had used to get on this thing, and like you'd be ranting and raving about the portals open when you coaching the board.

SPEAKER_00 44:22

Because the portal is open. Because I got five. I'm got five. I'm trying to get. They know who that coach is five. That's it.

SPEAKER_01 44:34

20 seconds, you tripping. You tripping. Because they all slow for sea breeze, though. Listen, you remember when I got the job four years ago? You were tripping. You probably you went on. You was on the podcast. I want all my kids all my kids to come back.

SPEAKER_00 44:49

That's what I want. Hell yeah, damn right. I want all the seabreeze kids. I don't want nobody that's supposed to be at no other school but seabreeze. How am I wrong for that? Why can't I want the seabreeze kids to come back? You know what I'm saying? The portal open for girls, too, man. You know what I'm saying? That's a real thing, man.

SPEAKER_01 45:08

Do you crazy? Okay. The last question, man, and and like this is probably one of the most important questions I've asked on this podcast in a long time. What would make year one a positive for you and the program?

SPEAKER_00 45:23

A positive, I think if we the numbers grow. If I see a good 10, 12 on JV, good 10, 12 on Varsity, that's a win. Because it was, it was, it was, it was.

SPEAKER_01 45:37

Why do you say that? Elaborate a little bit on that.

SPEAKER_00 45:39

Because it's strength in numbers. So I know the program that I took over of, you know what I mean? I know it's down right now. You get what I'm saying? I know you gotta lose before you can win. I'm not, you get what I'm saying? We're gonna go in there and try to win every game, but I understand the situation that I'm in. But I just know it's strength in numbers. I know how you build a program, you build it from within. You get what I'm saying? So when I get the numbers up, then we're gonna be rocking and rolling. With everything I bring to the table with the connections I got, like it's just gonna be, it's gonna, it's gonna click. So I just want the numbers. I want JVM varsity team, and then we everything changes after that. Our swag, get what I'm saying? Our mindset, just that, just the numbers. That's it. I just want two teams.

SPEAKER_01 46:19

Listen, man. Um, first off, but I appreciate you getting on on this glorious Sunday morning.

unknown 46:24

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 46:25

But oh, I want people to know, man, that you know, we've talked about it a little bit, and AJ mentioned it a lot. Man, listen, if you zone for seabreeze, and I you know I don't care. I'll I'll walk along with seasons. So, you know, people can say what they want to say. Yeah, if you zone for seabreeze, there's no need for you to go get your basketball fix somewhere else. Well, I'm gonna say all the sports, your football fix, yeah, your volleyball fix, your baseball fix, fix don't matter. Come to your hometown school and play for your hometown coaches, man. And so, because it only makes the area better if everybody's where they're supposed to be.

SPEAKER_00 47:04

If you stop pop, man, everybody don't get to play, man.

SPEAKER_01 47:06

Everybody know that. Yeah, you got eight, nine kids on the team from from other you got four or five kids from other schools on your team, and they're not playing. Just don't ride the bench, man.

SPEAKER_00 47:17

Don't ride the bench. You can't get in the game, you can't play on them good, you know what I mean?

SPEAKER_01 47:21

You can't play if you everybody 1520s for me. You know how it goes Hey, listen, and we're gonna give y'all some breaking news, man. You know, hoops and headsets is probably gonna go down, and we're gonna uh we're gonna change it because going back to paint the city red. The city red with this one, yeah. All y'all, all y'all dudes out here, yeah. It's gonna be code man bleeds all day.

SPEAKER_00 47:45

I'm glad nobody wanted this job, boy.

SPEAKER_01 47:47

Oh, you're gonna stop saying that, dog.

SPEAKER_00 47:48

No, that's what they were saying.

SPEAKER_01 47:50

Oh Lord. Hey, I'm gonna tell it like this about people not wanting this job. And I'm gonna say I'm gonna end on this note. Membership has its privileges. Understand a little code. Everybody ain't got the juice. Now, since y'all wanna put those, did y'all want to put those uh those uh false narratives out there? Everybody ain't got the juice. Baby, you already know it's clause. Yeah, everybody ain't got the juice. We in the city now. We in the city. I appreciate it. Listen, I'm gonna put this podcast up today. Yeah, we up, man. Put it up, man. I'm gonna put it up, coach.

SPEAKER_00 48:29

Coach, listen, man. Come on, man. You already know, man.

SPEAKER_01 48:32

They know what it is now. You've been waiting for this opportunity, man. You've been you've been talking about it for two years on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 48:38

Coach, listen. Coach Kirby said we're coming. That was Coach. You already know what it is. We're in the city, we're in the trenches, man. For now, for two, three years from coaches it's it's set up. I know you see, I know you see the coach's style, Coach. Listen, listen, listen, listen.

SPEAKER_01 48:57

So you over here causing all this havoc. You don't live over here, dog. You live on the other side, you live on the coach.

SPEAKER_00 49:05

It's finna get ugly. I'm telling you, they gotta come and get me. They're gonna have to come and get me in a couple years, coach. Code, I know you see the right. Hey, Cole, Cole Joe Pets got the gate. Cole Joe said, ooh, Cole's finna paint the city red. Boy, you see the coaches' dial, man. That was for a reason.

SPEAKER_01 49:22

Listen, man, you made some great hires, man. You made some great hires. And and and I'm I'm only gonna say this, it's because I went through it. Head coaches are only as good as their assistant coaches. If you don't have assistant coaches on your team, number one, that actually believes your vision, if if you don't have head, you don't have assistant coaches on your team that support you behind the scenes, if you don't have assistant coaches that are speaking the same language you're speaking, you will not be successful here. I've been there, done that, not just at Seabreeze, I've done it at Calvary, man, you know, when I didn't have the right people over there. I've done it at Trinity when I didn't have the right people over there.

SPEAKER_00 50:14

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:14

Gotta have the right people in order to grow your program. Because if you don't, they're gonna tear your program down from behind. And it's bad because a lot of times those guys that you bring on as assistant coaches, they're typically, you are typically giving them their first opportunity to be an assistant coach, which hopefully you can be elevate them into being head coaches. But you gotta have real, you gotta have some real people behind you, dog. So I'm thankful for guys like you, Kiva, uh Bone was good for me.

SPEAKER_00 50:46

Yep.

SPEAKER_01 50:47

Um Carl Knight was good for me.

SPEAKER_00 50:49

Yeah, yep, yep, yep, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 50:51

Uh Pastor Evans was great for me. Like, you know, you know, because you gotta have people that believe in your vision, because if they don't, man, you cannot be a successful coach here in Volusia County because it's a dog eat dog world out here. Guys that you think are your friends all the time. Yep. Real enemies are better than fake friends, dog. And so that's how I feel about the coaches. I'd rather for you to be, yeah, I'd rather for you to hate me than to be sitting beside me dogging me out when I'm not around. So you got some good girls. I've been knowing, I've been knowing Jay Parks since like she was a little itty bitty girl.

SPEAKER_00 51:26

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:27

Um I had actually met uh Coach Kirby just on Instagram, just kind of just listening to her talk about her basketball journey. And and now I'm when I seen that. Uh she played at Miami New Orleans, so she might got a little bit of game up there. She posted some pictures of that. I didn't know she had some game, but you know what I'm saying? Not too simple, but that's real though. Like a lot of people don't know that. So me and her just kind of communicated via Instagram. So Friday was the first time that I've ever met her in person.

unknown 51:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 51:54

So it's just good to have real people on your side. And if you don't, bro, you're gonna be arguing with parents, kids, and coaches because the coach is gonna tell the kid one thing and be talking to your parents behind you. It's a lot, bro.

SPEAKER_00 52:08

Coach, we've been to Florida, Code. They know it too. That's a lot.

SPEAKER_01 52:13

So that was my Sunday sermon. Get you some people that believe in you, man. You know what I'm saying? You get some people that believe in you behind you. Hey, man, the sky's the limit, bro. But hey, man, I appreciate you, man. Um, like I said, I'm gonna make that donation to you as soon as I see you, man. Soon you're trying to get your program started because that freaking $600 for a team camp. People need some people need their ass whooped. Made donation. We did donation. Lord had mercy. Gee, for one crazy. But all right, big dog, man. I'm gonna post this. I appreciate you, boy. All right, bro. Bet sir, bet. Yeah.