Ep. 8 - Arkansas Softball’s Quiet Revolution

What if the real edge in college sports isn’t a new playbook but a stronger sense of belonging? We sit down with Arkansas softball head coach Courtney Deifel to unpack how a California catcher with a passport full of stamps built an SEC contender by pairing uncompromising standards with human care. From a childhood spent on fields across tiny towns to lifting a national championship trophy at Cal, she shares how a love for fundamentals, team diversity, and steady leadership became the backbone of a winning program.

Courtney opens up about the evolution of college athletics; more resources and visibility, but louder pressure too. She tackles the realities of social media, NIL, and the transfer era, and why connection matters more than ever. Arkansas returned its roster this summer, a testament to the culture she’s built: athletes who feel safe, seen, and valued bring their best selves to the field. Her philosophy blends high standards learned from a detail-driven high school coach with the freedom she experienced under a non-micromanaging college mentor, proving that excellence and authenticity can coexist.

Her time playing professionally in Japan adds a unique lens. We explore the beauty of disciplined defense, the limits of negative motivation, and how communication cuts across languages when the goal is shared. Travel in Thailand, Kenya and Europe further shaped her approach, reinforcing the power of hospitality, perspective, and humility. The takeaway is clear: fundamentals create trust, freedom fuels expression, and belonging sustains performance when the landscape shifts. If you care about leadership, culture, and building teams that last, this conversation delivers practical wisdom you can use on any field.

If this resonated, follow and subscribe to Youth Unmuted, share the episode with a friend, and leave a quick review to help more listeners find the show.

Transcript

Welcome And Guest Intro

SPEAKER_00 0:00

Welcome back everyone. My name is Holden and I am your host for the Youth Unmuted Podcast. This is a team-led podcast with the Boys and Girls Club of Benton County where we share unique stories that relate to today's youth. Let's get started.

SPEAKER_01 0:14

Today's guest is Courtney Difel, the head coach who has transformed Arkansas softball into a national container. A former collegiate and professional catcher, Coach Difel is known for her strong leadership, play for his philosophy, and ability to elevate talent. Under her guidance, the Razorbacks have earned national recognition and established themselves among the SEC's best. We're excited to explore her journey, coaching style, and the vision driving Arkansas softball forward in this month's episode. Women do sports too. Yeah, Coach Difel, we're super excited to have you today.

SPEAKER_02 0:43

I'm excited to be here.

SPEAKER_01 0:44

Yeah, so yeah, of course. Can you start us and tell us a little bit about yourself?

SPEAKER_02 0:48

Well, a little bit about myself. Um I'm starting seasons 11 at the at the U of A, which is crazy. It's like we've blinked and we're in season 11. Um, I'm originally from California. Um, and I've had a journey of, you know, playing all the sports and then decided it's probably better at softball. Played softball at the University of California at Berkeley. Um, had a pretty good run there in the four years, played professionally in Japan after that, and then kind of hopped around from being a GA at Oklahoma to being an assistant at Maryland, to Louisville, to the head coach at Maryland, and then here we are. Um I am uh married to my husband Joe. We have two boys that are 10 and 8, Chirp and Walt. And um they take every bit of minute, every minute that I have that is not at Vogel and with my team. So um that's that's me and a snapshot.

Falling In Love With Softball

SPEAKER_01 1:43

Yeah, for sure. It sounds like you've been all over the place. But yeah, um, so can you tell me when did your love for softball start?

SPEAKER_02 1:49

Oh, well, my love for softball started very early. So um my family, we originally, like I said, I'm from California and we lived in a very small town called Chow Chola um prior to moving to Fresno. Um, Chow Chilla at that time, it's still very small, but at the time it was like a one-stop sign town, not one stop light, one-stop sign. Um, we didn't even have like a fast food restaurant. And my dad was the high school baseball coach, and we got started in like t ball. We played every sport growing up. And um, we started in t ball and we loved it. And and we just were a sports family. So we everything we did was was around sports. Um, but we gravitated towards, you know, baseball, softball. Um, we didn't really get into softball until probably until I was like 10, maybe nine or 10, just because they didn't really have it. We played with the boys. Um, when we were younger, we didn't have enough girls at that time in our small town. And um, my mom and dad ended up taking us to the next biggest town, Madeira. Um, and we played some softball there. And um, and then they moved us to Fresno just for more opportunities. And um we we just love it. We love being around baseball, we love softball, we love all the sports and everything that you get to learn while you play sports. Um, but I would say my love for softball started in T-ball. Um, and then it really caught on probably in the 10 to 12 year um when I started playing travel ball for the first time and um just were arounded like-minded people, competitive people. Um, I I love the sport, I love the strategy, I love the people that play it and are involved with it. And so um it's just taken off since then.

SPEAKER_01 3:38

Yeah, for sure. It sounds amazing. And kind of sounds like you kind of, when you were younger, you went to you said three different schools for like disbounts from Fresno.

SPEAKER_02 3:47

Well, we yeah, we started in Chowchilla and then we just drove to Madeira for sports. And then we moved to Fresno Clobus area um when I was around third grade.

Sports As A Classroom For Life

SPEAKER_01 3:56

Yeah, I get that. So a lot of different teams when you were younger, a lot of different like getting to new, meet different people and just kind of learn about your own softball style. Do you think being able to switch through those teams kind of helped you develop who you were as a person?

SPEAKER_02 4:09

Oh, yes. I think sports in general helps you develop who you are as a person. Um, whether it's softball, whether we played soccer, we played basketball, we played volleyball, we did track. I was not as track star like you are. Um but um we just we wanted we were involved in everything. Um and you learn so much through um the training piece, the discipline, the goal setting, the um just being a teammate, uh, all of those things that you learn a lot about who you are. Um, and then hopefully who you are as a leader in those settings. And um yeah, so I think there's so many lessons to learn in sport, and then you figure out who you are as you learn those lessons.

SPEAKER_01 4:52

Yeah, for sure. And you hit that keyword that uh I like to use a lot in leader. And like with the Boys and Girls Club, I feel like everyone is always like growing, and the staff members are really like encouraging a culture where leadership is built. So, can you talk about how like playing all those sports like really made that leadership? And what does leadership mean to you?

SPEAKER_02 5:09

Well, that's a heavy question.

SPEAKER_01 5:11

Yeah, no, yeah, for sure.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

It takes um So um leadership to me means getting people to follow you, um, getting people to follow you, and maybe um getting them to follow you towards one common goal. Um, leadership isn't leadership if no one's following you. Um, and so getting to um act in a way, talk in a way, follow through in a way that people want to follow towards your vision. Um maybe you're leading them or they see more in themselves than they thought was possible. Um, so making sure your your vision, your motivation, your encouragement, who you are, your um your just everyday habits, your consistency with that, making sure that people want to follow that. And then they want to um also, you know, exude those characteristics themselves. Um what other part was that question?

SPEAKER_01 6:09

What else was there another part of the question? That's good. That's perfect. That's perfect. And for me, like I see so many of like the same strengths that you hit on, like in my definition. And I just feel like as a leader, like also being able to kind of like know that, like, hey, I'm also gonna have weaknesses too as a leader, but that's why I have people of my team that can step up and have those strengths and like sports and just in general, like being able to have a diverse group is very important.

SPEAKER_02 6:33

Yeah, uh what you just said made me think about something else. I think sometimes when people think about being leaders, you think, oh, well, I can't be a leader. I'm not perfect, or I'm not um the star player. And that has nothing to do with it. And and I think that's the thing of being a leader is also being human. Um, it's um not always being right, um, but putting your team first, making sure they don't have to worry about you, making sure you show up from for them every day. And I think leadership shows up in different ways. I think there's you have your leaders that just do everything right, but maybe they're not super vocal. And maybe we can um get a little bit more voice out of that person. Um, and then maybe it's the leader that takes someone with them, you know, maybe it's working um one at a time, or maybe it's motivating the group. And and you you need all kinds. Um, there's not just one uh cookie cutter, one size fits all leader or leadership. Um, and so it's it's feeling out what the group needs and how um you can best serve them, but leadership is service. Um and it can be lonely sometimes when you're when you're trying to do the right thing. Um, and so you have to have a um a strong will, um, a strong compass and making sure that you're always serving the people around you.

SPEAKER_01 7:51

Yeah, I agree. Very wise. And I'd like to just jump back a little bit and talk about you. What was it like for your collegiate level, like playing at the collegiate level?

Competing At Cal And Winning It All

Shaping A Coaching Philosophy

SPEAKER_02 7:59

Oh, well, it was um it was an incredible opportunity and a and a great experience. Um, I played at Berkeley, so back um I'm aging myself now. I played in the Pac 10. So um then it was the Pac 12, and now it's like no longer, and now it's reforming. Who the heck knows in in college athletics? Um, but at the time I played, the Pac 10 was like the SEC of now. Or the SEC of then, I should say. Um, so it was super competitive. Um, you were lining it up against the best teams in the country, which to me that's what it's all about. Like, why not play the best and and test yourself? And they're gonna demand your best every day. Whatever you have to give, they're gonna demand your best. And um, and so that's what it was like. It was highly competitive academically, it was highly competitive athletically. Um, we had a good run. We went to the World Series my four years. Uh, we won it my junior year. Um, so we finished seventh, fifth, first, and second. Um, and I think I took a couple lessons out of that. We were very different, our team. We were very different. Um, and I think it takes all kinds in in teams, in the world, all of it. Um, but when it got time to play, when it came time to play, we could separate all our differences and we could just really respect each other on the field. And we could come together and we can play and and be one connected group. Um, and so I learned that it teams always can function differently. It doesn't, there's not just like one team and one um, like I said earlier, one cookie cutter of one way to do it. No, there's a lot of different ways to do it. And you're gonna need a lot of different personalities, you're gonna need a lot of different styles, um, a lot of different people. That's what makes up a team. And then joining together for one um common goal. That's that's a really big thing. My coach also um was not a micromanager. So when I look back at experiences and I look back at different leaders in my life that I played for, different coaches that I played for, and things that I can take from each one, which I do. I played some for some really great coaches. Um, she wasn't a micromanager and she believed in all of us. So she didn't um she didn't make us do it one certain way. Um, she didn't overcoach. She just let us be us. And there's something to be said for that in just letting your team be them individually, because that's when we're all going to be our best, is when we get to be our genuine authentic selves. And um, so she just let us all be individuals and she brought us together. And um, so there's just a lot of different things I took away. I I loved my experience. Um, I would do it all over again, which I think is one of the best things that you could say. Um, and I grew so much as a person. And um, so it was I I loved it.

SPEAKER_01 10:57

Yeah, absolutely. And talking about your coach, do you see yourself now like coaching in a style that reflects her or maybe another coach that you've had? Or like maybe you're just able to take little bits and pieces that you enjoyed from each coach and just reflect it onto your plays.

College Sports Then Vs Now

SPEAKER_02 11:11

I think that's what you learn. The last part, I think, is more me. I think I've played for some really great coaches. I've worked for some really great people. I've worked for some people where their style isn't how I would do it. And I think there's so many lessons to learn in that also is like, I see how that works for you. Um, that wouldn't be in my personality or it wouldn't be authentic to me. So I don't think it would work. Um, but yeah, I think that if you're doing it the right way, you're learning from everybody you're around and learning of you know what works and what doesn't work, and then figuring out what best fits you authentically. Um, and so yeah, I uh I think I learned from her of uh just letting each of our players be them. I I embrace them for who they are, um, even though we're all working together towards one thing and we're all working together to represent the University of Arkansas softball team. But you can have personality, you can play with passion, you could, you know, do all those things that are authentic to you. Um, I also think my high school coach was one of my favorite coaches, Coach Noel. He still coaches at Clovis High School. Um, and he was so big on you just never cut corners. You did it the right way, you did it the right way every time, um, or you did it again. And so it was, it was so consistent. We knew exactly what to expect from him. And he held us to a really high standard every day. Um, and I think that that's one of the best things that you can do as a coach is know, give yourselves, your give your players something to where they know exactly what to expect from you every day. It's not gonna be emotional, it's not gonna be what kind of mood are they in? Oh gosh, what's it gonna look like? No, they need to know what to expect. Um, they need to expect a certain certain standard, and then you need to be consistent with that. Um, and so I think that I've been really lucky uh to be exposed to some really great coaches. Um, my parents are two very good coaches. My dad is a um a record-holding coach in California at the junior college baseball level. My mom never officially coached, but maybe one of the best coaches in our family. Um, and so we are, you know, I just my my husband used to coach college football. Um, and so I have my sister used to coach. So I've been around a lot of great coaches, and I think you you take the best of everyone you're around um and figure out what works best for you individually.

SPEAKER_01 13:39

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 13:40

That was a long answer. That's a great answer. That's a great answer.

SPEAKER_01 13:43

You can just see like how like everyone you've been around, she just take pieces with that. And you said that's how you're gonna coach, and you can kind of just see like the wisdom and like what you've taken away from that. And earlier you mentioned that you said like the pacton is completely different, it's gone, and like the SEC. So, how do you think that being a college athlete has changed from since when you since when you were in college?

SPEAKER_02 14:03

It's like I was like in um the dinosaur era, I'm pretty sure. I'm not sure. Um, it is everything's changed. Um, some for the the better, for sure, and some um to make it a lot more challenging. And I know that's kind of crazy to say with all the resources and all the um support and all of those things that it's more challenging, but it is. There's a lot of things to juggle. Um, I think that one of the most challenging things for for our student athletes is social media. Um, I think that's hard at the high school level. I think it's hard for our recruits. I think it's hard for um, you know, I see some my kids' age that are on it. I think that's tough. Um, I think you you play a comparison. I think you, you know, even with our fan base, you open yourself up for criticism and, you know, and support, but it's not all good. And so you're opening yourself up to that. And I think that's a lot to juggle. Um I think that most of it is changed for the good. But I think that is really, really difficult. Um, I look now and I'm like looking at our sport and I'm looking at, you know, our uniforms and the technology that we have and the stadiums we get to play in. And I just look and say, maybe I played in the wrong time. I don't know.

SPEAKER_03 15:20

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Um, you know, but I I just uh it's awesome to see, like with softball specifically, how much it's grown, um, the opportunities that have come from softball, like more professional opportunities, um, opportunities for our players to make money. Um, I think that's huge. I think there's still a lot of growth that that needs to happen on the women's side. Um, but I I see opportunity. Um, and I I think that that's just really, really exciting.

Culture, NIL, And Player Retention

SPEAKER_01 15:52

Yeah, I bet definitely. The in I the money, the recruitment, I bet it's also different. Even now, like just as I've grown up, and I'm not even in college yet because I'm a senior, but I've seen how like the the raiser back teams, like specifically basketball and football, because that's like what I watch the most. But I'm gonna come to a sophomore game. I'm gonna come to a software game. Now I'm gonna come, uh, but just like how like you can see the recruitment in those bigger schools are able to get those better players and you know, just how much of a bigger deal it is because of that money you can get.

SPEAKER_02 16:21

Well, I think it's it's interesting too, because just looking with what you're saying with football and basketball, we're gonna start having a lot of roster turnover no matter what, with being able to transfer more with NIL with all those things. For us in softball, we're still trying to really hold on to keeping our roster. You know, this past summer we didn't lose anybody. That was huge. That was huge. Um, and so we graduated three and we retained the rest of our players. And so um I think that's the big thing is trying to find your place in this new landscape and trying to um really define your culture um and really make it um easier for them to feel and connect to your culture and your program and have a sense of purpose together. Um, so that's something that we've really focused on the last couple of years is is they need to feel um shared purpose and they need to feel really connected to our program and feel like they belong in it. Um, and so it I think as things continue to change, we just we all want connection, right? And so I think that's been something that we've really, really dove into of just making them feel um, you know, like they're really there's a purpose that we're all kind of working towards and together.

Playing Pro In Japan

SPEAKER_01 17:39

Yeah, that is a fact that I did not know that um all of your team stayed except like those that graduated. Like that, that's a shout out to you. Like you've been able to like make your players feel like they are a part of the culture, they are Arkansas softball. And I think that's like a big factor into why you've been so successful, why you've seen those national like championship teams and why you've made like all the success and kind of built up the Arkansas program for sure. Then what it was is because like the team, the team that you have, they know that they can trust you. They know that you can come to you, but also something you mentioned earlier is that consistency. When uh players get to come in every day and they get to have that consistency, it becomes a part of the routine, something that they can feel safe and confident in. And I think that can really build up a player and just allow them to just play and like know that they have that support no matter what.

SPEAKER_02 18:26

Absolutely. That was so good. I hope that our players feel um everything that you just said, because you want them to be a place where they can thrive and you can thrive when you feel safe and you feel heard and you feel valued. Um, and so those are all things that we hope our players feel every day. Um, and so we want to just create that environment for them to thrive in.

SPEAKER_01 18:49

Yeah, and the fact that they all stayed, I think you're doing, I think that's exactly how they feel.

SPEAKER_03 18:53

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 18:54

Yeah, of course. Um, so I want to go back to Japan. Playing in Japan, like that must have been crazy. Can you just give me like one, maybe one or two of your favorite experiences on or off the field? It doesn't matter.

Travel, Perspective, And Hospitality

SPEAKER_02 19:06

Um, it was such a cool experience. Um, so I I my first year was very difficult. So you go over there, it's kind of a culture shock. Um, you're immersed in and like at that time, it's different now, but at that time you can only have two foreigners per team. So it's all Japanese. We have um an interpreter with us all the time that helps. Um, but you figure out you have to learn how to communicate. And I and that's the big thing. It's like you have to learn how to communicate with your teammates. Um sometimes you literally speak a different language, and sometimes you just are from two different, like you're on polar opposites of um just how you think and process things. And so it's just figuring that out. Um, but my my favorite experience with with my time in Japan is how selfless um the teammates are. They it was probably one of my favorite team experiences because the Japanese player. Players who are just so selfless. They're so disciplined. And I do love defense. So I love defense in our game. And the way they practice and train defense, it's like just such a well-oiled machine. You can just like, you don't even have to appreciate defense to just watch them and think, like, dang, they are so good. You know, like they're so disciplined. They're so fundamental. And um when you have, when you embrace the fundamentals in our sport, you can be really good. Um, so many skip over the fundamentals because they're boring um or monotonous, and you have to be able to embrace them and be really good at them. And uh their their training is just it it's flawless. And it's um, and so those those two things were probably the the biggest. Um we train differently. So I think the the harder thing is at that time, a long time ago now, old, um, my my coach was very old-fashioned Japanese. And so they motivated more through negativity. Um, and so it's just it's not how we're wired. Um, anybody really. It's like we're not wired to to to want to do better by just here, just getting beat down all the time. Um, and so I think that was the challenging piece. And so it's just, you know, feeling like you can make a difference by seeing your teammates you can do something really well and and them hear you have an encouraging word, or um, just finding a way to connect with them, even though we're from literally two different countries and speak two different languages. And so um, oh my gosh, it was such an incredible experience. But um, it also allowed me to just see the world. Yeah. And so from there I was able to travel to different places and um just that I think the best way of experiencing a culture and learning about a culture is just immersing yourself in it and just and just seeing seeing it firsthand. And um, so it it just gave me so many opportunities to see the world and and travel around. And um that was amazing.

SPEAKER_01 22:04

Yeah, I bet. Uh, what was the coolest place you got to see you off the top of your head? Just one spot in particular, or was it all uh just amazing?

SPEAKER_02 22:12

Well, I love Thailand. I I traveled over to Thailand. Um, I also had a chance um with my cousin actually in an off time because the Japanese pro schedule is a little a little different. So you have like two sections of three months that you're kind of over in Japan. And when you're not over there, we're home. And so it's not just year-round, you're over there. And so when I was off, I obviously had a responsibility to stay in shape and be ready. But other than that, a little I had a lot of downtime. Um, and so I I made this trip with my with my cousin to Africa and we stayed with a family in Kenya and volunteered an orphanage and went on a safari and kind of did just got to learn about their culture and and see that. And um, that was unforgettable. But um I don't know, I could go on and on. I just I love traveling, I love seeing it. I um I hope that my boys get to do that, you know. I think that's the best way to learn and and just get outside yourself and see the world.

SPEAKER_01 23:13

Yeah, it's pretty amazing. I think I should ask where haven't you been? Because it sounds like you've been everywhere.

Food, Family, And Simple Joys

SPEAKER_02 23:18

I am that was my past life. My past life. I've been over to over 30 countries. Oh, really? Um yeah, probably 30 to 40. Um, well, that was pre-coaching, pre- you know, boys and everything. But I get it. Um, I just think it's amazing. Any chance you get to go on any trip, go do it. Take it. Um, I have a bucket list of things. There's plenty of places I haven't been, but yeah, um, we'll start working through them with the boys and my husband.

SPEAKER_01 23:45

Yeah, for sure. It sounds cool. What's next? What's next on the list? Where do you want to get?

SPEAKER_02 23:48

Uh next on the list is probably like Ireland. I've never done Ireland.

SPEAKER_01 23:53

What any reason?

SPEAKER_02 23:55

Just um, I just have heard it's beautiful. Um, and so I've our last trip was Greece. My husband and I went to Greece. Um so I don't know. I've done Europe, I've done Costa Rica, Argentina, Peru. Um all the places. Yeah, a lot of different ones.

SPEAKER_01 24:12

All the places. Yeah. When you are over there, like is the culture you said, like the Japanese culture shock was like, was like real. Was there like anywhere else that you were like, wow, this is just completely different?

SPEAKER_02 24:22

Or is it all of them are just they're all very different and the same, you know. I I think the biggest thing is, you know, with the Japanese culture, the the thing that was more shocking to me was more of like the sport and the motivation. That piece is like, wow, that's just not how we work. Um, they are some of the kindest, most hospitable people. Um and and so I I think we find that when we go to other places, I think they are way more hospitable than sometimes we are to others visiting us. Um, and so I just um I don't know. I think ever I just think it's it's just an experience you have to like kind of see firsthand. And uh it's the best way to learn and and just see how people live and and what they eat and um the places that make them unique that uniquely them.

SPEAKER_01 25:14

Yeah, absolutely, absolutely.

SPEAKER_02 25:16

What would what's the first place you would go?

SPEAKER_01 25:18

Ooh, that's a tough question. Um, just not out of the country. I really want to go to Hawaii. I've never been to Hawaii, it just seems super cool, super pretty, like the volcanoes, the beaches. I just think hiking would be cool.

SPEAKER_03 25:30

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:30

Uh I'm trying to think where else if I want to go out of the country, Italy. Italy would be nice. Have you been there?

SPEAKER_02 25:36

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_01 25:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:37

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

Not surprising. Food. Food is really good.

SPEAKER_02 25:40

Food's so good.

SPEAKER_01 25:41

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 25:41

And it's like um, it's like just made from good stuff.

SPEAKER_01 25:45

Yeah, I get that. Like everything here is like really processed. Yeah. Then over there, it's fresh. I assume, you know, I've never been.

SPEAKER_02 25:52

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 25:52

Asking the professor. It's very good.

SPEAKER_02 25:54

It's very good.

SPEAKER_01 25:54

I bet. What what's your favorite kind of food?

SPEAKER_02 25:57

Um I like Mexican food. Yeah. What about you?

SPEAKER_01 26:01

Me too. Mexican food. I mean, I say that based off like what we have here. It's not super authentic.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

Yeah, there's some authentic places.

SPEAKER_01 26:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:09

I know I am like used to California Mexican food and it's pretty authentic.

SPEAKER_01 26:12

Yeah, I bet. I bet. I have been to Mexico two or three times, just like at resorts, though. So I don't know how like I bet there's definitely been times where I had like authentic Mexican food, but it's cool. I like it over there.

SPEAKER_02 26:26

I have another question for you.

SPEAKER_01 26:27

Can I ask you that? Go ahead.

The Host’s Take On Leadership

SPEAKER_02 26:29

I want to um go back and I want to ask what your definition of leadership is.

SPEAKER_01 26:33

Yeah, that's a good question. So for me, leadership all leadership to me is about building confidence in yourself, but also finding ways to um build up other people's confidence. And what I mentioned earlier is like being able to know that you have weaknesses. I feel like for me, that has been my most important part and like watching my personal growth as a leader is because I can always be like, you know, I just I'm gonna lead this project, I'm gonna lead this, I'm gonna lead this. Like, I have no problem, like I feel like talking in front of people because that's something that I've done all my life. But sometimes I know I need to step back and I leave, I need to allow other people to do that, especially like in school projects, because I am not the smartest, like I'll just tell you right now. But there's people you know that like maybe schools where they thrive, maybe math specifically. If we're doing a math project, like, cool, I want to talk, but like I don't really maybe I don't really know a lot about what I do, and maybe like this is an opportunity for someone who's more quiet, who's more shy, who doesn't feel like they have the opportunity to speak up, like go ahead, lead the project. Um, a lot of projects you know they involve like some creativity piece, art. That is not me at all. Like, I'll automatically step back. I haven't taken art since sixth grade, I don't know what I'm doing. So it's really cool because like for me, like you can kind of like see the happiness like in people, the confidence they have when they're doing something that they love. And like for you, like when you get to talk about coaching, like I can kind of just like see it, how happy it makes you, and just have softball the sport in general. Yeah, so that's really cool. And like when you just when like like let's say you you're gonna be the leader of a group, when you get to see other people thrive, and you can kind of be like, hey, like I was a part of that, you know. I got to let I got to allow myself to step back so they could, you know, kind of just be who they are and thrive in their own uniqueness and what's confident to them. So definitely for me, just like being able to build up your own confidence, but also you know, the people like the other people around you and that are in your group. So that's awesome.

SPEAKER_02 28:25

I don't believe you. You are very smart, very wise.

SPEAKER_01 28:27

No, I I appreciate that. I I've had practice, you know. This is different than school for sure. I work hard in school for sure, but this is different, and this is something that I'm really passionate about.

SPEAKER_02 28:36

You can tell.

Wrap-Up And Part Two Tease

SPEAKER_01 28:37

It's awesome. Well, I appreciate that. And I believe that is all I have for our first part. So I really appreciate you coming on and just everything that we got to talk about. And I just want to thank all of you guys who are able to come in and listen. And please make sure to join us in part two where we get to learn more about Coach Stefler's journey and get to play a little rapid fire game too. So thank you all for listening.

SPEAKER_02 28:56

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 28:57

Yeah, of course.

SPEAKER_00 28:58

Thank you all for tuning in again. I am Holden, your host. Please like this video and subscribe to Youth Unmuted wherever you get your podcast. Until next time, peace.