Hello everyone and welcome to another episode of the dodgeball podcast in this episode, I’m joined by Britney Master on Kelly Salamoni. Guys, how you doing? Good. Thank you. Ah, thanks so much for being willing to hop on and talk to knowledgeable on just to kind of preface this episode a little bit. Um, Lucas has kind of been doing his own thing, which I really appreciate love doing. And when he kind of took lead and started doing the men’s coaches Perspective episode that I think will come before this one different wanted to reach out to you guys and, um, kind of mean to this for a while. Teoh. I know Bernie and I had kind of been back and forth and having you on, but what I saw was a really good opportunity to kind of just understand what you guys look for in terms of like how to improve as a player, how coaching has shaped, um, the course of competitive dodgeball as we know it, and just pretty much make this like a I almost want to say many so but just something word. Players can really take away a lot of good golden nuggets. So, um before I get any more long winded. Let’s just introduce you guys again to obviously Britney, um, we’ll just focus on, like, the team us aspects are holding. We’ve been a team. You say, Coach, um, that this was my this past year was my second year as the USA coach. Second year? Yep. Nice. And Kelly, this is my first year here. So off the bat, um, how did you guys? And we’ll certainly bring, Like, how’d you get into coaching, Like, how did that happen? Well, that’s a funny story. Um, I mean I mean, I’ll tell you the honest truth about it. Um okay, the first year, um, or the my first year of being a coach before that, I had gone to the combine. Um, you know, as a player and I had played I don’t know, Kelly 34 years. Um, before that, as a player. Yeah. And after the combine, I didn’t have a very good combine. To be honest, I pretty much such except for, like, the last game, Um, where we got to play the team. And and I mean, at the end of the day what I know that I’m good at it. I’m good at recognizing people strengths and kind of putting him in a place that makes him successful. So, um, that’s basically what I did in that last game. And so But that was the only good thing I did all day, to be honest with you. And I end up getting a call from Kelly. And, you know, Kelly and I have known each other for a very long time. And so she was the one to call me, Of course. And basically, tell me, you know, at this point in time, um, you didn’t make the team, but, um, you couldn’t be. You have a choice. You could choose to be an alternate, and we’ll wait. Or you can We’re looking for someone to be a head coach, and we think that you would make a great head coach. Um And so, um, you know, Well, you know not oh, maintaining my mind No filter meant, you know, personality. Here. At the end of the day, I knew that I wasn’t gonna be a good alternate because, um, I I wouldn’t I just wouldn’t be I wouldn’t be best. That wouldn’t be what was best for the team. And if I was gonna be a head coach, I knew that I could give my all and I could be focused. And it could be something that I could genuinely help the team toe win. And so that it was a hard decision. I cried a lot about it, to be honest, Um, but that was what I knew was the best interests of dodgeball as a whole for our country to be honest. And so that’s why I decided to do oh, through many tears and decisions and talking with honestly, like my family and everyone. So thank you. It’s a couple things I want to kind of bite on. Um, I just just so I’m clear it was 2018 2019 right that you’ve been Yes, two years. Great. 20. Yeah. Yeah, Well, it’s been loved. Somehow. It feels like it’s been just an impossible amount time. Um, especially given all the recent happenings. Um, so clearly I mean, you can tell. Just like, listen to you like that. Making team USA meant men enough a lot to you did because you have a young we have a history of, um commentating for you. to see like, Do you feel like that’s kind of helped you? Did that help you shape into a more of a captain rule? Like you said, you really have a good like coach. You didn’t have a good combine experience, but you were still able to kind of bring the team together. Did you just see help it all with that? Or is that just like your tendency as a player? I think it’s always been my tendency as a player like, you know, playing on pop that are, you know, for that many years I was the play color 90% of the time. Um, you know, obviously there are other players in the team that would that we’re stepping up and helping me, of course. Um, but you know, mostly time everyone’s looking to the right cause I played in the corner. Everyone something. Is that right for me to make a play call? So I knew it was something that I could do I knew was away. You know, I read the game pretty well. Um, and that’s actually kudos to Azalea because Azalea was a lot has always been a big part of the brains behind Pop that, and she’s actually taught me a lot. Um, when it’s come Prodigy and real understanding the game and you carry the severance of force. Didn’t you like you’re one of the few women corners that would play in coed? Yeah. Glen gave me a shot to play corner. That was fun. Nice. So commentating like you pretty much somebody already had an eye for it. Commentating maybe Just helped. Better did that give you, like, a new perspective? Yeah, I just gave me a different bird’s eye view, I guess cause you know, being a player on the court is different. It’s a different view than being a coach. Um, and also I think, um, being a part of team USA the 1st 3 years, and it was it’s really hard, um, as a player on the court to make adjustments and see adjustments because there’s so much more on you you have to worry about, you know, playing and staying alive while also trying to adjust to what’s coming at you. And, you know, we you know, we have we’re trying to make sub changes and, you know, play calls and all these decisions that the girls what we’re trying to make without a coach. And so I knew that was such a It was such a difficult position to be in. But it also took a load off of the girls playing because all they had to do was just focus on playing. At that point, I just kind of focus on the game. Somebody else will make the heavier decisions just stay alive. Kind of, Yeah. I mean, as a coach, your goal is to focus on on you know, who’s basically who’s playing, what the strategy is, you know, And then once they understand, once the team understands a strategy, now you know you have the players on the court to make make the proper calls. Um, you know the job as a coach, just just to make the adjustments and, you know, kind of course, correct, as needed. Gotcha. Hoping to get more into the weeds with that exact thing is just how do you make these strategic calls we look for? How do you keep people in line? How do you keep a team together when you know milliseconds can make all the difference in the world before? Do you like that I want to go to Kelly. So this was your first year. 2019 was the first year coaching. Correct. Hello. What was your position? Where you can choose the coach, Like, how did that happen? So I guess two years ago, when you when you look at where you approach Britney, were you just a scout perspective? Yeah. So in 2000 18 after the combine, we scouts you had come together, made a decision and, you know, obviously not only out of respect, and as a friend for Britney, I did feel like I need to be the one to talk to her. And also because I knew that it was a great opportunity to have her fill this role. Its head coach. I’ve played with her for a long time, and I knew her ability to bring a team together. You understand the game, find the place that need to be done and also really understand the opponents. So I thought it was really important t bring her in and to get that started. So we were all very nervous at the time. Um, because we weren’t sure if she was gonna take the coaching job. but we really wanted her to, and we were lucky enough that she accepted. And, you know, it worked out really well. And it’s been great to have her on nice. And what what made you decide to become a coach, or did somebody approach you? Last year? Um, it was a little bit of everything. Britney and I had talked and there were a couple options. But in the end, because we have worked so much together and have really a long history with each other, I understand when you know she’s trying to get across, um, and I communicate in a slightly different way than her. So kind of that idea of bringing it together so that we could communicate with the team as a whole. But you really wish kind of with Britney and I. And then we went Teoh, um, the scouts for the final approval. Yes, it wasn’t. You didn’t pull up will be nice speed and pull like this. I will decide to be coached. I am coach now. It was No, no, no. And I’m not necessarily the coach next year either. Uh, this, you know, is always something that we look at when we’re scouting and our first school is that’s fine, you know, really kind of the best team that we can and also the best coaching that we can. So if that means that maybe a player has aged out or doesn’t want to play anymore, But they looked to be an amazing coach then that would be a position that we could put them in. Gotcha. And to be honest with you, Stephen, when it comes when it came to, I didn’t know my limitations. When it comes to communication, I’m very blunt, and sometimes it doesn’t roll. He’s come across well to some people, Um, and just like Kelly said, you know, when it came to to, you know, understanding me, I needed, like as a head coach, like you’re also looking for someone who understands you, who can communicate to people that I don’t always communicate well with. And so, you know, between Kelly and myself, I thought, you know, with her, with her ability and being around the girls as long as she has is well, she understands him just as well as Ideo. And so it was a great opportunity for me to work with some and almost learned from her as far as how she communicates and kind of slow me down sometimes, because I I’m very quick. Um, maybe too quick to say things that maybe I should think about before they come out. So Kelly was more of my of my sounding of, like, my sounding board sometimes. And she helped me, you know, be able to communicate some things in a more ah, effective fashion. Then it would have come from me more tactful, maybe. Or just I know a lot about that. Um, no one that knows me from the dodgeball aspect will ever think otherwise. But I know what it means. Still like to say what you mean or say what you think, and it just comes across the wrong way. Like, what did I say? Or what I do this person, Why are they acting this way? But yeah, so you and Kelly obviously complement each other. Really? Well, that’s obviously one of things that you look for in coaches. Imagine, just as a team like, do they work well together? Teoh to get this team together on online or on board? Exactly. So, Kelly, I mean, Kelly is part of the reason why Why was even in I mean dodgeball like Kelly and Justin Pie and basically took me under their wing when I first started playing dodgeball. So you know that someone that’s something for at least 10 years, as in a scene, me kind of grow through the sports. So what better person to be by your side than someone who who literally, like, knows you better than most people already has been through a throughout you said the course of 10 years? Um, yes, I saw it all. I mean, that’s really cool. It it shows that, you know, um, there is a like there wouldn’t be, but it just shows there’s a lot of thought behind, you know, approaching you. And when Kelly said earlier, like I thought it would be, the one is a friend to let her know. Um, you didn’t make it for the team that year, but you’re being considered for a coach. Imagine. Maybe it would be a little bit different. Somebody else approach you? Yeah. I had a lot of heart calls that year. It was the first year in, you know, we knew by making some big changes. There was gonna be people that you know, didn’t agree with unnecessarily or weren’t on board. And no, the Britney’s call was a hard one. Yeah. I, uh, don’t have you in that position. Um, I don’t think it’s fun telling anybody he didn’t make it, regardless of what it is. But, um, we definitely have some really solid questions that, um, Michael Whitehead posted, but before I just want to ask, um, both, you start with Britney. So what does it mean to be a dodgeball coach? Like, you know, he’s still kind of even to this day, we still kind of struggle being recognizes. Ah. Ah. You know, I could say conventional support, like an actual support, still deal with the only played a large ones like the movie or get these, you know, don’t little sound bites, but I mean, would it mean to you or what does it mean to you? Pretty It was. It was one of those things where the first year I didnt really take it. Not that I didn’t take it lightly that I like, took it lightly, but I I was just kind like Well, here we go like I didn’t I didn’t really know, Like, I don’t really know what to expect necessarily, you know, And it was kind of dodgeball for me. Has always been so fun that I just kind of went with it and just like, Well, I’m gonna make the most out of it and see what happens in it. And then after that year, I was like, Wow, like I could actually do this like, this could be something that, um that really like, That’s really helpful. You know, that could really help change dodgeball for us in in the U. S. And so when the second year came, you know, Kelly and I had multiple conversations about, you know, picking the team, and, you know, in that process. And I wanted to be a part of that process because I knew that that it was important for me in my experience now, you know, to get better, you have to you have to make changes through experiences once you learn lessons. And so, um, the second year, I think meant more because I had more vested in it emotion because it wasn’t like like they picked the team. And then that I was a coach of the team, right? Actually had the opportunity to be with the scouts, and we had conversations about different girls and picking, like, you know, picking that team with them. Um, it meant a lot, you know, and especially, you know, the second year in a row of giving giving me a shot to do something that had never been done. Um, you know, when the sense of winning, you know, to back to back gold medals with with the coach, you know, from our side, we’ve never had a coat. Show me being able to do it twice was something that I really wanted to dio. Nice. And how about you, Kelly? You mean going from you know what you’ve done to a scout? Um, Teoh a coach now, like, what does that mean to you? It was a really interesting experience. Um, mostly because, you know, I’ve played alongside with many of these girls for so long and getting the opportunity to kind of see it from a different angle. Kind of as Britney was saying before it changes a little bit of your viewpoint. Um, and it gives you a little bit of a different perspective on it. And that’s also what scouting did. Uh, and it kind of lets you see, sometimes those holes are the places that you need to work on or people who have a lot of really great potential on that you can put into that. And so I find it really interesting. And it’s almost, you know, more strategy involved in some of these aspects of it that when you were actually playing catch him. I’m trying really hard not to, like, delve into rabbit holes, so I’m just kind of accepting the answer. Just leave it at that. But, um, if people do, you want to hear more and then you let me know when to be more happy to expand. But what I think what I’m looking at this block of questions that Michael just laid out feeling a lot of I’m gonna ask would follow up is going to be, um, captured here. So, um, I guess ah, we can kind of go take from the top. And if you guys both want to chime in, um, let me know if you guys want take lead. But, um, the first question, um, is, you know, I guess we kind of covered that. One will call if he qualifies. We’ll qualities of yourself as a player. Do you think qualifies you as an exceptional coach? Um, kind of talked about that already. Just like the passion and ability to take yourself out of the game, so to speak. But do you think there’s anything that we might have missed in terms of like we’re gonna look for, like another coach? Like, what qualities are you looking for? I think that reading someone who could read the game is is huge. Um, because people don’t always. I mean, in my experience, there’s a lot of teams that don’t really take the time toe watch film. Um, they don’t really take the time to break tendencies down and watch it in. And I really learned like we spent time during the tournament. We were watching Canada. We were watching, um, you know, um, all of a me, I mean, Malaysia. I mean, we it took, you know, the reason why that we beat Malaysia The first year was because we watched them and we figured it out, and I’m not giving away any secrets, but we figured it out. And so when I watched in the second year, it’s like, Okay, we know what they did last year. Now what’s the change this year, Right? So, being able to adjust, I think it is the ability to have a game plan because you’ve watched film and then in the moment, being able. So okay, okay, what’s not working and then having the humility to go to your players and say Wait, what are you seeing out there? Because my sideline approach may look different than the in line approach, and I don’t know what they’re saying to each other when they’re calling plays or what their what their idea is. So there would be times where I’d go toe like eight or Z and the K What do you see or Briana like? Hey, what do you see? Because there’s is different but understanding that as a coach and and taking that player perspective that you see things differently than the person you know who’s coaching you or vice versa that you take the the eagle in. In. You bring the ability and your honestly ableto have a good conversation about a quick one. Of course, because you’re playing, but about how to make those adjustments. Nice. Yes. So you might have had a plan watching t Malaysia. And it may sound like the most awesome. Best ravaging the world of the second starts toe now go wrong. But just it starts to deviate a little bit like you’re willing to be flexible fluid. Listen to the feedback from, you know, the front lines and make the make the adjustments. Yeah. Do you have an example of one? Um because, like, I still and this is just me, like, obviously not watching knows much films I should or could be able to, but, like, what do you look for? Like when you’re watching T Malaysia, like does Dodge will have, like, an actual pattern. Where if you watch enough footage like, Okay, this is what this person does, or this is what this person is likely to do or like, How did you break that down and make them, like, almost once? A Not a factor. This last season. Yeah, it we did. We broke it down and I sat with, um I mean again, I say it’s all the time on a podcast. Azalea is brilliant. Um Z’s like the brains of most operations. Um, And so the first year I sat with Z and Kate and we watched Malaysia and I was like in Kate’s very good as well. And I said, What do you guys see? What do you guys see? And we’re kind of talking about it and we’re even were playing and we’re going back and we’re you know what I mean? Like and mark patterns, there are 100% patterns in every single team. Um, in the entire country, in all over the world, everyone has a pattern. They have a style and the team that can pick up on it the fastest and control it to make it work for them. That’s the team that wins. I’m trying to think, and I’m trying to think of on example, Um, like, for example, I think it was really tough for a month. I think it was Australia that had, like, a double pitch back and we were trying to. The original goal was to try to combat it by going Adam about it. What was happening was Abou must be picked off and so we were just kind of like, and this is the simplest form of it that I can think of. Um, in this way, we’re just like, okay, never mind. Like, like, scrap it, like, just like it back. Like, don’t even don’t even try. Just avoid it When we had talked Teoh about, you know, especially against those top teams where it was like we had kind of a cut off of like, Okay, we’ve done this for, you know, we’ve tried it. We tried it again. Three games down. No, no, we were changing things. Now. We weren’t gonna let ourselves get too deep in its without changing. And, you know, that is where you know, having the coaches there is really important, because if you’re on the court, you know you have a strategy. You’re kind of trying to stay with that strategy. You don’t always necessarily realize how far you’ve gotten yourself when you have somebody back looking, you can really see that very easily and say, this is not happening. This is not working anymore. And we’re not gonna keep trying this and put ourselves in a hole just so that we can maybe get it a couple games out of five. That’s not gonna work. It’s not gonna win. You don’t have that much luxury or that margin of error If you just keep making the same mistake over and over again. Yeah, And I think the other one of it is like if you’re getting if we’re throwing balls and our forest getting picked off because they keep getting like sniped. Well, then now, like, Okay, now make the adjustment. You know, there, there there are patterns like that that teams don’t always pick up on. Um and I think that’s one thing that are teamed as well, because we haven’t had a coach, um, for so many years, and we’ve all had a figure it out on her own, I think that really makes for such good players and also, you know, we’re able to have that conversation. And now remember, Steve, I mean, people realize, Don’t they realize that these are all our friends like these are mine and Kelly’s friends is there not just like players like these are my peers. 10 months out of the year and then for two months now, unlike in charge like that, the whole conversation. But you know so. But when it comes down to it. I’m not there to be writer too, you know, I’m not there to prove that I’m right. I’m there to help my friends win a gold medal. So, you know, at the end of the day, I’m gonna be the first person that hate I know you’re smarter than me, you know, in these situations. So what do you see? You know, and they’ll give me feedback, and I’ll be OK, OK, and I’ll be like, OK, what if we did this? Could that work like like, yeah, that could work. Okay. And then I start relaying that to the rest of the team. So everyone who’s on the sidelines so I’m relaying all that information because we’re constantly subbing. So the next team that played for the most part Muslim are no the information And I’m filling in the team that’s still on the court in with the change of what? So it kind of sounds like you’re more like a like a facilitator. You’re not a leader, you know, like the dictator. You’re just like, what can I do to help you guys win? Whatever it is? Yeah. Really? I will talk to, like all looking telling like, Hey, is this happening or is it just me? And she’ll be like, OK, wait, wait, wait. And she’s like, Yeah, I think it is. I’m like OK, and then her and I would talk about it, Yeah, I mean, pretty is definitely a leader, and you know, it’s not a dictatorship in any sense. We have amazing players way. We would talk about time like the amount of talent that we get to coach is insane. And it was just silly sometimes. And so, yeah, but this doesn’t work unless they see you know, their coach as a leader. And they definitely dio, um, you know, Britney has been playing a long time. She’s very well known. She’s decorated. She’s MPP like it is, you know, good toe. Have that in a sense because, you know, just show that they have a lot of respect and that helps out later on when it gets a little bit tougher and she does have to make some decisions or changes that maybe they don’t all agree with, because in the end she is the head coach and that’s what needs to happen. Yeah, um I mean, if we went over your career, Bernie. Um, it just be like, Okay, what more proof do you need? Um, very impressive resume. Same with you, Kelly, In the fact that, um, yes, of gold medals. Now, underneath you, it’s like, do you need what kind of proof do you need? Um, but sounds like you. Like you said, Really? Like you’re not. Your ego is not involved. It’s just what can I do to help this team win? And, um, well, they want to ask. Was do you guys get, like, nervous during any of this? Um, I know it’s kind of maybe don’t question, but I’m curious like, actually gonna want ask both of you. Certainly bringing, like, you know, there was watching you guys. That was expecting team, you say to get the gold. Like, how did you deal with nerves if you had them. Yeah. No. Kelly and I there may not have taken some shots. The force engaged. You know, somehow I had a feeling alcohol when I’ve been involved to say commoners. I mean, we it’s and I know this is always ever gonna come up, but being like we called it, hurting kittens like it’s not these girls like they’re there. So are and Kelly decided, like USA is so talented, Like the level of athleticism that we had on our team. And it was it was hard. Like it was hard for us to even pick who was gonna make it and who wasn’t because of the amount of talent we have just in the country in general. Um, so for me, my mindset was like, man, we held a tell in the world, if I can just every game was like, all we got to do is take the talent and make it work together. And they’ve all known each other for long enough and, you know, played around each other long enough that it wasn’t really that hard to get them to do that. Like, have the game plan. Um, but it was. Sometimes some people were more focused than others. Right. So you’re You’re just kind of managing. I feel like I spent more time kind of managing the r. Kelly and I bolted. I think Kelly play more because she knows I can’t. I can’t deal with out of it. Um, the emotional aspect, I think, is more nerve wracking because you’re like, Well, who is going to show up today? You know, because there’s a lot of girls and we rotated Not 12 9 12 right. 10. We did a 10 with the to alternates at it in. Yeah, and then they were They were on the roster. Anyway, they were activated. Um, so you know, you had you had 10. We had 10 girls in different rotation, so every rotation was different, so I don’t Yeah, I think we just deal that with, like, we had, like, a you know, a couple shots and just kind of like, All right, here we go. Yeah. I mean, I feel like for the most part, I felt great. You know, I didn’t have too many nerves. Um, we cut pulling through. You know, there was players every day. There was different players that were having really great days. And they were, you know, like, it was great because you could see this over, You know, the time, period. Just working out really well. And then we hit Australia. Oh, I I almost died. Um, and the hard thing about that game is it was just such a good game. Our players, their players. It was so nerve wracking because everybody was playing so well. And so when there was even, like the smallest hiccup or someone may just the tiniest error it matter. And that type of situation, that’s when miners would start going. Um, but, you know, as you also we pulled it off. You know, it’s but that game I may have lost a few years does apply my most rare moment during the entire thing. Just watching that live and just really just losing my, my You know what? I was actually jumping up, down, yelling like like like like I you know, I’m very I’m a very emotional person. So it was apologize to buy my neighbors downstairs, but that was incredible to watch. And I just I remember ask Mr like, how did they get in a situation? Like, I guess this really, really Is that good? Cause I just come from the idea that it’s Team USA just so powerful and so talented. Like, I thought you guys were kind of just gonna walk through it, but, um, I was those nerve racking, but that was the only time really, where you actually had a chance to actually fill Nervous Kelly. Yeah, I felt like otherwise and that I felt pretty. I mean, even going into the championships. By that point, I felt really good. The team was being cohesive. We had really come together. And, um, at that point, I figured, you know, we should have this This unless it’s completely falls apart for some crazy reason, there’s no reason we don’t get another gold medal. Um, when we played Canada, you know, I think the first few games are always a little nerve wracking. But then when we’re just watching our girls play, it was it was amazing, and it just really helped to kind of settle a lot of that. They I went in with the strategy. They fulfilled that completely and got the wind. So Australia was the one that they got me a little bit. E think I think I grabbed like one time was up and it was just page left it. I just grabbed. Uh, Brits are music. All right, here we go. Well, I loved, uh, talking to Paige about what was going on through her mind when that was happening, and that was kind of What made me want to do this even a couple months ago is just understanding. You know, most people that aren’t definitely redoubtable will never understand or appreciate the calculations and thought process that goes on through someone’s mind within a matter of seconds. And to be able to have a walk through each little minute like action was really cool. It was just like, yeah, people need to understand that this is a big deal for this very reason. Like so much. Um, and that just goes to following through with the talent and plants you guys have. Um, maybe just not get nervous is trusting that you guys are gonna pull through when you need to the most. The one thing I wanted to add it up at about page in that one because that also a moment was just freaking. It was insane. But the thing that I knew about Paige and we had had practice what, you know, before the tournament for a couple days, page would do that all the time. In practice, she was hobbling around all over practice, but Maman or two on Monday paged, killed it. I mean, she closed out games in practice every single time. And so when she’s in that position and you know everyone’s freaking out and I’m nervous, too, don’t get me wrong, but I’m a man. If it’s anyone to be in this position, it’s her and no, after everything that happened, you know, last year on off, everyone knows about it. But like, you know, there was some stuff with Basia having last. That was drama that we had gotten through to get to this point. I was like this just her moment like this, and I still get the chills like That’s got some right now. That was such a cool moment for Page because it was like her redemption moment of like she’s putting this vision to, like, make a play. And she has. She’s more talented and more athletic and more everything that any frickin player I’ve ever met in my entire life, like if it was anyone that was made to do Ted be in that moment, it was her and the fact that she did what she did, it was like Dude, like there’s there’s no one better like she’s she’s incredible, like I’ve never seen someone do the things that she does. Yeah, I very well said it. Me, like at the end of the day, like there’s no one else you’d rather have there and just understanding what she went through To get to that point and to pull through like that and you guys into the next round. And ultimately the finals is like, That’s just nuts. That is legit. Like fairy tale. Yeah, watch a king there and like seeing it in real life was amazing. So good. I still I still watch it over again. And if you don’t haven’t seated or don’t what? Haven’t watched it were Wanna watch it again? I have just watching cake. Karen’s video of it, uh, that she lives here, and I think USA put it up on there’s because the commentary afterwards is just amazing. That was so cool seeing that too. I just being able to watch, you know, live dodgeball with with commentary. And sometimes the stream would like Freeze. It’s like my God, what happened? What happened? What happened? Like please buffer quickly, the quicker, quicker. But seeing everybody lose their minds over that such a cool thing. Just ah doesn’t take place, obviously, about being there but just be able to experience. That was really fun. And, um, I just and let’s get us to page for just being who she is and just coming coming from Ah, that injury. And yeah, like, you can’t public should even know it. But she’s Lily plays on it on her, right? Hell, the whole game. Cheese freakin page. Oh, man, I’m glad she’s in Arizona. Hope she actually, it’s play dodgeball once things get back to normal and just came in shows what? So I think you’ll be out of stopper. No hope. Um, so I kind of going going to page like talents. I don’t want to skip over to one. The questions that I had and that was just, you know, how do you get players from across the country with various levels of ego and talents, um, to quickly fall in line and buy into the team mentality cause you guys had what may be like a month to prepare once once everything was set or like, how did how did you do that? Well, we’re lucky enough that I think I mean, I don’t think anyone girl on the team had never played with any of the other girls? No, I think with the with the addition off of drip this year, much frickin a have been out of the game. So Lionel names anymore. You know, my brains dripping for sure with the addition of finesse. And you put Page and you Foot actually in a position where they’re now on a team with with someone like Briana, like Briana in London, who’s who’s such a good leader. And she’s so calm and, you know, And in the past, um, you know, Ashley and Paige have have kind of been known for being a little bit more, um, like, high, higher energy in the sense, um and, you know, being being led by someone like Brana, who’s who’s able to kind of show the power of calm, I think was an awesome growth experience for both of them. And it’s not to say they weren’t great before because they were, but it’s it’s the maturity level. Think that really changed their game, Um, for the better. And now they feel comfortable, you know, being around other players. Um, you know, I think internal Kelly telling if I’m wrong, I think everyone had played with everyone. It wasn’t like we had Ah, rial anyone away from and I don’t know, they all had played together at some point. Yeah, I mean, there may have been a few girls that never played on the same team, but they’ve all played each other. Yeah, like I don’t know if, like Brenda ever played with Kate or, you know, some things like that. But been at all the same turn and it’s played each other and possibly in league with played with each other. So right there’s like we did this year for women. You know, we did pop that in invasion and then the other to scrap and f d fbt with that. It put invasion hot, that all playing together. And so I don’t know the teams, so that made it almost easier for us A. Because a lot of those girls were on the team. And so, in every tournament for FB, FB and and scrap, we actually rotated players. So it was different team. Well, I think you know, that kind of helped us. To be honest, I helped the team cohesion because, you know, with you know, people who play in L. A who are from l A and playing L A. We’ve played, you know, if you’re not on on pop, that our invasion and you’re on finesse Well, you’ve played with any number of the girls on the team through our colleagues, you know? So and then Ashley, Ashley and Page coming into finance now No, you add with Crystal and Jo Jo like there’s all of them, they’ve all played together. However you it’s like one degree of separation. So I don’t think it was hard because we’re all naturally friends. And then the team that have played last year versus the team that had played this year? Um, it was pretty similar. I mean, obviously there were some. There were some differences and some changes, but it was similar enough that it was just adding in the few new people that hadn’t been on the team, no. So the familiarity was, for the most part, pretty much there was because, like you said, like at some point, they played with each other or they played against each other enough to know I’m not playing with a complete stranger. I’m pretty much aware this person who is watching film. So you sick Just having that quart awareness already established. And then when you come in without an ego, you know, willing to again kind of help facilitate what’s gonna make the team win it? It doesn’t sound like he was that much of, ah of, ah, jump. No, it is, um, kind of going back to players. So what What skills you guys look for in a team? So life for those that are listening that with aspirations of joining Team USA? I guess next year what? Ah, what’s going on? What’s gonna pick people apart from the rest, like obviously talented one. But, I mean, what else he has like for that people might not expect or might catch, um might be caught off guard. I think the game has changed. I think we used to look for a balance of throwers and catchers quote unquote right. That’s not how the game is played anymore. We want we I know this year, specifically adding that you don Kelly and kind of speak to kind of how it’s evolved. Um, you know, I think that we wanted players that were just all around players who could move who could Because films different. You don’t get to just sit on the floor and catch like you gotta move. You’ve got to be dynamic. You gotta throw and you gotta catch. And you gotta know how to play a role if you you are used to being a leader on your team. But on Team USA now, you got to be a role player. Well, can you do that? Can you Can you put everything aside and do that? Yeah. Yeah. And I 100% agree with that. And to a point where you saw the team we’ve had this year last year. And you see that type of talent, these air all around, plan heirs that are catching or throwing our have tons of movement on the court. That’s what you need to get to, You know, that’s that’s kind of what we’re talking about. So when people come back after the combine and it or the announcements and they ask, so what can I work on? A lot of it honestly is I always try to tell him it’s stamina, and it’s your ability to move, because all too often I see through rowers that can light you up any day of the week but are just getting picked off because they have no movement when they’re trying to dodge or, you know, people who just are very linear and they can’t seem to break out of that. And so that’s something we worked a lot on. You know, this year with the girls to issue can increase that endurance and to make sure that they were constantly moving. You know, you don’t get to rests. You’re always moving. You’re always doing something. And that makes it harder on the other team because they don’t know what to expect and and, you know, the corner, the thing someone’s I call while I’m a corner and I didn’t get to play corner during the combine. Then you just showed your weakness, right? Exactly. Every single player on our team, which was again Kelly and I used the last of like, this is dumb, like I’m looking at this time like you. They’re so talented, it dumb, like, not even fair. To be honest, because any player on our team can play corner and any player on our team consider the middle, get out of the way or catch a ball coming at him. It doesn’t matter. It doesn’t matter who you put in that. It didn’t matter who I put in. They found the corners based on simple for them with who they were. But they were sometimes that players were would be corners because I needed to be corners with this. With with this group of players on the court and the very next game, they’d hand the ball off to someone who they felt was a much better corner than they were or that played better in that spot against the person in front of them, like we would we would give. We would give a sign job would say, Hey, if you’re not feeling it that way, give it to someone who’s fill it. If someone’s hot, give him the ball and I think that that ability, Kelly said. To just be dynamic that like like we had 10 girls playing and so can you imagine as someone who’s a playing against us, you don’t know what’s happening because we don’t have the same players in all the time or not. Everyone’s playing corner all the time. Not the same people are playing corner so if you’re trying to get a strategy against us, good luck. Because there’s I don’t know, four different five different rotations. Half the time we didn’t even know what they were down on cards. I know that I was on, and we actually made a joke out of it with stick figures that some of the girls drew for me to make sure that I could keep track. Um, actually, I stole from them so I can keep track. But, um, you know, some, like like, yeah, like a Rachel like Rachel, who’s typically in the corner most the time. Did you play corner? Yeah, but if she if she was like now, not today. Like, I’m not feeling it right now. Like I’m a little sore. Like, here’s the you take it. And now there goes Azalea on the corner. You know, so everyone doesn’t matter. And then z would sometimes we find herself in the middle, and then she’s so skinny, she never got hit anyway, So it’s fine. Um, but, you know, let’s think about what we did. Yeah, and I think that also goes to show like, one of my biggest things. You know, it’s great to have, you know, confidence. But you can take your ego and sit it somewhere else, because that’s not gonna work here. Um, all of these girls were so amazing about. Okay, you know what? I I’m not hitting right now. Like I need to change something up, give it to somebody else. Like there were no heroes on that court. Everybody was playing together to win. And that is the type of attitude that we need because it just otherwise it becomes Just go. Yeah. Are you gonna bleep that? I was like, You know what? We’ve made it this far, and I got one. So for us that bad? Um, sorry. Eyes. Gonna comment because I think Britney said freaking at the last things like, Well, thank you, but then I don’t wanna jinx it, but it’s all good. There was a serial trying throw in some more just to make it worth your money. No, thank you. Into kind. Yeah, it’s the makes sense. I mean, going back to lake. Okay, Think about like watching for patterns. And if if you’re the opposing team you like, Okay, season corner. So we have a strategy for her But then you line up and she’s not there anymore. Like Well, crap. What? Ideo It’s getting good to have that to throw throw the opposing team off, But yeah, I mean, I watching foam and just understanding how much people put into the gym, you know, outside of Dodge ball to get more limber and to get more fast and quick. Um, it almost sounds like Yeah, no. At this point, you have to have stamina and yet to have the ability to move. But then are you also willing to just say, Hey, I’m not really doing really good right now. I can sit out and not be a hero. Yeah, and I want to give a shout out to Brenda Cramer because, yeah, you did a lot of work before, um, the whole year leading up to the combine. Brenda Brenda did a lot of work, and it showed it showed in her stamina. It showed in that game she played against Canada that was find the coolest long for me as a coach ever the four b one. I don’t know if there people know this necessarily because you don’t see on the video, but when Brendan turns and puts the ball over her mouth and looks at me. I’m telling her who to hit and I start at one. I think you do one, 32 and then the last girl, um, thing that’s think. I think that’s how the the when we went. But I’m yelling at her from the side and she’s She’s one before and I’m She’s like Like she’s like writ, Who do I hit? And I’m like, OK, one and she goes and she picks off one. And I think I said three and she hit three and I’m like and she just did it and it was just like and not lose to her because she did the work. I didn’t do anything. I just told her who to hit but her ability to mentally focus and hit our target. And then there was one time she got there was in that moment she got a little bit too excited, like Brenda breathe and back. And she did, and she stayed focused like she didn’t lose her. Her anything she didn’t for some, and for anyone that’s played dodgeball, going for 11 or one on four, that’s a hard. That’s a hard game to win, no matter who you are. You had guy and for her at the end of that game, to have that kind of focus and that kind of stamina and that kind of strength and the and the mental capacity to listen and literally execute every single time. Like it was so cool. Because that’s all her work. That’s all her hard work. Yeah, she really took every thing that I had told her after not making the team in 2018 and put in so much work to get to where she was for 2019. And it’s just amazing Teoh to see that you can actually cease the difference. And that’s what paid off in those moments. Like that is, that’s the work, if you know what I’m asking. What did you tell her? If you remember, because she was already a force to be reckoned with back then. So what did you tell her? I told her Oh, a lot of the same things that we’ve talked about here, being more dynamic. I told her that, you know? Yes, she can throw. She has the ability to corner her catching wasn’t really as high as it is now. And she needed to get her standing up, and that is exactly what she did. Nice. So, given everything, um, that happened with with Kobe it and the fact that we we’re not having worlds this year. Were you guys still like on track to coach for this year, or is that postponed, or are you still gonna have, like, some kind of coaches try out or what is was that look like for you guys since you earlier He said it’s not guaranteed. Well, hey, are you allowed to talk about that? Um, well, I mean, I’ve made a personal decision that I’ve made last year In my last year of coaching, Um, I have made a personal decision to step away from dodgeball completely, though, Um, it just been one of those things for me where, um my my future as a coach, while it could be great, my future of as a as a mom and like wanting to start a family and do those things not saying it’s happening now. Um, but, you know, dodgeball is costly dodgeball. It takes a lot of time in a lot of commitment. And, um, I would have to commit to things that I’m I don’t really want to commit to anymore. Nothing against dodgeball. It’s been amazing. Um, and like you said, Steve, I’ve done a lot of amazing things in the sport, and I’m grateful for them, and I’m still proud of my accomplishments, but it’s for me. It’s time to move on to other things that that are gonna fit me in a way that are going to continue to grow me and let me reach goals that I also want to reach. Yeah, that is bittersweet to hear. Um, I cannot fall to you for wanting to move on. Um, with the next step or phase like I’m taking the notes here with your life and I almost feel like it goes right back to the hesitation you had earlier where you know you’re not gonna be the best you can be as an alternative player. It’s it’s all or nothing for you. And so why would you, after everything you’ve done after what you’ve accomplished? Um, in the past two years of coaching, like, why would you not put 100% into that? If anything, So, um Well, Kelly o. Yeah. I’m sad that Britney’s going. I understand her reasoning, but I don’t like them. Besides, I told her the expect invitations toe all of the baby things. Um, in the future, she’s not pregnant. Anybody, Let’s not go crazy. Okay, let’s also remember that for me, being pregnant takes a lot of money. Like this is not like a natural three free ride here. Yeah, yeah. Um, And as first coaching for the future, obviously, as we’re scouting, as for going along, who will be looking four coaches and I may still be a part of that? I mean, not like I said, I’m not. I’m here to make sure that u s a wins gold. That’s really my my role. Um, and that is by picking the best people to be on the team and on the coaching stuff. Um, and so well, keep looking. And I may be involved in some of that, or we may have some new coaches next year. And granted, it’s because, like you just said, your mission is to help us a win gold, that that’s not you. Then you’ll find someone that will exactly that’s awesome. we’ll shoot. I am even more motivated. Sorry. Bringing to harass you more and get you online for a part two or just anything in general just to get all the information I can out of you before Ah, for you completely step away for good. And, um, I definitely want to stick to as close to the our time work as possible, as I said earlier. So I’m going to kind of just stop myself now before I get out of control. Um, I think that’s that’s all I have. So I guess that being said, um, bingo. I just kind of and interview here and maybe look towards a part, too. But thank you so much for being going to top on and talk. Thank Steve. Yeah. Thanks, Steve. All right, So before I wrap up, I in my haste to keep this within the 45 hour mark Ah, it was really hard to do. So I am going to go ahead and just kind of read the Austin De jokes. Austin Deeks joke of the day actually spent supplied by. We showed Emanuel, and basically there’s an officer and a couple parents that looked really, really distressed, and the officer says the parents, I’m sorry to tell you this, but your son said the school on fire, the dad very, very convincingly says. Was it arson? And the cop says Yes, your son and they both look really sad, So definitely going to be a little quicker on the fly this time. Ah, there’s just something about telling Dad jokes to yourself. That’s really weird. So, anyway, um, if you tuned into this one, thank you so much for doing so. As I said earlier, with my really long preface of the episode is just There’s so much to get out of Kelly and Britney, um, that I’ve been wanting to do it in the in the first place. But then when Lucas ah started doing his podcast episode on on the men’s, um had to do for the women because to be able Teoh accomplish the things that they’ve had, uh, just feel like there’s a treasure trove of information, especially from Britney. And after getting that bombshell of her stepping away from the dodgeball seeing, I feel like more inclined to just continuously pick her brain, just get all the quote unquote free chicken that I that I can lots to learn from both her and Kelly. And I hope that if you did listen to this episode, there’s a lot to take away from it. But I definitely want to. Do you have a part to this small? We actually get into the questions of the end. For the sake of time, I had to come myself short. So on that, that note I’m gonna go ahead and do it. I said it medio and just ended here. So if you are still listening thank you very much for doing so. Have a great rest of your week. A great weekend, and we’ll see next time. Yeah, we could video again. Um, it’s just I don’t know why Britney went from sunny. Really good toe notice. Good. Is it better now? Uh, keep talking. Sorry. I’m going to keep talking. Really? How many times you gonna roll your eyes tonight? Probably a lot. I mean, let’s face it through me a lot of time. Rolling rise in Mexico too. Wouldn’t make a difference.