Up next in 10
Track and field is much more than just running in circles; it is a powerful tool for building character, discipline, and community. In this episode, we are joined by Billy Potts and Pierre from the legendary 10 East Track Club to discuss how they are changing lives across Southern California through the power of sport. 🏃🏾♂️💨
From the streets of South Central and Compton to the national stage, these coaches share their insights on why track is the ultimate foundation for any young athlete. We dive into the mental fortitude required to push through the pain of the 400m hurdles and how those lessons translate to success in music, business, and everyday life. The conversation highlights the importance of camaraderie and how track organizations provide a safe, productive environment for the youth. 🏟️
We also hear incredible stories from our listeners, including a four-time state champion athlete on the spectrum and a mother whose son used track to overcome health challenges and personal tragedy. Whether you are a parent looking to motivate your child, a coach seeking better training strategies, or an athlete wanting to improve your conditioning for football or basketball, this conversation is packed with gems. 💎
Chapters:
0:00 Introduction to Five North and 10 East Track Club
3:15 The mental discipline of track and field
6:40 Meet Billy Potts and Pierre from 10 East
9:25 Using track as a tool for youth development
12:10 Diversity and community in track meets
15:30 How to join and upcoming meet details
18:45 Benefits of track for other sports
21:20 Success stories: Jaden the state champion
24:15 Motivating your kids and Destiny’s story
27:30 Coaching the parents and avoiding burnout
30:50 Why high school athletes are breaking records
33:20 Junior Olympics and Legend Sports Lounge
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0:00
Yeah, man, listen. I want to say,
0:02
I'm happy. I'm very happy to have our
0:04
guest here today. You guys have been
0:06
hearing me talk about track and field
0:08
the entire time I've been on this show,
0:10
but most recently in recent years, my
0:12
brother T. Callaway and I started a
0:13
company called Top Speed Athletics.
0:16
Well, we wanted to come in and see how
0:18
we could offer our services and
0:19
resources to movements that have already
0:23
been established and in our efforts to
0:26
establish our own movement. And T.
0:28
Callaway is frat brother with the one
0:30
and only KT from 5 North Track Club. And
0:33
these guys have known each other for
0:34
years. And KT, you know, as T. Call
0:38
introduced me to KT and KT was like,
0:40
"Man, look, just,
0:42
you know, come down, man. Be a part of
0:44
what we're doing with 5 North. You know,
0:46
whatever you want to contribute, however
0:48
you feel like you could, you know,
0:49
benefit the movement, let us know what
0:51
it is and we'll show you how it is we're
0:54
doing our thing as you begin to do your
0:56
thing." And I I want to say salute to
0:58
KT, man. You know, a lot of people don't
1:01
like to share the game. You know what I
1:03
mean?
1:04
A lot of people don't like to share the
1:06
game, which I don't understand,
1:08
especially we need that kind of
1:10
camaraderie for us, at least in our
1:12
community, cuz we're stronger
1:15
in numbers than we are alone. We could
1:16
accomplish together things that we would
1:19
never accomplish alone. And so, for the
1:21
past couple of years,
1:23
alongside KT, we've been help, you know,
1:25
helping out. He allowed us to come in on
1:28
something that's been already
1:29
established for years. You know, I think
1:30
this was the eighth or ninth
1:32
invitational that 5 North did this past
1:35
weekend when we was at Leathrup High
1:36
School. And each experience we've had
1:39
has been great. You know, last year we
1:41
had Big Von for cameo DJing and we had
1:44
Mickey the Barber twins come out and
1:47
they did some hosting and interviewed a
1:48
lot of the athletes and we collected the
1:51
footage and we'll be doing something
1:52
with that footage very soon. This year
1:55
we came out
1:56
and it was a two-day track meet. It was
1:58
the most efficient track meet I've ever
2:00
seen ran. I've been running track since
2:03
the '70s. So, that's when we started.
2:05
So, we done seen,
2:06
you know, from A
2:08
Why why y'all laughing when I say that?
2:10
I was, you know, running track in the
2:11
'70s. You know, in the '70s I was
2:14
breaking records, getting ribbons,
2:16
you know what I mean? You know, out of
2:17
Oakland, California, man. We were AAU. I
2:21
don't even know if it was no USATF
2:23
USATF back then. I don't even know. Not
2:26
in the '40s.
2:27
I said the '70s,
2:29
not the '40s.
2:30
>> [laughter]
2:31
>> You know, anyway,
2:34
track meets could take up the whole day
2:36
back then. Like, you know, they could
2:38
spill over to the next day. And 5 North
2:42
and Billy Potts and KT, these dudes are
2:44
like freaking frat, man. They they hang
2:46
together like left and right hands. And
2:49
Billy Potts is with the the legendary 10
2:51
East Track Club. And he was giving even
2:54
Billy was putting me on phones with
2:56
different people. Was it LaMonica and
2:59
Brian? Uh Mike Mike Mike and Mike who
3:02
they got the bid for the Junior
3:03
Olympics.
3:05
And I told Billy, man, I'm in LA, man.
3:07
Come up, man. Let's talk about track and
3:09
field, man. I I I feel like track and
3:12
field has been the key to
3:14
my my who I am. It's helped me fortify
3:18
my personality. It helped me learn about
3:20
discipline, mind control, the power it
3:23
takes to step to a track
3:26
to a starting line when you know you're
3:29
about to do the 400 meter hurdles. And
3:31
no matter how you slice it, you're going
3:33
to have to run in pain. At some point in
3:36
that race, you're going to feel pain.
3:38
And to continuously do that over the
3:40
years is what I did.
3:42
It helped discipline me. It helped
3:44
prepare me. Those skills that skill set,
3:47
that mental discipline transcended
3:49
beyond track and field. So, when I got
3:51
into competitive rap or when we got into
3:55
competitive dance or when we just got
3:58
into competing in society, whether you
4:01
got to audition for a part or a role,
4:03
going to MTV and understanding how to
4:06
navigate through that environment and be
4:09
mentally have mental fortitude through
4:12
all the issues that you face, all the
4:14
nuances that you face. That was track
4:16
and field. The train your body where you
4:19
got muscle memory. You could be 50 plus
4:21
now and go in the gym and your body
4:23
turns around, reacts quickly. All you
4:26
got to do is push it a little bit. All
4:28
of that came from track and field. When
4:30
I saw the kids
4:32
this weekend crossing that finish line,
4:34
I don't care if they cross first or they
4:36
cross ninth, all of them were winners.
4:39
And to be able to give them high fives,
4:41
you know, Billy, we was hanging out at
4:42
the finish line arguing over who was
4:45
going to give out the gold medals.
4:47
Cuz Billy tried to give me the bronze
4:49
medals to give out and
4:51
>> [laughter]
4:54
>> He couldn't figure out which one was the
4:56
gold medal. Don't don't do that, Billy.
4:58
Come on, man. [laughter] Ladies and
4:59
gentlemen, let's welcome Billy Potts
5:01
from the 10 East Track Club. He's here,
5:03
man. Give that man a round of applause.
5:07
>> [applause]
5:07
>> Hey, how you guys doing? Yes, sir.
5:09
Billy, Billy, Billy, man. And who'd you
5:11
bring with you, bro? Brought my partner,
5:13
Pierre.
5:14
Been a friend of ours for over 30 years.
5:17
Same story. Track and field, football,
5:21
all the sports we played together. When
5:23
we grew up, you played every sport.
5:25
Whatever the season was, that was the
5:26
sport you played. And we've been pushing
5:29
like that for 30 plus years. And you
5:32
know, he's here to
5:34
also tell you guys a little about track
5:36
and football and how he grew up as well.
5:39
Well, man, this is incredible. When did
5:40
y'all start 10 East Track Club? How long
5:42
ago? 10 East is going on about 16 years
5:45
now. Wow, man. 16 years working with
5:48
these kids. How many members?
5:49
Uh we're at about 500 kids. 500 kids. We
5:54
we kind of do our program a little
5:55
different.
5:57
We we try to cover all the cities and
5:59
neighborhoods because it's all about
6:01
community. And when I was young, we
6:03
wanted to represent where we were from
6:05
and not just make this mega team and,
6:08
you know, go do something. But I wanted
6:09
to represent Compton back in the day.
6:12
We'll go to all the cities and play
6:14
those teams. So, we kind of made our
6:16
program similar to that. And so, I'm in
6:19
the Inland Empire. Pierre has teams in
6:21
Santa Monica and Culver City. Okay. And
6:24
you know, we form 10 East once we come
6:27
together. Once you came together. So,
6:28
you grew up in Compton, too? And I grew
6:30
up in South Central.
6:31
>> South Central. Okay. Geez. So, I'm sure
6:34
both growing up in Compton and South
6:36
Central, y'all probably was really fast.
6:39
>> [laughter]
6:40
>> You thought I was fast. You thought you
6:42
was fast, huh? I knew I was.
6:44
>> You knew you were?
6:45
>> [laughter]
6:45
>> Okay. Let me let me ask y'all this. And
6:47
a lot of times parents are looking for
6:49
something to do with their kids, you
6:51
know, because they
6:52
the kids might be stuck on video games
6:54
or they stuck on social media or they
6:56
got some, you know, thoughts that I'm
6:58
going to be a
6:59
streamer and that's going to save my
7:01
life and lead to fame and fortune
7:04
because we've seen a couple of people
7:05
who've been successful at that. How have
7:08
you seen track and field as a tool,
7:11
almost like a bonus parent for kids to
7:14
learn from? I'mma start with you,
7:15
Pierre. Okay. Well, excuse
7:17
[clears throat] me. I seen it because uh
7:19
we take all kids from begin
7:22
beginners to advanced kids. And then we
7:25
have some kids that's
7:26
let's say in a spectrum.
7:28
I've been dealing with that where
7:30
the parents are like, "Wow, coach, what
7:32
are you doing with my kids? They love
7:33
it." Because we're teaching fun. Mhm.
7:36
Track is coming along, but it's not
7:39
about being number one. It's about
7:41
competing, finishing the job. And the
7:43
kids are growing that way. You know,
7:45
they're happy. Mhm. And that's one way
7:48
that we uh
7:49
I mean, we getting satisfied out of
7:51
that. Just building the kids up from
7:53
nothing to something.
7:54
>> Mhm. Have you seen, Billy,
7:56
track and field become a alternative
7:58
route for folks, especially growing up
8:00
in Compton and South Central? You know,
8:02
you could get caught up in the streets,
8:03
you know. How have you Do you have like
8:05
direct stories of athletes that come
8:07
through your program that chose the
8:09
program over the streets and you saw how
8:11
it benefited them? Yeah, lots of kids,
8:14
you know. And
8:16
basically, you grow up and and your
8:19
friends are whoever you're hanging with.
8:22
So, if you're hanging with track kids or
8:24
football kids, that's who you're going
8:26
to grow up with. And most of those kids
8:28
that are doing positive things are going
8:30
to be headed that direction when they
8:32
get older, you know. And
8:34
if you hang with kids that's walking the
8:35
streets, you're going to walk the
8:37
streets and you know, bust windows, get
8:40
into mischief. So, we have a bunch of
8:42
kids that nowadays, if they're in
8:44
sports, they got good parenting. And
8:47
you know, we try to get the ones who who
8:50
lacking that and try to push them
8:52
through track and field as well. Y'all
8:55
really care, man. I've been out there
8:56
with Billy and I know Pierre is the same
8:58
way same way KT is. Like, people are
9:01
very proactive like when it comes to the
9:05
the organizations in track and field.
9:07
There's a big track meet that's taking
9:09
place this weekend. The 10 East
9:11
preseason championship is taking place
9:13
this weekend in Southern California. If
9:16
you're around, this is something you
9:18
want to Track meets are the most fun. I
9:20
I ate so much of Loretta's catering this
9:23
past track meet. [laughter]
9:24
I was clucking when I got home, Billy. I
9:26
ate so much chicken. I'm not even a
9:28
chicken eater, but I was clucking, man.
9:30
That thing. But track meets are very
9:32
fun. What I learned about track is when
9:35
we we ran for a track club called 1980
9:37
that came out of
9:39
Northern California.
9:40
We we
9:42
I can't remember the track club names
9:44
that were EOYDC, South Oakland Youth
9:46
Development Center was one of another
9:47
track club. Berkeley East Bay was
9:49
another track club.
9:51
I can't remember Santa Rosa Striders or
9:54
something. You know, it was all these
9:55
different It was all these different
9:57
track clubs but they were from different
9:59
places Diablo Valley Cupertino
10:03
they would from they would drive up from
10:04
LA from Long Beach you know all these
10:06
different places I met so many different
10:10
communities through track and field and
10:12
even this past weekend you can see the
10:14
diversity
10:16
to me I think that helped me when I got
10:18
into foreign places when I start working
10:21
at MTV and it was like a United Nations
10:23
of people that worked in one building I
10:26
was already trained as a young man and
10:28
on how to cohabitate and to mingle and
10:31
socialize with people from other
10:34
ethnicities other walks of life can you
10:36
speak to that too like when you get to
10:38
these big track meets you're going to
10:39
see people from all over the world right
10:42
Hey that's that's completely right and
10:45
you know we work with kids like you said
10:47
from every ethnicity and
10:50
it doesn't matter you can run all kind
10:52
of different events in track and field
10:54
it's not just running it's distance
10:56
running it's field events like you
10:58
mentioned earlier hurdles
11:00
pole vault so when you get to the
11:02
Olympics that's why you see all the
11:04
different races on the podium you know
11:06
it's not just
11:09
I say black kids [clears throat] you
11:11
know they think we just sprinters but we
11:13
are running distance run races as well
11:15
as you seen a lot of little kids that
11:17
are African-American out there running a
11:19
mile and we got to keep at that versus
11:22
being stereotyped as oh they're just
11:25
fast no we can run long as well you know
11:28
jump far even do the pole vault so you
11:31
know that's why I like track
11:34
like I tell the parents all the time
11:36
we have to teach the kids to like the
11:39
discipline in other sports that's the
11:41
punishment go to football what they do
11:43
when they punish you make you run you
11:46
know so we have to learn to like the
11:47
punishment and if you can do that you
11:50
can do all the other sports it ain't
11:51
going to be nothing and even beyond
11:53
sports you know you know Pierre you may
11:55
not know this I don't know if you read
11:57
up on me before you came here yeah yeah
11:59
yeah I know you from the beginning
12:01
>> [laughter]
12:01
>> okay okay we grew up together let's just
12:03
say that
12:05
okay Pierre did you know I was a OAL
12:07
champion in triple jump though
12:09
that part I didn't know
12:10
>> [laughter]
12:11
>> nobody don't know that that's Oakland
12:13
Athletic League they know it in Oakland
12:15
all right all right I was OAL champion
12:17
300 meter hurdles too
12:18
>> [laughter]
12:19
>> in high school how can people join
12:23
this organization 10 East Track Club and
12:25
where is the track meet this weekend
12:28
you can go to our website is 10 East
12:30
Track.net
12:32
and we got registration link on there
12:35
track meet this weekend is at Arlington
12:37
High School in Riverside California
12:42
the meet closes tonight so if you want
12:44
to get in it unattached or if you're on
12:46
a team you can go to athletic.net
12:49
look up the 10 East Preseason
12:51
Championships meet and you can join in
12:54
and have some fun this weekend yep
12:57
athletic.net look for the 10 East
12:59
Champion Preseason Championship
13:02
cuz they'll have a bunch of different
13:04
things that are happening look for the
13:06
10 10 East Pre Championship join the
13:09
organization and I say this to parents
13:11
and adults as well Heather that want to
13:12
volunteer if you want to give back to
13:14
your community and be proactive this is
13:16
the most fun way to do it once again if
13:19
they want to join 10 East and volunteer
13:21
how can they do that
13:24
well actually you could go to our
13:25
Instagram and 10 East Track and Field
13:29
you get you can see a lot of our
13:31
the things that we doing the kids like
13:34
right now we have like few of the top
13:36
kids in the state that started with us
13:38
from like age five to high school now
13:41
they're there
13:43
ranked in the nation oh wow okay they
13:46
stayed the course with our our program
13:48
10 East the number 10 East Track and
13:50
Field on Instagram one of the things
13:52
thanks y'all for for coming through
13:53
today one of the things I love about
13:55
track it was the first organized sport
13:57
that I I participated in as well
14:00
>> oh my gosh I can call people though so
14:04
just let me know who you want me to hit
14:06
>> [laughter]
14:09
>> pick something Sway I mean
14:11
>> [laughter]
14:12
>> anyway it's one of the first organized
14:15
sports that I played as well as bowling
14:17
believe it or not and one of the things
14:19
that I loved about track and bowling
14:21
even though you're in on a team
14:23
you have individual you know and you
14:26
learn to root for other people that that
14:29
was one of the first things I noticed
14:30
about track like we had to root for the
14:32
individual as well as the team effort
14:35
and I I I started to learn how track was
14:38
beneficial in other even if you played
14:41
another sport you know a lot of my
14:44
friends were cheerleaders you know I
14:45
cheerlead it too Sway by the way
14:48
I always thought it was beneficial for
14:50
cheerleaders to join the track team you
14:52
know it that would help out with stamina
14:55
with the stretching everything that you
14:56
have to do can y'all break down some of
14:58
the benefits like maybe to football
15:01
players to possibly join track
15:03
basketball players to possibly join
15:04
track swimmers like the benefits of
15:07
having both of those sports
15:09
well one thing will be with track is
15:11
conditioning
15:12
so
15:14
in other sports someone could be better
15:16
than you for 10 plays but if you playing
15:19
50 plays and you're better shape than
15:21
them
15:22
you got advantage the other 40 plays so
15:26
by running track you going to be more
15:28
conditioned to go longer and stronger
15:31
than someone that's just short term
15:33
you know what I like too is
15:35
track [clears throat] is a sport that's
15:36
not subjective just like he said we can
15:39
all argue over who's the goat Michael
15:41
Jordan Kobe and track is all time so if
15:45
I run this time there's no debate on
15:48
who's better or you know
15:51
anything like that so that's the other
15:53
thing I love about it is I don't have to
15:56
do daddy ball and put my kid in the game
15:59
if he's not running that time everybody
16:01
will see you know that I'm doing daddy
16:03
balling so my son on the team he might
16:06
not make the relay this weekend
16:08
just like there's nothing you can do
16:10
about it right your time is your time
16:11
you can't force track can't force track
16:15
in this case numbers don't lie right
16:18
unless it's wind dated all right
16:19
[laughter] we're going to 888-742-3345
16:23
we got Chris on the line from Ohio Chris
16:26
say hello to Billy Carson and my man
16:28
Pierre from 10 East Track Club what up
16:31
hey what's up what's going on y'all
16:33
first time calling
16:35
wait hold up man hold up hold this
16:38
hold up
16:43
welcome to the track meet dog
16:45
thank you thank you
16:47
mhm I just just like to say
16:50
hey just like to say uh
16:53
um
16:54
first like I said first time
16:57
I said one of the benefits of track my
16:59
my son Jayden
17:01
he's
17:02
special needs and he's in special
17:04
Olympics he's been running since
17:06
how long have you been running Jay
17:09
he's been running since junior high even
17:11
before that and now he's a four-time
17:14
state champion in the 1500 and 800
17:17
WOW
17:19
WOW WONDERFUL
17:22
AND this and this summer he's going to
17:24
the USA Nationals in Minneapolis
17:28
and like I said he loves the running
17:31
and always tell people hey like you said
17:34
you deal
17:35
what's his name he deals with people
17:36
that that's on the spectrum
17:39
I don't care what
17:42
um
17:44
what disability you have you if your if
17:47
your legs work and you be able to run
17:49
anything do it keeps [snorts] them in
17:52
shape do it
17:53
everything
17:55
hey Jay can I ask you can I ask you
17:57
something
17:58
hey Jay what is it that you like about
18:00
Jayden what do you like about running
18:02
how has it helped you
18:04
hold on one second let me put him on the
18:05
phone real quick
18:06
okay great how old is he by the way
18:09
uh 21
18:11
okay great
18:13
is he there Jayden
18:15
yeah I'm here yeah
18:17
okay okay hey man tell us about track
18:19
and field man how how do you feel like
18:21
it's helped you
18:23
it helped me
18:25
it helped me through the um
18:27
like getting getting faster
18:30
mhm mhm
18:32
did did it give you more confidence even
18:34
outside of track and field
18:37
uh yes
18:39
yeah see that's the thing I'm talking
18:41
about right there Jayden what is your PR
18:43
in the 1500
18:46
um
18:50
last year I ran I had um
18:53
had a
18:55
417
18:57
417 how's that sound coach
19:01
>> [laughter]
19:05
>> all right Jayden man I'm super proud of
19:07
you congratulations as you advance in
19:10
your track career and and thank you for
19:13
sharing your story with us okay
19:15
yeah thank you
19:17
all right man hey Jayden you're a
19:18
citizen bro
19:19
man he got he got he got he got
19:22
he got legs man keep up the good work
19:24
Jayden yeah it is we got
19:26
Jeremy on the line in California how you
19:28
doing Jeremy
19:31
yo what's up y'all
19:34
what up what's up man
19:39
that's okay
19:41
hey guys
19:42
Billy thank you for coming on the show
19:44
and opening it up for us to ask these
19:47
questions because oddly enough I was
19:49
just talking about this two hours ago
19:51
with my son on his way to school and the
19:54
biggest hurdle,
19:56
pun intended, is
19:58
motivation to do it. How do I make this
20:00
cool? Like what famous athletes can I
20:03
turn them on to? Like that's the
20:05
struggle I have. How do I make it cool
20:06
for him to want to do it?
20:10
Uh
20:11
that's a question that, you know, you'll
20:13
be able to It's no no direct answer for
20:17
that. Like with my son, I've been
20:19
playing games with him since he was born
20:21
on
20:22
getting [snorts] him to compete and
20:24
accept the the pain as Sway said when
20:26
you run track. So, I think it's about
20:29
you knowing your kid and kind of playing
20:32
with him in those different ways,
20:33
motivating him. Maybe you might have to
20:35
get him a Xbox or something or you know,
20:39
but I I I use different strategies with
20:41
my daughter and son on motivation and I
20:45
think
20:46
you know, depending on age, maybe use
20:48
cartoon characters and different stuff
20:51
like that. So, it's all a mental thing
20:54
not even just for track and field, but
20:56
even education and I would say just
21:00
use what you think he likes and do a
21:03
little progressions at one thing at a
21:06
time.
21:07
Okay.
21:08
And and two, you know, show your
21:11
excitement about it tends to help too.
21:15
With my daughter, I would act excited
21:17
like it was something I was very
21:18
interested in
21:20
and try to lure her into something I
21:22
know that she would be interested in,
21:24
but she wouldn't know it until she try
21:25
it. And it's nothing like being received
21:28
at the end of the finish line by an
21:30
adult to tell you, man, you you did it,
21:33
kid. You made it and giving them a high
21:35
five. Even that camaraderie, I think
21:38
could help, Jeremy. All right?
21:43
Jeremy?
21:44
>> Thank you. Thank you guys. All right,
21:45
man. Hey man, hey listen, you're in
21:47
California, have him join Ten East or or
21:50
Five North. You're in Antioch. Go to
21:52
fivenorthtrack.com
21:55
and he'll be around so many kids his
21:57
age. Oh, yeah. Yeah, that's the other
21:59
thing and they'll be enjoying
22:00
themselves, he'll want to enjoy himself.
22:02
That that's the thing real quick, let me
22:04
the track meets are fun for kids cuz you
22:07
have your events, but between events,
22:09
they play. It's a play date. So, that's
22:12
what they enjoy about it. The in
22:13
between, they go do they meet they races
22:17
and they back playing. And the cheering.
22:19
When you're running on the track,
22:21
everybody supports in track. You hear
22:22
that cheering, man. There's nothing like
22:24
that, Jeremy. Give it a shot. Go to
22:26
fivenorthtrack.com
22:28
and tell them we sent you. Okay?
22:31
All right, I got it. Thank you. I
22:32
appreciate it.
22:33
>> My man, see a citizen.
22:34
Take one more call. In Indiana, we got
22:36
Destiny. Destiny, welcome to the show.
22:38
>> Hey, Destiny. Hey guys. Hey guys. I'm a
22:41
first time caller as well.
22:43
Okay. Wow.
22:45
Hold
22:46
hold this.
22:47
>> [music]
22:50
>> Welcome to the winner's circle. Hey.
22:52
[cheering]
22:53
I
22:54
I just kind of wanted to give props to
22:56
the gentleman that you have on the show
22:57
as far as track because I ran track in
23:00
high school.
23:01
Um and I also have a son that actually
23:05
ran USATF track for Indiana Storm Track
23:08
Club in Indianapolis, Indiana. I had
23:11
started him in track when he was nine.
23:14
Um
23:15
you know,
23:16
I just refused to let him be a
23:18
statistics of the streets and you know,
23:20
I kind of when it came as far as the
23:22
video games and stuff, I limited him for
23:25
that stuff during the week. So, um I had
23:28
put him in track and it was crazy
23:30
because he had chronic asthma. So, when
23:32
he first started, he had a couple of
23:33
asthma attacks and I'm like, okay, we
23:35
got to shake back. We can't let this
23:37
happen.
23:38
So, eventually he he outgrew it because
23:41
of track and you know, I he worked with
23:44
a lot of great great people. Um he
23:46
actually made it to Junior Olympics at
23:48
that time like eight or nine times. Um
23:50
he has a lot of medals and a lot of
23:52
stuff and I and I just appreciate how
23:55
the discipline of the sport kind of
23:56
helped him
23:57
through it and you know, and just doing
23:59
his personal, you know, just doing the
24:01
PR times and you know, just pushing
24:03
himself to be better because he was
24:05
always a little guy. But it ended up
24:08
helping him in other sports just like,
24:10
you know, a couple of the other people
24:12
mentioned. He played safety for
24:13
football. He
24:15
He was point for basketball. Um he
24:18
actually out he actually did it all the
24:20
way through high school and even his
24:21
freshman year of college.
24:23
And then he quit doing it after that
24:25
because, you know, you got to let your
24:26
kids kind of do what they want to do.
24:28
So, he kind of got burnt out on it,
24:30
which was okay because he's he still had
24:32
a 4.3 GPA. So, that really paid for the
24:35
rest of school. He actually graduates
24:37
from Kentucky State University on May
24:39
the 9th. So, I'm really extremely proud
24:40
of him.
24:41
>> Wow. Congratulations. What's his name,
24:43
Destiny? Say his name. His name is JJ.
24:46
JJ Barker. We call him JJ. His name is
24:48
Jeremiah.
24:50
Hey, and I bet you he popular.
24:53
Oh god.
24:54
>> Because track
24:56
>> [laughter]
24:57
>> He's very
24:58
>> the part they don't talk about. Yeah,
24:59
cuz track and field enables you to walk
25:02
with a certain kind of confidence and
25:04
you don't even realize it.
25:06
Yeah, and then you're in shape and
25:07
you're lean.
25:09
I ain't going to lie, man. Track and
25:10
field helped me with the ladies,
25:11
Destiny, when I was I didn't even want
25:13
to say that. I did not want to say that,
25:16
John. [laughter]
25:17
It It It It definitely does.
25:20
It's even
25:21
It's even more better now because It's
25:24
It's It's even better now because he's
25:26
in a fraternity, too. He He's Kappa
25:29
Alpha Psi. So,
25:30
>> Yeah, man. Yeah, he's he's tired right
25:33
now. Check on your son.
25:35
>> [laughter]
25:35
>> You are so funny.
25:39
Absolutely. Good food but I was with
25:40
>> But no, it's
25:41
>> [laughter]
25:41
>> It definitely is It definitely is great
25:44
and you know, and I just commend the
25:46
gentleman that actually does that
25:48
because it keeps It keeps them
25:49
structured and keeps them out of trouble
25:51
and you know,
25:53
just keep them going. You got to You got
25:55
to keep You got to keep these kids Yeah,
25:57
you got to keep them focused. So, Yep.
26:00
There you go. The You're doing a great
26:01
job as a mom, Destiny. I'm super proud
26:04
of you, too. And that's what I was a
26:06
young mother. So, you know, it was it
26:08
kind of it it really kind of helped
26:10
because I had my son is 16 and then his
26:12
father got murdered when he was nine.
26:14
So, you know, I had to put him through
26:16
therapy and
26:18
it's okay. You know, I I had to put him
26:20
through therapy to help him like really
26:22
kind of structure him to talk again and
26:26
Mhm.
26:26
>> this kind of this kind of kept him a
26:28
little motivated and kept him going. So,
26:31
I Track and field.
26:32
>> Yeah. Track and field. Destiny, I'm
26:34
sorry I put her on hold. I feel like
26:35
Destiny, thank you for your call. You're
26:37
a super citizen.
26:38
>> We celebrate you and women like you,
26:39
Destiny. It's Sway in the morning for
26:41
sure.
26:41
>> Apologize for that.
26:42
Uh Tracy, you wanted to ask these
26:44
gentlemen these fine gentlemen a
26:45
question. Tracy's all the way in our New
26:46
York studios, guys. What's up, Billy?
26:48
What's up, Pierre?
26:50
I'm wondering if you guys have ever had
26:52
an instance where you found yourself
26:54
almost coaching the parent. And what I
26:56
mean by that are, you know, on the
26:59
sidelines, there are some parents who
27:01
have a deep emotional investment in
27:05
their child,
27:07
>> [laughter]
27:07
>> but it's but maybe they failed to see it
27:10
as they
27:12
have attached their own identity to
27:15
their child. So, they're going really
27:17
really hard. Maybe they're not even like
27:18
saying anything, but kids are incredibly
27:21
perceptive, so they're reading their
27:22
parents like body language and that may
27:25
just throw them off or maybe, you know,
27:27
a parent says something to their kid
27:29
that completely contradicts what you
27:32
both are teaching. Just Do you have an
27:34
example of how you approach the parents
27:38
when you guys have different like
27:40
coaching styles?
27:42
We We do. Uh well, even
27:45
I have one that's real That's like last
27:48
year, couple of seasons.
27:50
I have some twins that's very pretty
27:53
fast
27:54
and the kids came out not knowing their
27:56
potential.
27:58
So, they would did real well.
28:00
So, the parents took over
28:02
and start pushing the kids like they're
28:04
professionals. I'm like, we we like to
28:07
make it
28:08
fun.
28:09
Let them enjoy the time of building.
28:12
But some parents take it into
28:14
they're professionals now and they're
28:16
nine and 10. We like, look, we want them
28:18
to be ready for high school and college.
28:20
We don't care about what happens now. We
28:22
just building them up. But some parents
28:24
want
28:25
uh
28:26
they want to win everything right now
28:28
and and the kids get That's how kids get
28:30
burnt out. Too much parents pushing them
28:33
too hard. Wow. And you know what's
28:36
interesting because we when we used to
28:37
practice, we practice like five days a
28:40
week,
28:41
take a day off and then it was a track
28:43
meet, right? Or four days a week, take
28:45
the and we running 600 we doing that
28:47
ladder, you know, 600, 400, 200, 200,
28:51
400, 600, 800, whatever all
28:53
We used to be so exhausted and tired. I
28:56
was talking to Billy this past weekend
28:58
and I was like, man, your coaching
28:59
method is different. How
29:01
You don't have people
29:03
train every day, right? You don't have
29:04
the kids train every day. How many days
29:06
a week you have people train? We train
29:08
two days a week and compete on the
29:11
weekends and that strategy has been
29:14
working so well that
29:16
right now, we probably have about 60
29:18
kids in high school that are leading
29:20
their divisions right now and I told the
29:24
parents, I said, hey listen, if your kid
29:26
can be anywhere in a ballpark with only
29:29
two days, when they get to high school
29:31
and go to four days, they're going to
29:32
pass those kids up that were doing four
29:34
days their whole life and you know, it's
29:37
been working. No burnout,
29:40
motivated when they get to high school
29:42
and a lot of growth, a lot of room for
29:46
growth, you know. we didn't stunt their
29:48
growth with making the muscles develop
29:51
early and weights and exactly, yeah,
29:54
yeah. So, I love it.
29:56
Um, I'm going to ask you this final
29:58
question, too. First of all, we got
30:00
Pierre and we got Billy Potts from 10 10
30:03
East Track Club. Once again, if you want
30:05
to volunteer as a parent or just
30:07
somebody in the community or get your
30:08
kid a part of 10 East, you could go to
30:10
their Instagram at
30:12
10 East Track.
30:14
10 East Track and Field. 10 East Track
30:16
and Field. And online, they could go to
30:19
They go to 10 East Track.net. Okay.
30:23
There's been some outstanding
30:26
outstanding
30:27
um
30:28
times that we've been seeing high school
30:31
Quincy Wilson, I believe his name is.
30:33
He's an incredible athlete. I love
30:35
watching him run that 400. We've been
30:38
seeing high school kids break 10 seconds
30:41
in the 100-meter dash, running times
30:43
that would have rivaled Carl Lewis in
30:45
his reign, right? 10.92, 10.93.
30:50
Two I mean, 9.92, 9.93. To break 10
30:53
seconds
30:55
at one point they didn't think was
30:56
humanly possible, right? Now we got high
30:59
school kids running as fast as grown
31:02
professionals.
31:04
How is that happening? Uh when like is
31:07
there any enhancements going on? Any
31:09
any any shooting up or Technology,
31:13
education. All our stuff is way more
31:16
plenty right now. When we ran track, it
31:19
was all militant training. Just run six
31:21
400s, you know, they
31:23
drill in the ground. Now, kids are on
31:26
diets and you know, they eating the
31:29
right food for the fuel and they're
31:31
doing the right uh plyometrics and they
31:35
have technology in the shoes now. Now
31:37
these shoes got plates in the front of
31:39
them and it's all kind of stuff that's
31:41
giving them a extra
31:43
uh benefit, you know, in the running.
31:45
>> So Hey, they it's just like everything
31:48
else. It's progressing and making
31:50
everything easier. You know, and and I
31:54
think it's going to get even crazier. Uh
31:56
man, I'm looking forward to it.
31:58
Gentlemen, I want to thank you for
31:59
coming out. Billy Potts and Pierre for
32:00
10 East Track Club. Give them a big
32:02
round of applause. Uh make sure you
32:04
follow them. Absolutely, man. This is
32:06
great and we we going to be doing more
32:09
work together. I'm unfortunately I'm not
32:11
here this weekend. Otherwise, I would
32:12
attend the track meet.
32:14
Uh but now that I know y'all are here, I
32:16
will be coming. Heather's going to come.
32:17
Heather cuz she used to run track.
32:19
>> Absolutely.
32:20
>> So, she'll come out to the track meets,
32:21
too. All right? Oh, one last thing,
32:24
Sway. Junior Olympics, you guys in
32:27
California, we don't have to deal with
32:29
that bad weather. So, everybody will
32:31
love it. You guys got to check that out.
32:33
>> The Junior Olympics are coming up in
32:35
>> July. July, end of July. 27th through
32:38
August 2nd.
32:39
>> 22nd through August 2nd.
32:40
>> Yep. Um I think we got a big phone call
32:43
next week. We going to all jump on the
32:44
phone, right? And whatever my brother
32:46
and I can do to to help um and and tap
32:49
in, we there, man. Can I get an official
32:52
Junior Olympic like referee like outfit?
32:55
Like you know how they have those bibs
32:56
or something or something where people
32:58
know I'm official, Billy?
33:00
Okay, thank you, P, man. I need to be
33:02
out there with a whistle.
33:03
I do have one more thing.
33:04
>> Blow the whistle.
33:06
Uh we we are also owners of a sports
33:08
lounge right here in Inglewood called
33:09
Legends Sports Lounge in Inglewood.
33:12
Okay.
33:12
>> some of the best wings, catfish.
33:15
>> [laughter]
33:15
>> All the sports. Everybody in the
33:17
whatever you come touch down in LA,
33:19
Inglewood, stop by Legends Sports
33:21
Lounge.
33:21
>> Legends, y'all know Mugs? Yeah, come on.
33:23
>> That's my brother, man. Okay, okay. I'm
33:25
going to have Mugs take me. That's your
33:26
big bro? Okay.
33:28
>> [laughter]
33:29
>> What is it called? Legends Sports
33:30
Lounge? Yep, I see it. Okay. Yo,
33:32
everybody know Mugs, man.
33:34
>> Oh, yeah. We call him the bully around
33:36
these parts. All right, um didn't bring
33:38
no fish and wings with you, but okay.
33:41
>> [laughter]
33:41
>> That's what's up. Yeah, I'm on the
33:42
website now. Legends Sports Lounge and
33:45
Grill. Okay, great, man. I'm going to
33:46
talk to Mugs. We going to come check you
33:48
out, all right?
33:49
Uh man, hey Pierre, thank you for your
33:51
service to the community, brother. We
33:53
appreciate you.
33:54
>> love you, man.
33:54
>> Man, come on.
33:55
>> Love these kids to help build Yeah,
33:57
Billy, you already know what it is, man.
33:59
We've been doing this a couple of years.
34:00
Thank you, man. Thank you for getting up
34:02
early. You guys check out the track
34:03
meet. Once again, it's at Arlington
34:05
High?
34:05
>> Arlington High in Riverside.
34:07
>> Riverside, it's going down this weekend,
34:09
Saturday and Sunday? Yes.
34:10
>> Oh man, take your kids, go check it out
34:12
for yourself and call us next week and
34:14
let us know what you thought. Thank you,
34:15
gentlemen, for coming by.
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