"Finding the Right College Fit" with guest Jay Straight (09-06-2005)
John:
Hello everyone, welcome to the only internet radio show talking about high school sports and the business of college recruiting. This is the Collegiate Athlete Today streaming live to you from Chicago, Illinois across the US and the globe thanks to the World Wide Web. I am John Kerr and sitting across from me, like he is every week, the pride and joy of North Chicago Illinois and former Vanderbilt Commodore and founder of the National Collegiate Scouting Association, Chris Krause. We want to thank Voice America for helping us stream this broadcast from the mother ship out there in Phoenix Arizona. So today we are talking to a former collegiate athlete with a very interesting story. They call him the Chicago Cowboy. He grew up on Chicago's south side, attended Dunbar High School, ended up in Wyoming where he finished up a pretty distinguished career. He was the school's all time assist leader and the conference's third all-time leading scorer, oh by the way, most importantly, he graduated this past May. And making his grandmother very proud. We bring you Jason Straight. What's up my man.
Jason:
Hey, how are you guys doing?
John:
How's it going? Did you like that introduction? Did you like being called the Chicago Cowboy?
Jason:
Yeah, man. That was cool. I'm going to stick with that and ride with that. The Chicago Cowboy, that sounds really good.
Chris:
That's right. And you got your diploma which is what we're all proudest of. Congratulations on that Jay.
John:
So the first question that anyone listening might have for you is, how in the heck did a kid from Chicago's South Side end up at a school in Wyoming? So I guess, my question is what drove your decision to go out to Wyoming? Let's go back to the fall of 2001, that's when you enrolled in Wyoming. You graduated from Dunbar in 2001, and you had some things going on here locally in terms of offers to play basketball here in the Midwest and here in the Chicagoland area. Talk to us about Wyoming, what drove you to choose that school?
(5:10)
Jason:
To be honest, I just wanted to get away from the city. I grew up in the Robert Taylor homes down on 45th and State Street and that was all I knew growing up and my grandma tried and tried to enroll me in sports programs all over. Park district programs, things all over the city and it just wasn't enough, playing varsity basketball at Dunbar gave me other opportunities to see more as well but all I wanted to do was to get away. There a lot of guys who play in the Public League who stay around the area and stay in Chicago and they don't become successful, not just in basketball but in life. And I just wanted to go somewhere new and try something different and see where it would take me and fortunately, for m, I made the right decision.
Chris:
Well J, that's one of the things that we talk about when talking about the decision making process. Because I know when you were a freshman, when we were putting together our program with Devin Graham and our Athletes Against Drugs program where we were working with some select inner city student athletes, your name came up because you had really impressed Taylor Bell. He had met with you and was really impressed by you, so when he gave me your name and I looked you up and had the chance to come out and meet you and find out about your goals. Tell everyone about when we first met. Some of your goals, the impressions that you got from the meeting and all that.
Jason:
Oh yeah, that was great for me. Because you were with Athletes Against Drugs at the time and that was all about informing kids about getting involved with the right situations. And just coming from where I came from, I wasn't aware of a lot of things in regards to schooling and education and other good opportunities out there. I went to Coleman Grammar School and I wasn't even informed there on how to fill out a high school application, they just place you in schools otherwise. So I needed all of that. When I met you, Chris, I was impressed because I didn't know about a lot of things before we met. So I decided to come on board with the program. And it was the little things, like you taking me out to lunch for a Subway sandwich, that was tremendous for me. Because I didn't have anything, so I was really taking a chance on you, Chris, and your program. And you guys really helped me out. I mean basketball was really coming along, and I really probably didn't need your company because I was becoming a pretty decent player already, but the guidance that I got from you guys and the information, like how to talk to a coach, and how to present myself as a young man as well as a basketball player, was well worth everything. Words can't even describe how much it taught me.
Chris:
Well, Jay, I know you have had a chance to talk at many NCSA functions and hearing you talk helped me to realize all the ways that I could and this company could have an effect on people. But now you are actually having an opportunity to impact other student athletes in this area. Because these kids have people telling them to bypass college, that they could be a first round draft pick or that they should go to this school over that. There are a lot of people telling you things when you're in high school that can go against what is actually best for you. When the reality is that you have a better opportunity by going to college. What was some of the advice that impacted you the most, Jay?
Jason:
Just to make the right decision as far as the right school to go to. JK was asking me why I went to Wyoming, well because I wanted to get away, yeah that was the most important thing. But also, I knew that by going to Wyoming, I would also have an opportunity to play because there wasn't very many guys coming form Chicago to Wyoming so I knew that if I went out there I could have the opportunity to play and play right away. And I could possibly create enough exposure for myself to possibly go to the pros later. You have to take the baby steps first, and me learning that from you guys helped me to help others in teaching them what questions to ask that could effect their athletic careers for the better. Because it's about building relationships that will help you make it to graduation day.
John:
Hey Jay, so im thinking that someone like yourself who has taken a mentor like Chris, I can see that you now have become the mentor. And we are going to talk more about that on the other side of the break. And also your experiences at Wyoming and whats next for Jason Straight because the story is still unwritten. There's a lot to be told here. We're back with Jason Straight, more with Collegiate Athlete Today, I'm John, along here with Chris. Listen up, we'll be right back.
(11:00)
John:
Welcome back everybody, we are visiting today with Jason Straight, the former Wyoming Cowboy, third all-time leading scorer of the Mountain West Conference and also the school's all-time assist leader and is, most importantly, a college graduate. Jason Straight from the South side of Chicago meeting up with us on the show here. Jay, one thing we were kind of getting to before the break was the importance of guidance in your life and you would not have ended up where you went without taking advice from people who showed interest in guiding you through those decisions. Talk about your situation and the stories that you have, one of your quotes which I love from doing a little research on you here was "there was a time when I didn't have no where to turn, nowhere to go, but I didn't want to be just another person from the Robert Taylor Homes who didn't do anything." There are a lot of stories of kids like you, who had the talent but ended up not doing anything. Correct?
Jason:
Yeah, no doubt.
John:
What's the reason for that, Jay?
Jason:
Well again, it goes back to guidance. Like Chris said earlier, people listen to a bunch of street guys who say that you could go pro and you can be a first rounder. And this, again, don't get me wrong, does not relate just to basketball, it relates to every single sport. You look at football, the same thing is happening there too. You think about football players and Maurice Clarett and the decisions that he made. And you think about a lot of people when it comes down to making that decision and when people start seeing dollar signs they start pushing you for all the wrong things. They will say whatever they have to say to get you in a position to get ahead and make money. You think about all the kids who went pro straight out of high school, one that comes to mind is Imari Sawyer, a great player out of King High School, everyone predicted that he would be a First Round pick and he was going to be a great success story, and he went to DePaul for two years and I haven't heard about him since. I mean that just goes to show that if he had had the proper guidance and the right people in his corner he probably would have been able to at least finish up school and get his degree. Just to have something to fall back on to be a productive person if basketball didn't follow through.
Chris:
Hey Jay, one of the things we talk about is, well you talk about the Imari Sawyers of the world, the Ronnie Fields of the world, these kids probably has as much god given talent as anyone who played the game but there had to be some things that they didn't have. Maybe it was in grade school or in high school, you gotta go back to those academics, I mean you probably have to give a shout out to your grandmother for keeping your tail in line and pushing you to focus. Because I know that that was one thing that separated you from a lot of kids who were also great athletes. Talk about how academics played an important role with you.
(17:20)
Jason:
Academics was the key. You know that in order to play Division 1 basketball, you have to qualify academically, you have to get a certain score on your ACT or SAT and you have to have a certain GPA to be eligible. So I know that academics was first and foremost because if you don't get the grades then you can't play. And that was one of the rules that my grandmother gave me. And she set that standard well before I learned about that through the Public League or through further education. I wasn't intimidated about authority figures or anything because eligibility was not going to be a problem with me because I did have a tough grandmother who gave me that tough guidance in that area. And for that, I can honestly say that I'm blessed. I mean, there are a lot of kids out there who meet some crazy people out there in the streets and Chris, you know, you went to school in North Chicago, a lot of people don't have the family guidance to protect them and look out for them. The talent just masks the problems that some kids have, because a lot of things goes on in these kids' lives and there are a lot of people that effect their decisions and their decision making.
John:
You're grandmother, Eddie Thompson, who raised you, obviously it was an emotional day for her when you graduated from the University of Wyoming back in May. But tell the audience out there, it's the Fall of 2001, you're moving out to Wyoming and I know you said that there were some moments where you wanted to pull out. Tell us about that.
Jason:
Well it was crazy. I mean there are 500,000 people in the whole state. There are more cattle than people. It was just so different, the environment was different, the people were different. But I knew that. I knew what I was getting myself into. It was just weird.
John:
Tell us why you didn't come home. A lot of kids listening out there don't know that there will be times when you might second guess your decision. You said that there were plenty of times as a freshman that you had your bags packed, right? So what made you stay?
Jason:
Yeah, I don't know. It was just me knowing that I couldn't just run. There were nights when I couldn't sleep, when I would have nose bleeds and just the stress of the altitude made me want to leave. At practice, we would run two or three laps and I would be extremely tired and it was things like that that really made me think about where I was. But after I got past all of those things and basketball season started things got a little bit better. And it was the season and school that made it that much more fun for me.
John:
Yeah, you're pulling into Laramie, Welcome to 7200 Feet, how is your oxygen?
Jason:
Yeah, that's what the sign said! There's a big sign out there that says, "Welcome to 7200 feet above sea level, how is your oxygen?" I mean, the first day that I got out there, it was horrible! I would be running during practice and doing all the things you do in practice and I was so winded. I started thinking about all the things that I had been doing wrong as a kid, and I thought that something was really wrong with me. And I thought that I needed to go to the doctor because I thought that something might really be wrong with me. That altitude kicked my butt.
Chris:
What part of that decision on not coming home was the look on your grandmother's face if you did come back home?
Jason:
Oh yeah, I didn't want to let myself down and I definitely didn't want to let my grandmother down. I didn't even know what I would say to all the people who heard that I was going out to Wyoming to be productive if I came back home early because I couldn't handle it. But she definitely played a huge role in me staying put and toughing it out.
Chris:
Well the interesting thing is that half of the kids who go to college and play sports, don't get to graduating because of these same reasons. You're a freshman, you're struggling academically, you're having a tough time getting used to a new environment, you're in a part of the country and now you're playing against men. You're not averaging 30 points anymore, you're playing against men. Talk about that transition.
Jason:
Oh man, that was a tough transition. And you gotta be prepared for that. Physically, every athlete in America coming into college as a freshman, physically you wont be ready because those guys are much older and much faster and that goes the same in women's sports as well. So it was tough juggling the time in the gym and in the classroom because both physically and mentally you have to transition and it's hard. But once you get there and get a pattern and find a routine with class and practices, everything will fall into place. But the first couple of weeks on campus are really tough.
John:
And Jay, the Mountain West is no slouch. I mean, you're playing against some pretty tough competition up there. So Wyoming may not be the ACC but you still got the opportunity to go play down at Kansas in a non-conference game, and you played against Utah, that's some good competition out there.
Jason:
Yeah, fortunately for me, I was able to play against Arizona and North Carolina and Kansas and Gonzaga. I was able to play against a lot of stiff competition so fortunately for me I was able to play and the Mountain West conference is gruesome, we had Utah and BYU, UNLV and New Mexico, those teams are always tough and always contenders to go to the big dance so it was tough. And again, it was tough managing that time both on and off the court because there are a lot of temptations in college.
John:
Let's not forget, Jason Straight, 109 consecutive games at Wyoming, so you managed to adjust ok to that oxygen.
Jason:
Oh yeah, and in fact, my last season I was able to average 39.5 minutes, so I got adjusted alright. People hated how I used to run circles around them.
John:
When we come back, more with Jason Straight, and we are going to ask Jason, what's in his Ipod. More when we come back from the break. You are listening to Collegiate Athlete Today.
(25:05)
Chris:
Jason, one of the things that I know is really important to you is giving back. Now you're a role model and a mentor to thousands of kids and literally you were signing autographs as a high school student athlete with a bunch of the other guys who were high profile at the time. Tell us a little bit about your feelings as far as being a role model and what it means to give back.
Jason:
It means a lot to me, Chris, because I needed people to reach out to me when I was younger so it always feels good when I can help out others. Justin Williams is a prime example, he's a kid who is going to finish up at the University of Wyoming this year and I brought him along with me to the program and he is now learning how to manage his time better on and off the court. Or Brandon Ewing who is from Julian, he'll be at Wyoming next year too. Just getting involved and talking to them and telling them the things that you told me so that they can make the right decision. And it helps that this information is coming to them from someone who has been through the same situation. And I feel like if someone helped me, I should help someone, kind of like a chain of command. And when you see a good kid who is actually trying to do the right thing, it's an easy decision to take the time to help them out.
Chris:
Yeah, one of the parts of helping out is being able to identify the people who want help. A lot of times, kids that age think that they know it all or they think their coach or their parents are going to do it all. And how much does it have to do with you wanting it and doing it over someone else doing it for you?
Jason:
Kids like that are always brought up in the wrong situations when people aren't around to help them to do the right thing. My grandmother taught me to try to make my own decisions, I would tell her what was going on and she told me that that was my decision to make and that I would have to deal with the possible consequences. And like you said, a lot of kids are told many different things and sometimes its impossible to get through to them. Many kids know whats going on, they understand, but sometimes it takes someone stepping in and taking them by the wing and pointing them in the right direction.
Chris:
There are a lot of talented kids out there, but as far as separating yourself from the pack, how did you go about doing that? In terms of talking to college coaches, going on recruiting trips and visiting college campuses, what were some things that you did personality-wise that separated you from the competition?
Jason:
I just used some of the stuff that I learned from you and other people. Like, always having a smile on my face and being able to present myself as a young man and as a student first and then an athlete because a lot of times coaches just want kids in there and they aren't worried about graduating them. There isn't a high graduation rate in NCAA basketball. I just wanted them to know that I was there as a person and as a student first and basketball just happens to be what I'm good at.
Chris:
So now you got your degree in Communications, you graduated on time, you got to play in the Big Dance as a freshman, you got your name in lights and you guys made it to the 2nd or 3rd round, now your college experience….I know that one of your best friends is a young man named Eddie Curry who plays for the Bulls right now, who opted to go right to the NBA and bypass college. Now you're friends with Eddie, you talk to him all the time, what are some of the things in terms of contrasts between you going to college and Eddie who bypassed that experience?
Jason:
Well there's a definitely big difference, he's loaded and I'm not but the difference in me having that college experience, the fight song and coming out of that tunnel and having 15,000 Wyoming fans screaming and things like that, I mean you can't trade that. I had the opportunity to play in the NCAA Tournament and I had the opportunity to have a few shining moments that I wouldn't trade for the world. Eddie missed out the fun college experiences, but again Eddie is making a ton of money now and he is getting a whole difference set of experiences. It's just different these days, people have to make decisions to better themselves and sometimes their families and I'm happy for him. That was a good decision for him.
John:
Yeah it's hard to blame the man.
Jason:
Yeah for sure.
John:
The story isn't over here, we still have a couple chapters left in terms of basketball in the Jason Straight story. Tell the audience out there what's on your plate, what you have going on and where you hope to be playing this fall.
Jason:
My agent and I are talking right now about some situations over in Europe and we're in the process of talking to some teams in Italy, Spain, and Turkey, Israel and in Poland and the sooner we can get a deal done in the right situation I will go. Hopefully it will be in the next week or so, the next couple of days, and then I'll go from there. I'm going to continue playing ball as long as I can and when I'm done I'm gonna come back and bother you guys for a long time.
Chris:
There you go.
John:
Well Jay, we appreciate you being on today. Chris and I wish you the best of luck. And we know that we are going to be seeing you around the offices here really soon.
Chris:
Say hello to your grandmother for us and we'll look forward to seeing your really soon back over at NCSA
John:
That's Jason Straight. Profiles in Success, with Tom Thayer is next.
(37:20)
John:
Welcome back. John Kerr along side Chris Krause, you're listening to Collegiate Athlete Today. We just finished up with Jason Straight, who we have a personal connection with, who Chris made a personal relationship with and a guy who is the perfect story because basketball was just that vehicle to advance his life, CK. And basketball will hopefully be his profession down the road. But it came down to education education eduation. And he had every excuse not to make it but he is well on his way.
Chris:
Absolutely. When you look at your collegiate choice and I'm a firm believer that it's the biggest decision that you'll ever make because it will influence not only whats on your diploma and your resume but it decides your network of friends and all that. When you come out of college and you have athletics and you were a team captain and all those intangibles on your resume, it just speaks volumes about what you're able to bring to the table as a human being. You're able to balance all those practice hours along with hitting the books along with all the demands of travel and being away from home and being a team player. The fact that he was smart enough to be able to see the opportunity in Wyoming in terms of him having a chance to play and to compete as a freshman and to play on that big of a stage and to play in the NCAA tournament and go 2 or 3 rounds on that one shining moment when they are awarded that trophy. That will last him a lifetime. No one can ever take that away from him. And the man has his degree and he's going places and he didn't have to go to a North Carolina, an Illinois or a Duke. He went to Wyoming where he made a career for himself and now he has the opportunity to play professionally. And he has that degree to fall back on and you can't ask much more of that.
John:
Yeah, don't be surprised if you see Jason Straight on an NBA hard court in the near future but more likely, don't be surprised if you see Jason Straight in a boardroom somewhere. Making decisions for a company someday. Jason Straight, we love listening to him, we think his story is one of great value. So kids, parents, make sure you download this one and listen to it over and over again. It's a good one. This brings us to our Profiles In Success segment with former Notre Dame and offensive lineman Tom Thayer member of the 85 Super Bowl Champion Chicago Bears and is currently the team's radio analyst. Each week, Tom talks to a former or current athlete with a very unique story and this week he profiles former Olympic diver and current broadcast executive, Larry Wert. Here's Tom.
Tom:
Good afternoon everybody, this is Tom Thayer with Profiles Of Success. And I'm excited about today's guest because this is a guy who is famous for the things that he has done outside of sports more than his sports career itself. And this is a 2 time All-American at the University of Wisconsin. And Larry, your sport of choice was diving, why and how did diving become a part of your life?
Larry:
Hi Tom. I had a boyhood idol who was an Olympic champion for the United States, his name was Ken Sitzberger and he won a gold medal in 3 Meter Diving in Tokyo at the Olympics for the US in 1964. He was from my area, from the Westside of Chicago and he went to Fenwick High School where I ultimately attended and I was always enamored with his achievement and I really enjoyed the sport once I got involved in it. I was always involved in water sports, I swam competitively, I played water polo but the diving thing seemed to connect most with me and I was able to beat the field after only a couple of years of competing. And also I realized that it would give me the opportunity to get a college athletic scholarship. And I was able to participate and compete in the Big 10 and also get an education in the Big 10.
Tom:
Every young athlete throughout their education and their sport of choice has pitfalls, highs and lows, when you're on a 3 meter swing board and you do a back flop, how do you talk yourself into climbing back up those stairs and trying that again? When that could result in another backflop?
Larry:
Injury is apart of sport and although diving is a team sport because your score is part of a team effort, you are one on one, it's you on land, air and water. And mistakes happen and there can be injury. I would say that earlier in my career, when those things would happen, a few times I had clipped my head on the board, or I landed wrong in the pool and sometimes the injuries were pretty significant, you become a bit afraid to go back up there and repeat the same trick that got you hurt. You get encouragement from a coach or a teammate and overcoming that adversity at that time is kind of what builds your character and builds your confidence in being able to compete under pressure.
Tom:
It seems that in an sport that you choose, even between football and diving which are obviously on two ends of the spectrum eventually that career will end but what did you learn through being an athlete that helped you in your path today?
Larry:
Well one thing that we all share, if you have competed in athletics throughout your life at anytime is discipline. There's discipline necessary in the training, there is discipline necessary in the competition and certainly there's discipline in learning how to win and in learning how to lose. And all of those experiences are applicable in the business world. And in the real world.
(46:50)
Tom:
And you talk about being able to use those things in the business world, and the real world, what did you learn as a collegiate competitive athlete that helps you raise your kids today. Some of the lessons that you learned to make yourself climb back up that ladder, do you use them in the raising of your young kids?
Larry:
Yes I try to. Competition and training for competition and that commitment, well it really all starts with commitment. And again, whatever sport you choose and whatever commitment you make, staying true to it is what's important. And I found that the commitments that you have to make to athletics and the disciplines along the way are applicable to other paths in life and through all of those experiences you gain confidence. And in whatever path you take, confidence is necessary in order to fully execute and perform and yes it needs to be humble and it needs to have the appropriate perspective. But you cant perform well at anything unless you do it with a vision and confidence. And that comes from practice and training and repetition from teachings from coaches from mentors, from a lot of different sources. But at the end of the day, your experiences on the playing field can certainly help you in life.
Tom:
You know what Larry, what impresses me most is that I'm talking to a two time All-American but a lot more people know you because of the charity organizations that you're involved with and the good that you do outside of your 60 hour a week work week and the opportunities that you have given other people through your charity work. But really, is any of this possible, is anything that you're doing right now possible without your education?
Larry:
I don't think so, Tom. Because of your achievements along the way, your degrees and your diploma and the relationships that you make along the way through your education and the experiences that you have along the way. Those things all give you the credibility necessary to take the next step and to get to the next level of experiences. And I think if you don't complete that foundation of knowledge and experience you are going to be hard pressed to the opportunity to achieve the next level and to build the foundation of whatever career path it's going to be. It's a competitive market place, it's a changing world out there, technology is swinging everything right now and there's global competition now. So for the youth of the future, it's more important than ever to get an education. You may be an entrepreneur in spirit but if you don't have the credibility to be able to sell your idea, you'll be less likely to make it.
Tom:
Now on your professional side, you guys had the opportunity to broadcast the Olympics, when you go and you watch these worldwide athletes compete at such a high level, do you go and put extra focus on the aquatic events? Do you find yourself paying more attention to those types of events more than others?
Larry:
Yeah, in all honesty Tom, I really do. I really enjoy the sport of diving especially and where it's gone. When I was competing in the 60s and 70s, it was very much dominated by the US and sometimes Italy, and now the Chinese have really gotten involved in the sport, Russia has really put out some great competitors, so it's a really competitive playing field and I really enjoy that. But to watch these athletes and know the sacrifices that they have made, that their families have made, for so long so that they can be there on that given day to give it their best, I find that the best part of the broadcasting opportunity. I respect them and I admire them, because I never achieved that. It was a goal of mine, I got to the Olympic trials but never got the Olympic status so I have great respect for the athletes who do. But boy, it's exciting to watch, there is always a unique story that comes out of the Olympics.
Tom:
You know, growing up and watching diving in the Olympics, it always seems that it's the individual versus the diving board and watching them try to make the least amount of splash when they hit the water. And then you take that, and you try to build a team around that. As far as the workforce how do you use that experience as far as directing members of your work team who are also operating on an individual level?
Larry:
Well you learn that character and attitude is critical to having a successful team. And depending on the sport, whether there is 5 or 15 people on a given team, your collective compatibility and support for each other and commitment can really add up. If everyone rose in the same direction it can have the impact of 10 people over just the 5 that you're working with. However, if there' dissension and unhealthy conflict and selfishness, a team just wont be all that functional.
Tom:
Well Larry, this is why we chose you for Profiles Of Success, because you are a success in sports, education and the workplace and I cant tell you how much I appreciate it. This is Tom Thayer, we are going to send it back to Chris and John and again Larry, thank you so much for joining me.
Larry:
Thanks, good old Number 57.
John:
Thanks Tom, Thanks Larry, Larry Wert a two time All-American at the University of Wisconsin, now a broadcast executive here in Chicago with NBC 5. Channel 5, WMAQ, he's been the general manager of that station for the last 7 years. Before we leave today, lets send out a few thank yous to the behind the scenes, the mother ship in Phoenix, we want to thank Ruben and Adrian for operating the controls and here in Chicago, the master of all trades, Bobby Glass. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Go to www.ncsasports.org fill out the student athlete evaluation form, the SAEF, to qualify for a free evaluation from a NCSA scout.
Tom:
Good afternoon everybody, this is Tom Thayer with Profiles Of Success. And I'm excited about today's guest because this is a guy who is famous for the things that he has done outside of sports more than his sports career itself. And this is a 2 time All-American at the University of Wisconsin. And Larry, your sport of choice was diving, why and how did diving become a part of your life?
Larry:
Hi Tom. I had a boyhood idol who was an Olympic champion for the United States, his name was Ken Sitzberger and he won a gold medal in 3 Meter Diving in Tokyo at the Olympics for the US in 1964. He was from my area, from the Westside of Chicago and he went to Fenwick High School where I ultimately attended and I was always enamored with his achievement and I really enjoyed the sport once I got involved in it. I was always involved in water sports, I swam competitively, I played water polo but the diving thing seemed to connect most with me and I was able to beat the field after only a couple of years of competing. And also I realized that it would give me the opportunity to get a college athletic scholarship. And I was able to participate and compete in the Big 10 and also get an education in the Big 10.
Tom:
Every young athlete throughout their education and their sport of choice has pitfalls, highs and lows, when you're on a 3 meter swing board and you do a back flop, how do you talk yourself into climbing back up those stairs and trying that again? When that could result in another backflop?
Larry:
Injury is apart of sport and although diving is a team sport because your score is part of a team effort, you are one on one, it's you on land, air and water. And mistakes happen and there can be injury. I would say that earlier in my career, when those things would happen, a few times I had clipped my head on the board, or I landed wrong in the pool and sometimes the injuries were pretty significant, you become a bit afraid to go back up there and repeat the same trick that got you hurt. You get encouragement from a coach or a teammate and overcoming that adversity at that time is kind of what builds your character and builds your confidence in being able to compete under pressure.
Tom:
It seems that in an sport that you choose, even between football and diving which are obviously on two ends of the spectrum eventually that career will end but what did you learn through being an athlete that helped you in your path today?
Larry:
Well one thing that we all share, if you have competed in athletics throughout your life at anytime is discipline. There's discipline necessary in the training, there is discipline necessary in the competition and certainly there's discipline in learning how to win and in learning how to lose. And all of those experiences are applicable in the business world. And in the real world.
(46:50)
Tom:
And you talk about being able to use those things in the business world, and the real world, what did you learn as a collegiate competitive athlete that helps you raise your kids today. Some of the lessons that you learned to make yourself climb back up that ladder, do you use them in the raising of your young kids?
Larry:
Yes I try to. Competition and training for competition and that commitment, well it really all starts with commitment. And again, whatever sport you choose and whatever commitment you make, staying true to it is what's important. And I found that the commitments that you have to make to athletics and the disciplines along the way are applicable to other paths in life and through all of those experiences you gain confidence. And in whatever path you take, confidence is necessary in order to fully execute and perform and yes it needs to be humble and it needs to have the appropriate perspective. But you cant perform well at anything unless you do it with a vision and confidence. And that comes from practice and training and repetition from teachings from coaches from mentors, from a lot of different sources. But at the end of the day, your experiences on the playing field can certainly help you in life.
Tom:
You know what Larry, what impresses me most is that I'm talking to a two time All-American but a lot more people know you because of the charity organizations that you're involved with and the good that you do outside of your 60 hour a week work week and the opportunities that you have given other people through your charity work. But really, is any of this possible, is anything that you're doing right now possible without your education?
Larry:
I don't think so, Tom. Because of your achievements along the way, your degrees and your diploma and the relationships that you make along the way through your education and the experiences that you have along the way. Those things all give you the credibility necessary to take the next step and to get to the next level of experiences. And I think if you don't complete that foundation of knowledge and experience you are going to be hard pressed to the opportunity to achieve the next level and to build the foundation of whatever career path it's going to be. It's a competitive market place, it's a changing world out there, technology is swinging everything right now and there's global competition now. So for the youth of the future, it's more important than ever to get an education. You may be an entrepreneur in spirit but if you don't have the credibility to be able to sell your idea, you'll be less likely to make it.
Tom:
Now on your professional side, you guys had the opportunity to broadcast the Olympics, when you go and you watch these worldwide athletes compete at such a high level, do you go and put extra focus on the aquatic events? Do you find yourself paying more attention to those types of events more than others?
Larry:
Yeah, in all honesty Tom, I really do. I really enjoy the sport of diving especially and where it's gone. When I was competing in the 60s and 70s, it was very much dominated by the US and sometimes Italy, and now the Chinese have really gotten involved in the sport, Russia has really put out some great competitors, so it's a really competitive playing field and I really enjoy that. But to watch these athletes and know the sacrifices that they have made, that their families have made, for so long so that they can be there on that given day to give it their best, I find that the best part of the broadcasting opportunity. I respect them and I admire them, because I never achieved that. It was a goal of mine, I got to the Olympic trials but never got the Olympic status so I have great respect for the athletes who do. But boy, it's exciting to watch, there is always a unique story that comes out of the Olympics.
Tom:
You know, growing up and watching diving in the Olympics, it always seems that it's the individual versus the diving board and watching them try to make the least amount of splash when they hit the water. And then you take that, and you try to build a team around that. As far as the workforce how do you use that experience as far as directing members of your work team who are also operating on an individual level?
Larry:
Well you learn that character and attitude is critical to having a successful team. And depending on the sport, whether there is 5 or 15 people on a given team, your collective compatibility and support for each other and commitment can really add up. If everyone rose in the same direction it can have the impact of 10 people over just the 5 that you're working with. However, if there' dissension and unhealthy conflict and selfishness, a team just wont be all that functional.
Tom:
Well Larry, this is why we chose you for Profiles Of Success, because you are a success in sports, education and the workplace and I cant tell you how much I appreciate it. This is Tom Thayer, we are going to send it back to Chris and John and again Larry, thank you so much for joining me.
Larry:
Thanks, good old Number 57.
John:
Thanks Tom, Thanks Larry, Larry Wert a two time All-American at the University of Wisconsin, now a broadcast executive here in Chicago with NBC 5. Channel 5, WMAQ, he's been the general manager of that station for the last 7 years. Before we leave today, lets send out a few thank yous to the behind the scenes, the mother ship in Phoenix, we want to thank Ruben and Adrian for operating the controls and here in Chicago, the master of all trades, Bobby Glass. Are you ready to take your game to the next level? Go to www.ncsasports.org fill out the student athlete evaluation form, the SAEF, to qualify for a free evaluation from a NCSA scout.