Full Show - 5/10/2025

Full show from the Donovan & Jorgenson Heating & Cooling Studio: Saturday, May 10th, 2025

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome to the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
on Fox Sports ninet twenty and your iHeartRadio app as always,
coming live from the Donovant and Jorgensen Heating and Cooling Studios.
You're going to be turning your AC on soon. Make
sure it's working well. Any issues you have go to

(00:20):
Donovan Jorgensen dot com. So this is a special edition
of the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show, and we're
going to talk a little high school sports, kind of
weave it in. But I gotta tell you you don't
know what you don't know. And I was asked by
my friend, Sergeant Collette Carter Powell. I'm used to saying Hagen,

(00:41):
but she's gotten married. Since three years she's invited me
on this trip to San Diego to be part of
the Educator's Workshop US Marine Corps Educator's Workshop, and the
first two years I turned her down. And I'm going
to be one hundred percent honest with you Sunday when
we're all meeting at the airport. We're gonna meet in
the evening at about one o'clock. I was shaking my

(01:01):
head going I'm not doing this. I had packed everything
and I told my wife, I'm having second thoughts. I
think I might back out. And I couldn't do it
to you, because Collett, you've been so kind to me
and you know we've become friends. And I couldn't do it.
And I thought, what am I doing? Why am I

(01:23):
doing this? And I am so happy that because of you.
I said, I have to keep my commitment here and
I have to go through this. And I did it.
And I thought I knew what it took. I thought
I knew.

Speaker 2 (01:37):
What it would be like, and I didn't, and it
was so much more.

Speaker 1 (01:41):
I've used the term life changing experience for me and
I can't thank you. And and Major Nathan Blackwell, and
certainly first sintime Michael Porter, who we're getting to here
in a minute. He's a ROTIVD Prairie Gram, which is awesome.
There were six of us, and then Anthony who's in studio.
He is putting his thumb down. We'll get to Anthony

(02:03):
here in a minute. But what this thing does and Clat,
I'm gonna I'm gonna start with you, and it's okay
to call you Klett, right, Yes, it is instead of
Sergeant Hagan, It's Sergeant Carter Poll And congratulations, big fan
of your husbands. What a nice man he is.

Speaker 3 (02:18):
Thank you. I'm so glad that you got to meet him.

Speaker 1 (02:20):
Yeah, he really good dude, and he out kicked his coverage.
You're too good looking for him, You're too nice. And
guess what, we are all going to make sure that
he treats you really well because if not, we learned
some things that week we're in San Diego that we
could mess with him. This educator's workshop I had, I
thought I knew, but I didn't. And what I learned

(02:42):
through that week is going to stay with me for
the rest of my life. And I've talked about it NonStop.
I think that you guys do a great job of
kind of pulling the curtain back a little bit for
mostly teachers throughout the country to come in and say, look,
when you're dealing with juniors and sophomores and seniors in
high school who are trying to make decisions on what

(03:02):
their future looks like, understand that people pigeonhole. Well, I'm
going to be maybe I want to go into to
become the US Marine. I want to be a Marine, Well,
what does that look like. I didn't know that the
music side of it is so big. I didn't realize
so many opportunities for these kids to join the US

(03:23):
Marine Corps and do the things that they want to
do the rest of their life. During this show, clet
we're going to air at the end of each segment
interviews that I did while I was in San Diego.
And the first one, Jake Maine is a sex player,
and I go, I asked him, you're a US Marine,
and he goes, My full time job is to be

(03:44):
in the band, a sax player. But I have to
continue to be a Marine. I've got to get on
the rifle rate. I've got to do all the things
it takes it took me to become a Marine. But
my job on a day to day basis is to practice.

Speaker 2 (03:59):
And be of these bands. Then we go all over
the country.

Speaker 1 (04:02):
And he said, I'd never been on an airplane before
I joined the Marines. And a month then I had
to fly to France, like to Paris to play with
this band, and he goes, my life has never been
the same. And I can't tell you how much we're
trying to find high school age kids that are musicians

(04:23):
to become us marines all the stuff that I learned,
and I thank you for that.

Speaker 4 (04:27):
Absolutely, we're so glad to have you. I know you
speak to marines all the time, but it's just a
totally different experience to have you with us.

Speaker 5 (04:33):
So we're really gratefully you made it well.

Speaker 1 (04:35):
And we're going to talk to a number of people
that were on that trip. In fact, one of them,
Valid is going to be in studio next week because
she's involved with Milwaukee Baseball Academy and they're building a
new facility, so we're going to be able to do
two things, talk about the trip because her and I
became great friends.

Speaker 2 (04:52):
In fact, all six of us.

Speaker 1 (04:53):
I didn't know I needed new friends, but I got them,
and we're going to talk to a bunch of them.
In fact, at nine forty, Major Nathan and Blackwell will
join us. At ten o'clock, Darcy McGee, a teacher from Iowa,
and I loved her because she laughed at every silly
thing I said, which I think. And then Kelly from Madison,
she teaches at Madison. Lefilett will join us, but in
studio and I beg this boy because we could do

(05:16):
two hours on just sports. Anthony Doros, who is a
teacher at Racine Park, How you doing.

Speaker 2 (05:22):
I'm tired, but I'm good.

Speaker 6 (05:23):
How are the knees, Well, the knees are a lot
better now, they're just bleeding a little bit.

Speaker 1 (05:27):
Yeah. So we got rugburns because he didn't read enough
to wear the lawn.

Speaker 2 (05:32):
Call him rugburns. Let's call him friction burns. Burns, that's
how I know him. And and when we had to do.

Speaker 1 (05:39):
That workout, I gotta tell you day one major blackwell
I've known for a long time, and he said, hey,
sit up in front of the bus, sit with me.
So it was us mareens the first three rows, me
and then all the people, the teachers and stuff. So
who's the first guy to get off the bus when
we got over to the depot, Me and I got

(06:00):
yell dad.

Speaker 2 (06:00):
Like you can't believe me.

Speaker 1 (06:01):
And I got to tell you, I'm thinking, wow, did
my dad come out of the grave. I'm again and
yelled at like this, and I started the.

Speaker 2 (06:07):
Kind of gig.

Speaker 1 (06:08):
I thought, oh, don't giggle, that would not be good.
And then we did that workout, Anthony, and you did
everything we were told. They said, Look, you got to
do the bear crawl to do this, And I said
to the drill instructor, I God, old man, my back
is jacked up. I'm not going to be able to
do that, but I'll run. She goes, oh you like
to run? Okay, runner, Here we go. And I'm telling
you it was hard, but I always want to be

(06:31):
first in mind because I just want to get things done.
When I got done. Jeff from Lamira, who's going to
be in in a few weeks, as we talked golf,
he said, after seeing you do it, I'm backing out.
I'm not going to ruin the whole week.

Speaker 2 (06:44):
From this thing.

Speaker 1 (06:45):
Yeah.

Speaker 6 (06:45):
That was hard, right, Yeah, And that was really hard.
And then you look at your time and you're like, oh,
I did pretty well. And then you ask the Marines
what third time was and it's a third of your time, right,
and they're like ten years younger and like just fresh
out of high school something.

Speaker 1 (06:59):
Well, these are kidding me right now. These are the
guys are dudes. And I don't know what that term
would be for the women there, but do debts or
whatever it is that I had so much respect our
drill our drill instructor for that part. She was a
gal that was about five to one, about one hundred
and ten pounds, and scared the living.

Speaker 2 (07:19):
Daylight side of me.

Speaker 1 (07:19):
In fact, Valerie, who was going through it, has had
some injuries and stuff, and we had to carry twenty
five pound forty pound two of them. It makes me
feel a little bit. I feel yeah, and me too. Yeah,
we can do this with our muscle here. But she
was struggling and I went out to help her because
I thought that's what we should do. I got lit up,
like you can't believe. I was told you ever come

(07:43):
on this side of the line again. We got some
things for you, boy. And I'm thinking I'm a grandfather
of six. I don't okay, y'all like this anymore. My
favorite part of day one was a teacher from Arkansas
who I talked to a lot about sports.

Speaker 2 (07:58):
Six two like.

Speaker 1 (08:00):
He was in shape, and when we had to run
two laps around that really long track, he took off
like a rabbit and I thought, oh man, he's either
a run of really good shape. And he kept going
and they were yelling, go, go go, And when he
got done, he went up to the side and he
had to spend a little time throwing up and I
started laughing. And so then they put him in the

(08:20):
car and they turned the air conditioning on. And when
he got out, I walked over and I was giggling
because that's a flawed my personality. I said, how you doing,
and he goes pride silly. Pride got in the way.
I felt really good. The first lap, not great. The
second lap I ate way too much for breakfast today
and it didn't go well. Hey, Anthony, talk to me

(08:42):
a little bit about when you got You ended up
leaving after we were done. You went and met with
some friends in Los Angeles and on that train, I'm
wondering what went through your head on what you just
went through that week in San Diego.

Speaker 6 (08:55):
Well, first, let it be known that the train was canceled,
so I had to take a bus all the way there.

Speaker 2 (08:59):
Oh yeah, which was fine.

Speaker 6 (09:00):
It was triple the price of the train, But no,
I had thought for one I really at the end,
I was like, Oh, I really want to go to
LA and visit my friends. We're gonna go to an
Anaheim Angels game, do a couple other things, And honestly,
on the van, I was like kind of sad, because
I was like, I didn't I didn't want to leave.

Speaker 2 (09:18):
It was weird, Yeah, like I didn't know any.

Speaker 6 (09:19):
Of you guys beforehand, and then through that week I
was like, well, I should have stayed a couple more
days because we had such a good, like bonding experience.

Speaker 2 (09:27):
It was really.

Speaker 6 (09:27):
Strange, and I thought this would have been really good
for like my whole department, like my entire department or
whatever to join us, because that's a that's a building
experience that, like you said, I'll know these guys forever,
like I'll know you forever. I don't even know I
didn't know who you were a couple of weeks ago,
even though you're famous.

Speaker 1 (09:44):
Yeah, we I tried to buy a really famous By
the way, people there were like people from like Denver
were like, who are you and why do you get
to go do that? And I'm like, I'm big time
Mike be given.

Speaker 2 (09:55):
Don't you know me?

Speaker 1 (09:56):
They're like, no, that's okay because nobody in my group
hos me either, which I loved. What I love about
this program and I didn't really understand it fully until
I got involved in it. You've got two hundred teachers
from around the country that are now ambassadors for the
US Marine Corps. So when you're at Racine Park and

(10:17):
you're talking to a sophomore, junior, senior who's like, look,
I don't really know yet the path that I want,
but I know I want to get involved in this,
you now can say, hey, look, let me tell you
about this.

Speaker 6 (10:28):
So I teach English, right, and we have a jar
OTC program at our school. There have been a couple
of kids who have come up to me just because
I don't know how it got out that I was
going to this thing, but they asked me exactly what
it was like, and so I was able to tell them, oh,
here's what you do. Most of what you do thirteen
weeks and it's like, now, it's not easy or whatever.
But I've it's weird that I've brought up the Marines,

(10:51):
like probably a dozen times this week.

Speaker 1 (10:54):
First Lieutenant Michael Porter, and again, don't be booing him.
We're Sine Park boy. He is a graduate from Racine Prairie,
and I know a lot about the Prairie School. They
were always they were in the conference of the basketball
teams that I coached, So I've been in that building
quite a bit and some of the best wins I've
ever had as a coach was We're in that not
against One of the best wins was against Saint Catherine's

(11:16):
in a sectional semi final. First Lieutendant, Michael Porter, It's
so nice to meet you. How you doing.

Speaker 7 (11:23):
I'm great, Mike, It's great to be here. Thank you
for having us.

Speaker 1 (11:25):
At the airport. I got a chance to meet your wife,
and you know, we talked about her a lot in
the week, and you didn't tell me how much you
all kicked your coverage. Pal look a huge fan. She's
absolutely beautiful. Big smile. She was so happy to have
you home. Talk a little bit. I have told the

(11:45):
story one hundred times with Paul Ryan and what you
went through as a high school kid knowing what your
future looked like.

Speaker 2 (11:53):
Can we talk a little.

Speaker 1 (11:54):
Bit about when you made the decision to join the
military and the steps it took for you.

Speaker 7 (11:59):
Yeah, absolutely, Mike. So I kind of had an idea
that I wanted to do something in the military in
late middle school and into high school. But I also
knew I wanted to go to college, so I looked
into some options. I found n ROTC, which is a
scholarship that you all are familiar with now, So I
applied to that program, and then I also was interested
in the service academies. Now there's the Naval Academy, there's

(12:21):
the Air Force Academy, and then there's West Point, which
is Army. So I applied to the Naval Academy. And
they're pretty they're pretty lengthy application processes, but very similar
to a college application process. There's just a preliminary step
where you get a congressional nomination. So you apply to
For me, it was Tammy Baldwin, Ron Johnson, and Paul Ryan.

(12:43):
You interview with staff that represent them and then they select,
you know, the top candidates to pass on names to
the Naval Academy to then be selected for appointments to
attend the United States Naval Academy.

Speaker 1 (12:57):
And who is so Paul Ryan and we had this discussion.
Paul Ryan gets just at that point, got to select
one from the state of Wisconsin.

Speaker 7 (13:04):
So yeah, so he gets I think he had six
that year, but he has a principal nomination and you're
correct there, Mike, So that's that's his number one pick
essentially for the Naval Academy.

Speaker 1 (13:14):
And you got that, yes, sir, I did congratulations on that.

Speaker 7 (13:18):
Thank you.

Speaker 8 (13:18):
Yeah.

Speaker 1 (13:18):
Can you talk about the day that you found out
that you got it?

Speaker 7 (13:21):
Absolutely? Yeah, it was. It was an absolutely awesome day.
I was in high school. Obviously, we were in the
DC area for the presidential inauguration at the time. We
were actually in the Smithsonian Museum of American History, and
we were going through the portion of that museum where
it kind of walks you through American uh, you know,

(13:44):
it starts at the Revolution and goes all the way
through to modern day war and conflict and things like that.
And I actually missed Paul Ryan's call, and I got
I got a voicemail on my phone, and when I
got service after going through that part of the museum,
I checked it, and sure enough it was Paul Ryan
called me to congratulate me, let me know that I
got his principal nomination and that I was going to

(14:05):
get an appointment to the Naval Academy.

Speaker 1 (14:08):
So then that next step you graduate from Prayer you
already know, right, And and how long after graduation did
you go then?

Speaker 7 (14:16):
Yes, I think we graduated probably sometime in May, and
it was June that I was in Annapolis. And then
we have that whole summer we do our like indoctrination
training at the Naval Academy.

Speaker 1 (14:27):
Different world than leaving recind per you graduate and four
weeks later it had to be a whirld win for you.
And how quick were you able to adapt to that lifestyle?

Speaker 7 (14:40):
Gosh? Well, I like to be prepared for everything I
step into, so obviously I was online watching all the
videos and doing my research. So I got there. I
kind of knew what to expect, but it's a whole
different thing to experience it. Like you know, right you
were on the bus, you're getting yelled at. It's different
than watching the videos.

Speaker 1 (14:57):
And again I thought I knew. What I didn't know
was how how I was going to feel, not only
in my head and my heart and my soul about
the people that are protecting us and protecting our country
and protecting my grandkids. Man, the respect that I have

(15:18):
for both of you and everybody I met there is
through the roof. And I would go back to my
room and I would take notes onto stuff that I
learned that day and people that I met. And I'm
telling you, the whole time I was in San Diego,
I turned my TV on in the room once for
about twenty minutes because we were busy and I was tired.

Speaker 2 (15:40):
Of the tired and thought I was going to go out.
I thought I was going to go out every night.

Speaker 1 (15:45):
But I went on like toys and you're a young
guy and yeah, And somebody in the group said, Hey,
think about going to Tijuana and I said, absolutely not.
I'm not going to Tijuana. I can tell you that
I'm getting I'm going to have a little dinner. I'm
going to take some notes and reflect on this stuff
that I learned. If we can move the microphone over,
Clay You're you're from Monroe, correct.

Speaker 3 (16:04):
Yes, I am a cheesemaker.

Speaker 1 (16:06):
Cheesemaker, throw it through and through. Tell me about the
decision that you made when you were in high school
to join the US Marine Corps.

Speaker 4 (16:13):
So, my grandfather actually was a marine, and then my
uncle was in the Army, and I had always thought
about joining military service, specifically for the job field that
I'm in. I'm a communications strategy and operations marine, and
I really wanted to be a photographer, but I didn't
know how to make that happen. And I did some
googling and I found out that that was an option
in the Marine Corps, and I was like, oh, I

(16:33):
don't really know where to start. And it's funny, actually,
I tell everyone this. One time I was being bad
in gym class and I decided to We were skateboarding
or doing something stupid like that, and we're skateboarding and
I skateboarded out into the main common area and there
was a marine there who was packing up his booth
after lunch, and he's like, can I try that?

Speaker 3 (16:51):
And I was like, sure. He tries it. He was
horrible at it. He fell on his face.

Speaker 4 (16:56):
To be completely honest, I don't think he's in the
Marine Corps now. So I'm gonna tell that story. And
he was like, so have you ever thought about the
Marine corpner.

Speaker 3 (17:02):
I was like, yes, I have.

Speaker 4 (17:03):
And that was when I was a junior and we
talked a little bit, and then that's when I signed
into the delayed Entry program. That's kind of the preparation
program before you go to recruit training. So that was
I kind of always knew what I wanted to do,
but the circumstance of when I finally met my recruiter
and had that conversation was a silly one.

Speaker 3 (17:20):
In my high school, like that do.

Speaker 1 (17:21):
You remember the first couple of days of recruit training.

Speaker 3 (17:25):
Yes, so for me it was a little weird.

Speaker 4 (17:27):
I'm considered a COVID marine, so I actually my first
couple of moments were processing at a hotel in Georgia
during COVID. So I remember getting to that hotel and
it being like a totally wild experience. So they brought
drill instructors to that hotel, so we had that same
kind of It wasn't on the yellow footprints, but we
had that same kind of shock. We had that same

(17:47):
kind of like call your family to tell them that
you're safe. We had that whole thing still, So I
definitely remember that, and it was it was a lot
like that was super overwhelming because it felt like recruit
training had gotten longer somehow because of the extra two
weeks of COVID and they would like we would have
to like practice like our knowledge and stuff in our bedroom,
and they would like find a way to test us

(18:07):
without breaking quarantine. So like there's stuff like that. But
I remember like being really overwhelmed and be like, oh
my goodness, like this is just quarantine. I'm not even
at recruit training yet.

Speaker 1 (18:16):
Man. Well, I can tell you that when we and
we I tell people I went to a US Marine
boot camp and it's kind of that's what it is,
and not.

Speaker 2 (18:24):
Not completely but fairly close.

Speaker 1 (18:28):
What I what I realized because I now have a
nephew that's in week one there and Lucas is there
right now. And when I was talking ted to Major
Blackwell about Lucas and he asked me about him, and
we talked about him, and I said, I'm nervous for him,
and he immediately called the recruiter and said, do you
know Lucas Paplinsky And he goes, yeah, I'd like to

(18:49):
talk to him on Monday. Well he would The recruiters like,
is there a problem, and he goes, no, no, no,
I know his uncle. I just want to I just
want to encourage him and let him know. And it
was interesting when I was telling him some things about
Lucas's background, he said, Look, these are the guys that
we do the best work with, and the thirteen weeks
are going to feel really long. In the first day
and two are going to feel bad. It's going to

(19:11):
be rough, but we're going to challenge him. But we
think that the people that we get them right up
to the line and we push them hard. But boy,
after thirteen weeks. One of the interesting things Anthony for
me and Michael and Klette on Thursday, we're listening and
I don't know who it was, but he was speaking
and he said, look, I'm going to predict something tomorrow

(19:31):
at graduation. And these guys nobody knew each other thirteen
weeks ago, and when they finally become a marine to
get released, you would think the first thing they're going
to do is run to their families who are all
there at graduation cheering them.

Speaker 2 (19:47):
And it's not the first thing that happens is they
all start.

Speaker 1 (19:50):
Hugging each other and high five and they made it
and they can go talk to their families right away.
And the first three minutes of these guys graduating are
not running to their mom and dad. It's it's their
group together who have become this family and high fiving.
And his prediction came true. I watched each of those groups.

Speaker 6 (20:11):
I specifically watch for that too, because I remember him
saying that. I was like, no way, no way, no
way they're going they haven't seen their family for thirteen
weeks or whatever. No way, they're not going to run
up to them and and right away when they.

Speaker 1 (20:22):
Dismissed or said at ease.

Speaker 6 (20:23):
I can't remember what it was, but uh yeah, they
all gathered like in the center of the parking lot.

Speaker 2 (20:28):
It's the parade.

Speaker 1 (20:29):
I don't know what it's called.

Speaker 6 (20:31):
My arms, Yeah, and they all hug each other and
part like throw their hands up in the air, and
then for like three minutes to take pictures with each other.
Then they walk to their family right and.

Speaker 1 (20:38):
Their family's all waiting for them, and they're like, hold
on a second, I need this is my family here,
and I'll come to you next. And that prediction came true. Guys,
we're gonna get to a break, and we're gonna play
one small segment of an interview that I did with
Jake Maine and very interesting because I didn't realize the
music side of what the US Marine Court has to offer.

(21:01):
For the entire two hours, we're going to talk about
the US Marine Corps Educator's Workshop workshop that I went on,
that Anthony went on. We're going to talk to Darcy
and Kelly later in the show. They were part of
our group, the Milwaukee Group, and we're the best group there.

Speaker 2 (21:16):
No doubt.

Speaker 1 (21:16):
There's not even not even a competition.

Speaker 2 (21:19):
Thank you for that. Anny.

Speaker 1 (21:20):
This is the Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show again.
Stick around. That Jake Man interview will play next. The
Varsity Blitz High School Sports Show presented by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on Fox Sports
nine twenty and your iHeartRadio app. I'm here with Corporal
Jake Main from the look the Marine Band, which is

(21:41):
unbelievable and didn't know how many bands they had. Hey, Jake,
the name of the band that I has just listened
to is what's the name of this band?

Speaker 5 (21:49):
We are Marine Band, San Diego's brass band.

Speaker 2 (21:52):
And how long have you been with the Marines.

Speaker 5 (21:54):
I've been from the Marine Corps for about three years now.

Speaker 1 (21:56):
Did you know when you were in high school and
college that this was maybe something that was going to
be in your future?

Speaker 5 (22:03):
Not at all. It wasn't even on my radar.

Speaker 9 (22:05):
I thought I was going to be a band teacher,
and really this opportunity came up and it's been a
really dream come true.

Speaker 1 (22:11):
Look, I get a chance. I was a high school
basketball coach for a really long time. I get a
chance to interview the recruiters from the Milwaukee area, and
not until one of them told me the opportunities that
people have in the music industry to be marines. Did
I know anything about that? And I think it's important
for guys like me to know that you exist. So

(22:31):
did you go through as part of the band. Did
you go through all of the boot camp and everything
that all the other marines do?

Speaker 9 (22:38):
Yes, sir, absolutely, we are still marines first, musicians second
is our tagline. Music is primarily our job. But absolutely
we still have to be basically trained riflemen. We still
go through our three month boot camp, our combat training,
and our schoolhouse to be professional musicians and marines.

Speaker 1 (22:51):
How many different bands do you play? Because when you
talked about when you were playing Force at lunch and
you talked about a number of different bands that are available, Well,
how many do you plan?

Speaker 5 (23:01):
Well, it depends on how much work you want to
put in.

Speaker 9 (23:03):
So far, I've played with our brass band, our concert band,
our ceremonial band, our rock band. We went on tour,
I was playing sax. It was pretty awesome. And I've
actually filled in with our brass quintet pretending to be
a French horn for a few times.

Speaker 1 (23:16):
What is the name of the rock band.

Speaker 5 (23:18):
I don't know what they're going by now. I think
for a while they.

Speaker 2 (23:20):
Were hot brass.

Speaker 1 (23:21):
That's awesome. Is there a certain part of the Marine
Corps that you enjoy the most? Is it being able
to perform? First of all, you guys are really good.
She must practiced a lot. Is there part of this
job that you have that you enjoyed the most?

Speaker 9 (23:37):
Yes, sir, I said this the other day when I
was talking to all of our marines. I joined for
the music, but I'm sticking around. I actually re enlisted
last week. I'm sticking around for the Marines around me.
That's what I didn't expect was the camaraderie and just
the sense of belonging that you get with just a
tight knit group of individuals that you spent so much
time working for such a great product. And it's really
just been amazing to build those really strong connections with
our marines.

Speaker 1 (23:58):
When you went to your mom and dad and said,
I'm not going to be a music teacher, I'm going
to join the Marines, I've just wondered. First of all,
they must be extremely proud. But their first reaction to
this decision that you made had to be like, wait, what.

Speaker 5 (24:12):
Yeah, my mom was definitely concerned.

Speaker 9 (24:14):
She I think I caught her a little blindsided because
I've been, you know, really going into the music education
field so hard, and so this kind of came out
of left field.

Speaker 5 (24:22):
But they've absolutely been very supportive and very excited about
what I do.

Speaker 1 (24:24):
How much have you gotten to travel as part of
your chat?

Speaker 9 (24:27):
Oh gosh, So I'd never actually been on a plane
before before I joined the Marine Corps.

Speaker 5 (24:32):
Really absolutely, And.

Speaker 9 (24:33):
My first gig that I did in the Marine Corps,
I showed up here to Marine Band San Diego, and
in about two weeks I was on a plane to
France for my first performance. And since then I've been
to Texas twice, Indiana, tak twice. We played for the
Indy five hundred. That was incredible, Colorado.

Speaker 1 (24:51):
Overlif I gotta go back to France. Your first your
first flight, first flight was to Paris.

Speaker 5 (24:58):
Absolutely, we flew into the Paris Are.

Speaker 1 (25:01):
That's incredible, Like, I've never heard of that before. How
long have a flight was that for you?

Speaker 5 (25:05):
It's like ten eleven hours.

Speaker 4 (25:06):
I think.

Speaker 1 (25:07):
Then everything's easy now, right, Do you live here in
San Diego? Then I do.

Speaker 9 (25:12):
I'm married, I live out in town with my wife,
and the Marine Corps offers I think called basic lounds
for housing, so the government gives me a stipend to
live and support my family here on top of just
my regular base pay.

Speaker 1 (25:22):
Well, don Spencer, Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz High
School Sports show, presented as always by your local Pick
and Safe Stores, coming live from the Donovan at Jorganson
hitting Coolian Studios. Guys, I've been so excited to do
this show since I got back from San Diego. It
has gone for a week and I was part of
the Educator's Workshop, the US Marine Corps Educator's Workshop, and

(25:44):
I didn't know what that meant going in, but I
definitely know now. They have a number of ambassadors for
the US Marine Corps that are working in schools all
over the country that got just a small taste of
what it's like.

Speaker 2 (25:58):
To be a US Marine.

Speaker 1 (26:00):
And I can tell you this that I've probably talked
about this with one hundred people since I got back.
In fact, I'm wearing gear right now that I bought
when I was there, and I've warned a couple of
times and I've gotten asked questions about it, and I
tell him the story and I can't thank these people enough.
Instutio with me First Lieutenant Michael Porter, Sergeant collect Carter Powell,

(26:22):
and Anthony Doris he's a teacher at Racine Park and
First Lieutenant Michael Porter. I'm gonna turn it over to
you because you've got something that you need to talk about.

Speaker 7 (26:32):
Yeah, thanks, Mike. So so part of the things that
I want to do on the show is just shout
out someone that we're working with. It's a senior right
now in high school. So he comes from Martin Luther
High School kind of in the Racine Kenosha area and.

Speaker 2 (26:44):
Ol Greendow Martin Luther. Martin Luther.

Speaker 1 (26:47):
Yes, and you don't know this, but the last four years,
my last state championship coaching basketball was at Martin Luther.

Speaker 2 (26:55):
Awesome, Mighty Spartan's baby.

Speaker 1 (26:56):
Yeah.

Speaker 7 (26:57):
Well he's a wrestler. So his name is his name
is James Ling. So Sergeant Garnett, who's the recruiter who's
been kind of working with him, passed me this information.
Big time wrestler for the school. He went to the
WA state championship this past year. For it.

Speaker 1 (27:11):
Can I just shout out as coach Tony Romano. Yeah,
great guy. I mean Tony and our friends, and he
is so proud of that wrestling program. And there's no
doubt that he's a big fan of this young man.
What is his name again?

Speaker 7 (27:22):
His name is James Brailing. So he enlisted March eighteenth,
and he's going to ship to the recruit depot that
we were just at in San Diego June ninth, So
exciting times for him. A note that I got from
Sergeant Garnett again, the recruiter that he's been working with.
You know, he's physically impressive, he does well academically. But
you want to know the thing that she kind of

(27:42):
pointed out that's most impressive about him, I do his
character right. So he's a poolie. He's working with the
other high school students that are thinking about the Marine Corps.
And really the most impressive thing about James Brailing is
that he kind of he brings people together, He motivates them,
he gets them to push themselves physically, makes them better.
That's what she wanted to really highlight about James. So

(28:04):
well done to James.

Speaker 1 (28:05):
Well done, James Brillian, the mighty spartans man and I'm
a big fan. I know a lot of people at
the school and they do a great job. And I
want to say the congratulations to James Brillian as well.
And Tony does a great job with that wrestling program.
Lieutenant Michael Porter recind Prairie grad you were a student athlete, correct,

(28:26):
I was what did you play? So?

Speaker 7 (28:27):
I played soccer and then I ran track?

Speaker 1 (28:30):
How much being a student athlete growing up? Being a
student athlete got you prepared for what you were going
to learn and be a part of with the US
Marine Corps.

Speaker 7 (28:41):
Yeah, so I think a lot of the lessons I
learned about about discipline, about resilience came from sports, came
from athletics. And I have to shout out you know,
Corey Oakland was my coach down at the Prairie School
and Coach Rooney was my track coach, and they were
the ones that kind of instilled that initial discipline resilience
in me. And that's really the bedrock of what I
relied on going through the Naval Academy, going through the Marine.

Speaker 1 (29:03):
Corps did one of the things one of the last
commercial or interviews that we listened to is Lieutenant Colonel
Lenn Howard, and I asked him his favorite memory of
being in the US Marine Corps, and he went right
to leadership and he said, look, I always wanted to
lead men in the finest fighting group in the in

(29:23):
the world, right. I wanted to be part of that,
and I wanted to lead men. Have you always had
that part where like, were you captains on your team
and were you always the leader on some of the
things that you were involved in.

Speaker 7 (29:37):
Yeah, I don't know if it necessarily came naturally to me,
but I had a lot of people that I was
able to look up to that kind of you know,
molded me into that. But I was the captain of
the soccer team my senior year.

Speaker 1 (29:46):
Do you think that Major Nathan Blackwell is one of
those guys at this point?

Speaker 7 (29:50):
Absolutely? I think so.

Speaker 2 (29:51):
Do you know what?

Speaker 1 (29:52):
I call him Captain America and collect you laugh at
that because it has stuck, and I call him that
all the time because he's six two, really good looking,
play college football. He can sing his wife's too good
looking for him, like you and me for that matter,
And it's just like this guy I would I would
run through the wall for him and I would want
him next to me going through a dark alley in

(30:13):
any neighborhood in the world right. And when we were
doing our Anthony, when we were doing our weapons training,
and I was very proud of the sixteen or seventeen
out of twenty I hit. And then I asked him
and he said, yeah, with the weapon he used, I'm
twenty for twenty center mass to five hundred yards. And
then there's this weapon I get, I'm eighteen to twenty

(30:34):
center mass with from a mile and I go what
and he goes, oh, yeah.

Speaker 2 (30:38):
And he talked to me.

Speaker 1 (30:39):
A little bit about the training with that, and it
just put him on a whole different level. And at
the end of our Friday, when graduation was done, and
we went over to the cemetery and I'm going to
tear up here because it was really powerful. He talked
about what one gravestone meant to him and he and
he would and he showed the vulnerable side of him

(31:01):
and I'd never seen that side of it. And it's
a story that I will never forget as long as
I live. And just to be in that space and
to look everywhere you could, from the right to the left,
down and above to see these gravestones has had such
an impact on me.

Speaker 6 (31:19):
Yeah, that was you know, when he first said we
were going to go somewhere, I was like, oh my god, again,
I just want to go back to the hotel. And
then he pulled over and we went to that cemetery
and to tell the story, and yeah, I lost it.

Speaker 2 (31:29):
It was no.

Speaker 1 (31:32):
Yeah, And I'm going to ask you, Michael, when when
when you've been there before, obviously, but to hear the
stories that that major Blackwell talked about that had an
effect on you as well.

Speaker 7 (31:46):
Yeah, it did. I think, you know, I saw, you know,
he was talking about his company commander right and right,
and I've had two company commanders, and so they immediately
came to mind, right, like, if I was in that position,
I can only imagine how I would feel, you know,
in similar circumstances.

Speaker 1 (32:00):
And and you've got a group of people that are
teachers and an idiot that talks high school sports that
there wasn't anybody that didn't have tears flowing down their
their cheek, and including him when he talked about this
man and what he meant to him in his life
and how he passed and the fact that he brings

(32:21):
a full bottle of bud Light when he could and
that that kind of made me giggle. And he said
to me, sometimes I'll open and por it in there
so he'll get some, but I'll leave the bottle so
his wife knows that I was there, and and just
this brotherhood of of of that part of it. Can
I ask you, Lieutenant Michael Porter, when you look at
when you think about the journey that is ahead of you,

(32:43):
do you have an idea on on where you want
this to take you and what you have to do
to get to those steps or is this a one
step at a time thing for you?

Speaker 7 (32:54):
I think it's a one step at a time thing.
And what I told the Marines when I left I
was in Camp Pendleton previously. What I told them before
I left was, you know, when I was walking somewhere,
whether it was a mountain, whether it was in the desert,
I knew that I had a whole entire company of riflemen,
you know, at my back. And I told them that
was the most powerful feeling in the world. And so

(33:14):
I think, as long as I'm able to work with Marines,
whatever the circumstances, that I'm going to keep wanting to
stay in and keep wanting to go. You know, from
billet to bill it, from job to job.

Speaker 1 (33:24):
Have you gotten used to people saluting you? Because I'm
walking with you and people are saluting you, and you
seem to have gotten comfortable in that because you were
you were the guy saluting people for a while and
now you're getting saluted by by guys. And I thought
you handled that really well. I said, you get comfortable
with that? You go, yeah, yeah, you get a little
comfortable at the beginning because it's a little, you know,

(33:46):
a little bit different, right.

Speaker 7 (33:48):
Yeah, I mean at first, it's definitely a weird feeling,
right because you just commission and you're kind of new
to everything, and you know, after a year, after a
few years, it's it's pretty power for the course.

Speaker 1 (33:58):
Yeah, it is. We're going to get get to a break.
The other side of the break, we are going to
talk to Major Nathan at Blackwell and he has had
a huge impact on everybody's life in this studio and
I just I said, look, I just want to say
thank you for taking me to San Diego said you
don't have to do that. I said, I know, I
don't have to, but would you please join us? And
he said absolutely. We're going to first hear a interview

(34:21):
with Captain Katrina Franco, and then we'll get to on
the other side of the break again, Major Nathan Blackwell.
This is the Varsity Plitz High School Sports Show, presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores
on Fox Sports ninety twenty in your iHeart Radio app.
I'm here with Captain Katerina Franco.

Speaker 2 (34:42):
She is here.

Speaker 1 (34:43):
We're here at Camp Pendleton, and she's the headquarters company
Commander and she is a Chicago girl. Bears the Bulls,
the White Sox or the Cubs White so White Sox.
Good for you because we don't like the Cubs. Hey,
it's so nice to meet you. Can we talk a
little bit about what your job title is and what
you do here at Camp Pendleton.

Speaker 3 (35:04):
Yes, so, I.

Speaker 10 (35:05):
Am currently stationed at Edson Range, which is a sub
section of the Recruit Depot. So we train marines here,
well new marines in the rifle. They do their crucible here,
so this is really where they become a marine. I
am the headquarters company commander here, so that means I
handle all support, so like ammunition that needs to get

(35:28):
to the range, any transportation that needs to occur, supply issues,
basically anything you could think of that they would need
to run the ranges and then the field training they do.

Speaker 1 (35:40):
And how long have you been at US Marine for
four years? Did you know coming in that this would
be the position that you might get in a number
of years?

Speaker 2 (35:51):
Is that what you were striving for?

Speaker 10 (35:53):
It's definitely what I was striving for, but I wasn't
a guarantee. I originally started over at First Recon just
down the street. I was a logistics officer, so I
did motor transport and maintenance management and I just got
fortunate enough I was selected for this position and I
love it.

Speaker 1 (36:11):
Congratulations on that. Hey, we had talked about the ROTC scholarship,
and I can tell you that the people back in Milwaukee,
in in the Milwaukee recruiting branch talk to me about
that ROTC scholarship a lot. And that's something that you got.
What's interesting to me is you tried and didn't get

(36:31):
it the first time, but the second time you did,
so it was you continue to try.

Speaker 2 (36:36):
And congratulations on that.

Speaker 1 (36:37):
Can we talk about that scholarship?

Speaker 10 (36:40):
Yes, So it's a for your scholarship if you get
it when you're in high school and then because I
got it within my first semester of college, I received
the full scholarship. So they will pay for your entire school,
any degree that you choose. If you're a Marine, you
get to choose any degree. And then they also give
you a slighth stipend each month to help with your bills,

(37:04):
as well as a book stipend, so they'll even pay
for your books. It's a great opportunity, especially for people
who can't normally afford to go to college.

Speaker 1 (37:14):
Captain Franco, So you're you went to South Carolina University
of South Carolina, and that's one of the schools that
the scholarship will will pay for. What is your commitment
then after So.

Speaker 10 (37:27):
Your commitment as of right now, it's going to be
three years after your MS school. So what that is
is you'll go you'll go to OCS. If you pass OCS,
you will commission as a officer. You'll then do the
basic school for six months, and then you'll go to
your MOS school after your MS school, which timelines are

(37:47):
different depending on what specific job you get. Then you'll
get to the fleet and it's three years.

Speaker 1 (37:54):
Well, welcome back to the Varsity. Blitz High School A
Sports show. I want to thanks Bench for playing the
correct bumper music on today's show. It's a special show.
It's a different show than I normally do. We are
talking about a trip that I made and a number
of people from our area made to San Diego for
the US Marine Educator's Workshop. Five different teachers from our

(38:16):
around our area and me went out along with teachers
from all over the country. And it was the third
year that Sergeant Hagen Sergeant Carter Powell now invited me
to go. In the first two years I said no,
and I am so happy that she convinced me to
do this. It was life changing, not only for me,
but for Darcy and Kelly and Jeff and certainly Anthony

(38:38):
who's in studio of us. And we've had a number
of conversations via text on how this trip was life
changing for us, and I wanted to I asked Major
Nathan Blackwell, who spent a friend of mine for years
and he has really pushed me to get involved in this,
and I did, and I wanted him to come on
and just understand the amount of respect that the group

(38:58):
we have have for him him. That first Lieutenant Michael Porter,
who's in studio and Sergeant Collett Carter Paul. You know, Nathan,
we talk about you a lot behind your back, and
most of it's really really good. I do most of
the talking. They just listen. I wanted to have you
on and say, sir, thank you so much for the
opportunity for you guys to pull back the curtain and

(39:21):
for people like Anthony and me to kind of get
an idea on what it truly is to be a
US Marine cadet and to be part of that group.

Speaker 2 (39:29):
And I thank you for that.

Speaker 11 (39:32):
Yeah, absolutely, Mike, kind of like you, like you said,
you know, it's been great having a relationship the last
couple of years that we've had and you've been able
to make it out with us and really kind of
see the nuts and bolts of not just that trip
that we do for educators every year, but also get
to see, you know, part of our story and be
able to share kind of part of that story, part
of my story with you. That that really meant a body.

Speaker 1 (39:54):
Well, the last segment we talked about the last thing
that we did after graduation before you kind of cut
us loose. I went to go play golf, Anthony got
on a well, I thought it trained, but I guess
a bus to Los Angeles.

Speaker 2 (40:07):
And everybody kind of did their own thing.

Speaker 1 (40:09):
That last thing that we did and we went over
to the cemetery and major blackwell that has had a
lasting impact on everybody's life and the stories that you look.
You got very personal with with some of the things
we talked about, and I thank you for that. That's
not a comfortable space for any of us to be in,
but you were. You did that for us, and I

(40:31):
thank you, and it has such a lasting impact. And
Anthony talked about a couple of parts that you talked
about that that brought teers to him. I talked about
a couple of things that you said that brought tears
to me, and there wasn't a dry eye in the house.
And I think it wrapped up that whole week for us,
for the people from Milwaukee that made that trip. It

(40:52):
really did make that whole trip complete. From the moment
I walked I got off that bus and it started
getting yelled at to go quicker, to get my feet
on those the yellow footprints to the ending, I think
that we got to really full from start to finish,
and I thank you for for allowing us to learn

(41:12):
about that part of your life.

Speaker 11 (41:16):
Yeah, no, I think, you know, I like to I
like to tell that part of the story just to
you know, really try to show not you know, not
just for the Marines, but also marines's families and spouses,
and then also the type of people that you get
to serve with the United States Marine Corps specifically, it's
just truly incredible people that are going to wear the

(41:37):
uniforms standing next to you, you know, the men and
women that are wearing that uniform, they they're truly incredible.
And then also there their spouses and their families and
their children also just you know, people that you're not
going to find anywhere else. And I think that's why
I've stuck around as long as I have for twenty
two twenty two years or so. Yeah, you just I'll

(41:58):
be honest with you. You know, maybe I'm biased, but you
just don't find it anywhere else. So being able to
share that with you guys, that really meant a lot.

Speaker 1 (42:06):
Do you know When when I talked to Lieutenant Michael
Porter and I talked to Sergeant collect Carter, Paul, your
name always comes up because you're kind of the common
denominator on all this. And I can tell you this,
and I look, I don't have to speak for either
Michael Porter or collect Carter Paul, but I can tell
you the amount of respect that they have for you

(42:28):
as as as a man and as a leader is
through the rough. And I think for me personally, that trip. Look,
my nickname for you has been Captain America for years
now because the gene Pool it treated you well, young man,
it treated you well. Big time athlete, college football player,
good looking, right, he can sing, do all that stuff right,

(42:50):
and and his goal is to lead people right, to
be a leader, and he does that extremely well. And
and I wanted you to know that the people in studio,
the amount of respect that they have. A sad day
is coming for for us. For the state of Wisconsin's
coming up in a month or so. You're being promoted, promoted,

(43:11):
and you're leaving to go to Kansas. And look, personally,
this is a great move for you and your family.
It's a phenomenal move. But I know you're going to
miss the people here in the state. And you really
kind of jumped in and became a cheesehead while you
were here. And I appreciate that part.

Speaker 11 (43:28):
Yeah, absolutely, Mike. It's been great mutual trust and respect
that we have from marine to marine, regardless of rank.
That's just who we are and how we do things.
And and absolutely that our stint in Wisconsin and becoming
an honorary cheesehead even though the Packers have always been
my favorite NFC team.

Speaker 1 (43:46):
But notice see there's a major talking right there. My
favorite he didn't say favorite team, he said favorite NFC.

Speaker 11 (43:55):
The team got to be diplomatic and survive.

Speaker 1 (43:59):
You know, thank you, well done, well played, well played. Hey,
what is what you're moving to Kansas? What is your
job title going to be and what will your.

Speaker 2 (44:08):
Day to day be like?

Speaker 11 (44:12):
Uh, I'm gonna take almost called a joint billet.

Speaker 1 (44:14):
Uh.

Speaker 11 (44:15):
I'll be doing more like staff planning things like that.
So to be in comparison what we've been doing up
in Wisconsin, all the work that the fine Marines has
been doing up up there, uh, you know, working with
our schools, working with all the communities across Wisconsin, and
really kind of five state area Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, and
uh in Upper Peninsula Michigan. Uh, the day to day

(44:37):
is going to be just a little bit slower. So
my my boys are looking forward to playing a little
more baseball and uh fishing and doing some of those things,
so you have more of a Joint Force security orientation.
UH won't be won't be part of the recruiting mission anymore,
but we'll still be looking to, you know, share my
story and and UH and help guide young people to

(44:58):
making the right decision for them as they move forward
up and out of high school.

Speaker 1 (45:02):
Lieutenant Michael Porter, I'm gonna put you on the spot,
and I apologize I should have given you a heads
up on this, but because we have Major and Nathan
Blackwell on what have you learned from him? From watching him,
from listening to him to seeing how he goes about
his business day to day. Look at he he is

(45:23):
in my world, he's a coach, right and and as
as a coach, we steal things from other coaches. There
are people along your journey that you've learned and pulled
things from. But I'm wondering with Major Blackwell, what are
some of the things that at least one that you've
learned from him that you'll carry on.

Speaker 7 (45:41):
Yeah, so obviously it's it's just a different world to
go from, you know, being in the fleet uh Force
and then coming to recruiting, and so I've learned a
lot from him and how he, you know, leads the Marines.
Everyone's so distributed out across you know, Wisconsin, Iowa, Michigan,
things like that, and so just seeing how he kind of,
you know, leads a little bit disaggregated, seeing how he

(46:02):
keeps everybody organized on mission focused without necessarily having to
be there in person. I think it's something that's hard
to do and something that I'm going to take forward
with me.

Speaker 1 (46:11):
Man, that's awesome. That's a huge lesson for what you're
doing now. That's a you know what good for you
to learn that from a guy who did really well
in the state and the kind of respect that Major
Blackwell gets from all corners of the state of Wisconsin.

Speaker 2 (46:27):
And I hear about it because, look, I get.

Speaker 1 (46:29):
To interview him, or I get to interview US Marines
on the football broadcast, on the basketball broadcast, I do,
and I'll have coaches on from around the state that
listened or watched that, and they'll say, do you know
this guy? I go, yeah, absolutely, and they'll tell me
a story about what he did in their community, came
to a football practice, came to rand guys through drills,

(46:50):
talked about the leadership side of it, his legacy. That
Major black Hole is left in the state of Wisconsin.
It's going to stay in the state for a long time.
I know I'll be telling stories behind his back because
now he's in Kansas. He can't get You're not gonna
mess with me anymore. Hey, Major Blackwell, I thank you
so much. And I don't know if you heard the
first segment, but I also thank Sergeant Sargeant Hag and

(47:13):
her Carter Polo as we know her now. But Sunday
before I was going to the airport to go to
that hotel about one o'clock, I thought about backing out.

Speaker 2 (47:24):
I was like, look, man, I'm too old for this.

Speaker 1 (47:26):
I don't think I don't know, but I couldn't because
of her and how kind she's been to me. I
didn't want to do that to her. So I forced
myself to get in the car and get over to
that hotel. And I can't thank you guys enough. It
was a life altering experience for not only me, but
for the five other people on this team that I
was on. And I can tell you that it's going

(47:48):
to stay with us for a really long time. The
lessons we learned about the US Marine Corps and how
you guys do things, and Major Blackwell, thank you for
the invite and thank you for the time that you
spent with me in San Diego.

Speaker 11 (48:03):
Yeah, absolutely, thank you, Mike. And I can't take I
can't take any credit my marines or the I keep
telling them. And we have the reputation for being the
toughest team in Mickrick and that is all because of
leaders like Sergeant Carpowell, Lieutenant Porter Sergeant Garnett in Kenocha.
We just we have so many good Marines. So it's
been a it's been a great ride, and yet it's

(48:23):
going to be sad in some regards to hang it
up in July and move, but we'll always stay in touch. Mike,
I appreciate you.

Speaker 1 (48:32):
One hundred percent.

Speaker 2 (48:33):
Thank you.

Speaker 1 (48:33):
He's Major Nathan Blackwell. We're going to get to a break.
We're going to listen to an interview that I did
with with Johnny Hernandez, twenty three year old Johnny Hernandez,
very very impressive. Please stick around, listen to that. This
is the Varsity Blitz High school Sports show presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores on
Fox Sports ninety twenty. Hey, I'm here with NCO Johnny Hernandez.

(48:59):
He's a sandy boy and a boy can come home. Johnny,
tell me a little bit about the decision to go
into the US Marine Corps. As you spoke to our group,
the thing that jumped off for me is you talked
about how you know when you meet somebody that was
a student athlete, and you talked about how important athletics were.

(49:20):
And I think I agree with you one hundred percent,
but I want to go back to when you made
the decision to join the US Marine Corps and what
was kind of the thought process behind it.

Speaker 12 (49:32):
Of course, I think that sports is a great skill.

Speaker 1 (49:35):
To have at a young age. I believe that.

Speaker 12 (49:37):
Sports equip you with the skills of young leadership. That
is a big skill that is valued in the Marine
Corps right And in the Marine Corps, I had those skills.

Speaker 1 (49:47):
I played football and at.

Speaker 12 (49:48):
Boxing, I did soccer, at swimming, but I wasn't really
too sure where I wanted to go in life. And
I think that the Marine Corps offered me good on
the job training where I was able to get benefits
and advance in my career.

Speaker 1 (50:00):
Hey, when you talked about being a leader as an athlete,
and I think you're right in any sport that you play,
and boxing is an individual sport and swimming is an
individual sport, but you've played some team sports as well,
and I think there's certain qualities that kids learn outside
of being able to dribble and shoot a three. You know,
to be able to be a team and you win

(50:23):
and lose as a team, very similar to being in
the Marine Corps some of the things that you do
as a non commissioned officer. Did you ever think when
you were sixteen seventeen that twenty three you would be
in charge of some stuff? And you had talked about
speaking Spanish and what that brought to you as well.
But if I told you, if I told Johnny Arnanis

(50:45):
as a sixteen year old that when you're twenty three,
here's what you could have accomplished already in your life,
what would you have told me?

Speaker 12 (50:52):
I would have told you that you are probably talking
about a different dude.

Speaker 1 (50:55):
It is definitely not me, right.

Speaker 12 (50:57):
I think that the Marine Corps pushes you your limits
at such a young age that it forces you to
grow and mature at at such a young age that
at twenty three, I've been on the West Coast, I've
lived on the East Coast on my own. I've been
overseas to eight different countries. At twenty three, Most of
my buddies right now, I don't even know how to
put alarm on to get up to go to school,
you know, I mean.

Speaker 1 (51:17):
They and they you know, either maybe they're in college
or they're working, you know, a job. And here you are,
traveling all over the place to have you said, you've
gone through four years. Now you've resigned, you re upped xah. Correct.
So I did a five year contract.

Speaker 12 (51:33):
Initially I extended on top of that, and I just
recently re enlisted in order to go recruiting and recruit
the next generation of young men and women just like myself.

Speaker 1 (51:42):
So, and I want to talk to you about that
because as I'm here, when I look around, this is
a true rainbow coalition. It's men, it's women, it's it's
white kids, it's Hispanic, it's African American, it's Asian. It
is really and when you get to the Marine Court, look,
nobody cares at this point right, either you can do

(52:03):
this job or you can And I just love the
fact that that that you have have done all of
this at the age of twenty three, and now this
is your career. Correct, It's not like you're looking to
get out, You're gonna Do you think this will be
what your last job is going to be or will
there be things outside of that? And is there anything

(52:24):
you're not prepared for at this point?

Speaker 12 (52:26):
That is a great question, and I think that I
need to take advantage of the time I have now.
If I do want it to get out, I need
to set myself up for success.

Speaker 1 (52:36):
Right.

Speaker 12 (52:36):
So what am I doing now to prepare for success?
And that is going to college. Right now, I am
taking advantage of the financial tuition assistance program that the
military provides and where I can earn my degree for free.
On top of that, I won't even touch my GI bill,
So I could literally get out my bachelor's degree this
enlistment and go and pursue my master's and no cost
out of my pocket.

Speaker 2 (52:57):
Welcome back to the Varsity Blitz.

Speaker 1 (52:58):
High school sports show is always entered by your local
Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Coming live from
the Donovan and Jorgison Heating and Cooling Studios. So again,
special show this week getting away a little bit from
high school athletics and talking about the US Marine Educator's
Workshop that Anthony Douris who was in studio with us,

(53:19):
and we both kind of laughed because we have Darcy
McGee's stories all over the place. Darcy McGee is a teacher,
I believe, speaking on a teacher Spanish at North Scott
High School in Iowa, and I thought, what's this Iowa
girl doing with us Wisconsin people?

Speaker 2 (53:34):
Trust me?

Speaker 1 (53:35):
She fit in really, really well. I loved her because
she laughed at all my silliness. She just laughed. And
I just enjoyed the company. And I went into this
thing not knowing I needed new friends, and I have
five of them, and Darcy McGee is one of them. Hey, Darcy,
thanks for a lot, Thanks a lot for a few
minutes of your time.

Speaker 2 (53:53):
How you doing.

Speaker 13 (53:55):
I'm doing great. It's so great to talk to everyone again.

Speaker 1 (53:58):
Hey, can I ask you? Antony and I have talked
this first hour about the impact that this trip had
on our lives, and I'm wondering for you when you
got home tiwhen you hugged these three beautiful daughters that
you have. And you had a chance to kind of
reflect on the week that we spent in San Diego.
What what was that trip like for you? And did

(54:21):
will it have a lasting impact you think on your life?

Speaker 13 (54:25):
You know it was. It was an impactful trip for me,
meeting all of our Milwaukee group, the camaraderie that we had,
and I think although we only went through, you know,
just some of the physical challenges that recruits growth to
in the Marines, I was proud of myself for some
of the things I did. And I think walking back
in my classroom this week, I've had a little bit

(54:46):
more swagger and I'm like, hey, I can do some
things i haven't done before. Shared with my students about that,
and I think as a woman being there and seeing
the young women that are in the Marines and a
mother of three daughters, that was also very impactful for me.

Speaker 1 (55:04):
Yeah, I thank you for that, And I agree and
collect you know, we all we all thank you because
you're the one that that the guy that kind of
kept us where we need to be. This is how
you got to be there, and we thank you a
ton for keeping us informed on where all of this
and what we're going to see. You've been through a

(55:24):
few of these and I don't know if you take
it for granted, but you have told me the impact
that's had on other people's lives. What I walked away
the most is you have ambassadors all over the country
now that will help through the recruiters in those areas
get in contact with kids that that that believe it.
And Darcy is one of those, right. Darcy and I
had conversations where she said, look, I've mentioned the Marine

(55:49):
Corps before as one option, but it's going to change
now because I'm going to go in depth into this
stuff and I and I know that's what the Educator's
Workshop is meant to do. But boy, it's successful at
having a bastards all over the country for the Marine Corps.

Speaker 4 (56:05):
It is absolutely that's great to have all of these
teachers who are able to attend. You know, when our
recruiters going to schools, they're trying to find out what
the best option is for these young men and women.
It's not always we push them straight to the Marine Corps.
Only the Marine Corps the only option. So to give
everyone resources to learn more about the Marine Corps, just
so that you also can do that, so you would

(56:26):
also give your students the absolute best chance they have
for their future.

Speaker 3 (56:30):
That's all we want.

Speaker 1 (56:30):
Hey, Darcy, were you as shocked as I was how
good the band was? Like the music for the US
Marine Corps. It was like I could have stayed, they
could have put a concert on. They played some music
for us during a lunch break, and I was like, man,
if I was a high school musician trying to figure
out what my next step is, that is like the

(56:51):
first call I would make would be to my recruiter
and go, could you just paint the picture on how
I can be a musician in the marine core? Were
you as surprised to at some of the opportunities that
people have outside of what I thought of marine.

Speaker 13 (57:06):
Was exactly the band, like you said, was outstanding. That
really opened my eyes to that opportunity. And I think
just talking with all the different marines there and what
their different career paths are starting out in the Marines,
the different options there, the educational opportunities. I was aware
of the GI bill, but there's a lot more that

(57:27):
they have to offer, as you've already talked about a
little bit on the show, as and some of the
people that you've interviewed. That was very eye opening for
me and something that I can also share with my students.

Speaker 1 (57:38):
I love the fact that you've been listening to us
on the iHeartRadio app Well done, well done, McGee. You
know it's interesting to roll call McGee and mcgiffern. We're
always right next to each other, and the first time
it was like Darcy McGee and you were like here
and Mike mcgifferon here. At the end we're like here, here,
we're trying to become reads, which I had to laugh

(57:59):
at the way. There was so much that that I
learned from you in the time that we talked. I
was so impressed with you in the weapons training on
how good you were at that. Did that surprise?

Speaker 13 (58:15):
What was your score?

Speaker 14 (58:17):
Mike?

Speaker 13 (58:17):
What did you say?

Speaker 1 (58:18):
Well, I'm sorry, what was your What was yours of twenty? Yeah,
I guess I was twenty twenty as well. I'm lying.
I'm completely lying.

Speaker 2 (58:26):
No, you were.

Speaker 1 (58:28):
Yeah, but you girls in Iowa have shot weapons a lot.

Speaker 2 (58:30):
I never did. I never did that before.

Speaker 1 (58:32):
I was Yeah, that's what I'm going with.

Speaker 13 (58:34):
Okay, I talk about my first time, but it was
a lot of fun.

Speaker 2 (58:37):
I don't care McGee.

Speaker 1 (58:38):
I'm going to tell people that you grew up like
shooting things in Iowa. That's that's what I'm thinking. I
was an all kidding aside. I was so proud of you,
and I had so much fun. And look, you reminded
me of my sister colleague because you laughed at every
silly thing I said. And look, that just means I'm
going to keep going and being sillier with stuff. But

(58:58):
I just had I I'm so impressed with you and
and some of the things that we had a chance
to talk about. And Anthony talked about you know, he said, look,
if if you had told him if you pass out
or something, and that it would be okay if all
of us, you know, one of us jumped in and
did mouth the mouth, We're going to fight over that.

Speaker 15 (59:16):
You know, somebody who's going to help you out. Just
so you know that, right, Anthony, Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah,
I look at him smiling. Hey, just so you know,
Anthony did not make it to teach on Monday. He tried,
but he was a little tired from that chances, no chance, Darcy,
did you teach on Monday?

Speaker 13 (59:34):
I did.

Speaker 1 (59:34):
I did look at her.

Speaker 2 (59:35):
She's dedicated.

Speaker 1 (59:37):
Yeah, yeah, I was there, thing go ahead.

Speaker 13 (59:43):
I was there. The kids were excited to know about
what I did, and so it was great to share
with them. I think they're a little bit surprised, you know,
about that we had the weapons training, that we did
the repelling. But I was proud of myself. It was
a great, great trip, and like you said, she might wow,
I feel so blessed to have this marine corn the

(01:00:04):
other military we have in our country. It was awesome
eye opening experience.

Speaker 10 (01:00:09):
You know.

Speaker 1 (01:00:09):
And I don't know what and I use this to
the first segment, but these these guys are dudes. Man,
they are dudes in these girls our dude, that's whatever
it is. I can tell you that that when we're
doing that on the field and we had to run
the hundred and carry the forty pound things and lift
them over our head yep, the drilling structure we had.
She wouldn't scare me if I was walking down the street,

(01:00:31):
but she scared the daylights out of me even when
we were there, and she when she just lit me up.
When I tried to help Valerie a little bit, she
lit me up like crazy. And I was not going
to go over that white line again. I was not
doing it, you know, and.

Speaker 13 (01:00:45):
I appreciated her because, you know, I got halfway through
that and I thought, you know what, that was good.
I got the idea, I'm not really here to prove,
you know, prove that to myself that I can finish it.
And she kept me going, and you know, I'm glad
that she did, because at the end of like, I
got through the whole combat training fitness test and it
wasn't pretty, but I did it so well to her

(01:01:06):
to keep on us like that.

Speaker 1 (01:01:08):
My favorite part of that is I got done. And
I always want to go first because I just want
to get get it over with and then I can
stand back and laugh at everybody else. And that's just
kind of a flaw on my personality. But I got
done and Jeff looked at me and he goes, I'm out.
I go what he goes, after seeing you do that,
I want no part of that. I'm not going to
ruin the rest of my week. And he just walked away,

(01:01:28):
and I thought, I didn't know that was an option.
If it was an option, I would have done that. Hey,
Darcy McGee, I got to tell you that that I
I hope you keep in contact with us. You are
a cheese seat just through us. You know you're from Iowa,
but we're going to allow you to become a cheesehead.
And any anytime that you travel into the state of Wisconsin,

(01:01:49):
anywhere close to our area, Anthony, me will all come,
We'll buy lunch and we would love to catch up
with you. And we thank you so much for how
much fun you were and the amount of things that
we talked about and how all of us walked away
from this being great ambassadors for for this US Marine
Corps and anything we can do to get to get juniors,

(01:02:11):
senior softwares in high school to at least think about
this path, whether it's through the music part of it,
whether it's through the ROTC scholarship, or just to be
a cadet and join and have the rest of their
life that these people can do whatever they want the
rest of their life. They able to work any job
they want because they're going to be prepared for that. Yeah,
one hundred percent. Hey Darcy, thanks a lot for a

(01:02:33):
couple of minutes of your time. Anthony and I, I
don't know about.

Speaker 2 (01:02:36):
The other ones. When we miss you a lot.

Speaker 13 (01:02:39):
I met the whole What a great group, Mike, thank
you this.

Speaker 2 (01:02:41):
How's the Mexican food in Iowa?

Speaker 13 (01:02:43):
Is it as good as San Diego or pretty good?

Speaker 2 (01:02:46):
It's at good, It's a lot.

Speaker 1 (01:02:48):
There's no chance. Anthony and I have not had any
Mexican food since we got back, and I love Mexican food.
I'm gonna get back to it tonight. I think seisters
in Pewaukee been there on a free plug.

Speaker 2 (01:03:01):
That's where I go.

Speaker 1 (01:03:02):
When I call. They just even they just know the order.
They go, Hey, Mike, you have to say thing. Yep,
they know exactly what we're gonna have. Darcy McGee, it's
so nice to uh to join us, and thank you
so much for joining us. Really, you are my friend
and you are Anthony's friend, and we will tell stories
behind your back for a long time.

Speaker 11 (01:03:20):
So good.

Speaker 1 (01:03:22):
I love you too. That's awesome. We're going to get
to a break before we do. Captain Olivia Roskovich will
join us on the interview that I did, and she's
really impressive. My favorite line with her was the whole
boxing thing. She she was a lacrosse player and she
wanted to continue using the gym, and they said let's
you're you're part of an athletic team here, you can't

(01:03:44):
use this gym And she said, what do they do?
And they said she's their boxers. She goes, okay, I'll
join that one. And she just did it to be
able to continue to work out in this gym and
she ended up winning there this championship and she talks
a little bit about uh in this in about that.
This is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented
by your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores

(01:04:07):
on Fox Sports Night twenty and your iHeartRadio app. I'm
here with Captain Olivia Roskovit. She is from Maryland? Is
that correct?

Speaker 4 (01:04:16):
Yep?

Speaker 8 (01:04:16):
You sho enjoy Maryland, Saulisbury.

Speaker 1 (01:04:18):
And you know you are not going to continue with
your career with US Marine Corps. And one of the
first ones that I've met, and it's very interesting to me.
We had a long conversation about what the Marine Corps
has done for you and what your future looks like.
Boston is in your future. You're excited about that. The
decision not to re enlist is it was that hard.

Speaker 8 (01:04:41):
It's probably one of the most difficult decisions I've had
to make. I love the Marine Corps. I've loved my
experience over the past six years that I've served in
the Marine Corps. I'm just ready for this next chapter.
I'm my boyfriend. He lives in Boston. He was in
the Navy. Really hard to be stationed in same spot
Nadian Marine Corps. So we're just gonna, you know, move

(01:05:04):
to Boston together and start the next chapter.

Speaker 1 (01:05:07):
Hey, so you were a high school athlete, college athlete.
You played the lacrosse and that's the That's the reason
I started talking because a couple of weeks ago I
learned a lot about lacrosse and learned that the girl
women's lacrosse is different than the men's lacrosse, just a
different game. How much of you been a student athlete

(01:05:27):
at the high school level helped you into the Marine Corps.

Speaker 8 (01:05:30):
Everything the Marine Corps bottom line is a team first,
you know, from the littlest things at boot camp. So
being in the Fleet, were together all the time, working together,
and I don't think I would have had those leadership
skills and camaraderie that I've learned through sports and been
able to imply them as well as I have in
the Marine Corps if I didn't have that background.

Speaker 1 (01:05:51):
So what what is your plan then for for next year?
And what's what's what I believe about being part of
the Marine Corps. I don't know if there's anything you
can't do now when you said, look, this is when
I wanted to end. I don't know of any job
that you guys can accomplish. Do you know what's going
to happen for you here in the future.

Speaker 8 (01:06:10):
Yeah, So the Marine Corps and the DoD wide has
an awesome opportunity for transitioning military members, and it's called Skillbridge.
It's a paid ninety day internship and so I was
able to get one at Harvard doing exactly what I
do now for recruiting Station Denver. And I'm going to
be working with their talent acquisition and human resources department

(01:06:32):
at Harvard for ninety days. And I'm going to become
a big Boston sports fan too while I'm there, So
I'm excited.

Speaker 1 (01:06:39):
We talked about your dad a little bit and lacrosse,
and I said, you have any eligibility left, and you go, God,
it sounds just like my father. What is your father's name.

Speaker 8 (01:06:49):
My father's name is Pete Roscoe. He goes, by Roscoe
owns a sports bar down in Salisbury, Maryland. Two time
All American at Salisbury University for lacrosse as well.

Speaker 1 (01:06:58):
Yeah, must be so proud of you. He's so proud
of you. You took up boxing and did pretty well
in that sport. I'm sure that he was ary Yellen
and cheering you on. I'm just I think that when
you told me a little bit about him and how
proud of him you were, and you said, look, you know,
I wish maybe I would have played a fourth year,
but I know he did too. But you know what,

(01:07:20):
mister Roscoe, your daughter is. She talks very highly of you,
and I love that. Thank you for your service, and
I wanted so much to talk to somebody who had
made the decision. Look, I love the year, Supreme Corps.
It's time for that next chapter in my life. Thank
you so much. Family has to be really proud.

Speaker 3 (01:07:38):
Awesome.

Speaker 8 (01:07:38):
Yeah, thank you so much for having me. I appreciate it.

Speaker 1 (01:07:40):
You bet good luck in the future. Thank you the
finest producer on Saturday morning shows. I'm telling you, Spencer,
great job with the music. Welcome back to the Varsity
Blitz High school sports show. As I was presented by
your local Pick and Save and Metro Market stores. Coming
live from the Dive into Jordansen Heating and Cooling Studios.
I want to thank Major Blackwell for joining us. I

(01:08:02):
want to thank Darcy McGhee for joining us. We're now
joined by Kelly Kanieve. How'd that go? Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:08:08):
I think I got that one.

Speaker 1 (01:08:10):
If we can move the microphone over to you, Michael Hey, Kelly,
thank you so much for a couple of minutes. Kelly's
a teacher at Madison Lafollett and was part of the
Milwaukee team joining us in San Diego. And Kelly, I've
asked Anthony, who's in studio of this. I've asked Darcy
the same question that week in San Diego at the
US Marine Educators Workshop. What did you take from it?

(01:08:34):
And lasting impressions I think for a lifetime correct.

Speaker 14 (01:08:40):
Oh my goodness, I cannot tell you how impactful that was.
I've been listening to you and everybody else talk and
hide everybody. I miss you all so great to hear
all your voices. I think exactly what you said was
so impactful. I mean, on the plane back, my mind

(01:09:00):
was just all over the place of like all the
things I learned all the people that I met, But
when I think about what is like lasting with me,
is that that ability that you can get things done
and that you can do more than what you think
you can do. Just listening to you might talk about
the pushing and I think Darcy talked about it as well,

(01:09:23):
like there were people out there like encouraging you to
do things, and I ended up doing more than I
thought I could. And I just take that back with
me to my job, to my life, and I think
my standards there's a little bit higher now, like we
can do more than we think we can. For sure.
That's the biggest piece that I've taken back with me.

Speaker 1 (01:09:44):
Firstly, had a Michael Porter when she said encouraged us.
That's a great word, Kelly. There was encouragement, but they
did they encourage a different way than than some people.

Speaker 14 (01:09:56):
The encouragement.

Speaker 1 (01:09:59):
You're going to this because we know you can get
it done, and I love that. Hey, before look, I
have to tell you thank you so much for bringing
me that hazel nut cream by the way, for my coffee.
Oh yeah, huge part of my trip, and I just
I gotta thank you, I gotta thank you for that Anthony,
you have no idea how much I have hazel nut

(01:10:20):
cream in my coffee every morning. And in the hotel,
great hotel. Loved it, but they didn't have it. It
was a great hotel once I figured out how to
get round places. The first night I was walking with
with Kelly, and I was walking with Darcy and and
with uh and we were in building.

Speaker 2 (01:10:38):
Six and I was like, yeah, I think my rooms
were around here. And they were like, aren't you in billing?

Speaker 1 (01:10:42):
You're close to you And I think they thought I
was kind of like getting old and I was losing
my way. Hey, hey, Kelly, you're a person that is
is very fit and you walk a lot, and and
that part of the journey for us that week. How
difficult was some of the things that that we had
to do as far as working out, how difficult were

(01:11:03):
those for you?

Speaker 14 (01:11:05):
Oh gosh, I don't know if I want to talk
about it, but I think my upper body strength is nothing,
so a lot of it was surprisingly difficult for me.
When we had to carry those artillery boxes, I was like, oh,
I felt like when I put those down, my arms
are like rubber, So that I think that's another piece

(01:11:28):
that was just impactful is like I'm not as in
great a shape as I thought I was, you know,
so I feel a little bit better.

Speaker 6 (01:11:35):
Yeah, because those are five pounds more than we thought
they were.

Speaker 1 (01:11:40):
They're forty five, and we hadn't carry two maybe yeah,
maybe forty five pounds is what I think.

Speaker 2 (01:11:48):
They're sixty.

Speaker 15 (01:11:48):
Yeah, I know, let's just go with sixty and say
we had to carry them, you know, over our head
for three and a half miles, and then we got
to is it the Reaper?

Speaker 1 (01:11:58):
Is that the will keep talking about. Yeah, yeah, fifty
three hours and then that's what you got to get
up the Reaper at the end. And I thought, man,
from wherever we were, they said, look, the Reaper doesn't
look like much. But but after fifty three hours of
very little sleep and very little food, and you've got
to have a sixty pound backpack and you got to

(01:12:20):
get to the top of the Reaper hill to say
I am a marine. And they said that it looks
might as well be two miles at that point. Hey, Kelly,
when when when you go back to school and you're
back now and people ask you about your trip, and
juniors and seniors and sophomores at the high school want

(01:12:41):
to talk to you about what their future looks like.
I've got to believe that that that being part of
the US Marine Corps is going to be in in
your toolkit to say, this is an option if you
want to, you know, apply for the our OTC scholarship,
if you want to be if you if you love
music and that's what you want to do and you're
a trombone player or a sax player, let's take a

(01:13:03):
look at this because there's so many different options in
the US Marine Corps. Collette want you know, she wanted
to be a photographer. They said let's do this, and
she has been in the Marine Corps doing that. I
think one of the things that opened my mind is
there are so many different paths that you can join
the Marine Corps through. And I'm wondering if that's something

(01:13:25):
that you've brought back to Madison with you.

Speaker 14 (01:13:29):
Oh. Absolutely, you hit it right on the head exactly,
because I feel like now I can talk about multiple
aspects right. So before I went, part of my job
is to talk with young people about what their post
high school plans are. And I could mention the Armed

(01:13:49):
Services and I can say that you go through boot camp,
but that was like the limit of my experience, right.
But when we were there in San Diego, we got
to hear about out every aspect of it. You know,
the boot camp, the thirteen weeks is one piece of that.
Hearing everybody talk about all their options after that. In

(01:14:12):
addition further, you know, after they do their next step
and then their next steps, so to hear about the
schooling that they get options to, the college level things
they get options to, as well as all the different careers.
And I echo what you said about the band. As
soon as I was listening to the band, I was
thinking of leak three or four high school students. I

(01:14:34):
was like, oh, this might be absolutely perfect for them.
So I think I went in not knowing that I
was going to learn all these things, and I walked
out like this whole repertoire of things that I can
discuss with students, and first talking about that step of
doing the basic training, but then going beyond that and

(01:14:56):
talking about all the opportunities that are available to them.

Speaker 1 (01:15:00):
Kelly Can she is a teacher. Madison Madison will follow
it and one of my new friends. Again, I went
into this not knowing I needed new friends. And I
got them. And the interesting part to me and collect
you'll smile at this. Elizabeth K from w M Wyax
is my friend, and she did this a year ago.
And when I was making a decision whether to do

(01:15:21):
this or not, I called her and we spent forty
five minutes on the phone and she said, Mac, you're
not gonna believe you're gonna walk away with really good
friends through this journey. And I thought, I'm really probably
not going to do that. Well, guess what, She's right,
absolutely absolutely, And and the fact that we went through
this as a group and we got the chance to

(01:15:41):
spend all this time with you guys. And and again
I believe the next time I'm in Madison, I'm gonna
call Kelly and buy her dinner. Right, I'm gonna let's
have a cup of coffee and talk about how I
could get my back feeling better. Because we had that
conversation and I just thank her and it was so
fun to meet her. Hey, Kelly, think thank you so
much for a couple of minutes of your time. It

(01:16:02):
was so great to spend a week with you guys
in San Diego. And next time you're in Milwaukee, please
let us know and one of us will will meet
you for coffee, you have lunch, by dinner, whatever it is,
but please let us know that.

Speaker 14 (01:16:16):
Oh my gosh, can I just say my last closing
remarks is not only the experience, but the people all
of you. I just love you guys so much. It
was so awesome to meet everybody and get to know
a little bit more about each one. And I can't
speak highly enough of the train marines that we work with.

(01:16:36):
My goodness, they are top notch people. And I definitely
believe my experience would have been different if I was
with different people. It really was the folks that were there,
the marines that we work with, that made that experience,
and I'm just so grateful, and I just love you
guys so much. I'm so glad that I got to
meet you all.

Speaker 1 (01:16:55):
Kelly, thank you so much. We're going to get to
a break. My favorite in that I did Lieutenant Colonel
Len Howard, thirty one years in the Marine Corps active duty,
now retired working at the museum, and I had to
not beg him for the interview, but when I said to,
when he said no, I just interview guys that are

(01:17:16):
active and I said, sir, if you were my coach,
I would run through the wall for you. And he said,
come on and sit down. I'll do that interview with you.
Lieutenant Colonel Len Howard will hear that interview, and then
I've got a couple of questions and we're going to
talk to the Sergeant Kled Carter Powell about the decision
that she has made, and we'll do that on the
other side of the break. This is the Varsity Blitz

(01:17:37):
High School Sports Show as I was presented by your
local Pick and Save in Metro market stores only on
Sports Fox Sports Night twenty in your iHeart Radio app.
I'm here with Lieutenant Colonel Len Howard the Military family. Sir,
in thirty one years active duty, now you're retired and

(01:17:57):
we're here at the Marine Museum and sorry, I came
to you and said, can I interview you? Because if
you were a coach, and you were my coach, I
would run through the wall for you. And just listening
to you talk about some of the things here at
the museum, and the passion and the love that you
have for this Marine Corps, it just comes right out

(01:18:18):
when you speak, and I thank you for your service. Sir,
thirty one years an active duty. If I asked you
one of your favorite memories of being part of the
US Marine Corps, what would that be? That's very easy.
In my estimation.

Speaker 16 (01:18:34):
The finest thing about being a marine, especially about it
being a marine officer, is the fact that you have
the opportunity to lead the finest fighting men in the world,
and if you take care of your troops, they really
take care of you. I always felt that being a
second lieutenant was the best rank in the Marine Corps.

(01:18:56):
And the reason why was because every rank from second
lieutenant up takes you further and further away from the Marines.
And all I ever wanted to do in my life
was to lead Marines, and you know, thank god I
had the opportunity to do so.

Speaker 1 (01:19:14):
Sir sir, I'm sorry. Do you think that that coming
from a family where your father was in the military,
did that set you up to understand what you were
getting into and why did you join the Marines? I
guess it's two part questions. Okay.

Speaker 16 (01:19:31):
The interesting thing is is that my parents never said
anything about joining the military. I mean, I was exposed
and raised into that, and yet it was never something
that they pushed me for They never pushed me in
the direction of any career per se, but being exposed
to it, you know, I grew familiar with it and
all that. From my father who was enlisted, and from

(01:19:54):
my grandfather who had been an officer. I learned leadership
lessons that I I took to heart, and probably the
most important is that the mission comes first, always and
every time. The welfare of your men come second, always
and every time, and your personal welfare comes last, always

(01:20:16):
and every time. So those lessons I carried with me
through my life, my career.

Speaker 1 (01:20:23):
And sir, do you think kids that are coming now right?
I've got a nephew that's coming next week, and he's
I'm worried for a little part of some of the
things he's done in the past, as far as leaving
school and quitting a job and things. I think this
is a perfect place for him, but I get nervous

(01:20:46):
for him. But I think he's going to do great.
Do you if you were to talk to this young
man in day two of the thirteen weeks he's going
to be here and trying to get through all this,
If you could put your arm around him and give
him some advice, What would you tell him.

Speaker 16 (01:21:01):
Well, the simplest and the thing is to persevere, never
give up, never surrender, never retreat. Give it one hundred
percent every day, every action that you do.

Speaker 1 (01:21:16):
The other thing is is that take it.

Speaker 16 (01:21:19):
One day at a time. When when you're exhausted, when
you're when you can't run any further, tell yourself, I
can run to that next bush, I can make it
to that next telephone pole. I can do one more
pull up.

Speaker 1 (01:21:33):
Just keep on pushing yourself.

Speaker 16 (01:21:34):
That way and accepting it day by day. Before you
know it the challenge, you'll be standing on top of
old Smokey Uh being presented the e GA in your hand.

Speaker 1 (01:21:46):
Welcome to the Welcome Back to the Varsity Goods High
School Sports Show, presented by your local Pickets Save A
Metro Market Stores. Coming live from the Donovan and Jorganson
he Doclling Studios, the largest employee owned HVAC company in
the state of Wisconsin. In studio First Lieutenant Michael Porter,
Anthony Dorris, who is a teacher at Racine Park, and

(01:22:07):
Sergeant collect Carter Powell. This has been such a good show, guys.
I woke up at three o'clock this morning because I
was so excited to do this and I prayed that
I could. You know, the theater of the mind is
what radio is, and I wanted to be able to
talk about this trip that we were on Anthony and
I and everybody that we have talked to, and I

(01:22:29):
wanted to paint a picture of what it meant and
the impact it had. And I think that we have
done this. Sergeant Carter Powell, you have decided that you
are not going to re up into the Marine Corps,
and can I can we talk a little bit about
that decision?

Speaker 4 (01:22:43):
Absolutely so, Like I said kind of earlier in the show,
I originally joined the Marine Corps to be a photographer,
but I didn't really realize that there was different options
in the Marine Corps, so when the Marine Corps could
also be a videographer or a graphic design marine. So
I spent my first year in the Marine Corps at
the Defense Information School learning all three of those things,
and I kind of found my passion for graphic design.

(01:23:04):
And I love the Marine Corps, love everything that it's
done for me. I'm currently working on my bachelor's. I've
gotten to travel, I've gotten to lead marines. I love
the Marine Corps. But I think I've just found a
passion in graphic design and that's really what I want
to pursue more.

Speaker 1 (01:23:18):
Hey, you fail to say one other thing. The Marine
Corps has brought you.

Speaker 3 (01:23:22):
Oh, the Marine Corps also brought me my lovely husband.

Speaker 1 (01:23:24):
He's such a good Dud's Jesse Carter. I couldn't wait
to meet him, and I wanted to, like say, I
want to know what your intentions are, but he already
put a ring on that finger, and I really enjoyed him.

Speaker 2 (01:23:34):
He is very passionate and he is he is a
Marine Corps. He's a dude.

Speaker 1 (01:23:39):
He is a dude, and I enjoyed the time that
I spent with him, and tell him, thank you. What's
the next step?

Speaker 2 (01:23:45):
Then? Do you know yet?

Speaker 4 (01:23:46):
So right now, I'm kind of just working on my
transition out. The Marine Corps does a really good job
preparing marines for that. I've already attended. I've talked to
you about that. I think my transition readiness seminar are
getting ready for the civilian workforce. I plan to go
to the school well to continue my bachelor's degree. I'm
doing web design right now. I should be finished next spring.
And then I kind of want to pursue like user

(01:24:08):
interface design, like on websites, and that's really what I'm
passionate about.

Speaker 1 (01:24:12):
Hey, I don't know if you heard the interview with Olivia,
but she had talked about that she is also going
to be transitioning out of the Marine Corps. And then
she said, but do you know that they set up
an internship with me at Harvard because I'm moving to Boston.
And I said, but you're leaving, and she goes and
they still did that for me, and.

Speaker 2 (01:24:31):
That part for me.

Speaker 1 (01:24:32):
Normally, when you tell a company you're leaving, they're done
with you. They're moving on to the next person. And
she said, they didn't do that, like they knew I
was going. I was going to Boston and help me
set up this internship with Harvard. And I love that look.
I wanted you and I said please come in studio
because I wanted to personally look you in the eye
and say thank you. And it was because of you

(01:24:54):
that I made the commitment and stuck with the commitment.
And I didn't want to disappoint you because of all
the great things you've done for me the last three years.
And I'm sad that you're leaving because I'll be working
with somebody else. I'm sure it'll be great, but man,
I'm gonna miss you. I'm gonna miss you.

Speaker 8 (01:25:11):
Well.

Speaker 3 (01:25:11):
We'll always stay in touch, Mike.

Speaker 4 (01:25:12):
I always had fun coming to the games with you
and doing interviews with you.

Speaker 2 (01:25:16):
And you've been so good.

Speaker 1 (01:25:17):
Why haven't you ever let me interview you had a
basketball game or a sideline of a football game.

Speaker 3 (01:25:23):
The sideline of the football game.

Speaker 4 (01:25:25):
I don't know anything about football, so that would have
been silly for both of us. I think I think
we've interviewed during basketball before.

Speaker 1 (01:25:33):
No, you you always like you. You just passed the
mic over to a marine that's with us. You've done great,
and I thank you so much for your service. And
that's not that's not a tagline for me. I'm serious
when I tell you that, if you can move the
microphone over, First Lieutenant Michael Porter, I can tell you,
young man, that I am so impressed with you. And

(01:25:56):
I look, when I was your age, I didn't know
where my socks were. I didn't You're twenty five years
old and you are leading men in the finest fighting
group of of of of soldiers in the world. And
that's what your goal is. And look, I'm gonna be
able to say I knew you when and there is
gonna be a time in your life that you're gonna

(01:26:17):
be like, who are you? And I'm like, man, I've
got the I've got receipts that I know who you are.
And and I thank you for for for everything you
have done, everything you are doing, and the things that
you're going to do in the future.

Speaker 7 (01:26:30):
Yeah, thanks Mike, appreciate being here and getting to know
you a few weeks ago.

Speaker 1 (01:26:35):
We're gonna be working together a lot, and I'm gonna
and look, I will always if I don't pick up
your call, I'll call you straight back. And the amount
of respect that I that I have for you and
the things that that you do. And and look what
what a major Blackwell, the impact that he had in
the state and collect that's that's what that's Look, they've
left the bar high. You've got it. You've got to uh,

(01:26:57):
the covered is not bare, pal and and people are
gonna go, man, all right, remember how they did it.
And you're gonna find your path and I look forward
to helping you through that. And anything that I know, Anthony,
anything that I can do for you, we will certainly do.

Speaker 7 (01:27:12):
Yeah, I appreciate it. And likewise, Mike, if you need anything,
if we can do anything for you, you know always here.

Speaker 2 (01:27:17):
How proud are your parents?

Speaker 7 (01:27:19):
They're very proud. They're probably listening to this right now.

Speaker 1 (01:27:21):
What are their names?

Speaker 7 (01:27:22):
Lisa and Scott?

Speaker 1 (01:27:23):
Lisa and Scott.

Speaker 2 (01:27:24):
I use this line.

Speaker 1 (01:27:25):
I always wanted to know what my kids were like
when they can't smell my column, when I'm not next
to them in the car, in the van, on the field.

Speaker 2 (01:27:34):
I want.

Speaker 1 (01:27:35):
I want you guys to know that you guys did good.
You guys did really really good with this young man.
And I think the people at Prairie School I competed
against them.

Speaker 2 (01:27:45):
I want to beat them every time.

Speaker 1 (01:27:47):
I think I did most times, not always, but most times.
But I can tell you that that he is a
great ambassador for your family, and you guys should be
really really proud of for Lieutenant Michael Porter, Anthony, you.

Speaker 2 (01:28:02):
And me, Matt. We could do and we should do
a podcast. Absolutely.

Speaker 1 (01:28:05):
I still want you, Hey, did you bring that that
bibblehead that you got? I got?

Speaker 6 (01:28:11):
I got the tonyablehead in my classroom right now.

Speaker 15 (01:28:13):
He was offered thirty four, and I moved it up
to fifty and he still took his head.

Speaker 1 (01:28:19):
Hey, I asked Darcy, and I asked Kelly, and I
kind of brought this up the first segment with you,
and we have a short amount of time. But the
fact that you are going to be able to talk
to these kids at that high school and and and
we're Sine Park High School. I look, I I love
the principle over there, henister O'Malley's a good dude. O'Malley
and mcgiffern don't ever get us out in public together.

Speaker 2 (01:28:40):
I can tell you that.

Speaker 1 (01:28:41):
But the fact that you're going to be able to
talk to these kids and tell him about this journey
that you went on for that week, I think is
so valuable. And I know you're going to be a
great ambassador for this US Marine Corps.

Speaker 2 (01:28:53):
Oh absolutely.

Speaker 6 (01:28:54):
They've been asking, like I said, left and right, and
I get to tell him the events. But I wish
I could describe like the feeling, because it's it's easy
to tell the events, but it's hard to explain like
the sense of accomplishment it is, but it is, it's wild.

Speaker 1 (01:29:07):
One hundred percent. Hey, Michael Porter, when when is this
the first educator's workshop that you were on?

Speaker 7 (01:29:13):
Yes, their it is.

Speaker 2 (01:29:14):
What did you think?

Speaker 7 (01:29:15):
I thought it was fantastic and I didn't know you know,
exactly how effective everything would be and the impact you
would have on the educators. First time for me seeing
the recruits graduate from boot camp. So that was impactful
for me as a leader in the Marine Corps. But
it was fantastic to see just like how how effective
it was at conveying the things that you know, you
just don't know because yet you haven't been there.

Speaker 1 (01:29:36):
You know, there were six of us from your area
now that are all in different parts of the state
and in Iowa that are telling your story. I get
it now, guys, I get it how impactful this is
to have ambassadors that talk to high school aged kids
in the school and outside of the school to tell
the story on what we went through and how we

(01:29:56):
think this would be a great direction for a lot
of a lot of of our youth. So, guys, thank you.
Anything I can do for any guys, please let me know. Spencer,
you did great. This was a tough show, a lot
of movie parts all over the place, and you did
really really well. I want to thank all of our guests.
I want to thank Major Nathan Blackwell. I want to
thank Darcy McGee and Kelly. How do you pronounce your

(01:30:18):
last name?

Speaker 2 (01:30:18):
Anthony Kneevy? There you go, Kanevy. Is that right?

Speaker 1 (01:30:21):
Yeah?

Speaker 2 (01:30:22):
We got that right, Kelly.

Speaker 1 (01:30:24):
I don't know if Anthony's right or not, but she's
a Madison and that's what we're going with just friends
of mine. Next week, Valerie is going to be in
and I can tell you Jeff's going to be in
a few weeks because I'll just tell them I'll talk
high school golf. But we are going to continue to
talk about this journey and this step that we went
on a week that we spent in San Diego on
the US Marine Educators Workshop.

Speaker 2 (01:30:45):
Guys, thank you very much. Thank you, Mike you bet.

Speaker 1 (01:30:48):
This is the Varsity Blitz high school sports show presented
by your local Pick and Save in Metro market stores
only on Fox Sports nine twenty and your iHeart Radio app.