S5E7: How Coaches Can Support Dyslexic Athletes, with Jared S. Blank

In this episode, Jared S. Blank shares his inspiring journey with dyslexia, how it impacted his sports career, and the importance of understanding and supporting dyslexic athletes. Brent and Juliet discuss strategies for coaches and parents to better support children with dyslexia and foster their strengths.

 

Chapters

 

00:00 Introduction and guest background

07:20 Jared's journey with dyslexia from childhood

12:22 Historical perspective on dyslexia and early diagnosis

22:38 The importance of understanding learning differences in coaching

28:43 Addressing self-esteem and emotional support

37:24 Building on strengths and passions

45:16 Creating inclusive environments in education and sports

50:54 Closing thoughts and resources

 

Transcript

 

00:00:10:03 - 00:00:36:22

Unknown

All right. Down to five, four, three, two. One. Jared, thanks for jumping on. On. What is it, 10 a.m. eastern time. Yeah, yeah, on a Monday. On a Monday. Monday. Jared and I, obviously Jared's in Austin, Texas. He's a he's now a football guy. He's a running guy, too. He likes is going to get your morning running.

 

00:00:37:00 - 00:00:55:16

Unknown

I not today not not yet, not yet not Julia. You screwed up. You screwed up his morning run. I know, I'm so sorry. That sucks. No, that's, like the worst. No, it's all good. I'm coming off a marathon, so. Oh, okay. Just recovery. Okay, so I don't actually feel as bad now. No longer as a marathon. The full marathon?

 

00:00:55:18 - 00:01:17:09

Unknown

Yeah. Full one on Saturday. So how'd that go? Tell us about that. Yeah. No, that it was. It was okay. It was a solid run, I'd say. How long did it take you? I was like, round 325, I think for the. That's pretty good that this is not a running body. Let me. Let's just be clear. Never has.

 

00:01:17:11 - 00:01:45:12

Unknown

Never will be. Yeah, I. Long distance running. So I played sports and we have to like, run five miles before. And I always was like hiding behind trees. I, I will admit it, but I was a sprinter so long distance. Oh. Healed me. I hated hated hated hated. So two different sports. Oh, yeah. Yeah. Like three miles I like, but I literally I can walk, I can walk, I'm like Forest Gump, I can walk everywhere I love that but running.

 

00:01:45:14 - 00:02:14:01

Unknown

Nope. No thank you. Just put me on a stationary bike and that's it in the corner. And that's good. Yeah that's great. That's all you need. Exactly. Wow. Hockey's obviously that's that's a that's probably the closest thing to hockey is you know his bike. You know and transfer transferable when you talk about cardio. Do they ever calculate like how many miles you all skate in a game.

 

00:02:14:03 - 00:02:33:17

Unknown

I you know what I don't I probably know with the analytics as you know and you know University of Texas and you know football and you guys have every analytics. You know when I played there was there was no such thing. So I'm sure where we go team time on ice okay. Average time on ice, you know, per game and shifts.

 

00:02:33:19 - 00:02:54:07

Unknown

But I'm sure, they do calculate that now since they've got, you know, everything else. And I've seen it somewhere. It was like. It was like a crazy amount of miles. I was like, Holy shit. Yeah, it was really crazy. Yeah. We, you know, I, I later half of my career, I used to wear a high rate monitor for every game.

 

00:02:54:08 - 00:03:16:12

Unknown

I think the most calories I burnt, when it was in an overtime game in playoffs was 5500. Wow. So many. Yeah. That's crazy. That's wild. Yeah, it is wild. So it's, you know, and that's, you know, and that's kind of where this conversation is going to kind of lead us, you know with sports. You know Jared and I, we caught up on Instagram.

 

00:03:16:12 - 00:03:44:02

Unknown

You know he kept you know calming in dyslexia. And you know my I think it was actually something about made by dyslexia. I made you know I fired back and we just, you know, we just started chatting and, we jump on the call every, you know, every couple of weeks and just catch up on, you know, on dyslexia and, and sports and, how it impacts it.

 

00:03:44:04 - 00:04:07:22

Unknown

You know, or I'll get a comment from him and a study that or a statistic that, that I throw out there that he goes and dives into and researched and, it's always a fun con, you know, it's always a great conversation. Fun conversation for me is, you know, being dyslexic and and talking about the impacts in a, you know, a different way.

 

00:04:07:22 - 00:04:27:09

Unknown

Obviously, you know, he's on the football side and University of Texas and deals with a lot of, you know, obviously young kids and kind of the stuff that we you know, we talked about, you know, Jared, you know, Juliet's got three kids or one son Montgomery. You know, it's not a sport he played soccer in. College is a sport.

 

00:04:27:09 - 00:04:48:03

Unknown

But we we're not going to argue. It's, it's a few times he's talked about, you know, his dislikes. He's never really affected it, you know, till he went to college on the sports field. Yeah. He was like, Holy shit, mom, you were right. I was like, it's going to come at some point. Like when things get to a certain level, just know and don't like, just be aware.

 

00:04:48:04 - 00:05:07:02

Unknown

Right. And then and then you have to adjust. Yeah. The first year he was like, okay, it never got me. He's like, it got me. It was so fast paced. Like it just he was. And when he was little when it first when he first started playing and then he adjusted to it was it, was it the instructions or was it like plays.

 

00:05:07:03 - 00:05:26:04

Unknown

Like what was it that was kind of causing the it was how like because he, they were playing a completely different formation than he ever, ever played. And then like the quick, quick, quick, he's a striker or wing now he's pretty much a wing. And so it was just the difference of it. And you know he the coach new which is great.

 

00:05:26:05 - 00:05:38:08

Unknown

He was able to talk to the coach. The coach was able to pull him aside. Couple of the kids were able to pull inside and it was like, just watch what I'm doing. Like some of the, the, the drills, you know, that he was like, okay, these are new drills. And that's where he was like, I it was crazy.

 

00:05:38:09 - 00:05:55:18

Unknown

Like I he's like I totally it freshman year was was tough. But again I think with all athletes that's very you know you find I mean going to college freshman year period is is an adjustment. But yeah. So he had to really work with the coach. And it was great that the coach was able to talk him through stuff and respected.

 

00:05:55:23 - 00:06:13:04

Unknown

Okay. Yeah. I you know, I see your potential and I see where you're getting caught up. Like he was delaying instead of just playing, which Brant always talks like he was thinking and not playing. Yeah. No, it totally makes sense. Yeah. And right, you have the college adjustment and then you have that on top of that. Yeah. Which can.

 

00:06:13:06 - 00:06:30:22

Unknown

But it's great that the the coach was in the loop on it and supportive as well as the teammates. Yes I mean and he advocates for himself. And that's like one of the things, you know that we talk about. You know he was early diagnosed. You know he went to a dyslexic school. And so and that's one thing that Brant and I talk about all the time.

 

00:06:30:23 - 00:07:01:23

Unknown

Right. This is why the foundation is so important, because it's that early understanding that he was comfortable enough to be like, this sucks. And I hate that I have to do this, but this this is important. And so he's been able to advocate for himself for, for quite some time, which is great. Really cool. Well, let's take a step back and talk to us until, you know, tell everybody a little bit about your dyslexic journey, and then we'll get into the sports side of a, you know, a little bit more, bring everybody, everybody up to speed of kind of how we got here today for sure.

 

00:07:02:01 - 00:07:27:05

Unknown

Well, I appreciate the conversations that, that, you know, I've had just in the, how we can connect over sports and dyslexia because a lot of people will not really understand those dynamics. As, as well as you just described, as how a, how a student athlete might struggle with learning new drills or being in a formation.

 

00:07:27:05 - 00:07:50:07

Unknown

So I think, I think being able to relate to the, the topic of sports and dyslexia is just so important. But yeah, I grew up, I was fortunate was diagnosed when I was five. Funny enough, it happened in the I doctor's office. They had tried glasses with me and nothing was really working. And the doctor.

 

00:07:50:09 - 00:08:15:11

Unknown

Was like, I'm going to do this test with you. And then after that test, she's like, okay, I'm going to get your mom. And at that point, I kind of knew something was, like, off. And, I'd been discovered that, you know, like what? I was trying to hide behind the tree of doing a run was now being called to light, and she's like, he can see the board.

 

00:08:15:11 - 00:08:41:16

Unknown

He just he can't recognize what the letters are. And so she's like, I think he has dyslexia. You know, I came from a family that had the the knowledge and the means to go from Portland, Oregon to California to get an official diagnosis at the time and started my journey. I met with a doctor. It's it's some point, you know, between Portland and California.

 

00:08:41:17 - 00:08:59:09

Unknown

And she told me that, okay, here's the deal. Having dislikes he's going to be running with, like, a cut on the bottom of your foot. It's going to be painful and hard at times, but you need to know you can do it. And I don't think she knew how literally and figuratively I was going to take and take that advice.

 

00:08:59:11 - 00:09:21:08

Unknown

Yeah. But it rained. True. You know, whether it was needing tutors all the way through or going, practicing spelling with my mom in the morning and then going to school and then going to occupational therapy when I was in elementary school, and then going back to, you know, school. And my mom had to literally pick me up at school, drive me across a bridge, and then back and forth.

 

00:09:21:08 - 00:09:43:11

Unknown

And then what was really helpful for me was having some sort of activity practice. Playing playing sports was kind of my outlet. But there was also complications with that, you know, the joke and the family was if someone opened the car door and, tied my shoes and got me to the field, I could play okay, like, but it was like getting to that point.

 

00:09:43:12 - 00:10:20:15

Unknown

And so, you know, my parents were, I think, were told that I might not have above a C average in college might not be possible. But they were. They always just took the approach of like, well, let's just see. You don't really know my kid. And, you know, through their help, through their support, I was able to, you know, eventually go on to college and, and just recognize that we haven't come as far along in this journey of, like, helping students, you know, that don't have these resources.

 

00:10:20:18 - 00:10:51:01

Unknown

And so my passion is really around that. And it's bringing awareness, supporting students that didn't you know, I don't think because you come from a specific background should dictate your, your future or your ability to do things. So that's why I think it's so important to connect to organizations like, brands and, and the International Dyslexia Association. I've worked with some great people at the Oregon branch and, and right now also have a scholarship fund at Park Academy, which is in my home state.

 

00:10:51:01 - 00:11:12:16

Unknown

It's the the only school that's, really designed for specifically, dealing with dyslexia. And so that's where we're at today. I love that. Go ahead. Bryant I think this is the first time out of anybody who obviously we have interviewed. And I doctor came into play and that's where it was first, you know, that's who discovered it.

 

00:11:12:17 - 00:11:38:00

Unknown

Right. And I doctor German eye doctor. You know, it's yeah. We you know obviously we called the documentary or documentary, you know, the podcast where blindness because I said it was night after Germany over 100 years ago that at Faro. But nobody's ever had that connection to, you know, until you write that I. The crazy part is, if it's not like that, I doctor studied it.

 

00:11:38:02 - 00:12:01:00

Unknown

It ran in the family. If it didn't run in that doctor's family, how far? This could have gone for you without that diagnosis, without going to California and and get that diagnosed and start that, you know, you know, start that journey of of that that could have taken could end up like me, you know, 32 maybe, maybe never.

 

00:12:01:02 - 00:12:24:15

Unknown

Yeah. No. Like really fortunate in that regard. It's it's funny. Bring that up. I'm doing some research right now. And I found that like the original, like text from that article of like, that I doctor meeting with a, you know, he's like, describe the person as highly intelligent and capable and and very, but struggles with language.

 

00:12:24:17 - 00:12:43:07

Unknown

And you go back to that original and it's like we have had so many things in that journey since that, that publication that's like, wait, are these people intelligent? Are they not? And but like if you go back to the original source, the original source, highly intelligent people can struggle with language, can struggle with processing words. Right. Yeah.

 

00:12:43:09 - 00:13:17:07

Unknown

And that's that's probably my biggest anger to the dyslexic world is it was there 100 years ago and nobody's built off that. You know, that's kind of why we do it. And I know you mentioned, you know, Ida and I think, you know, they've been around for 70 years and they've really haven't broken through either. Like, why why, you know something?

 

00:13:17:09 - 00:13:37:12

Unknown

Something's a hundred years old, you know, you take a look at, you know, what's going on. 96 if we sat down and listen to stories that she could tell us, it'd be mind blowing. But, yeah, we can't tell those same stories. And there's this Aleksic world. Yeah. I mean, having bald. And what happens in education? I don't mean to interrupt you.

 

00:13:37:12 - 00:13:58:07

Unknown

I mean, that's the thing that's so frustrating. I've watched it with myself, and then I watched it with my kid that was even diagnosed, went to a dyslexic school and then went back into mainstream and the same sort of things happening. Then my other two with Disgrace and Dyscalculia, they weren't diagnosed until high school. I totally missed it, but they knew how to kind of get around it because they get good grades, are intelligent, right?

 

00:13:58:08 - 00:14:14:16

Unknown

And all of these things. But then talking to the teachers and the special ed department and then being like, well, I don't understand how like, I understand I live it so I know more, but like, I literally they're like, how do you say I've never heard of dyscalculia? And I'm like, and you're the special ed, what are you talking about?

 

00:14:14:17 - 00:14:40:12

Unknown

I'm like, you don't say that to a parent that like, oh my gosh. And I'm like, yep, yep. And it's because of the education. Like, you know, in the colleges. Brant and I've had a situation where, you know, a college wanted to connect with us and do kind of a, a joint venture. And the head of the education department didn't understand that certain states don't allow you to put dyslexia on your IP and that you have to fight.

 

00:14:40:15 - 00:14:56:15

Unknown

And literally she says these words. And I looked at her and we both at the same time said, wait, what? And I was like, wait, you don't know that? And I was like, have you ever been on the streets? And she's like, no, I'm teaching the teachers and I'm like the teachers on the streets. And I said to her, like, with all due respect, you're the problem.

 

00:14:56:17 - 00:15:15:03

Unknown

Like, do you see that you don't know what you're doing? And it's so maddening and so frustrating because there's kids the right, the kid and the chair is getting dinged and dinged and dinged and feeling shit and feeling shit. And it's like we we know what we can do. But where is like all the muck, like who, you know?

 

00:15:15:04 - 00:15:36:22

Unknown

And then we know. It's like, then you're really going to unfold things and peel that engine and you're like, okay, it's about money. Like everything else. You know, the medical world, we can we can go down it. But still it's like it's it's really frustrating being in the situation that, you know, all of us are. But so what you're doing in the fact that that university has you is really an amazing, incredible thing for those students.

 

00:15:37:00 - 00:15:55:12

Unknown

Well, I think you I think you touched on a really cool point, because I think there's something that this organization like your podcast is doing. I think this podcast is really the solution, because I think it's not that people don't care, it's that you have this base of people with all the information and knowledge, but they talking to themselves, right?

 

00:15:55:13 - 00:16:19:16

Unknown

So it doesn't get outside of the bubble. Totally. But but it's people like you that are like, okay, taking this information. Right. And then bringing it to a podcast that that far reaches just beyond education, but it reaches into sports and it it reaches into other realms. And I think that's how it can get dispersed. Right? It's getting this information in the hands of coaches and players.

 

00:16:19:16 - 00:16:40:12

Unknown

And, and then I think you could start to see real change. It's like, oh, well, yeah, we know about that because we've heard it from the sources. And instead of the sources just being in the bubble that they are. And it's that's a great point. Yeah. So you know, it's the dyslexic world is controlled by people that don't have it.

 

00:16:40:13 - 00:16:43:10

Unknown

And.

 

00:16:43:12 - 00:17:02:19

Unknown

I'm not very educated, not very smart. But that doesn't seem like the the smartest aspect to, you know, you know, caring a problem. I think all the, all the scientists that are, you know, millions and billions of dollars researching cancer, I think they've got an idea of what to do. And, you know, it's it just kind of, you know, ask, you know, ask backwards.

 

00:17:02:19 - 00:17:23:20

Unknown

And, you know, for me, dyslexia is is no self-esteem, right? Yeah. And that's kind of where, you know, where, you know, Jared, I kind of worked in connected on, on sports because that's where I think all three of us got,

 

00:17:23:22 - 00:17:58:08

Unknown

Our self-esteem from from a from a sport, you know, whatever sport that is. Whatever he did, you know, Julia played lacrosse and and field hockey again. I just mentioned the sport, so, Right. Those are real sports. Those are real sports, for sure. Those are badass sports. So two. Yeah. That's me. Yeah. Obviously hockey was you know, I played played softball and hockey, but it was it was a self-esteem that I lacked everywhere else, you know.

 

00:17:58:08 - 00:18:38:08

Unknown

And now, you know, Jared and I worked on a little, I don't even know. What would you describe it? Your PD, I, I just go straight up pdf. Yeah. I mean, it turned into a PDF, but I think it was I don't even know how to describe it. Right. But it's, it's really an idea of being able to take what we're talking about and put it into, I don't know, slides that, you know, someone could go through, someone could take this conversation and pair it together and then be able to kind of see, how the how this world makes sense and some of the struggles that somebody with dyslexia might have and

 

00:18:38:08 - 00:19:03:07

Unknown

what it might look like for them to struggle with instruction on getting new drills or a new formation and what that looks like, cause it's, it's it changes the whole sphere. I mean, it's no different than I remember being in college and having a test. And it's like the words would the study guide words would change from what the words were on the test.

 

00:19:03:09 - 00:19:21:11

Unknown

And it wasn't that like it that you have to like, your mind has to like, recalibrate. Like what is even being asked? Not so much. Like, do you know the information it was to me, it was never about knowing the information. It was like, what are you really asking me? Because I that's my part. That was always confusing, right?

 

00:19:21:11 - 00:19:32:14

Unknown

You study for the test and you're like, oh my God, I got it. And you go take the test and you're like, how did I fail it? I knew that, like if someone just asked me and talked me through it, I would have passed. And that's like the fight in education I would have for Montgomery all the time.

 

00:19:32:14 - 00:19:49:06

Unknown

I'd be like, they're like, he knows his information. He's just not trying hard. And, you know, all of those things that come back when I was a kid, right? That's I wasn't diagnosed until later in life, but there was understanding in my house because my mom was in education and my older sister struggled, but I kind of went under the radar and didn't get a diagnosis.

 

00:19:49:06 - 00:20:08:05

Unknown

She got a diagnosis, and I didn't until really, Montgomery I was like, wait a second, I thought that was all my ADHD, like, I oh my God, this is all what I had as well. But exactly that. And like, so if coaches I mean, I remember I was always the one that they would be like have Julia demonstrate because she's going to mess it up and then we can all go from there.

 

00:20:08:06 - 00:20:22:20

Unknown

Right? And it was like, okay, great, thanks. You know, and I would I would watch and I would do it and then I'd be like, oh God, I don't have no idea. Then I would yeah, I would always have to watch other people. But they caught on quick. So it's having that. You guys, what you're talking about is so important.

 

00:20:22:20 - 00:20:37:05

Unknown

And that's one of the things that Brant and I, you know, early on, like with Montgomery's coaches, I remember we were like, okay, we're gonna we're going to talk to them first because we don't want this is where he's getting all of his confidence. Right? We see what an athlete he is and this is what we need to do.

 

00:20:37:05 - 00:20:57:10

Unknown

And I remember, most coaches were good. Other coaches were like, okay, I don't understand, but I'm willing to learn. But a lot of them were really like, okay, because they saw the athleticism that he had. Right? Okay. This kid is okay. But then every once in a while he seems like he's not. So he would say, it's not that I'm not I'm I'm taking a second to process.

 

00:20:57:10 - 00:21:15:21

Unknown

Don't pull me out because you think I'm not paying attention. Like just give me a chance. And we were lucky enough. And for him as well, that he had those relationships with the coaches. And it's all about those relationships and the understanding. That's what we talk about all the time. Right. And so seeing it, it's not that the kids fucking around, right.

 

00:21:15:22 - 00:21:36:03

Unknown

It's like just give them a second and they may in some of the challenges to like you know, whether it be on the from the coaching side is you may have an athlete that won't look at you. And it's not because they're not paying attention, it's because they're actually trying to pay attention more but not get distraction with the visual cues.

 

00:21:36:09 - 00:21:54:21

Unknown

And so it is knowing these things. And then and then instead of, you know, there's a line in Ted Lasso, right? Be curious, not judgmental. And if you're curious about it and you ask, hey, are you paying attention to me or are you are you drifting? Because if you're drifting, we got to talk about that. But if you're paying attention to me, I can deal with.

 

00:21:54:21 - 00:22:15:07

Unknown

You're not looking at me. Absolutely. But. And but those conversations need to. You need to be aware of it. And I can go back. I had a professor who in the same exam. Right. I, I take this exam, I and I go to the professor and I was like, you know, I study this. And the people that have questioned me when I was studying it said, I really know this stuff.

 

00:22:15:07 - 00:22:37:17

Unknown

And then I come here and the questions are really different. He's like, well, then you really don't know the information, right? And I was like, so that's it. And I was like, well, if I if I'm ever in a position to be a support, right, be a professor, be a teacher, be a coach, be whatever the job is, really well, does this person know the information or do they not?

 

00:22:37:18 - 00:22:57:06

Unknown

And if it's if it's not getting done one way, is there another way it can be. That's so point. That's so I mean it's like right. If you can't learn in the constraints of typical education, you're not smart. Right. And it's like and it's like wait a second. But I know all of that information. I just learn in a different way.

 

00:22:57:07 - 00:23:26:01

Unknown

So like who are you to determine my intelligence. Right. You know, everybody you know, nowadays, you know, with you sports, becoming the biggest business it is, you know, they're there to coach. They're not there to teach. I always say I'm not a coach from a teacher and teachers job is to to know how everybody in that room learns.

 

00:23:26:03 - 00:23:57:13

Unknown

And same thing, you know, same thing in sport as a matter, if it's a basketball court or a soccer field or football field or, or a hockey rink. And I think that's, that's the biggest problem now is that these coaches want to win and they don't want to teach. And you go out there on the field or on the on the rink, and they've got all these bells of whistles or just just smoke screens to make them look to make them look good.

 

00:23:57:14 - 00:24:21:23

Unknown

Right. And you know, and the kids are getting, or getting, you know, getting passed by and they assume that they should know this. Well, as I always say, my famous line is assumption is death. You haven't said that in a long time. Haven't heard that one. No. You just you just like we assumed you knew it was 9:09 a.m. central.

 

00:24:22:03 - 00:24:43:13

Unknown

Right? Assumption. Is that right? You know, it's. And that's kind of why, you know, Jared. And every time we get on there, we connected. You be telling I remember the one saying he's working with a linebacker. He's like coaches pissed off. He said, why do you make the hard things look so easy? Oh yeah. But the verse that he makes the easiest things look so hard.

 

00:24:43:15 - 00:25:06:09

Unknown

Welcome to me into second. Right. That's that's our life, right? Yeah. No. Totally is. It's just, I remember a Jane Cooper. She was the president of the, Oregon branch when I was doing my writing project. And I have, you know, fortunate to connect with her and, just an amazing, amazing person. Just understanding. That was the first thing she told me.

 

00:25:06:09 - 00:25:24:15

Unknown

She's like, dyslexics will make the the easy things look hard, and the hard things look easy. And it's that's the life we live. It's so true. I mean, really, and everything we do. Right? My husband will sometimes say, I don't know, why did you just make that so difficult? I'm like, oh, I didn't think that was difficult. Right?

 

00:25:24:19 - 00:25:44:22

Unknown

It was difficult. What are you talking about? It was difficult. Yeah. Not in our head. Right. But you know and then and now and those are the things it's just you know the hard part is when I, when I talk about it everybody's like oh you made it right. You, you know, you want us down the cup.

 

00:25:44:22 - 00:25:52:16

Unknown

You want all the things. But if you could have gotten 10 or 15% of better of me.

 

00:25:52:18 - 00:26:25:03

Unknown

Right, what I could have gotten, imagine if we could have gotten 10 or 15% more out of this player or this kid, where they could ended up by just having a little bit more understanding under the belt. You know, I had a dad I spoke to, he's in Michigan, and he actually, you know, I think he's a professor and, you know, Michigan State and, one line, you know, obviously the the hockey IQ, you know, we talk about this on, on, on just about every call.

 

00:26:25:05 - 00:26:43:12

Unknown

You know, Jared and Julia, we talked about that. And I got in on a call with or I was on a group text. He put me in a group text with, like, 3 or 4 of his kids. Coaches, Little Caesars high, high end program, triple hockey, and. Oh, well, I'll get, you know, we'll get on a call.

 

00:26:43:13 - 00:27:02:02

Unknown

Just give me a chance. One of the kind of explain how how he's processes games. Okay, okay, okay. You know, one of them's the next NHL on that text group. But when it came down to it, one of the coaches showed up on the call. I said, hey, let's just, you know, 15 minute call, all right? What?

 

00:27:02:06 - 00:27:05:10

Unknown

You're all at the rink.

 

00:27:05:12 - 00:27:39:15

Unknown

You couldn't get on there? No, you didn't want to get on there. Yeah, yeah, that's the difference. Yeah, there needs to be. And I think that's a good point because there needs to be with this stuff. There needs to be a want to. Right. There has to be a want to from from everyone. And because it's going to take every single person to help with this issue, because when you do, you can see success stories, right?

 

00:27:39:16 - 00:27:57:13

Unknown

And you may even see even greater success stories if you pour into somebody, you you have a Stanley Cup winner there. And could you imagine if someone you know, the things would have dialed up a little differently, and maybe you get 10 or 15% more of that, that athlete or out of that student, like, what does that look like?

 

00:27:57:15 - 00:28:31:15

Unknown

But I think what you touched on, Brant, is it's so important because the self-esteem does get fractured here. If these things aren't addressed, if the if the student doesn't have support, doesn't have people in his life that are understanding of what they're dealing with, even if they do obtain success, it's going to be they're in a volatile position of, you know, that first failure, that not understanding that play, not understanding that drill that's going to negatively impact their self-esteem.

 

00:28:31:17 - 00:29:03:08

Unknown

And then it becomes a whole different ball game, because not only are you dealing with a learning challenge, now you're dealing with self-esteem issues, and you can't address a learning challenge. Before you address self-esteem, you have to address the person first. So now you're looking at therapy. You're looking at other modalities to to work with that person, to get them to a point where like, okay, now we can address the you put them way behind.

 

00:29:03:10 - 00:29:11:13

Unknown

That's all I always talk about. You know people always know what is the foundation to first off I got to get you out of a dark hole.

 

00:29:11:15 - 00:29:35:15

Unknown

You know I got to throw you the ladder to, to to get you out of that. You know that dark hole. Because no matter that's when everybody comes to us, right? Nobody comes to us when, every everybody's smiling and everybody's happy, right? Everybody's coming to us in the darkest days because, you know, the kids struggling. Have you got diagnosed?

 

00:29:35:20 - 00:30:06:07

Unknown

I'm just getting diagnosed. Fighting with the school. All that, all that surrounding is, is negative, right? You know, so then I'm going to be able to get the, you know, the kid or even the and the parents in that for that fact. And out of that dark hole, before we can start getting to understand what this all is, you know, it's a negative impact of that self-esteem when that self-esteem is, fractured.

 

00:30:06:09 - 00:30:22:08

Unknown

You're, you know, it's taking like a 3000 puzzle piece and, you know, going in one piece together to get that kid or get those parents to calm down, understand what this all is.

 

00:30:22:10 - 00:30:43:07

Unknown

And how we can grow to that. You know, it's and that doesn't happen overnight. Right. And it's the understanding I mean, this is, you know, we talk about so many different things that Jared, everything that you just said, I just love I mean, I know that you really connected and he's, you know, said it's like wonderful to see him and say okay.

 

00:30:43:09 - 00:31:06:20

Unknown

Yeah, yeah that's awesome. That's great. But it is it's it is the education, the sports. That's like, we're not thinking of the kid in the chair. Right. We're not thinking. And it brought me to we've had my my son Montgomery and my nephew Bradley on the podcast. Like after the first year of, of university and then the second, you know, the first semester of second.

 

00:31:07:00 - 00:31:25:06

Unknown

And one of the things that Bradley talked about, and I remember when he was little, it's my sister's oldest. He's like, I gave up sports because it took him to like. And he was his family's athlete brothers going to college, so I soccer his dad played soccer in college. My sister went to college and played field hockey like they're a family of athletes.

 

00:31:25:08 - 00:31:43:17

Unknown

And he was like, I couldn't like it was too much anxiety that like, if I messed up or did it, it was too much pressure. And it was like the not the coach is not understanding. And then being in these like really intense organizations because he had the skill. Right. So he had the skill. But and he took himself out of it.

 

00:31:43:18 - 00:31:59:23

Unknown

And, you know, my sister will always say like she's like, I hate when he says it because it kills me. Like, I wish I would have thought about it, but we didn't. We didn't. Right. He was like early diagnosed and it just wasn't something that they really thought about. And so you think of all of those kids that have the potential, right?

 

00:32:00:00 - 00:32:18:04

Unknown

It's not just school kicking their asses, but like we got our you know, that's the one thing I shined on the field hockey and lacrosse. You know, that's where I played it in school. But in high school we won the state championships every year. Like that's where I was like, okay, I can step out of the classroom and like, you know, I had most of my classmates were recruited early.

 

00:32:18:04 - 00:32:39:12

Unknown

They all went, you know, really big schools. And I couldn't get my SATs up to a certain grade, you know, point to go D1. And just like knowing that journey, but thinking of those kids that, you know, at least I was able to find a place, right? At least there was a place, even though it was a lot of bruises getting there, lots of bruises, but I was able to come out of it.

 

00:32:39:12 - 00:32:59:20

Unknown

But you think of the kids that just pulled themselves out, and then they always think like, I never did it because I didn't allow myself. I didn't allow myself that failure. And, you know, it's it's it's getting worse and worse because of the intensity of youth sports. Right? Because now that's a business. When we played, it was like fun and it was like, oh, you go and do this and that.

 

00:32:59:20 - 00:33:17:00

Unknown

Now it's like the money. And so now it's getting even worse. Where people might not say that difference is a high equate is now is a business. Yep. Back then when we all grew up was a sport. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. And it's a shame because they're losing kids early. They're losing kids early. That could be something. But you're.

 

00:33:17:01 - 00:33:40:12

Unknown

This is why they're saying, like, young kids these days are the worst state ever, right? And then you look at things and they talk about social media and all of these things, and like, there's so much more to it. It's not just that. It's because of the way society is with just not giving people, like letting people be and be who they are and let them grow and like, let's give them space to become who they are by understanding what they're going through.

 

00:33:40:13 - 00:34:01:04

Unknown

I was going to say, well, and then you lose the outlet to write like you had. Absolutely. You had field hockey. You had lacrosse, like real sports, to be on the playing field in the game, you know, and just being yeah, yeah, yeah, I was going to see the relationships that you probably built on your teams. And so yeah, yeah it's yeah.

 

00:34:01:05 - 00:34:21:23

Unknown

Yeah, yeah. And I was just going to say I think what, what's that stat like 70% of youth sports, they quit by 1313 and girls are way more. And it's heartbreaking. It's hard. And they just say it's because of the intensity. I think there is like a lot of them are getting burned out. But I think there's so much more to it.

 

00:34:22:01 - 00:34:51:03

Unknown

Right. I think and there's I'm, I get concerned for my dyslexic sisters you know as part of that. Right. Like to your story. If they drop out like where does where can they get that feeling of self self-esteem. And then because when you're doing something that you're passionate about that you really love, whether it be lacrosse, soccer or drawing or cooking, that is what builds your that's what can protect that self-esteem.

 

00:34:51:03 - 00:35:12:19

Unknown

And then you can sprinkle in the other things that you struggle with around that. You know, that's my advice to parents a lot of times is absolutely what's the one thing I like? Find out what they love doing, not what they're good or not doing what they love doing, because there's a difference. And let build around that, build around that area.

 

00:35:12:19 - 00:35:33:11

Unknown

And then you can use that as the tool to if they love video games, cool. Teach them budgeting with video games. Okay. If you want a new system next year when it comes out, how much money do you need? You know, like you can teach some budgeting. Yeah. Here's the latest article on the game that came out. Let's read it together.

 

00:35:33:12 - 00:35:49:12

Unknown

Let's, you know, like those are the ways to play. Absolutely. I just did a whole I literally so when you said the curious thing, I know Brant like chuckled because I'm like the most curious person and I ask questions and I love to, like, dive into things and learn serious, George or rare. And that's what they call it.

 

00:35:49:12 - 00:36:09:22

Unknown

I literally have an emblem on my backpack that he and his wife gave me. But one of the things that I really got, like, really thinking about is if we could take a child's curiosity right before we labeled them on anything, and we just took about the questions they asked or the things that they did, whether it's building Legos, which I hate it, right, we hate.

 

00:36:09:23 - 00:36:28:00

Unknown

We were not Lego builders in our house at all. Like I would stop, I hated them, I could never do it right. But like seeing okay, that or drawing or like trucks or like girls doing different things. If we could take that, that curiosity and peel it right and be like, okay, what is that? What in their brain is it?

 

00:36:28:00 - 00:36:41:23

Unknown

And then literally give them everything in that and, and have it flourished instead of going to the education world. Right. And it's like, well, this is how you have to learn. This is how you have to do it. This is I mean, my kids literally in seventh and eighth grade, they still did the aptitude test that we took.

 

00:36:42:00 - 00:36:58:14

Unknown

I was like, wait, what did you do? And I was like, they still do that. And I was like, yeah, to be a doctor, a policeman, fireman or a lawyer. And I was like, oh my God. Like, what is, you know, that's a whole nother story. But like, we don't think about the curiosity. And just because someone does Legos or is an artist doesn't mean they're going to be an artist, right?

 

00:36:58:15 - 00:37:19:02

Unknown

But like, what is that in the brain that's clicking, that's giving them that fire, as you said, like, what is the passion behind it? If we can give every kid that early passion that they love and and really build on that, think how like think what a mind that would be. Even if they're struggling in X, Y, and Z, as you said, even if they're like, okay, this is going to be hard.

 

00:37:19:02 - 00:37:33:12

Unknown

But guess what? I get to do this next or this is what I'm really good at. But this is what I suck because we all have strengths and weaknesses. And that's another thing. The school, right? They bang on our our weaknesses. It's always like, we need to get those up. Why can't we build on the strengths of people?

 

00:37:33:14 - 00:37:48:02

Unknown

Everyone's going to have something that they're like that I'm not that good at, and it's okay. But the way it is is like, they don't let you, right? If you have a weakness, you have to build up on that. You have to build on them. But it's like, okay, well, if I have a learning disability, guess what? This is, is what it is and this is how it's going to be.

 

00:37:48:04 - 00:38:11:23

Unknown

Well, and I think that's a great point because you look at naturally and this is very general statement. So I want to acknowledge that. But you know dyslexics tend to gravitate towards engineering. They tend to gravitate towards drawing and architecture like programs that are academically oriented. Right. And that's not to say that that's the cross of the board.

 

00:38:11:23 - 00:38:21:19

Unknown

But you lose your architects, you lose potential great engineers. If you put them through.

 

00:38:21:21 - 00:38:51:12

Unknown

That reading assessment. Right again. And, and the the time reading assessments are so funny to me because it's like, oh, they didn't do well on that. Well, they probably didn't read all the questions and probably didn't understand half the things that they read. Totally. And it's like we we're not doing ourselves a service as a society if we don't acknowledge this, because you're losing out on more people, that could be more productive for the society.

 

00:38:51:13 - 00:39:31:09

Unknown

So it's like those are more people that could start businesses, build, build opportunities for more people, and yeah, invent things that can change people's lives 100%. So we talk. It's funny to me because we talk about, oh, we really care about mental health and wellness, and we really care about our, you know, our homeless population. And it's like there's a two pronged approach to this one address, what's going on, you know, take care of the people that are in that environment right now, but then also look at what is what is leading to that.

 

00:39:31:11 - 00:40:01:17

Unknown

And if you look at dyslexia as an opportunity to start, this is a place that you could turn the faucet a little down and you could decrease the numbers of the people that are getting to that point. So it's it's it's like we talk about suicide prevention. We'll address this. That will help decrease some of the numbers won't decrease everything but it will decrease you know like it won't solve everything but it will decrease.

 

00:40:01:17 - 00:40:23:21

Unknown

Some of the numbers will help. Right. That's that's the why. You know that's what we always say on here. And you know, you know, why is something going on. Like you grow you grow a plant, you got to start the root. And normally, you know, with the majority of stuff in the dyslexia world, we're we're picking the flower.

 

00:40:23:23 - 00:40:51:11

Unknown

Let's go back to the root. You know, you've got Robin Williams for an example, one of the funniest guys carrying his guys. You ever you know anybody with me that's stories have ever been told. You know he committed suicide. But you're not born with depression and not born with anxiety. You don't see anything, you know, but you are born with dyslexia.

 

00:40:51:12 - 00:41:20:14

Unknown

So what is King kicking off? What? You know, how do we get there? Dyslexia was a gasoline to starting that. Now, if we can start, you know, diving into that and understanding that better and it's hacking that better. All this other stuff isn't going, you know, it's definitely going to diminish it and slow it down. You know.

 

00:41:20:15 - 00:41:51:00

Unknown

And you know, the other thing you said earlier, love yo love is your gas tank. Right. You imagine, you know, when you fall in love, you know, how different is when you love something. How how it lights you up, right? Oh, everybody can find that. It goes a long way. You know we got, we got to come up with a name these slides whatever.

 

00:41:51:02 - 00:42:14:14

Unknown

You know I started you know sending out to, to coaches people I know. And you know Julia will have to, you know attach it to when we post, you know yeah I don't know I, I got her here, but I guess what, ten pages, you know, different points of, you know, for coaching and for coaches.

 

00:42:14:16 - 00:42:30:11

Unknown

You know, with the select some with some understanding, with some information. Jared did a good job on the slides. I threw some are getting at the wall and he put it to, you know, he put it together. That's great. Yeah. I mean, but what you guys, that is so important. I mean, it's a really important thing.

 

00:42:30:11 - 00:42:50:19

Unknown

There's so many levels of, like, what? You can help a dyslexic, but like, right there talking to the coaches, you know, education. We know how that that's that's really you know that's so many layers. But this is like a start that like I think you guys should be talking on stages and really getting in front of other coaches and being like, you know, because there's always right.

 

00:42:50:19 - 00:43:08:08

Unknown

It's 1 in 5. I mean, it's not like it's 1 in 1000. It's 1 in 5. You have dislike 600 team whether they're diagnosed or not diagnosed. And it's, you know, if you think about it and, and not label it right, it's because what they've heard the whole time, right. In classrooms and on the field, I was like, oh, you're too social.

 

00:43:08:08 - 00:43:23:00

Unknown

You're to this. No, or you're not paying attention. It's all these things and it's like, I'm trying, I'm not doing this on purpose. One thing that Brant and I talk about all the time is like, there's, you know, little kids don't go into school when there are five, six, seven and eight and be like, I'm going to be a giant dick today.

 

00:43:23:01 - 00:43:37:00

Unknown

Like, that's not something that they do. It's something that happens because a label has been put on them. And then that's how they go, right? It's like, okay, I'm going to be the funny one because everyone keeps saying that, or I'm going to be the one that's going to bother people because I'm getting attention, right? I'm getting attention.

 

00:43:37:00 - 00:43:54:22

Unknown

They're not being seen in the way they need to be seen. And if we can just adjust that a little bit and turn the dial up where, okay, a coach might be like, you know what, I see something in that kid. I know he's a pain in the ass in the classroom, but let me dive in a little bit more and take the information that you guys gave, you know, is is so important.

 

00:43:54:22 - 00:44:11:01

Unknown

I will like, forever be thankful that the way we raised Montgomery, that it was just instinctive. But I know there's so many parents that don't know to do it because they don't want to tell the coach. I remember going, wait, I don't want to tell the coach because I don't want them to look at him different. I don't want them to look indifferent and then not give him a chance.

 

00:44:11:04 - 00:44:25:04

Unknown

I remember going through that and Dan and I, my husband and I really talking about it and him being like, I don't know what the answer is. Like. I don't know what the answer is because I'm I haven't lived it and I'm like, I think we just need to because it's like, he's so good, but I can see this next level.

 

00:44:25:09 - 00:44:38:19

Unknown

He's struggling a little bit and now he's getting a little dink. People are getting more playing time than him because he's not. And it was like, okay, this is the time we're going to do it and I will be ever thankful for whatever, you know, download ever. God came in and just was like, this is what you need to do.

 

00:44:38:20 - 00:45:04:20

Unknown

But there's so many parents that don't know how to do that because they're afraid of that label. They're afraid of saying, well, my kids different. Yeah. No, I it's it's that it's definitely there's definitely challenges and reasons why this is so important and be able to and I think it coming from an athlete who has shown success.

 

00:45:04:21 - 00:45:30:08

Unknown

Right. Maybe he could have shown even more success, but Stanley Cups pretty good, right? It's really good. But what what hopefully this does is it's a tool for coaches to use to like, hey, I can understand my athlete maybe a little bit better, or I'm seeing signs like, okay, this guy isn't picking this up, but he looks apart or she's doing really well in these areas but just struggles here.

 

00:45:30:12 - 00:45:53:03

Unknown

This might be the reason why and address it. You know, hopefully this it becomes kind of a roadmap for coaches to better understand their athletes. And you know, 1 in 5. Right. Or you know that percentage is is you're going to encounter these. If you coached for ten, 20, 30 years, you're going to count on a lot of these athletes.

 

00:45:53:05 - 00:46:13:20

Unknown

Absolutely. So if you can better understand them and it's going to not only help them as individuals or help your team collectively, and then ultimately you as the coach. Absolutely. It's a win win. It's so it's a win win. You know. And you know we talk about you know you know different forms. You know it's again coaching is teaching.

 

00:46:13:22 - 00:46:37:08

Unknown

And you know telling me where to go. You know I always make the joke yo Sam drove ten miles no I don't. Don't tell me where Sam. Show me where Sam is. Same thing. You know, with us. You know, we need to walk through on the field or, on the ice, you know, can't tell us. You got to show us, you know, kind of the touch and feel that we.

 

00:46:37:10 - 00:46:55:18

Unknown

You know, that. Yeah. We talk about walking through that, you know, so important. I remember I had coaches, we go through the drills at the beginning of practice, and then he'd just yell them out. You know, when you go into a new drill. Him I don't I don't remember you know what that is? You know what that is?

 

00:46:55:20 - 00:47:19:06

Unknown

You know, so just, can't be stuck in your ways as a coach. If you, you've got to evolve. And, only way you can evolve is with understanding. Yeah. And thinking about making it okay for your athletes. Right. If you're teaching in a different way, not saying like oh Sarah needs this because she's dyslexic right.

 

00:47:19:07 - 00:47:44:08

Unknown

But teaching in a way that you know. Oh wait, maybe I can make everyone right. So the anxiety is dropped so Sarah or Joe can sit there and be like, okay, he's going to teach in a couple of different ways because everyone, even people without learning disabilities, right? I mean, everyone learns a different way. And so if you as a coach, you're getting the best out of every single person there, why wouldn't you be like, okay, I'm going to teach in all of these different aspects, right?

 

00:47:44:10 - 00:48:00:21

Unknown

Like, let's do it visually, let's do it or all of these things. It just makes sense to me. It's like, I don't understand why people don't do it. It seems like it's very like, okay, like everyone is going to be different. Not everyone learns exactly the same or all different people. And that's what makes the humankind beautiful and amazing.

 

00:48:01:01 - 00:48:15:12

Unknown

But let's let's approach it where you're giving them where they can breathe and not be so tightly because they're like, oh my God, if I don't understand. I mean, I remember being like, Holy shit. Now I'm in the line and I have no idea what they just said. And I literally was listening to everything they just said, but it did not stick here.

 

00:48:15:13 - 00:48:44:08

Unknown

Right. And then being called out. So you're always like slightly anxious, right. Let's let's erase that. You know, it's it made me think of, as you were talking and made me think of just being human. And I remember so I worked in footwear for four years and talked to a ton of people, different athletes. And you talked to trail runners and trail runners say they go into the store and the first thing they do, and when they look at, you know, what they do, they they flip it over and they look at the soul.

 

00:48:44:12 - 00:49:07:18

Unknown

Okay. If we did that with every person that we come encounter, if we look at their soul first and then celebrate their differences, you know, celebrate how they process information, how they might learn, then we could look at this whole thing a lot differently. You know that that was beautiful. Yeah. Love languages. I always compare it to. Right.

 

00:49:07:22 - 00:49:31:11

Unknown

If every one of us had the same level, languages will be pretty boring. Boring, boring. Oh, right. You know, but that there's five level images for a reason, right? Just like learning styles. And if you want to make your partner happy, you learn what their love languages are.

 

00:49:31:12 - 00:50:04:13

Unknown

If you want to make your students, your athletes, whatever happy, you learn, how they learn just goes hand. You know, it kind of goes goes hand in hand. Does it take a little effort, just like keeping a marriage, right. Keeping a relationship that takes, you know, keeping a job takes a little bit of effort. Same kind of thing, right, when it comes to coaching.

 

00:50:04:15 - 00:50:22:23

Unknown

Well I'm just going to leave it at that Jared I just have to say thank you so much. This is really I mean as I said Brant sucks so highly of you. I've been looking forward to it. And I also met your college roommate which is a whole nother story right. Yeah, I was wild. No, I wanted to give a shout out to Greg too, because, like, he connected us and I'd already been talking to Brant, so I thought that was really cool.

 

00:50:23:00 - 00:50:38:13

Unknown

That was so funny. And he's he's such a he's such a relationship builder too. So yeah, it was I mean literally on LinkedIn. And then. Yeah, it was a funny, really funny thing was I was like, wait, I know who that is. He's like, wait, what do you mean? You know who Jared is? And I was like, my co-host started talking to him.

 

00:50:38:14 - 00:51:00:02

Unknown

So great. Small. I love small worlds, but just thank you for taking the time because this podcast is really important and so many different levels just from, you know, people, again, to hear success stories and then also ways that they can support their child, their students, their athlete is is really important. So, you know, thank you again for joining word blindness dyslexia exposed.

 

00:51:00:04 - 00:51:07:19

Unknown

You guys know what to do like rate review and share I appreciate you all. Thank you so much for having me on. I sure appreciate it.