Rachi Wortham: College Coaches Are Recruiting the Parents Too

Rhett Parker: Hi, and welcome to another episode of Surviving You Sports. Special guest today. God, guy I've known since I think I I wanna say elementary school, Rashi Wortham. Played with him growing up, high school, college basketball coach. yeah, it's been actually probably been a couple of years since we we chatted, but welcome to the show, brother. Rachi Wortham: Appreciate you, boss. Thanks for having me. Rhett Parker: Absolutely, man. And and obviously, college basketball coach got family stuff going on. You're on the move, just like all of us. but man, tell us your background, man. Like I said, we we we grew up together, a couple years older than I was, but we went to the Boys and Girls Club together. We played there. We went to the same high school. We want to stay titled together in basketball. You know, give us a little bit of background. Rachi Wortham: Roshi Wortham, Tacoma, Washington. I grew up in a hilltop neighborhood. and Rhett Parker: Hm. Rachi Wortham: went went to went to Al Davies Boys and Girls Club growing up every day. People's community center every day. I grew up two blocks away from the People Center and five blocks away from the Boys and Girls Club, both on the same street, 19th, between 19th and 17th. And it was a it was a luxury for me to be able to go there because it saved me. Our neighborhood was gang, gang, gang riddled. And I I I say gang riddled just to so people understand. Was I mad at the gang members? No, I grew up with those guys. Those are my brothers, my cousins, my uncles. and so they're they're my dudes, right? I'm not gonna act like they're s they're different people than I am. We we just made different decisions. And so discipline and decisions is what made me a little bit different than them. So from Al Davies Boys and Girls Club, I went to Henry Foss High School, ended up winning state championship year 2000, along with you. And I was Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: a little engine that could. I was the I always say I was the worst good basketball Rhett Parker: Hmm. Rachi Wortham: player in the group. All going to Foss too, that that's where the neighborhood's going. So you laugh Rhett Parker: 100%. Rachi Wortham: at that 'cause you know. Rhett Parker: I do. I do, man. Going up against you in practice, you know, cause cause we were we're both guards, right? I'm like, man, dude, you know, let me let me guard the dude that's a little bit more talented. You know what I mean? Like, let Let me let me let me let me guard even even Keenan Joyce who had a few inches on me and he played Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: basketball high level. Let me guard him because I know I'm not gonna have no offense, Keenan, sorry, I'm not gonna have to work as hard, bro. he's gonna be in my he's not gonna be in my face all the time. I can chill just for a little bit. but no, Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Yeah, you're right. Rhett Parker: man. And and you s and but you said something about growing up because I went to the Boys and Girls Club and People Center, but I commuted in. You know, I I lived in more of the suburbs. so when I first went there, man, buddy, my eyes were like, my god, what is happening here, bro? Like, this is different. And I felt like, even though, like I said, your company Yeah. Rachi Wortham: Different in rubber guards so people can understand. What do you mean by that? What was different? Rhett Parker: What I mean what what what I mean is like everybody has this, you know, because a lot of it's race related, right? You know, there wasn't a lot of white people that that went to the people center and Al Davies and and and and and I'm going there more for basketball, right? and wasn't really accepted right away. I think I was in the fourth grade, wasn't accepted as much right away. And then all of a sudden it's like, man, there's all these connections happening and like like we were saying before we got on the show, like sports brings people together and it was our it's not this white guy, there's Rhett. You know, and and I built these relationships with guys like Isaiah Trufont, you know, played in the NFL and and man, like it just became Man, you're just you're just playing ball together, man. And and and we both we both play with people like you just said that made different decisions than than necessarily we did, and guys like Isaiah. but man, when you're growing up, for me, it was probably one of the most influential parts of my life to join that environment and go, man, I'm I'm I got a good life, dude. Like, you know what I mean? Because not Rachi Wortham: Sure, sure. Rhett Parker: everyone that's that's on my team has the same life that that I have. Rachi Wortham: good perspective. Rhett Parker: you know I hundred percent and my I can't even tell you how many rides my dad gave up to Seattle when we used to go up there, bro. I mean, you know, you know, Mustafa Bird, Mustafa Birds on that team, Graham Hester, like, you Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Yep. no. Of course. Yep. Rhett Parker: know, guy guys that no one listening to this are gonna know, but you know, and and honestly, it's one of the reasons I went to Fosh. That and the the IB program, 'cause cause my brother went to Belleman, you know that. Rachi Wortham: Sure. Rhett Parker: you know, so Bellman's a private school. So I I had no interest in going there part partly because of people like you and the True Fonts. And no, it was it was good, man. But I got such good memories from all that stuff, bro. And I know you do too. Rachi Wortham: What it's about. Yes, what it's about. I'll tell you this, man. people are like, man, how was it growing up? I didn't think about it because it was regular, it was just what I grew up around. And so, but if you ask anybody about 18th and NL, the block I grew up on, it got it's the busy street. Nineteenth a busy street and eighteenth is connected to it. And so I just grew up on it and it it got blocked out by the National Guard and to come police department for too many drive bys. But to me, I'm not trying to be funny or cool or tough. When I look back, yeah, it was wild, but while I was growing up it was just me growing up, you just had to figure out how to navigate. Rhett Parker: I know. It's and it and and I and I think that's the that's the tough part sometimes. It just becomes normalized. you know, and and man, Foss High School is it it wasn't it wasn't it was not it's a a easy place to go to school at times, man. It just it just wasn't, man. You had to be tough and Rachi Wortham: Correct. Foss was a sweet. Rhett Parker: yeah, you had to be tough, man. But I I again I think if you made the right decisions, it shaped your life in such a great way. To be able to help other people. And I and I think that's the connection that that sort of me and you have in our own ways. Man, we're out here trying to help people. Period. Yeah. So Rachi Wortham: what it's about, man. That's what life is. That's what is, man. Why not help people? Rhett Parker: a hundred percent. So, you know, I your background, you go to Foss, win a state title, and then what do you got next? I mean, I know what I kind of Rachi Wortham: L a lot of ha stuff ha stuff happened, right? I just I got recruited and this is crazy where I'm at. I'm in Aniston, Alabama right now. We just rested my granddad, put him to a burial service and but out of high school I went to University of Alabama and I never had met my family, never been around my family and never really knew him. I should say I had met but I never really knew him. And so I had a chance to come meet my family. And it worked great. God had a plan and I only went one year, one year here, and then transferred. I met a lot of good friends. Actually, the pastor that pastor of my grand granddad's funeral grew Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: up with one of my good friends from the University of Alabama and I found that out yesterday. So I got good people here, but Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: my dad, my uncles, my cousins, everybody's down here right now. And my sisters are here. But from there I went to Tacoma Community College, played basketball, wanted at TCC, went to eastern Washington after that and wanted at Eastern Washington and Then follow my dream where I wanted to be a college basketball coach and it happened. So I got to work on my masters and then get to coach at Eastern Washington University as a twenty three year old man. And so a lot of people like, Well, how'd you get that job? I don't know, God's plan, but I know I worked for it and and Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: I helped people along the way. And so I I've done a lot of helping kids that didn't necessarily play for me. And to me, that's what it's really about because people help me. The Boys and Girls Club was influential. And all the things I did. So many of the coaches that I got to be around, David Bonds, Cedric Collins, Bernard Barnes, yeah, just people Rhett Parker: David Monds. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: that really, really, really, really care. Right? They say they Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: care and then they show you you care they care, is the big thing. And then Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: some people that weren't weren't always doing the right things, but always told us to do the right things and we had to listen. So the Wesley Girls Club was good. It was really good for me. So so I started coaching basketball at Eastern Washington. Rhett Parker: Cedric never missed two shots in a row, right? I'm I'm thinking I'm thinking of the same guy. Never I never miss I never missed two in a row. I never missed two in a row. Yeah, okay. I I man, I haven't thought about that name in a long time. Rachi Wortham: what he says, yeah. That's what Cedric says. Yeah. Yeah. Cedric is now an officer and has been an officer doing a lot of good work for years and years and years, so I'm proud of him. I wanna say he's he's Rhett Parker: Good. Rachi Wortham: detective, lead detective now he w he was lead detective. Now he's at over a school district. Rhett Parker: Man, good for him, man. And it I and I I I love hearing stuff like that, man. Cause again, in different ways, the Boys and Girls Club helped me a ton to realize that you're the you know, there's a lot. There's a big world out there, man. There's a big world Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: out there. And and it's good to see that. see you coached at Eastern. How many years did you coach at Eastern, man? I'm trying to think now. Okay. Rachi Wortham: Yeah. I coasted Eastern for four years and then I came back to Tacoma and I was in Tacoma Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: and a guy named Chris Spivey and I, he was working at the Y C A. We linked up and Spivey and I put a program together called Team Access. Now it wasn't just us, we had a bunch of guys, but we were doing free workouts in the community at the Y C A on Sunday nights. And we did it for like five years. We every Sunday night we would open up the Y C A downtown and kids would come work out free and We'd give them everything. We'd give all the skill skill development. But then the the YMCA has other rooms. So there was like a cycling room. There'd be the racquetball room where they do dribbling, ball handling, passing. they had a boxing area where they do footwork. So we just put in a circuit and they just went around in the whole YMCA in a circuit every weekend and give some skill development. So that was influential. Rhett Parker: That's really cool. Rachi Wortham: that was big for me. Team Access was a huge stepping point in my life 'cause I got the to teach different kids how to play basketball and learn how different dynamics of how to teach the game and so from there I went to Oregon State for two seasons at when Gary Payton was there. After those two seasons I went to the University of Montana for three seasons. Rhett Parker: I don't know. Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: my last two years we won back to back league tournament championships and then played an NCAA tournament against Michigan. From Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: there I went to T C C and I was the head coach. Had some pretty good success. played in a couple elite eights and then a championship game we lost in overtime and so that one stung. And then from from there Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: I came back to to the University of Montana last season and we lost in the championship. So got some stuff to do and some Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: some people to take care of. They take care of these young boys and make sure they win another championship. There's nothing like that feeling when you win the championship and you get to ask which camera do we look at to take this photo. Rhett Parker: That's pretty fun. And you've won a lot. I mean, you know, I obviously I sort of try to pay attention, man. You've bounced. I didn't even actually know you went to Oregon State. That's the one I missed. you know, but you root for people that you grew up with and and wish them success. And man, Rachi Wortham: Sure. A hundred percent. Rhett Parker: man. So God, you have really jumped around. But i i how's that been, man? Rachi Wortham: Yeah, God's been good to me, man. Rhett Parker: It you've jumped around a lot. Like what What's it like to do that as a coach? Cause because I was a college coach for a short period of time. and and I just kind of knew it it wasn't for me because for what I wanted to do, I couldn't help as many people. Baseball's a lot different, I can tell you that, than than basketball. Rachi Wortham: Sure, sure. Rhett Parker: but what's it like to jump around all the time, man? Like, you know, because God, you've been a lot of places, you've helped a lot of people in a lot of different places, but what what is that like? Rachi Wortham: I don't know, it's what I've always what I always dreamed of. So I don't think of what is it Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: like. It's just kind of my life, right? it's different Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: that that I wanna have real relationships, I wanna have real people, I wanna be able to go s some wherever I go, I want the people to be like family if I work with them, people that I can trust. so I've been lucky in that regard. I don't I don't know what it's n like to go where you just don't know anybody and And you just make a move because I've known people all the staffs that I've gone to. I think the basketball piece of it is to me, you get good character that works hard with talent and you have a success to to win some championships. But there's there's things. There's Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: do they play together? Are they tough enough? Do they work with each other outside of basketball? There's so many things that that make a championship team work. But if you have good character that works hard with talent, you have a chance to win. So I've been lucky enough to be around that a lot. Rhett Parker: To again, and I bash this to a ton of baseball coaching friends of mine too. Like, it's so funny though, the profession that you got into when you were 23 is not the profession that you're in now. It's not. Like transfer portal, NIL, really prevalent, even Rachi Wortham: Correct, correct. Rhett Parker: it's prevalent in baseball. Not not as much. Does that hurt the relationships at all? from a basketball perspective, because Rachi Wortham: Absolutely unequivocally. Rhett Parker: we s I sort of we've gotten, man, and that's the part that just It just kills me to hear you say that. It really does. Like, I love the relationship piece of sports. Rachi Wortham: It it's become more of a business, man. Rhett Parker: Transactional, right? Rachi Wortham: Sorry, I didn't mean to cut you off. Yes, absolutely. But it Rhett Parker: No, you're good? Rachi Wortham: here's the thing, man. I I think these kids deserve to get paid. I I believe that. these kids have made a lot of money for these universities for years Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: and years and years. Now they get to benefit off their names and the revenue share and all these things, right? but now it becomes transactional for real. Like you want to love on the kids, you want to go in their house and have sit down with the parents and say, Hey, I'll take care of your kid. But then when come, they're only here for a short period and you want to take care of them for that short period, but it doesn't become a long term deal like when you're with somebody for five years. Well it used to be somebody goes to school, they red shirt, they play four years and then coach helps them graduate and then they go get a real job, whatever that job may be, whatever force they're in. and then you have a life a lifetime relationship. You can still have that now. It's just way shorter and you have to build it for the long term over the phone or on social media or something else. Rhett Parker: Yeah. Man, that's just it's so different. Cause again, like that's not the profession that you got into when you first started. It's completely Rachi Wortham: Correct. Correct. Rhett Parker: it's completely different, you know, especially at division one and basketball is probably, I would imagine, it's even harder than baseball. f from from that Rachi Wortham: In what regard? Rhett Parker: perspective. Just there's more guys in baseball. There's not a there's not as much month there's not as as much money in baseball. But also it's harder to get guys playing time in baseball than basketball. Just there's so many people. So like even if you play a little bit, man, you're leaving. Like, you know, a lot of places you don't guys aren't competing as much. You know, they don't want to sit there and compete for playing time, man. And and it's just it's hard for me to watch sometimes because I know a lot of kids, I know a lot of coaches, and it's like, man, like You you gotta compete a little bit. And I'm not knocking anybody, man. You know, everyone's got their own path and their own lives. But Rachi Wortham: Hundred percent. Rhett Parker: I think that the the money piece is different because a lot of people, you know, i a comparable school and maybe the West Coast Conference, because Big Sky doesn't really have baseball, West Coast Conference, probably a somewhat comparable conference in baseball if there was big big sky baseball. A couple of guys, a team are are on NIL, bro. I mean, a couple of guys on a 30-something person roster on NIL. They're not Rachi Wortham: Sure, sure, sure. Yeah. Rhett Parker: there's not all this money flowing. You know, it a guesstimate, how many guys are on? I mean, you don't have to give us the exact number, but how many guys in the big sky on average per team are on a at some type of NIL deal? Rachi Wortham: Seven. Rhett Parker: Yeah. I mean it's not even so ha almost what what is that? Forty percent of the team? Rachi Wortham: Same almost here. Rhett Parker: Okay. So baseball, you're probably looking at one eighth of the team, one seventh, and a lot of teams are zero. There's nobody on an L, you know. Rachi Wortham: Got it, got it. Different. Rhett Parker: you know, it's it's very different. it's very different. But, you know, I I think it just it just means you have to work harder, right? As a coach, not to be transactional. And you're that guy. I mean, you've always been that guy, but you gotta work a little bit harder, man. And some some Some staffs want to do that and others don't. Some individuals want to do that and others don't. They they're, you know, because Rachi Wortham: percent. Yeah, I agree. Depends on what you like, what you're invested in. Rhett Parker: yeah. Yeah. Cause as a parent, and I've said this quite a few times, you know, I I've I've heard some people and I've said this to really close coaching friends, man, if if my son's a basketball player, you know, and and I'm not worried about the financial piece, I'm lucky enough to be able to say that, but like Dude, what are you gonna do, coach, to make him a better person and a man? Like that's what I care about as a parent. I don't care if he makes fifty thousand dollars. That that that's nothing in his life, you know, long term. Do you are you getting are you getting any of that, bro? Are are you getting people that want that over the transactional Rachi Wortham: Sure. Rhett Parker: piece or money or financing or whatever? Rachi Wortham: Absolutely. I I I think that there's a misconception about the level that I'm at. They're like, you coach Division One, so these guys are getting all this money. Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: They're not. They're not getting all this money. And so we have to build our brand on the relationship piece. We have to build our brand on what our head coach has done. He's helped graduate every single one of his seniors and helped them get a job within six months after graduation. So that's very, very, very important for us. every every school has their own niche and their own recruiting pitch. And for us, the relationship part matters. That's why it was good for me to be able to come back because I love relationships. So if you can just tell the parents and show the parents what you're really gonna do and how you've done it, I think you'll have a better chance to have success with getting their kids. Rhett Parker: I agree. Especially especially at the kind of mid major level. I mean, you're just you're not gonna go compete with Alabama. Like you you you're not. Rachi Wortham: Correct. Correct. Rhett Parker: You you have to have I feel like you have to have that intangible to sell your school long term to to a player. And okay, so basketball question. I I sort of know how it is in baseball. I mean, you're not encouraging anyone to leave. But man, if you have the big sky player of the year, I mean you sort of know he's leaving, right? Rachi Wortham: Here's the other pieces so I I'll leave it like this. We've had a player who didn't want to leave, Rhett Parker: We Rachi Wortham: but he had to leave for millions of dollars. He had to leave. and I was and people well, he didn't want to leave. Rhett Parker: Have to. Rachi Wortham: Yeah, well, he didn't he didn't necessarily want to leave. It kind of had to be pushed out in that regard. And it's for the good of his health, for the good of his lifestyle, for the good of his family. you gotta go. You gotta Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: be realistic with who you are and where you're at for them. Because kids sometimes kids fall in love with the situation, and they don't. Rhett Parker: Yep. Rachi Wortham: understand the long term, they understand what's here and now and say, listen, for your long term, you gotta go get this money and manage it. Rhett Parker: Yep. Hundred percent. And and I know people that try to block that and and don't necessarily do what's in the best interest for the kid. Yeah, hundred percent. Hundred percent. Rachi Wortham: Yeah, I will never. It's not worth it. It's not worth it. And I'd be upset if somebody did that to my son. Rhett Parker: Absolutely. Absolutely. Well, you know, perfect segue, because we can get back into we probably talk basketball for for a while, but your son, because we're we were talking Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: before and I and I knew he played lacrosse, you know, seen some of the social media stuff. So and again, like where you know, Tacoma, where we where we grew up, right? Tacoma's a what is it lacrosse wrestling and jujitsu. And knowing you as long as I've known you, bro. I can imagine having a conversation Rachi Wortham: Ha ha ha. Rhett Parker: when we were in high school, be like, man, bro, your son's gonna play lacrosse, jujitsu, and you know, and wrestle. And you would have looked at me and be like, been like, man, shut the hell up, Rh. You don't even know what you're talking about, bro. So tell me what it's Rachi Wortham: Here you are. Rhett Parker: tell me a hundred percent you would have. Tell me what it's like. Cause I don't know personally anything about. any of those my kids are probably nowhere near any of those three things. Man, what what A, what's it like to be a parent? What are those sports like? Give give me, give me, fill me in, man. I'm actually this is a question I've been excited to ask you you know, since I knew you were coming on. Rachi Wortham: Well I'll tell you this, man. I didn't I didn't understand lacrosse at all. The parents sit across the field from the players. They don't sit behind the players or with the players on the same sideline. look he's on defense, so he doesn't try to go score goals. I'm like, go score a goal. Nah. Now when he was younger, he could take it the full field and just go score because he's kind of a bully that way. he's a defender and he loves Rhett Parker: All right. All right. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: contact, obviously, with the sports he does. And for me, I just let him choose whatever sports Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: he liked. Minus football. I made Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: him play football because football teaches you to protect yourself in ways that other sports don't. So I made him play football for a long time. Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: And then the eighth grade he didn't want to play anymore. I All right, you've done it enough. But you have to take care of your blind side. You're looking side to side and making sure you're okay. So I thought that was a sport Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: that was important for his life. So with wrestling and jujitsu he kinda picked him up. He's like, Listen, this is something I wanna do. I said I'm gonna support you in whatever you do, dude. Lacrosse he's pretty good at. he he's played for some local kind of all star teams and done very well. So he's in he's excited about that for high school. it's it was something I never saw before. I never I'd never really been around it. I saw a club team at the University of Alabama when I went there. But I had never until that club team, I had never even heard of lacrosse at the un and first time I saw it was University of Alabama. Then I was away from it forever until my son's like, listen, I wanna play. I I Rhett Parker: That's exactly exactly, bro. Rachi Wortham: never been away cloth Tacoma it I wasn't a thing. And so it was the East Coast sport, but now it's everywhere. Rhett Parker: No, no. Rachi Wortham: It's all over and kids are doing it left and right and it's a cool sport though, man. Rhett Parker: Yep. There it is. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: I'll tell you what. it's faster than you think, it's way more physical than you you could imagine. And and Rhett Parker: Yeah. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: it's it's a skill deal. You pick you I don't know, you pick up they call it a stick. You pick up that stick and try to throw the ball and I don't know, cradle it and run with it, it's not Rhett Parker: yeah. Rachi Wortham: easy. It's not easy. Rhett Parker: Yeah. hell no. And and well, so here's what I've again I've no idea. Is it expensive? I feel like it's probably a little expensive, right? Rachi Wortham: It it's let me say this, this is sub suburban sport for sure. You're not gonna be in a city just to being able to afford it. that's where I star I'm being serious, that's why a lot of kids in the suburbs play. Like it's it's not it's not Rhett Parker: Okay. Yeah. Yeah, a hundred percent. Rachi Wortham: cheap, I'll say that. Rhett Parker: Yeah, okay. That's that that that that had Rachi Wortham: And these kids want these like to have Michael Jordan shoes. They want all these cool shoes for Michael Jordan for basketball. Then these Michael Jordan helmets and gloves and like man, this ain't gonna help you play no better. Rhett Parker: No kidding. Dude, okay. Rachi Wortham: They wanna look cool, especially with the internet. Rhett Parker: So, so you're I'll give you the baseball equivalent because I tried to get my my oldest kids team to do this forever. Why does everybody go buy the $500 bat? We don't need, you know, it's a little bit different lacrosse because you have to have your own stick, but like, guys, let's just buy two bats, okay? And that everyone can use them. No one no one Rachi Wortham: I hear that. Rhett Parker: ever took me up on it. So my Sean, my Sean. Just borrowed, we had what we had we had, you know, one or two like sort of like VP bats, and he just borrowed. He just borrowed for years. I'm like, you might Rachi Wortham: for him. Rhett Parker: as well borrow the bat, because guess what? Next next year they're gonna be grown out of the bat. They gotta buy a new bat. And I'm like, Rachi Wortham: One hundred percent. Rhett Parker: what are we doing? Like, we never, you know, I I never got Rachi Wortham: But now the internet is so different that sorry about that. You stopped for a second on my end, but the internet's so different that they care about the colors and the stripes and the stars and the sparkles. Like man, this bat ain't gonna help you hit the ball no better. These shoes aren't gonna help you run no faster. You need to get something that's gonna work and work long term. Rhett Parker: Yep. No, all right, buddy, I'm with you. In fact, man, I used to swing wood bats sometimes in metal bat games just to think about hitting the ball on the barrel. Barrel, barrel, barrel, barrel, barrel. Cause you could cheat with a metal bat. You know, they don't Rachi Wortham: Sure. Rhett Parker: break. and the barrels are bigger and and even back then they they did more. So yeah, man. It's it's it's interesting. So yeah, because again, you know, just I couldn't imagine When we were in high school together, your son not playing basketball, to be honest with you. And I and we tell this to parents all the time on the show, man, let your kid decide. They'll find what they're passionate about and so go support it. Rachi Wortham: Yeah, that's it. That's it. No question. Well, I'll tell you this, my son is a fisherman through and through. Rhett Parker: So yeah. Rachi Wortham: He wants to be a professional fisherman. He loves fishing. He loves anything he can catch. He he goes out there and he'll just sit for hours. He's got boats, he lives in a little lake, he'll just take his butt out by himself and fish, fish, fish, fish, fish. So if I I I'd be remiss to not say that. My son was a fisherman for real. Rhett Parker: Ooh, I lost ya. Hmm. Rachi Wortham: He's a fisherman, fisherman. if you talk Rhett Parker: Wow. Rachi Wortham: about him, he's like, man, what you like? I like fishing. Now he's picking up golf. He's he's I he's picking up the things that I never grew up with. I'll say it like that. And I'm okay with it. I'm okay with it. Like I'm I'm happy to be Rhett Parker: No no kidding. Yeah. A hundred percent. Rachi Wortham: able to give him things in his life that he's like, listen, this is who I am. I'm gonna do what I do. Not what my dad does, not what my uncles do, my aunts do. It's what I am. Rhett Parker: Yeah. A hundred percent. Hundred percent. I I mean, trying to think, man, I w we don't have that as much here, man. You know, with soccer baseball. I think the kids generally you know, sort of are drifting to those sports, which which is fine. You know, and I try to you know, I I will tell you this, my friend. I've been waiting to say this to you because man, it's so hard to watch basketball on camels. Buddy, it I mean, there's like they bear they be they don't like they did that. Body, buddy. Rachi Wortham: Yeah. I mean you you can say that. They got one of them guys though, man. Rhett Parker: They don't no, they do, but I guarantee you he just went down to Portland. And and we're not the my kids aren't as into basketball enough to like go do that. If they wanted to, great. I'm all for it. But buddy, I mean, I I gotta sit we gotta shit in these gyms. I said this to somebody last week. It it there's like no they don't like call travel. Like they give a wristband at third grade and you gotta guard the wristband. I'm like, bro, we Rachi Wortham: Right, right. Rhett Parker: gotta we like we gotta start teaching them how to play. Like like There's a winner and a loser, and like, yes. Rachi Wortham: Earlier. Yep. Rhett Parker: And and they're like, how was your, you know, third, fourth grade, dah dah dah da. I'm like, bro, we pressed. What do you like? We're out there pressing full court. Sh. Rachi Wortham: That's what we do. Rhett Parker: I mean, and Tacoma again, try told people it basketball is the sport in Tacoma. Like, it it it ain't sure Rachi Wortham: That's a fact. Rhett Parker: as hell sure as hell ain't baseball. I can tell you that. you know, Rachi Wortham: Right. That's truth. Rhett Parker: it ain't it ain't LaCroche. It ain't wrestling. It ain't water polo. You know, it is basketball. And then a little bit behind ass football. I I would definitely say then Rachi Wortham: Correct. Rhett Parker: then there's everything else. but you know, it's a different, it's a different deal because like, you know, like I said, what are you you're what five nine? Five ten? Five nine, five, ten. Okay. Rachi Wortham: Five nine, yeah. Five ten on a good day, yeah. Rhett Parker: Five ten on a good day. Six, four, dude, I'm a guard. Bro, like most places, six four, man, your backs to the basket. Like, no, man, you're you do 100%. Rachi Wortham: In high school, yeah. Yeah. Rhett Parker: Like, dude, I I'm a guard. So, man, I watch the basketball here and I'm like, man. And there's some good people that that are coaching the kids that, you know, my middle son, especially, is probably the only guy that really has shown more interest in basketball. And and you're just you're sitting there in this wreck, you know, but man, you still gotta teach them. Rachi Wortham: Yeah, yeah, no doubt. Rhett Parker: Like, we like, you know. I'm watching people on fast breaks. that's not my wristband. No, no, go stop the ball. you can't just let him have a layup. so, and there's nowhere for me to go. I'm trapped in this gym. And being from Tacoma, I'm just like, man, this is this is killing my inner 253, area code right now, dude. I Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: gotta, I've had to step out of, I've had to step out of some games, bro. Rachi Wortham: Then then it's up on you. It's on you now. So that if that's the case, then it's on you and you're it's relative to where you're at. And this is what I'll say for all kids Rhett Parker: Hundred percent. Hundred per cent. Yep. Yep. Rachi Wortham: everywhere. We need to work on our weak hands and we need to play off two feet way more. We need to all of us, all every Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Yep. Yep. Rachi Wortham: everywhere in this country, we rely on rel athleticism so much that we just like you said, we go run and trap and jump and do that stuff. They teach you to be tougher, but we need to work on our weak hand and then play off two feet so we can come to a stop. And make an educated pass based on what the game has told us. Rhett Parker: Well, he here's an here's another one. Here's another one. So he he'll do competitive this year. He's one of the younger kids. He's playing up. So it's it's been a little bit better for him, my middle guy. Here's the one thing I would say that I that the wristbands does sort of do. Man, because I went, my daughter played sort of a little bit of travel, but soccer's her sport. Get out of the zone defenses, man. Whether you're girls or boys or whatever, that doesn't Rachi Wortham: Yep. Yep. Rhett Parker: help you. It doesn't help you. go play man to man. Yes. Go teach them how to be athletic. It has nothing to do with winning games. Rachi Wortham: Well you gotta learn how to figure those principles out. Yeah, no doubt. Rhett Parker: Yes. Yes. Man, because I say the same thing about people that take too many pitches and try to walk too many times. Dude, you I guarantee you, you've never been to a game as a basketball coach and been like, man. Did you see that guy's zone defense? Hey, hey, coach, we need to go, we need to offer this guy, man. God, he's so good of a zone defender. dude, there's not a chance in hell you've ever said that. There's not a chance in hell I've ever gone to a baseball game and been like, dude, hey, hey, Rashi, that guy's got a great eye, man. I don't know if he can hit, but man, he's got a great eye. Dude, he can walk a lot. Hell no. I'm gonna be like, dude, you need a swing. I need to know if you can hit. I need to know if you can hit. You need to know if someone can defend. Am I right or wrong? Rachi Wortham: truth. I I can't say about the the the baseball part. I don't know if the the how how the walks are or what all that, but I know as far as the basketball goes, you need to see if somebody can slide their feet. I think defense sees this it makes us see if you're competitive. if somebody scores on you, how do you respond? If your team gets spor scored on, are you willing to try to help and see if that you can stop that score. There's a lot of things that you need to see in man to man defense. Rhett Parker: I agree. I agree. And I'll put it like this. I'll give you a baseball analogy. You you they say this about the Dominican Republic, man. You cannot walk your way off the island. You can't walk your way off the island, bro. Rachi Wortham: Makes sense. That makes sense. Rhett Parker: You have you can hit you can hit your way off the island. You can't walk your way off the island. What like you can't. Rachi Wortham: Sure. Rhett Parker: You gotta prove that you can hit. so so what man, what what are you seeing right now? I imagine you're on the recruiting trail enough. you know, what what's going on in the in the AAU basketball circuit? You know, because I I again, man, I remember playing some AAU, you know, when I when we were in high school and stuff, but I mean, it's nothing like it is today. You know, what what what are you seeing from the kids? What what what advice do you have for people? are the parents behaving? I I honestly know nothing about basketball in in twenty twenty-six. Rachi Wortham: It's big, big business. A lot of shoe companies are kind of taking over. They're running their own circuits. every major city has a bunch, a bunch, a bunch of teams that are trying to get on those circuits. every mid city, mid level city has a bunch of teams trying to get in this circuit. Anyone can just create a team and say, Hey, my team's good enough, let's go play these guys, play these guys. we went undefeated. Let me call Adidas or let me call Nike or who who whomever and try to get a team on. but the the big shoe companies they know who they're looking after in each state and they know how to operate to try to get those kids with them. And so a lot of times those million dollar companies are pumping money into the different teams to be able to keep those kids with that brand. So it's it's a lot of it's money. It's a lot of money Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: and these kids are working with skilled development trainers way more than they play and it hurts them and it helps them. It's the most skilled basketball players you'll ever see. doesn't mean they know how to play the game the right way. So it there there's pluses and minuses both ways. These this this game is really, really, really taken off with skill development though. Guys are shooting it from half court, guys are handling it past the the whole press. Doesn't mean it's right, but that's what the game's turned into. Rhett Parker: Do do you think that because I feel this way about baseball? I feel this way about soccer too, just thinking about some of my kids' stuff. Man, do you think the development of you know the little things, defense, all those things, is just dying in basketball as well, because it's all about games, games, games, or shoe or shoe deals or whatever. And and I'll I'll say my opinion before you give yours, whether it's basketball or baseball or soccer. We we focus on the the freak athletes that are gonna go to Kentucky to play basketball or they're gonna get drafted very high in baseball. But most of the people are not those people. So we have to focus on the things that matter for University of Montana to want to recruit you. Rachi Wortham: There's layers to it. I do think we focus Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: on those kids, but when you say we focus on those kids, who is we, right? So we gotta make sure that we we talk about who is we. Rhett Parker: Bang. Rachi Wortham: Then the next thing is that's what it is. Because Rhett Parker: Social media. Social media. Rachi Wortham: get you clicks, right? But there's other kids in the gym that are not as good as those kids that are grinding, that are working, that are getting the extra help. and and they'll end up being whatever level they're gonna be, but they're working. We just don't get to see it because the the clicks aren't as pretty for those kids, right? And I no disrespect to any one of those kids. I was one of those kids. So, I had some guys on my team that were the social media clicks, if it would have been the timing, the social media clicks would have been all over my high school teammates for sure. But I I I was lucky enough to be able to Rhett Parker: a hundred percent. Rachi Wortham: be with them and play against them to get better. I didn't think about it. I was like, you know what, I'm just competing against my dudes. These are dudes I grew up with. It's regular for me to just go compete. I don't I think that's part of the problem now is you walk in the gym and there's four hoops and there's four different kids with four different trainers, they don't get to compete as much. And they could if they wanted to. Gym gyms are Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: readily available but less available in certain areas. There's always outdoor courts you can go compete at, but a lot of times kids don't they're not used to competing like that. They're like, I need to work on these skills so in the game I can use these skills. No, you can't use the skills if you don't know how to use the skills. You know how to use them against one-on-one. But when there's five guys and there's four other teammates and then there's refs, How do you use those skills? And so I think that's what's lacking a lot is the going to play with the competition and also just, hey, let's play one on one, work on our skills and see how we can get these shots off. Or let's go play twenty-one where it's ten of us and we've got to figure out how to compete to win this game. I think that's what's missing in the game a lot because growing up, that's all it was. If there was if there was one guy in the gym, there was no trainer with you. You go play one on one with that kid. It doesn't matter if he's two years younger or two years older, then you go play. Rhett Parker: Bro, yeah again, you know, again, we you know, talk talk about back in the day, but but w we're not trying to focus too much on back in the day, you know, when we had these podcasts because the world has changed. But what I would say to you is this, whether it was high school or us at Al Davies or People Center, bro, I man, I got locked in to go to practice. Because man, I'll tell you what, if you had a bad practice, you got embarrassed, man. I mean, flat ass. Rachi Wortham: What? Rhett Parker: Like There was so many good, there was so many good, but they there was so many good players. Like shit, man. Like you, you had to show up to compete, bro. If you didn't, you got smoked. Whether you were, you know, Mark Axton, who was one of the best players ever to play at Eastern Washington and play pro or or you were a guy that ended up playing professional baseball like me, or you were you that that that played at TCC and went to Eastern, or Keena Joyce who went to Utah Ballet, like. If you didn't show up, man, you there's so many good players. Dude, you got your ass kicked, bro. Like I remember a few times leaving some practices in middle school and high school, like, damn, I did not play good, bro. I got cooked. I got cooked. Rachi Wortham: Right. Yeah. Rhett Parker: We all but we all did. We all did. We all did. It happened to all of us. There's Rachi Wortham: We all did. If you a if you grew up how we grew up, you all a someday, I don't care who you were, you were getting busted on one of those days. Here's the here's the crazy part is every day you had to come to practice and the next day you hear about it. Whoever got killed that next day at lunchtime at the half circle, you were gonna hear about that. Cause they Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: were gonna talk and tell you about it and say, Man, you can't guard me, bro. So and then the next day you show up to practice and do it again. But that's what made us good though. That's what made us good. We we competed every day. Rhett Parker: Hundred percent, bro. Yep, a hundred percent man. Yep. Yep. What what did we lose? One game? I think we lost one game. No, we didn't. No we didn't. Rachi Wortham: Nah, we lost more than that. We lost four games. We lost four games. Twenty six and four I we were. Twenty five and four, something like that for sure. We lost to we lost to Wils Lincoln, then we lost to Seahome at Woodenville, and we lost to a Wilson on the last last game of the year in the league. Then we went we ran the rest. Rhett Parker: I thought we only lost like one or two games. I know I remember buddy, I remember Woodenville and Seahome, you know. yeah. I I for I forgot about I forgot Rachi Wortham: So then that's at least two. Rhett Parker: about I forgot about Woodenville. I remember Seahome because it was probably the best game I had of the year, and we lost. and and but Rachi Wortham: Okay. Yeah. Rhett Parker: like I I d I do remember that and I forgot I forgot we lost before that, but man, I I g Rachi Wortham: I'll say this. We w we had two of my best friends in the world didn't show up for that tournament. So and they know who I'm talking about. So I'll leave it like that. And they were the two best players. Rhett Parker: That's funny. That's funny. We should send it. We should send this to them. but yeah, we should put it in a group chat, be man, we're talking about you guys, you know, 20 years later. Rachi Wortham: Yeah, no doubt. Rhett Parker: but no, I I just I do remember just competing, man, and and you had to compete all the time. And again, I was a little bit of an outsider, you know, coming into a lot of neighborhood kids, and it got it just made me the person I am today, man. It really did. I I I'm trying to Trying to tell my kids, and we do do some things, you know, that make them uncomfortable. And now they're comfortable, both with sports and in life, to help people that don't, you know, have as many resources as as and opportunities as that as our kids do, man. And I think that is so Rachi Wortham: Sure, sure. Rhett Parker: important. And you can use sports as a bridge to do that. And I feel like people don't take the time to do that, man. Like it's so important to let people know outside of campus. Or Montana or Tacoma or Gig Harbor that there's a bigger world Rachi Wortham: Sure. Sure. Rhett Parker: out there too. Because the flip side of that is I feel like a lot of guys that I played with growing up had a conception about people from the suburbs or this because you know a lot of them went to Stanley, right? Elementary school, you know, Rachi Wortham: Sure, sure. Rhett Parker: very different. And I feel like we broke down so many barriers. I remember having that conversation with Tony Ginn when I was in high school. Who ran the Boys and Girls Club when we were there? you know, and I just think it's so important. And then I look at, you know, Mark Axton, Eastern Washington guy, Kevin Field, they started coming over, right? To the Boys and Girls Club and playing in those environments too a couple of years later, man. And all of a sudden, all these barriers are broken down because, you know, we sit here, you know, not to get political or racial, but we talk about race in Cambas, Washington, where we're not very diverse. And we talk Rachi Wortham: Sure. Rhett Parker: about race in general. And man, I I will tell you, growing up, man, I never even thought about race, bro. Like it it didn't even equate to me about race. It was more about the social socioeconomics of where people was. It wasn't, you know, and it just changed my life so much through sports, where I feel like now it we make those things a thing. Well, we play together a lot. I never thought about race. Rachi Wortham: res respect and I'll I'll say Rhett Parker: Alright. Rachi Wortham: this is I I think that since you were in a bubble of huddles and practices and all these things where you're around a whole bunch of different people, it was good for you. I think this is my perception. I w I grew up on a hilltop where it was all blacks. And then I went to Mason Middle School where it was all white and I was culture shocked. I couldn't believe it. Like I was like this is not where I'm from. I don't understand this. I don't know how how to And I I'm I've got this alpha personality I've always had. I don't know how to put myself in here and and who to deal with and who to trust and all the stuff. But I say shout out to the Hillis family for bringing those kids to Al Davies Boys and Girls Club. And I feel like when the Hillis has brought their family to the Boys and Girls Club, it opened doors for all types of people in the community and in the and the suburbs and everybody started to come to the Boys and Girls Club that Rhett Parker: Hundred. Rachi Wortham: hooped. It didn't matter what you look like. They they they all came. It didn't white, black, green or indifferent, they started coming bec in my opinion Rhett Parker: Yep. Yep. Rachi Wortham: because the the the Hillis family came. And so I I I you're right. I Rhett Parker: Yeah. That's Rachi Wortham: think you're right. I didn't think about the the yeah, this person black, white, green or indifferent. No, we just play with kids. Then I went to Mason Middle School. I'm like, Rhett Parker: Never thought about it. Yep. Rachi Wortham: this is different. This is the the when I put myself in a situation where I was one of the only, I was like, it's different. Never thought about it until then. Rhett Parker: Yep. And you acclimated just fine, bro. Let me look look look look look at what look Rachi Wortham: Yeah, yeah, no doubt. Rhett Parker: at where you're at. But man, we didn't talk about it. We never thought about it. Like we didn't it it just we Rachi Wortham: It wasn't a thing to talk about. Rhett Parker: just we came together. Yeah, Tacoma, man, Tacoma, you know, was a was a special place to grow up. I I would say that, you know, back then I'm not I I I have no idea how it is now. I'm not gonna speak on it now, but like Man, it it it changed a lot of our lives for the better to go be uncomfortable a little bit and then realize that, man, you you you we're all we're all boys, man, and we're all competing and you know, blood, sweat, and tears together. And it it was just a special time in my life, man, you know, growing up growing up doing that. And and I thank my dad because my dad moved around a lot, but he Rachi Wortham: Hundred percent. Rhett Parker: had a similar experience when he was in When he was in Atlanta, he was like, Man, I came from Lewisburg, Pennsylvania to Atlanta. Okay, but we're all tight. We're all tight. And this is what in the 60s? You know, like, man, di di different era, but he looked at that the same way that I look at it, right? And my dad, man, you were always tight with my dad. He would come into the gym, Rashi, what's up, man? Like all the time, bro. Like, you know, and you could sit Rachi Wortham: No doubt, no doubt. Rhett Parker: there and have a con you had conversations with him, man. Rachi Wortham: Always would. Yeah. He was around too. Think about that though. Rhett Parker: Always, always. Rachi Wortham: A lot of us didn't have dads that were around. And so that was big for us. you don't you may or may not understand this too, is that when we were freshmen, five five freshmen played varsity and we lot I think we're like two and eighteen. And then to finish our senior year, eighteen and two in the league, is a whole different ball game. And so Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: in between that different people came and and left, but you came in when the competition was Really, really getting going and you just jumped right in because you weren't afraid to fight. You weren't afraid to compete. And Rhett Parker: Yep. Hundred. Rachi Wortham: it was important because your dad instilled that in you. So that's what your dad used to always tell Rhett Parker: Hundred percent. Rachi Wortham: us, just fight. You'll be all right. Keep going. He was on it. Rhett Parker: Yep. He was, man, because he's like, you're good playing this other thing over here. yeah, man. I I think it's a it's a it's a good deal for everybody to compete. hey Bill, I'm finishing up one podcast. There you go. I got another one coming right after you, man. Rachi Wortham: It's all good. Rhett Parker: but no, it it it was so important to Him that I learned those values of being uncomfortable and competing and being in different environments. And he didn't make it easy because he recognized that I was good at basketball and he put me in there, man. And I would tell you, people like yourself, you know, Maurice McCrae, we talked about him prior to, you know, I mean, because in sixth in fifth, sixth grade, man, that dude was whoo. That dude was the real deal for a fifth, sixth grader basketball. Yeah. Rachi Wortham: Different athlete, huh? Fifth and sixth grade. No, all the way up until eighth grade. He he was Maurice McCrae. Shout out Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: to Maurice McCrae. He was the best football, basketball, Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: boxer, track star, everything. And just the the kindest, nicest person when you know him. If you don't, he he ain't messing with you at all. And then when it's time to compete, he's not Rhett Parker: Yes. Yeah, a hundred percent. And Rachi Wortham: rocking with you at all. Rhett Parker: And he he took he took me for it was like one of the first few practices. I gotta get my memory right because I only thought we lost one or two games. So I've been telling people that for 20 years. So, you know, I got I gotta Rachi Wortham: All good. It's all good. Yeah. Rhett Parker: get I get in my memory, but but I do remember one of the first few practices, he got mad at everybody and let Coach Brady go off to the side. It's like if your guy scores, you're getting punched in the stomach. And I'm like, you know, fourth, fifth grade, whatever. I'm like, my God. Okay, let me find the worst person to guard. He would. Rachi Wortham: And he'll do it. And he'll do it. Yep, he'll do it. He will do Rhett Parker: Buddy, Rachi Wortham: it. Rhett Parker: I didn't even go up the floor on offense barely. I'm like, got the ball. It's like hot potato. Like, dude, I'm not trying to get punched by one of these guys, man. You know, cause I played up a year, so I didn't have to with Solomon and all those other guys, Solomon Wyatt, Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: you know, another guy that I've gone back and forth with who's who's a preacher. Yeah, Rachi Wortham: Mustafa, yeah, Kevin Brady, all those guys. Rhett Parker: yeah. So I'm playing up a little bit because I'm I'm I don't want to put my back to the basket. And man, buddy, I'm like, whoo. But you know what? I I I look at this too, man. It made me very an unselfish player, too, because I was never going to be the star player. But I played a lot because I played defense and I didn't turn the ball over and I did those little things, you know, as a role player, which is another thing I had to learn as a kid. Cause when I before that I was scoring all the points, it was so special for me, man. And and Rachi Wortham: Sure. You can shoot with that two hand jump shot, you know, you can make a couple. Rhett Parker: I could. I was okay. I was okay. you know, that's why it's hard to watch my kids play, bro. no, I'm just kidding. man, you know what? We gotta get you back on, man. Hundred percent. 100%, 100%. We gotta get you back on. Rachi Wortham: Just let them have fun with it. Have fun with the game. I'll do it again. I would I I didn't want to cancel because like I've said I'm driving, but I'll do it again. Rhett Parker: Yeah, a hundred percent. Hundred percent. Let's get you back on, man. I feel like we didn't catch up. And you know what? Let's pick somebody else to get my to get both our memories right. Cause maybe we're b maybe we're both lying about all the stuff. but but I also want to dive into your son a little. Yeah, yeah, go ahead. Rachi Wortham: Hey, let me say this. I don't I I don't gotta lie about it. Look it up. Look it up. I ain't gonna Rhett Parker: Let's go. But I want to talk about your son more and how it is to be a parent. I want to talk about the recruiting landscape a little bit more. I got another guy coming on here. it's awesome to catch up, man. And and and honestly, for me Rachi Wortham: Likewise. Rhett Parker: to you, you know, this is this is a relationship based show a lot of the time. And we're trying to help people. If there's anything I could do, you know, to help people in your world, man. would love to do it. So we'll we'll reconnect. And I feel like we just did, man. Rachi Wortham: Let me say one last thing, please. Rhett Parker: I appreciate you. Yeah. Go ahead. Rachi Wortham: One last thing. This is for the parents. The parents, it is okay to put your kids' film out there. It's okay. It is okay to talk to your kids, but let them play the game, let them calm down, then talk to them after. Because while they're mental, it's gonna hurt them sometimes. They they're not gonna have to know how to respond the correct way while they're going through all that emotion. So just let them calm down, just ask them how they feel, and then they may want to talk. They don't you should have done this or you should have done that right after the game win, lose, or draw. Just let calm down and decompress, then to then bring it back up to Last Rhett Parker: Mm-hmm. Rachi Wortham: thing I'll say is parents, you can hurt your kids recruiting. So if you're out there yelling and screaming and hollering parents Rhett Parker: Yeah. Rachi Wortham: don't want to deal with that, you can help you can hurt their recruiting. Believe that. Rhett Parker: believe that in baseball, basketball, lacrosse, all of it, man. Especially in those gyms. Rachi Wortham: All of it. All of it. Rhett Parker: Bro, though, bro, those gyms, I've learned this as a parent. There's nowhere to go. Like everything you say gets heard in a gym, man. Like, at least in baseball or soccer, you can leave. And you can get like in soccer, I stand so far away from the other parents, bro, it's not even it's not even close. Like I Rachi Wortham: that way. tell you this. away from those social circles Rhett Parker: I love it. get I just wanna watch. Rachi Wortham: talking about other people's kids. My kid this, my kid that. No, just support your kid. Clap for at tell to have fun. Make sure they compete hard. I'm okay with that if you say something they're not competing hard, but let play the game and have fun. Rhett Parker: Hundred percent, hundred percent. And there's a bas keep hearing this from division one baseball coach, division one basketball coaches, small college coaches, high school coaches, man. It's it we're right. I I would say that and but we're not right all the time, right? But just listen to what we're saying. All we're trying to do is give parents information because you said something earlier earlier in the show that now I'm thinking about myself, which is why I love doing this besides catching up with with people I that I've known for a long time. Man, I I'm trying to get better as a parent too. I got people that want to be athletes at high levels. That's awesome. I gotta look at look in the mirror and go, okay, man, I can do this a little bit better for a lot of different reasons. It's gonna help my kids. So man, I appreciate you, man. This is awesome as, you know, like like two Tacoma boys, you know, catching up with technology and and you know, trying trying to get through the technological piece of this. That's why I got, you know, our stuff. Rachi Wortham: Yeah. Rhett Parker: appreciate you, brother man. travel safe we'll get you back on, man. Rachi Wortham: will answer any question for anybody. at coach RW, coach with the K R W. Any parents, anything, Rhett Parker: I love it. I love it. Maybe we'll put s Rachi Wortham: I'm I'm about it. It matters to me. Rhett Parker: Yeah, maybe we'll put you out there and get some questions to you and bring those on next time too, man. I think it's awesome, dude. Keep doing what you're doing, brother, and we'll we'll we'll catch up with you again soon.