Episode 20 - Baseball & Softball Coaches

[00:00:02] Speaker A: Welcome to Kendall speaks. I'm Dr. Brian Stewart Kendall campus president. And today we're blessed to have two of our great coaches here at Miami Dade College. First, our baseball coach, Laz Yannis, and our softball coach, Gina Aguero. Welcome. [00:00:23] Speaker B: Hello. Thank you for having us. [00:00:24] Speaker C: Thank you very much. I really, really appreciate this opportunity. [00:00:28] Speaker A: Great to have you here today. And we're having some great seasons so far. We'll get to that in a minute. But let's first talk a little bit about your coaching journey. Gina, let's talk about you talk about how you got to Miami Dade. Maybe, maybe a little of your history in softball and that kind of thing, if you would. [00:00:41] Speaker B: Well, even when I played, when I started playing, I always dreamed about being a coach. I went to school to study education because I believe that I had the best schedule to fit in a coaching schedule as well. And that's how I got into coaching as a player. I was a player coach. I was always helping out all my teammates with extra reps. And, you know, I'm blessed to be able to do what I love every day. You know, when I graduated from college, I was able to coach for two years at St. Thomas, and then I coached high school a little bit and got into travel ball. And then when the opportunity opened up, I was able to come and really be able to coach at the college level at Miami Dade College. [00:01:28] Speaker A: And how long have you been our coach? [00:01:29] Speaker B: This is my 14th season. [00:01:31] Speaker A: 14Th season. Wow. Talk a little bit about your playing background. Where did you play in that kind of. [00:01:37] Speaker B: Well, I played at Miami Dade and then I went to St. Thomas University and I graduated from there, and then I was able to coach there. Give back. Back then they didn't have like GA positions or anything like that, so pretty much had to work there and had to, you know, have about two other jobs to be able to maintain. Yes, definitely. What position did you play for college? I ended up playing center in second. [00:02:05] Speaker A: Okay. [00:02:05] Speaker B: So since all our games are doubleheaders, I would play center the first game and then move into second. Throughout my college career, I was able to play every position at least once except for pitcher. So I think that's pretty cool. [00:02:19] Speaker A: That's awesome. Well, welcome. We're glad to have you here and glad that you've been at Miami Dade College so long. Coach. Lads, tell us a little about your career and what got you to Miami Dade College. [00:02:28] Speaker C: Yes, surely started really early. I played high school baseball, came to Miami Dade, and after one year, I realized that my passion would be coaching. That had A lot to do with our legend at Miami Dade College. Charlie Green and his staff learned a lot through various people and growing up and realized that my chances were going to be much better as a coach than as a player. So I started really young. At age 20, I was head coach at a high school. And after that, it just became evident for me that this is what I wanted to do the rest of my life later on, going on to becoming a full time educator through keeping tabs with baseball, and at the same time became an assistant principal at Monsignor Pace High School, which I was there for for four years. I enjoyed it very much, but at the same time, my passion was still in the baseball aspect. So I moved into the professional scouting, which I did for 12 years, and then happy and blessed to be at Miami Dade College now and be able to make a difference to our youngsters. [00:03:58] Speaker A: You scouted with the brewers, is that right? [00:04:00] Speaker C: Yeah, for. For three different teams, actually, but the latest was the Brewers. Yes. [00:04:05] Speaker A: What are the other teams you were with? [00:04:07] Speaker C: I worked for the Marlins as well and the Chicago Cubs. [00:04:10] Speaker A: Okay, and what position did you play? [00:04:12] Speaker C: I played everywhere, pretty much mainly infield. [00:04:15] Speaker A: Well, you can tell we have some talented coaches here that played the game. We're glad to have you. Let's talk a little bit about your coaching philosophy and how you instill that in your players. And we'll stay with you, coach. Yeah, let's talk a little bit about your philosophy. Then we'll go to. Gina. [00:04:28] Speaker C: I think everything revolves around teaching and learning. I really believe that. I don't think that. I think as educators, as you well know, I don't think everyone can learn the same way and therefore creating an atmosphere that allows for, you know, our players and students to learn and, and moving ahead. I think that that is the environment that needs to be created. So that's the philosophy as, as a whole. Then we can get into more details regarding the actual coaching of the game. But I think it all starts there with the always the idea in mind that, you know, you're looking at their future. [00:05:20] Speaker A: First, coach Gina, what's your philosophy? [00:05:25] Speaker B: Well, my philosophy with the team is I like to build a good team culture, you know, teaching them about accountability and responsibility when they're coming in. Most of our recruits are fresh out of high school. They're 18, 19, 20 years old, and they need a lot of guidance in being able to structure their time, especially with our busy schedule and how to approach our practices and being able to keep up with school and whatnot. I really like to teach them about that. I also like to talk to them just about the team first mentality. How to teach them how to be a great teammate. Right when they're coming in, you know, it's not about me, me, me. It's the team is doing well. Well, then we're all winning this year. I've taken on. We have 19 girls, and I tell them all the time, hey, we're 19 strong. We are 19 strong. There is nothing else. If 17 on board and two aren't, you know, we're not doing what we need to do, you know, and the team first mentality is. I think it's playing a huge role for our success this year. And it's just a constant, you know, we're constantly approaching that idea, right. As soon as I see, you know, maybe one person falling off, you know, they get a little upset about, you know, maybe, okay, I didn't get a net bad or, you know, I didn't get out there, you know, we refresh it real quick and just get them back on board, you know. Cause I tell them, you know, hey, we all have to be in there together. I think that's one of the most important, you know, aspects of. Of being on the team. And I mean, really just getting them all to. To come out there and play together and show their resilience out there, you know, that only because you failed doesn't mean, hey, it's over, right? No, I'm never going to get another shot. No, it's. Hey, come on, let's learn from it, right? Let's learn from our failures and being able to bounce back and grow from it, right? And then, okay, let's get the next opportunity, you know, and trying to instill that mental aspect of the game and have that mental toughness in the game, it's. It's something that I really like to build on out there on the field. [00:07:44] Speaker A: That's a great answer. You mentioned you talk about academics, talk a little bit about the student athlete. How do you balance that with the game? And especially now, both of you are playing a lot of double headers right now. And, you know, there's a lot of intensity on the field. How do you. How do you balance academics with your girls? [00:07:59] Speaker B: It's not easy. I mean, you know, they do miss class, so in having. They need to be proactive, right? So we make sure that at the beginning of the semester, the professors know their schedule, know what classes, you know, they. They may miss. And if there's a test or any work that's Due, making sure that we're able to schedule the test either before or after when we come back, if we're on the road. We have study hall. We have study hall while we're here. So a lot of, a lot of days during the week. I mean, we have early morning workouts where they're here at 6:15 in the morning. They have class, we have practice, then they have study hall and they're not done till about 7:30 at night. So by the time they get home, you know, it's a very long day. In no way is it easy to be a student athlete in college. So, you know, and especially like their first semester, I put a lot of focus on teaching them how to structure the time. You know, when they first hear study hall, they get a little deterred where they're like, oh, study hall, come on. And then afterwards they're asking me for study hall. They're sitting there going, hey, coach, are we gonna have study hall today? I really need to get my work done. Because by the time they get back to the apartments or they get home, they get distracted and then they have a bunch of other things to take care of. As long as they're here, they're kind of forced to do it. So their time is pre planned for them, you know, and they're able to take advantage of that and it shows, it's been showing through their academics, you know, over the last few years especially. [00:09:31] Speaker A: That's great. Coach Laz, what about your academic philosophy? How do you work with your student athletes to keep, keep them on track? [00:09:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I would say ditto to what Coach Diego just mentioned. I would say the biggest factor is the distractions at, you know, at first it's definitely tough, but if you prioritize and you make your baseball and your school equally as important and it's hard for them because they're so passionate about, about playing that they're going to spend a lot, a lot of their time off the field wanting to get better, but as players. But I think it all comes down to that maturity process that we're looking for for them to be successful in life. And if once they're able to grasp the understanding of what the priorities should be, it takes, you know, it makes things a lot easier and happy to say that it has, we're seeing, we're actually seeing the, the process going in the right direction. [00:10:41] Speaker A: Yeah, you both have great GPAs that I get updated on all the time. So I'm really proud of that. With baseball, you know, has a great tradition. How do you try to work with the. And you've got some coaches with a lot of experience talk about how you, you know, weld the tradition of baseball with modern baseball and those kind of things? [00:10:59] Speaker C: Yeah, well, for starters. And since you already mentioned it, that was one of the. The main things for me when, when I was hired for the job is bringing in assistant coaches at would accommodate both ends. And both Rudy Arias and Nelson Santelvena are considered. We use the word tradition, but I think the players will call it old school versus new school. And then we have Frank Suarez and Andrew Cabezas, who are more of the younger mentality, and our volunteer coach, Lucas Costello, who just finished college, even more so. Luckily enough for me, I've been involved in the pro side up until a year ago when I started here at Miami Dade. And a lot of the things that are happening in the game, they're very fresh in my mind. And we have to understand that that's what the players want to. To know as well. I think it's important to not lose the perspective of, of the game itself and what are the values of the game, and not necessarily old versus new, but you do have to incorporate both. [00:12:26] Speaker A: Yeah, very good. Gina, Talk a little bit about softball. You know, it's a tremendously popular sport, you know, across the country. It's played everywhere. Even my little girls started playing girls. I was at a restaurant yesterday, and a whole girls softball team came in. They're probably like 10 and it was. They were loud, but they were having a lot of fun. Talk about how you see softball evolving at the college level. [00:12:50] Speaker B: Well, I think it's evolving big time. I think people are starting to pay attention to softball a little bit more. Right. I mean, from the rec ball, which is the recreational leagues of the little girls, just like you said, the ones that went in to go eat at dinner. It's starting up again. So it was lost for many years, which I think it hurt the softball as it's developing as you get older, because you don't get that practice, that trial era kind of, you know, where I think you really fall in love with the sport as a little girl. And I mean, now they have, you know, they're able to turn on ESPN and they're able to see these, these girls in college playing and competing. [00:13:31] Speaker A: Exactly what I was thinking watching on espn. [00:13:34] Speaker B: Yeah. And there's a professional league. I mean, they're, they're. They have so many views when they, when they make it to the World Series and all that, that it's Incredible. It's incredible to watch, you know, and to have these younger girls, you know, being able to look up to these, you know, girls in college, you know, it's not like, you know, no offense to baseball, but it's not just that they're talking about the baseball players, right? Because it's the closest thing that we have to softball. But now they're able to talk about softball players, you know, and how cool, you know, that this, this picture, you know, went like this or, you know, they're talking situations, you know, about the game and who's on top and, you know, and who's not. And I think that's beautiful. I mean, it helps the game grow so much and I think it brings light just to, you know, the smaller divisions, right, the mid majors, you know, in Division 1, and the Jucos as well, you know, across the state of Florida. I mean, in Florida, the competition level is. It's hard. It's a tough one, right? And just to be able to have these younger girls even pay attention or even acknowledge know, and, and the parents as well know, hey, Miami Dade does have a softball team. You know, we're, we're out here, we're able to compete. They're like, you know, and I still meet people that don't know about it and they're like, for real. And I'm like, yeah, come on, you know, like, bring the teams and stuff. So I'm trying to work out now. There's a softball league. My little one, my little daughter just started playing and she's playing at a league. Excuse me, she's playing in a league at Howard Palmetto. And I'm in talks to try to get those teams out here to, to our games, right? And I love giving back to the sport just to help it continue to grow. I go and, you know, I'll talk to the teams or, you know, I take some of the girls and we hold, you know, like little clinics and just for them to be able to interact and just the, like their facial expression, you know, and like the happiness their. They're going out there and they're super excited, you know, eager to hear what, what they're going to tell them to do or what not, you know, and they love it. I love that interaction. [00:15:40] Speaker A: Well, I've seen your daughter interact with the team and I know she enjoys being with, with your girls. You know, I think lately, you know, in the last year or so with Caitlin Clark in basketball and, you know, she really shined the spotlight on women's sports, especially basketball. What about. What are your thoughts on women's sports going forward? Because, you know, there's ebbs and flows, but I really think women's sports are in the spotlight right now. [00:16:02] Speaker B: Well, they're opening up, right. We have a women's professional softball. [00:16:06] Speaker A: Tell me about. I don't think I knew that. [00:16:07] Speaker B: So. Yeah, I mean, before they have. Have you ever heard of that? Like the au, the sports, right. Well, they have had that, and they've had it for volleyball and they have it for softball and a few other sports and stuff. So they've had that. Well, now they're opening it up to where they've had a draft and everything. They're going to have four teams this summer. They've tried it out in the past and they've ran into some money issues, you know, and, and you know how it goes behind the scenes and stuff. But this, I mean, they have, they have professional. So people that have played, people that are. Have coach or are coaching at the, you know, collegiate level, they're coaching the teams and they had a draft for it. And I'm really excited to see how they're going to go about it, how it's going to be introduced. We have some teams, you know, we have a team here in Florida, too. It's a little up by probably the Orlando area, around that area. And I mean, I'm excited even now. I mean, they have the nil deals, Right? Right. You have, you have players that are making money on a sport that you know, would kind of, you know, sit on the back burner. Right. So, I mean, you have a pitcher that left Stanford, you know, and she's at Texas Tech right now. She signed for one to melan. You know, I would have never thought in softball. Right. I mean, when I was young, it was just like. You play softball? What is that? Oh, it's like it's baseball. And I'm like, no, it's not baseball. It's different. You know, and still people are like, yeah, baseball and softball are the same. I'm like, no, you need to go watch a game. You know, there might be some similarities, but softball is a quick game. I mean, it's, it's fast, especially at. [00:17:46] Speaker A: Third base over there. You got to be wide awake over there. Well, you both talked a little bit earlier about teamwork and leadership. How do you each foster that in your players? Because, you know, I think that's what athletics is so great at. I'm a believer in it, but whichever one wants to go talk a little bit about how you do that with your players? [00:18:06] Speaker C: Yeah, I think it. I think you have to have the foundation as a program for. For that all to evolve, like, so the circumstances are there for there to be leadership opportunities and for them to think as a team. I think there's two key factors. Number one, if it's already instilled in the program when the new students come in for the following year, they already know that there's a base, there's a foundation to start off with that they need to adapt to, you know, and versus going in there without any idea. So that's the first one which leads on to recruiting the players. Recruiting is a big factor because you can obviously learn along the way, but if you recruit players that have the ingredients, whether they. They do it or not, they have the ingredients to be leaders and to understand the concept of. Of teamwork. [00:19:17] Speaker A: Very good, coach. Talk a little bit about how you instill teamwork and leadership with your players. [00:19:26] Speaker B: Well, I rely on my sophomores because how coach says, right, they've been here. They know how, you know, how we like to run things as a team. And, you know, what I'm looking for as a coach and certain, you know, aspects of what we need to do on an everyday basis. So I rely on my sophomores. I don't name one player or two players. I don't name them my captains. I do believe that we're all pretty much the same age, you know, on the team. So to just have one person in charge, I think it's a huge task. But at the same time, there are a couple of players that, you know, I talk to a little bit more, and they relay the, you know, my message out, you know, to the team and so on. I mean, and just getting. I think the. The toughest part with. With our coaching is just getting them all to buy into the culture right away, right? Because, you know, they're freshmen and sophomores, so we don't have that junior and senior leadership. Right. So it's just from the moment they get here, it's just, you know, letting them know, hey, this is what we're looking for. You know, this is where we're at. This is our culture. You know, where are you at? You know, what do we need to do for us to all be on the same page, right? And just get them to, okay, here we go. They got to buy in rather quickly because it is half the team for the most part, right? It's not like you're just bringing in three or four freshmen. We're bringing in half the Team. [00:21:01] Speaker A: Right. [00:21:02] Speaker B: So you got to get. You have to have those sophomores on board. Right. Knowing. Knowing where, you know, where we got to go, and kind of talk about their experiences the year before. Right. So we can learn from those and be able to build on that. And the freshmen can buy in a lot sooner, a lot quicker. [00:21:19] Speaker A: Very good. I'm excited now to talk about the current season. We both. You both had fall ball. You know, fall ball has its own quirks, but now you're both right in the middle of the season. We'll start with softball. Talk a little bit about your goals for the season, and give us a little update on how great you're doing right now, if you would. [00:21:35] Speaker B: I'm really excited. We're off to a hot start, which is. This is definitely the. The best beginning I've ever had as a coach here. So we're. We're 10 and. Oh, right now. Thank you. And I mean, I'm excited. I'm excited the way we're playing. We've been playing real good ball as a team. Everybody's been contributing, whether they're in the game or they've come in to just pinch run or, you know, just cheering in the dugout and being focused. We've. We've had really good energy out there. So I'm really excited about that because I'm a firm believer, you know, you're positive and, you know, we're all working together. You know, the possibilities are endless at that point in time, you know, and we've been some good teams. We do start conference on Saturday, and our conference, like I said earlier, is a tough one. I mean, we have teams in our conference which are nationally ranked. The national champions for the last, like, four years are, you know, in our conference. So, I mean, you know, we got big shoes to fill, but we're up for it, you know, and I'm really excited. You know, we continue to play, we stay healthy, and we keep working. You know, we're up for it, you know, and I think our goals. It's. Our goals as a team aren't so much just what I envision for them in the fall. We talked a lot about, you know, I wanted them to state their goals. You know, if they state their goals, then I think they just feel like they're more attainable. Right. It's not just me saying, hey, we have to do this, we have to do that. No, it's, hey, what do you believe we have to do? You know, and if they see it right, and they start buying into it, themselves, then they'll buy into the bigger picture. I think, you know, just a lot, a lot better. [00:23:28] Speaker A: Yeah, I've been impressed with your pitching. I think they've been really solid and I do agree your enthusiasm is really good. The girls seem to be bonding well and you've got a solid team. You know, you're picking the ball and you've made some good contributions. Your little play there, the. In the first, it was very sharp, very smart play. [00:23:47] Speaker B: So thank you. [00:23:49] Speaker A: Well, good. Well, we're looking forward to some more game. Coach, last talk a little bit about your team. You also are doing really well in conference. What are you, three and one, Is that right? [00:23:55] Speaker C: We're two and one. [00:23:56] Speaker A: Two and one. [00:23:57] Speaker C: Yeah. I think there, I would say we're off to a 7 and 7 start, which is average any which way you see it. I think in part, some of it has to do with the fact that we started on the road for our first 10 games and it was a little bit, you know, hectic. And at the same time, I kind of set ourselves up for that with the purpose in mind that we're just going to be better later for doing so. And that was the plan. The original plan was to win those games, not to lose them. So either way, that. That part is something we have to get better at. But. But it's already showing dividends. So after those first three weeks, you know, we're three and one and just have to continue to stay consistent. [00:24:52] Speaker A: Yeah. And you've been sort of protecting your pitching staff, too, by keeping those innings down, right? [00:24:56] Speaker C: Yeah, it helps when our. Helps when our president knows about baseball and can understand where that comes from. But yeah, I think in order to be successful towards the end of the season, you must make sure that you're keeping an eye on pitch counts and how many innings they're throwing. And right now we are where we need to be on that end. [00:25:22] Speaker A: We've had a couple of injuries, though, that are hurting it. Short stuff, right? [00:25:26] Speaker C: Yeah, we've. We've had two injuries that Yendi Gonzalez, our shortstop, and William Polanco, our right fielder, Luis Lorenzo as well, and Matthew say, also a catcher and pitcher, respectively. But that is. It's also part of the game. That's something that, you know, it's. That's why. That's why it's a team. You know, the next. Next person's got to be ready. [00:25:52] Speaker A: How many players are you carrying? [00:25:54] Speaker C: We're carrying 26. [00:25:55] Speaker A: 26. And you have 19. And that's important with all those double headers like we talked about earlier, to have that versatility. [00:26:02] Speaker C: Absolutely. [00:26:03] Speaker A: Well, it's going to be fun. We're excited for, for the rest of the season. Let's go back and talk about the student experience a little more. Talk about what you guys feel is the role of the student athlete on campus. And you know, maybe if they're being the new president here at Kendall, if there are things I could do to help that I'd be certainly willing to know that. But I think it's important that, you know, I see your athletes all around campus and they're very friendly. I love that. And just either of you have whatever you think about how they can, you know, be involved in the campus experience. [00:26:31] Speaker B: Well, I mean, we love to, we love to be a part of everything that goes on on campus, you know, because yes, it's great to be a student athlete and it's great to be out there, but I also tell them, you know, hey, I want you to get that college experience. Right. So being able to attend different events, you know, not only do we attend the sporting events, but whatever events go on on campus. Right. As long as our schedule allows us to, we try to make it, you know, and we want to show support for clubs and any other organizations that's not just sports. Right. Because it is a college wide campus. Right. And we're here to support everybody. So we, we enjoy that. And the girls like to attend, you know, the different events. They love that there's free food. [00:27:18] Speaker A: Yeah. Both of your team's been active. The boys sure like to eat. I give them a little credit. Girls are a little more, they're a little shy sometimes. But you both are very visible at events and I've noticed that and I really appreciate that. [00:27:30] Speaker B: Thank you. Yeah, no, I think it's nice. And I mean, and I believe in order for us to get the support from faculty and staff and the students, the more visible we are on campus, you know, the more people know, like, hey, you know, okay, I saw this team, you know, or I saw, let's go support them as well, you know, because we like the support out there too. You know, out in the games, it's a little bit hot, you know, but you know, we have some shade out there and stuff. And, you know, it's nice that, you know, if we can get people out there to go watch our games or faculty. I mean, sometimes there's people that work on Miami Dade campus that haven't been to the softball field, you know, they're like, oh, where's it at? You know, different things. I would love that. I would love that. I think the barbecue that we had, I think that was wonderful. I know you sweat a lot cooking them burgers, you and your crew, you know, but I think it's great, you know, just to get the word out. And if we're able to reach, you know, an extra 10 or 15 people, those are 10 or 15 people that probably would have never made it out to the sporting event, you know, and then it'll just continue to grow from there on out. [00:28:33] Speaker A: We're trying really hard to get the games on the marquee out front. So hopefully you'll start seeing those two. Coach Laz, talk a little bit about your philosophy and how you want your students to engage on campus. [00:28:45] Speaker C: Yeah, I think a lot of it has to do from the very get go is to have that pride, you know, of being a part of Miami Dade College. And it's very hard to attain if you're not participating. So I think that's one of the main things that from the very beginning, from this school year, and I know a lot of it has to do with your leadership and accomplishing this. It's still a work in progress always, because we, you know, it's not something that you feel that it's an end product, but we certainly have to, you know, continue to cooperate. And I think the student athletes have enjoyed it. I guess sometimes it's just planning ahead and the organizing of all practices and school, but it's all attainable and I think it's going in the right direction and obviously open to any suggestions to help this wonderful. [00:29:52] Speaker A: Let's turn now to a couple of success stories. I'd like each of you to maybe tell us about a student that sticks out or a student athlete that sticks out in your mind. Gina, we'll start with you. Anybody that comes to mind that you've coached in the last few years. [00:30:05] Speaker B: I mean, honestly, when, when I sit here and think about it, I think the biggest, like, success stories is just when my players are able to transfer and they're able to continue their Kalincha career and be able to study and they graduate and they share all those good news with me. Right? And they stay in touch with me throughout all the years and they keep in touch with me with their family or, you know, I get invited to weddings or, you know, I just, I'm able to interact and still be a part of their Life. You know, 10 years later, they're still showing up to games or they see that we won and they'll send me a message, Coach, that's awesome. You know, go get them. And I think all of those together, I think that's just the biggest success in, in coaching, you know, and, and, and for the program, you know, now that I, this is my 14th year, I've been able to build that up, you know, over the years. And I think just like the way that they, they keep in touch with me and they reach out to me or they want to tell me about their lives and they want to, you know, just come out and, you know, all that excitement that's still in their voice and they still tell me, coach, those were the best two years, you know. Thank you so much. I wish it would have been four years. You know, I think that's like the, the best reward and like the biggest story of all, you know, and just to be able to continue that, I mean, just, just this past weekend, I was at a tournament. I had one of my players that graduated last year. She went to the game to go support, you know, still has friends on the team and came out and gave me a card, and she says, coach, don't read it until when you're on the road. And I said, all right, sure. You know, so, you know, halfway down, we're down Alligator Alley, we're returning. I open, you know, I open the card, and it's just her, you know, Coach, I never really got to say thank you for everything that, you know, you've done and, you know, so on and so forth and, you know, so this is my way of just expressing my gratitude. And, you know, it was a really nice, it was a really nice card, you know, and like, those, those moments, I think that those are the best moments. [00:32:17] Speaker A: They mean a lot, right? [00:32:18] Speaker B: They do. They. They really do. [00:32:20] Speaker A: That's great. [00:32:20] Speaker B: You know, so I think just everything put together. [00:32:23] Speaker A: Well, thanks for sharing that. I know, Coach Laz, you've only been here two years, but I think about the alumni game, I don't want to steal your answer, if that's what you're going to go to, but, you know, you have a lot of rich history here at Miami Dade College. So many. Some of the stories that resonate with you, if you would. [00:32:38] Speaker C: Yeah, I really to. To actually talk about one or two specific ones, it's very hard and it's, and it's easy to find them because the success stories happen. They, they happen in front of you, and you actually don't realize that they're happening. And that's, that's part of who we are as Teachers, it's, it's over time that they will come back to you and tell you during that time. It's hard for them to realize it, but it's sometimes it's just things that you're just not going to be the great person to talk about at home over dinner. You're not going to get any of that, but you will get it over time. And those are the best stories when primarily it's, you know, over time. I've had them come over for games already in the last two years. They just show up, they find out that we're playing, they show up and sometimes it's been so long, they'll come up and introduce themselves and it's amazing because you made an impact. For me, it's easy to say it's those players that you coached that are now playing in the big leagues and major league baseball and say, wow, you know, I coached this kid and. But there's a lot of realities that there's players that would have made it regardless of me being in their lives. Right. I think that there's a lot more to this. Obviously getting their education, being able to go to four year school as, as coach mentioned, the opportunity to play professional baseball is, is, is a dream that I understand and I definitely hoping they have that opportunity. But it's over time. Over time when you run into them somewhere at a restaurant or, or just at a park or wherever it may be, that's really what it all comes down to. And that's when you really feel good about, you know, that's where the success stories are for me. [00:34:57] Speaker A: Well, thank you both for being so honest with that and for our audience that's listening. I think that's why we have such great coaches here, the passion they have. And you two just are great with that. This is kind of a tough question to ask here, but if you had your crystal ball, especially with the athletics and collegiate athletics are changing, where do you see us in the next five years since you had the experience with 14 years? Gina, I'll start with you. What do you think the next five years hold for us? I mean, overall a new scoreboard would be one thing, right? [00:35:25] Speaker B: Well, we just got that one. They're going to add to it. [00:35:28] Speaker A: That's what it is. [00:35:28] Speaker B: That's right. That's what we definitely, when it comes to the amenities out there on the field, I mean it would be great to have, you know, a nice like covered batting cages just because it does rain a lot down here. Right. And you know, we really don't have anywhere else to go to practice. So if it's raining, we pretty much have to cancel practice. Or, you know, you wait around. The good thing is that we got lights, and I'm very excited about that. I'm very grateful, you know, but, you know, however it is out there, it's mostly all clay, so, you know, it'll get muddy and you can't get on the field or anything like that. And I think those things are good, you know, and to have a little clubhouse out there, you know, with. With the. The players just for them to be able to have their own, you know, private space, right. Where they're able to come and if they wanted to watch film on their own or anything like that, they're able to do things like that. With the overall softball program, I mean, if it continues right now with the support that we've been getting, we've been getting a little bit more love out there, right? And we've been getting a little bit more care. I. I think that goes a long way. The girls just like any anybody else, you know, the players want to feel appreciated, and they like it when, you know, they get that. That little bit of, you know, attention and whatnot. And over the last, you know, couple years, it really has grown, and if it continues to, I mean, I think it'll be wonderful. You know, I think that it's. I think that we're moving in a positive, you know, in a positive way for. For the sport. [00:37:17] Speaker A: Yeah. I have to tell you the story. I was walking out there a week ago, and the girls saw me walking up. Oh, here comes the president. So, I mean, I was in shorts. I didn't look like a president, but it makes me feel good. They know who I am, and I. [00:37:28] Speaker B: Know they get excited because, I mean, not. Not to, you know, play it down or anything like that, but we are a spring sport, and especially once March and April come around, everybody's focused on graduation and having to get this, you know, and that done and the years ending and whatnot. [00:37:47] Speaker A: And it gets hotter out there. [00:37:48] Speaker B: It does get hot. It does get hot, you know, so when anybody goes out there, we really appreciate it because we. We do know that it does get warm. You got to really like it out there. [00:37:58] Speaker A: We'll keep working on the attendance. Coach last. What about you? Next five years, what would you see? Our baseball team. [00:38:04] Speaker C: Yeah, there's a lot to talk about, a lot of excitement. Definitely see the, you know, the movement towards where we want to get to. We. We obviously want to be the Best in the country. And, you know, there's no settling there. And in order to accomplish that, you just need an army. And it starts at the very top with our president Pumaria, board of trustees, yourself, which has been an incredible addition. You know, for us to be successful. We just need so many people to be a part of it. And we're seeing it, you know, And I really want to thank everyone involved just because it just means so much. The players notice it. It's. It's a different feel. You can talk and you can explain things and you could say what's coming, but if you don't see it, you know, you can't really understand it. And there has been so many people that have wanted to. We have a ways to go, but we're definitely going in that direction. It just feels. It feels there's a good vibe and. And I guess it's up to us as coaches and as a school to continue to, you know, to. To help in that process. I think it's all there. I think it's very doable. I think. I think the biggest thing is that the players that are the student athletes that are coming to our school, they are going to bleed the black and blue, and they're going to give everything they have to make us who we are. And we could see it across the board in all sports. [00:40:01] Speaker A: That's great. I'm sure we have some future sharks out there listening to us. If you could recruit them or give them some advice about playing college athletics, what would you say? Gina, you want to go first? [00:40:13] Speaker B: Well, I mean, you need a. You need to be dedicated, right? And you need to love what you're walking into, right? Yeah. You have to be able to understand the coach, right. And you have to like the campus, right. You can't just go, you know, you just can't go to a school for one reason, right? Like, oh, they have a great softball team, right. If you don't mesh, right. If you don't get along, let's say, with the coach, and you can't buy into their culture, they are not going to be happy, right. No matter how good the team is. Right. If you don't like the campus or you don't like the environment, right. You're not going to be happy, right. You're always going to make an excuse. So, I mean, I would say, you know, when you go out there and you come on campus and you really get that feel for it, right? Ask questions, you know, come out and watch the. The coach, you know, coach engage Right. And, you know, if you have any questions after that, reach out to the coach and see what kind of information you can get, right? And get your questions answered and get a feel for it, right? Because you want to be happy now. You want to be happy from the beginning. You don't want to sit there and just kind of be like, oh, what if. Or maybe this, or, you know what? I really didn't, you know, take the time to look into, you know, what it is that I want to study or not study. You know, you don't want those. Those loose ends, right? I, you know, when I go recruiting, I tell the girls, hey, you're coming. You know, it's pretty much your commitment for two years. It's. I want somebody who wants to be part of the Miami Dade College softball team. You know, I want to recruit somebody who wants to be a Shark, right? You're going to come out here, right? You're going to take pride in our. In our uniform, you know, you're going to buy into our culture, right? And we're going to make it the best two years, right? We're going to have fun. We want to win, right? We got to have that. That mindset, you know, all the way around. So, you know, at the end of the day, I want to recruit, right? Players that want to be here, that want to be part of our culture, and, you know, that, you know, we get along, they're able to communicate with me. Communication is a lost to lost art with everybody, especially with the phones and they just want to text and all that, you know. But I want to. I want to recruit players that can talk to me, right? If you can't talk to me on a visit and you can't talk to me, you know, anywhere else, you're not going to be able to talk to me when we're out here, you know, and it's just going to set us that, you know, that much further back, right? We want to be able to communicate and be able to, you know, move forward from the moment you get on campus, right? And I want them to feel like this is their home. [00:42:44] Speaker A: That's great. That's great. Coach, last, what would you say to a potential shark out there that might want to play baseball for you? [00:42:51] Speaker C: I think. I really, really believe that there's an attraction to wanting to be a Shark. I think the hardest thing to gauge is wherever they are playing at whatever high school they're playing. I think the hardest thing is to decipher is he doing the things that he needs to do to get better, you know, getting that coach's recommendation as to how much he wants to get better. Is he someone that makes adjustments? Is he going to work hard? Is he going to be adaptable? And at the same time, as a. As a concept, and I'll share this with anybody, as a concept, if you don't want to be a Shark, I am not going to convince you to be one. You know, it's. I see it as something that is special and. And we're not going to settle, and we're going to win. And I'm saying this as, as an athletic program altogether. I think we're going to win with. With those that want to be sharks and they're going to bleed, you know, and. And that's who we are. If they don't, then it's okay. But for the most part, I think there is that vibe that that's where they want to go. [00:44:23] Speaker A: Well, this has been great. I want to thank you both for being here today. We do like to turn the microphone around here at Kendall Speaks and let you ask me a question. Our students started that back on our very first podcast. And so I'll turn it over to either one of you if you have a question. You don't have to ask me one, but you certainly can. [00:44:41] Speaker C: No, I. Honestly, it may sound very cliche to say it. I think we all have to learn from others, and if we. If I had a question, I probably would have asked it already. I think what I am seeing is probably more me learning from. From everything that has happened this year. It's. It's been. It's been a lot of fun, and we still have more to go this year, and I've really been excited with your leadership, and I think we're going in the. In the right direction. It's probably going the opposite way. It's probably. What more can we do to make sure that, you know, we can get to where we want to get to? And I really appreciate you, your staff, and all those employees at Miami Dade that have made a difference. And I'll specifically bring out the academic side because they have been unbelievable. Our players have been not just helped out, but pushed to perform in the classroom. And it's been a great success this year. And I. So I want to make sure I gave that. That shout out. [00:46:10] Speaker A: That's great. [00:46:13] Speaker B: I'll ask a question. Where do you see our athletic program in the near future? [00:46:21] Speaker A: Well, first of all, I think we've had a great year. Both our basketball teams are on their way to state. That's what I'd like to see this year, is both of you guys go to state. Do you go together, by the way? How does that work? Are they separate or we. [00:46:34] Speaker B: They're separate. [00:46:34] Speaker A: Okay. I know the men's and women are together in basketball, and so that doesn't make sense to me, but we're separate. [00:46:40] Speaker B: Normally the. The softball states is the weekend before. I think baseball states. [00:46:46] Speaker A: Yeah, that's what I used to. In basketball. It was always a week apart. You know, I. I think. I think we have great facilities here. There are some things I'd like to add. You mentioned the. The roof on the batting cages. I think we need locker rooms for both of you. There's some things in the gym. I would like to see the next five years us kind of upgrade some of our facilities. I mean, we have an amazing soccer field that we're just opening. I think there's. I think we're going in the right direction. I think with what the NCAA is going to do with the year students play, however that works is going to be interesting to us. And I think Miami Dade sports are going to be very popular because if a kid gets an extra year, hey, why not go to a school where you're going to compete against teams that make a difference? And so I'm just really excited about where we are. I think we're poised to continue to be one of the top colleges in the country. And you said it, Coach Yaz. I want to see us, all seven of our teams as national champs or contenders, so. [00:47:45] Speaker B: Absolutely. [00:47:47] Speaker A: Well, I want to thank you both for being here. Coach Gina Aguero and Coach Laz Yanis, we both thank you for being here. This has been an amazing podcast, and we're looking forward to maybe doing one individually with your players as we get to playoff time and maybe bring you back each with some of your players. I want to thank Christina Saenz, our head writer, Paul Klein, our executive producer, and Alex Bellows, our producer on site. Thank you all for being here today, and goodbye for now.