Life and Games: Recent Episodes
Ben Bracken
We are creating this podcast to serve others and talk about the game of basketball, but the more important game - the game of life. My name is Ben Bracken and I am a brand ambassador at S.T.A.R.S Youth Enrichment Program. We run basketball camps all around the country and our mission is to serve the youth of America by helping equip them with the right skills in order to succeed. We have some great names in the sport of basketball that are a part of S.T.A.R.S such as 3 point legend Dale Ellis, legendary coach Mike Jarvis and olympic gold medalist Nikita Dawkins. Everyone has a story to tell and there is something we can learn from each individual. We learn from these stories and there are themes of what other people have been through that can help us gain clarity on our own life. We aim to unpack the game of basketball, talk about how the game has changed and explore all different avenues in the world of sports. We also bring on a plethora of different guests such as artists, musicians, entertainers, entrepreneurs to help people find motivation, inspiration and knowledge on a wide variety of different topics. We talk about the different mindsets, sports psychology and aim to give people the tools to succeed not only in sport, but in all different walks of life.
In this episode, we meet with the STARS Board member, trainer, standup comedian, and an even better man- Mike Jackson. Mike is one of our beloved board members here at STARS and his humor is a huge part of who he is and he has even integrated it into his coaching style.
Mike is dedicated to helping our youth through the game of basketball and has been a trainer for over ten years. Outside of that he decided to pursue a career in standup comedy and has done shows across the United States.
Mike talks about how he integrates both of his passions and that one is not always separate from the other. He actually uses comedy within his coaching style to help better connect with his players. We dive into different coaching strategies, how to become the best version of yourself and teaching life lessons through the game of basketball.
https://linktr.ee/starsyep
On this episode of the Life and Games Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview All American, Olympic Gold Medalist WNBA athlete and legendary coach Nikita Dawkins. Nikita was a Hall of Fame inductee throughout her time at OSU, had a successful career in the WNBA and even had the opportunity to represent her country at the highest level coming back with an Olympic Gold Medal. After her basketball career, Nikita went to work at Ford Motor Company before making a return to the game of basketball as a coach.
Nikita has coached at Michigan, Ohio State, Texas Tech and Minnesota. She has helped numerous young women reach the WNBA and has not only made a profound impact on the nature of the game, but in the lives of these young women.
Nikita talks on her personal journey throughout her career as a coach and a player, but speaks on how she is using her platform to give back to the community and build into the lives of young women everywhere, which directly aligns with our mission at stars of forwarding life values for our campers through the game of basketball.
Here about Nikitas inspirational story, the work she is doing now with our youth and the story of how she aims to make an innate contribution to the world through the game of basketball.
https://linktr.ee/starsyep
On this podcast, I had the chance to interview legendary basketball coach, author announcer and board member at S.T.A.R.S , Mike Jarvis.
Coach Jarvis has had a successful coaching career at Cambridge Rindge and Latin School, Boston University, George Washington University, St. Johns and FAU. Mike has coached for 33 years and has gotten the opportunity to coach some of the best names in basketball such as Patrick Ewing, Drederick Irving, Rmeal Robinson and Michael Jordan. Mike has lead 3 teams to the NCAA Tournament and made 9 appearances in all. Mike is a great coach and is passionate about shaping young men to succeed both on and off the court.
Mike is an author and has written 3 books, "Skills for Life", "Everybody needs a head coach" and "The Seven C's of Leadership". On this episode we discuss his book, "Skills for Life". We go over various topics in the book such as your character, having a positive attitude and dealing with adversity. We talk about Mike's coaching career and how he established his coaching philosophy.
The way Coach Jarvis is able to turn complicated concepts into actionable steps for people in all different walks of life is impressive to say the least. I believe this book really has the potential to help people succeed in all different walks of life.
The "Skills for Life" book is available for purchase on our linktree. Please lookout for the book and help us support our mission in serving our youth and inspiring people to reach for the S.T.A.R.S!
https://linktr.ee/starsyep
On this episode of the Life and Games Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview renowned artist, Samuel Dunson. Samuel Dunson's artwork was showcased at the Superbowl last year and he has recently come out with a new exhibit in Dayton Ohio titled "Good Soil". We talk about how he began his artistic career, what his work aims to say and some of themes within his many unique pieces.
We also talk about concepts such as living out your passion, working on finding balance within your life and how life changes. Sam talks about the many different stages in his life, the changes that occur and how it intertwines and is depicted through his work.
Samuel Dunson also helped to develop the design for the Dale Ellis Sweatshirt. We talk about how he developed the design, the history behind it and what design concepts he implemented into the unique design. The sweatshirt is being released in February for Black History Month.
https://linktr.ee/starsyep
On this episode of the Life and Games Podcast, I had the opportunity to interview 3 point legend Dale Ellis. Dale completely revolutionized the way in which the game was played, in being the first person in the NBA to reach 1,000 three pointers. Dale was primarily a postman and transitioned to shooting guard within his third season when he was traded to the Sonics. He won NBA's most improved player and has the biggest score increase from one season to the next in the history of the game.
We talk about the era of basketball Dale played in which includes playing against some of the best names in basketball like Larry Bird , Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson and what the game has transformed into today.
Dale talks about his story and the obstacles he had to overcome in order to succeed. We talk about different tactics on how to overcome nervousness and anxiety in order to reach peak performance, build self confidence and max out your potential.
We also talk about the importance of giving back to the community and what it means to be able to give back. Dale is on the board of S.T.A.R.S Youth Enrichment Program and is passionate about providing opportunities for our youth.
The S.T.A.R.S Dale Ellis sweatshirt is being released in February for Black History Month. If you want to help support S.T.A.R.S and our mission- please take a look at our website and different platforms below.
https://linktr.ee/starsyep