TELL ME SOMETHING GOOD (WEDS): Washington High School Offers Varsity Letters In Skilled Trades

Summary

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Podcast Summary

The Bobby Bones Show – "Tell Me Something Good (Weds): Washington High School Offers Varsity Letters In Skilled Trades"

Date: January 14, 2026
Host: Bobby Bones
Panel: Amy, Eddie, Lunchbox

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Episode Overview

This episode features the "Tell Me Something Good" segment, where the Bobby Bones Show team shares uplifting stories from around the US. The main focus of this episode centers on a Washington high school offering varsity letters to students in skilled trades like welding and manufacturing—an initiative stirred by two students seeking parity between trades and athletics. The cast dives into a lively debate about what letterman jackets should represent, then veers into a humorous and nostalgic discussion about personal "peak" moments in their lives.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Teddy Bear Toss Charity Event (00:02–01:24)

• Story: The Hershey Bears minor league hockey team in Pennsylvania held their famous "Teddy Bear Toss," collecting 81,000 stuffed animals in one night for children in need—an event that has contributed almost 700,000 toys since 2001.
• Notable reaction:
  • Bobby: “It's crazy they got 81,000 from that night. Because I'm thinking there's probably nine, 10,000 seats.” (00:39)
  • Eddie: "Wow, that's a lot." (00:29)

2. GoFundMe for Mo’s New Truck (02:12–03:09)

• Story: Mo from South Bend, Indiana, known for driving a beat-up truck, was gifted a 2019 Chevy Silverado after 500 people raised $22,000 via GoFundMe. The local body shop and mechanic team have pledged to maintain it for free.
• Panel’s Response:
  • Lunchbox: “Mo got himself a new truck, a 2019 Chevy Silverado...in better shape, better condition. And the body shop and a local mechanic said, hey, from now on, you need maintenance, come see us.” (02:52)
  • Bobby: “That's pretty good. People noticed and they gave their money. That's great. Good story.” (03:09)

3. Washington High School Offers Varsity Letters for Skilled Trades (05:31–09:22)

• Core Story (05:31–06:07):

  • High school students can now "letter" in skilled trades (welding, manufacturing, hands-on careers).
  • Movement inspired by two students for equal recognition with athletes and clubs.
  • Bobby: "The idea came from two students who wanted skill trade to receive the same recognition as sports and clubs." (05:44)
  • Eddie & Amy: Generally positive reactions.
  • Lunchbox: Largely critical, arguing varsity letters should be reserved for athletic competition.

• Debate Highlights (06:07–09:22):

  • Lunchbox: “Unless you're going to varsity competitions where you have weld offs and you win and you can win a state title.”
  • Bobby: “My association with letters is you performed. Achieved some sort of athletic accomplishment. That's what a letter is.”
  • Amy: Takes a neutral to positive stance: “It doesn't bother me.”
  • Eddie: Questions the importance of letters: “What's a letter? What's so important about a letter and nothing. Like it just goes in your jacket, right?” ((06:24))
  • Lunchbox: Ties the practice to dilution of the tradition and “participation trophy” culture.

• Humor and Personal Experience:

  • The team jokes about patches, who wore jackets in high school, and what the symbols meant at their schools.
  • Amy: “Well, I was a cheerleader. I feel like we all had the jacket.” (08:17)

4. “When Did You Peak?” Conversation (09:26–14:44)

• The letterman topic evolves into a comedy-laced, reflective segment about each host’s “peak” life moments—centered on high school achievements, moments of fame, and major milestones.
• Key exchanges:
  • Eddie (to Lunchbox): “You know why it matters to him? Cause he peaked at high school prom king. Dude, that was the peak of his life.” (09:33)
  • Lunchbox: “No, it's just the hard work you put in. We can't just be giving it to everyone is what I'm saying.” (09:56)
• Each panelist identifies or jokes about their personal “peak”—from opening for Garth Brooks (Eddie), high school prom king (Lunchbox), and ambitions yet to come (Bobby & Amy).
  • Bobby: “I don't think I've hit my highest point yet.” (14:44)

5. Ongoing Traditions and the Value of Recognition (13:16–15:39)

• The segment ends with further musings on how traditions (like letters, high school recognition) aid motivation, nostalgia, and the formation of personal identity.
• Memorable moment:
  • Lunchbox, reflecting on high school and “sixth street” exploits: “I mean, 6th street I slayed. And that was just so...That was so good. So good. But high school, man, I was, I was the king too. I mean we all know it because I got the crown.” (12:36)
  • Amy, to Eddie (joking about “peaking”): “If we're talking about lunchbox peaking in high school, I think we're talking about like uncle Rico moments. 40 years from now, Eddie's gonna be telling that story about opening for Garth Brooks.” (11:31)

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Teddy Bear Toss:
  • Bobby: “It's crazy they got 81,000 from that night. Because I'm thinking there's probably nine, 10,000 seats.” (00:39)
• On Trade Varsity Letters:
  • Lunchbox: “My association with letters is you performed. Achieved some sort of athletic accomplishment. That's what a letter is.” (06:46)
  • Bobby (on the intent): “The idea came from two students who wanted skill trade to receive the same recognition as sports and clubs.” (05:44)
• On High School Meaning:
  • Eddie (about Lunchbox): “You know why it matters to him? Cause he peaked at high school prom king. Dude, that was the peak of his life.” (09:33)
  • Amy: “If we're talking about lunchbox peaking in high school, I think we're talking about like uncle Rico moments.” (11:31)

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Important Timestamps & Segments

• Teddy Bear Toss Story: 00:02–01:24
• Mo’s Truck GoFundMe: 02:12–03:09
• Washington Trades Varsity Lettering: 05:31–09:22
• Personal ‘Peak’ Debate: 09:26–14:44

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Overall Tone

• Upbeat, celebratory, marked by playful banter, laughs, and some mock-serious debate typical of the show.
• The hosts balance genuine admiration for good deeds with a fun, lightly irreverent perspective on traditions and nostalgia.

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Transcript

[Amy]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bobby]

Guaranteed Human. It's time for the good news with Bobby. These are always fun to see on Instagram or TikTok, where the hockey team will go out and they do this big event and people throw out like a bunch of teddy bears at a certain point. So the Hershey Bears minor league hockey team in Hershey, Pennsylvania held its annual Teddy Bear Toss. They collected 81,000 teddy bears.

[Eddie]

Wow, that's a lot.

[Bobby]

That's crazy because there aren't that many seats there.

[Eddie]

That's what I was thinking.

[Bobby]

Yeah. So when they score their first goal, everybody who brought all the teddy bears throw them onto the ice. And so they scored their first goal three minutes into the game. The plush toys were gathered from the ice and donated to children in need across central Pennsylvania, including students at Milton Hershey School. And since the event began in 2001, they have collected almost 700,000 stuffed animals. Wow. It's crazy they got 81,000 from that night. Because I'm thinking there's probably nine, 10,000 seats.

[Eddie]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

So they had to bring a bag in full of animals or are they already sitting at your seat like the hockey team? Bottom.

[Bobby]

No, you have to bring them.

[Amy]

You bring them.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah, I'm just making sure.

[Eddie]

What's really cool is to see the way they pick them all up because the game still has to keep going.

[Lunchbox]

Bulldozer, what do they use? Scoop them up.

[Bobby]

They have people, right? 20 people. Yeah, that's a lot.

[Eddie]

And they just start grabbing Good News.

[Bobby]

Network with that story. Another thing they do that is not as good of news. It's not good or bad, but there are basketball teams in high school basketball. There's a couple of them. It's their like silent game. And everybody is silent until they score their first bucket. Like nobody makes a sound in the gym. And as soon as they score their first bucket, they go crazy and everybody storms the court. It's the first, first goal of the game.

[Eddie]

That's cool.

[Bobby]

It's really weird, but it's really cool to see those. Whenever they do those. You ever seen those?

[Amy]

Mm, mm. Now what? I can see how that would be fun, but then also disruptive. Cause then they.

[Bobby]

Yeah, but you know, it's coming.

[Amy]

First point.

[Bobby]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure.

[Amy]

And then you have to get everybody.

[Bobby]

Back on and you gotta re clean the court.

[Amy]

Cause at the end of the game, okay, that's. It's over. But first score.

[Bobby]

But when they start the game, nobody makes a sound. And then as soon as they make the first bucket, everybody.

[Eddie]

Oh, yeah, that's gonna be so much fun.

[Bobby]

It's super cool.

[Lunchbox]

All right, there you go.

[Bobby]

That's what it's all about. That was Tell me something good. It's time for the good news with Lunchbo.

[Lunchbox]

Tell me something good. Mo lives in South Bend, Indiana, and he drives an old beat up truck falling apart. But he's always seen around town driving to his appointments and it barely runs. And one guy saw it who owns a body shop's like, guys, we gotta do something. He sets up a GoFundMe, says, we gotta get Mo a new truck. Over 500 people donated and made $22,000 worth of donations. And guess what Mo got.

[Bobby]

I'm guessing a new truck.

[Eddie]

I think so, right?

[Amy]

Yeah, probably.

[Lunchbox]

Mo got himself a new truck, a 2019 Chevy Silverado. That's the exact same truck he was driving, but this one was in better shape, better condition. And the body shop and a local mechanic said, hey, from now on, you need maintenance, come see us, we'll take care of it.

[Eddie]

Mo, that's awesome.

[Bobby]

That's pretty good. People noticed and they gave their money. That's great. Good story. That's what it's all about. That was tell me something good. This episode is sponsored by Better Help. The holidays are a time of traditions. Some families have a list of them and others are creating their own. It can be a joyful season, but it can also feel hectic, stressful, or lonely. Therapy can give you space to sort through that, rethink what the holiday means to you and decide which traditions you want to keep or change. BetterHelp makes it easier to add therapy into your routine. Reaching out can feel intimidating, but it can also be what helps you feel supported again. BetterHelp helps you take that first step. Their therapists are fully licensed in the US and they work according to a strict code of conduct. You fill out a short questionnaire, they do the matching work for you. And if the first match isn't the right fit, you can switch therapists at any time. With over 30,000 therapists and more than 5 million people served worldwide, BetterHelp is one of the largest online therapy platforms. This December, start a new tradition by taking care of you. Our listeners get 10% [e-mail] Bobby betterhelp.com Bobby lines and tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app is a podcast designed for hunters and fishermen to enjoy success.

[Spencer Graves]

I like the idea of like, hey, put me on a big deer. You know, hey, there's a big deer out here doing this Be looking for this deer. But I also love doing it on my own. I love going out there and saying, running my cameras. I love patterning the deer. I like showing up at the right time, checking the wind, knowing what stand I need to be in. And then whenever it all comes together and it happens, that's the most satisfying thing ever. So when you do it on your own, it's like, I then can hang my hat. But if I had somebody say, hey, pull up on these dots and catch them right here and you're going to win. And then when I go in, it's like, yeah, it's cool. I won the tournament. The ultimate goal is done. But it's like, dude, when you find them and you make them bite, that's the problem. I love it.

[Bobby]

Listen to lines and tines with Spencer Graves on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts. It's time for the good news with Bobby.

[Lunchbox]

Tell me something good.

[Bobby]

What do you think about this? At a high school in Washington State, students can now earn varsity letters for their jackets for welding, manufacturing and other hands on career programs.

[Eddie]

It's amazing.

[Amy]

Okay. Yeah.

[Bobby]

The idea came from two students who wanted skill trade to receive the same recognition as sports and clubs.

[Amy]

I don't hate it.

[Bobby]

King 5 with that story.

[Eddie]

So what do they call that? Like, I lettered in. I lettered in. That's cool.

[Bobby]

You get a letterman jacket.

[Eddie]

Wait, you don't like that lunchbox?

[Lunchbox]

No. I mean, first of all, clubs shouldn't get letters either way. That's not, that's not it.

[Bobby]

I can agree, I can agree with that. Club shouldn't get letters.

[Lunchbox]

Right? That's just stupid. Like that's ridiculous. Like, so I understand you're doing something welding. How about you just get the satisfaction that you learned how to weld? You shouldn't get a letter for it if. Unless you're going to varsity competitions where you have weld offs and you win and you can win a state title.

[Bobby]

You give trophies, Right. I don't understand.

[Eddie]

What's a letter? What's so important about a letter and nothing. Like it just goes in your jacket, right?

[Bobby]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

A letterman jacket.

[Bobby]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

You know, I'm gonna tell you what, like there used to be kids that walked around our high school with choir letter and it's like, that is not a letter. You know?

[Amy]

Oh no.

[Lunchbox]

And you would laugh at them. You'd be like, that's a joke. The notes.

[Bobby]

I would say lettering feels to me like it is an athletic thing.

[Lunchbox]

Yes.

[Amy]

A Marching band is athletic.

[Lunchbox]

You would see.

[Eddie]

You would see, like, a tuba on someone's pat.

[Bobby]

I don't mind the band getting lighter.

[Lunchbox]

It's fine. Someone would have a trombone on their sleeve.

[Bobby]

It's like marching band. I don't mind that.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby]

But my association with letters is you performed. Achieved some sort of athletic accomplishment. That's what a letter is. I don't think you can create a different thing. I don't even care. Like, I don't give a crap. What do I care? I'm not upset. I just wonder how you. What do you guys think about it?

[Amy]

It doesn't bother me.

[Bobby]

You don't like it?

[Lunchbox]

No. Can't happen.

[Bobby]

Do you think it's a bit of a, like, participation trophy?

[Lunchbox]

Yes.

[Bobby]

Type thing?

[Lunchbox]

Yes. It's so. I mean, it's just like, everybody gets one. Oh, I went to high school. Give me a letter.

[Bobby]

But you don't have a certificate in welding, and they don't. If you weld it and you.

[Lunchbox]

That's what I'm saying. You can get the suit.

[Bobby]

Yeah. It's just not a letter.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby]

And you can also buy your own jacket and not have to worry about what anybody else says. You can just get a whole freaking torch on it.

[Eddie]

Oh, you can put whatever you want.

[Bobby]

On it and go to the store and buy you a jacket.

[Eddie]

That's cool.

[Bobby]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

I didn't have a jacket or anything.

[Amy]

On it, so I wear my jacket.

[Bobby]

Is. Of course I did.

[Lunchbox]

Come on.

[Bobby]

And. Yes, I do. Oh, that's cool.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Bobby]

You wore it.

[Eddie]

Like, I feel like I've seen it.

[Bobby]

I have. And lettered just means you. It doesn't mean you were all stayed or anything, but you played a certain amount. Like, to let her, you had to actually get on the field a certain amount, so. But it's so dumb. It doesn't matter. But I have a baseball and football.

[Amy]

I mean, I just had a jacket.

[Eddie]

With just, like, the school letter on it.

[Lunchbox]

So you didn't let her.

[Bobby]

You just bought a jacket.

[Amy]

Is that.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, my goodness.

[Eddie]

Hey, Amy. I didn't even buy a jacket.

[Amy]

Well, I was a cheerleader. I feel like we all had the jacket.

[Bobby]

Every school probably had different rules. Um, so you had to be an.

[Lunchbox]

Athlete to get a jacket.

[Bobby]

You bought the jacket.

[Amy]

You got the A on it.

[Bobby]

But on the A you would get, like, a stripe or whatever. That was the lettering.

[Amy]

That's okay. Yeah. I don't know.

[Bobby]

Every school's probably different.

[Amy]

Mine was just maroon, and the A was for Austin.

[Eddie]

Oh, so. So the bat, the patches on the arm didn't mean anything.

[Lunchbox]

Some didn't. Yeah.

[Bobby]

You could also get patches.

[Eddie]

I saw people with lots of patches.

[Bobby]

Patrick's. Pat Patrick. Patches for us was, like, in baseball, like, I was defensive player of the year for the whole conference, so I got a patch for that. I was like, all region baseball. I got all the awards, but I got the patches for that. But that wasn't lettering.

[Amy]

That was for, like, National Honor Society.

[Bobby]

Or not a letter. You could get that. You can get any jacket you want. You literally can buy any jacket and have anything put on it.

[Lunchbox]

Okay, but if my kid came to me and said, hey, dad, I'm gonna get a letter for. What did you call it? National Merit Society. I'd be like, no honors.

[Bobby]

But just don't say, look, I'm getting a jacket that celebrates what I. I think that's fine. That's great.

[Amy]

That's great, right? This stuff doesn't.

[Eddie]

It doesn't matter.

[Amy]

Bother me.

[Bobby]

Oh, it does.

[Lunchbox]

It does.

[Eddie]

It doesn't matter. It's high school.

[Bobby]

Yeah, it doesn't matter. Why does it matter to you so much?

[Lunchbox]

Cause we don't want to ruin the tradition and the legacy of these kids. Like, just giving everyone a letter.

[Eddie]

Legacy. You know why it matters to him? Cause he peaked at high school prom king. Dude, that was the peak of his life.

[Amy]

But that prom king wasn't on his jacket. He had some sort of soccer thing on your jacket.

[Lunchbox]

Soccer, cross country, track.

[Bobby]

I mean, I think Eddie has possibly a point if you peaked in high school. That's so precious to you. Everything's so important in high school.

[Eddie]

Is that it, Lunchbox?

[Lunchbox]

No, it's just the hard work you put in. We can't just be giving it to everyone is what I'm saying.

[Amy]

When do you think you peaked?

[Lunchbox]

Me?

[Amy]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, I have no idea. I don't know if I've peaked yet. I mean, I don't understand, like, tbd. When did Eddie peak? Did Eddie ever have a peak?

[Eddie]

Yeah, I'd say I peaked, probably. Like, oh, gosh, that's tough.

[Lunchbox]

I mean, what did Eddie do to peak?

[Eddie]

Like, where I felt the best about myself. Right. Is that. Would that be my peak?

[Amy]

And you accomplished.

[Bobby]

Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

When you accomplished something, man.

[Amy]

When y' all opened for Garth Brooks. Okay.

[Eddie]

I peeked when we opened up for Garth Brooks. That's great, because we'd already won, like, awards and stuff at that point. I'd say that's pretty good. What year was that?

[Bobby]

2021. I don't know.

[Eddie]

Okay. Oh, yeah. Post Covid.

[Amy]

Oh, so yeah, yours is recent.

[Eddie]

I peaked 20, 21.

[Bobby]

Why'd you go? Eh?

[Lunchbox]

I mean that's really Bobby's thing.

[Eddie]

No, we did it together. We did.

[Amy]

Eddie's an important.

[Eddie]

He's like, we did all of it together.

[Lunchbox]

I mean the real person they wanted was Bobby. You were just there to play the guitar.

[Eddie]

Maybe, but we did it all together.

[Bobby]

I would say that's not your peak.

[Eddie]

What was my peak?

[Bobby]

I don't know, but I don't think that's your peak.

[Eddie]

That was pretty epic. Pinnacle.

[Amy]

Pretty epic.

[Eddie]

That's definitely pinnacle in my life.

[Bobby]

Amazing moment. But I would assume you to go something like your peak, like when you like family.

[Amy]

I don't. That's not what we're talking about.

[Bobby]

But it could be anything. There's no rules on peaking.

[Amy]

If we're talking about lunchbox peaking in high school, I think we're talking about like uncle Rico moments. 40 years from now, Eddie's gonna be telling that story about opening for Garth Brooks.

[Eddie]

Opened up for Garth Brooks. Ye in Arkansas.

[Amy]

Just like lunchbox is. Like one time I ran three miles, you know. What are your sports stories?

[Bobby]

Yeah, we really don't have any from him, do we?

[Eddie]

From.

[Amy]

But he said on his letter he had it for cross country and soccer.

[Bobby]

You're right, he doesn't have a lot.

[Lunchbox]

Of sports stories for, I mean district champ. I mean what do you want your team wise for soccer, for cross country, for track? I mean, what do you want?

[Eddie]

How many goals did you score? Like, did you score the game winning goal, like to take you guys to state?

[Lunchbox]

I know I didn't do that. No, we made the regional finals.

[Bobby]

We didn't.

[Lunchbox]

We lost to Belton in the state before we got.

[Bobby]

When did you peak lunchbox?

[Lunchbox]

Oh, I don't know, man. Like I, I had different seasons of peaking. Like with chicks it was probably 27, 28.

[Bobby]

But what to you, of all the seasons of peaking is the most peaked season?

[Eddie]

Wait, what's 27, 28? The number of.

[Amy]

What's the peak?

[Lunchbox]

No, no, that's when, that's when I.

[Eddie]

Oh, the age got it.

[Lunchbox]

Because I mean 6th Street I slayed. And that was just so. That was so good. So good. But high school, man, I was, I was the king too. I mean we all know it because I got the crown. So maybe it was high school, but I don't know. I mean, I ran 6th street for years, man.

[Bobby]

Which is more important to you? When you crushed it in high school? When you crushed in high school, you crush it on 6th Street.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, probably high school, because you know 6th street, only a certain people in that bar know. And then you go to the next bar and it's like, oh, then you got to peek. You gotta take over the room again and they go home. Yeah, you gotta repeat.

[Bobby]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

Sounds exhausting.

[Amy]

Maybe one way to think about it is if you only got to go back and relive one of those versions of you, which one are you choosing to go back and relive?

[Bobby]

Or possibly would you save it because you have something more amazing coming that means you haven't peaked yet?

[Lunchbox]

No, because I don't know what the future holds, man.

[Bobby]

So you don't have faith that something bigger is gonna happen.

[Lunchbox]

Right.

[Bobby]

Got it.

[Lunchbox]

Yeah.

[Eddie]

So it's over then.

[Bobby]

So you have peak and you would go back to which one?

[Lunchbox]

Probably high school.

[Amy]

Okay, he peaked in high school because.

[Lunchbox]

Then after high school there's a lot left.

[Bobby]

You can even go if you want to hold it for forward, or you can go back to one moment. What is it?

[Eddie]

No, I'm gonna go. Garth, Open up for Garth. I mean, that was, that was pretty amazing.

[Bobby]

That's a good call. Then Amy. Amy. What about you, man?

[Amy]

I want to save mine. Let's see what's ahead. Maybe I'm going to be, you know, what do they call it, like third chapter?

[Eddie]

What about like when you made your movie? That was pretty peak.

[Bobby]

That's not her peak.

[Eddie]

I mean, I won that award in la. You won that award in la?

[Bobby]

You did a few lines in the bathroom.

[Eddie]

That sounds terrible. That was my role.

[Lunchbox]

I mean, that's good. That's really good.

[Amy]

Scripted. My, my scene was in the bathroom and I said a few things. I didn't do a few lines in the bathroom. That does sound bad.

[Eddie]

Miley.

[Bobby]

Got it.

[Amy]

Yeah, yeah, yeah. What about you?

[Bobby]

I'd hold off.

[Eddie]

Yeah, dude, you got, you got lots of things.

[Bobby]

Yeah, but I would hold off. I don't think I've hit my highest point yet.

[Amy]

Wow.

[Bobby]

No. I don't know.

[Lunchbox]

Oh, yeah, you're right. Maybe I should wait.

[Eddie]

No, we can't. No, you're high school.

[Lunchbox]

What if someone sees me in the crowd?

[Bobby]

But, but if it never happens, you never get to go back to it.

[Lunchbox]

You know what I'm saying? Because like, we got two episodes of Price is Right that someone like, you.

[Bobby]

Know, you're gonna see you in a crowd.

[Lunchbox]

I know.

[Eddie]

And what are they gonna do with.

[Lunchbox]

You hear all these stories about, oh.

[Bobby]

They got like Pam Anderson, Vinny the.

[Lunchbox]

Jet Rodriguez from the sandlot. You know, how he was discovered. He was waiting in line for a ride at the school carnival, and they said, you know what? Why don't you be an actor, dude?

[Bobby]

You're in your 40s.

[Lunchbox]

And so what if. I know. But people get late starts.

[Eddie]

They do need older actors for movies.

[Bobby]

He can't act. What? Right.

[Eddie]

You're right. Yeah.

[Lunchbox]

To be or not to be. That's the question I was waiting for the dramatic pause. Eddie.

[Bobby]

All right. Thank you. No letterman jackets. According to the Lunchbox for Welders. That's what it's all about. That was. Tell me something good. This is an iHeart podcast. Guaranteed Human.