The Viral March Madness Moment Everyone’s Talking About

Summary

Podcast Summary: Welcome to the Party – The Viral March Madness Moment Everyone’s Talking About

Date: March 31, 2026
Host: Treat Media
Guests: Abby Wambach, Julie Foudy, Billie Jean King, Brenda Freese (Maryland Head Coach), Aluchi Okonawa (Maryland Guard)

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Episode Overview

This vibrant episode zeroes in on a viral moment from the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament, where Maryland head coach Brenda Freese’s passionate sideline exchange with her star guard, Aluchi "Gucci Luchi" Okonawa, lit up social media. Abby, Julie, and Billie Jean King celebrate this moment, explore what it reveals about great coaching and athlete relationships, and dig into broader themes in women’s sports culture—all with their trademark camaraderie and wit. The episode also features lively recaps of major women’s sports stories and a hilarious game of "Read My Lips" with Coach Freese and Okonawa.

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Main Topics & Key Discussion Points

1. Celebrating Recent Women’s Sports Wins and Community Highlights

[01:39–09:50]

• Billie Jean King’s World Championship Bling:

  • She reveals her championship ring—full of diamonds, sapphires, and even dirt from home plate.
  • Memorable Quote:

    “It’s got 24 and 25 on it because we won back to back. I think the last ones to do that were the Yankees, like in 1990 or something.” (04:15, Billie Jean King)

• Julie’s Weekend at Denver Summit FC/NWSL:

  • 63,000 fans attended. Julie and daughter Izzy mingled with soccer luminaries and met Malala.
  • Quote:

    “It literally gave me the chills, like, to see how far this league has come and...this is our 14th season now, 16 teams. This is the first game ever played in Denver with this expansion team.” (07:10, Julie Foudy)

• Abby’s Nephew’s Sports Achievement:

  • Brady Wambach, the top lacrosse face-off guy in the country (UNC), getting a proud shout-out from his aunt.
  • Quote:

    “Dude is just like a beast and just like goes after it. So I just feel so proud of him.” (09:22, Abby Wambach)

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2. March Madness Updates and Viral Sideline Moment

[11:19–14:26, 30:04–61:12]

• Bracket Standings & Recaps:

  • Fun update on hosts’ and listeners’ brackets—"Sarah Spain is in first, and Welcome to the Party is right behind."
  • Quote:

    “Sarah Spain. You’re at 980 points. ... Can’t believe I'm above Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe!” (12:01, Julie Foudy)

• Women’s College Basketball Game Analysis:

  • UConn advances to their 25th Final Four, and UCLA’s dramatic second-half turnaround.
  • Discussion of the coaching that sparked UCLA’s win and the emotional investment the hosts have in tournament outcomes.
  • Quote:

    “I would pay money to have been a fly on that halftime wall.” (16:02, Abby Wambach)

• Viral Sideline Moment Set-Up:

  • Introduction to Maryland’s viral bench moment, featuring Coach Brenda Freese and Luchi Okonawa.
  • Quote:

    “That moment isn’t out—their viral moment had everyone suddenly thinking they were expert lip readers. And of course, now everyone's got an opinion. So we went straight to the source.” (30:04, Julie Foudy)

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3. Interview: Coach Brenda Freese & Aluchi "Gucci Luchi" Okonawa

[31:16–53:38]

a) Viral Moment Explained: “I Believe in You”

[32:22–37:39]

• Coach’s Perspective:

  • Brenda Freese describes sensing her player needed a reset during the UNC game. She was “passionate, handsy, emotional,” reinforcing belief with her star.
  • Quote:

    “The four most important words...were the words I believe in you.” (34:01, Brenda Freese)

• Player’s Perspective:

  • Aluchi shares feeling woken up and empowered by that moment, and the deeper foundation of trust it took to accept direct coaching.
  • Quote:

    “Just as she was, like, speaking life into me, I was like, yeah, like, there’s a lot of...nods and everything I was saying back to her was just in agreement.” (34:27, Aluchi Okonawa)

• Relationships in Elite Coaching:

  • Both coach and player underline that such moments are possible only because of years of relationship and trust.

  • Notable Insight:

    “The best of the best, the elite of the elite, like, they want to be coached hard…” (36:21, Brenda Freese)
    “There are going to be moments where then that’s tested...I can’t back away from this, because like, what I’m going through right now is exactly what I’ve been asking her for.” (38:56, Aluchi Okonawa)

b) Why Did It Go Viral? Cultural Context

[39:28–41:35]

• Aluchi: For her Nigerian parents, being coached hard is normal; they were surprised it was remarkable enough to go viral.
• Julie: Highlights importance of trust and relationship in coaching, not just technique.

c) Coaching Evolution & Athlete-Centric Leadership

[41:36–53:26]

• Coach Freese Reflects on Her Evolution:

  • Coaching now means navigating more noise (social media, outside voices) and being sensitive to each athlete's mood and receptiveness.
  • Self-awareness and humility: “If I make the mistake...in a game, I’m going to come behind at the first opportunity.” (43:58, Brenda Freese)
  • Billie Jean King: “You read the body language, not what they’re saying. Their body language tells you everything.” (44:39)

• Sustained Excellence:

  • Julie and Abby highlight that Freese is known for recruiting but deserves more credit for consistent coaching excellence.
  • Corey Close (UCLA Coach, via audio):

    “She always gets credit for how well she recruits. She doesn’t get nearly enough credit for how well she coaches. And...to play really talented players to play hard and selflessly a high percentage of the time—she does that every year.” (49:55)

• Leadership Lesson:

  • “It’s not what I seek for...because of the relationships, I think that’s why you see, sustain the consistency.” (50:22, Brenda Freese)
  • Four words that matter: “I believe in you.”

d) Aluchi’s Aspirations and the Challenge of the WNBA Dream

[47:45–49:06]

• Leadership, improving her game, and making it to the WNBA are top of mind: “You’re going up against a lot of odds to try and play in the WNBA...So that’s why with her, we don’t really have time to waste here. I just need you to be as open and honest and just get me to the player that I need to be...” (47:59, Aluchi Okonawa)

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4. Game Time: "Read My Lips"

[53:38–58:02]

• Two teams: Abby & Luchi (“Youngins”) vs. BJK & Coach Freese (“Seasoned Veterans”).
• Hilarious, chaotic attempts to lip-read phrases like “Abby shoots airballs” and “The resilient Terps.”
• Memorable Moment:

  “Gucci Luchi, you need to be a lip reader!” (57:24, Julie Foudy)

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5. Broader Reflections on Coaching and Youth Sports

[59:33–63:01]

• Discusses the necessity of age-appropriateness in coaching style.
• Quote:

  “You’re not going to be screaming in the face of a kindergartener—‘I believe in you’—you have to be soft and you have to be gentle. Age appropriateness is important...” (59:36, Abby Wambach)

• All hosts agree: Success in sport is tied to relationships, not just X’s and O’s.

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Notable Quotes & Timestamps

• Billie Jean King on coaching & trust:

  “The way you stood there and just right nose to nose, I go, they have a great relationship...I believe in you, so positive. How can you not love that as a jock?” (38:00–38:56)

• Brenda Freese on the viral moment:

  “I’m a very handsy and emotion, passionate type of coach. I’ve always been.” (34:13)

• Aluchi Okonawa on her upbringing:

  “Growing up, my parents—they’re from Nigeria...being coached hard my whole life...it’s come from the same good place of understanding that I have so much potential and I want to reach it.” (39:40)

• Abby on internal vs. external motivation:

  “Because the players then are playing out of fear. They’re not playing out of this internalized knowing. …No, I believe in you. Right? Then you are able to internalize that information and let it come from inside of you.” (62:30)

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Key Takeaways

• Power of Affirmation: The phrase "I believe in you" resonated because it represented genuine, earned affirmation rooted in trust—not just coach-to-player, but human-to-human.
• Great Coaching Requires Relationships: Coaching "hard" is only effective when there is trust and individualized knowledge—a coach must know who can handle what, and when.
• Cultural Context Shapes Responses: For some, intense coaching is routine, for others, remarkable. The cultural lens matters.
• Women’s Sports Are Thriving: With 63,000 fans at an NWSL game and record audiences for women’s hockey, the episode underscores continuing momentum.
• Humor & Play: Even in serious conversations, the show maintains energy and fun, exemplified by the "Read My Lips" game.

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• BJK’s Championship Ring Story: 02:06–04:41
• Denver Summit FC/NWSL Attendance: 05:54–08:03
• Bracket Updates & March Madness Recap: 11:19–14:26
• MARYLAND Viral Moment Setup: 30:04–31:23
• Coach Freese & Aluchi Interview: 31:23–53:38
• Game: Read My Lips: 53:38–58:02
• Discussion: Coaching in Youth Sports: 59:33–63:01

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Closing Moment

• Abby, to Coach & Luchi:

  “Thank you. You inspired us. My daughter, who’s going to play D1 soccer, was watching this...I cannot wait, Luchi, to see what happens in your [career]. We will be following you, Brenda. We are forever fans. Go Terps.” (58:29)

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For anyone who missed the episode, this summary captures the vibrant spirit, incisive insights, and joyous party atmosphere of a flagship conversation on women’s sports, athlete/coach relationships, and what it takes to motivate and empower at the highest level.

Transcript

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[D]

Four most important words.

[A]

I believe in you.

[D]

I'm a very handsy and emotion, you know, passionate type of coach I've always been.

[E]

This one just felt different. Just as she was, like, speaking life into me, I was like, yeah, that's

[A]

getting me fired up. If I were playing same in the

[C]

spirit of the viral moment, Read my lips.

[E]

Oh, my God.

[B]

Abby likes hamburgers.

[E]

The resilient terps.

[C]

Oh, my God. Gucci. Luchi, you need to be a lip reader.

[B]

Attention, the party is about to commence.

[D]

Welcome to the party.

[C]

What's up, party people? I'm Julie Foudy.

[B]

I'm Abby Wambach.

[A]

And I'm Billy Jean King.

[C]

Kinger Abs. Coming up, we have Maryland head coach Brenda Freeze and Luchi. Okay. Yes.

[A]

Who?

[C]

Party people. I don't know if you saw this. It was this viral moment and we're going to talk about what we can all learn from it as well. But first, Kinger, I heard you got a little bling this weekend.

[A]

What's going on? Total bling. I've got. I'm going to share it with everyone. I can't. I'm so excited. It's so heavy. This box.

[B]

Okay. Can you see that?

[C]

Oh, yeah.

[A]

And this is what you get when we win. And then that's a world championship. Very heavy. It's got the name, but it's got. It's got Highlights is coming up. Highlights.

[C]

Look at it waiting. Abby,

[B]

is there a screen in it?

[C]

Yes. It's got a video. A little higher.

[A]

Okay. A little higher. I know.

[C]

There, there.

[A]

Look at the.

[C]

Look at the ring spinning. Yeah, that's perfect.

[A]

Okay, well, wait a minute. I'm gonna get the bling out. The ring. Ring, bling. Ring bling.

[B]

Unbelievable.

[A]

Okay, here we go.

[B]

I believe that you have a ring. You have a world series A ring.

[A]

We have two. It's back to back. Girls, friend.

[C]

Yeah. Do not sell them short.

[A]

You see that? You take this off and there's a ring. Oh, shoot. There's a ring. Wait a minute. There's a ring inside the ring. And drop it here. I'm gonna tell you, I took it and used it as a guard for my ring that Lana obviously gave me.

[B]

So the thing you just dropped was the guard.

[A]

Okay, this is the top, right? That I just drop like crazy. I can see that. I'm not there yet. There's the top. And in the back part is dirt from home plate. Like, you know, way.

[B]

Oh.

[A]

And then this is the ring. Ring. You see the ring? Ring. You see that? Can you see? Is that better there or.

[B]

Wait, so it comes in pieces, Billy.

[A]

Oh, it comes in total pieces. It's got diamonds and sapphires. This inside has diamonds. I know, but I have to read it. Diamonds. More diamonds. Look, you guys, this is just ridiculous.

[C]

Come across. Come across a little more. There you go.

[B]

How does it not fall apart?

[A]

It's so heavy. No, because you screw everything on. It's great. It fits. Look at the ring. Fits in there. And then they screw this on. It's got diamonds, the sapphires all over the place. Put that on top.

[C]

Oh, my gosh.

[A]

It's unbelievable. But anyway, it's just beautiful. It's got. It's got 24 and 25 on it because we won back to back. I think the last ones to do that were the Yankees, like in 1990 or something. I don't probably have.

[C]

Congratulations. That's amazing.

[A]

Well, they did it. I didn't. You know, as jocks, we know we didn't do it. They did it. So I'm living vicariously through them.

[C]

Hey, you get to wear the. You get to wear the bling. That's important.

[A]

I know. We don't use.

[C]

You were a big part of it as an owner. Oh, you were a big part of it.

[A]

Now they're unbelievable. The people that work there just. They have it, right? They figured it out.

[E]

Jules.

[B]

Jules, what did you do this weekend? You had a pretty big weekend.

[C]

Oh, y'. All. I went to that Denver Summit FC game. 63, 000 people. So me and my daughter Izzy, who is 19 and a soccer head, of course, she was on spring break. And I was like, come on, let's go. Let's go out there. And we had our NW NWSL Advisory board meetings as well, which is the advisory board I sit on with. There's two owners from all the different clubs. So it was so fun. We got to meet Malala. Hello.

[A]

I'm so glad you met them.

[C]

I know. And I told. I told Malala and her husband Asser that they're. Yeah, he was. I said, oh, I do the podcast with Billie Jean. He's like, I know. We're on on April 6th. We're record.

[A]

He knew it.

[C]

He was on it.

[A]

He's on it.

[C]

They were so excited, too. Malala was so impressive. Of course she is.

[A]

But she is hilarious. The two of them together, it's hilarious.

[E]

Okay.

[C]

And guess. And we also. Melody Hobson, who's one of the owners of Denver.

[A]

She's all time great, Amazing.

[C]

She was there at the game and before the game, I saw her and I said, melody, I meant to ask you this because I met her. Met her the night prior. I said, I meant to ask you this last night, but I didn't want to interrupt. You were in a deep conversation with someone. I said. But we had sent Marshall on the podcast recently, and you must know Scent, right? She goes, scent is here in my box today at the game. I was like, shut up. So Brandy and I went down and found Scent, and so we went and surprised Scent and her husband. We got to meet her husband, Ken, I think was his name.

[E]

Remember?

[C]

Was like, sent. Cut your hair. I have a barber. You're gonna be fine.

[A]

You know who Melanie's husband is, right? George Lucas.

[C]

Yes.

[E]

Yes.

[D]

You know?

[C]

Yeah, the director.

[B]

Like the George Lucas.

[A]

George Lucas, the director.

[B]

Whoa. Question, Jules. There were over 63,000 people. What was the game like? What was the atmosphere?

[C]

They are so into it. Denver fans are awesome.

[A]

Yeah, they are.

[C]

As we know, Denver's amazing.

[A]

Doesn't matter what team they go. Yeah, they're crazy.

[C]

I mean, unfortunately, it was against Washington. Unfortunately. I think actually Denver had the better chances. The game ended 00. But the atmosphere was great. It literally gave me the chills, like, to see how far this league has come and. And to know that, like, you know, this is our 14th season now, 16 teams. This is the first game ever played in Denver with this expansion team. And they get 60,000 people where the Broncos play. They almost. They almost filled the entire stadium. 63,000. I will say to everyone, when I was walking in, everyone was yelling, we love your podcast.

[A]

Really excellent.

[B]

We love Denver. I love Denver.

[E]

I would live.

[B]

I would live in Denver, in Colorado. If my wife wasn't, like, so affected by the altitude, we would probably live there.

[A]

Yeah, but they're Colorado special. It really.

[C]

What about you, Abs? What did you do over the weekend?

[B]

Well, obviously you know that I was heavy into March Madness. But what I want to talk about right now is I just want to do a little like, nepotism. My little, my nephew, Brady Wambach, he is a face off guy at unc. He plays across there and he's the number one face off guy in the country. Their team just beat Harvard this weekend and Harvard was ranked third or fourth and they were like fifth. So they're going to move up in the rankings. And I just want to give him a special shout out because when you start the game or after goals or halftime in lacrosse, you do a face off. It's like a kickoff, but they do it. They do it every, every restart after a goal or a half or the, the start of the game. And that's what his specialty is. And it's a big deal because in order to have more chances at scoring goals, whoever gets, whoever has the best face off guy will have more attack and have more chances at scoring goals. So on Sunday, he, he went 23 for 27. He won 23 or 24 out of 27. Like in terms of percentages, like, it was like almost 90% win percent, which is very un. It's just very abnormal. So I want to give him a shout out because Brady is crushing it. He does triathlons. Like he, he did a half ironman in the off season last year. Dude is just like a beast and just like goes after it. So I just feel so proud of him. I'm going to try to get to their first round NCAA game.

[A]

That's fantastic.

[B]

In May. Um, hopefully they have a home game,

[A]

which I think they have professional lacrosse now.

[B]

They do, yeah, they do. And he actually played over the summer for the U20 US USA team. So.

[C]

So, so he's legit.

[B]

I think he's like working his way towards potentially getting on the roster for the 2028 Olympics. And I don't want to say that because I don't know enough. I know that there's a lot of great guys and players out there, but I think he's trying. He's going to try to. Why not go for it and get into the Olympics? Amazing.

[A]

What's the worst thing he happened? It doesn't make it go.

[B]

He's gotta go for it.

[E]

Yeah.

[C]

Kinger. There was this video that showed him talking about Abby and family ties and it was so sweet. He was like, I just, I just want to make my aunt so proud after all she's done.

[A]

Oh, that's Great.

[B]

So cute.

[A]

Does he ask you questions like how to get better and stuff? Like, at least emotionally, mentally, at least?

[B]

Yes, I think more so. It's like, I'll watch him play games, and I'll just be like, dude, I love your fight. You know, it's more or less like he knows what he's doing. He doesn't need my help. Like, that's the truth of it. Like, he has. He's.

[A]

It sounds like he sounds a lot like you, actually.

[B]

Yeah, he's got it. And. And I know myself, and I didn't want anybody's advice except my coaches and my teammates.

[A]

Oh, that's interesting. Really? Yeah, that's interesting. I always listen to everybody and glean the information that I think maybe I can use.

[C]

All right, I know we were also watching a ton of March Madness, so I need to give you all the bracket update. Mind you, this is after Elite eight, round one, day one. There's two days of Elite eight. So they had, of course, two games on Sunday, and there will be two more tonight. We are recording this on Monday morning. So as of the end of day one, Elite eight, we have in first place on her own, which she keeps reminding me, Sarah Spain. The good game with Sarah Spain. Congratulations, Sarah. You're at 980 points.

[A]

You're such a slice.

[C]

Ah, such a slice. And welcome to the party is sitting in second place with 940 points in third. Okay, Glennon, Glennon, Glennon. We can do hard sports.

[B]

And I promise I did not help her with that. She did all of those 930 points.

[C]

Glennon is above a touch more. And Sue Bird. That's what she keeps saying. I can't believe I'm above Sue Bird. She's above Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe. And the women's game is in fourth. That's a touch more in the women's game in fourth underneath Glennon. And welcome to the party. And Sarah Spain. Good game there at 900. Recap shows at 850 time wasting is no longer in last place. Good job, Ally. Moving on up, Kelly, 830. Oh, and coach Jackie. I'm sorry, Coach Jackie is in last place with 760. Coach Jackie was at the game. I saw her from the stands when I was on the field. Yeah, she was like, yo, Jules. She of course, had her Washington spirit gear on. I said, easy. There's a lot of Denver fans around here. Okay. Happy to report that we have had the staff for the. Our podcast staff joined. We had had it wrong. We had intern Emma at the top. Well, it turns out that was a little bit of a miscommunication happening. I'm not sure what happened, but Taylor, who runs all our social is is right now on top with 980. Pretty much. Spainer.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Jack, our awesome editor, sitting in second. Let's go, Jack.

[B]

Let's go.

[C]

At 920. And Emma still doing respectable. 910. Okay, listener leaderboard. Daddy 12 don't know who Daddy 12 is. Who's your daddy? Who is your daddy? 12 is in with 1060 points.

[A]

How he's killing.

[C]

Only missed five total incorrect picks throughout the entire tournament. That's amazing.

[B]

Jules, have you seen the one kid he had a perfect bracket?

[C]

Yeah, the eighth grader.

[B]

Yeah. I think that he lost since, but I couldn't believe that.

[C]

So, Abs, give us some March Madness updates if you would.

[B]

Yeah, yeah. And again, I know Julie said it, but I just have to reiterate. We are recording this Monday morning. So the other two games are set to be played tonight. So we're not going to be obviously talking about those results because they haven't happened yet. We really want to talk about UConn against Notre Dame, obviously, and. And UCLA versus Duke. But first, we want to go Yukon. Notre Dame. It was Yukon's day. It was Yukon's day with the. I mean, actually, I felt like it was the hardest game that Yukon had to play and. And now Yukon is advancing to their 25th. I say that again. 25th final four.

[C]

I think that's a good right. I don't think anyone has been to 25. It's gotta be clap 4G, R, E,

[B]

L. You know, baby, now we got to move on to the UCLA vs. Duke game, which had me a little stressed.

[C]

Kids, I think you're going to be

[A]

a little stressed since you put ucla, ucla, no stress.

[B]

And yeah, I guess the pot. The party people might not know that we have UCLA to win this thing. Okay. In our bracket. So we are. We are. We are all in on ucla. And I love me some Duke. I love. I love those girls. Like they're a great team, but we were hardcore cheering for Duke do.

[E]

For.

[B]

For ucla.

[C]

It's all just about the winning people. We're.

[B]

It's true.

[A]

Once you put it down, it's done.

[B]

This is fantasy basketball. And look like the first half, man, like UCLA was. They came out, they were a little slow. I think they were tentative, maybe a little nervous, but they came back in the second half. I texted Corey Close, the UCLA coach after, and I said I would Have. I would pay money to have been a fly on that halftime wall. Like, to know what she was like, had to have said to those, those women and for them to come out in the second half like they did, it was incredible. Lauren Betts, she led all scorers with 23 points. Gianna Neepkins. I, I'm not going to say that it was all me because I know it was all her, but I sent her energy through the tv. I sent Gianna, I sent her energy and then she like hit a three and I was like, let's go. Angela Dugalich, she was just like fantastic at the end, you know, it was just so fun to watch, obviously, because it keeps our bracket alive. But more than anything, knowing Corey, having the players on this podcast, like, I don't know, I feel like I've been a little bit of. Jules, do you feel, Billy, do you guys feel like you've been a little bit a part of this process with them? Like we've been, we've been in it with them a little.

[A]

Yeah, a lot of energy there. Yeah. I think everyone gets on there and just totally. When you're watching, I go nuts. I start yelling and sending energy. You can do it, you can do it. Come on, come on. Focus, focus.

[C]

Let's go stressed and have fun.

[A]

You're like a coach, aren't you? A little bit. I am. I get more touching.

[B]

So UCLA will take on the winner of Texas, Michigan, which is obviously playing tonight. Let's go, Michigan. I feel like I'd sing their fight song right now if I knew what is the Michigan fight song.

[C]

Play the music. Play the music. As, as Abby, as Abby gives the promo, Texas number one versus number two Michigan. We actually, because the brackets are split 5, 2 in favor of Texas in the pod challenge, we actually took Michigan because we think that this could be the differentiator. The difference. The differentiator. So yes, I know Texas is. And we know Texas is really good, but we thought, well, everyone's going to pick Texas. Let's pick Michigan.

[B]

Yes.

[C]

And ride, ride the Wolverines into the final four.

[A]

Well, that was great reasoning. I'm really impressed.

[C]

Okay, we're the only two. Glennon and welcome to the party are the only two big Michigan, by the way. So we are. We are singing that fight song. Hail to the victors.

[A]

Okay.

[C]

And just going back to that ucla, Duke game. A bad Sunday all around for Duke. Did y' all see the ending game?

[B]

That was incredible.

[A]

Unbelievable.

[C]

And then it was that Caitlin Clark esque logo 3 by UConn freshman Braylon

[A]

Mullins finally got the ball, too. They know he's the best shooter. Did you see the. The.

[B]

The. The seconds before Duke had possession?

[C]

I know.

[B]

And then they lost it. They turned the ball over and then this guy down.

[A]

They have to be on the halfway line in time, and they weren't.

[C]

I felt awful for Boozer, who was one of the ones who.

[A]

The kid who threw it. Oh, my God.

[C]

Oh, y. Felt terrible for him. All right, party people, let's get into this Party Starter, the highlights, shakeups, and headlines you'll want to celebrate this week in women's sports. Party Starter is brought to you by Ally the Bank. That is your Ally Kinger. You have topic number one. And this is cool because I didn't even know about this. It's the Sunshine Double.

[A]

Yeah. It's the Indian Wells and Miami Open that if you win both, they call it. Now that you've won the Sunshine Double, which is great. It's just adding a little more flavor to it. People pay attention to both tournaments, but center and Sabalenka both did it, and it's amazing. Those two players. Anyway, it was great. Tennis loved it.

[C]

Yeah. And my understanding is that it's really rare. Right. Like, this is something. Oh, no.

[A]

It's hard to win back to back in tennis. It is.

[C]

So why is it so hard?

[A]

Oh, you're exhausted. Because to win a tournament. I remember if I ever. When I won a tournament on Monday, I had to take off and go to bed.

[C]

That doesn't sound like the king or. I know.

[B]

And also does it matter? Because both of these are in hot places like Miami and in Palm Springs, California.

[A]

For sure. For sure. It takes a lot out of you. Yeah. You've got the dryness in Palm Springs. Really dry. And then you go to Miami where it's really humid. So it's. It's. You're just always adapting. I mean, every tennis having to go

[C]

from both to both.

[A]

I mean, it's like when you guys walked on a field, wasn't every field different? Every tennis court's different. It's also at an angle because when it rains, it has to drain. I mean, there's all kinds of things, you know, so time change, three hour time change, which isn't bad for tennis. We're used to going to Australia. Someplace that'll kill you. No, but it's like you have to adapt. Champions have to adapt, have to adjust. You just have to center in life.

[C]

Completed that double, and he didn't even drop a set. And then you got Sabalenka, he didn't even drop a set between the two tournaments. Then you got Sabalenka, who took down number three, Coco Goff. 624663. Second. That's second straight Miami Open title. Oh, yeah, I know all this, King.

[A]

Oh, you know everything. But in Indian Wells, Savalink with Rebecca, they were both down match points. It was one of the greatest matches I have ever seen. And they win 2.3 million for winning these two tournaments. The men and women.

[C]

Say that again.

[A]

Tennis is fantastic. I know you win, you win. But every match counts towards your ranking. And they change every week. There's constant. There's no let up, man. There's no let up.

[C]

Okay? And breaking news, this just in from Ben Rothenberg. He has a tennis newsletter, Bounces. He's reporting that the WTA finals is set to leave Saudi Arabia after this year. It was a three year deal. So that now they are looking for a new host country or City for 2027.

[A]

Do you know, I want them to play. In the old days, we used to play at the Garden, Madison Square. It was great.

[C]

Bring it back.

[A]

Well, I'm a prejudice. I'm an American. This game is so worldwide.

[C]

Awesome.

[A]

There's so many players from all over.

[B]

We're going to switch gears to professional women's hockey, y'. All. I don't know if you've heard Jules and Billy, but the Montreal Victoire defeated the New York Sirens 3 to 1 on Saturday in Detroit as part of the PWHL Takeover tour, which I just think that that's such an incredibly smart way to go around the country and brand your teams in different cities. Historic game. It was broadcast on Ion and it was the league's first nationally televised game on linear tv.

[A]

Isn't that great?

[B]

Thanks to partners. Yeah, thanks to partners, partnership with Scripps Sports and our friends Ally Financial, they were sponsors of that game. We're so proud to be a part of the Ally Financial family. And the crowd of 15,938, it set a new Michigan record. I mean, folks, all of these women's sports are just breaking records. It feels like every other week. And Ion will also air the pwh, the PWHL finals, another first. That is a five game series in May. So look to Ion to see those finals. It's gonna be. It's just been an incredible year for women's sports, but especially for the PWHL and women's hockey. It's really incredible.

[A]

Well, I met Brian Lawler at the pwhl, had Sponsors and future sponsors at this dinner on the Monday night during the Winter Olympics. And Brian Lawler's there and he says he wants to be women's sports for. For ion. So really cares a lot about it. He wants to really do a great job. And so this is the first PWHL game. But I'm so excited. I mean, and we. The reason we go to these cities too. We're looking at future franchise cities. You know, like, should they have a team? Should they have a team? Because we're not franchise yet, but yeah. Anyway, that's smart. Yeah. That's what we find out if people show up or not. Because you want to do well. Just like they did in Denver with the soccer.

[C]

Yeah, exactly. Okay. Nwsl. Speaking of soccer, Angel City, let's go. Wins again over Houston 2 to 1. Jan's daughter, did you see this goal? Yes. Another banger.

[B]

Also, did you see their celebration? I thought she'd pour her whole.

[C]

Everyone was like, okay, great goal, but are you okay? So Jan's daughter is sitting with three goals and two assists in three games, Right?

[A]

Amazing.

[C]

She's right. And right behind her is rookie Leah Godfrey from San Diego Wave. A rookie, three goals already. She's in second place. All American from uva. And then you have Barbara Banda, who's back from that adductor injury she. She got in August of last year. She's already scoring three goals in her first three games. But Angel City is the only undefeated team in the league. Oh, my God. Three wins, nine points. Top of the table. Put it up there, Jack.

[A]

Really.

[C]

And we have a game in hand. Most of them have four games.

[B]

We only have three.

[C]

And we're still sitting top of the table. I know it's early days party people, and we're very excited, but don't get celebrate.

[B]

We are, man. I'm okay.

[A]

We're so excited. We've done so poorly. Is this. This is such a refreshing moment.

[C]

So pumped. Okay. And strange start to the season all around. Cause you got Washington spirit with their draw against Denver. With the game I was at, that was a 00 draw. Washington, one of the favorites, has zero wins, three draws and one loss on the season. Casey Current, another Preseason favorite. Only one win and three losses. Gotham, they drew last night. 00. That was Sunday night to Orlando. They only have one win in four games. This is shaping up to be a

[B]

lot of parody, man. Yeah, a lot of parody in this game.

[C]

Okay, that's a wrap on our party starter. And thanks to Ally for sponsoring this segment. Ally is more than a bank. And their do it right approach helps customers unlock their economic potential and guides their efforts As a leading sponsor in women's sports. Just like us, Ally believes that when women in sports, we all have a reason to party. Ally, bank member, fdic and up next, Maryland head women's basketball coach Brenda Freese and star player Aluchi Okonawa. Their viral moment. And also we play a really fun game of read my lips. You don't want to miss this party, people.

[B]

This episode of welcome, welcome to the party is brought to you by cologuard, a non invasive colon cancer screening test. So, Jules, when people think about colon cancer, right, they often assume it only impacts them if it runs in their family, okay? But the reality is up to 75% of people diagnosed have no family history at all. I repeat, there is no link to family hereditary because 75% of people diagnosed have no family history at all. The encouraging part though, Jules, is colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers when it's caught early. And whether you have a known family connection or not, and even if you don't have any symptoms, staying up to date on screening is critical. The cologuard test is a screening option delivered to your door. The test helps make screening feel, I think, more doable for people by removing some of the friction that keeps people from getting screening, like prep and taking time off work, et cetera. So when I heard that one of my dearest and closest family members was diagnosed with colon cancer, it was really scary. And I think that it, it kind of woke me up into really wanting to take care of myself and get the screenings done. And so I don't know. I think that I also have not used Cologuard because I am considered a high risk. And so if you are high risk, then you would do a colonoscopy, which is what I do. Cologuard is for folks who are not necessarily considered high risk. And I think that for me, too. I want to talk about this. Because colon cancer is one of the most preventable cancers. You just have to be on top of it. Don't assume that you're going to be fine just because nobody in your family has it. Go get tested. Order a color guard test. It's at home. This is not one of those situations where you have to go into the hospital and get put under anesthesia. You can do this from the comfort of your own home. There are no excuses. Get screened for colon cancer, please, party people. I really don't want any of you to Go unscreened from this preventable disease. And the Cholergaard test is simple. It's a simple way to get it done. So if you're 45 years or older and at average risk, ask your healthcare provider about screening for colon cancer with cologuard test. You can also request a cologuard prescription [e-mail].

[C]

And now to the partiest part of our party. Maryland's sadly out of March Madness, but that moment isn't. Coach Brenda Freeze and star player Luchi Okonawa lit up the Internet with that sideline exchange during March madness that had everyone suddenly thinking they were expert lip readers. And of course, now everyone's got an opinion. So we went straight to the source. Yes, today on the party, we've got one of the most accomplished, accomplished coaches in the women's game, Maryland head coach Brenda Freeze. 24 seasons at Maryland, over 600 wins, 23 trips to the tournament, Y', all, 12 sweet 16s, seven elite eights, three Final Fours and a national title in 2006. And we've got her star guard Aluchi Okonawa. All big 10, first team, AP All America honorable mention. Averaged nearly 18 points a game all season. And yes, she loves fashion. Perhaps the best, best nickname out there ever, Gucci Lucci. Coach Freeze and Gucci Lucci. Welcome to the party.

[A]

Let's go.

[C]

Welcome to the party.

[E]

Wow.

[A]

Thank you for having us.

[D]

That's awesome.

[A]

That was very mild, actually.

[B]

You know, I was watching you guys 20 years ago when you won the national championship, and I'm coming up right now with my, with it in my brain. Last name Toliver. Was she a player on your team? A three point shoot, point guard?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Christie Toliver.

[A]

You know, stop it.

[C]

Abby, drop the mic.

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Overtime is our time. That, that was a massive shot that she sent to go to overtime to win that national championship. 20th anniversary this year.

[A]

Oh, wow.

[C]

That's crazy. That's crazy. Coach, can you. For the party people, those are our listeners, we call them. Can you give some background on that second round game in the tournament? It's versus UNC and what led to that moment with Aluchi, if you would.

[D]

Yeah, you know, I mean, obviously Alucci and I have always had a really special relationship and you know, someone that, you know from the moment, you know, we recruited her out of the portal and someone who wants to be the best. I mean, she wants to play at the next level and wants to be a pro and wants to be coach hard and, you know, having the body of work this season and she led our team in scoring. She's does so much for us. And she was having, you know, a difficult tournament, you know, foul trouble the first game, then, you know, a lot of uncharacteristic mistakes by her in, in the UNC game. And you know, you can always tell when a player kind of gets in their head and you know, when she's not, you know, making layups and free throws and something's off. So I've always led from the heart. I've always, you know, want to instill belief and confidence and just felt like at that time, I don't know what switched over with me, but knew I needed to take her out and kind of get her a reset and then get her back in. So, you know, obviously you're in the NCAA tournament, win, you advance, lose, you go home. And just really, I think, you know, obviously the four most important words, the good thing, people could read lips because I was very demonstrative and very passionate with how I coach. But were the words I believe in you and, and you know, it's not my story, this is your story and we need you to go out and go take it and you know, but you know, I mean, those interactions, they come quick. And it was caught on national television. Obviously, you know, I'm a very handsy and emotion, you know, passionate type of coach I've always been. I had the same interaction similar with Marissa Coleman in the 2006 national championship game. You just at that time didn't have things that were going viral like they do nowadays.

[C]

Right. And for Aluchi, in that moment, what was your response when she's in your face talking about this? I believe in you. What was your response emotionally, physically?

[E]

Yeah, well, I mean, honestly, it was like a bit of a wake up call for me because prior to her subbing me out, I remember I was coming off the court and kind of frustrated because, like, like, why am I coming out? Like, what's going on? You know what I mean? It wasn't until I went back and I watched the film that I was like, I understand why she called us up for me, but so just kind of in that moment, I'm like, okay, she's gonna talk to me like, we've done this before. But this one just felt different. You know, it really like there was a sense of urgency behind it. And like coach said, this is the NCAA tournament, so if you lose, you are done for the season, which unfortunately none of us wanted to, to be at the time. So I mean, just as she was, like speaking life into me, I was like, yeah, like, there's a lot of. I know you can't see my face, but it was just a lot of nods and everything I was saying back to her was just in agreement to what she was telling me.

[B]

Can I ask a follow up question on that? Because I think that what a lot of people get wrong when they see that, visually speaking, I was watching it with my wife, who is not a sports person at all. She was like, oh, God, that girl. What's happening? Why is that coach so mean, right? And I was like, no, no, no, babe. Like, she's talking, she's coaching her up. Like she, you can see the words, like, read her lips. Like she's saying, I believe in you. And I had full body chills during this moment. How do. Because I know that this doesn't happen in that moment at that game without many hours and many conversations and a lot of relationship building. Where does this begin? How does this start relationally for you, Brenda? And then, and then, and then Gucci Lucci, I'm just going to call you that forever. How does it, how does it, how do you also curate this in a coach? Because this is a two way street here. I think it's so fascinating.

[D]

Yeah. You know, I think it, you know, it clearly started, you know, from the very first phone call I had with Lucci to come here to Maryland and, you know, finding out what her dreams and her goals were. And, you know, Lucci has not been shy of what she wants and the big dream she has. And, you know, she has told me on countless occasions, coach me hard, don't tell me what I want to hear, Coach me hard. And just like you alluded to, I can't coach every single player on my roster like I can with them. And I've said this like the best of the best, the elite of the elite, like, they want to be coached hard. The all Americans that we've had in this program, the pros, because they want to continue to, to get better and they're okay with being vulnerable. They're okay, you know, yeah, you don't want to make mistakes, but they want to be elite, teach me how, how to be a lead. And so, but again, like, not everyone can, can take that. And, and so from my end, I have to know which players can, can handle what. And some, some would need to, you know, have a softer version of I believe where, like, I love the fact that, you know, Lucci has wanted it. And again, I mean, when, when you're the best player on our roster. And you can coach, coach you hard. You, you, you've seen, you know, just how she's been able to, to thrive.

[C]

Kinger, when you saw, saw the moment, what did, what went through your mind?

[A]

I think that it reflected what was needed at that moment. And you can tell the faces stayed close together. Okay. If a player's not happy, they start to go back like this. They go away.

[C]

Interesting. Yeah.

[A]

And they both just nose to nose. And then I did lip read. I believe in you. And I'm like, yes. I said yes. Watching it. I was like, oh, that was so great because that getting me fired up. If I were a player, if I were playing basketball. I don't know about you too, but I love it. I want a coach to just tell me like it is. Don't. And you say, you know, I want to call you Gucci now. Anyway. Gotta hope you have a deal with Gucci. So anyway, I was like, the way you stood there and just right nose to nose, I go, they have a great relationship because the player would have backed up. They would have kind of, you know, you would have seen him like, okay, coach, okay, okay, okay. No, she's like, right, okay, okay. I loved it. So you knew that the relationship was strong. But I believe in you so positive. I mean, how can you not love that as a, as a jock, as a player? Come on, give me, give me the ball. It's great.

[E]

It's kind of what coach said about like we've had so many conversations and I've said, oh, I want it like, oh, coach me hard. But like they are going to be moments where then that's tested and it's like, okay, I told all this to her, but now I actually have to be about it and absorb the criticism and absorb the correction when it's given to me. So it's like you said, spot on. I was like, I can't back away from this because like what I'm going through right now is exactly what I've been asking her for and what she's been doing for me all season.

[C]

I know you, you both said that you were kind of surprised it went so viral. And I also saw Aluchi that your parents were equally surprised it went so viral. Why were they surprised as well?

[E]

Yeah, well, so they were just surprised because like growing up, my, my parents, they're from Nigeria and just living in the Nigerian household. That is a normal day to day conversation. You know, like when you haven't gone up and done your chores, they're getting in your face and you know, coaching maybe not the I believe in you more so like you better. Maybe not as encouraging, more of like a reminder. But yeah, no, I mean, like, just I've always in a sense, been coached hard my whole life, but it's come from the same good place of like, understanding that I have so much, much potential and I want to reach it. So that's why it's so important for me to be around grown up individuals who are going to help me get there.

[C]

I think also too, coach, when I heard you just say, right, you have to, you have to have the trust of your players first. And I want all coaches out there to hear this because I do think some people when they see that go, oh, I can do that. No, not all people can do that. Right. One, you have to have the trust of, of the player. And two, knowing which ones, to your point are able to receive that. And I think the best coaches know that and know their players and they've built that trust and that love so that they can actually go at them. And it's received because we have seen a lot of situations and where a coach tries to do that and it's not well received, of course, because they just haven't built those two things. And so I think that distinction is very important for you to say, which I applaud.

[A]

No, it's huge. And I thought you could tell Brenda was a great coach. You could just tell that she knew what to do with this particular player. Great coaching.

[E]

Yeah.

[B]

Brenda, I have a question for you. You've been at Maryland for decades and you've been in this game for so long. How have you seen not only coaching in the grand scheme of things change, but coaching inside of your own program change over the years? Like, how have you evolved in a way?

[D]

Yeah, I mean, you have to evolve. I mean, this landscape has changed drastically, I think. You know, obviously there's so many great things with social media and the phone and. But there's a lot of noise out there as well. And you know, in the past, your most impactful person coaching players would be the head coach. And now we're just one of many. And, you know, there's a lot of people that are influencing and impacting and then I think, you know, the most important thing for me is just, you know, I want to build a solid of relationship with each and every one of our players so they can trust me and that they'll run through a wall for our program. And I'm really intentional with the day to day, because I think there's so many things coming at these student athletes that, you know, from one day to the next, you've got to be able to have your pulse on each and every one of them. Like if a Lucci that day would have been like under the weather, right. It might not have been received as well, you know, because she's miserably sick. And I would need to know that and that would be an important factor. So I think that's something I pride myself on. Our staff does a great job of just really being in tune to our players, but I think I'm fortunate the way I was raised and with my parents, I mean, I can read a locker room, I can read a timeout like no other. Maybe the experience factor, but I've always really been in tune to body language and reactions. And so I can, I can come out of a pre game talk and turn to my assistants and be like, this player is not ready to go. I can feel her nerve anxiousness or you know, this player's locked in the eye contact that I had from. And so I think that is probably maybe my superpower a little bit is, you know, just that piece of kind of feeling it out and reading the room I think are really important. And you know, what if I miss on it, I'm going to come behind, you know, whether I test that out in practice to see how hard I can coach a player. If I make the mistake, you know, in game, I'm going to come be behind at the first opportunity. If I see something doesn't land, I, you know, and I can feel that from the reaction. I'm going to want to try to then, you know, I never want a kid spiraling, especially in a game. I mean, our competition is the opponent, not me. And you know, I want them to be as best suited for those games.

[A]

Yeah, but I heard the thing I heard, and I've always noticed, is that you read the body language, not what they're saying. Their body language tells you everything. Don't you think? I do. When I coached.

[B]

And I think what's fascinating too, Brenda, what you were just talking about is that you aren't, you aren't perfect, right. And sometimes you're going to get it wrong. So if you do have a sense inside of you that you've gotten it wrong before the girls go back out, before the women go back on the court, you pull that player aside and you say, I think I got that wrong. You just go out and be yourself or whatever it Is. And I think that that is an art that is so uncommon because most people are not self aware enough. Where do you get this awareness? Like where you said your, your family, like are you a meditator? What, what is happening?

[D]

I honestly, I think for my dad, you know, he always had this like just really, you know, both my parents, but he really had an awareness of just relationship wise and just, you know, raising six kids and just I look back and the things that he was able to show and that he modeled right. And that we picked up on. But they do. I mean, you know, you think about in coaching, right? It's high level, you're in the NCAA tournament and sometimes these conversations are seconds, right? They're like of how they land. And so, you know, if I do, if it's something that I've said at halftime and it hasn't, you know, with a certain player, I'm gonna take, you know, those 30 seconds. I can, when we get off the, you know, get out there at halftime and be like, hey, you know, when I said this, this is what I meant and this is why I believe in you. And so I just think when you can have those communication pieces as well as the relationship behind it, it's really, really important.

[C]

Aluchi, you said something on the Glenn Clark radio show that stuck with us and you said about this whole moment, it just goes to show you just how many people really need to hear I believe in you.

[B]

Bravo.

[A]

It's great.

[E]

I mean it's such, it's the truth. And what's actually funny is in that moment, I didn't even know I needed to hear it. Like I wasn't necessarily looking for a coach to be like, I believe in you. You know what I mean? Just because from our relationship, if I'm being honest, I already know she does. Like she can be like coaching me as hard as she is. She doesn't even have to say it for me to know that she believes and my capabilities. But yeah, I mean like you go through life and it's just one day after another just like pounding on top of you. And until it's like you just hear, I believe in you. Like you can do this, you know, you can get through this and it's really encouraging.

[B]

Follow up question. We were talking a little bit earlier about your dreams and your goals that you've been very open with your coach about. Can you tell us some of them? Like what are your goals? What do you want out of your time at Maryland and what do you want in your future? Like what are we looking at here? I want to know because I do think that there's something to be said publicly speaking your goals out loud and then feeling accountable towards them. And I think that you're kind of one of those people. So I would love to know.

[E]

I say it out loud, I write it down, I do the whole thing. So you're spot on. Well, for one, definitely the leadership aspect. And I mean, that's already something that I've grown tremendously here for my first time, for my first year here at Maryland. And I'm really excited for it being my senior year and me really taking on like the senior leadership and this is the place to be. I mean, like, we have amazing assistant coaches as well. That helps us with that. It helps us with finding and directing our voices, especially on the court. So that's definitely a goal. Just to get that as strong as I can before I leave here. And then also professional, like, I want to play the wnba. It's been my dream for years, since I started bouncing the basketball and it's just such a competitive league. And that's why I have those conversations with her. Because it's like, no, like you're going up against a lot of odds to try and play in the WNBA because there's so many girls in. And obviously as we're working on those expansion teams, more roster spots are opening, but you're fighting with a lot of people. So that's why I was just like, with her. We don't really have time to waste here. I just need you to be as open and honest and just get me to the player that I need to be in order to not just play at the next level, but succeed. Coach.

[B]

Go ahead, Jess.

[C]

I know. I love that because I know there's also a lot of people who. A lot of well respected coaches who talk often of your sustained excellence over those 24 years you've been at Maryland. And we talk about this a lot on the pod. It's one thing to be excellent. It's another to be consistently excellent. And for you to have that sustained excellence over and over, year after year and through all the changes that we've seen at the collegiate level. On top of that, Coach Corey Close actually has given a lot of great sound bites on this and how you've been so consistently excellent. I don't know if you've heard this one. Listen to this one.

[A]

I have so much respect for Brenda and her staff and how hard they work. I also, I heard this the other day about her, that she Always gets

[B]

credit for how well she recruits.

[A]

She doesn't get nearly enough credit for how well she coaches.

[B]

And I agree with that.

[C]

She is a heck of a coach.

[A]

And you know, the hardest thing to do is get teams to play really talented players to play hard and selflessly a high percentage of the time.

[B]

And she does that every year.

[E]

Facts.

[B]

What's it like hearing that from a coach like Corey? Brenda?

[D]

Yeah, you know, you know, Corey and I go way back when she was an assistant at Florida State and through our ACC battles. So just, you know, so much respect. You know, I think as peers and as coaches, you know, we, we understand, you know, how hard of a profession this is. Yes, I'm, you know, you know, I remember when I first got to Maryland, you know, and I was a young coach and you know, I was just hoping to get a contract extension that I was going to be good enough and they wouldn't fire me. And then 24 years later and you know, as you listed, you know, everything that's been accomplished, but honestly, I mean, those things don't happen. I think, you know, the beautiful thing is, and I think the message I would want to send is, you know, that's not what I seek for. Yes, I want our players to go to as many, you know, Final Fours and Sweet sixteens and cut down as many nets and help them achieve their goals. But because of the relationships, I think that's why you see, sustain the consistency and I, I'm very intentional between who we recruit here our day to day with like, you know, our staff knows, you know, we are, it is our student athletes first and everything we can do and help them to achieve those goals and, and then just being intentional with your relationships, you know, to me it's a top down leadership and when I'm serving others and, and show that model, everyone else is, is going to do that. And to me that's the byproduct of the consistency because you know, every single day we treat you right, we treat you. You know, you could be the janitor in our building and you're going to feel as important as a Lucci. And nobody is less than in terms of, you know, how we go about every single day with anyone we encounter.

[A]

It just shows you that relationships are everything. Yeah, they are.

[D]

I, I think, you know, when you talk about leadership and you know, many times when I go speak across the board to CEOs and, and different units, it's like, you know, like, you know, sometimes it's so simple but you know, and it is it's those four words, I believe in you. Right? And we forget, you know, if we haven't. And just like Aluchi made the point like, like, she knows I believe in her and, you know, would she have needed that? And she trusts me, but at that moment, that is what she needed. And. And it, you know, got her out of thinking about her past mistakes and got her moving to the present so she could perform. And, you know, there's times, you know, in my office I'll be like, have I checked in on, you know, have I given our video director enough love for everything that he's doing this season? Because I'm in my grind and doing my thing. And so I think from a leadership end when, you know, and trust me, there are a lot of people for me to go touch, but I am very intentional. I think that's why my staff stays here a long time. I mean, the healthy relationships that you have and just like the three of you, right, like you enjoy this time together and spending together, and I think that's important for a really healthy environment.

[C]

Before we let you go, in the spirit of the viral moment, we decided there was no better time to try a new game. We are calling Read My Lips.

[A]

Okay?

[C]

So I highly recommend for people listening on audio. You need to switch over to YouTube or Spotify. You must watch this, okay? Because here's how it's gonna work. We're gonna split into two teams competing against each other. Abby and Aluchi, the Youngins, are one team. Okay. I believe that Kinger and Coach Freeze are the other team. We're going to call them the seasoned veterans.

[A]

Okay?

[C]

So Kinger and Coach Freese are the other team.

[E]

Okay?

[C]

I am going to be the one that moderates this. I will give a phrase on my muted mic and you all have to guess what I am saying by reading my lips because I'm going to be. I'm going to be muted so no one party people knows what the phrase is besides me. Okay? So if the Kinger or coach read my lips first and they're gonna shout it out, right, you're just gonna be shouting what you think it is. Or if maybe Abby and Lucci guess it first, they get that point. All right, Coach, you can shout out as many guesses as you want. You have one minute. I'm gonna put my clock here too. We're calling it a minute to win it.

[B]

I believe in you. I believe in you.

[C]

Okay, are you guys ready? I'm gonna mute my mic and you can ask me to say it over and over again, if you want. Okay, I'm gonna mute my mic. Here we go. This is the first phrase.

[B]

Abby.

[A]

Happy new year.

[B]

Abby something. Abby something.

[D]

Do it again.

[A]

Happy New Year. But it's not. Is it, Abby?

[E]

Because it's.

[C]

Oh, God.

[E]

Something harder than I thought it was.

[C]

You're an.

[D]

I believe,

[A]

Abby. I believe in you. No, I'm kidding.

[B]

Abby.

[A]

I can't read that.

[E]

Abby.

[A]

Can you, coach? I can.

[B]

Do I like donuts? Abby likes donuts.

[A]

Well, that's true.

[B]

Chooses cameras.

[A]

Cameras. Or hamburgers. Or hamburgers.

[B]

Abby likes hamburgers.

[A]

Abby likes.

[C]

I can.

[D]

Oh, we're terrible.

[E]

She freezes really bad.

[B]

Oh, Abby.

[A]

Abby shoot airballs.

[E]

Abby shoots.

[A]

Yes.

[C]

Okay, okay, next phrase. Next phrase. Are you ready? 10 to the youngins. Abby shoots airballs.

[A]

I didn't know that. So you do have.

[C]

Next phrase. Are you ready, Kinger? Lock in. Let's go. Come lock. I need our seasoned veterans. We're really good at reading lips. We can't hear. Let's go. Okay, here's the second phrase.

[B]

Yes.

[A]

Holy.

[D]

I thought Gucci Lucci.

[E]

Gucci Luchi is dropping down.

[C]

Okay, I got one more just to give. Give our seasoned vets a chance. Okay.

[A]

Okay, one more.

[C]

All right. 2, 0. You can't win this. You've already lost. But let's do this. Little sympathy. I think you're gonna get it, Coach. Are you ready?

[D]

Yep.

[A]

Oh, she's frozen.

[E]

The resilient terps.

[A]

Oh, my God.

[C]

Oh, my God. Gucci Luchi. You need to be a lip reader.

[A]

I think you. You need to be a lip reader. I don't think you threw out one phrase. You were not reading it. I said, I'm not going to be

[D]

able to read her lips.

[B]

What was that last one, Jules?

[C]

The Resilient Terps.

[B]

The Resilient Terps? How in the heck.

[E]

Wow.

[C]

That was the phrase they used for their team this year. Is that right, Coach?

[A]

Yeah.

[D]

Yeah, absolutely, Coach.

[C]

I was trying to give you a softball there. I was throwing it up there.

[A]

Youth prevails here without any questions.

[E]

I told you once Abby said those magic words, I said, it's over now. She said, I believe in you.

[A]

Look at you. You're not competitive at all. I love it.

[E]

Yes.

[A]

That's great, Abby.

[C]

Abby likes hamburgers. Oh, that was my favorite.

[A]

That's what I thought.

[B]

I like cheeseburgers, so that wouldn't have even been true.

[A]

Oh, do you like cheese? Cheeseburger.

[C]

Oh, see?

[A]

I'm learning. This is good, y'.

[B]

All, thank you so much for coming on. Seriously. Like, I know that this is like an average, everyday thing that happens to you all, but like, it was such an important moment for me in my family. My daughter, who's going to play D1 soccer next year was watching this and I'm sure she's going to have some sort of interaction like that with hopefully her coach who's going to be coaching her up. So just thank you. You inspired us. And I cannot wait, Lucci, to see what happens in your. We will be following you, Brenda. We are forever fans. You all like, go Terps. Send me some gear. I will, I will rep it. I will rep it.

[E]

Wait.

[C]

Party pose on three. Your favorite party pose. It can be anything. Are you ready? Party pose on three. One, two, three. Oh my gosh. I love them. Aren't they impressive? Bellucci as well?

[A]

They both are great. Well, you know why? They worked well together. You can see.

[C]

Yeah.

[A]

Just listening to them.

[B]

Yeah.

[C]

Yeah.

[B]

I really enjoyed not just their conversation, but the conversation it has actually brought up. You know, the three of us, we've talked off, off camera a little bit about, you know, youth sports and I know that I did a post about this, this interaction between Brenda and Aluchi couple the day that it happened. And, and I think that there's obviously age appropriateness, there's timing of when this kind of coaching can be utilized in sport. Right. Like you're not going to be screaming in the face of a kindergartener. Well, I believe in you. Like, you have to be soft and you have to be gentle and, and age appropriateness is important to be considering here.

[A]

It's not that easy at the youth coaching level. It's, it's. You're getting people who are inexperienced. Don't you find that in soccer?

[C]

Yeah, yeah. And, and I think that's a great point. ABS is, which we mentioned in the episode. And, and Coach Freeze talked about, like you would never do that on someone one, age appropriate. But two, also, even if you're an adult, like, you don't come at someone like that unless you know that player is going to respond to them. Exactly.

[A]

And they had history. They have some.

[C]

Yeah. And you have worked on that relationship, which is why these great coaches are great, is because they have these relationships. It's. Yes, it's the X's and X's nos and the technical side of it. But most important, that sustained excellence comes from the fact that the players trust them and they can go hard at them because they know that at the end of the day the coach has their back, you know.

[B]

True.

[A]

I Also have another question. What if it had been a, a guy thing, a male thing in sports, do you think they actually would have covered it? I don't.

[B]

I had mentioned that.

[A]

Oh, you did, sorry.

[B]

Yeah, I have mentioned that because I think it's interesting because some parents did respond and comment on, on what I had said because I said, you know, men, this happens more often in men's sports. And again, if you're in youth sports and a coach is on the sidelines screaming at your 10 year old son, your parent is going to have some feelings about it. Right. So it's got to be age appropriate. And it's also predicated on the fact that if those players and coach have a relationship, that is what the basis of this kind of coaching requires.

[A]

I don't know, I just think they don't have any experience. The coaching at the, at the youth level. Most of the time it's just parents trying to get them organized, trying to help. And the thing, I don't know, the

[C]

thing I don't love either is that you do have youth coaches doing that. And if the team is successful and the players don't like it and the parents don't like it, but if the team is successful, they go, oh, well, maybe that's what's needed.

[B]

That's right.

[A]

I don't agree. I don't agree.

[B]

Because it's fear. Because the players then are playing out of fear. They're not playing out of this internalized knowing. Because what the difference is, a coach is yelling at you, you go into a fear response. And so then you become now more externally motivated. And then if a coach is coming in a loud way, but they're coaching you up, then they're saying, no, I believe in you. Right? Then you are able to internalize that information and let it come from inside of you.

[C]

Okay, party people, don't forget to subscribe to the welcome to the YouTube channel. Click that little bell icon so you can get updates when new episodes go live. And you definitely want to watch about Abby liking cheeseburgers today. I love it.

[B]

Yeah, it's also welcome to the party YouTube. Jules, I think you said welcome to the YouTube channel, but if you just

[C]

take one minute, it's obviously a party. Yeah, I don't even need to say it.

[B]

And also, if you just take a second, we would appreciate it if you could rate, leave a comment and subscribe on pod on the, to the podcast on Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts. And also be sure to follow us on Instagram or YouTube and wherever you get your socials at. Welcome to the Party show where Julie, Billy and I will bring the party straight to your feed. You can also email us at party people questions gmail.com. thank you again Kate Diaz for our theme music. We still love it and we love you. Bring it in you guys for our Oosa. Are you ready?

[A]

Yeah.

[B]

USA on three. One two three. Welcome to the Party is an independent production brought to you by Treat Media. Treat Media makes art for humans who want to stay human. Initial Digital is our production partner and you can also watch our full conversations on the One welcome to the Party YouTube channel and follow us at welcome to the Party show on Instagram and TikTok. Thanks for listening. The Color Guard plus test is intended to screen adults 45 years of age and older who are at average risk for colorectal cancer. Do not use the Cologuard products if you have had adenomas which are a type of colon polyp that can sometimes become cancer, inflammatory bowel disease or other hereditary syndromes, a personal or first degree family history of colorectal cancer or a positive result from another colon cancer screening method within the test recommended screening interval. Talk to your healthcare provider if any of these situations apply to you. Cologuard results should be interpreted with caution. A positive test result does not confirm the presence of cancer. Patients with a positive test result should be referred for colonoscopy. A negative test result does not confirm the absence of cancer. Patients with a negative test result should discuss with their doctors when they need to be tested again. False positives and false negatives results can occur. Available by prescription only.