More Than the Game: Peter Young on Faith, Family, and the Mental Side of Winning

Summary

Podcast Summary:

What Are You Made Of?
Episode: More Than the Game: Peter Young on Faith, Family, and the Mental Side of Winning
Host: Mike "C-Roc" Ciorrocco
Guest: Peter Young
Date: January 28, 2026

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Episode Overview

In this engaging episode, Mike “C-Roc” welcomes Peter Young to discuss the experiences and core values that shaped his life, both on and off the court. They explore Peter’s journey through college basketball, sports broadcasting, deep personal challenges, and the critical role of faith and mindset in defining true success. The conversation emphasizes the mental side of performance, family priorities, and forging an identity beyond achievements or setbacks.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Ingredients of Identity

• Basketball and Faith as Core Pillars

  • Peter shares that, at his core, he’s made of “basketball and faith,” explaining how sports have been a way to process challenges throughout his life.
  • "Some people, if there’s a difficult thing in their life, they sit down with somebody and have a cup of coffee. I go find a gym and shoot baskets." – Peter Young [00:27]

• Staying Fit Across Decades

  • Both Peter and C-Roc discuss how habits from being college athletes stay with them. Peter trades intense CrossFit for daily bodyweight workouts and mountain hikes as he ages, emphasizing smart competitiveness.
  • "In your mid-50s, when you’re trying to keep up with the guys in their 20s, you’re going to get hurt." – Peter Young [01:14]

Competitive Drive and Community

• The CrossFit "Murph" and Motivational Environments
  • Peter recounts his experience with the Murph workout, highlighting how group energy and support drive better performance than solo efforts.
  • "I was about 20 minutes slower by myself, and I was trying hard... Just shows you the motivation you get when you’re working out with somebody right there." – Peter Young [03:47]
  • Discussion of honesty and friendly competition during workouts.

Athletic Career Transition

• From College Basketball to "Almost" Sporting Greatness

  • Peter’s journey: Playing Division 1 at George Washington University, then aspiring to NBA, elite coaching, and sports broadcasting—none became his final destination.
  • "I was gonna be the next Larry Bird... That didn’t happen. Then I got into coaching... That didn’t happen. Then I got into sports broadcasting... That didn’t happen either." – Peter Young [06:13]

• Talent vs. Opportunity

  • Peter candidly admits his limits as an athlete—being a “tweener,” able to shoot and play hard, but not at NBA caliber. He describes the extraordinary difference in athleticism between good college players and NBA stars.
  • "At the Division 1 level, I really only brought two things to the table: I could shoot, and then I played really hard." – Peter Young [07:15]

Life as a Broadcaster

• Unique Opportunities and Trade-Offs

  • Peter describes the double-sided sword of sports broadcasting: the excitement of travel versus the costs to family life.
  • "If there was a guy... who could do the game in Denver or LA... they weren’t going to fly me out. And I chose that lifestyle... to raise my family in Idaho and Montana." – Peter Young [09:37]

• Career Highlights

  • Favorite moments included calling games with buzzer-beaters that made ESPN’s Top 10, despite not getting his audio aired.
  • "I'm back at my hotel room... and both plays made the ESPN Top 10 Plays of the night. They didn’t use my call... but those were some fun moments." – Peter Young [12:13]

Family, Faith, and Adversity

• Navigating Personal Challenges

  • Peter reveals his family’s brush with a religious cult and the toll on his marriage and focus—but maintains that most of his career went unaffected until things nearly unraveled.
  • "I unwittingly joined a tiny religious cult when I married the love of my life. And it... totally upended my life." – Peter Young [12:53]

• Prioritizing Fatherhood

  • Both men discuss the unique irreplaceability of being a present father and balancing ambition with family needs.
  • "Your children cannot replace you... they don’t want a replacement, shouldn't have a replacement." – Peter Young [14:42]

• Blending Profession and Parenting

  • Fond memories of bringing his entire family on broadcasting trips to keep connected during work commitments.

The Modern Chapter: Writing and Small-Town Life

• Broadcasting to Local High School Sports

  • Peter now finds fulfillment calling high school basketball games online, providing fun and connection in his Montana community.
  • "It kind of scratches the itch, and I love it... They have no idea I used to be a sports broadcaster for a living." – Peter Young [16:25]

• Transition to Real Estate and Writing

  • Sports broadcasting is now a passion project, with real estate and authorship as his main endeavors.

The Power of Mindset in Sports and Life

• Mental Preparation and Identity

  • Peter’s books (notably The Blue Team and Wardrobe of the Wolf) examine the mental game: how obsession and misplaced identity can sabotage success, and the power of faith to establish solid foundations.
  • "The game is won and lost in the mind." – Peter Young [17:42]
  • "If you put your identity in being a kicker, writer, a businessman, and you fail, that’s devastating... If your identity is in something greater, the moment still matters... but if you miss it, life goes on." – Peter Young [20:02]

• Faith as an Anchor Through Transitions

  • Peter describes how faith prevents devastation from professional setbacks and why identity rooted in something beyond achievement is vital.
  • "As a Christian, it’s quite easy. My dad is the creator of the universe. I’m a son of God, and so that’s my identity. Win or lose, I can still be absolutely driven..." – Peter Young [25:08]

• C-Roc’s Observations on Identity Loss

  • Through over a thousand interviews, C-Roc notes how losing an identity tied to career or achievement (e.g., athletes retiring, entrepreneurs selling companies) is often the darkest period in someone’s life.
  • "If there’s a way we can proactively create our identity... and understand the things we’re doing are vehicles, not our identity, we can hop in and out of vehicles with the same identity going towards the mission..." – C-Roc [21:19]

Handling Failure and Resilience

• Embracing Setbacks as Normal

  • Citing sports greats like Babe Ruth and Michael Jordan, they reinforce that frequent failure is a natural part of elite performance.
  • "Think about it: You’re an all-star in Major Leagues if you fail seven out of ten times. You’re in the Hall of Fame if you fail seven out of ten." – Peter Young [26:18]

• Growth Mindset

  • The conversation emphasizes moving on quickly from misses, learning, and not tethering self-worth to outcomes.
  • "Every shot, every at bat is a learning experience. You’re going to get better and you move on from it. Make or miss, you move on." – Peter Young [26:26]

Books and Storytelling

• Peter’s Books and Their Purpose
  • The Blue Team (about mental self-sabotage in sports);
  • Wardrobe of the Wolf (balancing ambition and marriage/family, built on his personal experiences);
  • Upcoming: East of Ashton or Green Timber (about fatherhood, coaching, and multi-generational family struggle).
  • Books are written for sports lovers and Christians, embedding gospel themes in accessible stories, “without hitting readers over the head with it.”
  • "I give people the gospel without them really knowing it... embedded in these stories is the gospel message." – Peter Young [28:23]

Memorable Stories & Lighter Moments

• On Returning to High School Coaching and Broadcasting
  • Comparisons to other athletes, banter about “going back” to competitive sports, and the joy found in local community participation now.

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Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• "Some people, if there’s a difficult thing in their life... I go find a gym and I shoot baskets." — Peter Young [00:27]
• "The game is won and lost in the mind." — Peter Young [17:42]
• "If you put your identity in being a kicker, writer, a businessman, and you fail, that’s devastating... If your identity is in something greater... if you miss it, life goes on." — Peter Young [20:02]
• "If there’s a way that we can proactively create our identity... and understand the things we’re doing on our mission are vehicles, not our identity..." — C-Roc [21:19]
• "You’re an all-star in the major leagues if you fail seven out of ten times... Hall of Famer if you fail seven out of ten." — Peter Young [26:18]
• "My dad is the creator of the universe. I’m a son of God, and so that’s my identity. Win or lose, I can still be absolutely driven..." – Peter Young [25:08]

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Important Timestamps

• [00:27] – Peter’s answer to “What are you made of?”
• [03:47] – The Murph group vs. solo motivation story
• [06:13] – The “failed next Larry Bird, John Wooden, and Bob Costas” story
• [09:37] – Why Peter stayed in Idaho and Montana for family
• [12:13] – ESPN Top 10 moment (but not his commentary)
• [12:53] – Personal/family struggles and cult experience
• [14:42] – Importance of fatherhood and irreplaceability
• [17:42] – On mental fortitude in sports and life
• [20:02] – On faith and identity versus professional roles
• [21:19] – C-Roc on lost identity after career transitions
• [26:18] – On failure being integral to sports greatness
• [28:23] – Gospel messages woven into Peter’s sports novels

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Where to Find Peter Young

• Website: authorpeteryoung.com
• Books: Available on Amazon
• YouTube: Book reviews and more (link via website)

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Final Thoughts

This episode offered a lively and heartfelt exploration of what truly defines success and fulfillment: persistence, mindset, and rooting identity in values deeper than one’s profession. With sports as a backdrop, Peter and C-Roc model candid self-reflection, the willingness to admit failures, and the power of faith, providing valuable lessons for any listener invested in personal development, parenting, or performance.

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For more:
Visit authorpeteryoung.com or find Peter’s books on Amazon.

Transcript

[C Rock]

Welcome back to the what do youo Made Up Show. It's your boy, C. Rock. I'm here with Peter Young. You guys may have seen him on that one podcast as well. We were talking about a different topic, but we're going to dive into his professional career and how he got doing that. What's behind that? Peter, welcome to the show, man. Good to see you again.

[Peter Young]

Thanks, Drock. Glad to be on.

[C Rock]

Yeah, man. Well, let's start the show the right way. We start with the same question every time on this one. It's what are you made of?

[Peter Young]

I'm made of a lot of things. Right. You know, it's funny because I was talking to a guy like via social media about we grew up in the same hometown. He's a gym rat and I'm a gym rat and I'm in my late 50s and I'll always be a gym rat. Some people, if there's a difficult thing in their life, they sit down with somebody and they have a cup of coffee. I go find a gym and I shoot baskets. That's what, like, I've always done, like in difficult moments when I need to think and clear my mind as I would go shoot hoops. So, yeah, I made up a lot of things. But you go back to things, you know, when you grew up and I knew sports and loved basketball, and so that's at my core, along with my faith. That's who I am, is basketball. Yeah.

[C Rock]

Yeah, Love it. So do you work out too? Like, besides basketball, do you lift weights at all or what do you do.

[Podcast Host 2]

In the gym besides basketball?

[Peter Young]

I do, yeah. You know, I actually went to CrossFit for a while. I don't know if you've ever tried that. I loved it. But, you know, you got to check your ego at the door. So, like in your mid-50s, when you're trying to keep up with the guys, your mid-20s, it's. You're going to get hurt. So now I still work out every day, mostly just body weight exercises and then I go hike a lot. See, I live in Montana and I mean, I can get on a great trail within half an hour. And I'm in the mountains, millions of acres at my disposal.

[C Rock]

Oh, that's nice, man. Yeah, I have the beach and the boardwalk here on the coast that I can use, but not this time of year. Well, I could, but I don't. I'm not a cold weather fan, so. So, like, I could bundle up and go out there and do that, but I just choose to stay inside in the gym. But I love lifting. I love, you know, just getting. After getting a good sweat. And now I have a daughter that plays travel softball, so I'm training her as well and making sure she's ahead of the other people. We just want to outwork people, you know?

[Peter Young]

Yeah, well, you know, I know you played college football, I played college basketball. You know, those. Let's say those habits are probably the best word that you learned and that I learned, that governed our lives for the first, what, 20 some odd years. They stick with you. And so I will never, you know, I'll be my 80s and I'll. And I'll still be working out. I will always do something right. Like, just. That's just part of who we are.

[C Rock]

Heck, yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. I want to.

[C Rock]

Yeah. And when you're talking about that, the.

[Podcast Host 2]

CrossFit thing, we have a form of that here.

[C Rock]

And when I was doing it, probably 2014, I started. And yeah, I was trying to be competitive, too.

[Podcast Host 2]

And it was a good thing.

[C Rock]

Part of it, too, with being competitive, because it makes you go a little harder, and you just got to temper it. You got to be, you know, at the end of the day, though, people would not count all the reps a lot of times. And I'd be like, there's no way you finish that fast. Get the hell out of here. But we got a little competitive in there.

[Podcast Host 2]

It was fun.

[C Rock]

But now, yeah, I'm 48. There's some younger guys in there, and I try to hang with them best I can, but then, you know, also, I don't want my heart to explode. Like, a lot of times, those workouts, your heart's like, I don't know if it could beat any faster, you know.

[Peter Young]

One of the best things about CrossFit and all those other gyms, I'll tell you this story. So CrossFit has that really well known workout, the Murph, right?

[C Rock]

So it's 100 pull ups.

[Peter Young]

What is it? 200 push ups, 350 air squats, and you do a mile on either side of it. And the first year I did it, I was mid-50s. I was about 50, 52, 53 minutes respectively.

[C Rock]

Did you do it with a vest on, too?

[Peter Young]

I did not do it with a vest on, no. But I didn't. Go ahead, sir.

[C Rock]

No, I was gonna say I didn't either. I'd say I have enough vest on.

[Peter Young]

Oh, my gosh. Exactly. So. And I did it. They call it chipper style. So I did the pull ups and then the push ups in order did that way and, and then there's a whole bunch of people there. There's music playing, everybody's cheering you on, you're all doing it together. And then I wouldn't did it like the next week on my own at the school playground, like, you know, where I could do my pull ups and run around the track and I was about 20 minutes slower and I was trying hard. That just shows you the motivation you get when you're working out with somebody right there who's watching you. It's amazing.

[C Rock]

Yeah, well, do you think you save a lot of time on that with going straight through? You didn't break it up is what you're saying.

[Peter Young]

I didn't break it up. And that's, I guess what I was taught. That's the way, like, you know, the pros do. It's harder, it's more competitive. So that's the way I wanted to do it. If I were to go back and do it now, I would break it up. You know, you do five push ups. No, five pull ups, 10 push ups, 15 air squats and do that 20 times.

[C Rock]

That's how I did it. Yeah, that's how I did it. Yeah. Because I didn't want to do it the whole way through. I thought I'd like just saturate the muscles with lactic acid. Wouldn't be, wouldn't be any good. But that last mile, though, I'll tell you what, that last mile, you know, you know, when I go through it, like one of the things that I. Every time, every year we do it Memorial Day weekend and I'll get about 30% of the way through, and I'm like, there's no way. This is what's going on in my head. Right? There's no way. Like, I'm only 30. I feel dead now. Like, there's no way. And then I just said, keep going, keep going. Just another rep, another set, another set. And then. And then when you're done, you're done. But then when you get to that last mile, though, it's like, oh, it's tough.

[Peter Young]

Yeah.

[C Rock]

Oh, yeah.

[Peter Young]

Last mile is hard because you've done all those air squats, so your legs are so stiff and swollen you can hardly move.

[C Rock]

Yeah, yeah. Oh, man, I didn't do it this year. I can't remember if I did it this year, but I've been doing it every year. I just don't recall if I did it this year or not. But it's a great way to really test your. Oh, yeah, your intestinal fortitude. Yeah.

[Peter Young]

Bent the way physical, right?

[C Rock]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, for sure. All right, so let's go. You went to the basketball realm, played college basketball. Where'd you play?

[Peter Young]

I played at George Washington University in D.C. d.C. So my last year there, we had Mike Jarvis as our head coach. I mean, if you know college sports, you'll remember him. He went to St. John's and then he did ESPN. So we were good one year. It was my last year.

[C Rock]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Okay. And then.

[C Rock]

And then did you, like, play overseas after that, or did you know it was over after college?

[Peter Young]

You know, I should have known it was over well before that. But, you know, once an athlete, always an athlete, you always think that there's a chance. But so, no, I didn't play overseas. I got into coaching. And if I told you this in the last podcast, but like the Reader's Digest version of my life is grew up in New Jersey, Gym rat. And I was going to be the next Larry Bird. He was my hero. I was dead certain I was going to be his teammate with the Celtics. And of course, that didn't happen. So then I got into coaching. So right after I got done playing, got into college coaching, and I was going to be the next John Wooden, Mike Krzyzewski, and that didn't happen. And then I got into sports broadcasting and I was going to be the next Bob Costas, and that didn't happen either.

[C Rock]

Well, what do you. What do you think as far as being live heard? Like, the talent just wasn't there or was it the willing to do what it takes?

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, what do you think was missing?

[Peter Young]

Well, number one, the talent. I mean, I'm six five. I was the classic tweener. So not fast enough or quick enough to be a good guard and not big enough to be effective on the inside. Yeah, Larry Birdis like six nine. He's huge.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[C Rock]

Yeah.

[Peter Young]

And could do everything well. And I at the Division 1 level, so I played at the D1 level. I really only brought two things to the table. I could shoot, and then I played really hard. I would dive loose ball. I'd set the good screen. I'd box out. I played really hard. Other than that, that was it. And if you're going to be, you know, going on to the NBA, like, I guarded a lot of guys who went on to the NBA, and they were marginal guys in the NBA, and they were incredible. Unbelievable.

[C Rock]

Night and day difference.

[Peter Young]

Oh, yeah, night and day.

[C Rock]

There's levels to it for sure. Yeah. And the levels are really spread far apart. Well, almost the time, you know, so.

[Peter Young]

Yeah. Do you remember a guy named Mark Macon? So, remember Temple basketball? So you're from Philly Temple, the late 80s with John Chini. They were really good. Yeah, Mark Macon was an All American. I held him to 35 points twice.

[C Rock]

Yeah, yeah.

[Peter Young]

This is different.

[Podcast Host 2]

And, and. And the other thing is, I noticed.

[C Rock]

With these athletes, too, that it. It's like their legs are almost like rubber. Like they had this bounce to it. It's just not. It's just weird.

[Peter Young]

The one thing that doesn't translate on tv, like, if you're watching the NBA, you kind of get an idea. They're big and they're tall. You know what C Rock doesn't translate is how quick they are. They are so quick. It's unbelievable, every one of them.

[C Rock]

Yeah, I was watching the Sixers the other night, and this Edgecombe kid, the rookie, is unbelievable. I don't know if you're following the Sixers right now.

[Peter Young]

I don't know. I don't watch.

[C Rock]

Their first round draft pick is. You know, they got Tyrese Maxey, they got obviously Embiid and Paul George and some other guys that are on the team, but, like, this kid and Jared McCain. But this kid, he's coming off as a rookie, and I think he was the second or third pick, can't remember, but he had a double block the other night, blocked it, and then had to hit it again with the other hand, the same play to pretty much lock up the game. And then he hit a hit, a three the other night to. To. To win the game.

[Podcast Host 2]

And.

[C Rock]

But just. I'm a Philly sports fan. I love Philly sports. But, like, it's just amazing to watch, like, yeah, the team coming together like that. So. All right, so then you're broadcasting, want to get in, broadcast, you want to be the greatest. What do you think the difference there was? Is it, as a lot of times, relationships, is it getting noticed? Is it having some kind of differentiating factor? Like, you know, Bob Costas has a unique voice. Right. So does Jim Nance and.

[Peter Young]

Right.

[C Rock]

What were your thoughts on that?

[Peter Young]

You know, there is certain amount of timing, certain amount of luck, certain amount of who do you know, getting to the right job, the right fit? But if you're talented, if that. If you're that good, they will notice you. People will notice you, and you'll get hired. For me, I was good. I wasn't great, but I wasn't bad. I was pretty good at it. But I lived in Idaho and Montana at the time. And so I was good enough to be working and making a living at this. But, you know, if there was a guy that was, let's say, younger than me and could do the game in Denver or LA or Phoenix, they weren't going to fly me yet. And I chose that lifestyle. I chose to live in Idaho and Montana to raise my family, and that's where I wanted to live. And so as a sports broadcaster, you're really doing two things. Usually C Rock, you're doing the local 6 and 10 at the ABC, NBC or CBS affiliate. Right. Or you're doing Play by play and you're traveling. And so I had five kids, you know, and traveling can get kind of old because you live out of an airport. It's fun, it's exciting, but the glamour can wear off, you know, like on your, you know, eighth city in nine days kind of a thing.

[C Rock]

Yeah. And were you just doing basketball mostly?

[Peter Young]

No, actually, for a long time I did. I used to joke I was the Bob Costas of sports. Nobody watched. So I worked for oln, the Outdoor Life Network. So I did skiing, lumberjack, rodeo, cross country skiing, alpine skiing, a lot of cycling. I did the Giro d', Italia, I did adventure racing, Morocco, lumberjack in Canada, you name it. And then later on I worked for ESPN3 and I did college football and basketball.

[C Rock]

Okay, gotcha.

[Podcast Host 2]

And in that career, what was the.

[C Rock]

Pinnacle in your mind, like, when you really enjoyed it, where you were like, wow, this is awesome.

[Peter Young]

Oh, boy, that's a great question. There would be a few. I would say every time I did a college basketball game, I loved it because I played and coached college basketball. And so I could show up and I could do the game play by play, because I knew the game so well and I loved it. And that's my passion. I remember a couple times I did. I think I did a game at Boise State once. And then I did a game at Wyoming. And at Wyoming, it was Larry Nance Jr. Who played in the NBA for a long time, and he came down the lane, he had this awesome dunk. And then in the game at Boise State, some guy from Colorado State hit a Bankton 3 to win it at the buzzer. And both times I'm in back of my hotel room. And ESPN's top 10 plays of the night they had. Yeah, so. So those two plays, the one time Larry Nance Jr. You know, goes in for this thunderous dunk when he's playing at the University of Wyoming. And then the Bankton three pointer, I'm back at the hotel that night. And both plays made the ESPN Top 10 Plays of the night. And they didn't use my call. They had like, the ESPN guy at the desk use their call. And I'm like, no, I was hoping they'd use my call, but, oh, man. Yeah, those are some fun moments.

[C Rock]

Yeah. So then we talked about it. For those who want to know your story further, we'll touch on that in a second in the book. But the things that you were going through in the family, did that hamper your career as well?

[Peter Young]

That's a good question. So, yeah, I mean, just real briefly, I unwittingly joined a tiny religious cult when I married the love of my life. And it kind of just totally upended my life. And for many years, yeah, I was a sports broadcaster and nobody had any idea. You know, we kind of kept it quiet. So did it affect my life? Yeah, I mean, a little bit later on, you know, when my marriage was about to fall off a cliff and my family was about to break up, I was still doing some games for espn. And yeah, sometimes it'd be hard. Like during the game, my boy. My mind would be wandering. Other than that, no, it didn't really have much of an effect on it. Yeah, thankfully.

[C Rock]

Yeah. So a lot of times it's a family that we have, that we choose to have kids and we choose to be a father, a certain type of father, present father. And, you know, I've had to do that over the years to try to figure that out. I got two kids myself and trying to figure out, like, do I want to have a job?

[Podcast Host 2]

Travels.

[C Rock]

So I want to have a job working like 10 hours a day, you know, And I know I lost some time with. With my son when he was younger, definitely because I was working my ass off. And I thought I had to. I thought I had no choice. Like, this is it. Otherwise I'm just going to have a family. We're going to be struggling all the time financially, this and that. And then I woke up, Peter. I started to realize, wait a minute, I can cause and create my life. And then I can, you know, decide whether I want to sacrifice and what I'm not willing to. The non negotiables. But there's no such thing as saying that you can't make it, quote, unquote, make it whatever that is and not be a great father and present father. So this thing I dove into a long time ago and went deep of how to structure your life and how to fact know that you're creating this but there is times where for sure, I could have did different things that I wanted to do. As I was younger, I just decided not to because there was a trade off.

[Peter Young]

So you think about the people that you've worked for, the companies, for instance, like OLN or espn, they'll find somebody to replace me. That company will be just fine. They will keep going and they have. But your choice, children cannot replace you as your father. Right. Like you are their father. And they don't want a replacement, shouldn't have a replacement. So that's really where we do need to focus our time. However, as fathers, we also have to provide for our kids and our family. And I remember early on I had my two oldest boys in their 20s now. We homeschooled when they were really little. And so I would, you know, we would drive down to Park City, Utah for a ski race and I would bring my whole family with me, my wife and my kids. We went to Alaska for a lumberjack competition, flew everybody up there, you know, and we hung out together as a family. So I have such great memories from those days.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[C Rock]

And what are you doing now? Are you still doing any games?

[Peter Young]

I do a little bit. So I've got one child still in high school and she goes to a small private Christian school outside of Bozeman, Montana. And so I do the high school basketball games on the Internet. See, one of the things that came out of COVID was this nfhs, I don't know what it stands for, but basically in most gyms in America, you'll have a camera that's kind of run remotely via a computer. And so all of the high school basketball and volleyball games can be seen online by, you know, grammy and grandpa or aunt and uncle who live out of the area. So you pay a monthly service. And so a lot of schools just throw it up there. And some schools will then provide, you know, play by play in color. So that's what I do. Kind of scratches the itch and I love it.

[C Rock]

Okay, okay, so for what, a high school team?

[Peter Young]

Yeah. So I do boys and girls, local high school, and I just do the basketball games. And again, it's so much fun. And I don't do sports broadcasting full time anymore. Real estate now pays the bills and my writing, which I'd like to get into. But I live in a farming community and so there have been times where people would come up to me and say they'd listen to the game on this NFHS of the local high school team and they say, you know, you're pretty good at that. And I'd say thank you. And they have no idea that I used to be a sports broadcaster for living all those years prior.

[Podcast Host 2]

We're back. We had some technical difficulties, but we're back and we're going to wrap up the podcast.

[C Rock]

You're talking about the books you have.

[Podcast Host 2]

Peter, first of all, how many books have you written?

[Peter Young]

So I've written three and I'm working on the fourth. So I got my memoir about my, you know, timing in and out of the cult. And then I've got two of the three books in a series about faith in basketball. So the first one was the Blue Team. And then the sequel came out this, well, last year, 2025, wardrobe of the Wolf. And then I'm working on the final book. I've kind of got two names for the title. But the idea is like the first book, the Blue Team, it's, you know, the main character is obsessed with being the next Larry Bird and really, you know, he sabotages his own career. Right. Like the game is won and lost in the mind.

[C Rock]

Oh, yeah, right.

[Peter Young]

Like for instance, you know, you go to the putting green and you got like a ten foot putt and you could just sink that all day long, right? Well, now go to the 18th green of the Masters and you're tied with Tiger Woods. There's a million people watching on cbs. There's a couple million dollars of stake. Now you got that same ten foot putt. Well, what's the difference, right? And your palms are probably sweating just thinking about it. It's our mind and what we bring to that moment. Either fear, doubt, anxiety or confidence. And so that's kind of the story within the story of the first one and then the sequel, main characters.

[Podcast Host 2]

Before we get to the sequel, I want to go into this. I'm going to go into this one a little bit because what you're talking about is that the six inches between your ears is where like most of the work happens, right? And we put in a lot of work ahead of time and we have to trust the work that we put in. Right? And if we don't trust the work that we put in, what's the sense in doing the work in the first place? And then we see how far we can take it from there. Right? That's what it comes down to. Like this guy, last night I was watching the Raven Steelers game. I don't know if you watched it, but the guy misses this chip shot field goal at the end of the game with two Seconds left. Everybody thought the Ravens were going to win. And when I saw some analysis. By the way, I love sports and I'm always looking into this part and the performance side of things. And I watch sports from that perspective of not just being entertained by it or rooting for my team, but like really understanding the mental part of it, the performance side of things. And I saw Dan Orslowski on ESPN this morning showing the other kicks where this kicker made it and his head was down the whole time and then it came up way afterwards. And on that kick he missed his head went up early and the direction that he missed the kick and. But. But it was a situation where they were going to win the game. The pressure was on, right? And he did something different than he normally would do because of that mental part that had nothing to do with anything else. He can kick the ball. He's done it many times. He's got I don't know how many practice kicks they put in, but that mental part got him at that moment.

[C Rock]

Right.

[Podcast Host 2]

You know, and the interesting thing, Peter, I'll get your take on this after I say this part. What happens now after he missed that and lost the game for his team, In a way, what happens now is going to be so crucial in his. The rest of his life.

[Peter Young]

And that's where for my books again, they're about faith in basketball. So this is where the faith element comes in. You know, I always say that you have to have a belief in something greater than yourself. For me, it's Jesus Christ. So my identity is, I'm a Christian, I'm a son of God. What I do or used to do was play basketball. So for that kicker, what he does is he's a kicker if he's a believer, that that's his identity in something greater. Right? If you put your identity in being a kicker, writer, a businessman, and you fail, that's devastating, right? So there's so much extra pressure on you if your identity is in that thing that you are trying to do. If your identity is in something greater, the moment still matters. You still want to make the kick, you still want to hit the game winning shot and. But if you miss it, life goes on. You still have your identity. And I think that sometimes is a hard concept to grasp. We still take it seriously. I still want to make the shot, I still want to win. I still want to kick the game winning field goal. But my identity is in something greater than myself. So that doesn't mean I take the moment less serious. It means I have the relaxed mindset to know that this does not define me. Does that make sense?

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. Yeah. This is a. This is a very, very complicated or can be complicated situation. Because, you know, I think that worry, you're not supposed to worry as a Christian. You're not supposed to fear, except fear God. You're not supposed to be anxious. And it's a work in progress. Because here's the thing, you can know what you're supposed to do, but then actually doing it is a whole different ball game. And I'm hard on myself about this. Like, I. I watched over a thousand episodes of this podcast and I watched some of the most successful people in the darkest times in their life, whether it was coming out of the military, coming out of being an athlete, coming out of an exit of a company, and it could have been for nine figures, the darkest time in people's lives is when they attached their identity to something and that something ended, whether it's a crash, whether it was intentional with an exit, whether it was whatever it is, retirement. And they lose their identity and they feel lost and the meetings stop and the calls stop and nobody needs them right now. And, you know, if there's a way that we can proactively create our identity and know where our identity stands and what the foundation that stands in, and then understand that the things that we're doing on our mission are vehicles, not our identity. We can hop in and out of vehicles with the same identity just going towards the mission that we have set for ourselves based on our identity. So, yeah, I've experienced this myself. I've watched thousands of people go through this. Doesn't make it any easier to practice. Right.

[Peter Young]

Well, and I go back to the famous words of John Wood, one of the greatest college basketball coaches of all time, won 10 national championships and he had his pyramid of success, very well known for it. And his definition of success, and I'm paraphrasing, was the knowledge and the peace of mind that you gave your best or did your best to become your best, and that peace of mind that comes with it. So his definition of success never mentions wins or losses. And you know what, it sounds just like that Bible verse. You probably know it. Philippians 4, 6, 7. Do not be anxious about anything, but with everything, by prayer and petition, let your requests be known to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all of your understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. They're very similar. Doesn't mean, as a Christian, I'm going to make the game winning shot. But it means if I take it and I miss, my life is going to go on. I'm going to be upset, but it's not my identity, which then means I have a much clearer mind to take that shot versus, like, if I'm going to take that shot and think about all these things that could horribly go wrong. Well, now you're not in the right frame of mind to make that shot.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. And then how does this relate to you and your experience when you were trying to be Larry Bird?

[Peter Young]

You know, it became my identity. So that's the story within the story of the blue team. The main character is kind of based on me. I always tell people it's fiction because he's good and the team was good. But, you know, trying to be the next Larry Bird means that every single game, every shot, everything you do is weighted down with all of this expectation and hope. And there's so much that has to occur versus just playing the game because you love it and you're good at it. And yeah, you want to get really good, you want to win, but when you load it down with so many other expectations of things that have to happen in your life and, you know, supporting your identity, it's a recipe for disaster.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, it really is, man. And I think people don't think that they can be great without being obsessed and attaching their identity to what they do. I think that's the programming that everybody's under.

[Peter Young]

Right. And I think you can separate those two. I think you can be obsessed. I think you could be committed and disciplined to work hard, but you have to separate that from your identity. And again, I don't know how you do it as a non believer, as a Christian, it's quite easy. My dad is the creator of the universe. I'm a son of God, and so that's my identity. Win or lose, I can still be absolutely driven to be the best writer, the best podcaster, the best banker, butcher, or baker or basketball player.

[C Rock]

Yeah, yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

The other thing I was going to say about this is the greats. Michael Jordan, right?

[Peter Young]

Babe Ruth.

[Podcast Host 2]

Like, how many times did Babe Ruth strike out? He was one of the strikeout leaders. Right. There's a guy named Kyle Schwaber for the Phillies, just resigned with the Phillies, and he had second most home runs, I believe, in the league last year. But he struck out a lot, and he was a leadoff hitter a lot of times. And you don't want your leadoff hitter being a high strikeout person, but he struck out a lot.

[C Rock]

And was just like, oh, man, he's.

[Podcast Host 2]

Either going to home run or strike out.

[Peter Young]

But, well, think about it. You're. You're an all star in the major leagues. If you fail seven out of ten times.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. Hall of Famer. Hall of Famer. If you fail seven out of 10.

[Peter Young]

Times, you're an NBA All Star. If you miss half your shots.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Peter Young]

It's amazing. You just. So that goes back to the mindset then of never giving up and just keep plugging away. Every shot, every at bat is a learning experience. You're going to get better and you move on from it. Right. Make or miss, you move on.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah, yeah. There's a lot tied to what people think of you and being attached to what people think of you as well, you know, and it's a constant work. You got to constantly work on this. This is a muscle. You got to fire new neurons and get your brain connected to different understandings because if you don't work on it, you'll stay in the same loop. So there's a lot to this.

[C Rock]

It could go deep.

[Podcast Host 2]

Okay. So the sequel, the next book is called what?

[Peter Young]

Wardrobe of the Wolf. So the main character, he's got a love interest in the first book, they're in college. Well, they end up getting married. So now he's a head basketball coach, Division 1 level. And into his life, because he's so busy being the head coach into his life and mostly his wife's life, comes this kind of guru that kind of gloms onto the family, gloms onto his father in law, now his wife, and starts kind of taking over. And all of a sudden his marriage and his family are in danger. A lot of parallels to my personal life with this story. And so now the guy's name is Thomas. You know, in addition to trying to be a D1 head basketball coach, he's got the fight of his life and it's to save his family. So the lesson to be learned by this is we all give lip service to, well, my faith is most important, then my family, then my profession, really. Let's take a look at how many hours a day you spend with each thing. And so for Thomas, he realizes his marriage has to come before his job. It's easier said than done for people who are driven. Right. But he is confronted with, hey, if you don't take this seriously, you will lose your marriage and your family.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah. Now who, Who's. Who are the readers for this book? Who's the ideal reader that you're trying to reach?

[Peter Young]

Yeah. So the ideal reader would. I guess it's kind of twofold. It would be the sports fan. If you love college basketball, you're going to love my books. If you love sports in general. Right, Like C Rock, you're at home on a Sunday night and you're watching football. If you're a dedicated sports fan, you're going to love my books also for the Christian reader, because I think there's a lot of nonfiction out there that just does not speak to the Christian audience. And so I always got to tell people that I give people the gospel without them really knowing it. You know, I don't hit them over the head with it. I'm not quoting a bunch of Bible verses, but embedded in these stories is the gospel message kind of woven into the fabric of the story. So those are probably my two audiences.

[C Rock]

Gotcha.

[Podcast Host 2]

All right. And then the third book.

[Peter Young]

Third book is either going to be east of Ashton or Green Timber. And it kind of comes full circle. Thomas is still a coach now. He's got his two sons or high school age, and he's a really successful D1 coach. And he has the chance to coach his sons at high school. So he quits this great job, steps away from a D1 coach. He's like a local legend. He coaches his boys in high school, and before the first game, the older son decides to quit and doesn't want to play high school basketball anymore. So now you've got this huge family turmoil, and now you've got the younger brother and the older brother who are at odds because younger brother's furious his older brother quit basketball and it affects him. So if you know your English literature, John Steinbeck wrote East of Eden. And that's about kind of this multi generational struggle within this one family. And the brothers are going at it. And of course, then in Genesis, Cain kills Abel, and then he is kicked out to east of Eden. So I'm kind of trying to continue that theme. So now the story within the story is okay. Being a father is really hard. It's really challenging. And what is Thomas, the main character, going to do with this mess that just got dumped in his lap? Wow.

[Podcast Host 2]

Well, here's the thing. So people can go get the book on Amazon, I assume, is that the best place to send them? Okay, so folks, go check out Amazon. Peter Young's the author, obviously. And, you know, going from pro to high school reminds me of what we just witnessed with Philip Rivers. He was a high school coach, has a family, he's a grandfather. And then the Colts Call him back in. He has a decision, by the way, if he plays and signs, he can't go back to the hall of Fame for another five years or have a chance for the hall of Fame for another five years. Comes in, plays two games, and then I saw him on the sidelines. Riley Leonard was getting his first start, and he was on the sidelines coaching him up, being there to support him, and it's just. It was just cool. It was just cool to see. And, you know, even I think Philip Rivers is older than the head coach. Most of the coaches probably.

[Peter Young]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

You know. Yeah. So I don't know. That just came into my head when you're talking about going back to high school, coaching. And actually, you know, you did this with. With. With broadcasting. You. You went back to the high school level to broadcast, too, right?

[Peter Young]

I did, yeah. So, you know, I. I was with espn. I did some games for cbs. Did a lot of stuff, traveled the world as a sports broadcaster, and now I just do high school sports. It kind of scratches the itch, and I love it. But. But going back to Philip Rivers, Think about it. C Rock, you know, you and I both played in college. If for some miraculous divine intervention, you and I got in shape for, like a couple days.

[Podcast Host 2]

Yeah.

[Peter Young]

And we were allowed to go back in college. Are you kidding me? I would jump at the chance to go back.

[C Rock]

Yeah.

[Podcast Host 2]

Not me.

[Peter Young]

Just two games of college.

[Podcast Host 2]

Not me, bro. I don't care how kind of good shape I'm in. I don't want to be hit. I don't want my head hit. Like, I. I used to love hitting, you know, And. And. And then, like, I look at it now, and I actually went to high school basketball game and then also some college. The tournament, the Big Ten tournament in D.C. last year, I believe it was. We're sitting courtside, and I'm watching how big these guys are running around the court, banging into each other, like, going nuts. And I'm just like, oh. And I keep cringing. So I don't know about you. You. You can do. You can go back if you get j. I'm not going back. I don't have no interest. So, Peter. Peter, where could people go deeper with you, man?

[Peter Young]

Yeah. So they can go to my website. It's authorpeteryoung.com I love reading, so I do a lot of book reviews. They're on my website. They're on my YouTube channel. You can kind of get a flavor for all of my writing. And again, what I'm about, I'm a storyteller, and I love to use stories and sports to kind of share my faith. That's what I do.

[Podcast Host 2]

Love it, man. Peter, thank you so much for your time today. Thank you for your trust in that one agency as well. I'm excited about helping get your story out there further and just connecting you with some amazing people because, listen, connections to people are what people need. Connections to the right people, I should say. And so podcasting, we get on the show, we get to talk and hash it up. You get access to a different audience. However, the relationship is the most important part to me. And that's what I'm excited about with you. Calling you a new friend, man. And I appreciate that.

[Peter Young]

Yeah, likewise, C Rock. This is great. I'm so glad I found you guys and I'm excited to get to know you better than everybody else as well. You're spot on with the relationship.

[Podcast Host 2]

Thanks, man. Thank you. All right, hang tell you while I wrap this up, folks. That's this episode of the what do you made up show with your boy C Rock and Peter Young sharing what he's made of. Go check out his books and let us know what you think. Until next time, make sure you hit the Follow subscribe button to top of your favorite podcast platform and keep coming back. Can be that one.