0:00:13 - (Toby Brooks): Hey, it's a great day to get better. Welcome to yet another episode of Becoming Undone, the podcast for those who dare bravely risk mightily and grow relentlessly. I'm your host, Toby Brooks, and I'll be your tour guide as we invite new guests each week to examine how high achievers can transform from falling apart to falling into place. What would you do if your wildest dreams came mostly true, but then the door closed before you were able to step through and enjoy it? For Tucson, Arizona native Mike Meyer, dreams of being in the big league started early, but baseball was never supposed to be a profession to have so much as a passion to pursue.
0:00:49 - (Toby Brooks): He knew he loved the game from the moment he started to understand the basics, even as a toddler, and the game loved him right back. From his early days playing on rec league teams to invite only scrimmages and starting spot on a highly competitive varsity squad before he was even old enough to drive. Success on the diamond came early and often. It was only natural then that those abilities would open opportunities for the future.
0:01:10 - (Toby Brooks): And they did. A scholarship athlete at the University of Arizona when I first met him, eventually he signed with the St. Louis Cardinals organization, spending three seasons in affiliated baseball before completing six more in the independent leagues. When it was finally time to hang up his spikes for the last time, he, like so many, struggled with what was left after that critical core of his identity had been taken away.
0:01:31 - (Toby Brooks): But after a cold and lonely search for meaning and purpose, he found his true calling of all places, back in a dugout In Sioux Falls, S.D. here, Mike Tell the story of his blue collar work ethic, the relationship between study skills and gpa, and how a rock star college gymnast changed his life on this episode. Somehow I manage.
0:01:51 - (Toby Brooks): For those of you that are new to the program, we had a previous episode with Kara Freimire, who is a former gymnast at the University of Arizona. And in my time working with gymnastics, I kind of got to know the baseball team a little bit because the celebrity power couple of the time was Cara Fry and Mike Meyer and spent some time working with the baseball team and got to know Mike and thought he would be a great story for the show.
0:02:16 - (Toby Brooks): So this week we're pleased to have Mike Meyer, manager of the Sioux Falls Canaries. Mike, welcome to the show.
0:02:23 - (Mike Meyer): Thanks Toby. Thanks for having me. It's a pleasure.
0:02:26 - (Toby Brooks): Well, I'm super excited about this episode because as I may or may not have shared, really, part of the idea for this whole podcast came about from a panel discussion that you participated on with My students where we talked about kind of life after sport. And you played baseball at the University of Arizona, had a career in the minor leagues, both in affiliate and independent ball. And I really thought it was fascinating to kind of crack open the lid a little bit and look at what that meant.
0:02:55 - (Toby Brooks): I guess we'll start at the very beginning, wherever that was for you.
0:02:59 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, Well, I had an older brother, I was four, I believe, when he signed. My parents signed him up for T ball and, and I was watching him out there at practice and I just couldn't stand it. I wanted to be out there with him so bad. And I was very fortunate that his little league coach at the time was like, okay, you can come practice with this. Obviously I couldn't play in the games because I wasn't old enough, but that was it.
0:03:25 - (Mike Meyer): I was hooked in not just baseball, but sports in general. Being a part of a team, practice and trying to get better every day. And that's kind of where it all began for me. That was, you know, my first experience of being around any type of sports or team for that matter. And that's, that's where I picked up my passion and my love for sports and being a part of a group and part of a team. It was a great experience for me. And obviously here it is. I'm still doing it 40 years, 40 something years later. So.
0:03:55 - (Toby Brooks): So you started early playing just rec ball. I'm guessing from there you don't get to the University of Arizona by just playing rec ball or maybe even school ball. What, what were the in between years like for you?
0:04:09 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, so it was, you know, Little League was, you know, all the baseball there wasn't really the travel teams and that sort of thing when I was playing. So, you know, I played a little bit of YMCA basketball, which, you know, I think playing multiple sports was a huge benefit and it's something that I want my kids to do as well. You know, we talk about that quite a bit, that there's a lot of different principles and different sports that, you know, helped me along in my journey in baseball.
0:04:35 - (Mike Meyer): So just normal rec stuff when I was a kid, and I'd want to say it was about 11 when I realized there might be something special with baseball. I made our Little League all star team at 11. There was two of us at 11. The rest of the kids were 12. And I was the starting catcher and I let off and, and I kind of shined in the All Star tournament. And it was like, holy cow, you know, like, maybe this isn't Just something that's fun for me. Maybe this is something that I'm good at.
0:05:05 - (Mike Meyer): And, and that's kind of where I think that was the time when I realized if I start putting in a little bit more work and you know, I was always working hard, but it was more because I loved it. Then it became kind of an obsession for me where I needed to throw balls off the wall and practice my, you know, field and ground balls and, you know, pitching against the wall or making my brother go out and play catch with me or stuff like that. So I got to.
0:05:33 - (Mike Meyer): After Little League we had a thing here. They don't play it all over the place, but it's like that in between the big field and the Little League field, we called it Pony. I think there's different names for it all over the country, but we only had one Pony League in the state of Arizona and it was in Tucson. And so, you know, you had half a million people that were trying out, trying to make these Pony League teams.
0:05:57 - (Mike Meyer): And I made it my 13 year old year and made the all star team. And that's when we started to get to travel a little bit. So that was a really good experience for me and kind of got some exposure for me playing against, you know, some of the best, you know, players in the country in the west coast. Especially on my 14 year old team, we made it one game away from going to the Pony League World Series. So that was a pretty crazy accomplishment. We, I mean we were in California for, I want to say about a month.
0:06:28 - (Mike Meyer): So at 14, that's kind of a fun deal, you know. And from there going, moving into high school, my Pony League coach, he taught at a high school with the high school baseball coach of the high school that I was going to go to. So right away he said, look, you got a freshman coming in. This kid's going to be on your varsity team. You know, you have to, don't let him go to freshman tryouts. You got to pull them up. And because of that exposure I had over that stretch, you know, of all stars in Pony, he kind of leapfrogged me into kind of skipping the class a little bit.
0:07:02 - (Mike Meyer): So I got pulled up. So to basically have a one day tryout on varsity. They were looking for a shortstop and I didn't play shortstop, I was a catcher. But he said, can you fill the ground ball? I said, yeah, I can fill the ground ball. So I went out there and I took about 20 minutes of ground balls. He said, okay, you're going to stay up here with us. And I became the starting shortstop my freshman year, which obviously led to a lot of other, you know, openings. And I think the biggest break I had being from Arizona, Warm Weather State. One of the big benefits that we have is you can play year round. You know, I don't, I think they still do it now, but it was really big. When I was in high school, we had this thing we called scout team.
0:07:42 - (Mike Meyer): It was really the national cross checker for the Dodgers. Decided, why am I driving all over the place to try to look at these kids and watch these kids play. I'm just going to invite them all to my backyard and we're going to meet on Sundays and we're going to play against each other, not even in games, just so we can watch them every day. So he had called up Grand Canyon University, said, hey, can we use your field on Sundays? I said, yeah.
0:08:06 - (Mike Meyer): So I got invited to that after my freshman year of high school. And the next thing you know, I'm on this, you know, this team, which is mainly two, two teams of all the best players from the state of Arizona. We had kids from New Mexico, kids from West Texas, Colorado, Southern California that would show up on Sundays and we would inter squad and we would play like 18 innings, you know, in Phoenix every Sunday through the fall and the winter.
0:08:33 - (Mike Meyer): And you know, you're looking around and at the time you're like, man, these guys are really good. But later down the road it's like, wait a minute, like Paul Can. Erico was on that team with me who played 20 years in the big leagues and Ian Kinsler was on that team and Mike McDougal was, you know, who was a closer in the big leagues and you know, all these guys that went to D1 and you're, you're playing with all these guys and that was kind of eye opening, but right away here it was. I was the youngest kid and I. And you know, I belonged and I felt like I belonged. And that was another confidence boost for me moving forward in my baseball trajectory.
0:09:11 - (Toby Brooks): It's happening. The sky's the limit. Mike goes from being an 11 year old all star to a Pony League all star to starting varsity at a position he didn't even really play on a really competitive high school squad to now spending every Sunday playing with future major leaguers as the youngest guy on the field.
0:09:26 - (Mike Meyer): So then it became going to that, then it was like, like going to area code games, you know, which you get invited to go play and team one stuff. And you know, USA Team Trials and all that sort of thing. So, you know, it kind of opened up all these avenues for me and that's. The floodgates just started opening now. It was, you know, all these colleges I was talking to, you know, I think 20 of the 30 MLB teams, you know, I had had conversations with, I was doing the psyche evals for, you know, so it was, it was a really exciting time from that like 16 to 18 year old age.
0:10:01 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah. That's awesome. So during that time, did you ever question your abilities or were you pretty confident that this is my future, like I belong here and this is, this is what the future has in store for me?
0:10:15 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah. No. So from 11 years old to about 18, I knew I was going to play in the big leagues and I was going to be a Hall of Famer. That was like, wasn't even a question. Never once was even a thought in my mind that it wasn't going to happen. Just because really every hurdle I leaped with ease and I immediately belonged at that level with the best of the best at that level and really almost every level.
0:10:42 - (Mike Meyer): And I'm trying to think back, I don't really remember a time where I wasn't the best player, not only on the team that I was on, but in the game that I was playing, you know, and playing against guys that had, you know, 15, 20 years in the big leagues later on. You know, I really feel like I was better than all of those guys at that age and that age level. Matter of fact, I would say I was better than all of those guys at that age level. So for me, 11 to 18, there was never a doubt. It wasn't until I got to college that I started to, I questioned a little bit of, you know, my abilities.
0:11:15 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah. And to some that may sound like arrogance, but when success comes early, like you're just reading other people's reactions, what coaches are telling you the stats. I mean, baseball is a stats driven sport. If you're leading off as a, as the youngest kid on the team, I mean that's just. And playing shortstop like you're the best athlete, you're the best hitter. Everything about the feedback you're getting is telling you this trajectory you're headed on and the sky's the limit. So, yes, you had an opportunity probably to, to go straight out of high school and enter the minor league system, but chose to go to Arizona. Talk me through that decision.
0:11:50 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, so I got drafted by The Dodgers in 96, my senior year of high school. And there was a big part of me that knew that that was the path that I was going to eventually take. And I think at the time that was it, I was going to go pro. I was going to get started. I was going to, you know, just get to the big leagues as quick as I could, so, you know, that, you know, that I could start making some of the big bucks and that sort of thing. But there was this other part of me where growing up in Tucson, and a matter of fact, years later, after I was out of college, my grandmother had found one of those letters that, you know, it's the first time you write a letter and you mail a letter to somebody when you're in school. And my letter to her was that I had been grounded and I couldn't go to Arizona baseball games and that someday I was going to play for Arizona. And it was always one of those deals, you know, watching Terry Francona and J.T. snow and Trevor Hoffman and Scott Erickson come through Arizona. And, you know, my dad used to take us out there quite a bit, that there was always something there where that was like our big leagues because we didn't have the Diamondbacks at the time.
0:12:57 - (Mike Meyer): You know, we. We had, you know, AAA baseball, but nobody kind of cared as much as about. About it as they did about Arizona. So there was always that kind of thing where I wanted to be a part of this. You know, three national championships, 15 College World Series appearances, and it was like, you know, this is kind of special. And so crazily, they kind of weren't recruiting me that hard. I was getting recruited everywhere else, but I think they always just thought I was going to go to Arizona if I chose to go to college.
0:13:25 - (Mike Meyer): And some of the colleges were a little gun shy because they knew that I was going to get drafted and that I more than likely was going to sign. So I actually did an unthinkable. I verbally committed Arizona State.
0:13:38 - (Toby Brooks): Hold up. Yeah, the unthinkable. The biggest rival for my Arizona Wildcats is the Arizona State Scum Devils. Thankfully, a chance encounter between a U of A coach and Mike's dad corrected this egregious mistake.
0:13:51 - (Mike Meyer): I was at a scout league game after my recruiting trip to Arizona State when I had verbally committed to Coach Murphy. And my dad saw Jerry Stitt, who was the associate head coach at the time for Jerry Kendall at U of A, and he said, how does Trip go? And my dad was like, oh, it went really well. He's. He's definitely going to go to Arizona State. And. And Stidter was like, whoa, don't let him do anything yet. Let me talk to jk.
0:14:15 - (Mike Meyer): And so it's the following week and you know we have that dead Sunday was the last day and dead period and early signing was that Wednesday. And I mean it was like might have been 10pm on Sunday. And I get the phone call at my parents house and it's from Kendall and he said we're going to match Arizona State's offer. And I was like, I'm in. I mean it was immediate. I was in. And then I had to, you know, call Murphy and tell him I wasn't coming to Arizona State. So.
0:14:44 - (Mike Meyer): But yeah, that was kind of my, you know, how it really happened, you know, for me. And you know, I think a lot of it was I was a little nervous about leaving home at the time yet because my parents did a lot of things right, but they also didn't do, you know, a lot of things right. We all are like that. I mean, you're parents, we know that. But I didn't know how to do my own laundry and I didn't know I do other things. And so there was a little bit of that comfort where okay, I get a couple more years at least I'll be away and on my own at college but I'm 20 minutes to drive home and say, hey mom, can we do some laundry type thing. So I think there was still a little bit of that in me as well, but. But ultimately I decided to go to Arizona instead of signing with the Dodgers.
0:15:23 - (Toby Brooks): That's awesome. So for those that maybe don't follow college baseball as often, as an athletic trainer, I'm always impressed, slash, maybe a little scared for the guys that had a chance to go and they come to college and it's a risk like you're rolling the dice and I'm going to stay healthy, I'm going to get better, I'm going to increase my draft stock. How would you describe your time in college? Do you feel like that experience made you a better player or in retrospect was going straight into the minors maybe a better approach?
0:15:54 - (Mike Meyer): I think a little bit of both. I think maturity wise, it was definitely a better, it was better for me to go to college. You know, my freshman year was the first time that everything didn't go according to plan. You know, I wasn't doing well in school. I was failing out of school. I was just in over my head. My mom was not doing well physically. My brother and sister were dealing with some drug addictions.
0:16:29 - (Mike Meyer): I was away from home and it was the first time in my life where I wasn't the star, and there was a little bit of a pity party on my end.
0:16:38 - (Toby Brooks): Confidence grounded in reality isn't arrogance. But for the first time in Mike's young career, he's faced with the possibility that perhaps he's not the best on his team. It was humbling, perhaps a little frightening.
0:16:49 - (Mike Meyer): I'm glad it happened in that environment where I had people that really generally cared about me, because the same things would have been going on if I would have signed with the Dodgers and I would have been in an organization where, excuse my language, they wouldn't have given a shit about me, and I would have just been lost, and I don't know where I would have been. So I was very fortunate to have that moment.
0:17:15 - (Mike Meyer): And, you know, all that stuff that was kind of felt like it was piling on, and I started questioning everything. To be, you know, at an institution where they did care, and they worked me through it and they got me help to give me some study habits. And, you know, Kathleen Gabriel, I mean, she saved my. My life, really. She put me in the CATS academic program and. And gave me some skills that I had never learned. And I kind of just skated through school because I just didn't think that school mattered because I was going to play in the big leagues, and.
0:17:48 - (Mike Meyer): And so that was a huge flip. And the next thing you know, I became a great student and Stitter and. And Bill kinder, you know, part of the coaches at Arizona, they stuck with me and. And kind of worked me through some of that stuff. And my teammates were great and helped me through and kind of some of the older guys, you know, Eric Mattern and Colin Porter, they kind of pulled me along and. And made sure that I was showing up to class and that I was, you know, coming to practice and, you know, But I think also the other thing, too, Toby was having so much success as, you know, younger.
0:18:22 - (Mike Meyer): In that younger age. I thought I was kind of putting in the work, but, you know, when you get past that section, it really. I didn't have that motivation because I just showed up and I was the best. And so I didn't. Yeah, I went to practice and I was working all the time on my craft, but I wasn't really pushing myself, you know, physically and mentally. And. And that was really the biggest lessons I learned at Arizona was, all right, I got to put in a little bit more work. It was the first time I really got in the gym and started doing stuff. I worked with a speed Coach to try to get one step quicker. And you know, a lot of the stuff that I just showed up and I was like, whatever, it doesn't really matter, I'm better than you and let's go, you know, type thing. So, you know, hindsight, obviously, I think for my career, maybe going to the Dodgers would have been better, but I think a lot of the life lessons and stuff that I went through, I'm, I'm really fortunate to be at the University of Arizona.
0:19:21 - (Toby Brooks): No, agreed. I think for a lot of listeners that maybe weren't around or didn't pay attention to college baseball, it was really a different game than the major league game back then. I mean, you guys were swinging what, drop fives? I mean, it was saying the difference between wood bats and I mean, a 20 to 19 game was pretty typical in college.
0:19:38 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah.
0:19:38 - (Toby Brooks): Do you like anything about that season in college baseball changed who you were as a hitter or who you were as a, as a player or eventually you pitch.
0:19:47 - (Mike Meyer): So yeah, yeah, I mean, it was, you're right, it was, it was a lot different and it was, it was kind of scary and dangerous. I can remember my freshman year, we were playing a really good UCLA team and, and they had a couple guys that went pretty much straight to the big leagues after that, but one of their pitchers, Jim Parquet, we called him Jimmy Butter, he left hand pitcher, he went straight to the big leagues after that and he, I think he had like a five and a half era. And we were like, wow, this guy is unbelievable.
0:20:19 - (Mike Meyer): He's got a five and a half hour era. He's the best pitcher alive.
0:20:22 - (Toby Brooks): Mental note. Track down Jimmy Butter and see if I can get him for an interview on the show.
0:20:27 - (Mike Meyer): I mean, 20, 20 to 18 was the standard score with the drop fives. But yeah, so it was, it was pretty crazy at that time because, you know, here it is, you could be hitting.350 and you're struggling. And it was, you know, one of those deals like we talked about earlier that, you know, baseball is a statistical game and, and you're constantly chasing those numbers all the time. And you know, if you're not going three for four every night, you know, it's, it's, it's, you know, emotionally it can be pretty brutal because you're not keeping up with the Joneses.
0:21:02 - (Mike Meyer): So yeah, that style of game, I'm glad it's a little bit better now, you know, with the balls and the bats, it's a little bit more true baseball. But, you know, it was a grind and playing in the six pack back then because we weren't part of the Pac 10 or now Pac 12. And we only played against Stanford and Cal and UCLA, USC and Arizona State. So it was, it was a gauntlet, you know, every day playing the six pack then and it kind of beat you down a little bit. And I'm glad that I, you know, that I learned some of those lessons and faced some of those, those big leaguers because just about everybody we face in the six pack, you know, all the starters kind of went to the big leagues. So it was, it was a great experience. But it emotionally, it beat me down that freshman year.
0:21:46 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah. So you start to make the transition from a daily positional player as a, as a pitcher, restarter, or reliever. I'm struggling to remember your role when I was with the team.
0:21:59 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, so I was a reliever. I closed my junior year. Yeah. So it was an interesting transition. And you know, I pitched a little bit in high school because that's what happens, you know, you just not. Most high schools have multiple lockdown guys. And I had a good arm, so I got on the bump and started pitching. I was pretty good. But it wasn't until my sophomore year I left to go play summerball. And I was in the Valley league, which is in Virginia and the Shenandoah Valley. We had a couple of guys that had been drafted that year, but they were kind of late round drafts and they got to us and they're facing wood bat competition for the first time and they're just dominant. And so both of those guys got offered more money than they initially had been offered in the draft and so they signed. And so now we're mid season of our summer league and it's not easy to get guys there.
0:22:56 - (Mike Meyer): So I went in my skipper's office and I told him, I said, hey, look man, I was pretty good pitcher in high school. You know, give me the rock, I'll throw.
0:23:02 - (Toby Brooks): This is every manager's dream. A team in need, a player who feels like they can help out comes in and offers up his services. This is the kind of player Mike hopes he has today.
0:23:12 - (Mike Meyer): And it was a blessing and a curse at the same time because I was playing third base every day and I was doing really well that summer. And so he said, okay, well we'll see what happens. And that night our starter got into a little bit of trouble and they brought me in the game and I, I think I went three scoreless and I was like 92, 93 and, and throwing the ball really well. So he called me in his office afterwards and said, okay, hey, you're a closer. I said, well, I still get to hit, right? And he's like, well, yeah.
0:23:41 - (Mike Meyer): Well, it turned out that I stopped really getting to hit all that much and just kind of became a pitcher. And then Stitter, my head coach at Arizona, he started fielding a bunch of phone calls, said, hey, listen, this guy's got to get on the bump. So that junior year I still was getting to hit, which is one of the things that I'm still thankful for. Sitter letting me do that. I would DH or play first base and then come in and close games out. So I got to do both, which was always a fun deal. Not too many people get to do that. But that was where the transition into pitching kind of happened. But in the physical world, yes, I had transitioned to pitching, but mentally and emotionally I was position player that, you know, would just get up on the bump and throw.
0:24:27 - (Mike Meyer): I wasn't ready to make that, that change yet. It was not something that I was ready to do mentally or emotionally.
0:24:33 - (Toby Brooks): I'm always amazed by that because usually shortstop, leadoff hitter, all those things that make you a well rounded baseball player. Well, pitchers, oftentimes in the college setting, they were those at their high schools and making that transition, for some, like, they run to it and others they fight like, oh, let me hit, let me hit. You know, they always argue with their manager to say, no, I have the ability.
0:24:55 - (Toby Brooks): So as your college career is starting to wrap up and this, this major league dream is still. It's been put on hold, but it didn't go away. Yeah. What did that spring look like and the days and months to follow?
0:25:09 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah. So, you know, eventually, obviously I knew that there was something that I wanted to put pursue and you know, I was really kind of hoping that I would get that next opportunity. And I got drafted my junior year by the Giants, pretty high, actually, 14th round. And I was really excited about it. But Toby, there was this young lady that had grabbed my heart and I had promised her that I would drive her back to Pennsylvania because she was going to spend the summer there and train and meet the rest of her family. I'd met her mom before, but meet the rest of her family. And I'd stay for a week and then I'd fly back. And honestly, I had not had a break from baseball since I was 4 years old. And I just kind of wanted to just take a couple months and just forget about it.
0:25:57 - (Mike Meyer): I needed a flush, I needed a break, especially transitioning to pitching. So I turned the Giants down and I said, no, I'm going to go back for my senior year. I think it's important for me. I'm starting to. I'm starting to grow into being more than just a baseball player. And that was kind of. It was a refreshing feeling for me to be something other than a base. Just Mike the baseball player. And identifying as Mike the baseball player, I was now, you know, in this pretty serious relationship. I was doing well in school, I was kind of finding my voice, you know, in my, my classes and you know, in my, in our friend group that we had at McHale High School, which people that don't aren't familiar, all the athletes at the U of A were. All their locker rooms were in McHale center, which is the basketball arena. So it was kind of like a high school.
0:26:46 - (Toby Brooks): At this point in the interview, I'm doing my best to hold back a laugh because even though I had worked and practically lived in McHale center for three years, I'd never heard it referred to as McHale High. But it fits. It's like Saved by the Bell, except the cast is made up completely of division one athlete.
0:27:02 - (Mike Meyer): I was enjoying that part of my life and so I just wanted to have a little bit of a break. Went back for my senior year. Senior didn't go that well for us as a team, but I had a really good year and I got drafted by the Cardinals and now I was in. I'm like, I'm all in. I'm ready to go. But I was transitioning full time to pitching. So I'll be honest with you, it was, it was eye opening and shocking and exciting all at the same time. You know, I signed my contract and a day later I'm on a plane flying to Florida for little minicamp and people that aren't familiar, they have extended spring training. So so basically younger guys that don't make a full season club, they stay in spring training until that following year's draft and then they split to their short seasons.
0:27:55 - (Mike Meyer): So there's about a 10 day minicamp for all the new guys that get drafted before the short season start. And they only play 72 games, I think it was instead of 140 that you play in a full season. So I get there and you know, all excited and meeting some of the new guys and we walk out on the field that first day and the extended guys are already playing a scrimmage game and you walk out there and we kind of walk behind and I'm seeing all these 17, 18 year old Latin guys throwing 97, 98, and it's like, whoa, what did I get myself into?
0:28:32 - (Mike Meyer): And it was like, how in the world am I going to compete with these guys, you know, that are throwing rockets? So there was a, that was another little bit of a, you know, jolt. And you take a step back and okay, all right, what, what do I got to do to, to, to belong.
0:28:49 - (Toby Brooks): Here and you don't have to be a baseball player to relate to what Mike's sharing here. It's human nature to recognize that when we make a step up, we have to step up and that imposter syndrome can seep in. And we wonder, do I really have what it takes? I love the resolve in Mike's voice as he says, I'm going to do what it takes to make this happen. This is my dream and I'm going after it.
0:29:09 - (Mike Meyer): And so it was a little bit of a culture shock that first day, I'll be honest with you. But you kind of just take that, take a step and let's figure out how we can get through this.
0:29:19 - (Toby Brooks): Do you ever have that realization that this is, this is what 11 year old Mike had dreamed of when you held that bird on bat jersey in your hand locker? Talk me through that.
0:29:30 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, I think it wasn't that first year because, you know, you're in extended spring training, there's nobody around. Then you go to a short season and you're playing against a bunch of kids that are not good at baseball. They're just very athletic and the baseball was pretty poor. Significantly worse than the baseball that I was playing in the six pack. So it wasn't there was, it loses a little bit of, you know, that shine, you know, like, okay, yeah, you're playing professional baseball, but you're playing against high school kids and you know, guys that are extremely talented but are not very good at their craft.
0:30:02 - (Mike Meyer): It was that first spring training, Toby, when I showed up to that first spring training and you get there and you're wearing that Cardinals jersey with your name on the back and you're in the locker room and you're looking and you know, you see Mark McGuire walk by and you know Albert Pujols was a big deal because he was in a ball the year before and he had moved his way up and there's a chance he's going to make the big league team. And so everybody kind of was like this buzz about this young kid and, and sure enough he became Albert Pujols. So you see, you know, you see some of these guys, and it's like, jim Edmonds and whoever, you know, and it's like, all right, here. Here it is. I'm here. I'm here.
0:30:48 - (Mike Meyer): And those guys are right there. They're. I can see them and I can touch them. They're not that far from where I am. And now I got a shot. As long as I've got this jersey on, I've got a shot. And it was. It was everything that I had hoped it would be and some other things that were super stressful and sucked a little bit of the fun out of it at the same time.
0:31:12 - (Toby Brooks): This portion of the interview gives me absolute chills. Just the thought of being so close, seeing your future ahead of you, seeing these athletes who you admire not just as heroes, but as peers. That's something I have a hard time relating to. But for high achievers, that's constantly. The battle that we're fighting is, do we really belong? Do we have what it takes in order to be the best?
0:31:36 - (Mike Meyer): But all my time with the Cardinals, there was only one thing. There was only one experience with the Cardinals that was just devastating. And it didn't. And it wasn't. I never had to go through it, but everything else was just an exceptional experience for me, and it was. It was fantastic.
0:31:54 - (Toby Brooks): So for those not familiar with minor league baseball, there's really kind of two paths, and someone ascends. Maybe you level off or you go another route. And in addition to organizations like the Cardinals, Major League Baseball, with their entire farm system, there's independent ball. And so you bounced around in affiliated ball for a little bit. Right. And then ultimately made the decision to continue your career in an independent league.
0:32:24 - (Toby Brooks): So I'm just curious, when those calls are made or when that meeting occurs with the manager, what's your thought process? Like, I'm going to double down and I'm going to make this happen. Or here we go again. And maybe it was different every time. I don't know. But I think for people who struggle with adversity, there's really two directions. You either fall apart or you fall together. And what was that process like for you?
0:32:47 - (Mike Meyer): Well, I can tell you the. It all stems from that first real devastation of my life, baseball life. So it was my third year with the Cardinals organization, and I was in high A, and I was actually pitching fairly well. I had one bad outing, Reggie up seven runs in one inning with two outs, and that was all of my numbers. My ERA was terrible. My hits were terrible. All my peripherals were bad. Because of that one outing. But the other 11 outings I think I had that year were really solid.
0:33:17 - (Mike Meyer): But we had got a new farm director and new people in our front office, and they were kind of cleaning house and bringing in some of their people. And that happens. It's part of the game. So we're about halfway through our season. In 2002, I was in the Carolina League, and this guy shows up in our clubhouse, and he's a pitcher. And I go, damn. And I kind of told some of my buddies, like, I think I'm done. They're like, what do you mean? You've been throwing the ball really well? I go, no, dude. I just.
0:33:43 - (Mike Meyer): For some reason, I'm getting this feeling it's me. So we play that night, we go back to the hotel. Next day, we get there, and I'm like, halfway getting changed. I got my sliders on, no shirt. And our hitting coach comes in, Trick Stevenson, and he says, hey, Meyer, Skip wants to talk to you. So I get pulled into his office. Anyways, you know, the whole scene from Bull Durham and that sort of thing where he's like, listen, this is the toughest decision that, you know, manager has to make. And, you know, now being a manager for six years, I've done this many a times, so I've been on both sides. But he's like, it's not my choice.
0:34:20 - (Mike Meyer): If it was my choice, it would be a couple of these other guys that don't work as hard and don't, you know, care as much as you do, but that's not my choice. And he goes, but. But the Cardinals, they released you today. And so I was like, okay, that's fine. He said, but a good friend of mine is. Manages an independent baseball. And at the time, I'm like, I'm never going to play independent baseball. Why would I play? If these guys were any good, they'd be in affiliated.
0:34:44 - (Mike Meyer): And I. But part of me was like, you know what? I'll listen to what he has to say. So, okay, well, where does he. Where is this team? And he says, allentown.
0:34:53 - (Toby Brooks): Boom.
0:34:53 - (Mike Meyer): Light bulb goes off. And I'm like, holy crap. That's like 25 minutes from where Kara is from. So I'm thinking, all right, maybe this isn't so bad. But I go into the clubhouse and all. Everybody's staring at me, you know, and I had about 12 guys that I was, like, super, super close with. And, you know, I walk in there and boom. I just, you know, just tears start flowing, and I'm devastated. Because it's not.
0:35:20 - (Mike Meyer): I knew that my time in baseball wasn't over because I wanted to keep playing, and I'd already committed to playing that season. And we're halfway through this season, so I might as well go and play in Allentown and keep this thing going. But I knew that I would probably, more than likely I'd never see these guys again, you know, and. And we used to kind of say in spring training, when guys would get released, it was like they were passing on because you, you would never hear from them again.
0:35:45 - (Mike Meyer): And. And so that was, you know, the emotional roller coaster that I had, you know, grinding with these guys for the last three years. And then all of a sudden, like that, it's. It's over.
0:35:55 - (Toby Brooks): You hear it all the time. It's the business. Whether it's sports or arts or business, it's business. It's not personal. That doesn't make it hurt any less, though.
0:36:05 - (Mike Meyer): But that's how I got my foot into independent baseball was that my manager at the time happened to be friends with Darrell Evans, who was managing in Allentown, which happened to be 25 minutes from Kara's hometown. So I played that year in Indy ball, and I don't know that I would have kept playing that much after that. I had a tremendous experience. You know, I got there and in the first day, I look around the clubhouse and it's like, wow, I played against this, these guys, you know, before, and that guy was in the big leagues last year and that guy's been in Triple A. And these guys are good, you know.
0:36:39 - (Mike Meyer): But I was fortunate enough. I got signed by the Diamondbacks after that season and got invited to spring training. So that kind of was another, you know, like a jolt of energy, a five hour energy drink. Boom. Okay, now I'm motivated again to get myself in better shape and be better and be more prepared and learn from all the mistakes I made with the Cardinals so that I'm ready to go with the Diamondbacks and I make this one count.
0:37:03 - (Mike Meyer): And so they were all. Every time I jumped back into indie ball was a little bit different, but there was motivation behind each and every one of them. So I, I go to the Diamondbacks, I throw the ball so well, I'm the last guy to get caught on the last day of spring training. And. But that's okay because it's on to the next. And so I have been a reliever that whole time. But my skill set and in my heart I knew I need to be a starter. Like I'm a Starting pitcher at heart, and my stuff being a power sinker guy, like, I need to be in the rotation somewhere.
0:37:37 - (Mike Meyer): And so I took a huge leap and I went to this really bad independent league that, you know, I'd been around for, like, a year. And everybody that I knew was telling me it's going to fold, it's not going to make it through the season. But I chose to go there because they were the only ones that were going to give me the opportunity to be in a. In a starting rotation. So I did it, and I took a leap of faith and I went there, and we somehow, the league barely scratched by for that season.
0:38:03 - (Mike Meyer): I. I mean, I completely dominated that year. I led the league in six different categories, and we ended up winning the championship. So it ended up being a great experience. I learned probably more in that year than I had learned the previous three years, four years, just because now I'm facing guys for the second, the third, the fourth time through the lineup. And so I had to evolve and adapt as a pitcher.
0:38:29 - (Mike Meyer): And the learning curve was so much faster being in that rotation. And again, I got picked up by Tampa that. That year. And so there was now, okay, look, I got motivation going to spring training, but now I'm in a starting role, too. So it's completely different trajectory than I was before. So each and every one of them, you know, making that decision to keep going, you know, there was different motivations, but, you know, I would be amiss if I didn't, you know, say that every. Also, every single time that I made those decisions.
0:38:59 - (Mike Meyer): Kara was fully on board and supported me 100% through the process. And she's like, look, you're fortunate enough to keep chasing your dream. And her being a former athlete, where, you know, I mean, their peak is the Olympics, but that usually happens before college. And then you get to college and it's like your farewell tour a little bit, and then there's nothing, you know, for them. And so she is at the top of her game, and then the next day it's done. And for me, I had that opportunity, and so she wanted me to keep pushing.
0:39:30 - (Mike Meyer): So she was a big influence on me, continuing to play and take those steps towards indie ball.
0:39:35 - (Toby Brooks): You have to admire the love and support that Mike and Kara share with one another. After all, if you recall back to Mike's junior year in college, he had foregone his draft by the San Francisco Giants for the sake of his relationship with Kara. Now, years later, it's her turn to support him as he continues to Pursue his dreams.
0:39:51 - (Toby Brooks): So as you're starting to see the writing on the wall that these kids around you keep getting younger.
0:39:57 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah.
0:39:58 - (Toby Brooks): You know, spring training starts getting a little harder. Ultimately, you come to terms with the fact that, okay, this officially is it. My career as a professional baseball player is done. Who Mike was since 4 years old. That chapter's closed. Talk me through your emotions as you pack up your locker, load your car, and head home.
0:40:19 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, it was, you know, really, it was kind of a. I had a trial run after the 05 season. I had tore the labrum on my left hip. And like you said, everybody around me is getting. You know, it's there. They just. The team, the rosters are just younger and younger, and, you know, here it is. I'm struggling to make it through seasons, so I was pretty much done with baseball after that 05 season. I figured I'd be going back and finishing my degree and moving on to the real world.
0:40:50 - (Mike Meyer): And my manager at the time, guy by the name of George Samis, who's a big influence in my baseball career, he kind of called me up one day and said, look, man, our roster is nasty good, but I don't have any starter pitching at all. Can you give me one more year? And that was kind of where I thought, you know what? I wouldn't mind playing one more year. I love competing. It's just going to be really painful to do so, but I'm going to try to use this as some leverage to get my foot in the door in the coaching ranks, because I just felt like I had a lot to offer as I had gained all this knowledge and experience.
0:41:27 - (Mike Meyer): And I kind of became the salty vet a little bit at the end of my playing career, especially with the pitchers. You know, I was kind of starting to work, you know, with some of our guys and kind of makeshift pitching coach. And especially in indie ball, which is so much different from affiliated, where it's really cutthroat and, you know, and if you're a reliever, you're in the bullpen and you're like, you know, I hope we win tonight, but I really wouldn't mind if this guy gave up five runs because we're in the same position, you know, where an indie ball is completely different. It's all about winning and.
0:41:58 - (Mike Meyer): And team, and it's. It's really got a big league feel to it, you know. So here it is. I'm trying to coach our young guys through some of this stuff and some of the trials and move them along, because I Need them for my individual success and our team success. And I really kind of enjoyed that part of it. And so that going into that 06 season, I told my manager, said, listen, I'll come back for one more year, but. But you got to put me on your staff the following year. He says, deal.
0:42:25 - (Mike Meyer): So I go back for that 06 season, and it was actually just the best. One of the best decisions I ever made, because now I knew for sure this is it where that 05 season, everything was going great, and I was throwing the ball better than I'd ever thrown the ball. And then about two thirds of the way through the season, Pop, you know, I popped the labrum, and. And now I'm just grinding through the last third of the season. And so I didn't have that Derek Jeter, this is it, you know, type deal. And so, 06 I did, and I knew it. And so I really appreciated every city we went to, every.
0:42:58 - (Mike Meyer): Every stadium. The fans that had, you know, got to know me a little bit over a couple of years, and that would rag me a little bit, you know, and, you know, you get to kind of give it back a little bit and kind of enjoy some of the, you know, the stuff. And Karen and I, even to this day, a lot of the cities, you know, we know them by our favorite restaurants in those towns. And so I'm making sure I'm hitting these restaurants, you know, okay, this might be the last time I get to go to this restauran.
0:43:23 - (Mike Meyer): So it was just a beautiful experience for me, you know, being the end. And so it ended up being a very positive moment. Instead of that, this is it, I'm done. That it was a little bit in that 05 season. So I had a kind of both at 05, packing up, it was pretty devastating for me, packing up my locker that last time, knowing that that was probably it. And we had fallen short in the playoffs, and I was injured and, you know, I didn't throw the ball very well at the end of the year, and. And then no expectations, you know, for those six season, it was just me going out and competing and having fun. And so I got kind of the best and the worst of it.
0:44:02 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, so you've been through physical injury, obviously, the mental toll that it takes getting traded and tryouts with this organization and that you've got a relationship that you're trying to maintain over the distance. How do you think your experiences as player have impacted you as a manager?
0:44:20 - (Mike Meyer): Oh, yeah, no, it's been so. And anybody that's involved in sport. You have those, you have coaches, you know, managers that you love. That is just, you know, the air quotes. You know, this is a players manager. And then you have, you know, guys that are the hard asses that you're just like, man, I really just don't like this guy in the way that he talks to us, treats us, you know, but there's. There's good and bad in both of them. And I've played for managers that were like, the man. And it's like, this is your buddy. You want to go get a beer with them and whatever, but you're not getting better because it's. There's. There's no. You're not holding you accountable.
0:44:59 - (Mike Meyer): And then there's the, you know, the guy that's just a jerk all of the time. But, you know, you've got to show up and you've got to. You got to bring 100% every day, because if you don't, this guy's going to embarrass you in front of your teammates. And, and so you have that level of commitment that you. You have to put in because you're held accountable on every pitch. So for me, I wanted it to be where it was a safe space for my guys. They felt like they had ownership of our team and of their careers.
0:45:29 - (Mike Meyer): But I'm going to hold them accountable. And it's still something that I'm trying to improve upon where I'm holding them a little bit more accountable. But also I want them to be able to come into my office and ask me about finances or, hey, what did you do with your daughter again? What was that book you got for this? The Sleeping Solutions. I want them to feel comfortable coming into my office and saying, dude, Skip, it's not a good day, man. You know, me and Teresa broke up today and, you know, whatever. I want them to feel comfortable to do that, but I also want them to know that if they're not. If they're not playing hard for their teammates and they're not giving us what, you know, we need, then I'm going to call them out and I'm going to. And I'm going to hold them accountable. And so it's trying to pull from all of the good stuff, from all the coaches, all the managers that I've had in the past in my playing days, and, and seeing how all of my teammates reacted and responded to the way that they were handled and.
0:46:27 - (Mike Meyer): But also pulling some of the. The negatives and saying, look, we got to try to stay away from this because it can be difficult to not, you know, to not get into that negative mode and, you know, and be pissing around and, you know, kicking things and throwing things and getting thrown out of games and trying to balance that. And one of the things I Learned from my 10 years as a pitching coach were there's some guys that every day, you know, I refer to it as changing their diaper. You got to change their diaper, make sure that they're happy, making sure they're feeling nice and dry and clean and happy.
0:47:03 - (Mike Meyer): And there's some guys that you got to give a kick in the ass, and they respond, you know, differently. And you can't treat them all the same because we're all different individuals, and that what makes us great. And that was it. It was really kind of trying to build those relationships with these young men and figuring out how to motivate each one of them and sometimes taking a step back and saying, no, you got to figure it out.
0:47:28 - (Mike Meyer): All of that stuff I learned from my playing days, from when I was 11 years old or, you know, before that, probably all the way until I was done in 2006.
0:47:38 - (Toby Brooks): There's an undeniable wisdom that you feel when Mike talks. He's been through this. He's done it, he's experienced it firsthand, and that makes him a better manager. It makes him a better father, makes him a better husband. Unless you're sick and twisted, no one's going to choose to fall short of their dream. But just like Mike shows us, there are lessons to be learned in those moments.
0:47:59 - (Toby Brooks): So you made the switch from. From a player pursuing a dream, you know, a little boy with aspirations of being in the big leagues, making it to fame. Now you've made the jump to initially pitching coach, hitting coach, manager. The life in independent ball is. Is not what major league managers do. I mean, you're. You're not there, stationed in your hometown all season long, right? So as a dad, as a husband, do you feel like you. You're going through a similar process now as what you went through as a player? Where, okay, am I going to try to make a transition out of this life? Do you feel like that's sustainable or.
0:48:37 - (Toby Brooks): Or do you feel like you're. You've got aspirations for. For other, bigger things?
0:48:42 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, that's a great question. I. So I. Basically, when I got into coaching, there was maybe some aspirations of getting back into affiliated and working my way through the ranks, but the more I thought about it, the more I just despised that idea. You Know, one of the criticisms that I'll have for MLB and anybody that wants to talk to me about it, they're more than welcome. I'll give them my phone number and we can talk. Is really how they treat their coaching staffs in the minor leagues. I mean, they, they have absolutely no say.
0:49:13 - (Mike Meyer): In most of the organizations, they have no say. They're not there really to help these guys move along. They're always in fear of getting that next contract. I learned way more in my time in baseball than I ever did in Affiliated, and a lot of it was because you take risks in indie ball. There's, there's no, you know, you're not going down, you're not getting sent down, you're already down and you're trying to get back to Affiliated.
0:49:38 - (Mike Meyer): And everybody's kind of so gun shy because nobody wants to be the guy that tweaks, you know, Bryce Harper's swing. And this guy that's supposed to be a Hall of Famer now sucks. So you just, you might see some things and they go through struggles and really the motto in affiliated minor leagues is the cream always rises to the top. So it's just, you let them play and the pitching coaches punch their little clicker and they tell you what your running is for the day and they stand behind you and say, good, you know, and that's it.
0:50:10 - (Mike Meyer): And so you don't get better unless you do it yourself. And. But in independent baseball, it's completely different and full autonomy and you just, you know, like if you see something, you say something and you're more hands on and you're shaping and molding. And that's why you see so many guys that get it released out of double A or high A or whatever that go to independent baseball and they have this huge initial leap in their production.
0:50:35 - (Mike Meyer): And a lot of times, you know, a guy like a John Brebia that some people may be familiar with, I had him for two years and in that first year we made a minor, just a minor mechanical adjustment, and he went from being 90, 93 to 95, 97. And he's now spent the last six years in the big leagues with the Cardinals and the Giants. And he's, he led all of Major League baseball and appearances this year. And this is a guy that got thrown away by the Yankees and he never made it out of eight ball.
0:51:04 - (Mike Meyer): And it was because, you know, he was literally over striding and nobody would say anything to him because God forbid the kid gets hurt, you know, or whatever. So. So that Right away I was like, you know what? I don't want anything to do with affiliated baseball. I want to stay in indie ball. This is where I belong. This is where I can do the most, I can have the most good here, and I can impact the most amount of people.
0:51:24 - (Mike Meyer): And then my goal and my dream, and it still is my dream was to get to finally build my resume enough that somebody would. Would entrust me with their organization and make me the skipper, which I'm so thankful for. Sioux Falls and my initial owners and Mark and Tom and now Tuan and Brian, that they gave me that opportunity to be the manager so that I could create this environment that would have been the dream environment for me as a player and where I felt like I could grow and learn and mature as a player and become the best version of myself. And ultimately that's my main goal, is to create an environment where these guys become the best versions of themselves.
0:52:08 - (Mike Meyer): Because I think if we can do that over time, we create sustained success as opposed to what usually happens, where results are the only thing that ever matters. And sometimes the process and the approach and the plan get thrown by the wayside. And I don't want it to be that way. I want it to be where we're from. Focusing on these people as individuals first, where they become the best versions of themselves, not just in baseball, but in life in general. As boyfriends, as husbands, as fathers, as citizens and community leaders.
0:52:44 - (Toby Brooks): You can't help but be inspired when you hear Mike talk. And that inspiration comes from experience. That experience shaped him, changed him, molded him, and it's made him the man who manager that he is today.
0:52:56 - (Mike Meyer): My big leagues now is turning Sioux Falls into the mecca of partner league. Now, Toby, because we're now partnered with mlb.
0:53:05 - (Toby Brooks): Noted. My bad. Didn't know that was the new term.
0:53:08 - (Mike Meyer): So partner league baseball and that. And so that I can get these guys and we can, you know, rehab them or whatever you want to call it and then get them to the Bay Leagues.
0:53:20 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, that's fantastic. I think the coaches you've experienced, certainly I understood, you know, when you mentioned Kathleen at U of A, I mean, there's just so much culture that you got to experience as an athlete and it just, it's just natural that those things that benefited you, you want to turn around and give back to athletes now in your care. Interesting thought exercise here. If you had a chance to sit across your Biff Tannen and you hopped in the DeLorean and you get a chance to give 11 year old Mike Two pieces of advice, and you're staring right at little Mike, precocious star of the team.
0:53:54 - (Toby Brooks): What do you tell them?
0:53:55 - (Mike Meyer): So I would tell them, number one, don't let baseball completely consume every aspect of your life. That would be the number one, number one thing. Piece of advice. I would tell them the second one would be, don't take anything for granted. And I think that was the one real mistake, that if I could go back, I think I would kick myself and say, look, man, you have the world in the palm of your hand, and you're gonna have the opportunities to experience so many things that most people would never dream of. Don't take it for granted. Enjoy every moment of it.
0:54:31 - (Mike Meyer): Put in the work when you're. When it's baseball time, put in the work when you're in the gym, put in the work. You know, don't just go through it and say you did the reps. Do. Do the reps. Put in the work for that. For whenever it's business time, you know, and you're on the field or you're in the gym or. Or whatever, but also be able to take a step back and enjoy all these things that you didn't even know were out there.
0:54:56 - (Mike Meyer): And it's something that I'm doing now, later in life. Obviously, having kids changes everything, but little things, like, my wife makes fun of me quite a bit, and she'll make sure she tells everybody, you know, that we see when they come over or whatever, that little. I love flowers. And it's something that, you know, you just. When I was a younger me, I just walked past people's gardens and whatever and didn't even think anything of it and whatever. Just stop and turn and look around. But I live in one of the most beautiful places in the world in Arizona. And it's. Every day is like, you know, vacation day. It's unbelievable. And. And so I make sure that I. I'm in the garden and I'm working, and my hands are in the soil, and I'm enjoying little things like that that never really mattered to me. And it was singular focus, and I think it really had played a little bit of a negative impact in my career. And I wish that I could have taken a step back and realized that, yes, this is what I want to do, and this is my goal, this is my passion, but there's also other parts of life.
0:56:00 - (Toby Brooks): I'll jump in here one last time. I think what Mike's telling us is to enjoy the journey. You never know if you're going to get to come back this way again. So you might as well enjoy the ride.
0:56:09 - (Mike Meyer): And I think if you were to talk to a lot of people in whatever field they are in science or business or whatever, they've had similar experiences where it becomes so consuming that relationships, you know, things that, that might bring you joy, you just, they just go by the wayside. And that, that's one thing that I wish I could. I could really go back and enjoy all the moments that I got to have.
0:56:35 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, absolutely. That's great stuff. All right, last one. The whole theme of the podcast is sometimes bad stuff happens and we fall apart. We feel like we're undone. Other times we realize that there's a goal ahead and we're not yet finished. We're undone. So what for Mike remains undone.
0:56:51 - (Mike Meyer): Yeah, I think for me, you know, it's, it's. Again, I've been working now in my 23, 23 years in professional baseball, and the goals have split and splintered and changed, but ultimately they still all remain the same. And that's getting to the top. And I want to be at the top, and I still want to be at the top. And it doesn't necessarily mean results like winning championships or becoming the all time winningest manager in partner league history or, you know, whatever. That, that's not what I mean. But I mean, I want to be somebody that impacts it positively.
0:57:33 - (Mike Meyer): I want it to be one of those deals where I impact so many people out there that then can go out and be leaders in their communities. And that's. That's it for me. Like, I'm getting a little bit of emotional, so I apologize. But having good role models and good leaders in your life is so important. And I just, every day I strive to be one of those. And that's, that's my goal.
0:57:55 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, it's great stuff. I read a quote yesterday that I actually went in and changed my purpose statement. I had this big wordy. It was, it's just, it was a mess. And I shared it with my students. I said, here was my before purpose statement, and it was fine. But it was from a book called Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl. And this guy lived through the Holocaust and ends up writing a book about searching for meaning. And he says his, his meaning in life is to help other people find theirs. And I'm like, that's so succinct. And it's so perfect. Like, my purpose in life is to help other people find theirs. And you're dealing with what's the youngest guy on your roster, 22, usually 26, 27. I mean, these are, these are guys with the future ahead of them. They're, they're, they're husbands, their fathers. They're going to be coaches, they're going to be businessmen, and you get a chance to speak into their life or whether it's a season or two or three.
0:58:51 - (Toby Brooks): Yeah, but those coaches that made the impact in your life, you're in that position for them now. And that's such a powerful thing to finally realize that you're on the other side of that.
0:59:00 - (Mike Meyer): Absolutely.
0:59:01 - (Toby Brooks): Well, man, this was fantastic. I cannot thank you enough for your time. I loved getting to hear your story. A lot of this I didn't know about you. Pre U of A and fascinating to hear.
0:59:12 - (Mike Meyer): Oh, it's been a blast. Thanks, Toby. I appreciate it. I held it together until the end.
0:59:17 - (Toby Brooks): I don't know about you, but I am the newest fan of the Sioux Falls Canary. So follow Mike and his team and their exploits this summer. And who knows? We might be headed for a championship because they're undone. Becoming Undone is a nitro hype creative production written and produced by me, Toby Brooks. If you or someone you know has a story of resilience and victory to share for Becoming Undone, please contact me@undonepodcast.com
0:59:46 - (Toby Brooks): becoming undone can be heard on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, or wherever else you get your podcasts. Till next time, everybody. Keep getting better. It.