Dan Dawson - The Legacy of a Leader and a Legend - Raw Unfiltered

00:00:00:02 - 00:00:22:15
Unknown
You can do whatever you want man. Mark here. There is no topics that are off limits with me, whether we laugh, cry or whatever. I think being relaxed and think is important I think like the same thing. I pride myself on that. So I like my upbringing and come from a family of four. Dad was a police officer for 42 years.

00:00:22:15 - 00:00:46:04
Unknown
Metro Police Officer, Staff Sergeant. My mom worked as a nurse for 42 years as well. So we're like our public servants. I got a sister who's a inspector with Peel Police My other sister is a teacher and a firefighter. My brother brother's a firefighter. So it's like the IQ scale stopped at some point. So I fell in all about serving others, brother, always serving others.

00:00:46:04 - 00:01:08:15
Unknown
I love it. So am I. Sorry. I mean, I like to think whenever I go to school, here, I talk with you guys. Hopefully I can reach one or two people that can relate to my story. I'm like their relative age affected. I'm a December baby. Late maturity, both physically and mentally. And through that, I use my sense of humor to get me through things.

00:01:09:02 - 00:01:36:18
Unknown
Always had a really strong work ethic, but it was a selfish one in the sense that I worked my butt off when I wanted to and I could outwork anybody. But I did it at a convenience level that was good for me, not when my teammates needed to be my coaches. And so whenever I talk to people, I try to talk to myself like I was a selfish 16 year old kid with a lot of talent that missed out on opportunities but was lucky to get up.

00:01:37:02 - 00:01:58:03
Unknown
At the age of 19, lacrosse was still around Right. And that's, that's, you know, obviously going through a lot throughout that time. But that's a little cause not of how I got to work today. I'm not like a superstar by any means. Growing up, I had to work for everything I got, and I think that's what made me so one.

00:01:58:13 - 00:02:18:16
Unknown
You sound like my son. Both my kids are twins, are born in December. One of them is in athletics. You sound just like him in that regard, where I think things will come natural. But he needs a kick in the ass like you got to push a little bit further and to when did you realize that you used your humor and stuff like that as people find different ways to cope?

00:02:19:00 - 00:02:36:05
Unknown
Did you find that out like early enough as like as a teen? Like you're like, man, I'm not there yet mentally, physically where the case may be. So I got to be the funny guy or yeah, where do I fall in line? I got these guys in the room in the locker room that have hair under the armpits, and they're men at 15, 16 years old.

00:02:36:06 - 00:03:08:15
Unknown
Here I am. And you know, I don't have a hair on my body, right? So how can I deflect and still fit in? Okay, simple. My humor, right? I'll do the crazy things. Everyone loved me for different reasons because I can. I can't wrestle with those guys. They're men. They're going to throw me around pass me around. And at that age, when people are 11, 12 months older than you and that your birth year, it's really tough as a December kid unless you have God given like physical ability to match their strength and their mental capability.

00:03:08:16 - 00:03:28:13
Unknown
So I do that through my humor. But then to even go deep rooted in that, like my parents split when I was in grade six so I never dealt with that. We never went into family counseling and anything. Back in the olden days, it was just like, you know, for everyone you. My parents split and I think I got kind of a free pass to because of it.

00:03:29:00 - 00:03:51:22
Unknown
It was like, oh, the guy, he's just going through a phase right now. And I lashed out through my tumor and through people that were in a position of authority because of that. So, buddy, this is going to be unreal. I think we're gonna have some crying tonight. Yeah, well, just more like I said, the Dan, like the three of us lost our fathers in a similar way.

00:03:51:23 - 00:04:11:08
Unknown
It's just in a similar or. I know your dad's been passed away for a little while now, G, but, like, I'm standing in line. But Dad just lost his dad this year, so it's an awful lot of a lot of family connections in this in this room. So it's going to be awesome to chat. So, Dan, we're going to introduce I'm going to cut some of this out and put it back in the show later.

00:04:11:09 - 00:04:34:23
Unknown
Yeah, it's amazing stuff. So and listen to this guy. Hold on. Timeout. He didn't even talk like as he's like a nerd now, like, oh, he's gone all coding. I talked to him now and he's like, one, 1000110 yeah. My wife laughs. I'm sure Lisa does the same thing with me and Marc just eyeball each other. The driver, like, oh, god, here's another half hour.

00:04:34:23 - 00:04:54:15
Unknown
These two guys oh, you know, my wife's like, You got a man crush on Mike. I'm like, Oh. So as I said, let's go for a walk. We're going to go over to see the boys play some hockey. She is like, you know, it's your boy time. You go do your thing. I was like, All right, whatever. So but it's awesome.

00:04:54:15 - 00:05:20:11
Unknown
So, yeah, we're going to have some fun. And this is like, I'm going to do the intro. We're just going to bounce some questions off you. Like you say whatever goes goes and just take your time. Like I say, don't just let her fly, man. And Dad's got a brother. I got a great story about the dance brothers also in the Noel, a little bit different style player, I would say the new Dan, but I just tell a story about you told my grade nine boys not to Google them that day.

00:05:20:11 - 00:05:45:22
Unknown
He was coming in places, so I have to share that story. So so also at the end of the show, Dan sort of blow this this is the biggest this is the most important part of the show. Yeah. At the end, I'm going to say thanks for listening to the benchmarks. Until next time. And keep pushing it. That's just like what do I do you crush up.

00:05:45:23 - 00:06:07:04
Unknown
Thanks for this. Oh, you can't make it look that easy. You're making it look easy. Then sell down. It's hard and sorry. So say that does it for this episode of Benchmark. Thanks for listening. Until next time, you've crushed you know you got it pretty well. You got to put a little bit more enthusiasm on man. Man, set the benchmark.

00:06:07:04 - 00:06:18:21
Unknown
High, high school boys they usually call me one. Take Dos in around up well. All right, all right.

00:06:21:18 - 00:06:47:05
Unknown
And, JJ, don't worry. I went pee before the show. Yeah, it always makes fun of me. Dad is like I'm getting. No, I'm old, man. We wait. You're only 40 men, so 
Hey, team, welcome the Benchmarked Coach Messier here along with Coach Larocque. Here we go. Today, we are blessed to have an amazing guest with us. I got to catch my breath before I read out this resume, and I have to take a pause in between.

00:06:47:05 - 00:07:19:18
Unknown
So just hang on. All right? A pause or p I could be both hanging in his 20 year career, he has been named a three time and then nl champion a seven time NLL all pro nlL mvp NL Finals MVP. As of today, he's only six games away from becoming first all times in games played. I just watch him play in his 300th career game, which was absolutely unbelievable.

00:07:20:09 - 00:07:47:09
Unknown
What an awesome moment he's in is. He is fourth in all time goals. He is currently sitting in second all time in assists second all time in points. He is an eight time MSL champion, two time world champion, five time Mann Cup champion, three time gold medalist with Team Canada Indoor and one time silver medalist with Team Canada Field representing Canada.

00:07:47:22 - 00:08:20:06
Unknown
He has won two World Indoor Box across championship titles and was a finalist in the 2010 world field lacrosse championships. Not only Big Brother not only has he accomplished all of that, he is a firefighter, a father of three beautiful boys, SEAL Brooks and Chi and you cannot forget that he's married to an absolute saint. And Elise she has absolute incredible patience to be dealing with all that stuff going on and I am speaking I am speaking of none other than dangerous.

00:08:20:06 - 00:08:38:20
Unknown
Dan Dawson. Dan welcome and thank you for joining us today. What a treat this is. Thanks for having me. I should get those kids to listen to that roll call on air because it's been on the scene. Anything I say already. So our show's only so long. Already done, just from the intro. So thanks for having us keep crashing.

00:08:38:20 - 00:09:08:24
Unknown
Yeah, that's it. Yeah, that's it. And, you know, I got to give you a lot of teasing. Are our guests a little bit. But, you know, your nickname is Dangerous Dan Dawson. But I see you pull up in your driveway in a Dodge Caravan, so. Oh, boy. I'm giggling to myself when I see that. But, man, you know what, Dan, I as soon as we dug and I said, we're running this podcast and we won your interview, some some people of of we say influence leaders, mentors, coaches, parents, you kind of envelop all of that with what you do.

00:09:08:24 - 00:09:25:18
Unknown
And then I said to Greg, too, I was like, I got to get Dan on here because I know you and I have had a lot of great conversations at the bottom of our driveways. About coaching and leadership and mental performance. And you, I know, value this, but this is going to be awesome. We're super happy to have you.

00:09:25:18 - 00:09:44:20
Unknown
Congratulations on the 300th game. It was on TSN. It was what a game. It was an overtime beauty. I know it didn't end the way you wanted it to end, but what an awesome game it was. Yeah, I know. I appreciate it. Martin and I do truly value and cherish those conversations and the driver because they're real great.

00:09:44:20 - 00:10:03:01
Unknown
Like I always loved talking to people where, you know, they're not trying to get something from you or see the things they challenge you or they give you a new perspective. And those are the people I respect the most. I think through life. As an athlete that has had success, a lot of times there's yes people around you.

00:10:03:12 - 00:10:25:24
Unknown
And I think you got to be real careful with that is you could get really, really stuck. If you're not putting people around you, they're going to challenge you to get better and give different perspectives because this world is forever changing. And every person, I mean, can add value to me as a person to make me better. Sounds like a growth mindset, and that's what we talk about.

00:10:25:24 - 00:10:40:12
Unknown
Tons is just trying to grow as a person, not just as an athlete, but as a person and, you know, not knowing as well as messed up, obviously, but from we talked a little bit and just that calm right there. I just love the growth mindset you have, and that's obviously a reflection of you and probably how you are as a firefighter.

00:10:40:12 - 00:11:01:04
Unknown
You're all about the community, a father, a husband, and obviously a great athlete. So this is going to awesome. And I appreciate that. Girls, my son, my my kindergarten kids know what that means. I think he's not amazing. The teachers are in there. The tools and resources they have to give our future leaders of the world is like my kindergarten kid knows what a girl's mindset is.

00:11:01:04 - 00:11:24:02
Unknown
That's amazing. Wow. What what an amazing opportunity for the future generation. Yeah. They won't grow up with the same I call mental blocks or blocks that we put up for ourselves as people. I think that they're going to be learning, learning and developing better skills to cope than we had when we were that age. So that's terrific. That's just awesome.

00:11:24:02 - 00:11:44:08
Unknown
I love seeing those little guys running around. It's just special. So it's so awesome. Love watching. I love those guys, man, and I love taking your brain. I mean, it was so funny. We had Bill Walton in San Diego and I was playing there. He did this whole those feel there is like, listen, you want to talk to someone that's coming back from where you want to go.

00:11:44:18 - 00:12:03:17
Unknown
So you're a dad of two beautiful girls both inside and out and two successful girls. And I love picking your brain on account of their upbringing, your mentality. Right? Obviously, situations are different, but at the same time, like, I can draw from everybody. So, yeah, sorry to repeat that for me again, what he said, oh, I want to soak that in.

00:12:03:17 - 00:12:31:14
Unknown
Say it again. Yeah. So Bill Walton, he's very deep gray. He's like the Grateful Dead. He he thinks music is the gateway. Gateway to the soul. And he's doing this thing. And I'm like hanging on every word he said because I'm deep like him. And he's like, listen to this. Someone that's coming back from where you want to go it'll fast forward where you want to go, and he'll give you experiences so you know how to conquer when you're faced with adversity.

00:12:31:14 - 00:12:58:14
Unknown
I was just like, Yes, man, I've been playing the cross for 18 years. I'm learning something every year. It was he was one of the most gracious ever had was in San Diego. He dealt with a lot with the Navy SEALs in their mentality. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. I was always excited when you came back from San Diego and you come back and you always had something great like a great motivational piece or mental performance piece for us, which is so terrific.

00:12:59:01 - 00:13:28:08
Unknown
No one had a decent college coach, didn't he? Oh, yeah. Unbelievable. Boy, I wonder, like from from a leadership perspective. So he comes to us, stuff like that. Can you imagine the knowledge he was getting at UCLA at that time? Right. Like he just and then it went into him and now he's bringing it to others, like, oh, man, I can't even just when you said that name, boom, first thing I thought about was his collegiate coach.

00:13:28:08 - 00:13:48:04
Unknown
I'm like, wow. Just the knowledge that the must just like oozed out of him the go. He tells his story of like, I don't want to bite you. It was like they were either in a rut or they had a bad game. He's like, everyone's on our nerves. Because they had our high expectations and it's like, first thing we do, we're going to retire shoes.

00:13:48:15 - 00:14:10:05
Unknown
Yeah. If we can't tie our shoes, how are we going to step properly? You know, is just like, man, how? It's just everything he said was just like resonating with me. And I'm like, maybe the only guy just whining to keep talking for three days. Now, Dan, in that case, for your teammates back then in San Diego, what was the buy in for having that opportunity to connect with Bill Walton?

00:14:10:05 - 00:14:34:18
Unknown
Navy SEALs people were at your disposal to offer that betterment. What was the buy in? Is it typically pretty good at that level? Yeah, it is. I mean, when you have someone that has a resume that says, hey, listen, our job is to go into a house and clear away, quote unquote, scumbags of the earth and you know, we got one job in the Navy.

00:14:34:18 - 00:14:55:16
Unknown
SEALs equate a lot about to athletics, right? There's a big when they're down their career. I mean, all athletes may think we're going to war. Right? We have a lot of analogies in that sense. So the biggest winning takeaway I got from the Navy SEALs was training your adversary muscle. I mean, when they were getting ready for body cam, you would be like, you know what I would do?

00:14:55:16 - 00:15:10:09
Unknown
I'd go down the ocean at three in the morning and I just sit in the ocean because I know I'm going to face this a month from now on boats. And I don't want to be one of those guys who's ringing the bell, letting everyone not in my class. And I'm Quinn, and I was just like, man, do I train my head first?

00:15:10:09 - 00:15:26:12
Unknown
He muscle. I mean, off, right? We talking athletics. I have a short term memory when things don't go our way, but you see it you see it all the time in school nowadays. I mean, you had very seamless. Everyone is great when things are going well. You got great team in to say the right thing when you're winning and all of a sudden you lose.

00:15:26:12 - 00:15:43:19
Unknown
You're like he's pointing fingers like are you the same? Keep me and that was the biggest takeaway I had in San Diego. We always say guy uses the analogy about Marines. It's easy to be a Marine when it's sunny out, beautiful and warm. Nobody wants to be a Marine when you're slugging it in the mud and and the difficulty.

00:15:43:19 - 00:16:03:03
Unknown
And it's like it can be the same thing for sports, right? When everything's going well, it's smooth but real leaders and real champions come out when I say the proverbial bullets are flying, muds being slung and all that stuff, that's when you really want to use those tools and that's why we say you fall back on your preparation, fall back on your habits.

00:16:03:20 - 00:16:20:24
Unknown
It's also good for our listeners. I want to apologize because I didn't even finish my sentence from earlier. It's for listeners Bill Walton's coach was John Wooden, which is probably the best coach in the planet, probably. And I don't think many people would argue that just so far. Some of our listeners are not familiar. John wouldn't look them up best coach of all time probably.

00:16:22:02 - 00:16:42:09
Unknown
And we'll try a little of this to bring is everybody relevant? And I've talked to a lot of people, worked with a lot of people that have referred to him that are kind of our generation. And I just hope that future generations of coaches will still see that his stuff was still relevant. And the other part you talked about the guy going before Bud's going into the ocean.

00:16:42:14 - 00:16:58:16
Unknown
Another thing we talked about a previous show is let don't let your first time be your first time, right? So if you're going to play in unfamiliar territory, you don't have some video from that place or, I don't know, game footage or who the other people are is just never let in a competitive environment or whatever it is.

00:16:58:20 - 00:17:15:23
Unknown
Don't let your first time be your first time. There's ways to prep for stuff like that. Well, I, I like that. And it goes back to the talk to someone who's been in that environment, you know, what was it like where the sights and smells and all that stuff? Sharks swim with sharks, man. Sharks swim with sharks. True, man.

00:17:15:23 - 00:17:29:05
Unknown
It's true. You're not going to go ask a minnow how a shark lives his life. You had to ask a shark how a shark works, man. That's how it is. Now, Dan, you've been on a number of teams, and yet in the NFL, now you're with the Toronto Rock, which is really cool because you're close to home, which I know.

00:17:29:10 - 00:17:47:20
Unknown
I know something you really wanted, and the family's all jacked up about it. Do you find that you've picked up things from all the different areas that you've played, all the different cities that you've played, you've been able to draw from it? Absolutely, Erin. Everyone's been a great experience and whether it was, you know, statistically speaking, not the best year.

00:17:48:03 - 00:18:09:13
Unknown
I learned something from all of those defeats. And then other times are we've won championships. It's been great and traveled the world. And listen, every corner, there's different people, different climates and different perspectives on life. And, you know, I've lived in the States for a long time. I lived in Arizona, I lived in Boston, lived in Portland, Oregon, lived in Victoria, B.C., Whistler.

00:18:09:22 - 00:18:29:22
Unknown
So by no means in my world travel but I just love everything that this game has given me. We talked about how I every time we talk at a school, I'm like, how cool is it that this lacrosse stick is take me around the world representing my country? I get paid to do it on the biggest phony guy in the room right I do.

00:18:29:24 - 00:18:46:13
Unknown
I don't think I don't think you're phony because I got to tell an amazing story here about being coming in to teach my class rates on prepping them and then does school clinics and stuff like that. This is your this is your art class, right? You're talking. Well, my art class. Yeah, you can see me of to see me draw.

00:18:46:16 - 00:19:04:00
Unknown
Yeah. Okay. We're bringing in Ben. Awesome. To help us draw. Hey, I was the department head for arts, music and drama for a couple of years, and I said, I can't sing, I can't act. And I can't draw. So that didn't that was a failed kind of attempt. But, hey, it was a game made the best of it.

00:19:04:00 - 00:19:28:04
Unknown
But so Dan comes in and he's, you know, we're trying to really teach the game of lacrosse because I have a passion for lacrosse. And Lauren had played lacrosse growing up in Oakville, and and Dan's family's tied to lacrosse for a long time. And what was really cool was the kids were just so receptive to it. They thought it was just an amazing thing to have this professional athlete come in because, again, you you and I have talked.

00:19:28:04 - 00:19:45:13
Unknown
I'm not the expert in a lot of things. So we're going to bring somebody else in. And the kids loved it. And it was about a week long seminar in each day. They're like, oh, is Mr. Dawson coming back today? I was like, Yeah, he's coming back. So it was really, really cool. So, Dan, I love how you're continuing to give back.

00:19:45:13 - 00:20:04:01
Unknown
You're growing the game. I know you're still coaching today, your coaching little guys. We've talked about it before. You and I, I've talked to about it with Greg, how your best coaches should be with your younger ages so that you develop. So I think it's just a fantastic model that you guys are keeping up with the rock and what you're doing in the community for lacrosse.

00:20:04:01 - 00:20:33:20
Unknown
So that's really, really cool. So I got to ask coaching, like how does the play your dad? Because you're playing a very physical game, a very aggressive game. How does player Dan turn into Coach Dan and Dad? Dan that's a great question because I was on the Koby list over Christmas, so I missed out on a game versus Buffalo, and I'm watching the game with my wife and I start biting my jaw, clenching my fist, just like, What do you do?

00:20:33:21 - 00:20:51:09
Unknown
I'm just like the way these guys are carrying themselves shoving this game down our throats. She's never seen you across, man, before. So that came. It was kind of scary for her to see it because I'm a competitor, right? Like, it's like yes. I mean, you were going in a corner for a ball. I'm pretty sure you elbowed me on your backyard rink last year.

00:20:51:12 - 00:21:15:00
Unknown
You guys so and I have to turn it off. When it comes to coaching, especially grassroots stuff, it's easy. My job is to make kids fall in love with the game. That's when you're going to come back to it. Right get down to the level, make it fun, but also improve their skills. I feel we lose kids because, one, they don't have confidence in what they do.

00:21:15:00 - 00:21:33:08
Unknown
Why do we do things I'm good at? That's why I do it. So we want to make kids get better at the sport so they believe they're cocky, they're going to be a great player. And number two is instill the passion that I have for the sport, hopefully enough. I mean, those are going to fall for me. And how how important do you think?

00:21:33:20 - 00:21:53:03
Unknown
I don't know the answer. You're going to give me hope. It's going to be the right one in my eyes. How important do you think it is winning at that age group, that five, six, seven, year old? How important is it to win now? I mean, at five, six, seven? Yeah. Is it important because some people want to brag about the trophies on Monday at work.

00:21:53:03 - 00:22:12:05
Unknown
So you tell me if it's important. Yeah. And that's a thing like are we training kids to win at five, six and seven in parade around that championship? Or we we changed the way that life in training to win at becoming a good team. Right. And that's what I like. It's funny you lie in bed in your mind.

00:22:12:05 - 00:22:34:15
Unknown
My mind's going crazy all the time. I'm nuts. And I'm just like, who's, who's going to remember the midget double a tournament that we've won in? Steven sat for three periods or who's going to remember five kids from that team that we're division one athletes that are great people that are great contributions to their community. Right. And that's a balance.

00:22:34:15 - 00:22:55:04
Unknown
Like, don't get me wrong, I don't want everyone to do the reality thing and never get a trophy, but there's a balance with that. So long winded answer there. Yeah. I mean, I'm sure it's a good answer we are looking for yeah. I'm looking for long win in that team because we talk about process over outcome. And to be part of the process like losing is part of the process.

00:22:55:04 - 00:23:17:08
Unknown
Learning is part of the process, getting kids and playing time, different positions. That's all part of the process. The winning is the byproduct of those types of things at a time and a place you showed me a video of the other day and was the introductions. They're introducing the players when you guys are your indoor facility at the track and the little guys are running then and they're calling their names and they're throwing their arms up in the air.

00:23:17:08 - 00:23:38:08
Unknown
And I'm pretty sure it was guy that was just going crazy. They felt like professional athletes. They that's fun. That's what they're going to remember. That that's amazing. Love, that type of stuff. Yeah. I don't know about you guys growing up. Like to have accessibility to pro athletes is at an all time high, whether it's through Twitter feeds, Instagram or even in person.

00:23:38:11 - 00:24:14:22
Unknown
Like we won a penalty free sweepstakes in 2013 and that was the only chance I had if I could meet Doug Gilmore Wendell Clarke. Nowadays kids are mean their idols like every other week it's amazing that's fun So speaking of you know that people they become you know your sister is a public servant you and your brother are serving at the same fire all your other sister's teacher like the services in your family and that's something that is probably beyond the cross one of your greatest contributions which is so cool.

00:24:15:04 - 00:24:36:08
Unknown
So how do you how do you turn that into teaching your own kids those values at the same time? Yeah, I create sports as a metaphor for life. You're playing for something greater than yourself seem far off. There's eight other people on my crew, and if I have an off day, it's just not acceptable. Right? The same in sports, right?

00:24:36:08 - 00:24:59:00
Unknown
And I guess if I dug it out there, my teammates, you know, they can pick me up only so much. And so the balance I have is I tell people, like when we're wearing this jersey, that's not the only time you're a professional athlete. And I didn't realize that you own my career. I don't here. I really there's a process like, you know, we talked about like being a professional both on and off the floor, not only with that jerseys on you.

00:24:59:01 - 00:25:18:09
Unknown
So I think that holds true in the face of our service in the police department and you as a teacher, an appropriate head in Nelson. You live in your community like you can't just be awesome at school. And then these kids see you like out on the community just being a douche bag on the weekend. You lose all credibility in what you're trying to inspire them to become.

00:25:19:22 - 00:25:46:20
Unknown
Yeah, well, it's sometimes it's and it's the that you're always on right for you. Yeah. Whether you're Dad firefighter Dan or Tron or Rock Dan, you're on all the time, right? Even husbands, all of it. You're on you. You don't take time off. But I think that's also what makes you unique and has also given you that longevity in the league, which is pretty cool because it's it's the mentality you're living it.

00:25:46:20 - 00:26:07:01
Unknown
It's your day, it's your grind, right? And I don't want it to stop either. Like, that's the greatest part about being an athlete is like, we know we have a shelf life. But I tell the young guys, I'm like, work, where can you go eat with 23 of your best buddies? Where do you have keys to a $10 million facility and travel and go to San Diego on the weekend?

00:26:07:01 - 00:26:49:16
Unknown
Like all you guys got to do is watch keto eat right train right and be a good person and enjoy this ride. Since you start taking things for granted and not doing those things that make you a good professional. This game, it's taken from you real quick. Then you you've according to the resume that took 45 minutes to read you you played on a multitude of teams like Messi talked about before but I think it also speaks to an esteemed be probably hard to speak about yourself in this way but how about it for you to be either traded or you know being part of such a from the right or array of different teams speaks volumes

00:26:49:16 - 00:27:09:15
Unknown
of you because if someone's receptive to get you you know yeah we'll take and we'll take them we'll take them there. Yes there's skill involved but you have to be an absolute stud and be a douchebag at the same time. So it's sometimes it's more they're going to take, I'm assuming what you are as a human being, as a person, and what you're going to bring to the team rather than, you know, goals and assists those types of things.

00:27:09:15 - 00:27:27:21
Unknown
For a person like you who's been in the league for that long, can you speak to that a little bit? Like why do you think people brought you on board? Well, I would say like are leaning back in the olden days were trying to find those markets that work. So they they used to call me dispersal Dan not and all those things.

00:27:27:21 - 00:27:48:20
Unknown
I played for the board. And so I was like, no one take all the I think three or four dispersal blocks. I've, I've been traded twice in my career and now since there was, so to speak, to that league in La Crosse, it's a very small community, incestuous in a sense that everyone knows. So I know Mark like yeah, he seems like a good teammate in the room.

00:27:48:20 - 00:28:15:03
Unknown
But I know we played in Chicago last year. Like, I know why he's with us this year. And I prided myself on always being the first guy on the floor, last guy off the floor and letting my players do the talking. For me, those are three things I wanted to let you kind of define who I was. And I think that as you get older, you redefine your role in your career and blah, blah, blah.

00:28:15:03 - 00:28:39:11
Unknown
But my work ethic is never change, and that's been the greatest attribute. And the success I've had is definitely that's the main one. And there's also like the hardest thing is that hard work isn't always guarantee success right away. And that is the hardest thing. And it goes back to adversity. So yeah, I get it. You are the hardest working man and you're just not there yet.

00:28:39:17 - 00:29:01:19
Unknown
You're not there, you're not game ready. Just stay with it though. And then a life you a lot of kids even pros that just screw it. I try to work my bag off for a year, you know, I'm like, man, you don't understand. Expansion's coming in, you're getting older, you're getting wiser, you understand the game better. But people just don't have that adversity, so stay with it.

00:29:02:24 - 00:29:20:24
Unknown
Have you found the younger players? You've been around for eight years, like 300 games, like the young players did they respect that and ask you for advice? Do they lean on you a little bit? To. I know. Yeah. There's always people come in, you hear home and you're always helping out younger players to try to get to where they want to go.

00:29:21:08 - 00:29:44:24
Unknown
But do you find that people are taking advantage of that, the knowledge that you have? Sometimes I got to watch my delivery. I like that. Yeah. And I do. I'm not going to see like a mob mentality. That's not me. But I love the mob mentality without the delivery from him, like, Kobe was, like untouchable, right? Like his work ethic, his game sense.

00:29:45:24 - 00:30:04:04
Unknown
But he wasn't always the best team. He was a winner. His delivery was off, and that's just not me. But I do like the mob mentality. So I got to be careful that me just going to the gym sometimes isn't good enough. Sometimes. See, I had a coach that was the one I risk cover and say we were serious.

00:30:04:04 - 00:30:23:12
Unknown
Like, you shouldn't talk to young guys. You know, I'll go watch your dad. And I said, does inform around you'll be in this league for 15 years. And he says, Danny, let him be in your back pocket. And I was just like, Oh my gosh, that's so cool. Thanks, Pauly. D I'll never forget that. But I also know there's a teaching moment from that to as well.

00:30:23:12 - 00:30:44:06
Unknown
You can't just expect people to do what you do just because of your actions. Sometimes you have to help them along the process. Success leaves clues, brother. Success. Yeah, that's a great wow. I love that. Yeah. And so it's like a little Tim date of your actions, but it may not be fully digested from people. You like that?

00:30:44:06 - 00:31:00:17
Unknown
I'm still that one. That goes back to what you were saying about, you know, follow somebody, go to somebody who's been there, been to where you want to go right. But I want to ask while we're talking about success. Yeah. Winning a championship, I know is a professional team that's always on the docket. But how how do you measure success?

00:31:00:20 - 00:31:21:10
Unknown
What would that be for you then? Oh, sit on that one. Yeah, success is obvious. You got to be a champion. You got to be remembered as a good teammate. And you got to remember is a guy who grew the sport and he was a great ambassador for the sport. And if you hit all three of those, I think that's how I want to be remembered to be a champion numerous times.

00:31:21:10 - 00:31:38:06
Unknown
That gives you a little bit of clout in there were already hopefully people will listen and okay it's he's there. And number two is like being a good teammate right some people have one but or is anyone pick up the phone when you're done you're not playing anymore because you're a douche bag and that's the way you did it.

00:31:38:16 - 00:31:56:10
Unknown
You can still be careful. You know I kind of A-hole in the way you play sport and be rock and tar, but you're in your own room. You got to be locked. You got to be loved. And the last one is you want to grow the game, right? Especially the cross. We're struggling at the grassroots level. Yeah, it's our national sport.

00:31:56:10 - 00:32:20:11
Unknown
At the same time, we want to grow it here in Canada. We say like nobody like we say about and baseball. Often no one's bigger than the game like and you refer back to the game often. Do you feel the same way for lacrosse? Like there's just nobody who's bigger than the sport itself. Yeah, it's easy for us, I think, to be honest, because we're humbled by the amount of money that we get from it.

00:32:20:24 - 00:32:38:11
Unknown
Right. Let's be honest, we all have day jobs. So I think it's very easily to be humbled when you're waking up at five 30 Monday morning, coming back from San Diego right. So would I be the same person if I was making $10 million a year doing this? I would like to say yes, but we don't have the answer to that.

00:32:39:11 - 00:33:05:24
Unknown
That it's interesting because at your 300th game, we were watching it here on TV. TSN did a fantastic bet you were in it. And then they're talking about, you know, the day jobs, firefighters, the math teachers, you name it. A lot of these people were doing things. And it wasn't just lacrosse, which I thought was relatable. I'm like, this is a guy like I see you take your garbage out on Thursday mornings.

00:33:05:24 - 00:33:26:10
Unknown
Like this is a normal human being, which I find in a way I appreciate because it's relatable and it's normal to me. It's pretty cool that $10 million a year. I don't think you and I would have the same relationship. Yeah, it's funny you say that. I don't think you wouldn't have the access to me as much as we would.

00:33:26:10 - 00:33:51:09
Unknown
Right. I just to God's honest truth, I'd be busier. There be more games and, you know, I'd have my people around me that would get me the entrepreneurs allow me on this podcast you might you wouldn't even return to the text that's amazing. You know, it's really cool to watch. And you I've always said to me, and I'm not going to say because I want you to say it, but we talk about your kids.

00:33:51:09 - 00:34:12:15
Unknown
You talk, you ask me questions about my kids. And one of the things, as I say, like, I'm happy because they're good people. What is it that you want out of your three boys when it comes to you? Say them going to play sports or doing whatever activity they do? You have a three rule thing one, I want them to work hard.

00:34:13:02 - 00:34:34:08
Unknown
That's a non-negotiable. It's an absolute non-negotiable in every aspect of your life. You work hard. That's what we do here in our household. No. To you. Listen. You listen before you talk, right? I'm still listening. At 20 years in the league, I'm learning from a 21 year old kid. I'm learning every single man. And the third one, the most important is have fun, right?

00:34:34:15 - 00:34:55:08
Unknown
And then as you get older, deals are going to Spider into like you got to compete, right? But I mean did the one cut deal stern understand what it means when there's a weak spot on the corner but then they branch off and those are the three main ones we have in the car and usually there's a donut followed by that answer, yes, they're going to go yes.

00:34:56:18 - 00:35:21:10
Unknown
There you see the car look back. I love it. Then I'm a huge I want to see things. Okay. So you say work hard like, you know, I tell people say the same thing. You got to work hard. And I'm like, well, my dishwasher works like my washer works hard. What does work hard look like? If you had to describe it in a if I have to have a visual of it, for your career as of right now or somebody was coming up, what does hard work look like?

00:35:22:11 - 00:35:45:02
Unknown
Our work is preparation. I mean, I work is that selfish? Stand up. 16 year old kid that ran on a breakaway and scored a goal but again run back on defense and cost his team three goals. Now I'm -2 right. Hard work is is a light switch that never goes off in every aspect of you as an athlete and as a person.

00:35:45:02 - 00:36:08:00
Unknown
Right. Every weekend when I go away, I want to make sure the house is completely clean and my wife is set up for success. Right? Because I go on leave every three days. So that's hard work to me is like the championship mindset of telling the young guys. It's like it's a choice. It's a it's a choice. You you either flicking on or is off.

00:36:08:03 - 00:36:18:11
Unknown
It cannot be come and go country club because you may get a little taste of it, but it will not reach keep reoccurring unless you live your life that way.

00:36:20:18 - 00:36:47:17
Unknown
Wow. Now, you spent a lot of time in locker rooms, and a lot of times we see and a lot of people tell us that we interview and our own experiences is as coaches where we win when the culture is good and it's a good environment. You've spent a lot of times in locker rooms, fire halls where culture and leadership play a big role to successful operations of the team or the crew.

00:36:48:03 - 00:37:15:06
Unknown
What do you think are critical elements of leadership that separate good leaders from average leaders when it comes to building culture? Wow, man, and it's not exactly a good culture, but or you can even say, like, what kills culture is I mean, I'm sure you've experienced times where it's been tough they probably I'm sure that you've been brought into, like you say, the expansion teams to establish a culture.

00:37:15:06 - 00:37:33:13
Unknown
They're not bringing the Anderson in to tear down the locker rooms. Probably start something. Right. What do you use to do that? Like if you're you know, you've been picked to go start this team, what? They're bringing you in for a reason. What do you what do you use them kind of tools? What is your experience? Do you bring it in Oh, man.

00:37:33:13 - 00:38:00:03
Unknown
That's that's a deep question. A great question. One is, is it's our job to police ourselves in the room. Right. And culture among players is important. And you play with those guys that you know what I mean? They know what I mean. Like a because, you know, you doing, you know, even the inflationary times, it's great players in college.

00:38:00:03 - 00:38:19:20
Unknown
You have to police through action and that way everybody knows what the standard is and that comes from your captains. So what does that mean? You're Captain can't be you having a beer gut slamming three pints after the game and saying, hey, guys, we got to get in the jam. You know, that's why we lost that game, right?

00:38:20:04 - 00:38:47:23
Unknown
It's the his 10th reaction, right? And it's there's so many amazing measurements now with catapult systems up, you know, that tracking how much mileage you run in a game or how many hits you take to our coach now attracts receptions he gives us still like how many guys have logged in, how long they spend on it. And it's getting to a point in Rochester, I never won till I was to the math here.

00:38:48:00 - 00:39:04:23
Unknown
Year ten or 11 in the week went to three finals, lost all three times. I went to a team that said no drinking, no drink, unheard of in the honor of reaching into blue. Probably that's what we do. We we work hard Monday to Friday. We can go and play a game. We, we get drunk. That's what you do.

00:39:05:09 - 00:39:27:22
Unknown
And Kurt Stiers got me and what a great man to come into my life. He says we don't drink on our team next year after the game because longevity through that and that was the culture that needed to change to become a championship. Let's just say we won three championships wow. I think you're coming from the top right well, sorry I jump in.

00:39:27:24 - 00:39:47:18
Unknown
So I remember reading Wayne Gretzky's book, and when he found out what it took to win, I remember reading the book and the story is basically that he they lost against the islanders in the finals. He was going through the locker rooms, going through the Islanders locker room that way. And he said, I was going in expecting champagne everywhere and everyone's celebrating like crazy.

00:39:48:05 - 00:40:07:16
Unknown
And he said, when I walked through there, I didn't hear a word. He I saw guys with ice packs on their shoulders, their knees. They're hunched over in their lockers like they're gassed. And he's like, that's when I found out what it would take to win. So you're saying, you know, you guys went to the finals three different times, like, was there a light for for you as a player, as an organization, as something like that?

00:40:07:16 - 00:40:26:14
Unknown
You saw like, man, what do we need to do to get over the hump? Yeah, it's tough in lacrosse because you play at the national level. You play in a summer league. So I have had huge success there. I won some world championships. I want to make cups, but I never won in the NFL. It was like that that bridesmaid that I went there three times.

00:40:26:14 - 00:40:48:05
Unknown
So I started reading about GSP back then. It is a big UFC guy and used to say when he was fighting Matthews, he was like I said, Carry this brick with me. This championship was like, Weigh me down and there you go. Yeah, yeah. So, you know, exactly I'm talking about. So I started researching all champions again. So what I did is a great series and they're doing one story.

00:40:49:01 - 00:41:18:09
Unknown
I'm in Boston living in Little Italy, Hannover and I take a printout of the National Champions Cup in the National Cross. Can I burn it on my rooftop? I'm like, This doesn't mean anything. This is weighing me down. Right. And going to Rochester, I realize. Yeah, like going out, partying it. That's important. Like in the sense of getting to know each other in a social environment outside of like being game ready.

00:41:18:09 - 00:41:40:03
Unknown
And that's all you're focused on. I need to know, did you like what your kids do when they were born? Was your wife do you like those? That's important if you're going to bat with your best buddy. So a couple of beers is good. But I just realized balance my the balance in understanding that I need to do everything they're not willing to do in order to win that championship.

00:41:40:04 - 00:42:07:01
Unknown
And that means everything I do from game film, eating right, you know, making sure I'm prepared mentally. Like that was the biggest difference for me. You just took me a little while, so and I asked this to every one of our guests and we talk we talked to each other about this all the time, about if we could travel back because we see a 2.0 mark, three point or five point.

00:42:07:01 - 00:42:33:23
Unknown
Oh, I think I'm on Miss 50.0 no. But if you could trim time travel back to that young guy you were talking about, let's just say your first year in the league, what kind of advice would you give that Dan Dawson, eight years ago it would be tough because I needed to struggle and do certain things in order to to kind of get punched in the face, if that makes sense.

00:42:33:23 - 00:42:57:05
Unknown
Right? Like I needed some repercussions in my growth as a player and a person. It did take a couple of years because my junior and career, I played five years of four playoff games. We got bounced our fifth year, fourth straight like I was. So I was I became a professional, but then I need to become a champion.

00:42:58:02 - 00:43:25:13
Unknown
So it was a progression, right? So I get drafted to an expansion team where we're under 500, we don't make playoffs. And then I go to the summer league where they're man cut and all these guys are captains of every team I'm facing. It was just that was that was the summer that made me a champion to see them not being able to take their gear off after Game seven versus victory shamrocks going back to Wayne Gretzky, walking by that island, his room, I was like, Holy crap.

00:43:25:13 - 00:43:50:03
Unknown
That seeing of Mark saying mess you saying leave everything on the floor. This guy can't even take up his shoulder pads. Okay, I'm not taking thinking big enough beating out here. So I wouldn't I wouldn't say too much to myself. I would say you just need to be a professional all the time. I didn't understand that. Who did you have when you started to look up to and to as a player?

00:43:50:11 - 00:44:17:09
Unknown
I did take you under your wing, so I would look up to guys like Colin Doyle, Josh Sanderson, who were on that team. Peter Locke was nearly captain. It was very important because I was had some tough contract negotiations and I was kind of sucky pants back in the day. Right, right. Radiopharmaceutical harder like guys in 88 and I would beat a guy like try to be, you know what I mean?

00:44:17:24 - 00:44:36:10
Unknown
Well, no, I don't know what you mean. He's, he's cochairman of GM, he's got a job, he's got a budget. Right. I just didn't understand that the business side of the sport. Right. So I actually used all that stuff. I must show this guy just everything that happened to me, whether I lost, whether I felt I got disrespected, it just motivated me.

00:44:37:07 - 00:44:58:13
Unknown
And the biggest one was probably Terry Sanderson who I got called up to the summer league and he kept me on for the man cut. Brandon, I talked about I remember one year they had this little jar in our forever game. There were seven levels of sweat. And we, you know, we rinse out some of the jersey and they would level one.

00:44:58:24 - 00:45:23:01
Unknown
We need we need eight of these boys to get to where we want to be. And it was just the coolest thing. I never thought of that. And sweat equity. Sweat equity how sweet is it? And I think about the league and you're talking about Rochester, and I know you played with your brother. How sweet was that to be able to play with Paul in Rochester and now he's the captain and obviously some leadership in your family.

00:45:23:17 - 00:45:37:21
Unknown
You guys got to be proud of that. I know it was a great moment for your family and all that stuff. So can you talk to us about having a brother in the league and what that means to you? You see him at the fire hall, you see him at the arena, or like, how is that? It's awesome.

00:45:37:21 - 00:46:00:09
Unknown
He's my best buddy. We do a lot of things together, and we live a very similar lifestyle with our work ethic off the floor in training and to win with him. The first year after none of it we didn't win. It was a relief. And we both talked about that relief when it was just like it wasn't really emotional, just like, God damn it, thank God we got our we got what we got.

00:46:00:09 - 00:46:23:18
Unknown
We're good. And then the next year I was balling, bawling my eyes out in the hot one. We wanted the final whistle and there was some back to that why I was. But that was the feeling of winning with my brother. The first year was just like I think we won. The second one was just like, God damn it, this is the greatest family in the world.

00:46:24:22 - 00:46:44:19
Unknown
Amazing. Now, I got to tell you a story I got to tell our listeners and Gigi, I don't know if you've heard the story, but the G the story about Paul Dawson. So Danza in my Grade nine class teaching lacrosse for a week. And there was one day I think you were you had somebody had a prior commitment, so you were bringing in Paul to fill in.

00:46:44:19 - 00:47:12:24
Unknown
And I was out for I was coaching. I wasn't going to be there. So there's going to be somebody covering my class. So your last words to 30 14 year old boys was okay boys my brother's coming in tomorrow Paul whatever you do do not Google him. Well of course as soon as class is so I come back the next day and I was like, hey guys, I was, you know, Paul Dawson and they're like, oh my God miss.

00:47:13:06 - 00:47:29:07
Unknown
We Google them and the first thing comes up is him with this. He had this. There's a fight and there's a disagreement with the guy on the floor, I guess. And it didn't go well for the young man that Paulie was squaring off against, but so I said, to the boys, I was like, You guys were probably really quiet that day.

00:47:29:07 - 00:47:47:18
Unknown
I'm glad you saw the video before class, not after class. So that's pretty awesome. See, he's had an amazing career as well. In the NFL. Yeah, he's one of those guys. He makes you play for inches bigger than you have and £20 on you because, you know, he's got your back. He's the police officer. Out there for the team and team.

00:47:47:18 - 00:48:06:16
Unknown
He's arguing that we talk about someone who goes to war for people like he's dropping his gloves and putting his head on the line. For guys and he's addressing every single dirty head we take in the back story to that fight is pretty funny actually. It's how it is in training camp. He's about eight years in the league.

00:48:07:01 - 00:48:27:24
Unknown
This young rookie, tough, tough guy says, we're going tonight. Dustin My brother's like the old man. When you make this squad in this game means something. Well, I'll give you a shot during his exhibition. So he starts to run up the floor, the guy jumps in front of their bench, so they're all bench. Who's saying Dustin you? BLEEP, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep, bleep.

00:48:27:24 - 00:48:51:11
Unknown
Right. So my brother just blocks away. And later on that C season, doesn't this guy make the team? And this across breast cancer night in Philadelphia, the auction off their jerseys, off their back. And I think you taught them a little lesson. Oh, I think he's got a couple he's got a million and a half use on YouTube or something.

00:48:51:12 - 00:49:12:20
Unknown
It's it's insane. So pretty cool that's amazing. Now, let's go back to this. Matt, you just played your 300th game like you're six away from being number one all time. You're going to be known as one of the greatest to ever play the game. Statistically wise, you've had success you like. It's amazing. Everywhere you go on every level you've played.

00:49:13:04 - 00:49:40:13
Unknown
How do you first of all, you're in great shape. How do you stay motivated to continue to bring it every single night? I think knowing the end is near, like I don't want to ever walk away single. What if I did one more 11 more interval? What if I pointed away from time that motivates me and it obviously one is winning and letting our league is so great.

00:49:40:13 - 00:50:01:14
Unknown
There's so much self accountability with the lifestyle of guys working. And, you know, we have to train up on our own a lot. And there's a new one is my boys. Like, I want them to have fond memories of coming to the ring, seeing their dad play, being at shootaround, interact with Sean Rogers. Robbie, how are the best players in the world?

00:50:01:24 - 00:50:18:11
Unknown
And then having a relationship in wrestling with them? Like, Are you kidding me? So when he brings tears to my eyes, I don't tell my teammates enough, but like I want to see the my guys, you understand? It's like my boys get behind, you know, the best lacrosse players in the world and play catch with them and not play as long as I can.

00:50:18:11 - 00:50:47:05
Unknown
We'll be on the floor just to be a part of it, too. Oh, that's it. Now, do you see yourself? I know you're going to be involved in coaching well beyond your playing days. Do you see yourself in management at all? In the No I don't. I'm trying to create a niche for myself in player development. The problem is, do we have the final and show to get that done?

00:50:47:05 - 00:51:05:07
Unknown
I don't know. I can't answer that because really it's like we go on the weekend, let's take you through San Diego. We fly out Friday, we get Friday night we do a game show on team systems, team system Saturdays or walk through power, play short, man, play the game, fly our team. How many times can grab you mess and be like mess?

00:51:05:24 - 00:51:19:06
Unknown
This is where you need to be on the floor. This is the rep count I want to do I need you for half hour and this is the shot that you're getting 50% of the time in the game. This is what is working for you. We don't have that ability to do that because we're so compressed with their time together.

00:51:19:19 - 00:51:45:15
Unknown
So I want to be that guy that I don't want to see on my skills coach, but I feel I could be a mentor to me. I've seen so many good players not become great in our league just because they've never had the proper teachings. So that's my why if you're I'm going to jump in there. If you're league and I'm speaking your league now is basically if, if the league wants to see growth and wants to see this long term, you're going to have to invest in this because that's that's where the game is.

00:51:45:15 - 00:52:07:19
Unknown
Minutes. It's and it's sorry, it's not grassroots because it's not the younger kids, but it's still grassroots within your game, within itself. You're exactly right. You know, and I've seen I know you're doing it because on a smaller scale right now, because I've seen you bring in some called collegiate players, some high school players, they come in to you and then you're guiding them along the way.

00:52:07:19 - 00:52:28:00
Unknown
So do you see that as part of a start to that is getting them while they're young yeah I just the way I like to think about is giving every game opportunity I never had and I always wish going back to your question of like what would you tell yourself? I just wish there was something I could just fast forward my growth and be like, Dan, just try and do this better.

00:52:28:01 - 00:52:44:24
Unknown
Try and do this better. And I never had and there was just like a lot of it is on your own shoulders where I think if if I could come in there, work with young kids at the collegiate level first and then started turning to professionals after that, gee, what do you say about experience? It's not something that you can buy or whatever.

00:52:44:24 - 00:53:03:10
Unknown
You have to live it and then it becomes an experience, right? So yeah, that's, that's the shitty part about experience is like it's like you can't have it first. You need to live stuff and then you get the experience. It's kind of ass backwards in that, but that's how we get better. And, and thank God, to be honest with you, and you caught me off guard, honorable master.

00:53:03:10 - 00:53:22:20
Unknown
You caught me off guard a little bit with the answer when you said what you'd say to younger self because I am. But I love it because you're saying like I had to go through the trenches, I had to fail, I had to get punched in the face to learn those things. And if I were to probably give myself a little bit pep talk before I wouldn't have got punched in the face, maybe I wouldn't be the person I am today, man.

00:53:22:20 - 00:53:46:04
Unknown
So I love the way you think about that stuff, man, for experience. And you've got to go through it. You got to go through the mud to get success create Dan, I love man, we're slowing down here. You good? Are you still good for time? Or is frozen? I don't know if it's my internet or his can be the street.

00:53:47:06 - 00:54:08:03
Unknown
Oh, what's up with you guys? Your bills. Sorry. You're going to okay right now. You don't. Life is like I love I can to leave that in are you got to ask for a raise. You get better wi fi. Jeez, I know, i know. I know. I can't afford the wi fi and bill. Who's taking the head on that?

00:54:08:03 - 00:54:30:11
Unknown
Is that 29? Are you yeah. Yeah, yeah. So what was the answer. Oh yeah. So one of the things that I really love and Gigi and I, we're big in the family are families are important to us. I look across the street and I see kids pouring out of cars. Grandma, aunts and uncles, your brother in law and I was involved in lacrosse.

00:54:30:11 - 00:54:51:03
Unknown
Like everybody, everybody's athletic. Everybody's. I love seeing that family atmosphere over there. It's amazing. How important is family in the whole big picture? Not just about Dan, you know, the family man, but the pros. You know, you got to professional athletes in the family. How important is family to you guys? And how does that how do you balance it all?

00:54:52:16 - 00:55:11:24
Unknown
It's you know, I think something you you try to balance in your entire life. You I think at sometimes you do a good job at it. Sometimes you struggle with it. But, you know, my family is is everything to me, not only my my wife and my three boys, but obviously my sisters and my brother and my mom and losing my dad.

00:55:11:24 - 00:55:33:05
Unknown
Like, you know, my dad moved down with us. And that was that was how I wanted him. You know, he's crazy. Is this how an amazing experience, like my dad passed away in our home? Like, my dad had real issues of thinking. He would go to a home and he's someone dying wish. Years ago, he never played me at home.

00:55:33:10 - 00:55:54:09
Unknown
I look him in the eyes of like, you, kid, everything you've given us, you tell me something that I receive through everything doesn't matter. We're going to make work. And it all stems from the top mom and dad. What they've instilled in us and we have a strong foundation at home, and we wouldn't be who we are. They've given us every opportunity to be successful.

00:55:55:01 - 00:56:12:17
Unknown
And we took in our mother and my mother in law. We took her in for about a year and a half. And I don't know how I going to put this on you here, but my wife, towards the end, a certain time, she felt like she was becoming impatient, you know, with her mom. And she's like, Man, maybe we should have took her because, you know, I wouldn't be like this if she was with us all the time.

00:56:13:05 - 00:56:26:09
Unknown
Did you live some of that stock? Which which I told my wife all the time and like that that's just part of the process. Of being so quiet. And that's a real relationship in my opinion. Right. It's not all all rosy and stuff. You're going to be in the trenches. But did you go through some of that stuff as a family?

00:56:26:09 - 00:56:50:16
Unknown
It is not easy taking somebody out. No, I was it was it was easy because it was fast forward and dad was on a on a straight downward decline. So the caregiver fatigue never really set in like set in for us because he was not mobile anymore. He was just in he was bedridden. And my stepmother took care of him for a little bit prior to that.

00:56:50:16 - 00:57:16:17
Unknown
And so it was just such a steep decline. We didn't have that year and a half so it was just more of like enjoying the time of the ticking clock before, you know, he was taken from us. Yeah. Wicked. Now, what a great opportunity for your three boys to spend time with Gramps. And your dad was such a cool day.

00:57:16:17 - 00:57:35:11
Unknown
I used to love chatting with your dad when he'd drop in and we'd just be chit chatting about anything. I just a lot of he could talk about anything. That guy would a great dude. If he gets you near the wheelhouse, you're done for an hour. You know, you're right. You should see when me, my brother and my dad get together, it's almost like World War Three.

00:57:35:11 - 00:57:55:17
Unknown
We all know how to do something something a different way. So we avoid split air is a brawl. And then at the end of the bet, there's this family, right? Yeah. My dad was a staff sergeant. He was like. People were like he was respected, like, because of his gray, like. So coming home to me and my brother, I would give it to him.

00:57:55:17 - 00:58:14:14
Unknown
He's like, dude, I be think this would be wow. I'm sure the size of you and Paul, it was probably a time where your dad probably would never back down. Would he know he was we would never fight him. I'm telling you, even if it goes back to he would start headbutting us. He would grab her in her eyes.

00:58:14:15 - 00:58:36:22
Unknown
He would grab person points thinking we would be hurt, we would need her. And you know, she was savage well, you're right. You're 66 balls. What, six, four, six, five? Yeah. And I mean, dad, strength, dad, strength. That's all you can overcome, Dad. Strength. No, matter how fit you are, Dad. Strength. Just rules. Love it all adds up there.

00:58:36:22 - 00:59:02:12
Unknown
Keep it up, man. He wanted you to pull it down. You may win this, but want to just come away? Me. That's what his mentality is. So much. We're going to be here. Oh, that's amazing. That's amazing. Oh, wow. Guys, this is. This is I don't want this to end. I don't want this to end so good. So then, like, I have to ask, and I almost I wasn't sure if I wanted to ask you the question.

00:59:04:02 - 00:59:25:01
Unknown
You're going to you're going to make some history this year. I know I'm knocking on wood right now, but what is it like? What? I don't even know how to ask the question. How can you even prepare for it? Or what's the what's the feeling like to me, the 300 is that's a great number. It's just so representative of longevity, hard work and all.

00:59:25:01 - 00:59:41:13
Unknown
And I know you're up there in points and assists. Are those that are the points as important to you as the games are? What's your approach to this year? This is a big year. Yeah. I want to see because it's getting to the point where I like a lot. I've done a lot of interviews. You know, a lot of people are talking about it.

00:59:42:05 - 01:00:01:04
Unknown
So I'm always going to make that first championship. I'm just like, I just keep this freaking dining over, right? And then whether I play, so I become the all time games record guy or whatever it is, it doesn't matter how many I play. After that, I already got the record, so I'm just like, Yeah, let's just break it and then I don't have to talk about it.

01:00:01:04 - 01:00:24:05
Unknown
I mean, go back to the team because I'm going to be really honest. Like, my role has changed throughout my career. I've had the keys to the franchise the spotlight has been on me. I, I could do whatever I wanted to do. So I'm not, I'm not I, I love the limelight. I just never really enjoy the spotlight.

01:00:24:22 - 01:00:51:07
Unknown
Like, I love the fruits of the labor that comes from the sport and success in being good at something. Absolutely. Are you kidding me? Everyone guess I just. I don't need to be in the spotlight anymore. I don't. I like to do my thing. Do that. I wear the same snow pants and jacket for three months. I work right, and I don't take myself very seriously.

01:00:51:07 - 01:01:11:03
Unknown
I take my training very seriously. I play the game. I do. I understand. Don't ever sleep on me, but I just want to kind of be a valuable asset to the team that's still contributing at 40. And I don't want people say I'll just put them in the bottom to get through these six games either. Right? Because that's not fair.

01:01:11:09 - 01:01:32:13
Unknown
That's not fair to anybody. Yeah. You're still getting the ball. And I can see that that you're still offensively dangerous, that you're dangerous. Dan Dawson, Man, there's a reason why you're there. So looking forward to seeing you succeed in this. It's really awesome. Really happy for you. So cool. Yeah, we talked about this. Sorry. Go ahead. No, no, go, go.

01:01:33:12 - 01:01:57:08
Unknown
So we talked about this off air. I want to discuss a little bit on air. You talked about being a December baby because you know, those who read the book Outliers, right? They talk about, you know, anybody's going to play in the NHL. The more successful people are January February or March and you know, all that stuff. You being a December baby for those that are kind of in that, you know, those are in Canada that are that's how it works basically in a system.

01:01:57:08 - 01:02:24:12
Unknown
Can you speak to how it was growing up? Like obviously your size caught up to you, but obviously you had to live that for your younger years. What's it like to be a December baby in a sport? Man, it is tough. You get your butt kicked right? Let's be honest. You're you're playing against guys that have 11 months on you and they're hitting puberty before you, Nancy.

01:02:24:12 - 01:02:51:06
Unknown
They're stronger from you. They're more confident. So unless you're willing to almost be a crash test dummy out there, it's going to be extremely difficult So the flip side is I do have boys and the twins are January 3rd. And I think I was timing it with the alliance, you know, because I said to every December kid, when I see Theo having success at Lacrosse, this is how I equate it.

01:02:51:06 - 01:03:17:16
Unknown
Like Theo's that the best player. He's just thinking is him more than any other kid. Great parents are. So like they want a measure of their kids. And for me, as a December baby, it trained me for life. I just didn't know it. It's been my adversity, mother. I just didn't know it. So having that going back to the Navy SEALs when I'm 38 years old and hearing this guy talking like, Holy crap, is it December, kid?

01:03:17:23 - 01:03:37:07
Unknown
I've been training my adversity, missing my whole goddamn life. I'm good, right? I just didn't know it. And isn't it awesome when you look back on when you're a douche bag or you acted out or you did something back in your younger years, you're like, Oh my God, I know why I did that. I knew why I did that.

01:03:37:23 - 01:04:08:06
Unknown
And it's so refreshing now because during those years of me struggling as a teenager, man, it was frustrating. I didn't know why I was lashing out and being a scumbag. Right. And so that's the biggest thing for me was December cuz like I get it. It's going to be tough and there's going to people see, you're not going to be good enough, but man, if you just ride this wave and always going to be fine, but there's going to be light in the tunnel because those, those kids, not all of them.

01:04:08:06 - 01:04:36:13
Unknown
January, February, March, April, sometimes they complacent based on talent and their physical ability. My one of my good friends is the head coach of University of Denver Eagles. He calls me four kids. He said, Danny, is he the best kid we see? The biggest kid. Good point. Holy shit. That's awesome. Matty. I was looking out. So now when I give him perspectives on kids, I look at there were these ten in the year.

01:04:36:20 - 01:04:56:24
Unknown
I'm like, Yeah, you know what I mean? Matty's 14. I just think he's bigger and faster. Than everyone. That's why he's getting nine carries a game. Is scoring seven goals this December, kid. You just can't create his own shop. He's got the best stick skills. He's got great game knowledge. He's going to be there if he can ride that wave.

01:04:57:22 - 01:05:19:10
Unknown
Sounds like the process over outcome thing, them manifesting itself because it's just sticking with it. That persistence and it's something we've talked about all the time in our show. And it's funny because DJ and I always mentioned in our podcast is about evolutions. You know, like I, I'm a better coach now than I was when I was 25 30, 35 40.

01:05:19:21 - 01:05:41:23
Unknown
And it just we didn't have the tools or the experience or the knowledge to be as good as we are. And we're always saying we're chasing that. I'm going to get that 1% better and I and try to be better tomorrow than I was yesterday. And more today. But looking back on and I like Dan's talking about the wave and now that I look at now and I can literally live that way now like I love the wave, I love the wave.

01:05:41:23 - 01:06:02:09
Unknown
Like that's what I know, you know, crashing later in the good times are celebrating. Okay, that is what it is. But like the wave is the fun. And if you can embrace that and you're on to something, you're on to something amazing. So, Dan, we're going to wrap this up for you here because I'm sure. But come on, you're in a different time zone up there.

01:06:03:23 - 01:06:21:10
Unknown
Do you have any other questions? Jill, before we I yeah, we got to do a second show or is my question really another story and you and we're going to have him on again, this is this is amazing. Do I got to get a house by you guys? Yes. Well, you know, like, Dan, you're you have a chance to meet guys coming down in a couple of weeks.

01:06:21:10 - 01:06:40:20
Unknown
His son's got a volleyball tournament in Niagara Falls, so you'll actually be able to see them. So. Yeah, yeah. You'll be awesome. You won't be disappointed. He's taller and better looking than I am. So it'll be he got the good genes, so he got the good genes. Man, I could carry on. This is why I know this is crazy.

01:06:40:21 - 01:07:05:22
Unknown
Dan, it's crazy because a lot of this stuff you've been talking about has we've touched on I think this is our 15th show we're recording right now, and congrats, guys. Thank you. Yeah. So we'll see. That would probably top out at 30 listeners, but the we don't care. We're just happy if we have one person that this will change one person I don't care that's all I want and we'll have people like why these guys do that.

01:07:05:22 - 01:07:28:10
Unknown
But if one person can listen to the messages that you're giving that you know Zach Sorenson's giving anybody that we're interviewing giving that makes us happy because a lot of our philosophies you've you've said a lot of our stuff is just rolling naturally. So you're living it right, you're doing it right and your kids are going to live by that too, I have no doubt, which is going to be amazing.

01:07:28:10 - 01:07:52:07
Unknown
So really cool. So, Dan, we like to give our listeners a small task. Like, you know, I'm a teacher, Gigi's a teacher, your wife's a teacher. We give assignments we have post right first. So it would be great if you could share with us what would be if somebody wanted to be a good leader or would be the best advice you would give anybody for anything.

01:07:52:07 - 01:08:02:03
Unknown
Sport, you know, being a firefighter, a team member, organization, whatever, what would be the advice you would give to somebody if they want to improve their leadership skills?

01:08:04:13 - 01:08:35:06
Unknown
To listen and learn when they're talking? We're so quick to just give verbal diarrhea to what we think leadership is and what we think people need to hear now is the biggest key for me as a young leader. That I had in a my jersey. And the energy is you because I was the best player in the room that you know, you know, that team is just let's give it to that goal scorer because you know, he's their best player.

01:08:35:06 - 01:08:57:23
Unknown
So he's an automatic leader, just like he would say all the right things in room. No, you need to listen to your teammates you know, people that you work with, you know, students, and then that'll make you a good leader. I couldn't say it better myself. Well, just like you see. I know, but Messi, you see, like, I feel like, why are we doing this?

01:08:58:24 - 01:09:22:01
Unknown
You know, we got here anyone says like, we're talking, this is awesome. This is medicine for me, right? Like, the game across is the medicine game. Here is a story. And I'm a white boy from over like not it well versed in first nation culture by any means. Until I played for Crusaders, who was from six nations in Cody and Craig and all these guys from six nations they started teaching me about that.

01:09:22:15 - 01:09:44:19
Unknown
So at 38, when my dad was diagnosed with cancer, he never showed it to your staff surgeon. He's like, Can I go watch my boys go play boxing? Like, now you can't cross the border. We can assure you it's if there's crime. I have no idea. Every time he watches us, that's medicine. Now, when I'm out on the rink with my boys, it's medicine.

01:09:44:19 - 01:10:04:05
Unknown
I start doing music, I get to talk to you. That's medicine. People don't talk anymore. No, it's a lost art. And I think of it. We, we we've embraced this guy. And I said, we need to do this for ourselves. That's it. And I look forward to the conversation with everybody. Again, learners growth mindset. I want to learn from people.

01:10:04:11 - 01:10:24:23
Unknown
I want to surround myself with. People that have done it before are doing it, are doing it better than I am. And hopefully I could take something from that. So we're just a vehicle to pass this on to the world. That's that's what we want to do. But it feels good. It's therapeutic. It's, you know, like if you're in a position of leadership, something you don't have somebody to wrap with, you don't have somebody, you internalize it.

01:10:24:23 - 01:10:44:16
Unknown
You try to make the decisions yourself, having to find somebody. We had somebody on the show who says, find somebody to surround yourself with. It's just a little bit below you. So you can teach them somebody at your level so that you can communicate with them and somebody above you so that you can follow them. So you're kind of hitting all those guys, right?

01:10:44:16 - 01:10:59:15
Unknown
Which was really cool advice. So that's what we're doing. We're passing on as much stuff as we can and our passion for it, and we just want people to get better. And again, we're living I'm living vicariously through your boy. That's why I love going to watch and play sports because it's awesome. I miss going to watch it.

01:10:59:15 - 01:11:21:23
Unknown
Just that grassroots stuff. Like I said in a previous show, how I learned when I went watch the old play and they gave the Vikings helmet to the garage. Yeah, that was cool. So cool. Your mom was there, like grandparents are there. You know, it was it was emotional for people and the kid was a pumped like I never would have thought to do something like that in the lobby.

01:11:21:23 - 01:11:46:04
Unknown
That's a good coach, that's a grassroots coach that those are the people we need out there coaching kids. Right. Awesome. For real. Authentic of like if you work hard and you get, you know, you're paying me to be part of it, that's so cool to me. Our coaches crush it and then, you know, it's funny because I know you're always great, you're always inquisitive, you're asking about Lauren, you ask him a paycheck.

01:11:46:04 - 01:12:08:07
Unknown
To me, that's a big you care. Like you didn't have you don't have to do that type of stuff that makes you a real person, you know, like I know all the those those guys somehow else. I mean, they're and it's not because you fleet of kids because you got to great people that have more than those girls and they are so special even if I trust those two girls of my boys is the ultimate account.

01:12:08:09 - 01:12:29:04
Unknown
Like ultimate ultimate. Like, I got to come clean. I got to come clean. You can always work somewhere and oh, here we go. She had to go babysit one day she's going to be mad at me because I'm seeing this story in public. But it's she she's over there and she's hot. She loves it. She's like doing all kinds of stuff.

01:12:29:04 - 01:12:50:19
Unknown
And then she called the bullpen. She was like, I don't know. I'm sorry, guys squirted out the back door. Brooks, go squirt out the back. Door. Yard's all fenced in. So we're out there. I was like, this is amazing. I'm having so much fun. I had two daughters. I had two daughters. They were so well-behaved. They're quiet. You know, they just didn't they didn't cause problems or do anything.

01:12:50:19 - 01:13:08:24
Unknown
I love the energy coming out of your house, man. I try to go over there as much as I can. So it was just so, so many cool things I love. It tells me it looks like a clown car, just people firing out and people style. Yeah, it's it's something else over here and what was it this summer?

01:13:08:24 - 01:13:32:03
Unknown
I go outside and I don't think it was Brooks what it is at the front door. No pants on, nothing. Just wave. I'm Mark. I was like, Brooks. Hey, let's get some pants on. Oh, it's good times. Real life, man. I think that's the thing is people forget we're in a real we're in the real world here. And that's, to me, that's rich watching little kids, younger kids grow and enjoy and have fun, man.

01:13:32:07 - 01:13:54:16
Unknown
It's rich. A lot of a lot of it going on, going back to being insecure this kid like you worried about what people think about. You're right. You're just like, this is what it is. This is our family. And, you know, if you're good hearted, you know, I mean, just embrace it. Yeah, do it. Do it. Well, that does it for this episode of Benchmark.

01:13:54:23 - 01:13:59:12
Unknown
Thanks for listening. Until next time. Keep crushing it.