Kokomo Magazine March 2022

MAGAZINE

MARCH 2022

SHOOTING FOR EXCELLENCE CLIFF LEVINGSTON EMBRACES COMMUNITY AS BOBKATS HEAD COACH

MEET EVELYN MAGLEY CEO OF THE BASKETBALL LEAGUE IT’S IN THE CARDS SLATER’S SPORTS CARDS & COLLECTIBLES WELCOMES HOBBYISTS AND ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE

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IN THIS ISSUE

MARCH 2022

20

7 SHOOTING FOR THE STARS

FOUNDER/CEO TOM BRITT tom@townepost.com 317.496.3599

Jimbo Rayl Talks “Hoosiers” Role and Post-Retirement Life

11

PRESIDENT JEANNE BRITT jeanne@townepost.com 317.810.0011

SHOOTING FOR EXCELLENCE

PRODUCTION COORDINATOR ERIN TURK

14

DIRECTOR OF DIGITAL ENGAGEMENT JOSH BROWN CREATIVE DIRECTORS TONI EADS VAL HACKER GRAPHIC DESIGNER ROBBY BERRY COPY EDITOR JON SHOULDERS

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Brett Etherington and His Family Share a Love of the Game

22 PETS AROUND TOWN

Cliff Levingston Embraces Community as BobKats Head Coach

24

IT’S IN THE CARDS

MEET EVELYN MAGLEY

Slater’s Sports Cards & Collectibles Welcomes Hobbyists and Enthusiasts Alike

16

26

CEO of The Basketball League

MEET SAM BECKOM

KOKOMO EVENTS

19

MARCH WORD SEARCH PUZZLE

The New General Manager of the Kokomo BobKats

WILDKAT WONDERS REAL-TIME ANALYTICS

WHEN BASKETBALL IS IN THE BLOOD

Basketball Champ Looks Back on Memorable Seasons

27

28

BADASSERY LIFE PODCAST

3

7

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C.W. Mount Community Center and Banquet Facility Holds Rich History

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GOOD TIMES, GREAT GAMES Matt Waddell Reflects on Basketball Career

KEY CONTRIBUTORS CHRISTY HEITGER-EWING / JULIE YATES JUSTIN SICKING / MATT KEATING

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“ FOR FIVE DAYS I GOT TO HANG OUT WITH GENE HACKMAN, DENNIS HOPPER AND BARBARA HERSHEY. IT’S SOMETHING I NEVER GOT TO DO AGAIN.” —JIMBO RAYL

SHOOTING FOR THE STARS JIMBO RAYL TALKS “HOOSIERS” ROLE AND POST-RETIREMENT LIFE

Writer / Julie Yates Photography Provided

and working as a State Farm account representative.

Painter, Purdue University head basketball coach, to a game whenever he gets a free weekend. I liked the game of baseball the Friends of Rayl know that besides best, but I was better at basketball. After my basketball, he absolutely loves baseball. freshman year in high school, I gave baseball Until he was a sophomore in high school, he up to concentrate on basketball. I played at played both sports. Then genetics took over Kokomo Haworth for two years and then and basketball became his focus. His father Kokomo High School for my junior and was the legendary Jim Rayl who played for senior years. When I was a senior we won the Indiana Pacers professional basketball the regional for Kokomo for the first time team. since the ‘60s.”

If the saying “Everyone is famous for 15 minutes” is true, then Kokomo native Jimbo Rayl has had more than his share of fame. Longtime locals might know that in the 1980s, Rayl had a brief brush with Hollywood stars on the big screen. In more recent years, many people saw him in a Facebook video that went viral. In between, he played college basketball and served customers on a United Parcel Service “I spend most of the summer at Wrigley (UPS) route that he held for 30 years. These Field,” Rayl says. “I’m a Chicago Cubs days he enjoys living in the community season ticket holder. Every year I take Matt

TownePost.com / MARCH 2022 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / 7

Rayl’s position on the team was shooting guard. Typically, the position calls for an individual who can do it all - dribble

fast, pass quickly and be the best outside shooter. Rayl caught the attention of the basketball coach at Indiana UniversityPurdue University Fort Wayne. After being recruited, he played his freshman and sophomore year until the coach left the program.

While Rayl was a college sophomore, he became the first player in the school’s

history to be benched by the NCAA. After finding out Rayl played a small part in the 1986 movie “Hoosiers,” the association required he sit out the first three games of the season and pay a portion of his earnings back.

“NCAA said I was paid to play basketball,” Rayl says. “The summer between my senior year of high school and freshman

Matt Painter, Jimbo Rayl, Jordan Mount

year in college, I heard they were having open auditions for the movie at IUPUI in Indianapolis. Over 100 people auditioned, then 50 were called back.

They had me read lines and play a bit of basketball in front of the casting director.

After that, they cut it to 20 and I did more line reading in front of the producers and others.”

ORTHO INDY

“I got selected to be number five for Terhune, the rival of Hickory,” he continues. “It actually turned out to be a big scene. I was getting ready to shoot a free throw when the assistant coach walked on the floor intoxicated and there was a big fight. For five days I got to hang out with Gene Hackman, Dennis Hopper and Barbara Hershey. It’s something I never got to do again.”

Rayl finished college at Indiana University Kokomo where he earned a criminal justice degree from the School of Public and Environmental Affairs.

After graduating he took a job with UPS. While driving the same route for three decades, he got to know the people on his route well. When Ring doorbell cameras became popular, he couldn’t resist occasionally having a bit of fun.

During the December before he retired in March of 2019, a customer asked him if it would be alright if she posted a video of him doing a short dance. Within three hours, it amassed a million views on Facebook. It was shown across the United States on news shows such as “Good Morning America,” as well as

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Jimbo Rayl and Stephen Simpson

international outlets like the Daily Mail website.

“We signed up with ViralHog, a monetizing company,” he says. “Checks came in for over a year. I made more money on that video than I did being in ‘Hoosiers.’ ” Before he and his wife Laurie, a fourthgrade teacher at Western Primary School, had children, they traveled the world.

Rayl’s favorite destination was Cape Town, South Africa, where he attended professional racing driver Stephen Simpson’s wedding.

“The 24-hour plane ride there was brutal, but Cape Town is beautiful with mountains, beaches and vineyards,” Rayl says. “It is where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Even though it’s warm, they have penguins.”

Since retiring from UPS, Rayl has not slowed down. For a couple years he had the opportunity to be an assistant basketball coach at Kokomo High School.

At the present time he’s happy to be working for State Farm Insurance and attending his daughter Rhys’s softball games, along with his son Jace’s basketball games.

“I live right on the Tipton County/ Howard County Line,” he says. “It only takes 30 minutes to get to Carmel. I love the low cost of living in Kokomo and closeness to Indianapolis.”

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SHOOTING FOR EXCELLENCE CLIFF LEVINGSTON EMBRACES COMMUNITY AS BOBKATS HEAD COACH Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photographer / Justin Sicking

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“ [IN 1992] IT WAS NEVER ABOUT LOSING. IT WAS ABOUT HOW BAD WE WERE GOING TO BEAT THE OTHER TEAM.” — CLIFF LEVINGSTON

C

liff Levingston has many fond memories from his time on the court as an NBA star, having played for the Detroit Pistons, the Atlanta Hawks and the Chicago Bulls among others.

He recalls his second year in the league when, in 1983, his Pistons team faced off against the Denver Nuggets - a game that went into three overtimes and still holds the record for the most points ever scored in an NBA game: 186 to 184.

“That morning I threw up,” he says.

“Then I got to the arena and threw up again. But the moment I stepped inside the arena, the hairs on my neck stood up. It was an electrifying moment.”

“We ended up winning by one bucket I fouled out with two points so I like to say I’m the reason we won that game,” Levingston says with a chuckle.

The high-octane anxiety was all about unknown anticipations.

Prior to his first championship game with the Chicago Bulls in 1991, Levingston recalls his nerves kicking into high gear.

Levingston recalls trying to give his fellow teammates a pep talk.

“We didn’t know what to expect because none of us had gotten that far before,” Levingston says.

After losing in overtime to the Lakers,

“I said, ‘Fellas, we OK. We played a good game and still have a chance to win it. Let’s sweep them,’” he says. “Michael [ Jordan] walked up to me and said, ‘You need to win

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the first game to sweep them.’ ”

began his coaching career in 2000 and through the past two decades has coached The Bulls did the next best thing by claiming a number of teams. From 2003 to 2004, he victory in the following four games, coached the Harlem Globetrotters. Though making them NBA champions in 1991. it was fun, he compares it to the Bill Murray The following year, the vibe was different. film “Groundhog Day.” Queasy stomachs and apprehension were replaced by intense hunger and a definitive “You wake up in a different city every day, mission. but it’s literally the same thing over and over and over,” Levingston says. “[In 1992] it was never about losing,” Levingston says. “It was about how bad we He also coached a minor-league team in were going to beat the other team.”

Dodge City, Kansas, where they won three championships in seven years. In March of Despite a crushing finals loss in Portland, 2021 Levingston became head coach of the Jordan told his team, “Don’t worry. When Kokomo BobKats. He loves the community we get home, we got this.” Lo and behold, aspect of the program. he was on fire, hitting three pointer after three pointer in game six to clinch back-to“Going to a city, playing, and going home back NBA championships. does a disservice as far as learning people skills and being involved in something “Michael was a teacher,” Levingston says. that connects all people,” Levingston says.

“He taught guys how to maximize their “If you’re not involved in the community, talent with less effort and more skill. understanding the heartbeat of the Sometimes people called Michael a selfish community, it’s not going to work.” ball hog, but he was the exact opposite of that.”

The team practices from 7 a.m. to 9 a.m.

Monday through Friday so that they have Levingston knows that in order to win, one time to make appearances at area schools, must surround themselves with talent. He nursing homes, grand openings and likens the game to an operating room or an community events during the day. assembly line.

“If anyone wants to see the BobKats, we will “A doctor is only as good as the nurses make it happen,” Levingston says. “What I around him,” he says. “An assembly line is love about Kokomo is how the community only as good as the person in front of you is behind the team. The mayor is supportive, who makes your job easier. If everyone does and the players are all involved in the their job right, we all get the glory.” community. That’s a winning recipe for success.”

It’s what he preaches now as a coach. He

Levingston’s favorite aspect of coaching is helping these young men obtain their dreams of playing pro ball.

“These guys come in with a twinkle in their eye,” he says. “They know they want to play basketball, but they don’t know how to get to where they want to go. Getting them to understand what it takes to be a professional athlete - what you have to do to get there, the kind of dedication you have to have and to see that twinkle become a steady flame, that’s my reward.”

Levingston and his wife Valerie have four children, eight grandchildren and one greatgrandchild. The couple lives on a farm in Michigan City, and started a communityoriented foundation called Legends Leaving Legacies that helps other nonprofits get notoriety so that they can raise money. In his free time, Levingston participates in a lot of celebrity golf outings.

“I’m not good, but my team and I are always the clowns of the golf course,” he says.

“These outings take four to five hours, so we have fun.”

Levingston feels the pandemic has made many people realize they should slow down and enjoy life.

“Everyone has been locked up for so long and they want to get out, laugh and enjoy themselves,” he says. “We want our team to bring smiles to the community.”

For more on the Kokomo BobKats, visit kokomobobkats.com.

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MEET EVELYN MAGLEY CEO OF THE BASKETBALL LEAGUE

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

Four years ago, Evelyn Magley was on her knees asking God what he wanted her to do with her life. That’s when she had an epiphany to start The Basketball League (TBL), a professional league based on the love of God. “I realized that basketball could be used as a tool to positively impact people’s lives,” Magley says.

She and her husband David, a former pro basketball player who previously served as the commissioner of the National Basketball League of Canada, have been married for 40 years and have four children. While living in Canada, Magley learned the value of sports in improving mental health. When people are trapped inside during frigid weather, attending a basketball game is an outlet for fun.

Magley was eager to build a program in Kokomo that would bring multiple opportunities to the community. It was a chance for the athletes to be ambassadors and use their stardom to impact young lives, but it was also a professional platform

that would spotlight dancers, musicians, coaches, referees, general managers, and countless others with gifts and talents that could be taken to another level.

“That’s what TBL brings - another level of entertainment and another level of opportunity for everyone involved,” says Magley, chief executive officer of TBL, which launched its first season in 2019. Games are live-streamed in more than 145 countries

for impacting lives. She notes that more than 75% of all Americans are financially illiterate in some way. Perhaps they don’t know how to balance a checkbook, or they don’t understand cryptocurrency or non-fungible tokens. Therefore, TBL has partnered with the National Financial Educators Council to offer teams classes on financial literacy.

“We’re killing the pandemic of illiteracy with finances and doing it one player at a time,” Magley says. “We want our athletes to Magley, born and raised in a tight-knit community in Kansas, was the first African understand the opportunities that they have other than just being a player. We want them American homecoming queen at her high school and is now the first African American to be strive to be GMs, coaches and team market owners.”

- and first female - to own a professional male sports league.

She’s excited about how Kokomo has embraced these young men, and they are “It’s a big responsibility to be the person equally excited to have an opportunity to who’s trying to set an example for how to bring streams of revenue into the community. treat others,” she says. “We need to hold ourselves accountable with one another and with our communities. We need to start “We want to people to come out, have fun and make memories with their families,” treating one another as humans with more Magley says. kindness, more love, more understanding and more respect.”

For more info on The Basketball League, A retired music educator, Magley has a heart visit thebasketballleague.net.

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Evelyn Magley, Sam Beckom and David Magley

“Our players are always out in the community all the time, interacting and giving away tickets to games,” Beckom says.

MEET SAM BECKOM THE NEW GENERAL MANAGER OF THE KOKOMO BOBKATS

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

When local resident and sports fanatic Sam Beckom heard the Kokomo Jackrabbits were coming to town in 2015, he made a few calls to friends to see about working on the entertainment team. Having taught percussion to local high schools, including Western, Logansport, Zionsville and Westfield, he was looking to fill his summer gap with something fun. He eventually advanced through the ranks, becoming entertainment director, broadcast director and press Box coordinator. Once the Kokomo BobKats team was born, Beckom began doing operations with that team as well. Last November when Owners Mark Jansen and Jeff Beeler asked him to become the general manager of the BobKats, he jumped at the chance.

“I never would have dreamed years ago that I’d be a GM of a sports team,” Beckom says. “It’s cool getting to work with people like Cliff Levingston, a two-time NBA champion whom I’ve always looked up to, and David Magley, the president of our league. Over the weekend I was sitting next to [former Indiana University basketball player] Kent Benson at a combine and we were scouting the same guys.”

Last year they disseminated 5,000 tickets to local schools. This year they hope to double that number.

“We want to get young fans into the stadium,” Beckom says.

A Kokomo BobKats dance team and a team ball dog will soon serve as halftime entertainment.

“The BobKats are already known for having a good drum line and deejay who bring the energy to the gym,” Beckom says. “We’re excited to expand on that.”

On a recent trip to Disney World, Beckom, a 2009 graduate of Western High School, popped the question to his girlfriend Cassy.

In their free time, the couple, who met at a Jackrabbits game, frequent sporting events like Colts, Indians and Indy Fuel games.

Beckom and the team love nothing more than hanging out with community members Beckom’s favorite place to be, however, is at the Kokomo Memorial Gymnasium, not in Kokomo. Interacting with fans is a big just because he adores basketball, but also part of what The Basketball League players because of what the game brings. do. That might mean surprising local students with a visit. It might be dropping “The games gather the community together by area nursing homes to chitchat with - that’s the best part,” he says. residents. It might be participating in the Real Men Read program, for which players For more on the Kokomo BobKats, visit read stories to young children. kokomobobkats.com.

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Cliff Levingston and Sam Beckom

“ THE GAMES GATHER THE COMMUNITY TOGETHER THAT’S THE BEST PART.” — SAM BECKOM TownePost.com / MARCH 2022 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / 17

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WILDKAT WONDERS

BASKETBALL CHAMP LOOKS BACK ON MEMORABLE SEASONS Writer / Matt Keating Photography Provided

Misty Oliver, a member the Kokomo High School girls basketball state champion teams during the 1991 and 1992 seasons, says she will never forget those years.

“1991 and 1992 were some of the best years of my life,” Oliver says. “The team we had was so special. The amount of talent we had was unheard of. There were multiple Division I scholarship recipients.”

Four out of the five starters on the team were 1,000-point scorers.

“The talent was deep,” Oliver says. “The community really got behind us and supported us no matter where we were playing. During those two seasons our fans would outnumber the home team’s fans. No matter where we went, the fans went too.”

The sectional games eventually had to be

moved to Memorial Gymnasium.

Oliver still cherishes all the special memories.

“The school that hosted it didn’t have enough seats for our fans,” Oliver says. “Our fans packed Fort Wayne Coliseum. They packed Market Square Arena. Then when we won our state championships, they packed Memorial Gym in the middle of the night when we got back in town.”

“My memories of those years are priceless,” Oliver says. “From friendships to competitiveness that was unmatched. We were a unique group of kids that had one goal - to win every time we stepped on the court. Everyone had a role on our team and everyone played their role perfectly. We had so many milestones we passed as a team.

We were number-one in the state, and we eventually grew to number-one in the nation.

That is a feat not many players can claim. We had a target on our backs and it never phased us. We just wanted to play ball and win.”

Oliver still remembers fans wearing their hot-pink shirts.

“When you walked into the gym, you always knew who was cheering for the Lady Wildkats,” Oliver says. “I love the impact we had on the youth. We had so many little girls that looked up to us. They wanted to be us. They mimicked us. We created a love in their hearts for the game of basketball, just like what we had in our hearts.

Nothing speaks more to this than the state championship that was won 11 years later in 2003. Those were the little girls that were on our sidelines.”

TownePost.com / MARCH 2022 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / 19

People still stop Oliver, who now works at Stellantis, to talk about the games.

“It’s still brought up a lot,” she says. “It was an amazing memory, for not only the players but everyone else that was involved. I am forever grateful for the support we have received, when we were playing and to this day. I will always be proud to be a Lady Wildkat.”

WHEN BASKETBALL IS IN THE BLOOD

BRETT ETHERINGTON AND HIS FAMILY SHARE A LOVE OF THE GAME

Writer / Christy Heitger-Ewing Photography Provided

When you play basketball, the wins stick with you but so do the losses.

As strange as it sounds, sometimes those losses produce just as many fond memories. Such is the case for Brett Etherington, a 1987 graduate of Western High School who played varsity basketball during his sophomore, junior and senior years.

“Our first game of the year was always against Kokomo, and Memorial Gym was my favorite place to play,” Etherington says. “Though we only won on their court once, the first game of my Junior year, they were always close games and the gym was always packed.”

Western High School games drew good crowds too. “We had great fan support at WHS which helped us win all but one home game my senior year.” He recalls a time when they played Lafayette Central Catholic, who was ranked number-two behind Marion, a team that won the state championship three years running. During this particular game, Etherington and his teammates broke Lafayette Central Catholic’s 42-game winning streak.

“That felt good,” he says.

In 1987 Etherington played on the Indiana All-Star team, then went on to play for Butler University at Hinkle Fieldhouse, which he describes as “one of the

greatest arenas in the country.” Between his sophomore and junior year, Barry Collier came on board as Butler’s coach.

“Though we struggled my junior year, senior year was a different story,” he says.

They won 18 games, including beating Notre Dame and Wisconsin, taking them to the National Invitation Tournament.

He recalls the time when Butler played Evansville - a battle that went into triple overtime. Every Evansville player fouled out except for the five on the court, each of whom had four fouls. Ultimately Evansville pulled out the win, but Etherington scored his career high as did several of his teammates. Even all these years later, some people who were there describe it as the greatest game they ever saw.

Etherington, now a captain at the Noblesville Fire Department, says the best part of basketball is watching his children play the game. His oldest son Austin played for two years at Indiana University, then transferred to Butler where he played another two years.

His middle son Alex, redshirted at Indiana State, played one year then transferred to the University of Indianapolis to play for three years. His youngest Aaron redshirted at the University of Toledo, then transferred to the University of Indianapolis where he’s now a redshirt freshman.

“It’s so rewarding watching them in college but also spending quality time with them in life,” says Etherington, who recently celebrated his one-year wedding anniversary with his wife Michelle. An athlete herself, she was a three-sport standout at Lapel. Her daughter Breanna was just four points shy of being Lapel’s all-time leading scorer, and her other daughter Brooklynn is a freshman splitting time between varsity and junior varsity.

The lessons learned in basketball have certainly translated into life as a firefighter.

“Team sports teach you so much about working together for a common goal as well as having each other’s back,” Etherington says.

TownePost.com / MARCH 2022 / KOKOMO MAGAZINE / 21

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IT’S IN THE CARDS SLATER’S SPORTS CARDS & COLLECTIBLES WELCOMES HOBBYISTS AND ENTHUSIASTS ALIKE

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since.

Mark Slater, owner of Slater’s Sports Cards & Collectibles, is thoroughly enjoying his dream job.

Slater says he knows his merchandise. He’s been interested in it for a long time. When he was 13, he started buying and selling sports memorabilia. It was a hobby that grew into a successful business.

He’s been into sports cards for a long time, and now he gets to run a business that lets him pursue his passion. He loves coming to work every day.

Slater is also excited about the future of his new business, and he has been enthusiastically talking with customers since he opened his doors. They tend to match his excitement level regarding cards and collectibles.

“I started on December 13,” Slater says.

“Our grand opening was January 22, when we did our first show.”

He’s had a steady flow of customers ever

“I started setting up at card shows again about four years ago, and it got to the point where I needed a brick-and-mortar location,” he says.

and everything in between. We have a big variety of supplies including boxes, top loaders, penny sleeves, magnetic one-touch, etcetera. We have all the supplies for your card-collecting needs.”

Slater has hundreds of cards in glass cases that his customers enjoy perusing.

“It’s mostly sports cards but we also, from time to time, purchase non-sports-related cards, memorabilia and autographs,” he says.

Slater says he has a lot of cards from the Slater found a perfect location that fits in 1980s, as well as the 1960s and 1970s. with his busy schedule. He has also been spreading the word about his wide variety of “I’m what they call the vintage guy,” Slater merchandise. says. “Most of what I personally collect are cards from the 1950s to 1980s, but we Slater buys, trades and sells sports cards, offer everything from pre-war cards to the supplies and collectibles. current era.”

“I’m amazed at some of the collections that have walked through the doors,” Slater says. Through the years Slater has sold some “We buy single cards, entire collections valuable cards, and he still has a lot of them.

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“Mickey Mantle, Satchel Paige and Jackie Robinson are some of the bigger offerings we have at the shop,” he says.

Slater also has a lot of noteworthy collectibles that will catch customers’ eyes.

“We have autographs, signed bats, balls, UFC and boxing memorabilia,” Slater says.

Slater has enjoyed steady and loyal customers since he started. Many of them enjoy talking about players from way back when, or current athletes. Others are looking for their next big find to add to their card collections.

“Our doors weren’t even open before we officially started the business, and we were already getting a crowd,” he says.

Slater also stays busy with another business.

“I am the owner and promoter of Colosseum Combat,” he says. “It’s a professional, mixed martial arts promotion based out of Kokomo.”

Slater plans to have monthly card shows with sports figures, including mixed martial arts fighters, boxers and others.

“Stay tuned for special guest signers to be announced very soon,” he adds.

Slater’s Sports Cards & Collectibles is located at 150 South Reed Road, Suite A in Kokomo. For more info, call 765-553-5388 or visit facebook.com/slaterscards.

Matt Kinder, Pat Underwood, Cliff Levingston, Mark Slater, Jimbo Rayl

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KOKOMO EVENTS MARCH 5 Kokomo-Con

Baymont Inn by Wyndham Kokomo; Admission $5; Visit www.kokomocon.com.

MARCH 20 Matt Gerhard in Concert

Grace United Methodist Church; 3 p.m.; Program will contain a variety of styles from gospel to classical; For ticket info, visit www.kokomosymphony.net.

MARCH 27 Kokomo Community Concerts present “Crocodile Rockin’”

Jim Witter performs this Elton John Tribute, rocking through favorites like Philadelphia Freedom, Crocodile Rock, and I’m Still Standing; Kokomo High School Auditorium; 2:30 p.m.; Single tickets will MARCH 4 be available at the door 30 minutes prior First Friday “Go Green” to the performance for $15 each for adults; Whether celebrating St. Patrick’s Day or Children may attend at no cost; engaging in eco-friendly crafts and activities, Call 210-0686 or visit this First Friday will have something for www.kokomocommunityconcerts.org. everyone; Downtown Kokomo; 5:30-9:00 p.m.; Free admission; Visit www.firstfridaykokomo.com.

TIPTON EVENTS MARCH 19 Horton’s Spring Open House

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Badassery Life PODCAST

them in their quest - people like Ginny Doran, who believed in their mission and offered to volunteer time to edit segments.

“This is a personal passion project for all involved,” Young says.

“None of us are getting paid.”

Young and Stoesz Kersh both work in public relations and marketing, and they believe in uplifting females. As for the podcast partnership, it seemed like a natural fit from the start.

“Why wouldn’t I want to do a badass thing with my badass friend?” says Young, president of Baise Communications.

They launched the podcast in January of 2020 and began sharing stories of resilience, strength, bravery and transformation. Stories they still share today. One story chronicled a domestic violence A few years ago, Kelly Young realized that she missed writing, so she survivor whose estranged husband came to her house and asked, decided to start a blog called “Badassery Life”, all about connecting “Are you ready to die today?” He proceeded to brutally murder their with ordinary women doing extraordinary things. toddler, then came after her. She escaped and has since become an advocate against gun violence. Another woman, following a divorce, “I didn’t care if anybody read it,” Young says. “It was more for me gained a substantial amount of weight, slid into a depression, because I get so inspired, motivated and moved by women’s stories.” and was suicidal before turning her life around and becoming a bodybuilder.

One day Young and her friend Stevi Stoesz Kersh were chatting about the subject over lunch, when an idea struck.

“These women are impactful and are effecting positive change holistically,” Young says. “They are badasses in many different facets “What if we turned my blog into a podcast?” Young asked. Stoesz of their life. I don’t get caught up in the number of listeners. I just Kersh was all in, and the pair set out to bring their idea to life. They care about empowering women. If we can change one life or impact gathered equipment and recruited like-minded females to help one person by a story we’ve told, that’s the purpose.”

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way listeners connect with the females in purposeful, relatable, meaningful ways. Young and Stoesz Kersh’s hope is that they are not only empowering the women they are interviewing, but also empowering those experiencing the podcasts.

The initial idea for the concept came after Young wrote her first blog highlighting a friend’s accomplishment of running three half-marathons in three days, in three national parks. Her friend confided that being an accomplished runner is not what she felt made her a badass - that came from the fact that she had overcome sexual abuse as a child.

“If you want to share that story, I think that makes me more of a badass,” the friend said.

“Women play so many different roles,” Young says. “We are entrepreneurs, coaches, moms, taxi drivers and advocates. Each role is equally important, but to be a woman-owned business is a challenge that should be celebrated and recognized.”

Born in Savannah, Georgia, Stoesz Kersh was raised by her grandparents in Linton, Indiana, after her military father died in a helicopter crash one month before she was born. Young, a mother of two, is glad her podcast serves to inspire her daughter.

“She’s even opened my eyes to some girls and women we should Young and Stoesz Kersh believe that every woman has a story, and feature,” Young says. they are happy to provide a platform in which females can share those stories. They keep the podcasts between 30 and 35 minutes in length so that commuters can listen on their drive to or from work. “Hearing these stories enables women to identify with others on some level,” Stoesz Kersh adds.

In one of the podcasts, a woman chronicles leaving her job and Young adds that feel-good stories are perhaps what many people volunteering her way around the world for an entire year. In might need at the moment. another, a mother talks about her son, who had been a victim of gun violence. Shot in the head at the age of 16, his skull was “We want to find the positive beauty in the world,” she says. shattered, taking away his ability to walk or talk again.

Young maintains that the greatest thing about the interviews is the

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