E27 | Adam Pecina: Leadership in Athletic Training

Welcome to the team behind the teen podcast. I am your host Dani Mae. This is the monthly show focused on building conversations around the team-based model approach to ethic, performance, strength, and conditioning, sports medicine, sports science, mental health, and wellness in sports nutrition.

Hello, and welcome back to the team behind the team podcast. I’m your host Dani Mae. And this month we have got a special guest from our own very UT athletics. But before we get to our guest little update for our. We have shuffled some responsibilities within our department and coach Mike Hanson will no longer be the main cohost.

Uh, we have a brand new co-host who is here today. Coach Joe Crossett. What’s up big Joe coach. Thanks for having me come over with you and work as a co-host on this podcast. Uh, pretty excited to be here. So just a little bit about myself. I’m from Detroit. Uh, before I got here, I was in the Marines for seven years as a captain.

I was in Hawaii and Washington as an infantry platoon commander. And then in 2018, started interning under. And in 2019, he brought me on full time. And, uh, as of now I assist with track and field work with novice row and cheering Palm, Joe, glad to have you own his co-hosts. I know coach Mike was still maybe be on sometimes he’s handling more of the kind of social media background stuff for us.

Um, but again, coach Mike has been awesome, but we’re glad to have you on board. So welcome aboard Joe. Thanks coach. With that. We’re going to jump right in, introduce our guests in the studio today for the, for the podcast, our very own Adam. Adam, welcome to the show. Thank you for coming on board. Appreciate it.

It’s a pleasure. I’m excited. Uh, and Joe sure. Maiden voyage ride or your inaugural voice or whatever you’re setting in today, so to speak. Uh, so it’s awesome. It’s great to be here, coach. Yeah, appreciate it. Thanks for making time, Adam. Adam is currently. Assistant athletics director for sports medicine, and he’s gone three and a half years going into his fourth year coming up.

And again, I’ve worked very closely with Adam and couldn’t think, uh, not, not just a better guest, but a better leader to pick his brain today and learn from him on this team, behind the team kind of concept we’ve been getting into. So with that, Adam, first question, want to talk a little career path at first, looking over your career path in sports medicine.

And all the places you’ve worked cause you’ve worked at, uh, you’ve got a decorated career. When you look at the places you’ve been the leadership roles you’ve been in, the teams you’ve overseen, has there been a common thread of what you’ve enjoyed the most? Absolutely. You know, one thing that, uh, really sticks out in my mind.

Really a big reason I got in it pushed me into this profession was just, uh, relationships, getting to know student athletes, seeing them grow and prosper, um, staff as well. I mean, in athletics, you work, uh, I don’t need to tell you guys, but, uh, long hours you spend a lot of time around a lot of people and, and you get to know him pretty well, but just first and foremost, I think just relationships and, um, as I’ve grown older, I’ve noticed that, um, I’ve really enjoyed seeing.

Uh, being more in a leadership role, seeing staff that are under my direction, or maybe working with me grow and learn, and then hopefully eventually lead on their own. But yeah, I think in a, I guess a big way, just it’s just relationships. That answer is, um, you know, obviously I’m a people person as well.

Joe is as well if you’ve been around us at all, but, um, question. What’s more important as a leader in your role because you’re over you, man. It’s a lot of people. And if you’ve ever been in any kind of managerial or administrative role, you have a lot of paperwork. Would you agree? I agree. So what’s more important is that people with.

Or is it paperwork? Cause I’ve seen some leaders that they’re just always on the computer. I’m not saying they’re bad leaders, but they just spend more time on the computer and admin work. Maybe not as much with people, but I’ve seen some people that may be, you know, they they’re real good with people, but then they, they don’t do a great job.

I’ve missed the paperwork piece. So what is your opinion, your experience? Uh, I would say, uh, more, more people or. If you will. Um, and a Sage bit of advice, uh, at your dear old Georgia, uh, Ron Courson had athletic trainer, director of sports medicine there told me when I accepted the head position at Navy, he said, be careful.

I be careful of what I said. Be careful. You don’t want to, you know, you got into this profession because you, you liked working with people. You like getting, you know, getting your hands dirty. It says don’t get caught behind. Don’t get caught pushing papers, right. Uh, make sure you keep those relationships and make sure you keep those, those, uh, those topic connections, um, uh, going, and that’s why I’ve built really tried to do so.

I’ve tried to minimize pay attention to the paperwork cause that’s unnecessary. But at the same time, stepping out of the office, walking across the clinic space and, and talking to some of the staff, uh, are really enjoy sneaking over to baby. Right. You’re sitting in, dug out and talking to our baseball athletic trainer and hopefully catch the head coach.

Um, I need to do that more, but just sneaking over to tennis and seeing those, the coaches and the student athletes. And I’ve really noticed that the staff enjoys there seems like the staff enjoys that I’m not trying to surprise them, but. And the student athletes pick on by that and the coaches do too.

So when they see you, uh, in their, in their natural environment yeah. That that’s an investment helps Joe even, uh, Joe’s background and military just kind of bridge from what you said, Joe. Surely you’ve seen what these colonels lieutenants, as I move up in the career, have you seen this kind of similar kind of like they get into the ivory tower and they get promoted and they get, they’re not amongst the troops.

Have you ever seen any of that? Yeah, I was going to say the challenges yet to really be good at both, especially as a, as a young Lieutenant coming up. I mean, you have to get better at the paperwork and even better at leading, you know, with the people too. So that becomes a challenge, but yes, as that’s something I’m kind of a.

I don’t know if I want to say critical of, but it’s a reason I, I kinda got out as the higher you go, the more you sit behind a desk and kind of get away from the, the guys on the ground. So at least in the strain coaching career, like coach, you know, if you were, if you were in the service, you’d be at least a Colonel by this point, but yet here, you still have a team.

You have two teams, uh, and you feel all the same pains that you know, myself and the other string coaches feel. So that’s, that’s a contrast and. It’s extremely important that you’re you’re with the people on the ground, because you’ll never feel the pain at, you know, the other leaders are feeling and you’ll not get out of touch with, uh, with, you know, either athletes or the Marines.

Yeah, that’s good. I think one of the, the pictures I’ve always kind of enjoyed it’s a little, it’s not really applies to strength and conditioning or sports medicine or sports, but if you look at Shepherd’s. The shepherds smell like the sheep, right? I’m sure they, they don’t smell too great. They probably love stinky, little dirty, little muddy, but they’re always out there.

That’s their job is serving and helping the sheep and protecting them and feeding them. And so when you see a true shepherd, they smell just like the sheep. And I think, you know, for me, I’ve been doing this now 27 years, Adam, you’ve been doing it a good while. I would assume too good. While 2025 may not enough things to kind of, uh, kind of wrap this little question up, but I think.

One thing I’ve tried to do over my career, especially in the latter part is just keep that servant mentality of, I still need to clean up. I still need to keep a sport in serve coaches and our staff, and don’t lose that gap and it gets stuck in an ivory tower. So I think that’s important to kind of keep your edge as you get, as you get further in your career helps.

I think so too. I mean, it’s, I’m starting off as, as a, you know, a young professional, you look towards being a leader and saying, I want to. Uh, and I have a vision for it, but then getting to the leadership role. And then now I look at it more as like an opportunity to serve, right. Looking at, like you said, having an opportunity to, um, lead in a way that was a servant leadership, right?

I mean, uh, uh, doing the small things and, and, and just sustained treaters. Yeah, it’s good stuff. Little transition on your, your next question to piggyback on some of that. Again, just looking over your career stops. You’ve been at, uh, places like he’s mentioned Georgia. You got your undergrad at Texas. You went to grad school at Tyler, right?

UT Tyler, you were at the Naval academy academy for a good long run there. And you were overseeing everything there at 33 teams, plus men’s basketball. You were the lead on that. Anything in those career stops, uh, people or places that you, that you can think of that really stretched you and helped you grow?

What anything comes to mind? I think so. I honestly, my first stop, um, as a, as a full fledged professional certified athletic trainer was at wake forest and, uh, the director of sports medicine there, Greg Collins, uh, gave me an opportunity. You know, uh, living in Texas my whole life and then show up in Winston-Salem North Carolina, not knowing what I was doing.

At least I didn’t feel like at the time. Right. And. Mr. Collins, you give me an opportunity to just to grow as a young professional, give me some opportunity, uh, and gave me some situations where I didn’t think I, I really knew what I was doing or didn’t think I, I had enough experience to do what I was doing, really enabling me and giving me an opportunity to, uh, to thrive, uh, and learn, I guess, most of all.

And then this one really sticks out in my mind. Cause I, I think this, this particular situation, uh, really put me in the trajectory that I’m in today. And put me where I am today is leaving wake forest. Cause I was there in a, in a role with, with women’s soccer and some other sports. And I said to myself, you know what?

I always pictured myself as a football, baseball, athletic trainer. So that’s all I’m going to do. I’m going to leave wake forest sculpt the Navy. Show up the Navy. Um, and internal Roman always, it was really like a temporal. So that was a big risk. Didn’t really realize at the time, 10 month position work in baseball and football in my first week there, um, my, uh, director of sports medicine, um, uh, Jeff fares, uh, told me, Hey, our basketball, athletic trainer left, he’s leaving.

I’m considering you to fill in, in the meantime, I want you to go up and talk to that. Basketball coach. So go up to that coach’s office interview. First thing he said was, oh, so you’re on new basketball, athletic trainer. Um, so went back downstairs and he’s in and you know, doc fair said, yep. You’re you’re a new basketball guy, like, oh, great.

Left. Went home, stopped a little bit. Cause I said, I’m a basketball. I mean, I’m a full. Baseball guy. I’m not a basketball guy right now. I am a basket. I spent, I don’t know, 10, 15 years worth of basketball. Now, you know, I’m a basketball guy, but, um, at the time I didn’t think I had it in me to switch on the, on the fly like that.

And, and, and doc may not have. Uh, foresee that what he, what he did, you know, the situation you put me in and how it would make me grow and flourish as a, as a professional and an individual. But it really got me out of my element and I, I just, I fell in love with the sport and the student athletes and, and just the, just being able to grow as a professional there.

So that really stretched me. And I didn’t appreciate at the time, but now I’m, I’m very thankful that, that I was putting that, uh, I don’t say. But it was a, it was a difficult time for me, but I, I just learned to grow as a professional, you know, learn to grow. Yeah, no, I liked that because, I mean, even you’re making me think over my career that there have been multiple, more than multiple times that I’ve been either assigned whether it was a team or project or responsibility.

I had no desire to do and got sucked into it and ended up liking it. And it ends up being one of the best. Kind of developmental things that I went through to develop me as a leader, a coach, and just kind of open your eyes to like, wait a minute, this is a little different. And this is something that I can find a lot of value instead of being like, upset about it.

So that’s, you just never know what’s going to develop you. You never do now. And an opportunity I look back on and say, you know what I had had no idea I’d would be in this position without, without being going through that. Throw in that little particular part of my life. So very appreciative of that.

Cause stuff. Good stuff. Yeah. So being on the receiving end, you know, when you’re at the Naval academy kind of being told, like, okay, now you’re going to go to basketball and then you find out like, you’re the basketball guy now in your current leadership role at taxes, you are the one that oversees and manages a lot of different people needs and personalities.

What is it that you look for when hiring staff and matching them with different teams? You know, are there certain character traits or competencies that you look. You know what it’s, um, that’s a great question because you look at it and when you, when you’re able to make that first hire, he is so excited.

Right? He’s so excited and like, Hey, this is going to be, this is going to be my person. One of my, one of my first staff hires. Right? Yeah, that’s right. And. Initially. I said, I got to lock this person. I got, I want to hang out with them. I’m like, well, no, let’s take a step back. You know, what do we have? What do we need as a, as a staff, you know, is this person going to be working so low?

That’s one thing I think about too, or are they going to fit into a larger team? Uh, I hear we have three athletic trainers working work track, so I got to think to myself well that they need to be able to fit in to this team within the team. Right, but really at the end of the day, looking for someone who’s, um, shows up to work, good work ethic.

So I’m always looking for a good work ethic. Sometimes that’s hard to find and hard to see on a resume unless they have like 5,000 stops and they’re always looking to do something and they’re always busy. Uh, but just looking for good. Um, looking for, uh, solid people initially, uh, we could teach them all the, um, the nuts and bolts of, of athletic training and sports medicine, but it’s hard to teach the soft skills, like the bedside manner.

And like, I want someone to come in and just be able to fit in, be able to get along with the student athletes and the coaches, uh, be reasonable, be thoughtful in their approach. And you know what we could pick up on the other things as we go along. Yeah, you could. I like it. You said that, uh, bedside manner.

I didn’t, I’ve never thought of that. With sports medicine now have with, you know, similar to you. I have, we have, uh, some for four daughters, you have to you and your wife. And when you go look at a doctor and you spend just a few moments with them, you can come out of that room. I liked that person. And you don’t even know, like, if they’re good at their job yet, but just the way they treated you talk to you if they listened.

And there was some compassion there. And I mean, I think that’s so important today because if you don’t have, and I think that the, you know, a lot of business books talk about this, but in coaching and in what you’re talking about, and in this team behind the team, man, if you don’t have at least some level of decent emotional intelligence, And how to pick up on people and read and relate to them and how you’re coming off to them.

Like that’s not going to go good for, for whoever’s managing you. Cause you’re gonna have to kind of come back and clean up that. So simple. Absolutely. I wholeheartedly agree. Another, I guess, a trait attribute that we look for, or at least I’ll look for is. I’m going to call it set called juice. So I heard, I randomly, I don’t know.

I don’t really watch the NBA often. I love college basketball, but Jeff van Gundy had a quote and it was a, if your juice plus you use. I love it. I love that. I say it to my daughters. They look at me and say, all I hear is juice and they want a juice. Right. But the juice, I just have some energy about ya have some, uh, there’s when people walk into the athletic training room or sports medicine clinic and like, Probably a weight room, right?

You don’t want them slumped over. You want them to shoulders up, head up, look me in the eye. Let’s uh, and have some energy to you. So you can pick that up on interviews obviously is when we’ll bring people in figuring out is this someone who’s going to bring a little juice to them, to our staff, or are they going to, are they going to bring a little energy?

Do they in a lot of that, do they love what they do? Whereas if they, if you love what you do and you love being in the trenches and you’re going to, you’re going to bring some juice. Yeah. Yeah. I love the Randy Pausch before he passed, he did, he wrote a book called the last lecture. And then there, he talks about kind of what you’re saying, that he uses two metaphors.

He don’t be an ER, right? If you knew who your is from Tigger and Winnie the Pooh, he was at this donkey. That was always sad. He’s gray. He’s ears are down. He’s always no matter how good the day is. He’s down, ER, but Tigger is always upbeat and excited and got like, used to got some juice and he’s always bouncing around now.

Again, I think context here. You want to be careful, like what time of day you’re doing all that. I’m sure some people. You become a noxious, but you do, you gotta have, there’s gotta be a positive energy, a passion for what you do and working with people and kind of navigating problems. And I think, I mean, that definitely sets people apart, so it’s good, good traits and stuff.

Yeah. And, and you mentioned, you know, when you, when you bring people in, you hope they get along with the coaches and you, and you just kind of make. Some of that relationship with the head coach and when it comes to meeting expectations of head coaches, um, you know, you’ve done a great job over the years of working with some of those demanding and high pressure sports, you know, what’s, what’s your approach or philosophy, uh, that helps you be successful in those situations?

Absolutely. So first of all, appreciated my, uh, my love languages. Words of affirmation. So, so appreciate that Joe pumping my tires, really? I don’t know if there’s a secret sauce. I mean, one thing that I try to do is I say be invisible, but, uh, you don’t want to be totally invisible. You want to, you know, you want to find out what the coach’s needs and desires are at the moment, but be inserted into certain situations like that.

And, uh, in the middle of a season or. Picking up, uh, uh, you know, picking up a practice or picking up a team mid season in the season. It’s tough. And you just have to, I think for me, finding out who the captain, who’s the captain of the team, talking to them, finding out, getting to know them, developing a good relationship with the team.

Uh, but also just honestly, first and foremost, just figuring out what the coach what’s the needs, how, what communication style they prefer. Um, because if there’s something that, that pops up any kind of pinch points or hotspots. Uh, an item that needs the coach’s attention. I want to know how they want that info, um, and communicate over over-communicate until the coach says, all right, you don’t need to communicate this to me.

Uh, talk to the assistant coach about this and learning those right off the bat. So you’re not in a situation where you’re, um, um, you know, where, um, you know, get yourself into an unfortunate situation, but, um, and I’ve been lucky enough to. To have support staff surrounding me as well, strength, coaches, nutrition, and also leaning on those individuals.

Uh, whenever I start working on a team or working with the team, especially here at UT no one who the strength coach is who nutritionist is and going from there. Yeah. I like how you mentioned the captains. I feel like if you can get the captains on your side, get the captains of the voice of the team.

And if you have the voice of the team, like it, it just, it gives you a huge boost. Yeah, Todd, was it Tommy Lasorda used to talk about that? The baseball managers was he for the LA Dodgers, the Dodgers, he would always try to win over his big philosophy, went over those cat, those, those kind of main leaders in the core of the team, because he knew if he could get that it’s like that could spread throughout the organization.

And so that, that’s a, that’s a good nugget, Adam. Yeah. Yeah. Locker room leaders find out who they are and, um, really try to get in. Develop a good relationship, make a good first impression with them. Right. And then, um, you know, I think they’ll probably the worst philosophy you could do is just go in and change everything, you know, go in and ask them what they like, you know, how do you, what do you like?

What, what works for you type of thing. So, cause you, I mean, again, I just, your resume’s just so impressive to me. Just the teams you’ve worked with, but how have you worked? Maybe somebody’s listing their head. Coach is not very appropriate. You know, I think some coaches can be fine, but then whether it’s just their personality or just, maybe they’re in season and you take over and sees them and they’re stressed out, like what would be your advice or counsel to, how would you work to improve that or make it better or some tactics or some things you’ve done that was helpful in those situations?

For sure. Yeah. Just having. Situational awareness, you know, not no one that if we’re in, in the hot, you get thrown into a situation we’re in you’re there post season coaches stressed out. Um, no one. No, not just going in, uh, right before practice and telling them, you know, giving them the bad news, you know, find it, find it a good time, uh, to communicate with them, whether that’s they’re in their office, it can be difficult at times.

Um, in this day and age, you know, some coaches just prefer just give them a holler on the, on their cell phone or. Or shoot him a text, but, um, um, yeah, just, just finding a way to communicate the message and get into the coach, whether they’re difficult or not. Um, you know, I’ve heard, I think we’ve all dealt with, uh, coaches of all sorts of philosophies and, you know, have a different coaching philosophies and some would consider a difficult to work with.

But the end of the day, uh, as long as they felt heard and you’re taking care of their teams and their kids, you know, you’re all good. Yeah. I mean, I think you, at the end of the day, right, the head coaches. Or at least, I don’t know. I mean, I like, I see what you’re saying about being invisible, but almost like being seamless where there’s really not a lot of hiccups or if any, but just keep it smooth and cause coach kind of like things.

So I think that’s a great point. Um, just from your experience kind of a little change here on the questions, the past five to 10 years, how has sports medicine. I might take it back a little further than that. If you don’t mind go for it. Yeah. So how’s it changed? Well, I, you know, I get into the profession way back, way back when, uh, it was, it seemed like it w at least to me, we’re more reactionary as practitioners and waiting for people to get hurt, waiting for people to come in and see us.

And now a lot more proactive lot, almost pushing kids to come in. Like, Hey, you don’t have. I have a post-surgical situation. You, you don’t have to have a, you know, acute injury come and see us. Let’s take care of. Yeah, let us, let us get ahead of, of, of those of those, uh, you know, whatever else you, and that could extend, extend to, um, nowadays talking to Travis, you know, our, our sports scientists, you know, connecting with him, uh, going to practice and saying that they don’t look like they don’t look like they have any juice to go back to what I said earlier.

You know, look like a dragon, a lot of that, talking to Travis and getting a, have a situation saying, you know what, this athlete isn’t fueling appropriately, maybe with a dial back in the weight room, maybe on the field, maybe not, maybe we need to step it up a notch and increase, you know, increase what they’re doing with their, with their fueling needs.

Uh, but I feel like again, 20, 25 years ago, it was a lot more reactionary. Whereas now it’s, it’s a lot more proactive in getting kids where they need to be. Body-wise and kids are more educated now. Thanks to whatever you, I think, I guess Google, Google’s a good and bad and bad thing, but it’s, you know, kids are a lot more educated now.

So they come in and, and there, there is a lot more of expectation now of, um, of a lot of preventative things that they could do. Yeah, no, we’ve even, that’s good at them this year. We’ve seen, I’ve seen that more this year. With my teams. Um, I don’t know, Joe, if you’ve seen Joe works with track, we’ve seen kind of pick it up on some asymmetries just from playing the sport that normally, like, you wouldn’t know.

Um, you would know they had maybe a little pain in a certain joint or whatever, but not, not knowing that was going on. Kitchen it little earlier and kind of cutting off the past is with force plate technology or with body comps, stuff like that. You know, just being a little bit, like I said, I think that’s, I think it’s definitely a better approach because I know, I know, I know you have two Adam and Joe, I know you have weather here at the military.

You have this huge blow up crises. Like that is no fun to manage, you know, some like situation that just was flying under the radar. Nobody was aware of it. And all of a sudden something goes, goes awry. And then of course it’s the absolute worst time that could go bad for a head coach in a heats up the kitchen for everybody, so to speak, you know?

So that’ll make you have some juice. Yeah. Absolutely. Any technology that you kind of, um, oh, I know. Let’s, let’s think technology also think let’s broaden that a little bit therapies. I know I’ve seen you and your staff over the past. I think two, three years. They’ll dry needling, uh, Graston, even little BFR.

Um, I don’t know if you guys just keep expanding. Toolkit that I’m just like, I’m a little bit jealous sometimes wanting to learn from some of that, but it’s good. Anything technology or therapies I tell you what future you see? Uh, you know, it’s, it’s, it’s funny you say that because it’s, it’s now there’s a lot of, uh, new technologies being thrown our way.

Uh we’re we’re we’re utilizing like laser laser light and, uh, you have to be on your game, student athletes. Uh, we’ll ask you that. What does this do? And you have to, you have to know what it does. You gotta be savvy, you gotta be savvy about it and have some, uh, you know, have some knowledge about what you’re doing, but I’m absolutely just, I was super excited to Maryland.

It wasn’t within our scope of practice, moving to Texas. I get here and Allen comes over. And tells me, Hey, we have a dry needling course next week. This is awesome. So I want to be able to dry needle people. Wonderful. So, right. So for us, uh, in the future, I could see our roles kind of melding or expanding, uh, you know, right now.

And what I mean by that is right now where we have a certain set of rules that we abide by. I think those rules are going to continue to grow and we’re going to be able to do a lot more. With our skillset and it’s going to look, um, you know, you might see me suturing someone up maybe one year, which might be a little scary yeah.

Role expands because we’re at the athletic trainers, the role and educational requirement, everything’s kind of changed into a way to where athletic trainers are. Just, uh, you know, I heard one of the, uh, surgeon that I worked with way back in the day said, you know, athletic trainers are last bastion of just manual hands-on therapy.

You know, we’ll do a lot of hands on things and expanding those roles and what we do with our hands and being able to, whether it’s put Navi fluids in a student athlete, which I don’t know if that’s gonna happen one day, maybe it will, uh, being able to suture some student athletes. Um, but, um, but more broadly speaking.

Yeah. I’m kind of curious to see where, where, uh, or new technologies take. Uh, the more we move forward, it seems like more, we lean on some of the, some, some things that have worked out for people for maybe thousands of years, like draining acupuncture. It’s funny you made me, I think that’s, that’s pretty incredible because if you think about it, um, even just working with the sports medicine staff, I have, obviously I’ve worked with you some and then some other staff, even recently, you’re seeing more roles expand even into the realm of recovery.

You know, whether it’s different modalities or tools, whether it’s, um, you know, the cryotherapy kind of stuff. Some, I think some of the sauna with the red light for recovery, um, tip body tempering, dry needling. I mean, so many things out there that can give not only athletes recover, but like you said, keep them a little bit more robust to perform at a higher level throughout the season.

And I mean, that’s pretty cool. The roles are expanding. So is there ever a challenge with, uh, you know, the ever, I guess advancing technology, you know, were some of the stuff you see, you’re just like, man, that doesn’t look like it does anything at all, and maybe it surprises you that it does do something or vice versa, you know?

At least, at least downstairs with some of the gear we see at the, a C a CCA and that we, you know, I look at a piece of gear I’m like, that’s not going to do anything. You know, it’s some silly stuff out there, you know, what, w what’s your opinion on that? Absolutely. Yeah, just with new technologies. A lot of times, it’s just, it’s maybe something older, that’s repaired.

It’s packaged into something a little bit more sleek and it looks a little cooler. But just, I agree with you. There’s a lot of things that are thrown our way, and we have a lot of reps that come by and drop off equipment that says this, cures, everything, you know, your athletes will be back and no time if you use this technology and, and really digging deep.

And I think where you could avoid a lot of pitfalls is just ask questions and do your research. Um, tons, tons of modalities, electric modality in our athletic training room, tons of modalities. And, uh, and at the end of the day, It’s what you do with your two year two hands. Right? So, um, you know, cautiously approach, anyone who brings me a piece of equipment, a machine, um, as a big price tag, maybe, right.

But make some claims. They’re like, oh, uh, you know, is this really going to contribute the way to our clinic and to the health and safety, our student athletes, get them back to where they need to be. Or is this just some smoke and mirrors? So what athletes, like the most that you’ve noticed recently therapy stuff, 30 point wise.

Um, well, the heat, I’m curious, what do they. Well, they liked the most. Give us both. That’s a good one. Yeah. Student athletes, generally don’t like ice, any kind of cry with therapies. Um, they don’t like cold turf. I know that they don’t like cold tubs. I have never had one other than maybe a few future Navy seals at the Naval academy who said, oh, I love it.

Let me get in there and do this. Right. But, uh, uh, that, uh, I’ve never met a student athlete who doesn’t like just laying down the. Just getting a stretch, we’re just getting a massage or something like that. So in other words, just be passive treatment. Right? Right. So generally, but, um, so I, I would say that those were probably the main ones, but they, they all enjoy, uh, the media feedback too.

So if you tell a student athlete coming in, Hey, let’s do this. You can feel great in two weeks, uh, you know what, throw a little something in there and make a feel good walking out of the room. And, uh, you know, they like those things. Generally speaking at cold. No-go funny. Yeah. They don’t like the cold, big Joe, the seals just like they, cause you weren’t trying to drown them while they were in there.

Like, you know, in comparison to their actual training. Absolutely. And you know what talk about recovery like those guys were, I mean, it’s, they’re on another level as far as, uh, uh, just beaten their bodies down and training and. And, but also being acutely aware of just recovery and, um, acutely aware of what their bodies need.

So, right. We’ll look at that. Like, you know, a lot of young students coming into the field, you know, w what do you look for in students who stand out in the, you know, in this profession, you know, in sports medicine, uh, you know, what would you recommend? You know, if they, if they want to get a job in sports medicine, or if they want to get promoted, I really enjoy.

And this really stands out to me is when I have, uh, uh, students who, students who are inquisitive. So they just ask questions, um, not to the point where they’re just pepper me all day about with questions, but just asking me what, what are you doing with the student athlete? Or if I’m, if I’m maybe talking to someone, what did you mean by that?

So just asking me, um, the ins and outs of, of what I. I really enjoy teaching. So having students that, uh, that are inquisitive and ask questions, and honestly, one thing I think caught the eye of my, my, uh, uh, Spanky Stephens, who was my, who pretty much took me on board. As a student young young buck at the university of Texas was I love busy.

You know, just find something to do. And, uh, and that’s how I can’t cut his attention. The staff’s attention is I was everywhere. If they asked me to go somewhere out sprint there and I would make myself useful. So, uh, just looking for always, you know, idle hands, not, not, not looking for idle hands, uh, looking for students who are always busy, always looking to do something and want to be helpful and useful.

So those were probably the, the two big ones. Yeah. Just be in cure. And being, uh, having a good work ethic. I agree. I think one of my favorite leadership quotes by John Maxwell is the, the old saying of like, if you can’t take the heat, get out of the kitchen. One of his best, uh, axioms is if you can’t create some heat, you need to get out of the kitchen.

And I think that kind of is, is important. You see that our profession too, that if student interns are just. Sitting around and they don’t be proactive. And like you said, inquisitive, trying to learn and grow and get better, find something to do then. Like, why are you here? Because that just shows you that they don’t really love it.

And there’s not a passion, their true curiosity and passion there, and they’re, and they’re hard to manage. And so I think that’s so, so important because I can look over the years for our students and the ones that are the best are exactly what you say. They’re asking questions, they’re analyzing, they’re soaking it in and they’re going back and try to apply it.

And they’re asking you. I love it when they come and ask you coaches or anything that you need me to get done, anything I can help you with. And like, I’ve always got something I don’t may not have a list on me, but I guarantee you, you right now in your role at Texas and Joe, y’all got things you need help with, if somebody would just come ask.

So I think that’s, that’s definitely a good thing. Absolutely. Yeah. I, I, yeah, I, uh, I really get, uh, get excited when students walk into my office and, and ask me a question. I had a student this morning just come in and do that exact thing. She walked in and she said, Do you need any help with anything? I’ve finished what I’m doing.

Do you need any help? I’m like, oh, that’s, that’s, that’s awfully nice of you. No, but stay close. Cause I’ll probably need some help in here in a few minutes. Um, so it’s, you know, it’s, it speaks to their interest in, in the field, right? And just, yeah, just wanting to learn. I think that’s at the base of, I was wanting to learn, you know, we had a real quick, Joe, we had an intern who just, he just got a full-time job at a Purdue.

Yep. Uh, Tyler, Sammy, we call them tree tree for your listing, big tree, big tree. And, uh, he came to me this past time, or again, he was applying for jobs. Wasn’t getting jobs. I didn’t ask him that. He just walks up to me. Adam Joel goes, coach, you got any projects or anything? You want me to, to get started on and work on for you right now that about fell over.

When he asked me that question, I was like, well, come think of it. Yeah. I gave him like two or three things. He hopped right on it. When I, when I, when he said that I was like, we gotta get this guy job. He’s just, he’s incredible. And so it’s little bitty things. It’s not always the book knowledge. Right? You do need that competency, but you need that leadership quality of taking initiative without being told being, I like what you just said.

I’ve never thought being inquisitive and just asking questions and applying it. So that’s, that’s great. Yeah. I mean, it’s, it’s really just that easy. I mean, even, even today, coach a youth volleyball, you know, a couple hours ago in our intern was in the break room working on her project. So she was busy, but she’d been wanting to work with you and watch you code.

I told her like, Hey, you know, volleyball is out there. Right. And she said, no, really? I was like, yeah, the whole team’s out there sprinted out of the room to go check it out. I mean, and it’s, it’s really just that easy. Just, just get out there and ask a simple question. When do you need, for sure. Awesome. I got a question for you.

This is one of my favorite ones, little work-life balance here. So yeah. Your bride, Ms. Kate, right? How long have you guys been married? Oh, Bon a spot.

Don’t mess this up. Uh, eight years. It’ll be nine. Uh, and this coming up, may two young daughters, man daughters. Yeah, a lot of things going on here at Texas, a lot of people pulling on you. How you manage work life with, with the family, how you do it. What’s the. You know, the big reason I’m here at re made the grand return to the UT and got the invitation.

I said, I gotta take this. I gotta take this. Cause you know, Alan told me straight up because are you happy where you are there? Yes, absolutely. Do you want to spend more time with your wife and daughters? Absolutely. Come to Austin, come to Austin. And so. It really like this position really allowed me to, uh, you know, scratch that itch that I have with, with, with sports medicine, being able to be involved with teams, being able to, to work with the strength coach, uh, you know, work with the team, uh, while at the same time, giving me flexibility to.

To do those things with my habit work-life balance with my wife and kids. And it’s, it’s, you know, this position has been unbelievable and, you know, hats off to Alan. And I really appreciate him bringing me onto the team here cause it’s, um, I, my wife and I sit back with thanks to, um, uh, maybe some previous stops that I’ve been at.

Like you’d be busy, right? I basketball. Basketball is a grind. You there, you wouldn’t see me. Hey, you know what, right now you’d be at, you know, you’d be with the basketball team at the, you know, for three weeks at this place. So it’s, it’s, it really allows me to here. Just have a much better work-life balance.

There are times when it’s yeah, it gets stretched a little thin and, um, uh, wife’s unbelievable. Um, she’s uh, she, uh, she really helps. She’s very understanding. She knows that she’s definitely not blind to what I do. She knows what my role is and what my job is. And it’s an athletics. She was an athletics at one point too.

So she understands the demands, shared it. She understands that, you know what? Some days might be a little lighter. I’ll be home on time. But there’s also a lot of times when I’ll say, Hey, I’ll be at home at this hour and then I’ll call her, you know what? I got to take your kid to emergency room, or I got to put out this.

I’ll see you later on tonight type of thing. So, um, so it’s, it’s tough to manage. I definitely couldn’t do it without a support from administration here, uh, from Allen, you know, director of sports medicine here and, um, in my wife, really? No, I agree. I think, you know, I mean, obviously Alan oversees all our areas.

He, he definitely is a guy that cares about like, not just how you do your job, but your family, which is important. I always say it’s. Um, early on in my career, it took me a little while to figure this out, but I always say it’s not where you work necessarily. You do want to work at a good place, but who you work for because most people quit their bosses.

They don’t quit an organization. And the best analogy I’ve ever heard on what we’re talking about is work-life thing is like, here’s the, here’s the, here’s the big question to evaluate when you’re working for somebody. Think of it, of like a analogy of skiing behind water scheme, behind a boat, that boat leaves a weight behind it.

And if it’s a, if it’s a good driver, they leave a smooth wait, so you can enjoy, you’re enjoying, you know, back there, they’re pulling you along. You’re laughing and you’re having a good time. If they’re not a good driver, the wake is really rough. Like you could flip you off through skis and get hurt. And so think of that analogy, right?

That picture in your head. Here’s the question you asked somebody after they worked for a certain boss, asked them this question, would you do it? And if the question is a quick, no, you can understand probably what that ride was like while they were with them, you know, when, and, um, and that’s not to say, I mean, definitely Allen’s not that guy for sure.

He’s, he’s a guy that we would definitely all work for again. Uh, and we currently do, but I think that’s a good way to, to, uh, they got it, but people gotta be compassionate and understanding of the pressures you have at home, the needs and demands you have with two young children. Sure, sure. I agree. You know, look at it through a different lens too, of different seasons of your life.

Because one point I was a lone Wolf, right? Wasn’t married, didn’t have kids grinder. I just, I couldn’t keep me out of the trainer and right. You just see you to stay there and do your thing, but then your priorities shift and you realize, you know what, there’s a need to reprioritize what I’m doing here. I need to, uh, I need to water these plants and make sure they’re growing too.

And it’s just. It’s um, yeah, work a work-life balance is tough. You know, you got to have a good team around you team at home team at school. Uh, but being able to, to find a happy medium. And it’s what the young, honestly, with young staff. A lot of times that’s a struggle. We’ll, you know, that’s one of the talks I’ll have is, is, you know what?

You got to take a knee, you know, if you need to, if you need to take a breather, you gotta communicate that to me. I see it. If I see it, I’m definitely going to tell you to go home, go do what you need to do. So, um, so definitely wouldn’t don’t want it, people get burned out, but also want them to be happy in their position professionally, but also have you.

Yeah, you got to have a life outside. The four walls of work you got to, if you don’t, especially coming through COVID and the demands and pressures that put on everybody in this strain, uh, people are definitely that’s, that’s a trend in America. People are looking for just a better quality of life with their jobs.

And I think that’s okay. I think we’re very fortunate here at Texas to have that support. So it’s good stuff. Big Joe, any closing comments here as we kind of get near the end. Anything you want to add or any other questions? Oh, Adam. Uh, thanks for coming in. It’s it’s great to sit down and talk with you.

And, you know, we, we always talk for a brief 10 to 15 seconds in passing, uh, all the time. You know, we’re only one floor away, but it was actually nice to sit down for about an hour and a and chat with you. So thanks for, thanks for coming on over. Appreciate it. Yeah. Really enjoyed it. I was just a side note.

Every stop I’ve been at probably my best friend or the person that I always connect with. It’s always been the strength coach always been a strength coach. You always are. So it’s, um, you know, I think that speaks to the connections that we make as professionals, but, um, uh, but just not having a narrow focus, but leaning on the people around you.

And I’ve definitely leaned on strength, coaches, lean. Um, uh, you know, nutritionist and along the way. So I appreciate what y’all do know. Yeah. You’re just, if you’ve never met Adam, if you’re listing reach out to him, uh, he’s definitely a, I would say a perfect example. If I could pick a servant leader. Cares about people, but does his job at a high level, just the guy that, that you look up to and you want to work with, I mean, I don’t, I’ve worked with you on different, uh, teams and whatnot, and just watching you and even just listening to other staff, how they talk about you.

So you’re doing an incredible job at Texas and, uh, couldn’t think of a greater guy to have on the show to talk about kind of that, cause that’s a huge area and a lot of people oversee. So. Thank you. No pressure on you. Ah, thank you. Uh, if you could see me I’m blushing, right, right. Yeah. That’s right. Well, if our listeners want to connect with you, what’s the best way to reach out if they want to hop on a call or just follow up with you, what’s the best way out of, so I always student athletes keep me young.

Right? I feel like, uh, for like, I’m still in my twenties or thirties. I’m not anymore. Uh, but I’m with sound. And I’m not really on the social media thing, so yeah, that’s just not my thing. Uh, so honestly, the easiest way, just email, uh, email, my university address. It’s um, uh, Adam dot Pacino, P E C I N a, uh, at athletics dot U texas.edu.

That’s easiest way. Good stuff. Good stuff. We appreciate your time. Thank you all we have enjoyed this. Thank you. Welcome to the show, brother. Appreciate it. Glad to have you on board, Mike is, uh, we’re going to miss him. We’ll we’ll occasionally maybe get him on, but glad you’re going to be helping with the co-host and uh, this show will be coming out, I think December.

And so, uh, everybody be getting ready for the holidays, but, uh, any favorite holiday treats? You like to do what holiday? Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, what? You got Adam Galli I’m going to lean on old school. So I, I miss my grandmother’s cooking and I’m going to go, um, goodness, her lemon, merengue pie. Pecan pie.

Oh, I’m a dessert guy. Lemon, lemon, merengue. I like it. What about Christmas? Anything gets you in trouble over Christmas. Uh, my mom’s been contacted. Now, what does that explain? I’ll bring some they’re like little mini pecan pies. Those put the LPs. A little bit. Yeah. Yeah. They’re they’re delicious. Every time I see my mom I’m upset if she doesn’t have, she hasn’t have, that was with her, but oh, so good.

That’s so the good and bad of Christmas, but, so what were they called again? One more time. The contest, the contest. I have never heard. Have you heard of these? No, I needed to speak one from you. I don’t Google recipe. Cause it won’t do my mom justice. It probably come out and like, you know, uh, you know, Kolachi, there’s like there’s different definitions for collateral.

learn something new. Unbelievable. I’m looking forward to the holidays because,

well, dude, it’s been awesome, Adam. Thanks so much for your time, Joe. Glad you’re on board and Hey, that’s it for the team behind the team podcast. This is Donnie may big Joe cross-check and Adam. Y’all have a great holidays hook. ’em horns. Welcome. Welcome. Thanks so much for tuning in and listening to this episode of the team behind the team podcast for future episodes, go to iTunes, Spotify, Google podcast, or Stitcher.

We definitely want to keep having great guests on the show and great content. So if you have a moment, please go to iTunes, leave a rating and review and let us know how. Um, Donnie may and thanks so much for tuning in.