Beyond the Game: Coaching Young Athletes for Life

In this powerful Pre-Zero Sports Talk Podcast episode, host Sid Bensalah sat down with Greg Walls, a former NFL cornerback and P.E. Sports and Recreation founder. Greg has dedicated his life to coaching athletes for success in both sports and life, and this conversation dives deep into leadership, accountability, and the challenges young athletes face today.

Greg shares his journey from playing in the NFL to becoming a coach and mentor, offering no-nonsense advice on holding athletes to high standards while nurturing their growth. A key takeaway is Greg’s philosophy on listening as a skill—how true coaching isn’t just about telling athletes what to do but getting them to understand and act on what’s needed to succeed. He also reflects on his leadership inspirations, most notably his late father, whom he admires as the ultimate role model.

We also touch on the lighter side of Greg’s personality as he shares his unexpected love for the sport of curling and his passion for the Red-Hot Chili Peppers, showing how multi-faceted he is as both a coach and a person.

Throughout the episode, Greg’s sincerity and passion shine through, whether discussing fighting for every inch in sports and life or addressing the tough issues of head injuries and CTE. He also speaks candidly about the unique pressures young athletes face today, particularly the judgment and scrutiny from social media.

Key Topics:

• Greg's journey from NFL player to coach
• Developing responsibility and accountability in young athletes
• The importance of listening in coaching
• Leadership lessons from his father
• Addressing athlete safety and CTE
• Overcoming social media pressures and other challenges faced by young athletes
• Greg’s love for curling and alternative rock (Red Hot Chili Peppers!)

Tune in to hear Greg’s incredible insights on coaching athletes for success on and off the field!

Transcript

Sid: 0:05

The conversation you're about to hear is about Greg walls. A former NFL cornerback turned visionary coach and mentor. Greg's journey from the NFL to leading PE Sports and Recreation is all about more than just sports. It's about shaping character, building leadership and teaching values, that last a lifetime. In this episode, Greg, talk about what it takes to guide young athletes, their challenges, and how he combines discipline fate and nonsense coaching to help them Excel. We'll dive into the importance of accountability and the athlete safety and even touch on Greg's personal experiences that shaped his approach to leadership, both in sports and in life. This is Pre-Zero Sports Talk, and I'm your host Sid Bensalah. It's not just about the game. It's about the people, the stories and the lessons behind the journey. Thanks for joining us. Now let's dive into this conversation with Greg walls. Greg man. It's great to have you here today. How are you?

Greg Walls: 1:07

I'm good. Sid, appreciate you having me, man. I've been looking, I've been looking forward to this.

Sid: 1:11

Greg, let's kick this off by talking about your journey. You've gone from playing in the NFL to teaching and coaching. That's quite a shift.

Greg Walls: 1:19

Yeah.

Sid: 1:20

How has your experience as an athlete shaped the way you coach today? And was there a moment in your career where you realized coaching was where you wanted to focus?

Greg Walls: 1:32

Well, it, it, has, basically written the blueprint for the direction that I take with the athlete, with the understanding that the lessons that I learned in sport, I carry through life. And part of it for me, Sid, is easy because I still live and dwell in the realm of sports as a coach and as an instructor. So a lot of what I do, a lot of the lessons that I learned through sport, they carry me through life and in relationships. So the approach I take is one that I took when I played, you know, aggression, uh, discipline and understanding of the job at hand. And then a lot of confidence, man. Um, I don't lack confidence and I carry it a lot of places because I understand the power of self belief, you know, belief in oneself, uh, and understanding what you're getting into. So those are the things that, that I carry with me, that sport and the opportunity to play sport and then enhance my life through sports has, has given me and then how to handle failure and rejection. Uh, which I think is extremely important. Uh, so that's the way I go about teaching and coaching the kids or the even, you know, the, the older athletes that I deal with.

Sid: 3:02

Yeah. And was there a moment That just clicked for you. Like, this is my path now.

Greg Walls: 3:10

No, it wasn't really a moment. It was an accumulation of skills, uh, over the years. Like, um, I went from teaching to coaching because I just didn't want to be in the classroom. I, I didn't like being in the classroom at school. So I just took another avenue to take my teaching degree and skills and I implemented it on the coaching field. And then in through coaching, uh, it helped me understand how to deal with individuals in multiple facets, um, with the performance and the fitness and the instruction there. So it was more of an accumulation of skills than it was a moment where I was like, you know what, I need to do this. I've said this times before, I said, I I'm a smart guy. Like I would say, like, I knew that if I wasn't playing, I was smart enough to do other things. So I was never worried about doing something or even what I would do. It was just over time. This is the path that I stayed on

Sid: 4:27

Yeah. I love what you say about sports being a training ground for responsibility. You've got this nonsense accountable approach. And I'm curious, how do you balance holding young athletes to high standards without pushing too hard?

Greg Walls: 4:44

understanding. And I say this a lot to Sid, like, regardless of one's, uh, belief or religious background. Uh, the Bible is a very helpful book, when it comes to information and direction of life. So the Bible says, you know, and everything you get and all that you getting, get understanding. And if I understand what I'm dealing with, then I understand how to communicate the message. So I hold kids to a high standard. Based on the area that we're operating in, because I understand they can take those lessons outside of that area. So, for example, when I'm dealing with middle school kids, uh, the standards are high according to what the goal is or the objective is or whatever the sport is. So, if I'm coaching a football team, The goal is to win. We got one goal, WIN! You know, and if you win enough times or at the right times, then you'll accomplish things like championships and all that other cool stuff, but we got one goal. And I helped them understand that in order to achieve that goal, there are certain steps you have to take just to have the opportunity to be successful in achieving that goal. And that's how we set the standards Sid, so it's not, you know, aggressively harsh. It's just, Hey, these are things we have to do. In order to reach the goal and you push them and you press them and there are ways you can do that or ways we do that in order for them to understand and receive the message and still be able to coach them hard to where they respect the message that's being sent.

Sid: 6:42

Yeah. And how do you know when it's time to push and when it's time to pull back?

Greg Walls: 6:49

effort tells me everything. The effort you're giving tells me when it's time to push or to pull back because I can't coach a half. Effort. I have to see you paying attention or concentrating. And let me explain what I mean by effort. Effort is not always a thousand miles an hour run through a wall. You know, I give it all I got. Sometimes effort is paying attention. To the details. Sometimes effort is understanding what's being asked of you and trying to execute that at whatever level so you can continue the execution at a high level. Sometimes effort is a hundred percent sprinting to a spot. So I know to push when I see the effort is not what we need it to be for the opportunity of success. And throughout this conversation, you'll hear me say the opportunity for success because Success is not guaranteed regardless of how hard you work, regardless of how hard you try, the effort you put in is not guaranteed. It's the opportunity. And as a man, in my opinion, that's all you can ask for as a man on God's Green Earth is an opportunity. Then it's up to you. What you do with that. So I always talk about the opportunity for success, which allows me to push based on effort.

Sid: 8:19

Yeah. Yeah. One thing that really caught my attention, was how your faith plays a big role in your coaching philosophy. You mentioned in your bio that athletics isn't just about physical, it's mental and spiritual. How do you blend all of that? All of that together in your work.

Greg Walls: 8:42

It starts with your mindset. You know, you gotta have faith in yourself. you have to have faith and belief in the people that are around you, especially when you're in a team sport or when you have a team of people assisting you. And then you have to have an understanding that it's not just you. Because faith is based on belief and it's. You know, the evidence of things, uh, unseen, you know, so it's important that we understand, what we're getting into so we can try to prepare for the outcome or the result we're looking for, and then you have to be honest with yourself, because if not, you find yourself. delusional in the fact that it's not going to turn out the way you think if you haven't put things in place for it to work out that way. You know, so for me, confidence, belief, faith, understanding, all of those things matter before you go out and you do, you know, because nothing has ever been done that wasn't thought about first.

Sid: 10:03

Yeah. and do the athletes ever come to you for guidance beyond sports?

Greg Walls: 10:08

They do. And that's, that's the relationship part. And I get real excited about that because to me, that's a matter of trust and belief in the person that, that's, they believe in what I'm saying and what I'm doing to people that's working with me. And I appreciate that. I really do, because I'm just another guy. I'm just another vessel in their life. You know, I, I have to, I've humbled myself over the years and understanding that, you know, I could be anybody in their life at that moment. So for them to ask me things and come to me for advice or direction, I have to be fair and just in the information that I give because of the trust factor. And it means a lot to me. And I, and I carry that, I carry that with a sense of pride and with an understanding that I have to be, uh, direct, I have to be honest. And I have to be forthright in the information that I'm giving. And if I can't help you, I can't help you if I can. Here's how, uh, so that means the world to me. See, it really does. And I've worked with thousands of people over the past 20 years. And that, it sounds funny for me to say that. And it almost sounds unreal. Uh, but I was actually looking at pictures today of, uh, Oh, things that I did all the way back pictures that took me back to 2014. And there are hundreds of people over just a two year span that I've trained, or I've worked with groups, or I've worked with one on one. So over the years to be able to, for people to allow me to be a part of their life, man, it, it, It's been, it's been humbling. It's been, it's been good.

Sid: 11:57

Greg American Football is such a fascinating sport. Uh, especially when it comes down to fighting for every inch as a team. How do you keep your team and athletes focused, motivated, and rallying behind you to push for that extra inch? When it really matters?

Greg Walls: 12:16

Show them receipts. So I try to make sure they understand that they are not fighting for those inches alone. And I have fought for those inches myself.

Sid: 12:32

Hmm.

Greg Walls: 12:33

So it's the respect of understanding like, Hey guys, I'll give you an example, Sid. I ask, especially the younger guys, like the 6th grade, 7th grade, 8th grade guys. Are you afraid? Are you nervous? Who's afraid and who's nervous? And I always say, be honest. In this room, be truthful. Because that's the only way we can get to where we're trying to go. And some of them stand up and raise their hands, and I ask them why. Uh, because For the most part, they feel like it's just them. They, they might be the one that get embarrassed or they might be the one that get hurt or, you know, they haven't, they don't have a lot of experience, so they might not know what to do. But I try to assure them these things. First of all, I'm rocking with you. I'm here. I'm your voice. I'm the one telling you these things to you're not running this race alone. We're all running this race. So you're not when you look to your left or your right. Those are your guys. Those guys are with you going through the same things. And then I help them understand. I understand the way you feel. I know how it is to be nervous. I know how it is for it to be your first time playing in middle school, your first time playing in high school, your first, playing in college I know what that looks like and feels like. so you're not running alone. And I tell them the truth. I'm nervous before every game. I've been afraid in certain instances. Our fears may not be the same, but the fear is real. Feeling is the same. So if they understand that and they understand, I can help them. I can help navigate that. Then it's easy for us to fight for those inches on Thursday or Friday or Saturday.

Sid: 14:23

Yeah. Now there is something I have to ask you, especially since you've got such a strong background in football. We can't talk about football without bringing up head injuries and CTE- Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy, which is only discovered in athlete's brain after that in football and other contact sports, including boxing. You worked with athletes of all ages. So how do you address this with young players and their parents?

Greg Walls: 14:52

That's a great question, and I have to answer that question a lot. And I have to address that situation a lot. And the way I do is with information. Sid it. A lot of people are underinformed or misinformed. So I try to help them understand the statistical number. I try to help them understand the growth. And the, and the advancements of the game and the advancements of safety within the game. for example, uh, we talk about Guardian Caps. We use guardian caps here at the school that, that, uh, I coach. Guardian caps are tremendously helpful. Like, research shows, uh, the absorption of the guardian cap on trauma or whenever, you know, they, they hit their head on the ground. Uh, the new helmets, are tremendous, you know, with, uh, the way they're built and the way they're designed, they're so much more safe. The rules, the rules are designed for safety. And then the way we coach and teach. The game these days, which is extremely helpful. We got a lot of high level instructors coaching and teaching the game at this point in time that I know personally that I've seen across the nation, uh, the way we teach tackling now, uh, the approach we take to the game. So I try to inform parents with all of those things. I try to arm them so they can make an informed decision. decision. and it's been tremendously helpful. Now, some people just hear football, CTE, brain, and then they don't listen. So I try not to compare, negatives with other sports and concussions of other sports. I just speak to the facts of the way the game has evolved and the safety of the game, uh, numerically, as well as instructionally. So. And a lot of people hear it and they get it, and they allow their kids to play, or they allow, you know, the college kids to continue on. Uh, the game is, it comes with a, uh, level of danger. We're talking about full speed blunt force trauma. I mean, padded full speed blunt force trauma. Uh, continual. I played it. Like that when the rules were different and when the, the design of the game was a little different. Uh, so I understand, I can understand the fear, but in today's game, the way that people are approaching the game and the safety of the game is what I try to address.

Sid: 17:39

Yeah. And especially for the parents, I know it's, it can be a tough conversation. What's your take on balancing the love for the game With the real safety risks.

Greg Walls: 17:52

Uh, if I'm being honest, it's unbalanced for me because I love the game and I'm willing to take the risk. You know, uh, but in that risk comes the information and the ability to perform. And execute it the way it's being taught. So it's a little imbalance for me and it has to be for anything you love. You know, you're going to, you're going to calculate the risk and you're going to err on the side of caution. But how much caution are you going to take? Because it is a fast, full speed, full contact game. So you have to weigh it on a scale of understanding and play it with the passion and love. To continue that full speed without fear.

Sid: 18:46

Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Let's shift to talk about leadership styles and coaching. Um, leadership is something I've always been fascinated by. There is the take charge type of leader. And then there is the empathetic values driven approach. You've got experience in both the NFL and as a coach as well. What's your style,

Greg Walls: 19:10

I would say it is the it's take charge with information and direct motivation. If we do this, we can expect these things. If we put standards in place and adhere to those standards and hold each other accountable, we have the opportunity for success. My job. Is to inform, prepare, and set you up for the success. Your job is to do. So that's the way we go about it. And I push, I motivate. I'm really not into, you know, hard driving. Rah, rah, rah. I'm into, this is what we gotta get done. Let's go do it. And I'm gonna give you the steps. I'm into the toolbox, Sid. I really am. Hey man, we got to build a house. Okay. I don't want to build a house with a hammer and a screwdriver. I want to build a house with high tech. I want drills and I want plugs and I want levers. I want things that's going to get it done efficiently and maximally. And I want to build a great house. However, I focus on the foundation of the house. So my leadership skills is from the bottom up. Here is what we have to put in place before we can go put these pillars up, because if we don't do this, and I'll live there until it's done, if we don't do these things, we can't be successful. And these things are Be on time, be disciplined, have an understanding of the task at hand, maximize your effort in that task and prepare yourself with the things you have to do so you can go do those things on game day. And I tell all of the people I work with, I can't coach you on game day. I can't train you on game day. You just got to go play. I got to coach the game, or I got to understand what you're doing. So it's imperative that I push you, I inform you, I coach you throughout the weeks or the months leading up to your opportunity to go play. So it's about preparation through standards and discipline.

Sid: 21:37

Yeah after the training sessions or games, do you often take your athletes input and feedback during debriefings or in the locker room? And if so, do you find yourself adapting your training? Methods based on their comments, or even adjusting your approach to better meet their needs.

Greg Walls: 21:58

Yes. And I used to not do that, Sid. I, I had to, uh, you know, when you get older, humility is something that, yeah, man, you do,

Sid: 22:12

you become wise when you get older.

Greg Walls: 22:14

used to not do that, Sid. I used to, it was my words, my way, and that's what it was,

Sid: 22:20

Yeah. I'm the coach and it's my first and last word.

Greg Walls: 22:23

but not anymore, man. I, you know, wisdom and humility has set in, uh, so I do, uh, I don't listen to complaining. And I don't listen to, uh, suggest, uh, let me say it like this selfish suggestion, but I do take input from all of my athletes and I do make adjustments according to the, uh, majority. I really do. Uh, it's, it's not a democracy, you know, I'm still the decision maker in many instances. However. The decisions are made with quality input outside of my own thoughts. And I learned that as a business owner, Sid, I, I had great people. I mean, I still do. I've had great people working with me and for me over the past 10 years. Um, and early on, I was, I was, You know, I had all these amazing plans in my head and I go to meetings and I tell people what we were doing and if they didn't understand that that was on them. And then I realized through conversations with great friends who also worked with me as like, Hey man, you may want to hear what's being said or people aren't giving you input and feedback cause you kill it before, um, they get an opportunity to express what could be helpful to everyone. So I've learned over the years that Listening is a skill and listening is a skill you have to learn and practice. And once you recognize that you weren't listening, you need to pay attention to what you're listening to. So I didn't start listening to people till I was about 42, Sid. I'm 45 now. I could hear them. But I wasn't really listening. So, you know, I I've been trying to enhance and exercise that skill of listening and it's been, it's been helpful. And then,

Sid: 24:28

not easy. It's

Greg Walls: 24:28

man, it's one of the most difficult things I've done, you know, cause my, my mouth is closer to my ears than anybody else. So, but it's been, I do, I take feedback, especially from younger athletes, uh, because young people teach you how they listen and how they hear. So I've learned to ask multiple questions to get the point across. I had a good coach, uh, when I was working at Texas A& M, uh, Coach Stanegan, I don't know where he got it from. He was a D line coach there. Uh, so I can only give the credit to him because I don't know where he got it from, but he would say coaching is not telling people what to do. Coaching is getting people to do what you need them to do. So, and I take that with me. So in order for me to do that, I have to listen. And make sure they understand what I am trying to get across. And I understand what they're missing. So, cause I got to get them to do what I want them to do.

Sid: 25:33

Hmm. Yeah. Yeah. Uh, young athletes today face so many challenges from social pressures to physical demands of the sport. Uh, it's a lot to handle. What do you see as the biggest challenges for young athletes today and how do you support them through these?

Greg Walls: 25:53

Judgment from invisible people, social media, uh, just judgment from invisible people, right? In today's world, anyone can have input on your actions. And to me, for teenagers and young professionals, especially in athletics, it's tremendously unfair. It's just tremendously unfair. Like you have some invisible human, you know, somebody you've never seen, you'll never know, uh, and multiple bodies, thousands sometimes giving input and feedback on what you do. In a manner without understanding or without even knowing, or, you know, they feel like they have the right to comment on your actions and judge your actions because they can see your actions. And I think that's completely unfair. I really do. And then as a young person, say what you want. The maturity levels of 13 through 19 year olds are the maturity levels of 13 through 19, you know, they may not understand where all of that is coming from and why they may have to defend themselves against people they'll never meet. And I think that is the number one challenge for today's athlete because along with the praise comes the scrutiny, right? And I think on both sides of the spectrum, a lot of it is unfair. Uh, when I was coming up, for example, I'm from a small town, local kid. I was good in all the sports. So the people who knew about me were the people around, you know, or the local newspaper or maybe from a local interview. But there was no social media. I could You know, I can make a mistake on a Friday night and not wake up on a Saturday and a thousand people have seen it and commented on it. And my family is reading this and my sisters are reading this. My mom is reading this and I'm reading this and I, you know, I go to school and now people are talking like that's heavy, man. That's a heavy situation.

Sid: 28:15

It's a lot

Greg Walls: 28:16

It's a lot, especially when, you know, these. These people are in your mind, in your head. They're not even around you to even have an understanding of who you are, you know, or what you are off of the field, or even what you are out of those three clips they saw of you, you know, and then to be judged heavily, let's just use college, for example, I don't know any football player that drinks that didn't drink. As under the age of 21 and I don't know any, I was having drinks before I was 21. Let's just keep it. I went to college parties. I went to college at 18, 18, 19 and 20, you know, but you know, now you, and I'm not condoning underage drinking. Let me make sure I say, and that's another reason. I don't know why I have to say that, but I do have to say that because I could be judged on, but those are facts. I did some drinking in high, I mean in college and I wasn't judged and scrutinized and look at him because there was no social media, right? But you can be at a party and somebody taking a video of you having a good time with your friends at a party. And now you're subject to the judgment of anyone around the world. And that's just, to me, it's so unfair. And that's, that's a heavy load because now you got to answer questions. That you probably wouldn't have had the answer. And now you got to worry about the judgment of people who may or may not have say, you know, and now people have to respond to that. And that that's just, that's heavy, man. That that's, that's heavy. And I wish adults would pay more attention to what they say and what they write. And how they act towards teenagers who are growing and developing and learning in a space that may or may not be high profile. According to the sports we love to watch! You see what I'm saying? So I just wish as adults, as grown ups, we would be more considerate and careful of those situations. Uh, and less judgmental. And take that time to teach and help grow those young kids. into young professionals or whatever they decide to do. We don't have to beat them down because They're doing something we may or may not approve of that. I'm confident many of us did when we were their age.

Sid: 30:59

Yeah. Yeah. It's hard. It's hard for the youngsters. Through the social, uh, the social platform, the peer pressure, the, um, the criticism, the, uh, yeah. It's, it's, it's tough. It's tough. All right. Uh, Greg, before we wrap up, I've got a few quick fire fun questions for you. You ready for a speedy Q and a

Greg Walls: 31:22

let me, let's see. Let's see what we got.

Sid: 31:25

do you need to warm

Greg Walls: 31:26

I'm ready, brother. I'm ready.

Sid: 31:29

Good. What's your favorite memory from your time as an NFL player?

Greg Walls: 31:35

Well, I only played two games. I played two preseason games, so I like to put that out there. I played two preseason games, but my favorite time was the opportunity to compete. With those high level guys, you know, I was in camp with people like Champ Bailey, who, in my opinion, is in the top four corners in the history of the game. Uh, Fred Smoot, who was a second round pick, who was a really good athlete, really good corner. Um, It's just being there and being able to compete at that level, uh, and practice, uh, to be able to see what high level professionalism looks like. And to be able to say, Hey, you know, I was there, I had that opportunity and then I competed in my own way.

Sid: 32:23

What inspired you to start PE Sports and Recreation?

Greg Walls: 32:28

Scholarships. So when I started PE, um, which is Performance Experience, I started performance experience. It was because Scholarships. A lot of people at that, you know, in the early, earlier in 2000s, uh, the exposure wasn't there and the understanding of the recruiting process. I realized a lot of kids missed opportunities because they just didn't understand the process. Well, I did, I had a chance to go through the process. I had a chance to coach and I had a chance to give kids scholarships and I had, I understood what. Coaches and administration and all that was looking for. So it was, it was to help kids earn scholarship. And in that pursuit, we've helped over 200 kids earn scholarships in multiple sports. everything from dance to soccer, to the three major sports. Uh, I mean, the list goes on and on, cheerleading, everything, Sid. So it was to help. kids navigate the recruiting process.

Sid: 33:35

Yeah. Who has been your biggest influence in coaching? Is

Greg Walls: 33:39

Chris Thurman, who is a, uh, analyst now for the, um, for Oklahoma State, Oklahoma State University Cowboys, um, he coached me. At TCU, shout out to coach Thurman. He was tremendous. Um, and the reason he was the biggest influence for me is because, and I say this all the time, he treated that corner group, the group that he worked with, like me, he treated us, we understood he was the authority. We understood we did what he said, but he treated us. Like men, we weren't equals, but he treated us fairly. And as a young man coming from Mississippi, going to Texas, uh, having a terrible freshman year, he came in my sophomore year. Uh, and the way he treated us as a group, uh, was tremendous. And I still talk to him to this day. I talked to him, I think a couple of weeks ago, he's a good friend, a mentor. Uh, he's my guy, you know, so he was, he's the biggest influence in coaching.

Sid: 34:54

he still active coaching?

Greg Walls: 34:55

He's an analyst at, uh, Oklahoma, Oklahoma state. He's on the, on the Oklahoma state coaching staff. Tremendous dude.

Sid: 35:02

Great. Great. Which leader, past or present, do you admire the most?

Greg Walls: 35:08

My dad. And my dad, yeah, I know it seriously. Uh, my dad, uh, you know, God rest his soul. He passed away a few years, a couple of years ago. He, he was a man's man. Sid, I can go on and on about that dude, man. And, uh, he, he, he's always been a part of my life, but, uh, his leadership, my dad had the ability. To make everybody feel that they were the important person in the relationship he had with them. All relationships he had with people was different. He didn't treat people the same, but he treated us fairly and he treated people according to the way people were. And he would always say, man, people are people, people are people. And I didn't understand what that meant. But now I'm getting a clear understanding of what he did mean, uh, when he said that. So I, I have to say Greg Walsh Sr., God rest his soul, he, he was a tremendous dude and a great leader.

Sid: 36:19

Fantastic. Great. What's one piece of advice? You give all your athletes.

Greg Walls: 36:26

I tell them all that you have to, like, effort is everything. If you're not trying, you're wasting a lot of things. You have to try. in everything You gotta try in the classroom. You have to, you have to try on the field. You have to try in relationships. You know, if you don't, it's a waste. You know, you're the shoulda guy, or woulda guy, or coulda guy. And that guy sucks, Sid you know, because If you give a little more, you'll get a lot more. and if you're not trying, you're not willing to fail. You're not willing to put it on the line to, to see what you're here for or to see what you're capable of. And that's, to me, that's a travesty and

Sid: 37:24

Yeah.

Greg Walls: 37:25

people can see it. Lack of effort. You can see it. Like it's, you can't hide it, you know, and you can't hide from it. So, effort, I tell them all, man, effort is everything. I can't, I can't coach you if you're not trying. I can't help you if you're not trying. If you want to see me lose my mind, don't give effort. Because I understand how important it is to get, giving effort gets you what you're looking for. It teaches you how to fail. It teaches you what success looks like. It helps with discipline. It helps with understanding. If you're not trying, you are wasting. You're wasting time, you're wasting energy, you're wasting money, and you don't want it to be a waste. I also tell them you win a lot more lessons winning than you do losing. I don't care what anybody else says. You know, losing is just losing, but winning, you learn a lot from winning because the opportunity to win is where the standards lie. And then you learn how to win through those, opportunities.

Sid: 38:27

How do you stay motivated and inspired as a coach

Greg Walls: 38:31

Winning is only one cure for losing, see, and it's winning.

Sid: 38:38

winning?

Greg Walls: 38:40

Winning. Like, it's a win. If I'm teaching the kid how to run a 40 yard dash and they need to run a certain time and they do what we want, we want,

Sid: 38:52

And if you don't win,

Greg Walls: 38:53

then you lose. And there's only one way to fix losing, Sid. You gotta, go back and try to win. So that's where my motivation comes from. And You got, you, I don't do, I won't ever fail because of lack of effort. I'll fail. And I failed a whole lot, but it wasn't because I wasn't trying brother. And I'm trying to win.

Sid: 39:19

If you could coach any sports team in the world, which one would it be? And why?

Greg Walls: 39:26

This is gonna sound funny. But if I could go back in time and do something and then coach any sports team, I would coach the Winter Olympics curling team. I think curling is one of the coolest sports ever and I would go learn how to play it and I would play it. Or I would do it and then I would coach you because the strategy, the skill, the precision and the effort and the study, I just, I think it's, it's, it's, I think it's super cool. I've always liked it. Uh, so that, that's what I would do.

Sid: 40:05

Fantastic. I love curling too. While the majority find the game

Greg Walls: 40:11

I think it's awesome. I watch it every time the Winter Olympics come on. I will sit there and watch every country compete that's in the competition and curl.

Sid: 40:21

What's something people might be surprised to know about you?

Greg Walls: 40:27

I like alternative rock music and I like a lot of it. And one of my favorite bands is Red Hot Chili Peppers. So I'm an alternative rock fan without a doubt. And I still read paperback books. I like books, you know, I'm uh, I read my first book without having to read like, you know, you had to read books in college and you had to read books in high school, but I voluntarily read my first book at 29 years old and I've been reading ever since and I read all kinds of material. So, uh, so yeah, those, those things

Sid: 41:08

Great. Greg, this has been an incredible conversation. I think your approach to coaching, combining responsibility, leadership, and faith, which is important, will resonate with many people. And to close, do you have any last words of advice for young athletes looking to take their game to the next level?

Greg Walls: 41:29

I do believe in your God. Believe in yourself, believe in the opportunities that you've been given. Take advantage of those opportunities through maximum effort and understanding. Because opportunities, like everything else, come and go. So you gotta be prepared for them. And like I said earlier, brother, as a man, because I've never been anything else, I'm sure as a woman as well, but as a man, all you really want is an opportunity. That's all you can really ask for. The rest, you go earn. AnD

Sid: 42:07

And on that. Greg Walls. Thank you very much for being our guests today. Thanks a lot.

Greg Walls: 42:13

/Thank you for having me. I appreciate it./

Sid: 42:16

Well, that wraps up this episode. And I'm still reflecting on everything Greg shared with us today. What stood out the most was Greg's and wavering dedication, not just to helping this athletes become better players, but to shaping them into better people. He sincerity and passion for guiding others. Whether through fate or through the lesson, sports teach is something truly rare. Greg said something that really struck me. It's all about seizing the opportunity, as a man, women, and athletes.. All we can ask for is an opportunity. And it's up to us. To make the most of it. I leave you with a final taught. To reflect on. The measure of who we are is what we do with what we have-Vince Lombardi. Thanks for listening. If this conversation resonates with you, share it, spread the word, and let's keep learning from inspiring people like Greg Walls. Visit pre zero. sports.com for more in-depth content, expert insights, and access to our full podcast library. Until next time, stay focused. Stay motivated and keep fighting for that inch. I hope to see you on the next episode of the Pre-Zero Sports Talk.