Pre-Zero Sports Talk
Welcome to Pre-Zero Sports Talk, where sports, leadership, faith, community, and clean progress intersect. Hosted by Sid Bensalah, with over 30 years of global sports industry experience, this podcast isn’t about quick fixes or empty talk. It’s a platform for authentic, purpose-driven conversations that go beyond the game to explore how sports can drive positive, actionable change.
Born from a passion for impact, Pre-Zero Sports Talk dives into today’s most pressing themes: performance and well-being, leadership, innovation, coaching, community impact, sustainability, regenerative agriculture, governance, geopolitics, and more. Each episode cuts through the noise and greenwashing, engaging with trailblazers, changemakers, and thought leaders to uncover solutions and inspire new perspectives.
This is a space for real conversations with real people about real issues — stories that challenge norms, break barriers, and spark transformation. Whether you’re an athlete, coach, business leader, or someone who believes in the power of sport to make a difference, there’s a seat at the table for you.
Subscribe now to join a movement that informs, inspires, and empowers. Together, let’s redefine the role of sports in shaping a cleaner, safer, and more connected world — one episode at a time.
Pre-Zero Sports Talk
The Dyslexic Advantage: From First-Grade Reading to a Better Learning System
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What if dyslexia is not a disability, but a different method of processing information that schools still do not understand?
In this detailed episode, Sid Bensalah interviews Russell Van Brocklen, a dyslexia researcher funded by the New York State Senate, whose personal struggles with reading and writing drove him to pursue a 20-year mission to reevaluate dyslexia and learning. After being assessed at roughly a first-grade reading and writing level in college, Russell developed a system that challenges traditional ways schools teach dyslexic students and shows how parents, teachers, and coaches can better support them.
Russell explains why many schools use the wrong cognitive approach, how his front-brain learning model functions, and why word analysis followed by articulation can quickly improve writing. He also shares case studies from state-funded programs, success stories led by parents, and his views on sports, motivation, neurodiverse thinking, and institutional resistance.
This is a raw, honest, high-energy discussion on dyslexia research, education reform, learning systems, coaching dyslexic athletes, and practical steps for families and educators.
Timestamps
00:00 The Dyslexic Advantage
00:58 The F That Sparked A Mission
08:49 Why Schools Miss Dyslexia
13:48 First Grade Level Evaluation
21:45 Law School Trial By Fire
30:22 Front Brain Strategy Explained
45:02 Building A Learning System
49:02 Kimberly And Reed Breakthrough
01:06:52 Schools vs Neurodiverse Brains
01:21:00 Sports as Strength Builder
01:27:01 Institutional Resistance
01:39:51 AI as Research Assistant
01:49:09 Final Advice and Closing
Learn more about Russell → https://DyslexiaClasses.com
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