Podcast Episode 1

Well, hello there and welcome in to a brand new edition of All Sports United Radio. My name is TJ Reaves and it is my pleasure, my privilege really, to bring you these latest series of shows where we're focusing in on the 2017 humanitarian of the Year as designated by All Sports United and All StarsOfGiving.com we've got 10 finalists that have made their way into the possibility of being named that Humanitarian of the Year. In fact, this award campaign has been going on all throughout 2017 and one winner is going to be chosen and be awarded a $10,000 cash prize for the charity of their choice. And you're going to be hearing from many of the different finalists on these shows, hearing about their causes, their story, what motivated them, how they've organized, how they're helping in their community or helping maybe even nationally with their different programs, a little bit more about All Sports United. They fully understand that giving athletes a platform, a way to inspire and to help out their fellow man, to help out in particular young people with these different things. That's what All Sports United is all about. It's an organization formed by Alan Pavlovsky and Scott Manthorn in 2013 for just this search purpose for athletes, present athletes, former athletes, broadcasters. In fact, you're going to hear from a broadcaster straight up and straight ahead on this very first edition of All Sports United Radio for 2017. Hannah Storm will be with us, award winning sports broadcaster with ESPN. She's had over a 30 year career that spans from the likes of CNN and NBC Sports and CBS's Morning show and now with her ESPN programming. You'll hear about her cause outside of the world of sports and what she's looking at for the future of her foundation and what it's all about. You'll also hear from a former major league baseball player, former major league manager for the Houston Astros. Bo Porter will be here and Bo will be telling us about his story, his foundation and the reasons why it is so important to him. Also on this program, you'll get the opportunity to hear from NFL player, former NFL player, player and University of Virginia football player, now works heavily in the Baltimore, Maryland area in that community working with kids and the Baltimore school system and the educational process. Tavon Mason is his name. Look forward to hearing more about Tavon's good works and how he is influencing young people's lives through education and through athletics in this story. And we also have an Olympic champion that will be on this program, Olympic ice dancing champion Meryl Davis, gold medalist in 2014 with her dance partner, Charlie White is here. We'll talk about her charitable endeavors in particular as it relates to figure skating. So again, you can tell from all of these different finalists, they're from different walks of life and they've had different opportunities right now to give back to their community, to their region, to different causes. And it's a, it's a neat opportunity for them to be nominated for the chance to be the 2017 humanitarian of the Year. Now, previous winners of this award include former NSF NFL players Israel Adonijay and Matt Light, as well as Olympic speed skater Allison baver. And the 2016 winner, NASCAR series champion and tremendous driver, hall of Fame driver Tony Stewart, was the winner of this year's, of last year's award. This year's award winner will obviously join those four in elite company for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year. And so these champions, these different champions, the previous years have already been great ambassadors for All Sports United and for their sports community. And so this year, we're going to have a designated victor, a designated winner that's going to join that group. And we encourage you, by the way, as well as not just part of AllSportsUnited.org, but to go check out the website AllStarSofGiving.com and through the technology of GiveQuick, the folks with AllStarSofGiving.com have that website. You can find out more information about the nominees that you're hearing about here on this radio program, on this On Demand radio show by going to all starsofgiving.com also, all sports United particularly wants to acknowledge supporter Jeff Tudor for his generous contributions to this campaign and to the 2017 humanitarian of the Year Award for all that is taking place. So without further delay, we've got a great roster here on this program. Let's hear now from our first interview subject as we get things kicked off. It's part of the campaign for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. And let's get things started.

Yes. And here she is leading things off. Love the work, love the insight, love everything about what Hannah storm does on ESPN for SportsCenter, etc. But obviously she is part of what we're doing here on All Sports United Radio as one of the 10 finalists for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. It's exciting to talk to Hannah for a lot of different reasons. Good to have you with us. First of all, it's our pleasure. And what does it mean from a charitable standpoint, from a giving standpoint, to be recognized as one of the 10 finalists to potentially be Humanitarian of the year.

I'm so excited. I was thrilled when I found out. You know, sometimes when you wear a lot of different hats, people sort of forget what you do on the charitable side, because usually I'm talking to people about either some sports subject or something to do with ESPN or something to do with one of the films I directed. So I can't even tell you how much I appreciate the fact that we're talking about my foundation. It's something that's such an important part of my life I devote so much time to. So it's really an honor. And the best part about it is it just raises awareness for not only what I'm doing, but for what all of the other people involved here are doing as well.

All right, so let's talk about your foundation, why you wanted to start it and what it benefits. What are the goals?

Right.

So the Hannah Storm foundation does surgeries for children all around the world who are suffering from vascular anomalies. And I'm sure that you have seen somebody with a large bir mark somewhere on their face or on their body. These are things that can be extremely serious. They can grow very quickly. When a child is born, it's something that actually affects. 1 out of 10 kids in the United States needs to see a pediatric dermatologist when they're born because of some kind of birthmark. And the ones that we treat are ones that are very serious, that really get out of control, that could cause a child to lose an eye or be unable to breathe or eat, or could affect some part of their brain with a birthmark growing on the inside. They can affect limbs. So we have the best surgeon in the world, the most noted surgeon, a guy named Dr. Milton Wehner, South African surgeon who helped to develop the cold laser and sees all the toughest cases around the world. He does all our surgeries. And, you know, a lot of times you have to bring in another doctor for something like. Like I mentioned earlier, maybe an eye doctor or something else. And most kids need anywhere from 10 to 12 surgeries. But it's life changing. The surgeries are very. The vascular anomalies are very disfiguring as well as dangerous in many cases. So it's a complex cause. I was born with a hemangioma when I was young under my left eye, and you can still see it when I don't wear makeup. But I had a lot of treatments when I was a kid. But the cold laser treatments that are Available today. Micro laser surgery was not what it was back then, what it is today. So I underwent all sorts of crazy procedures. God bless my parents. But, you know, none of it's covered by insurance because it's considered cosmetic, even though it's. It's really not. So we helped rewrite some of the codes, and that's something that we're going to continue to push for to rewrite some of the insurance codes. But that's kind of a long winded answer to your question. But it does bear a little bit of explanation.

No, no doubt about that. And I wonder how much time, because your time is consumed with your job, with family life, how much time are you able to spend on this? And you obviously have a board, you have people on your foundation that are working towards just. If you can kind of expound on the time dynamic and how much time you put in and how much time the people on your foundation put in, I think fans would be interested in that.

Yeah, it's always a matter of that, right? How do you juggle everything? So between, you know, being a mom, having my job at espn, having the foundation, and also directing films. So that's a lot for one person. I happen to have a great director of my foundation, Carmen Belmont. I have a woman named Judy Haveison who also works for me. And they're fantastic. They're people I've known for years and years. We do keep it very lean, very, very tight payroll. I feel like, really, I want almost all the money that we make to go to the surgery. So we actually don't have a big staff. We do rely on volunteers like a lot of nonprofits do. And when we really gear up is when we do a big event. So every other year for inst. In New York, we do a celebrity waiter night. And I, I convince all my pals at ESPN and around the sports and entertainment world to come and wait tables. They wait tables, they wait on people. It's hilarious. Half the time they end up, you know, bringing out a few plates and sitting down and eating with everybody. But it's so fun. Everybody wears aprons and we just have the best time. And so I think it makes everybody feel good. You know, my events are really fun and really celebratory. And, you know, we raise money for these surgeries, which. So I'll do a surgery at a wholesale cost. Right. So the money really goes a long way for the surgeries. You know, any, any of the money that we make. And we have done, at this point, over 30 surgeries worldwide. Which is a lot. So considering how very, very complicated these surgeries are and everything that go it. And so they're pretty proud of that. And that's something that, you know, we'll just continue to crank them out.

Love that. As you hear from Hannah Storm of espn. Okay. Fun. One that intersects both worlds. When you have a breaking news item and you're sitting on the Sports center set, what's more, let's say a bigger adrenaline rush or a little bit more difficult to grasp and get around getting all the breaking news information and getting ready to coherently put it out over the air or get the odor straight on a celebr waiter night. Who's got. Whose food? Have they got the appetizer yet? Did I give them the dessert? Which is more challenging since you've been a part of both.

That's so funny. I will say that, of course, the adrenaline rush of live TV and breaking news is something unlike anything else. But I will say that the emotional component that goes into it is at my event. And where I really get so nervous is at the auction, right? Because people are. I can literally calculate in my head how many surgeries I'm gonna be able to do according to how much we make at the live auction. And I absolutely freak out to the point where, first of all, I usually cry at some point during the live auction because I'm so grateful. Second of all, I sometimes get nervous and just start raising my hand and bidding myself.

I love it.

Which resulted in my family and I going to Italy this summer because I bid on an Italian villa last time. My husband was like, what are you doing? This is your event.

We're going to Italy. We're going to Italy. That's what we're doing.

So it was really a dream come true. That was really fun. But I get. I get super nervous and emotional, so I'd say that's the most that I get. And then, obviously, when I'm with patients and I see patients or I'm in a surgery that just, you know, that's just a feeling unlike any other, because, you know, you're changing their lives and, you know, they still have a long road ahead. Obviously. Any kid and parent dealing with a vascular anomaly, you know, there might be challenges down the road, and sometimes a kid can look exponentially better and be better, but they've still got. You know, they've still. It's not like nothing's there, you know? And I had one little boy that, you know, we tried to save his eye. He was from South Africa. And we couldn't. So, you know, there are. There are things like that that are kind of, you know, it's very emotional, just very, you know, you get really attached to the families, the kids, and you understand exactly where every dollar goes. And so that's, you know, that's a lot of feeling there.

That is a sobering reminder of why she's doing what she's doing and why. Hannah Storm is one of the 10 finalists for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award being put forward by All Sports United and its sponsors. In fact, the award will be a $10,000 cash prize designated to the winner's charity of their choice to their cause or causes. And so that's the dollars that Hannah's talking about. We're talking about surgeries here. And she's probably calculating. I can't see her, but she's probably calculating at the other end on the phone what $10,000 would mean on that. I only. I only have you for a few more minutes. I would not be doing my duty for the sports fans if I didn't ask you a sports related question or two. Now, I'm gonna put a smile on your face because we can't see each other while we're doing this, but I'm put a smile on your face. I remember Hannah Storm, the sportscaster in Houston in and around the Rockets and the Celtics in the mid-80s. You and I are contemporaries and longtime NBA fans. So I just want some perspective from you because you also hosted the NBA on NBC in the late 80s and the early 90s. You've hosted on ESPN for the NBA with the Countdown show in the 2000s. A lot of people are saying it's bad for the NBA to have two dominant teams right now, Golden State and Cleveland. My point, Hannah, is that's nothing new. Whether you're talking Lakers, Celtics, Bulls being dominant in who they played against. All right, you're a great one to ask. You have great perspective. Is it a bad thing to have two dominant teams where. Where for most fans, they almost seem like it's a foregone conclusion. Can we get to the Finals already? Is it a bad thing?

I think it's cyclical. I really do. I don't think you can say that this is the way the league is going to go for years and years and years? So we had the same two teams in the finals the last three years. As you pointed out so well. Lakers, Celtics is a great example. A rivalry that plays itself out on an annual semiannual basis is not a bad thing at all. Not a bad thing at all. And when you look at, at dynasties, I mean, I don't see anyone complaining that Chicago Bulls were in the finals right six times with Michael Jordan. So I just think that, you know, great basketball is great basketball. And I also think in the line of it being cyclical, let's look at what we're going to, what's going to happen next year. Because if this sort of super team notion is where teams are going, or maybe a team like the aforementioned Rockets, who, I still love that team, you know, they're, they're, it's all, it's all analytics for them. You know, you've got James Harden, Chris Paul and friends in Houston. You've got a Minnesota team that I think is going to be unbelievable now with Jimmy Butler, Karl Anthony Towns and the like. And you've got things that happened this year in free agency that, that are going to spread the wealth in this league because you're seeing other teams build with maybe three really, really, really top tier players.

Right?

So I think it's, I wouldn't predict necessarily that those two teams would absolutely be in the finals next year. Although I think Kevin Durant, you know, went a long way towards ensuring that Golden State's a clear favorite by taking less money and allowing them to bring back players and have a lot of depth on that team. So I don't think it's that.

Entertaining. I think rivalries are great for the game. You can say that the playoffs were gonna, you know, view it that way. Both teams kind of steamrolled to the playoffs this year. It was just that kind of year. I wouldn't see that happening every year or next year. And I just don't think you can make a blanket statement in terms of super teams because they're, they.

Coaches have always rested players. It's so funny that was such a big issue this year, but it's been happening for decades. So you, anyone who's around the game for long enough, I think, you know, you can kind of, you can kind of see things ebb and flow that way.

All right, again, great insight from Hannah Storm. All right, another fun one. I mentioned your Houston ties on a subsequent show here on All Sports United Radio. One of your fellow finalists, Warren Moon, will be one of our interview subjects. And you covered Warren Moon back with the, with the Houston Oilers, with the Love U Blue back in the, back in the 80s. Say something about Warren Moon, the football player. We're going to talk a lot about his philanthropy, giving. You covered him, though. In Houston as one of the. As one of the first African American quarterbacks in the National Football League. What do you remember fondly about that? Real quick, give me a Warren Moon, sir.

You know what, I'm glad you brought that up because he was a real trailblazer in the NFL, obviously had been incredibly patient with his own career and had a lot of self belief and going to the CFL and breaking so many records and being so successful there because he was so committed to the idea of being a quarterback when others weren't. And then he comes into the Houston Oilers. He's a completely groundbreaking quarterback. At the time, I also was one of the few women, obviously, covering sports. And so he and I had a real affinity for each other, I think, because we had a lot in common in that regard. And I remember that being young and covering the NFL, I didn't really want to go into the NFL locker room at the time. I didn't want to go into the Oilers locker room and do all my post game interviews. I just felt like I wasn't comfortable doing that. And Warren Moon conducted, because of that, conducted all his interviews after games outside of the locker room for everybody, for the entire media. And it was just a small example, but a telling example of the kind of person that he was, of how understanding he was, how empathetic he was. I considered him a very good friend during the years in Houston and, you know, if I ever had problems or issues, he was a very calm, you know, a person that I could talk to. And then a little known fact about him is that he had a chocolate chip company, so you'd have to ask him about Warren Moon's chocolate chip. So he had. He had actually a really, really successful chocolate chip business. So to boot, I mean, who doesn't love that?

So I love it.

Yeah. Enormous amount of respect for him and very fond memories of a great friendship and professional relationship with him.

I love this kind of insight that we can get from Hannah Storm, including for future questions, for future guests. All right, let's wrap it.

There you go. You're a man who does his homework. I can tell by your questions.

Yes, to you. We try. We'll wrap it this way. Again, the finalist process has taken place. The consideration is underway. And later on, at the end of July, the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year will be named. You've received a lot of different awards and accolades in terms of broadcasting and your work and things that you've done at the University of Notre Dame where you graduated. They've honored you as A distinguished alumni. What does it mean? What would it mean if somebody were to honor you like this as a humanitarian for philanthropy compared to the other things that you've done? What does it mean? What will it mean?

Well, it means more than any of those other things that I've done, frankly. If we do not leave this world in a better place, if we don't leave our imprint on this world, then we have accomplished nothing. I remember graduating from Notre Dame and going into broadcasting and I was so worried that maybe I should have gone into some full time service profession. And I talked to a priest there that was a very good friend and I said, I just want to make sure that I do good for the world. And he said, you're going to have such a big platform that you're going to be able to do that and use your, use your platform and use your whatever notoriety you mean to help others. And you know, I knew that in my heart, but it was really good to hear it. And so ever since then, you know, I have done, I help others, I help their foundations, I volunteered ceaselessly. But to really be recognized for that and to understand that, you know.

That'S why we're here. That's why we're here. So, you know, I always feel like if I'm not a good parent and I don't help others, then I really haven't accomplished anything. So I think that everything we do, our work is great and self fulfilling but everything we do really pales in comparison to that. So obviously it would mean a great deal.

Love it from Hannah Storm again. Check her out on espn. Face to Face with Hannah Storm's her interview show again. She's got a directorial career, has done some different things in terms of movies and the ESPN 30 for 30 specials, etc. Love what you do. Thank you for the time. Good luck. Good luck as a finalist here for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Hannah, we appreciate your time with us.

Thank you so much. It's been great being with you and I really appreciate the interview and all the preparation that you did for it.

Continuing on on this edition of all Sports, United radio and the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award that is upcoming. Another finalist in the world of baseball, former big league manager, now assistant to the GM of the Atlanta Braves is Bo Porter. And we're anxious to talk with him about all of his charitable endeavors. And at the time we're talking, it's also the All Star break and the other upcoming All Star Game. So Bo is busy in the middle of all of that. So welcome. It is a busy time, but I know we're anxious to talk with you not just about baseball, but about being one of the 10 finalists for the humanitarian of the year award. So as we welcome you in, it's pretty cool that you're down to the final 10 here with a chance to win the award.

Yes. Thank you so much for having me on. It is an extreme, distinguished honor to be recognized with the rest of the. The nominees. I want to congratulate the other nominees for the work in which, you know, they have done on this journey as well. You know, when you look at your overall body of work, it's always great to be recognized by your peers. And I consider all sports United as part of my peer group and just honored to be one of the 10 finalists.

All right, so let's talk a little bit about your foundation, the self foundation, and why it was established. And tell me more and tell the audience more about it.

Well, I think when you. When you look at your life in its entirety, there are different components of your life that have played an integral role in where you may stand today. And for me, it goes all the way back to when I was nine years old. I was blessed and fortunate to have a family friend. There was not a foundation at the time, but his con ack basically acted as a foundation. And it was a man by the name of Mr. Taylor, who lived across the street from the church parking lot in which we played baseball. We didn't have a baseball field. We didn't have a little league in our community. I grew up in Newark, New Jersey. So we played in the church parking lot, and I would hit the ball over the fence, and it would break window. It would break his window.

So countless times, he would come over to my house, and he would say to my mom, you know, Mrs. Porter, you know, Bones broke my window again. My mom, who was a single parent, had me at 16 years old. And my mom would say to him, listen, these kids have no place to play. I'm so sorry. You know, put me on a payment plan. I'll do whatever I can to pay you back. So one day, Mr. Taylor, who worked on the other side of town as a security officer in the bank, he comes to my mom after I broke his window yet again. He said, have you ever thought about putting Bo into little League? And my mom response was, well, one, there's no little League around here. Two, I'm pretty sure it costs something, and I don't have the money to pay. And then Three, I don't have a car. So how is Vogue going to get there? Well, the con act of Mr. Taylor actually took care of all three of those concerns. His response to my mom was, okay, if I was to sign BO up and pay the $25 registration fee and agree to take him twice a week when he has to be over there, will you let him play? And my mom's response was, absolutely. I mean, Mr. Taylor said, I'm pretty sure this would be a lot cheaper than keep replacing my windows.

So I love it.

He thought. He thought. He signs me up, I go over, I try out. I'm. I'm selected with the first pick by the team that finished in last place the year before, the Dodgers. And we go on to win the next three Southwest Little League championships. And my coach was a man by the name of Mr. Miller, who was an avid Yankee fan and worked in New York on Wall Street. So Mr. Miller actually.

Had tickets to a Yankee game, and he decided that he was going to take the 12 kids that he was volunteering to coach this Little League team. And needless to say, it was a day in June, sitting at Yankee Stadium, watching batting practice. Dave Winfield, Willie Randolph, Don Manley. Dave Winfield comes over, signs my baseball. And that's ironic to this day, because Dave Winfield and I are, you know, the best of friends as we. As we sit here today. And him and I joke about that very day when I was nine years old. And you never know the impact in which you're going to have on any young kid's life. So I sat there that day in Yankee Stadium, and I said to myself, I said, I want to be a major league baseball player. And up until that point, did I have direction in my life? I would have to say, not really. I knew a lot of the things I didn't want to do because I was growing up in a community where it was drug infested, there were gang violence, there were all bad things that were happening around me. But I'm a firm believer that ships don't sink because of the water around them. Ships sink because of the water that get in them. And my family did a great job. As I spoke about the community as a whole, people like Mr. Taylor did a great job of giving me different vehicles and different avenues because the untraveled eye doesn't see. And until I left, you know, the parking lot on 14th Street, I had no idea where my baseball talents could actually take me. I had no idea what going to a Major league baseball game and going to Yankee Stadium would do for my mental capacity of now having a clear direction of something that I, that I desire to do and how it would impact every other aspect of my life. Because now I have this target of wanting to be a major league baseball player. It makes you, you know, even more committed to your academics. It makes you more committed to being a better player and improving your skill sets and working hard. All of those intangible things that we talk about when you. It's. When I look at the Stealth foundation, you know, Stacy and I, as my wife and I said, and we were trying to think of the name that we wanted to call our foundation. We knew that we wanted to give back. We knew that God had blessed us with this amazing platform and it was, okay, what do we, what do we name the foundation? So we just thought about the things we said. Let's jot down the things that are near and dear to us and that are of the most important. Well, sports education.

Life skills and faith. And that's how we came up with the name the Self Foundation. I mean, it is centered on those four components. And when you look at those four components, if you're able to provide that to our youth, you're really helping them with whole person development. And that's what our foundation is all about.

On that foundation that Beau Porter is talking about has helped more than 100 students earn college scholarships in both athletics and academics. Many have gone on to earn their college degree as well. So it's doing fantastic work. It's based in the Houston area. And I know you've had a lot of rewards in baseball, including being a major league baseball player. Everybody dreams the dream. Very few get to live the dream, be a major league baseball manager. But again, back to the foundation. There's a different kind of reward here that you've been alluding to and talking about. And when you see actual lives affected like this, where they can go to college, bo, that's a whole different level of accomplishment besides just being a big league ball player, manager or working in a front office. Right?

Well, you, you, you actually hit all of the sectors. I think that I'm going to try to summarize that by saying this, you know, very thing in which I tried to live by each and every day. Everything you do for yourself will die with you when the gates of heaven open. And, and God says, well done, you know, my good and faithful servant, everything you've done for yourself will die with you. Everything you do for someone else has a chance to live forever. And it can live as part of your legacy. Because again, when I think about what Mr. Taylor did for me, look how it has inspired me to do for others. So the lives that the Self foundation, you know, have touched and will continue to touch, that legacy will only grow because the spirit that lives in me will be the same spirit that's going to live in them as they grow and appreciate the things that have been done to put them in position to have a better life.

Well said on all of that. Enjoy hearing right now from a guy that played in the big leagues for the Cubs, for the A's and the Rangers, former manager with the Houston Astros, and as I mentioned, now special assistant to the general manager with the Atlanta Braves. Okay, back to your, your real job, quote, unquote, for just a moment or two. At the time we're talking, we're at the All Star Brave, the All Star Game about to be played. It hasn't been played yet. At the time we're talking in Miami. Just as an overall comment, what's it like to be around All Star Games and All Star Game activity? So many of the people that are listening to this get to see it on tv, but have no idea about the actual experience. Bo, what would you tell fans? Give me a thing or two about the All Star Game, the All Star break and what it's like to be around all of that.

Well, the first thing I would say to any fan, if you have not experienced the Major League Baseball All Star festivities in the actual game, make it a point, put it on your bucket list and have it be something that you try to experience in the very near future. We have done a great job just promoting our game. When you look at the All Stars collections and the number of players that are making their first All Star team, it just shows the great, you know, transition that's taking place in our game of this great, this great group of young players that are, that are, that are escalating to the top of our game. You know, you have people like Derek Jeter retire and, you know, Tory Hunter and now all of a sudden you get this new wave of Carlos Correa and, you know, Jose Altuve and George Springer and Ender Ncrte and, you know, you, it's just, you know, Chris Bryant.

Aaron Judge is another one, right? Judge Mania in New York. The judges. Here comes the Judge, Right? Yep.

And you, and you look at Judge and you think about, immediately when I see Aaron Judd, I think about Dave Winfield.

Yeah.

And those great years that he had, you know, playing in Yankee Stadium and Doing, you know, the work in which he did, you know, building his hall of Fame resume. So it's just, it's. It's great to be around. It's great to be around the Home Run Derby. It's exciting time for Major League Baseball. And again, my message to fans is if you've never had an opportunity to experience, get on your bucket list and make it. Make it be something that you have an opportunity to come out and enjoy.

I love that we're going to get back around to the foundational work that Bo and his wife and the Self foundation is doing one more time. But I got one more baseball one. So you've now transitioned, at least for now, from playing on the field or managing or coaching on the field and into the front office. What would you say to fans of the game is the biggest challenge or the biggest difference right now in terms of working the phones and scouting and relationships, things that don't have anything to do with hitting, catching or throwing the ball?

Well, I think when you're on the field, it's more a boots on the ground type of decision making because you're constantly in the day to day. I think once you move into the front office arena, it's more of a global view of the organization where you're thinking about what's best for the organization today with a watchful eye on tomorrow. So I think that would be the biggest difference. I am absolutely, you know, thrilled with this disposition because it has allowed me.

To come full circle in the game of baseball. I've been able to be completely engaged in the amateur draft, be completely engaged in player development. And I think about the amount of experience in which I've had at the major league level and now being able to come into this front office position and look at all of the moving parts, it just has given me a greater appreciation for all the things that go into.

The global view of the organization and how important it is on all the different levels.

All right, and before we let you go, we're going to circle back now as one of the finalists for this 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award, you've got the opportunity to win a $10,000 donation from all Sports United and the sponsors that are involved with this award for your charitable cause of your choice, whether it be the Self foundation or if you want to use it for a couple of different causes. Is there anyone else that you would like to recognize that has helped you with your foundation, whether it be from your board or anyone else that you would like to give some publicity to and give some recognition to for helping you be a finalist for this award. Bo?

Well, one, the Self foundation. Each and every year we select an individual with what we call the Torch Award. And the Torch Award is given annually to a person who has passed their torch from one generation to the next and has left a legacy.

With their career work on and off the field. So I would like to one thank all of our legacy honorees, starting with Hayden Fry, my college football coach at University of Iowa, Frank Robertson, Major League Baseball hall of Famer, Dave Winfield, Major League Baseball hall of Famer, and Chippa Jones, who is a future Major League Baseball hall of Famer. Having those four as our legacy honorees has been a tremendous boost for our organization, for our foundation. I also would obviously like to thank our board of directors, our advisory council, and all of our countless donors and supporters, because without all of them, there will be no Self Foundation. So the, the commitment in which all of those that I just named have made to making the Self foundation this great work of God, I cannot, you know, we don't have enough time for me to go on and on with everything in which I would just like to pour out our appreciation for the work in which everyone has.

The next group in which I would like to give just a huge thank you to is hisd, which is the Houston Independent School District, which is our partner. My wife and I, when we first started out with the foundation, we were actually going to build Self Centers and the Self Centers were obviously was going to run our program because we wanted to provide after school care. We felt like in the sector in which we were going to target that having after school programs was paramount to getting the kids into a safe haven and allowing the parents the opportunity to work all the way to 5 o' clock or 6 o' clock before they had to worry about the welfare of their children. So by partnering with hisd, one of my mentors, as I sat down and kind of went through this whole, you know, strategic plan with, his question to me was, well, Bo, if the building is only going to house a thousand, you know, students or kids, what happens when you have a thousand inside the building and you got a thousand more waiting outside? So that that comment alone helped us restructure our strategic plan that prompt us to have a meeting with Houston Independent School District. And by partnering with the school, we now have over 7,000 kids a part of the Self foundation program because we were able to bring the program to the school.

Wow.

So hats off to HISD for this wonderful partnership that we have and the impact in which it's making on the kids in which we serve. And last but surely not least, as I go to the boots on the ground, the teachers in the schools and the principals that, you know, they are actively running the Self foundation programs on their campuses, we cannot thank them enough for the work in which they do and for their commitment to serve the Self foundation as well.

Amen. As the husband of a schoolteacher for the last 20 years, amen on that. Can't thank him enough. Is absolutely right. Again, he's one of the finalists for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award being given by All Sports United and the All Stars of Giving program and their sponsors. Bo Porter, it was a treat to talk with you. I know you are busy in and around the All Star break with a trading deadline coming up as an assistant to the GM with the Atlanta Braves. Good luck. You've done a great job and your people around you have done a great job with getting you to the point of being a finalist. Good luck with trying to be our Humanitarian of the Year award and thank you for the time here on All Sports United Radio.

Thank you so much. And I also want to, I want to leave with this All Sports United. It is an honor to be selected as one of the nominees and it is even a more distinguished honor to be one of the ten finalists, I think. Thank you for the work in which you guys are doing. Congratulations again to the other non finalists and I wish everyone well. God bless.

It is the All Stars of Giving Humanitarian of the Year award. It is All Sports United Radio and as we continue, we'll get to the world of football. And one of our finalists, who is a former star at the University of Virginia, also was part of the New York jets training camp for a couple of years as well as the Arena Football League. He is Tavon Mason, who joins us now as one of the finalists. And Tavon, it's good to be with you. I'm TJ Reaves. We are anxious and excited to hear more in particular about your foundation, the Tavon Mason Loves Kids foundation here in just a second. What does it mean right off the bat, though, to have not only been nominated but to now be one of the 10 finalists to perhaps win the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award.

TJ it's crazy. First, I gotta say thank you to you and Alan. This is, this is crazy to me. And a lot of people probably won't understand. They probably think that you played in NFL. You do speaking and do a lot of Other things. So you shouldn't be shocked about being a part of stuff. But I am. That's just my humble background. Right before you called, I talked to my.

I was on the phone with my.

Wife and, And I was like, yeah, I was shocked when I put a message in my. On my table, I made some other kids foundation page. I'm like, what's this? And saw it, and I was like, huh? And I clicked the link.

I was like, are you serious?

You know, I was excited. It was like a kid, you know, like a kid going to Disney World or something like that. Because I, I, you know, I mean, the competition, and I know you've seen the competition. Dj, I mean, Mike Victor, you know what I mean? One Moon, you know what I mean? These are some, some great names, you know, I mean, among other great individuals. And when I saw that, I just was like this, amazed, you know me. So it feels great to be a part of that, because it's not something that's just local, it's something across the United States. And, you know, to be on the same ticket with some of these great athletes and the things that they're doing in the community, I'm just like, I'm still in shock and still amazed.

Well, on all Sports United Radio, we say to everybody that's here, thank you, first of all, because obviously you're not here as a finalist by accident. You're doing great things. And I want to let the audience in a little bit, kind of chronologically, on what you're doing with your foundation. We'll then circle back a little bit to some football and your playing career. But let's start with why you wanted to have a foundation in the first place. What motivated you to want to help out, in particular, help out kids and families? What prompted that, Tavon?

You know, it's funny. It started back in middle school. I just always wanted to, to help people. And, like, my biggest dream was to have my own rec program. So I'm still working on that. You know what I mean? And, you know, I believe that if you say it will come, you know, I'm doing the work and have the right people around me and support. And as I got older, through high school, through college, you know, especially in college, to be able to go speak at different places, you know, to have kids and family come into the team day, you know, and to hear people say, you know, you're my favorite player. For me to be one of millions in the United States that get the chance to go to college and have a Complete stranger say that it continue to start sparking interest and then the jets the same way. But it hit once I got back home and started to see, you know, my community and my city and how things, you know, people just needed help and I wanted to do that. It's always been my thing to wanting to help people, and I just started it. And it started in 2011, in June. My first visit to a Children's Hospital was Mount Washington Pediatric Hospital in June of 2011. And I spent the day there for like two and a half hours visiting the different children, playing Xbox with two of the kids, you know what I mean? And it just kicked off from there.

Well, and obviously there are different things in your. In your life that shaped the reasons why you want to do something, but in particular, you wanted to give back in the community in several different ways, not the least of which education. And the audience should know that one of your jobs is part of what you do away from the field is working with the Baltimore county public school system, education and the schools. That's an important part of this. Tell me more about your foundation and wanting to help kids and schools.

It just, you know, when you.

It is kind of cliche because if you follow line and do any type of, you know, testing or surveys, a good amount of former NFL players go back to the school system because getting that opportunity to play on that higher level. We love to go back and help kids and get them to understand what it takes to get to where we got and also to be a support system. So not only being it to work, but also to give them knowledge, to help them trying to curve mistakes before they happen or. And also to be a shoulder to lean on, you know, and that's just the work part of it. The foundation, we go into schools and we do sports fit days. You know, I was real big on being active, you know what I mean? So going into schools and doing exercises, telling the good things of eating healthy, you know what I mean? The reason of being active, you know, I mean, our initial start off was to fight obesity. So we wanted to get kids moving, wanted to get kids active. And, you know, and it just began to progress after that to doing reading tours. Like, I'm currently on my reading tour now for my foundation where we visit several public libraries in Baltimore county and Baltimore City. And I actually read to the kids, but also add the fitness aspect. So I read to the kids and we get up, we do jumping jacks, we do push ups, you know, to even, you know, and to even our men you know, I mean, I just did our foundation last December we did a winter coat and toiletry job for one of the men's shelters there, you know, so we try to touch on different things during each season. So, you know, around the wintertime we do for the men's shelter for the women and children's shelter. In the new year we do our slipper drive and drop off where surprise kids at different children's hospitals with their favorite cartoon character, Flipper, just to give them a little joy. In the summertime hit, we have a reading tour and we just bid our healthy snack drive for Camp St. Vincent DePaul. And Camp St. Vincent DePaul catered to children who are homeless, live in shelters or come from shattered homes. And we like to give them healthy snacks throughout the summer. So we try to do different things around a year long, but different seasons.

Voice of Tavon Mason love what he's doing with his foundation, with his Tavon Mason loves the kids foundation. And you know, again, you can't say enough about wanting to give back to the kids and to the schools in particular. It all starts with education. And I am a husband of an educator that has taught in elementary school for 20 years of her life. They can't. And right now I have kids as well, Tavon, in my own household and it's summertime, they can't read enough. And that's the point of what your program is. And I just think it's neat to hear someone that is a former athlete say it's just as important in terms of your athletic ability, your exercise, go read a book. Read, read, read and keep reading. Right? That's the idea.

Right. And the reason why I started, you know, we started doing that was to get kids interested in reading again because I believe with the technology age, and it's good that we have technology because it helps a lot of things. But I think a lot of kids begin to get away from reading and you know, along with your life with being in education and working, whether I worked at group homes or wherever I worked at, if you, you say that that four letter word read, the first expression is, oh man, I hate oh man, why we gotta read? Oh, why we gotta do this? So and that kind of bothered me a little bit because I'm like, is becoming, you know, me becoming extinct, you know, and I wanted to do it to where it's fun, you know, it's not boring, but let them know that it can be fun. So, you know, I do a lot of interactive, you know, I mean, and the thing that I am very excited about this year. So it makes two years in a row that I was able to add my own children's book. Tayvon does it also. And that sparks a lot of attention and opens a lot of eyes when I go in. So to see them, wow. We got a former NFL player who pushes education, but he also is an author. He wrote his own book. So I'm trying to give kids an idea that sports isn't the end, you know, I mean, you can do other stuff. You can be a writer, you know, if that's inside of you, go and do it. You know, I mean, I did it, I wanted to do it. And it came, you know, I mean, it came about. So I'm trying to, along with reading, let them see, let them understand that it's more out there than just the sports world. Because sports can enter any, any moment. Mine was done in two years. NFL one year. The indoor football, some can last for years down the road, some cancel. When is your plan B?

Well, and a lot of people haven't thought that far along about what that would be. But you're preparing them with education. Is that part of it? Hey, Tavon, I want to go back to your football career. You played at the University of Virginia at the highest level in the acc. You then stepped out and played in the National Football League and the New York jets training camp and played preseason games with them. Let's have fun with fans that are listening to this because very few get to go to the Division one big time football level and put a helmet and shoulder pads on and play much less. Even fewer get to put on the helmet of an NFL team and step out. What, what's it like first of all, to be on a big time college stage playing a game, let's say Virginia against Florida State. You live that in the, in the acc to put the Cavalier helmet on and go play the Florida State Seminoles. What's that like?

Man, it was ridiculous. My red shirt freshman year, because I reassured my freshman year. So my red shirt freshman year is when everything just kicked off from going to the different stadiums, you know, to scoring my first touchdown against Wake Forest, one of our home games, you know, and having my touchdowns be the go to commercial play, you know what I mean? And going down there in Tallahassee, just over 90,000 fans just doing that seminal chant. And so taking a kickoff like 35 yards out to like a 35 yard line after catching like a yard outside of the end zone and almost scoring, you know, I mean, I had a hook play and Matt Shaw was my quarterback, and I just missed the end zone. So having that opportunity, you know, now to think about it was just like, crazy back then. It was just like, this is something I love to do. I love football. But, like, listening to it now and talking to you and just going back down memory lane, seeing the pictures and things like that, I was like, wow. You know, I mean, like, just like you said, I had that opportunity that a lot didn't. A lot of kids didn't get to do, especially me, you know, graduating in 1998, you know, a lot of the athletes in Baltimore City, Baltimore county, you know, we didn't really know that. I knew. I always knew I wanted to play in the NFL, but the steps to take, that. I was like, how am I going to do this? You know, luckily, having Keon Carpenter before me and him going to Virginia Tech, that kind of like, say, wow, I can do this. And then going, getting that letter, you know, you getting the full scholarship from. You come to uva, I just was like, wow. You know, and it's amazing, you know, once you get over that wow factor, then it's like, let's play ball. I mean, yes, it is. Is a step above high school because you. You go away, you know, I mean, you're not going back home for a while. You know, me, two hours, you know, two practices a day in the summertime, going to class, two and a half hours. So I think that that's what made me push education heavy because I had certain point where I wasn't living up to the expectations far as I didn't want to go to class, you know, like I did in high school, having A's and B's. I got to college. I think I know our parents would say, smelling our stuff, and I'm like, well, I ain't going to class today. And almost. And almost being kicked out of class because I wanted to be a rebel, but getting back on track and graduating. So, you know, and that's why I think I push the education more than I push the athletics. Because at any moment, athletics can be gone. Sure, if you have the education. And I have two games that I remember. No, really, one game. Two, please, that. I remember my last year at uva, we playing with Georgia Tech, and I ran, I kicked back 102 yards, and then I was a part of that. Hooked the ladder plate when we beat Georgia Tech in 2001. I was on the field at that, during that game. Calf muscle cramping up. But I was gonna get pulled out the game, and, you know, we pulled out the victory at the end.

You know, you mentioned 102 yard kickoff return again at the highest Division 1 level in the ACC. Give me 30 seconds. I mean, when you saw daylight, when you saw end zone, did your eyes get the big size of dinner plates? Does everything just go quiet and go silent? I mean, what was it like?

Oh, yeah, it was crazy. I mean, it literally was crazy. When I caught the ball, when the ball came to him, I'm like, you know what? I'm taking this anyway. You know what I mean? I'm going anyway. And sure enough, I just hit the hole and I saw daylight. I just ran straight. And this is funny, TJ because at the end of the end zone was Shannon Taylor. At the time, he was a. A Raven. He played at uva. And then Jamie Sharper was there at the end zone. So I looked at them and just kept running straight.

I was gonna say, you ran right for him. Go greet him. Go say, hey, with the touchdown.

Yeah, I just ran right for him and pointed at those two. And the crowd went nuts. The crowd went nuts.

I bet we're reminiscing on the playing career of Tavon Mason, not only at the University of Virginia, but also in the NFL in the. The. In the preseason with the jets for a couple of years. Hey, preseason or not, you suited up in NFL games in an NFL stadium again. What. What is that like to walk out with an NFL uniform and helmet on for the fans that are out there that watch every Sunday, watch Thursday night or Monday Night Football? You lived it. August or not, you lived it. What is that like?

Crazy?

I mean, just getting a call to say, we want you to come up for many camps is amazing, you know, and for years, since I saw it as a job, I really put it to the back. And I think that's just my humbling side. Until everybody started to say, well, man, you made it to the NFL. And they like, well, even if you didn't make it through the regular season, like, man, you.

You.

You know, you played in a cell, you had football cards. And I started to understand it. But just to go up there and go into the facility. And this is when it was on Hofstra campus and going to facilities. And I sit down in my locker, and across from me is Vinny Tessaverde. A couple of lockers up is Chad Pennington. Then right behind me was Santana Mall. Right across from me was Laverneus Coles. And then I think the biggest one of All Curtis Martin, you know, I'm in the locker room with Curtis Martin, you know, and Mo Lewis. So to be able to see these guys that, you know, I watched and one of my favorites here was Wayne Quebec and I'm on the same field with him. So just to come out the tunnel and go in for a preseason game and see my last name on the back of the jersey and I like, I really made my dream come true. I think the one thing that kind of like solidified me going to the NFL was being able to come back home and play a preseason game against the Baltimore Ravens. Wow, that was like the biggest over everything. And I played in Tokyo, we played Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Tokyo, Japan. But to be able to get on that Amtrak train and as I'm riding down 95 south on, you know, on the train tracks and just seeing all the buildings I knew from driving up to Philadelphia to see friends or, you know, and I'm like, oh, we almost there. And then pulling the Penn Station, I'm like, wow, I'm at home and I get to play on this stadium that I always wanted to play in. And that was like the, that like, so I was sold. I was just like, wow.

It's a lot of wow moments for Tavon Mason. And we got one or two more moments here on all Sports United Radio. Let's get, let's bring it back to your foundation and being nominated here again for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award. That award will be given out at the end of July. Say a few words. You mentioned your wife earlier. Say a few words of who else you would like to brag on associated with your foundation, whether it be your board, other individuals that have helped make it possible. Tell us more about the people that are involved in helping the Tavon Mason loves Kid foundation go on a daily basis. Tayvon.

First I have to give a huge shout out and thank you to my co founder Melissa Brown. She came to me and2012 and said I would like to help. I'm like okay. And she jump started the whole mission with getting kids active and family active. And the one thing that stuck out to me, I went to my first school in 2012 to do my sports fit day, you know, and she brought to my attention and she said, taylor, this is great. However, what we gonna do when the kids go home? And I said, what are we talking? What are you talking about? And she said, well, it's good that, you know, we feeding them healthy while we're doing a sports fit day to get into literature on how to eat healthy and how to exercise, but they still have to go home to probably when they're. They're not eating healthy. So that prompt us in 2012, the summer, to do our own health expo. And we put together this health expo and a month and a half to run this health expo, start helping. We started to put out brochures together. We started doing a slip and drive. And the thing that makes me smile every time I mention her name with the foundation is she did this all while battling ovarian cancer. Still is. Oh, wow. She like my champion.

You know, there are heroes. If I could stop you, there are heroes and then there's that, right? I mean, you can talk about being tough on the football field, but good gracious.

I don't equate to what she has to go through. I mean, days of getting keen on radiation and then, no, I'm still going on. I'm still going to the event with you. You know, I'm like, you know, Melissa, you need to sit down and the doctor told you the rest. No, I need to be there. You know, I'm there 100%. And no, she has a back. She had to back off a little bit. But throughout the year since 2012, you know, my current vice president, Ms. Connie Pension, she has stepped up on booking the, booking the hospitals and booking the reading events. Andy McNeil, who started helping, started with the Healthy snack drive at St. Vincent DePaul. Erica Akers and Melvin Willingham, you know, whenever I call them or I say, oh, he's starting to collect for the men's shelter, they get right on it. You know, they help with dropping things off, help with setting up. So without those guys, you know, that board, I wouldn't be here for this award. And to where we are with the foundation, we wouldn't be where we are. And again, of course, gotta thank my wife. Cause she's there, she goes on the hospital visits with me, she comes to the readings. If I need her to send an email out, she'll send it. So this her support, just being there by my side helps her a lot. And just everybody in general, that sort of vision and still are on board with donating slippers when we do our split and drive or donating the healthy snacks when we do our healthy snack drive and doing the co. You know, simple things that going through their property and materials and giving us the coats and giving us the toiletries to give to the men and even wanting to come on, come to the visit with us. So it's been a nice ride. And like, everything, everything isn't perfect. You know, I had moments where we had people that left and I still had to sit there and think, you know, do I still want this to go on now? I had to remember what I was put here to do, and this is what I needed to do. So I regrouped and kept hitting the gas pedal. So I like to thank everybody that I just mentioned for everything that they do.

Wow. And what a list. And if you can't tell just by that list, Tavon Mason is involved in a bunch of different things in and around his community, in and around his state, with different programs. And it is. Look, that's no accident as to why he is one of the 10 finalists for 2017 Humanitarian affairs of the Year from All Sports United. Listen, it's been a treat to talk with you here. Good luck as being a finalist with the upcoming announcement of the award. You're a winner already with what you are doing. Continue doing what you're doing. We encourage everybody to check out Tavon Mason loves the Kids foundation to find out more about what he's doing, particularly if you're in that Baltimore area. Keep up the great work. It was a pleasure to have you on here on All Sports United radio.

Tayvon, I appreciate you, T.J. like, again, I just appreciate you and Allen and everybody on All Sports United. This is truly amazing.

It is a fascinating list. The finalists for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award from All Sports united and all starsofgiving.com Again, I'm TJ Reaves and it is a pleasure to have an Olympic champion with us, a gold medalist in ice dancing with her partner, Charlie White. Meryl Davis is here with me as one of the finalists for this 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. It is a pleasure to have you. Congratulations on being named one of the 10 finalists to receive the grand prize and the recognition for being Humanitarian of the year for 2017. Meryl, it's great to have you. Welcome.

Thank you. Good morning. It's my pleasure.

Okay, so before we get into the charitable endeavors, you have something that I believe this is correct. None of our other finalists have. That's an Olympic gold medal. What. What is it like when you hear yourself introduced as Olympic gold medalist, Olympic champion? What is that? What does that symbolize for you? What does that mean to you?

Yeah, you know, it's funny, just as you were introducing me, I. I thought about the fact that it really never gets old.

It's something that my incredible partner, Charlie White and I worked on for many, many, many years. And you know, every time I'm introduced that way, I think about all the work that went into it, all the people on our team, the people who helped us get there. And it's just every time I'm introduced as an Olympic champion, Olympic gold medalist, it really is just such an honor.

That is a neat part of what you do. All right, another fun one. While on this subject, before we get to the charitable side of it, I've asked former Olympic champions about this. Where is the gold medal? Do you have it put away safely in a bank, A safety deposit box? Is it something that you have around where you can frequently show it to people? Where's the gold medal?

Well, right now it's actually in my backpack. I am in San Francisco right now with one of our sponsors. We're doing a conference with them here. So I oftentimes have to bring the metal with me when I go to events or any sort of engagement. But when I'm home, the metal is in a fireproof safe at my parents house. Much safer there than at my house probably. So I put it into their hands as soon as I get home to Detroit.

I love that. And so I imagine there probably has been at least one story or more where you're going through airport security and the TSA sees, wait a minute, what is that? And you might even have to explain what that is. And no, I really would rather that you not try on my gold medal. Probably has come up once or twice.

Yes, that has come up once or twice. You're absolutely correct. And yet, you know, it's funny because I fly so much, I travel so much that at the Detroit airport, a lot of the TSA agents, you know, I may have seen the week prior or the month prior on another trip. And so the people in Detroit are quite familiar with me having my medal in my backpack. But it's when I go to other airports, like they can't quite figure out what that large circular thing in my bag is. It's pretty funny.

That is tremendous. Okay? And speaking of tremendous, something that you have done, and this is no different than all of our other finalists. You have decided to give back and to help others. And one of the important things for you is not only dealing with young people, but helping young people with a figure skating program. Figure Skating in Harlem is the name of the program. And you have actually branched it out to a program in Detroit, Figure Skating in Detroit, that gets support from you and has literally helped hundreds of girls. Either presently is helping or will help hundreds of girls ages 6 through 15 be part of an after school program emphasizing not only academics, but figure skating. So I think I've laid that out about as well as I could. Tell me more about why that cause is so important to you and what it's all about.

Sure. Well, you mentioned the other finalists, and I just would like to say, of course, that it's such an honor to be a part of that group. I was looking at, you know, a lot of the finalists, the programs that they work with, the work they do, and to be included in that group is really such an honor. But in particular, yes, I am working with a program called Figure Skating in Detroit, which is the first outreach brand of a really successful program in Harlem, New York, called Figure Skating in Harlem. And the program has been successful, as I said, in Harlem for 20 years. I've been able to really kind of immerse myself in experiencing just how incredible the program is there. And so when the program was looking to expand to a city outside of Harlem, I knew I had to do whatever I could to make sure that that city selected would be Detroit. You know, the program is a youth development program for girls specifically that uses figure skating as not only incentive to be a part of the program to enjoy yourself in a fun athletic venture with community members, but it uses figure skating as an educational tool to teach girls the life skills that they will need not only now, not only in school, but later on in life as well. So whether that's goal setting, perseverance, picking yourself back up each time that you fall, working with your community members to, you know, to help one another, to lift each other up. And I think, you know, as a metro Detroiter, I can't think of anything any place more perfect to expand that program from Harlem into a new city. And so, you know, the program really is perfect for the direction that Detroit is going in. Now, we Detroiters certainly love to believe that the city is on the verge of some sort of beautiful renaissance. And we're all working to ensure that. And investing in our young girls, investing in our youth and giving them leadership qualities, access to academic help and tutoring, and a community that will support them is, I think, just a really beautiful way to work towards that renaissance in Detroit.

One thing as you were talking, and I love talking about this with athletes and with giving back, there are rewards, and you obviously attained an amazing reward in winning a gold medal. But it is something different when you can impart it on young people and see smiles and see reassuring and see Development, progress, success from some of these girls that are in your program. Just on that point, I realize winning a gold medal is winning a gold medal, but there is different type of joy when you're working with kids like this and seeing progress, seeing results, right?

Absolutely. You know, the interesting thing is whether you, you know, I think it's true for a of lot of sports is whether you are an Olympic champion, a national champion, or you just like to devote yourself and enjoy the process of improving and working hard and getting better.

You know, it makes you a better person. It gives you a lot of lessons and an understanding that I think is hard to have otherwise. And so as a figure skater, you know, being an Olympic champion is great, and I am so grateful for it and I'm proud of it, as we talked about every day. But you don't have to reach that level to learn the lessons that I am also so grateful for and of course, you know, moving on in my life as well. I'm in school, I am looking at eventually having a new career and giving myself some new challenges. I'm incredibly grateful for the skills that figure skating has given me so that I can take those lessons, take those skills and translate them into whatever my next chapter might be. And so to be able to share, you know, those beautiful lessons with young girls and their families and help give them those skills is, as you said, it's a different kind of pleasure. It's a different kind of experience, and one I'm really, really enjoying a lot.

Voice of Meryl Davis, Olympic ice dancing champion, with her partner, Charlie White. We're going to talk a little bit about them again here in a moment or two, but right now we're talking with Meryl about her program that she has brought. It is an offshoot, if you will, of a Figure Skating in Harlem program. Her program, Figure Skating in Detroit, helps hundreds of young ladies in specific, teaching them the mechanics and discipline of figure skating, but also part of education and educational programs. We've talked with other finalists about the STEM programs, those classes that excel in science and engineering and math and lifestyle as well. This is something near and dear to you, though it is something that you have openly talked about. You battled with something during your academic career, all throughout your schooling. You came out on the other side with it, making you stronger. That's dyslexia. You were eventually diagnosed with dyslexia. You overcame it. You're an inspiration from that standpoint. How does that help you with girls that might not, that have learning disabilities or that might have struggles academically. How does it help you as a mentor or as a leader as part of this program to have gone through it yourself?

MERYL Absolutely. You know, I think it's twofold, really. I think it's, you know, the actual challenges of whether it is a learning disability or whatever it whatever else it might be, that's challenging, especially a young girl in the classroom. And I think.

Support, support in that respect is crucial. And I have been incredibly lucky to have had not only my parents, but a community of support that would help me overcome those challenges, as you said. But I think with that challenge, or with so many other types of challenges, comes a lack of confidence. And for me, that was equally as challenging as the actual challenges of being dyslexic.

I think in that way, community can be incredibly helpful as well. And so I think that's one of the really beautiful things about this program and what it provides our girls is not just.

Is there a challenge, let us help you tackle that, but also let us help build you up so that you will then have the courage, have the confidence and have the tools that you need to eventually build yourself up. And I think that's one of the things for me, through skating, I feel like I really gained a lot of confidence in myself and an ability to pick myself back up. And so being a part of this community that is going to give that skill to so many young girls in Detroit is really incredible.

And this young lady is incredible, too. A career that includes six consecutive U.S. ice dancing championships with her partner, Charlie Wild. As I mentioned, a silver medal in the Olympics in 2010, a gold medal in 2014. You are currently dancing professionally. Give fans that are out there, fans of yours, sports fans, an update here. Is there ever a thought of going back to the Olympics, 2018 or years beyond? Are you content with the professional life and professional tours? What about that part, MERYL.

Charlie and I considered it for quite a few years. It's been three and a half years now since we won the Olympics in Sochi in 2014, and we decided in maybe the last six months or so not to return to the Olympic Games. Of course, there's always that poll. There's nothing like representing your country at the Olympic Games. That's one of the great honors of my life so far. But, but we decided that the professional route, as you said, skating and shows, sharing our passion for skating with audiences around the world is something that we're going to focus on. I'm in school right now, so that takes up a lot of my Time as well. Trying to get my undergraduate degree at the University of Michigan and really just exploring the Olympic movement from the other side. I think as an athlete, you really have to. To focus on the task at hand. But the Olympic movement, I think, can really bring people together in so many ways. And being able to appreciate that from the other side, you know, not on the competitive side, is something I'm really looking forward to in the next few games.

Well, you deserve it. You deserve to reap the rewards and to choose however you want it to go next. Let's bring it back one more time here in our conversation with Meryl Davis to the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year award that will be given out coming up. I know that for all of our athletes, all of our personalities that we've been talking to, I want to give each of them, including you, an opportunity to talk about those that have helped with your programs, with your foundation, helped you. The floor is yours, young lady. Who would you like to thank and recognize here that help you on a regular basis with what, what you're doing, especially with your foundation?

Yeah, well, I mean, I should definitely say that I am. My official title of Seekers Skating in Detroit is founding co chair. And so I would be remiss to label it as my organization. You know, I am a part of this incredible team that's doing wonderful things in Detroit. We have a lot of support from, as I said, the program that's been running in Harlem for 20 years. And so it's such a beautiful group effort and I'm so grateful that we can work together to create something impactful and sustaining in Detroit. And of course, I need to thank my friends at Classroom Champions as well. It's a program that Charlie and I work with.

We send videos once a month to high need classrooms around the country around specific themes, whether it's goal setting, perseverance, community. We've been working with them for several, several years, and they actually were the ones to nominate me for this award. So I'm incredibly grateful not only to work with that program, but for their nomination and the ability to spread the word about how wonderful figure skating in Detroit is. So those two organizations, not only am I grateful to have the opportunity to work with so many of these young people, but I feel like I've also really learned so much about myself and gained so much perspective along the way. And these people who are a part of these programs have really done that for me. So I just want to say thank you to the Figure Skating in Harlem. Figure Skating in Detroit and to the Classroom Champions team.

Well, again, this young lady quite accomplished already in her life and in her career. She's one of the 10 finalists for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Meryl Davis has been a tremendous talking to you here as part of All Sports United Radio. Good luck as the award will be given out later on in the month of July at the time that we're talking right now. But as I've said to the other finalists and would say to you, you've done fantastic work already. You're already a winner with what you're doing, continued success with your program and in your personal and professional life. Thank you here for being with us and taking the time with us on All Sports United Radio.

Thank you so much. Have a great day.

And that will do it for this first edition of All Sports United radio for the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award. Again, find out more about all of the finalists, including the ones that you heard on this show through allsportsunited.org or allstarsofgiving.com My thanks again to Hannah Storm of ESPN, Bo Porter, Assistant general manager of the Atlanta Braves, as well as Tavon Mason, former college and NFL wide receiver, and Meryl Davis, Olympic ice dancing gold medalist, for being our guest on this first edition of the program. It's a pleasure to be able to do these different interviews. Hope you enjoyed them as much as I did. Good luck to all of our finalists as we progress to the 2017 Humanitarian of the Year Award winner. I'm TJ Reaves and thank you for being with us on All Sports United Radio.