Author: communications

Isaac Broadbent:
Through this program, Teach Kind, we were able to go through each grade and teach a variety of lessons centered on kindness and how that looks like, how that sounds like, and how that feels, and the impact it can have.

Student:
I think kindness is important because it makes people feel noticed and wanted, and it just makes people feel like they're proud.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. They are spreading kindness and enhancing a positive culture at Daybreak Elementary School. The school even celebrates student kindness with a big parade through the happy halls of Daybreak once a month. On this episode of the Supercast, find out how Isaac Broadbent, school counselor at Daybreak and a former Daybreak student himself, has stepped in revamping schoolwide expectations and, together with the support of teachers, is making kindness rule number one. The work has earned Daybreak a national Kind School designation.

Anthony Godfrey:
We are at Daybreak talking with the school counselor, Isaac Broadbent, about a kindness initiative that's been happening here at the school. But first, talk to us a little bit about yourself.

Isaac Broadbent:
My name is Isaac. I am a school counselor here and I've been a school counselor for about three or four years. I started here, and then I stayed because it's so amazing. And, fun fact, I actually used to attend the school when it was first built.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what grade did you... How old were you when you came?

Isaac Broadbent:
Fifth and sixth grade. So, when it first opened up, they pulled us from Rose Creek to help populate it a little bit because Daybreak wasn't as built out as it was back then.

Anthony Godfrey:
Right. Yeah.

Isaac Broadbent:
And so, I was a student here and there were some familiar faces that were around as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
Some of the teachers are still here that were there when you were in fifth grade.

Isaac Broadbent:
Correct. Yep, correct. There's actually, I think, four. Yeah. Four of them. So, it was kind of cool to have a full circle where I was a student. And then, lo and behold, I'm working here with some familiar faces from back then.

Anthony Godfrey:
And how has the school changed? First of all, it seems a lot smaller now, right?

Isaac Broadbent:
It's a lot smaller. I remember this was a gigantic place when I was a student.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's right. That's right.

Isaac Broadbent:
But no, it's really great because obviously I'm biased. I really like this school because I used to go here. And it's great to be able to help it become a better place because the whole reason why we kind of want to focus on kindness is that in our MTSS meetings and leadership meetings, we were realizing that there's just a lot of meanness going on. Every school has their bullying instances, but there's just a lot of overall just meanness, just one-off jabs and things like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah.

Isaac Broadbent:
And so, through a process, we revamped our entire school system with our big three rules and number one is being kind. And we really tried to push that as much as we could. And so, with this year particularly, we doubled down on kindness and through this program, Teach Kind, we were able to go through each grade and teach a multiple, I guess I should say, a variety of lessons centered on kindness and how that looks like, how that sounds like, and how that feels, and the impact it can have. And then we were able to wrap it all up with a huge school-wide initiative that included snowflakes, actually.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me about the snowflakes.

Isaac Broadbent:
Yeah. So, as part of this program and this designation, we had to, after we focused everything on kindness throughout the school year, we had to wrap it up with a school-wide project. And that project was, each student was able to get cutouts of a snowflake, and they would write down what they did as an act of kindness for someone else. And then I would periodically go by week after week and collect those and then hang them in a main hallway that we have.

Anthony Godfrey:
So, these how large are the snowflakes? About the size of the palm of your hand?

Isaac Broadbent:
Yeah, exactly.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay.

Isaac Broadbent:And we had hundreds of them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Larger than actual size.

Isaac Broadbent:
Large, exactly. Yep. And we wanted to kind of have that visual effect so everyone in the school could see how kindness was falling over.

Anthony Godfrey:
Some things were snowballing.

Isaac Broadbent:
Exactly. And that's a good way to put it.

Anthony Godfrey:
Nice.

Isaac Broadbent:
And so, we had hundreds of those, right, get submitted throughout that time window, and they were all out there on display for a while. And then we were able to submit for the Kindness designation and luckily, we were able to get that award.

Anthony Godfrey:
What organization gave the award?

Isaac Broadbent:
Oh, yes. It's the Teach Kind program. And so, it's a national program and we were able to get nominated as a Teach Kind school, one out of 32 in the nation.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Isaac Broadbent:
And so, it was really cool.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's fantastic to have that designation. That's wonderful. So, what are some of the other things that you did with students to help motivate them and not just motivate, but to highlight the great things that they were doing to focus on kindness?

Isaac Broadbent:
Yeah, absolutely. So, what I would do is I would go in and push into every class, every grade level, and have different presentations and lessons based on kindness.

Anthony Godfrey:
So, it's not just, "Hey, everybody, be kind," but it's, "This is what kindness looks like. These are some specific things you can do to be kind and some things you can avoid in order to be kind."

Isaac Broadbent:
Yes, exactly. We did a deep dive. I even, with one of those lessons, shared the science behind kindness and the psychology that goes into that because it's the only thing in this world that doubles when you share it. And there's nothing else that does that in the economy, in the world, nothing like that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Isaac Broadbent:
We just really focused in on that. And since it was such a high priority, we had a lot of momentum going. And so, we had a lot of those students being kind and then filling out those snowflakes. And since we had so much momentum, we decided to keep it going even though the submission deadline had passed and we were waiting to see if we got the award or not. We moved forward with this kindness initiative with the challenge of looking for kindness or writing it down and sending that to those individuals who are being exceptional.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, I've heard about a kindness parade. Is that right?

Isaac Broadbent:
Yes. Yeah, so we have, yeah.

Anthony Godfrey:
Explain that to the folks.

Isaac Broadbent:
Absolutely. Yes. So, that's actually one of the things that we revamped at our school with our leadership team is we have something called an MVP parade. And so, a teacher gets to nominate an MVP for the month who has shown exceptional kindness and looking out for others. Since then, we've actually modified it to match up with different elements of A Portrait of a Graduate to be aligned with the District.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I love to hear that.

Isaac Broadbent:
And so, yeah, we've kind of modified it since then but initially, we were just focusing on kindness. And so, for a couple of the parades, it was just only kindness, who has been a leader and outstanding in kindness. And then, on the first Friday of the month, we would call all the families together of the MVP kids and they would re-line the halls of the school as well as the rest of the school and the students. And then, we would get them all together, we'd line them up in the office and then we would make a lap around the entire school while everyone's just cheering them on.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow.

Isaac Broadbent:
For a good like 10, 15 solid minutes just like a huge spotlight on them.

Anthony Godfrey:
Great. So, the MVPs walk through all the halls, one from each class, with the entire school cheering them on.

Isaac Broadbent:
Yes. Lots of clapping, lots of cheering. Everyone's chanting, "MVP, MVP." So, it's really wonderful to have that spotlight on the students.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah. I don't remember being cheered by 600 people in elementary school. That's got to be quite a good feeling and I love that this reaches students from five years old to 12 years old. This is a wide range, so you really have to adapt your kindness lesson to the classroom you're visiting.

Isaac Broadbent:
Yep. Exactly. Yeah. And modify that so that way each student can grasp it. And then, more importantly, implement it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what changes have you seen at the school as a result of these efforts?

Isaac Broadbent:
Well, we've actually got like hardcore data showing that our overall sense of belongingness is increasing with the Panorama data that we administer. We've also had an up...well, actually, I should say that we've had an uptick in all five areas of social-emotional learning. And it's been cool to see that actual data being transferred over from the interventions that we're doing.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, wonderful. Well, before this interview, I knew how important the counselor role has become in our elementaries. I walk in and people say, "Don't take our counselor ever." We love having that role. We love having that position. And it just...this is further evidence of the huge, positive, school-wide impact that our counselors have and that you in particular are having here at Daybreak. So thank you for all those efforts.

Isaac Broadbent:
Well, thank you because, you know, like I said, I am biased, but I really love this school. And we have some amazing students and phenomenal staff.

Anthony Godfrey:
Now, I understand that you are a Jordie Award winner. Tell the listeners about what that means.

Isaac Broadbent:
Absolutely, yeah. The Jordie is a super awesome award. I was actually very surprised to have received it. Really, really cool because what happens is the Counseling department and all the counselors will get together and they'll nominate certain counselors throughout the District that they feel deserve to have the Counselor of the Year Award. And then it's the counselors that will vote on who they want to designate it to. And so that's why I say it was kind of a big surprise and really humbling because the Counseling department, as you know, we have phenomenal counselors.

Anthony Godfrey:
We do.

Isaac Broadbent:
And it's like I've learned so much from them and it's, I don't know, it was just a really cool experience.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, congratulations. This is momentum that's going to continue for a long time. So thank you for everything that you're doing. And this is really exciting. Stay with us. When we come back, we'll talk with students who are members of the Student Council who have been working to make kindness the main goal at Daybreak Elementary School.

Male Voice:
Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Sandy Riesgraf:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @Jordan District. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
We're at Daybreak Elementary School now talking with two students who are part of the Kindness Initiative. Please introduce yourselves, tell us what grade you're in, and then let's talk about your involvement.

Cooper:
I'm Cooper, I'm in sixth grade.

Mara:
And I'm Mara, and I'm also in sixth grade.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell us about the Kindness Initiative and some of the things that you did as students to help move that along.

Student:
Well, first of all, we had to help promote it, basically. Otherwise, people wouldn't know about it or anything.

Anthony Godfrey:
And are you on Student Council or student government? Is that part of why you were involved?

Student:
Yeah, we were involved through Student Council. We were both in it.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what is your role on student government? Are you attorney general or what?

Student:
We don't really have roles, but we manage the huddles, the fundraisers. Through the Tyler Robinson Foundation Coin Wars, we manage that.

Anthony Godfrey:
Nice. Who won the Coin Wars, by the way?

Student:
I think it's still going.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, it's still going. Oh, okay. Yet to be determined.

Student:
Yeah, like two left.

Anthony Godfrey:
And what are the huddles?

Student:
So the huddles, we have a monthly theme for MVPs, and we kind of go over that and then all of the new announcements around our school. And in those huddles, we also talk about our fundraisers, like the Coin Wars, and where all that money is going to.

Anthony Godfrey:
So tell me your involvement in making sure people knew about the kindness initiative and promoting kindness in the school. What are some of the things you did as members of the Student Council to help promote that?

Student:
We all helped in, like we have a slideshow for the huddles. We would have the main theme of the huddle, and then we'd put away like a slide or two to promote the kindness challenge, like the kindness cards. And another way we were involved is we have meetings every Wednesday before school, and we've been sorting the cards, figuring out like where this card came from, who it goes to, and then we deliver the kindness cards.

Anthony Godfrey:
Tell me more about the cards.

Student:
I thought it was really cool seeing all like the nice cards to each other, and it's kind of just explaining something that someone did kind to you, and then it gets delivered. And then at the end of the kindness challenge, we sorted them all out, and the reward was a prize for the class who put in the most kindness cards.

Anthony Godfrey:
So if you received kindness from someone or were treated kindly, then you reported that by using the card that was delivered to the person who was kind, and that sounds like it had kind of a snowball effect, and more and more people were kind because you were pointing it out, you were noticing it. Tell me, it sounds like you have a pretty busy schedule on Student Council. How did the school change as you focused on kindness? How did students' attitudes change?

Student:
Well, I used to be like bullied like a bunch, but I feel like ever since that's been a little less, and I don't know if that's just me being less dumb or something. But I can tell like a difference ever since we've done the cards and stuff.

Anthony Godfrey:
Well, I think people notice things differently sometimes when you're focusing on it. Like if you need to buy a car, all you see is car commercials, and if you're looking for kind acts, I think you reflect on what you're doing, and you notice the good things other people are doing that you might have overlooked before. Tell me more about what impact you have seen in the school after focusing on kindness.

Student:
In the past two assemblies, we've talked about doing 20% more kindness, and I think as a whole student council and as the teacher staff, we've seen a lot of change and just basic more kind around the school during recess and all those fun activities.

Anthony Godfrey:
How many kindness cards have you seen? Just give me an idea of the number given. How many students do we have here at Daybreak?

Isaac Broadbent:
We've got over 600.

Anthony Godfrey:
Over 600. So how many kindness cards have you seen coming through? Do you know that number?

Student:
Over 1,100.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow. That's a whole lot of kindness, and I think that's really exciting. Tell me some of the specific acts of kindness that you've been aware of, either observing it or seeing it on some of the cards.

Student:
So sometimes they will be specific. It's like he helped me pick up my pencil case after it spilled, but sometimes they feel kind of shy knowing we're like sorting out and I think it's going to be like, oh, this is embarrassing. So there's like, blank did a nice thing for me today.

Anthony Godfrey:
Oh, that's nice though that you allow them. It can be a little generic if they don't want to get too personal about things. That's good. What do you remember?

Student:
I remember, like I said, a lot of like recess comments because we also have a Buddy Bench here at our school, and I feel like that's honestly helped a little bit. Just noticing people feeling left out and just inviting more people to play with each other at recess.

Anthony Godfrey:
For those who don't know what a Buddy Bench is, can you describe it? In the 70s it was called a Nobody Bench, but the Buddy Bench is much better.

Student:
So the Buddy Bench is basically, it's a bench outside and it's by our playground, and if you're ever feeling left out or just like lonely, you can go sit on there. And then I know a lot of the times I look over at the Buddy Bench and see if anybody's sitting over there, and you kind of just like go over there and treat yourself and like try to become friends and just invite them to more things to try to make them feel more included.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do you find that people use the Buddy Bench? You'll look over there and see somebody sitting there?

Student:
Yes, I know one of my friends that I've made from the Buddy Bench, we hang out at recess, and we play tag sometimes, and I feel like it just creates more friendships.

Anthony Godfrey:
That's really exciting. I love hearing that it's not just a chance to solve something in the moment, but you remain friends. You've made a friend because of the Buddy Bench. Tell me, why do you think kindness is important?

Student:
Kindness is really important because if someone is just feeling really bad, sometimes really bad things can happen, and even that it is just not good to feel sad and bad. So with kindness, it's basically like, I want to say weapon, but it's something that gets rid of it.

Anthony Godfrey:
You get to fight loneliness and sadness.

Student:
I think kindness is important because it makes people feel noticed and wanted, and it just makes people feel like they belong.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah, I like that, noticed. And if you feel noticed, I think you can accomplish great things. So the two of you are an important part of a school-wide effort, and it really comes from students. Adults try to help make that happen, but students are key to all of that, being successful. So thanks for serving on the Council and for talking with me today. I think that's awesome because you're doing great things. It's fantastic.

Student:
Yeah, thanks for having us.

Student:
Yep, I enjoyed this interview.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you'll do today!” We'll see you out there.

Transcription coming soon.

Transcription coming soon.

Transcription coming soon.

Makayla Brown:
When I heard about the Falconz, I moved to Utah and this is my fourth season with the Falconz and it's a lot of fun. It's a great sport, great community. I honestly think the mental aspect is sometimes harder than the physical, but it's definitely taught me resilience, how to problem-solve, how to navigate challenging situations, and I feel like sports can be implemented in many walks of life.

Anthony Godfrey:
Hello and welcome to the Supercast. I'm your host, Superintendent Anthony Godfrey. She is a teacher by day and plays defensive line for the Utah Falconz at night and on weekends. On this episode of the Supercast, meet West Jordan High School Business and Financial Literacy teacher, Makayla Brown, who happens to have a passion for playing women's tackle football in the Premier Semi-Pro League. Hear how this teacher balances her time in the classroom with her love for being on the football field, taking on teams from all over the country as part of the Women's National Football Conference.

Anthony Godfrey:
We are here at West Jordan High School talking with a teacher who also happens to be on the Utah Falconz football team. Introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about your involvement in the team.

Makayla Brown:
Hi, I'm Makayla and I'm a teacher here at West Jordan High School. This is my first year here. I play for the Utah Falconz. I've played defensive end, middle linebacker, and a little bit of offensive guard. This is my fourth season with the Falconz and it's a lot of fun. It's a great sport, great community, great team. They've really become my family.

Anthony Godfrey:
And to clarify, you go by Mack, and the Falconz go by Falconz with a Z at the end. So let's just clarify all that. Is that right?

Makayla Brown:
That's right. That's correct.

Anthony Godfrey:
Mack, tell us about, for those who are not football fanatics, tell me about the responsibilities in the positions that you play on the Falconz.

Makayla Brown:
Yeah, so defensive end, your job is containing that outside edge. Also looking for the quarterback, the possibility that you could hopefully sack the quarterback, that's one of the main positions there. Middle linebacker, you're protecting that middle field, watching for runs, and shutting down those, making big defensive stops when possible.

Anthony Godfrey:
And tell me, what do you love most about playing for the Utah Falconz?

Makayla Brown:
I would say what I love most is just the community that it brings. I moved here from Virginia, and I didn't have any family or friends here. And within one practice, I made a whole family of over 30 girls that support me, and we just have each other's backs, and it's just become like a really big family, and we're just all super involved. I think also just being able to continue my athletic career. I played softball in college, and after that I was just wanting to do something else. When I heard about the Falconz, I moved to Utah and it's been a blast.

Anthony Godfrey:
So did you move to Utah to play on the Falconz?

Makayla Brown:
I did, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that's awesome. Tell me about that. How did you find out about the Falconz, and that's a big leap.  I've lived here for a long time, so it's really interesting to think that you'd say, "Alright, I'm going to move, I'm going to do this."

Makayla Brown:
Yeah, it was definitely a big leap for sure. I found out about it. A girl I played softball with in college. I happened to see one of her Facebook posts one day, and she had posted that she was on this women's professional tackle team, and I instantly sent her a message and asked like, "How do I join? I would love to be a part of it." And she told me to come to Utah and come to tryouts, and so over the summer I applied for jobs and luckily landed a job here with Jordan School District. I moved out here in August and I tried out in October and made the team and I've been with the team ever since.

Anthony Godfrey:
Wow, that's awesome. So was that your first football tryout when you came out here to try out for the team, or had you played football before?

Makayla Brown:
It was my first official tryout. In high school, I played like powder puff or flag football but nothing super formal so that was like the first.

Anthony Godfrey:
And not tackling taking people to the ground either?

Makayla Brown:
Yeah, no that was completely brand new. Definitely a steep learning curve. I had a lot to learn. It was very humbling at times, but yeah, brand new, brand new sport essentially.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think that's really cool that you moved out here for that, and learned about it through a softball connect. Tell me about your team. What's the season? How many games? Where do you travel to? And I read on the website it's semi-professional, so what exactly does that mean?

Makayla Brown:
So our season runs typically from the first of April through the end of May is our regular season. We play six games. Three of those are home games, which this season is located at Judge Memorial High School in Salt Lake City, and then we play three away games. Our away games this year are in Portland, Oregon and then we also are traveling to San Diego and then also Los Angeles for our games this season.

Anthony Godfrey:
So that's exciting. And are those same teams coming to play you?

Makayla Brown:
So we actually have three different teams coming to play us. This year we're playing Kansas City which will be for the first time. We've never played them in a regular season game. We will also be playing the Seattle Majestics and then Las Vegas as well.

Anthony Godfrey:
And is the league growing? Are there more and more teams and more and more opportunities to play?

Makayla Brown:
Yes absolutely. Just in the last year we've added two new teams. We've added the Golden State Storm which is based out of Sacramento, California, and then also the Jersey Shore Waves, which is in New Jersey.

Anthony Godfrey:
If someone wants to catch a home game, is there a home game in May?

Makayla Brown:
There is. There are two home games in May, and actually I was able to talk with our general manager over our team and anyone in Jordan District. If they bring their badge they can get into a game for free to honor teachers and give back to the community. That's something we really pride ourselves in as community involvement and giving back to as many people as we can.

Anthony Godfrey:
Outstanding. Well we'll put that in the show notes but we'll also email that out to employees and make sure that they all know to come. And you play those at Judge Memorial, is that right?

Makayla Brown:
Yes sir. Yep Judge Memorial all of our games are at 6 p.m. and so we play in the evening which is nice it's not as hot.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay great, and tell me about the rules is it is it similar to NFL or how does it vary?

Makayla Brown:
Yeah, great question that's a question we get asked quite a bit. We follow NCAA guidelines so very similar to college football. The only difference we have is instead of a pick six it's a pick nine, so if we're able to intercept and run it for like run it back, it actually counts for nine points instead of six.

Anthony Godfrey:
Pick nine? Is the scoring the same otherwise?

Makayla Brown:
Yes sir, the scoring is the same completely otherwise that's just one little I guess perk or bonus we have.

Anthony Godfrey:
The pick nine I'm gonna declare right now that the NFL and the NCAA need to start the pick nine. I like that. That's there ought to be a bonus if you can if you can intercept the ball and take it all the way back. I like that a lot, okay great. Well, let's all go out in May and let's see a couple of pick nines. Are they, are they are they happening for the Falconz this season? Have there been any pick nines yet?

Makayla Brown:
I sure hope so. We've had two preseason scrimmages and we've done really well so hopefully a pick nine is in our future for sure.

Anthony Godfrey:
Alright we're gonna watch for that, we're gonna watch for that. Is it the same number of players on the field at the same time same positions all of that's the same?

Makayla Brown:
Yes everything's the same we have 11 players on each side of the ball all other rules apply so yeah everything's pretty much the same as in NCAA college.

Anthony Godfrey:
Okay tell me about your quarterback.

Makayla Brown:
Yeah so our quarterback, we have a new quarterback this year, her name's Sarah she is a rookie to our team. In the past,  played flag football but this is her first year playing tackle and she's done a phenomenal job, not only on the field but also like as a teammate uplifting others and being a real leader for our team.

Anthony Godfrey:
How about your coaching staff? Is it coach Rasmussen that's your head coach?

Makayla Brown:
Yes Coach Rick, Coach Rick Rasmussen. He is our head coach this year. He is a former ….  he's a veteran from the military, so he can be very strict at times, very. He means business on game days, but he has been an awesome coach and an awesome asset to our team. This is actually my first year with him being the head coach. He coached several years ago, was the head coach for a few years, but it's been really cool getting to know him and understanding his coaching style and his strategy, and yeah it's been great having him.

Anthony Godfrey:
Stay with us when we come back. More with Michaela Brown and her experience as a player on the Utah Falconz.

Male Voice:
Never miss an episode of the Supercast by liking and subscribing on your favorite podcasting platform. Find transcripts for this episode and others at supercast.jordandistrict.org.

Sandy Riesgraf:
Hello, I'm Sandy Riesgraf, Director of Communications for Jordan School District, and we want to invite you to connect with us. So many exciting things are happening in your child's school, your neighbor's school, in every school here every day. Don't miss out on following the fun or simply staying informed when there's important information we need to share. Join us at jordandistrict.org or follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @Jordan District. We can't wait to connect.

Anthony Godfrey:
You talk about the difference between softball and football. You're really deciding to go into the fray with football getting knocked around, your quarterback was used to flag football, but not getting knocked down. Tell me tell me about overcoming those bumps and bruises compared with softball.

Makayla Brown:
Yeah, definitely, I was very fortunate during my softball career, minor injuries of the concussion, nothing too crazy.

Anthony Godfrey:
No softballs to the face?

Makayla Brown:
No, thankfully. My mom was very adamant about me wearing a face guard because I had braces and she did not want that to get messed up.

Anthony Godfrey:
Messing up your face is one thing, messing up expensive braces that's another.

Makayla Brown:
That's right. Yes. No, we wore a face mask, so thankfully no softballs to the face but football is definitely very different I unfortunately tore my ACL two years ago during the 2024 season. I've had a few surgeries since then to try to fix it and I'm actually having another ACL reconstruction surgery during spring break. So it's definitely a very tough sport I think that's taught me a lot just recovering from injury and having to kind of shift my role on the team a little bit, going from playing to having that taken away for quite a lot of time due to the recovery, but it's still a part of part of the game, part of the learning, and it's I don't know it's made me who I am today I guess so.

Anthony Godfrey:
Softball and football are very different, like you said, football's more physical and a very contact sport but there are …. toughness is required in every sport and I'm sure that that that need for toughness mentally and physically has as translated into the rest of your life and been important to you. Tell me about the comparison what do you like about each?

Makayla Brown:
Yeah absolutely, I've definitely played more softball in my life but football hopefully we'll get there towards the same amount of years.

Makayla Brown:
Oh man it's hard to compare, it's like apples and oranges but there's like a lot of similarities. I think one of the first things I learned was just like learning how to get into like an offensive stance on the line and I really I feel like struggled with that more than I should have first learning. One of my teammates kind of compared it. She's like, “okay, what sport have you played before?” I was like, “well I played softball.” She's like, okay, she's like, “when you're batting how do you stand?” and so I did my stance, and she's like, “yeah, that's exactly what you need to do,” obviously not with a bat in your hand. That made like such a huge connection for me and then I think I tried really hard to relate everything I was doing in football to something that I could relate it to because of my previous knowledge of softball. I think that helped me excel on the field. Yeah, as far as comparisons, I mean I think football and softball are both very mental and physical sports. I think football is a little bit more physical in the sense that it's way more of a contact sport. You definitely get knocked down many times, but all in all, I mean softball has my heart because that's what I grew up playing. I started when I was four years old but football is definitely a close second now that I found it and found a team and I feel like it's my home away from home.

Anthony Godfrey:
So really football, it wasn't necessarily football itself that you were drawn to, but it was the chance to continue in athletics and to maybe expand your skills and try something new.

Makayla Brown:
Yeah absolutely, anyone who knows me knows I can't sit still. I like hardly ever say no to anything. I always just want to be busy and on the go and learning new things. I constantly love learning and it definitely football was very humbling for me. It was a huge learning curve because I thought I knew football pretty well because I watched football, I was a cheerleader, I cheered for football. I was very familiar with a lot of the football concepts, but it's a whole different ball game when learning to play it, and I was humbled very quickly.

Anthony Godfrey:
I think it's amazing that you've been able to do all of those things that you've been able to switch. There's a Sammy Hagar lyric that talks about “when was the last time you did something for the first time” and I think it's really cool that you're just doing this this new thing out of the blue. George Carlin used to compare softball or baseball and football and say, “football's on a grid iron and baseball's on a diamond. You wear a helmet for football and you wear a cap for baseball,” but it takes some toughness in both sports because you've got, you've got a ball hurling at you in softball, and in football you're knocking people around. So there's a toughness I guess, that you learn whatever sport that you're a part of. Has that translated over to the rest of your life?

Makayla Brown:
Oh absolutely I think with sports, softball and football, I've it's definitely taught me mental physical toughness I honestly think the mental aspect sometimes harder than the physical. But it's definitely taught me resilience, how to problem-solve, how to navigate challenging situations and I feel like sports can be implemented and many walks of life in many different ways. I've always found that to be a good way to kind of relate things if needed.

Anthony Godfrey:
Yeah for sure. You've been at West Jordan this year. Where were you before, and what subjects do you teach?

Makayla Brown:
So before I was at West Hills Middle. For three years at West Hills, I taught Digital Literacy, Business Office Specialist, and Exploring Business And Marketing, so mostly business classes, which I've absolutely loved teaching the young, the younger ones how to navigate the business world and how to be a successful business person or to be in a business or whatever they want to do.

Anthony Godfrey:
Here at West Jordan?

Makayla Brown:
Oh a little bit of everything. I teach Financial Literacy, Business Office Specialist, Sports Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Digital Marketing.

Anthony Godfrey:
I mean for those listening, business office specialists…. the acronym is B.O.S.S., right?

Makayla Brown:
That's correct yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
You're basically teaching people to be a boss of course with all the skills that go with it. What do you love most about teaching?

Makayla Brown:
The students. I know that feels like probably a very generic or cliché answer but they truly make my day. I'm impressed by them every single day with what they accomplish in the classroom, and outside of the classroom. They're truly inspiring and incredible.

Anthony Godfrey:
Do they know you play for the Falconz?

Makayla Brown:
They do, most of them do, yes.

Anthony Godfrey:
Thank you very much. We're very fortunate that the Falconz lured you out to Utah so that our students could benefit from getting to know you and being in your class, so thank you very much and can't wait to see out there on the field. Thanks for joining us on another episode of the Supercast. Remember, “Education is the most important thing you'll do today!” We'll see you out there.