Host Jon Adams, fresh from vacation, welcomes two-time national championship golfer and long-time local high school and semi-pro football coach, Brent Lundgren, to the studio. The discussion quickly pivots from the beauty of the local Maple River Golf Course to a deep dive into coaching philosophy and life lessons learned on the field. Coach Lundgren shares his long history in the community, starting in 1993, and explains how building self-esteem and giving young athletes the "why" behind their effort is key to success, both in sports and in life. The conversation is a tribute to the unique kindness and community spirit of Fargo-Moorhead, a place they both praise as a perfect environment to work, live, and raise children.
Coaching Philosophy and Life Lessons
- The "Why" Matters: Coach Lundgren notes that the mindset of young athletes has drastically changed, and unlike in the past when the coach's rule was law, modern athletes need to be given the "why" behind what they are asked to do.
- Building Self-Esteem: The Coach has a personal "no yell policy" because every adult and child has low self-esteem, and he aims to build it up in a stair-step manner over the season. He believes the key to success is giving a kid who lacks hope or belief in themself the tools to have an "aha moment".
- No Quitting: The Coach told his own children that if they made a commitment to anything, like choir or band, they had to stick it out and finish.
- The Heartbeat of the Program: The Coach emphasizes that the kids who just want to be on the team—the fill-in kids—are the "heartbeat of your program" because they bring the most excitement and cheer on the superstars.
- Parental Role: The Coach encouraged parents to be their son's "biggest cheerleader" and not to critique the X’s and O’s. He stresses they should not say, "You can do better," when a child is giving 120%, because that tells them their hard work wasn't good enough.
Fargo-Moorhead Community
- A Safe Haven: The hosts agree that the local area, especially places like the Maple River Golf Course, offers an extraordinary "safe haven" to get away from the daily chaos.
- Great People: Coach Lundgren praises the Fargo people as "different"—not standoffish or scared—and willing to take a little risk on developing a friendship.
- Small Town Feel: The community retains a small-town feel despite its growth, where people are willing to "at least give somebody a head nod or acknowledge their existence".
- Convenience: The biggest advantage of living in the community is the low traffic; one can get anywhere in Fargo-Moorhead in "15 minutes or less".
- Lasting Impact: The Coach shares that Fargo has provided him with amazing and lasting relationships with former players, many of whom are now clients or serve roles in the community, such as his homeowner's agent and the guy who tills his garden.
Standout Moments:
- Host Jon, after vacation, shares that he had his second Wagyu beef steak and needs to "win the lottery" to afford to start being "Wagyu people".
- Coach Lundgren describes his experience coaching freshmen at West Fargo in 1993, aiming to "make it fun" so they would return and provide the football program with a strong senior class.
- Coach Lundgren shares a story of a substitute player named Riley who made an interception on the sideline, and his mother told the coach, "you just made his life".
- The Coach reveals that early in his marriage, he and his wife attended counseling, where he learned that it is "very easy to hurt somebody" if you don't recognize it, a lesson he applied to his "no yell policy" in coaching.