Inside The Play Call With Orange Arrow

Check it out! Today, we’re back with special guest, retired NFL athlete Hannibal “Bull” Navies. Shawn and Hannibal talk about his football career, from high school to college to playing professionally. They also discuss the hard truths of being an athlete, such as dealing with a career-long injury, balancing school and football, and managing to stay well-rounded. On and off the field, life has thrown him unexpected challenges, but they don’t call him Bull for no reason.

Sit down with Shawn for this week’s episode with special guest Ashley Gillis, Manager of Community Relations for the Miami Dolphins! They kick off the episode by highlighting Gillis’ early time in sports, reminiscing about their favorite cheers and their shared experiences with substitute teaching. They also discuss how taking an internship with the Dolphins while she finished her Master’s in Sports Management at Florida A&M led to a job offer from the Dolphins upon graduation, where she has been ever since. Today, Gillis oversees Community Relations and works with the Junior Dolphins program, and she uses the knowledge from her positions to share advice about networking and succeeding as a woman in the sports world.

Join Shawn and John Morgan III, a native of Upper Marlboro, MD, Pitt football player, and passionate supporter of Orange Arrow. Listen as he talks about his time in high school, from his football career to the long commute he made every day to his high school to make sure he was ready for future success. They also discuss the importance of family, the honor of winning the ACC Championship, and how Morgan is using his name, image, and likeness to give back to youth through Orange Arrow.

Sit down with Shawn and Haley Traub, a lifelong student-athlete, cheerleader at the University of Miami, and dedicated Orange Arrow volunteer! Listen as Haley discusses her early years in Andover, Massachusetts, playing every sport she could (with a focus on gymnastics), working hard every day academically, and never missing an opportunity to volunteer and give back to her community. She also discusses the “magical weekend” that led to her split-second decision to commit to the University of Miami, and the importance of finding a college where you are wanted and feel welcome. They finish by discussing how she became involved with OA, and what led her to receive the 2020 Orange Arrow Community Service All-Star Award.

Revisit the first episode of Inside the Play Call! This episode will take you on a journey of the development of the nonprofit Orange Arrow through the eyes of its founder, Shawn Robinson, starting with a city that draws 10,000 people for each high school football game to understanding why an NFL dream was not realized.

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and Crockett Schooler, a native of Columbus, OH, Pitt student-athlete, and OA team member! Listen as he explains how he got his start in sports, working his way up to the track and field team at Pitt, where he runs hurdles and is pursuing a major in communication. He also discusses the time he saved a life while working as a lifeguard in high school, and the impact it had on his own life. Finally, hear about his start with Orange Arrow, as a marketing and branding intern, and his vision for OA to one day be a staple in every college athletic department.

Tune in as Shawn sits down with golf enthusiast and current NBA referee, Courtney Kirkland. The two discuss Kirkland's fast track to refereeing in the pros, from deciding to pursue refereeing on a dare to quickly working his way up to the NBA. They also talk about what it takes to be a referee and how those same skills translate to success off of the field. They finish with Kirkland advising young student-athletes to find their niche and be the best talent, whether it be in the sports world or off of the field, and go all in to achieve success.

Sit down with Shawn and Pittsburgh native, former WNBA player, and sports scout for the Boston Celtics, Ashley Battle! Battle discusses her early start in basketball as the only girl on her elementary school team and her mom’s commitment to ensuring she was always driven to succeed both on the court and in the classroom. She also discusses her whirlwind college recruiting process, eventually landing at UConn, and recalls her fondest memory of playing in her first nationally-televised game. Following 5 years at UConn, Battle was drafted 25th overall to the Seattle Storm and spent 5 years in the WNBA before hip, ankle, and back injuries ended her professional career. Listen as she speaks to her frustration of being forced to leave sports and how she coped with her transition to the professional world, eventually landing her current job scouting for the Celtics.

"Dr. Alvarez" was first introduced to Orange Arrow while at the University of Pittsburgh's Center for Urban Education. His research is about understanding how best to support educators in building instructional practices that center race and justice. We take a journey from his early years in Texas to his new position at Rowan University in NJ as an Assistant Professor of Urban Education.

Join us as Shawn sits down with Chad Van Horn, a Pittsburgh native, longtime Orange Arrow supporter, and founding partner attorney of his Florida-based law firm, Van Horn Law Group. Van Horn began helping his older brother on his paper route when he was only five and continued to work all the way through law school, which he attended at night so that he could work for a financial advising firm during the day. Possessing this admirable work ethic and entrepreneurial spirit from such a young age led him to found Van Horn Law Group immediately out of law school.   Van Horn credits his ability to succeed as a young attorney to the power of relationships and finding a good mentor, which he advises everyone to do so that they can help to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. As a former Orange Arrow board member, Van Horn understands the importance of growing outside of sports because, as he puts it, “Just because you grow your muscles doesn’t mean you’re growing your brain.”

Tune in as Shawn sits down with fellow Warren, OH native, former football player, and current sports marketing manager, Ralph Stringer! Listen as Stringer speaks to his early start in both music and sports, and explains his time in the radio industry at NC State. He also details how a freak accident during a pickup basketball game cost him his eye and left him struggling to prove his worth to future NFL teams. It was this struggle that led him to stop chasing the NFL dream and instead pursue sports marketing, where he fought for his worth in the industry and eventually formed a strong relationship with one of his first and most loyal clients, Dan Marino.

We’re kicking off Season 4 of Inside the Play Call with former Pitt basketball star and current Assistant Women’s Basketball Coach, Brianna Kiesel! A native of Utica, NY, Kiesel got an early start in sports, originally playing soccer before transitioning to basketball, the sport which launched her career at Pitt. During her time there, she obtained two degrees, all while pursuing basketball and eventually being drafted by the Tulsa Shock, making history as the second ever Pitt player drafted to the WNBA. Knowing she wanted to give back to the sport she loves, Kiesel followed her time in the WNBA by coaching the next generation of star athletes at her alma mater, the University of Pittsburgh. Coach Kiesel leads by example in encouraging her athletes to also pursue passions outside of sports because, as she put it, eventually "The ball is going to stop bouncing."

Jump Inside the Play Call for a sneak peek into the 2021 Performance Invitational!

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and Dr. Kenny Donaldson, the Associate Athletic Director, Sports & Administration and Director of Equity, Diversity, & Inclusion at UCLA! Join them as they discuss Donaldson’s Los Angeles roots and how he found his niche in supporting student-athletes. He also discusses his transition from UCLA to Pitt, where he worked in alumni affairs while pursuing his doctorate in Higher Education Management. Donaldson finishes by discussing his journey back to UCLA - right before the pandemic - and why he, and UCLA, support the work of Orange Arrow.

Coming to you from the Sunshine State, our first group of South Florida interns discusses throw pillows, 5:00 AM alarms, and what it’s like to live the life of a student-athlete at the University of Miami. Plus Drake, hometown pride, and planning for life after sports and graduation help fill in the gaps.

Sit down with Shawn and Donna Sanft, the retired Executive Associate Athletics Director and Associate Dean of Students at the University of Pittsburgh! Sanft discusses her early start in gymnastics, including the tight-knit, community nature of sports in her hometown. She also explains her decision to go to Pitt and how she quickly became the head gymnastics coach, the position that kicked off her 41-year career at Pitt. During that time, she served in many roles throughout the athletic department, earning her a spot in the Pitt Hall of Fame in 2020.

Join Shawn and his former teammate, longtime friend, and award-winning writer and producer, Brandon Miree! Miree begins by explaining his early love for football and how he worked his way to playing at Alabama before deciding to transfer to Pitt. This experience allows him to give a uniquely in-depth look at the college transfer process, from initially making the decision to actually executing his transfer to Pitt, all under a tight deadline and in the immediate aftermath of the September 11 attacks. He also explains how, after leaving his eventual career in the NFL, he grew his love of storytelling and pursued it as a career, becoming a writer and producer of short films. He finishes by discussing the story behind one of his recent and important works, The Magical Root, an animated true story about the life of Frederick Douglass.

Sit down with Shawn and Tony Fisher, Mr. Football 1997 and the Player/Alumni Specialist for the Green Bay Packers! Join Tony, aka T. Fish, as he outlines his start in sports, including his journey to becoming the best high school player in Ohio in 1997 and his college decision-making process. Fisher also talks about his transition from playing football to eventually working on the administrative side for the same NFL team that signed him in 2002. They finish off the conversation by discussing how to navigate being in a space that lacks diversity and Orange Arrow’s commitment to creating a space that reflects the society we live in.

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and one of the longest tenured members of the University of Pittsburgh Athletic Department, E.J. Borghetti! A Pitt man through and through, Borghetti has been at Pitt for nearly 25 years and now serves as the Executive Associate Athletic Director, Media Relations. Tune in as he discusses his own start in sports and how he always strived to both play and one day work at Pitt. He also reminisces on some of the most memorable players to come through the football program and, because “The ball always stops bouncing,” he provides advice to young athletes for pursuing a career after sports.

Join Shawn and a diverse group of Orange Arrow stakeholders as they Huddle Up for a conversation about the importance of fostering healthier relationships among different races and ethnic groups. They also discuss how Orange Arrow has been intentional in creating a program experience that allows for authentic cross-cultural relationships to form and why a multi-faceted approach is necessary to solve the huge issues of racial disparities and injustice.