Sports Unplugged

Sheralyn Baltes is a powerhouse in both the soccer and business worlds. As the Chief Operating Officer of Santa Barbara Sky FC, she oversees the day-to-day operations of a club deeply rooted in her passion for the game and the local community. With a 25-year career in software development and tech startups, Sheralyn has seamlessly transitioned her leadership skills into the realm of sports managem...

In this episode, I am joined by Greg Matuskiewicz: Mental performance coach specializing in mental health. Greg founded his own business, Conduit Performance, in 2022, where he guides his clients on uncovering the crux of what is hindering them from reaching their peak performance. In this episode, we discuss the secret formula on getting to your best level, why the mental side of sports matters,...

In this episode, we have the extraordinary Gabby Reece visiting the studio. Not only does Gabby stand as Nike’s first ever spokeswoman, she is also a volleyball legend, podcast host, author, and health and fitness expert. From playing collegiate and professional volleyball, to starring on the cover of Harper's Bazaar and Sports Illustrated, Gabby is, and always has been a force to be reckoned...

Today on the pod we have Spencer Shearer joining us. After playing Division III soccer at Occidental College in Los Angeles, Spencer traded the boots for trainers and now focuses more on Marathon running, as well as fitness content creation. We discuss life post-grad, marathon training, and that sought after runners high. Thanks for listening, we hope you enjoy. To keep up with us on social media,...

Today on the pod, we have the founder of Kinection in Los Angeles Ryan Hodge checking in. Former D1 Water Polo player at University of Arizona gone physical-therapist, Ryan specializes in Strength Training, as well as Postural Restoration and Functional Range Conditioning—if you have no idea what those last two may entail, I suggest you click this episode and hear all about Ryan’s journey on findi...

On today’s Podcast, we're thrilled to have Grace Endaya from the UC Santa Barbara's esteemed swimming team. Today, we're diving into the life, challenges, and triumphs of a swimmer who's not only making waves in the pool but also setting an example of excellence in and out of the water. Our conversation addresses early memories of swimming, tracing their journey from splashing...

Joining us on the pod is Liam Lambert. Liam, whom I met in my hometown when he was only 5 years old, is a player on the MLS Next team for LAFC Academy–the highest level of youth soccer in America (no biggie). With a knack for technical brilliance and an ecstatic presence in the midfield, Liam is one-hundred percent going to make strides in the soccer world. Getting to chat with young talent not on...

Today on the pod, I am joined by fellow Gaucho and sharp shooter Ajay Mitchell. Before making his way to UC Santa Barbara, Ajay made a name for himself in his home country of Belgium, where he played professionally for the U20 National Team, the Limburg side of the Belgium BLB League, and stood as a three-star recruit with a No.23 ranking. Ajay is showing no signs of backing down, as he continues...

On today’s episode of the pod, I am joined by Brian Donahoe, one of the most innovative and hardworking health practitioners around. After a stint of being frustrated with various inefficiencies he saw in the healthcare system while dealing with personal health issues, Brian was devoted to creating a change. Using ancient Eastern wisdom and modern Western practices, he created a specialized blend...

On this episode of the pod, I am joined by the one and only, Minnesota-native, Darin Olien. Darin is an author, podcast host, and an absolute wellness and superfoods genius. You may recognize him from his part on “Down to Earth,” the show lead by no other than actor Zac Efron, where the two set off on finding healthy and sustainable ways of living. We get into this, the correlation between mind an...

On the pod today is Lena Silano. Lena is currently a player in the NWSL, belonging to Washington Spirit. But way before that, she was one of my fellow Agoura Chargers classmates who then went on to play for Long Beach State. In the pod, we discuss what it was like to develop as a player, her experience being featured on SportsCenter, and the unique transition of going from college to pro.  To keep...

Visiting the podcast today is former Gaucho and current Professional soccer player, Carson Vom Steeg. Carson’s experience includes being on the US Youth National Team, winning a “Natty” with Stanford, getting back to his hometown roots by transferring to UCSB, and playing for USL Championship side Memphis 901. We get into all that and much more on this episode; you won’t wanna miss it. Enjoy. To k...

On today’s episode, I had the honor of chatting with Dr. Jeffrey J. Riepe, CEO of MoveLab: the hub for “human performance, rehabilitation, and sports science.” After  earning his DPT at USC and working for sports medicine in the NFL and NCAA, Dr. Riepe used his expertise in movement analysis to implement fascinating and innovative technology at MoveLab, including 2D/3D high-speed motion capture sy...

Reigning from the Southern California town SImi Valley, we have Sam Fisher joining us on the pod today. After playing for local soccer club Real SoCal, Sam continued her soccer journey by committing to Notre Dame in Indiana. From going through the processes of professional soccer to growing up in a family of athletes, Sam is truly an attacking midfielder on and off the pitch. Thanks for listening,...

In this episode, I sit down with Thousand Oaks native Noah Dollenmayer. As a 6’6 left-footed center back, Noah is no stranger to making his presence known on any field he stands on. After playing collegiate soccer for Oxnard College JC, Cal State Fullerton and San Bernardino, Noah was selected by LAFC in the 2022 MLS Draft. In our conversation, Noah and I get into how we navigated soccer during a...

In today’s podcast my guest is Locatelli Rao. Loc is a physical therapist that specializes in biomechanics including PRI, FRC, and DNS. Loc has his masters in exercise science from USC and over 20 years of experience. Loc has worked with patients of all forms from professional athletes to regular everyday people that want to move better and get out of pain. Loc has personally helped me return from...

 On this week’s episode of the podcast I have another one of my teammates from our UC Santa Barbara Men’s Soccer team, Salvador “Chava” Aguilar . In 2022, Chava started 3x Big West Offensive Player of the Week second in the Big West in average .222 game winning goals per game and 2nd in average points per game. In 2021,  Chava started in nine and played in 21 games for the Gauchos. Chava racked up...

In this episode of the podcast I have my good friend and fellow teammate, Mikkel Goeling. Mikkel is an exciting and dynamic midfielder from Copenhagen, Denmark. In the podcast we discuss his journey through soccer. We talk about what it was like to grow up in Denmark, how he was introduced to soccer, his expectations for the upcoming season at UCSB, what makes him special on the field, his experie...

In this week’s episode of the podcast I have my fellow UC Santa Barbara teammate Filip Basili. Filip is a dynamic midfielder from Bergen, Norway and played club soccer playing for SK Brann before coming to UC Santa Barbara. In 2022, Filip appeared in all 20 games for the gauchos, he was a key piece of the gaucho midfield, helped the team to earn eight shutouts on the year, and recorded a goal and...

In this special episode of the podcast I have three of our Freshman from our Men’s Soccer team, Kaden Standish, Carl Mollerberg, and Kavi Krishnan. Kaden is an exciting attacking midfielder from Danville California. Carl is a highly touted central midfielder from Stockholm Sweden. Kavi is a versatile and threatening attacking player from San Jose. In this Podcast we discuss what are their thoughts...

In this week's episode of the podcast we have Amelia Honer. Amelia is part of our UCSB Women's Tennis team. In her short time here at UCSB Amelia has received countless accolades. In her first season at UCSB she was named Big West Freshman of the Year, Helped the Gauchos reach their highest ever national ranking No. 22, and Played a key role in UC Santa Barbara's run to The Big West...

On this week's podcast we have Gianluca Brunkow. Gianluca is a member of the UC Santa Barbara Men’s Tennis team. Gianluca is a rising junior here at UC Santa Barbara. Most recently During his sophomore year Gianluca led UCSB to a Big West title. I first met Gianluca in a class at UC Santa Barbara and I was intrigued about who he was as a person and wanted to learn more about his background in...

In this episode of the podcast I have UC Santa Barbara  Women's Volleyball Player Michelle Ohwobete. Michelle is going into her Senior year with the Gauchos at the time of recording of the podcast. Michelle has been giving various awards at UC Santa Barbara including   Big West Freshman of the Year, Three-Time All-Big West First Team, Two-Time Big West Offensive Player of the Week, Four-Time...

In this week's episode of the podcast I have current UC Santa Barbara goalkeeper Teddy Hutman. Teddy is a rising Junior at UC Santa Barbara at the time of recording. Teddy started playing playing soccer very young age in Arlington Virginia before later moving to D.C United MLS academy to further his development in soccer before eventually committing to UC Santa Barbara. Teddy shares his journ...

In this week's episode of the podcast I sit down and talk to Ryan Gallagher. Ryan is current UCSB Division 1 Baseball player at UC Santa Barbara. Ryan is a pitcher from Granite Bay California. In his first season with the gauchos Ryan was named Big West Pitcher of the year as well as All-Big West Second Team honors In this episode, we discuss his childhood and what it was like to have a fathe...