The Right Way to Play Podcast

Episode Description: NAIA President and CEO Jim Carr joins Alan and Austin to discuss the potential move to five seasons of competition. They explore why the NAIA is considering this change, the options under review, what it could mean for student-athletes and institutions, and how member feedback will help shape the path forward. https://www.naia.org/the-right-way-to-play-podcast/ #TRWTP

What happens when a leader leaves the high-stakes world of professional sports to oversee one of the NAIA's most historic conferences? In this episode, KCAC Commissioner Brandon Buchanan shares how his journey from the UFC Anti-Doping Program to collegiate athletics shaped his perspective on leadership, integrity, culture, and the student-athlete experience. It's a conversation about why doing thi...

Episode Description What does it take to perform when the pressure is at its highest? On this episode of The Right Way To Play Podcast, we sit down with former MLB All-Star, two-time World Series Champion, and 2016 World Series MVP Ben Zobrist to talk about pressure, purpose, mental resilience, and the lessons sports can teach us far beyond the game. A proud NAIA alumnus, Ben reflects on his journ...

Behind the competition, the pressure, and the performance, there is a side of being a student-athlete we do not always see. In this Mental Health Awareness Month episode of The Right Way to Play® podcast , we sit down with Samantha Silver, former NAIA student-athlete, coach, and now Student-Athlete Mental Health Coordinator at Bushnell, to talk about what mental health really looks like in college...

Recorded live at the NAIA Convention, Episode 008 of The Right Way to Play Podcast brings together voices from across the Association to explore what’s next for NAIA athletics. Through a series of short conversations, leaders representing governance, campus leadership, and student-athletes share their perspectives on The RightWay Forward , and how the NAIA continues to lead with purpose in a rapid...

Building Programs That Last Guest: Southeastern University Athletics Director Drew Watson   What does it take to build an athletic department that doesn’t just win — but endures?   In this episode, we sit down with Southeastern University Athletics Director Drew Watson to talk about scaling with purpose, launching new programs, sustaining championship culture, and leading through growth. From nine...

In this episode of the Right Way to Play podcast, hosts Austin Bennett and Alan Grosbach sit down with Lennox Brown, a senior wide receiver at Morningside University. They discuss Lennox's journey as a student-athlete, his recognition as a member of the Allstate Good Works team, and the importance of community service. Lennox shares how mission trips have shaped his character and perspective, emph...

What happens when leadership, culture, and competition all point in the same direction? You get The Right Way to Play , and conferences play a bigger role than most people realize. In this episode, hosts Alan and Austin sit down with Nik Rule , Commissioner of the Heart of America Athletic Conference , to explore how conference leadership helps set the tone for sportsmanship, student-athlete exper...

What happens when thousands of students sit in absolute silence… and then explode into full-blown, holiday-themed pandemonium the moment the home team scores its 10th point? Welcome to Taylor University’s Silent Night, one of the most delightfully chaotic, joy-soaked traditions in college athletics. In this episode, we sit down with Taylor University to hear how this legendary tradition began, why...

In this episode, we sit down with Bushnell University’s Athletic Director Corey Anderson and Associate Athletic Director Sarah Freeman to celebrate a major honor: Bushnell being named the 2025 NAIA School of Character. Corey and Sarah share how the Beacons’ commitment to integrity, respect, responsibility, sportsmanship, and servant leadership has shaped their athletic culture. From championship w...

This episode of The Right Way to Play Podcast goes inside LSU Shreveport Baseball’s historic, undefeated season. Hosts Alan Grosbach and Austin Bennett sit down with Head Coach Neff, standout pitcher Isaac Rohde , the 2025 NAIA Pitcher of the Year, and Athletic Director Lucas to talk about the mindset, culture, and character that fueled a perfect run. From dugout stories to leadership lessons and...

College athletics has changed dramatically over the past two decades — but not always for the better. In our debut episode of The Right Way to Play Podcast , NAIA President & CEO Jim Carr joins hosts Austin Bennett and Alan Grosbach to unpack what’s shifted in the national sports landscape and why NAIA’s values-first approach is more important than ever. From prioritizing academics to building...