The Giving Game

Ryan Lavarnway won a World Series with the Boston Red Sox, competed in the Olympics, and finished an Ironman and after each one, he felt empty. On The Giving Game with Sophie Whitesell, Ryan talks about life after baseball, redefining success as a husband and father, and the cause he is playing for: Shields and Stripes. Welcome to The Giving Game, the only show where professional athletes are bann...

Former Seattle Seahawks offensive tackle Dave DesRochers joins The Giving Game to talk about The 1st & Goal Project, the charity he founded to help military veterans transition and grow after service. Dave shares why he's dedicated his life after the NFL to our military community, how 1st & Goal is making a real difference for veterans, and how you can get involved. He also gets incredibly...

Episode Description What happens when the discipline that built a champion becomes the thing that nearly kills him? Danny O'Connor opens up about a 20-year battle with eating disorders, the brutal reality of weight-class sports, and the moment his career nearly ended in an ICU bed hours before a world title fight. Sophia Whitesell leads a deeply honest conversation with Danny about the hidden toll...

This week on The Giving Game, I sit down with B. Taylor, a former D1 athlete at Mizzou who went on to become a multi-platinum recording artist, decorated U.S. Navy veteran, Goodwill Global Ambassador, and founder of the L1FE Organization and 1 Life Productions Group. We talk about his journey from college athletics to the music industry and military service, and how the discipline and teamwork he...

Episode 23 is here. 🐾 Jess McClain sat down with me to talk about how the #LovePup Foundation changed her life, and why rescuing dogs ended up rescuing her too. We get into what it really looks like behind the scenes of animal rescue, what keeps her going, and how anyone can get involved. No gala tickets required. If you've ever loved a dog, this one's for you. 🐶❤️ 🎧 Full episode on The Giving...

Anthony Trucks’ story is one of resilience, identity, foster care, and turning adversity into purpose. A former NFL player, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and foster care advocate, Anthony opens up about growing up in the foster care system, finding a sense of belonging, rebuilding his identity, and using his platform to create better outcomes for kids facing similar challenges. He also shares why...

Former NBA point guard C.J. Watson joins The Giving Game to talk about the Quiet Storm Foundation, the family-run nonprofit he co-founded in 2009 with his parents and brother to support underprivileged youth in his hometown of Las Vegas. C.J. walks through the foundation's three core programs: a free summer basketball camp with a parent workshop component, a Black History essay contest each Februa...

This is a special two-guest episode. Former professional soccer player Kelyn Rowe joins The Giving Game alongside a very special bonus guest, Erik Rees, founder of the Jessie Rees Foundation (NEGU — Never Ever Give Up), to tell the story behind one of the most moving nonprofits to appear on the show. Erik shares the story of his daughter Jessie, diagnosed with a terminal brain tumor called DIPG at...

Former NFL running back Terron Ward joins The Giving Game to talk about the Wardboy Project, the foundation he co-founded with his brother to support underprivileged youth in the East Bay Area — the pocket of cities east of Oakland including Antioch, Pittsburg, Concord, and Brentwood that Terron and his brother call home. Terron breaks down the foundation's three main pillars: DRAW, a mentorship p...

Recorded in-person in Kansas City, former NBA player Kareem Rush joins The Giving Game to talk about University Heritage Group (UHG), the exclusive alumni membership brand he built to reconnect former college athletes with the schools that shaped them — and to give current student-athletes a cut of the profits. Kareem breaks down the concept: each university's membership club is capped at the numb...

Former NFL kicker and Super Bowl champion Martin Gramatica joins The Giving Game to talk about the Gramatica Family Foundation, which began by building mortgage-free homes for combat-wounded veterans and has since expanded into rehabs, home repairs, and partnerships with organizations like Pinellas Habitat, Operation Finally Home, and Home For Our Troops as full home builds have become harder to f...

Former NBA player Gary Forbes joins The Giving Game to talk about The Sole Survivors — a children's multimedia platform he created featuring superhero characters who each live with a different chronic health condition. Gary is one of only three players in NBA history to compete with type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at 19 after his freshman year of college, and he built The Sole Survivors as the project...

Professional golfer Sergio Garcia joins The Giving Game to talk about the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation and its flagship event, FORE Kids ATX — a two-day fundraiser in Austin that's raised over $10 million for local kids and families in just four years. Sergio walks through the event's three-part format: a gala dinner with live and silent auctions, a "prom-style" celebrity and pro golf day,...

Former MLB outfielder Stephen Piscotty joins The Giving Game to talk about the ALS Cure Project, the nonprofit he co-founded with his father after losing his mother, Gretchen, to ALS in 2018 — during the middle of his professional baseball career. Stephen walks through what ALS actually does to the body, why so few people understand the disease until it touches their own family, and the devastatin...

This is a special one. Host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Ryan Beckmann, founder of Hero Picks, to announce a major collaboration between their two platforms — and to unpack the story behind an idea that started with a hockey shootout bet and turned into a new way to fundraise for good causes. Ryan walks through how it all began: his son Tino's terrifying week in the Phoenix Children's ICU, a te...

Alex Highsmith and his wife Alyssa join The Giving Game for a rare joint interview — one where host Sophie Whitesell openly admits she knows nothing about Alex's NFL career and everything about the couple's foundation. That's exactly the point of this conversation. Alex and Alyssa pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation, debunking the assumption...

She showed up to a $50,000 boarding school with no shoes — and that moment changed everything. In this episode of The Giving Game, host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Jennifer George, founder of Girls Basketball Worldwide Foundation, for a wide-ranging, no-sports-talk conversation about basketball as a tool, not an identity. Jennifer shares the origin story behind her foundation, born from her ti...

What happens when an MMA fighter stops fighting against people and starts fighting for them? In this episode of The Giving Game, host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Justin Wren — former MMA fighter, keynote speaker, and founder of Fight for the Forgotten — for a conversation that goes far beyond the cage. True to the show's rules, there's no sports talk here. Instead, Justin opens up about hittin...

In this episode, Dr. Hajar Abulfazl shares her inspiring journey from Afghanistan to the US, highlighting how soccer empowers refugee and immigrant youth, especially girls, to build confidence, leadership, and community. Discover how sport can be a tool for healing, advocacy, and social change.

In this episode, Jesse Iwuji shares his journey from Navy officer to race car driver and philanthropist. We explore his charitable work with veterans, kids facing illnesses, and organizations supporting long-term missions, emphasizing the importance of giving back and living with purpose.

Discover the inspiring journey of NFL player and community advocate Laurence Maroney as he shares insights into mental health, the importance of giving back, and how he is transforming his community through his foundation. This episode emphasizes the critical need for mental health support, especially among athletes and youth, and offers practical ways to foster resilience and compassion. Donate f...

What happens when the career you’ve worked your entire life for is taken away in an instant? In this powerful episode of The Giving Game, former San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky shares his journey through cancer, depression, loss, and the mental health struggles that followed. After being diagnosed with cancer in his pitching arm, Dave faced challenges that went far beyond baseball. He o...

In this episode, Sophia Whitesell interviews Ben Zobrist about his journey through sports, mental health, and his charity Champion Forward. They explore the importance of emotional wellness, authenticity, and redefining success beyond achievements.

Former baseball player, police officer, and Playin Thru host Matt Stone joins The Giving Game for a powerful conversation about mental health, vulnerability, and why so many men suffer in silence. Having spent years in both baseball and law enforcement, Matt has seen firsthand that some of the strongest people on the outside are often fighting battles nobody else can see. Together, we discuss the...

What happens when your entire future changes overnight? In this episode of The Giving Game, Griffin Pinkow opens up about vision loss, resilience, identity, and why blindness didn’t stop him from building a life centered around purpose and impact. Through The Foreseeable Future Foundation, Griffin is working to create support, awareness, and opportunity for individuals navigating blindness and vis...