Our heartfelt and sincere condolences to the Harris Family. Franco was the epitome of what it meant to be more than an athlete. We are forever grateful for everything that he and his family have done for Orange Arrow and the community at large.

The sports and greater community lost an icon when we heard of his passing. Orange Arrow will continue to do good work as part of his inimitable legacy.

As a small token of our appreciation, we are producing a series of podcast episodes highlighting Franco’s legacy.

Episode 91: We Love, Franco

Today we’re switching it up to talk a little bit about one of our favorite OA events, Training Table!

Training Table is an enrichment experience that focuses on dining etiquette and healthy choices with influential adult leaders in the community. Tune in to hear about the origin of the event and what some of our student-athletes have to say about their experience.

Season 5: Training Table

Today we're going into the OA Vault with Shawn and 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.

Season 5: OA Vault - Brianna Kiesel

Join Shawn and his former teammate and the Senior Associate Athletic Director for Student Life at Pitt, Penny Semaia! The two discuss their time at Pitt, including how Semaia was able to maximize his college experience, doing everything from volunteering to joining student organizations and even being named Homecoming King. They also discuss his transition to life after sports, a time that gave him “the rude awakening he needed,” as he held seven jobs to make ends meet before being offered a job at Pitt. Now 15 years into the job he loves, Semaia gives an inside perspective on the relationships he builds with student-athletes and explains the growing connection between Pitt Life Skills and Orange Arrow.

Season 5: OA Vault - Penny Semaia

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.

$10 for 10 Years: bit.ly/3BUEBkS
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Season 5: OA Vault - Ashley Battle

Today we're switching it up and highlighting some of our grade school student-athletes. Tune in to hear Coach Kayla interview the top three point earners from the fall OA12 sessions. They'll share their favorite parts of the program, some of the skills they've learned, and more!

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
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Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: OA12 Top 3

Lauryn Harris is a senior student-athlete at the University of Miami and an Orange Arrow coach. Prior to attending The U, Lauryn attended the University of Pennsylvania. She is majoring in political science with a minor in public administration while on the track & field team. She is currently the BSAA co-president and SAAC Representative for the track & field team. Lauryn has a keen interest in diversity, equity, and inclusion and would like to pursue a career in DEI consulting or lobbying after college. Tune in to hear more about her passions and how she juggles her sport and extracurriculars.  

As always, stick around to the end to hear her advice for young student-athletes and why she supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
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Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Lauryn Harris

Amy Raslevich is a PhD candidate in the Health Policy and Management Department at the School of Public Health at the University of Pittsburgh. Prior to pursuing a PhD, Amy spent 30 years in public policy and healthcare management and advocacy. Tune in to hear how a cancer diagnosis in 2017 ignited her passion for healthcare accessibility and listen to some of the stories from her time researching racial differences in how people use healthcare.

As always, stick around to the end to hear her advice for young student-athletes and why she supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Amy Raslevich

Go Inside the Play Call with Shawn and this week’s guest, Chris Slade, a former NFL athlete and current head coach at Pace Academy! Slade discusses his early start in sports and how he worked his way up to playing at UVA before being drafted by the Patriots. During his time in the NFL, he played in a Super Bowl, and he recounts his experiences and the unique opportunity he had to call the coin toss. They finish by discussing his time as a high school football coach and the impact he is able to have on his student-athletes, watching them grow and succeed over the course of four years.

$10 for 10 Years: bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: OA Vault - Chris Slade

Kayla Johnson is a graduate student at the University of Miami and Orange Arrow coach. She is currently training to make the Jamaican National Team while obtaining her master's degree at The U. Tune in to hear about some of her lifetime accomplishments and future endeavors on and off the track.

As always, stick around to the end to hear her advice for young student-athletes and why she supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Kayla Johnson

Doug Whaley is the Senior Vice President of Player Personnel of the XFL. In this role, he oversees all aspects of personnel from scouting and recruiting to compensation and career development. Tune in to hear a little bit of his early beginnings in sports and the career path that ultimately led him to his position with the XFL.

As always, stick around to the end to hear his advice for young student-athletes and why he supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
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Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Doug Whaley

Jerry Chen is a student-athlete at the University of Pittsburgh and Orange Arrow coach. Now in his senior year at Pitt, Chen is both an accomplished swimmer and ACC Academic Honor Roll student while majoring in both computer science and rehabilitation science, with a minor in economics. Tune in to hear not only about his successful swimming career, but also about how he is constantly on the move and looking toward the future after sports.
 
As always, stick around to the end to hear his advice for young student-athletes and why he supports the work of Orange Arrow.
 
$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Jerry Chen

Hank Poteat is the cornerbacks coach for the University of Wisconsin Badgers. In this role, he not only coaches but also mentors and develops his players to be more than just an athlete. Tune in to hear about his 10-year NFL career, which included a Super Bowl win, and the unique opportunity he had to play in the final game at two iconic Pittsburgh stadiums.

As always, stick around to the end to hear his advice for young student-athletes and why he supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Hank Poteat

Dr. Rich Milner is the Cornelius Vanderbilt Chair of Education in the Department of Teaching and Learning at Vanderbilt Peabody College of education and human development. In this role, he is not only a teacher, but also a researcher and leader in the fields of urban education and teacher education. Tune in to hear more about his journey to Vanderbilt, his time at Pitt - where he served as the director of the Center for Urban Education - and how he ended up rejoining the faculty at Vanderbilt in 2018.

As always, stick around to the end to hear his advice for young student-athletes and why he supports the work of Orange Arrow.

$10 for 10 Years: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS
Sign up to stay connected through our newsletter: https://bit.ly/3qSbqsx
Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 5: Dr. Rich Milner

Make a Play: https://bit.ly/3BUEBkS 

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Follow us on social media: @OrangeArrowPA

Season 4 is a Wrap!

Join us as Shawn speaks with Jalen Gordon, a student-athlete at the University of Miami and OA volunteer! Listen as he explains his early beginnings in the Caribbean country of Dominica before his family moved to Atlanta when he was in fourth grade. Gordon explains the difficulty of his move to America, but also how he found his place in track, eventually attending the University of Miami to run track and study biology. They finish by discussing how he was drawn to the energy of OA and some of his favorite moments and activities to do with the kids.

Season 4: Jalen Gordon

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.

Season 4: OA Vault - Ashley Battle

Today we’re switching it up as Monica and Des talk about their experience leading OA12 sessions in McKeesport, PA! Get a unique, behind-the-scenes look at the work that goes into OA programs as they share what the prep looks like, how they prioritize their time, and some of the skills they gain from leading OA sessions. 

Shoutout to our sponsor, DICK’S Sporting Goods, for making the summer camp possible!

Season 4: DSG Summer

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.”

Season 4: OA Vault - Chad Van Horn

Tune in as Shawn sits down with Orange Arrow’s Manager of Special Projects, Monica McNeil! Listen to learn why Monica tells everyone that she’s “Not really from anywhere,” and how she made a gut decision to attend the University of Pittsburgh, even after moving in at Alabama. Monica also details her career-ending injury and how she relied on her community for support during her recovery. They finish by discussing how she became involved with Orange Arrow, and Monica promotes one of her current projects, the summer Performance Invitational.

Inside The Play Call with Orange Arrow

Inside The Play Call with Orange Arrow

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