Sports Connections with David Smale

Episode 84: Janelle Paulson - Farm Livin’ Was Not the Life for Her

Janelle Paulson grew up on a farm in rural South Dakota, but she couldn’t wait to get off the farm and see the rest of the world. As a fitness instructor, she relies on much of what she learned on the farm: hard work, planning and keeping with the plan, and teamwork, in her own training and with the clients she helps. She joins us to talk about how you can take the girl away from the farm, but you can’t really take the farm out of the girl.

Episode 83: Gianluca Busio - Living the Dream

Gianluca Busio, who made his USMNT debut last night, is the son of an Italian immigrant. He learned to love soccer at a young age. It has always been his dream to play in Europe. When he signed with Sporting Kansas City at age 15, he became the youngest player to sign an MLS contract in more than a decade. He rose through the Sporting system to be the star of the senior team, and he’s being pursued by multiple teams in Europe. Soon, he’ll be living his dream, but he won’t forget the city that embraced him and helped him find his dream.

Episode 82: Meghan Fardelmann - Rink Rat

Meghan Fardelmann’s father played college football and eventually college hockey at West Point. When his military career took him and his family to the Midwest, he didn’t leave the love for hockey behind. Meghan had to travel around the area to find competition, often against boys her age. She ended up playing collegiately at Boston College, where she was an integral part of the Eagles first run to the Women’s Frozen Four. She joins us to talk about her hockey career.

Episode 81: John Burgman - Driving Us Up a Wall

John Burgman fell in love with climbing when he was in college, and it has become an obsession. Now that competition climbing is set to make its Olympic debut later this month, he’s among the thousands of enthusiasts who is excited to share the world’s stage. John joins us to talk about the nuances of the sport and to give those of us unfamiliar with how—and why—people race up 50-foot walls a glimpse into why this sport is growing among the youth of today.

Episode 80: Brian McRae - Making His Own Name

Brian McRae had big shoes to fill when he was drafted in the first round of the 1985 MLB Draft by the Kansas City Royals, the team his father, Hal, helped lead to the World Series title later that season. But when he debuted in the 1990 season, he had his sights set on proving he belonged and not just because his name was McRae. When his father took over as manager early in the 1991 season, he became the fourth manager to manage his son in the big leagues. Brian joins “Sports Connections” to talk about playing for his dad and making a name for himself in the process.

Episode 79: Dani Welniak - Super Bowl Champion

Dani Welniak grew up in Texas, where football is a religion. But for girls, the roles generally were confined to cheerleader or kicker. But Dani didn’t want to limit herself. So she tried out—and made—the local team in women’s pro football. She was an outstanding receiver and running back, and has the jewelry to prove it. She joins us to talk about her playing career.

Episode 78: Allison Mayfield - Metaphor for Life

Allison Mayfield grew up playing all different sports. She thought she might even play college basketball. But she fell in love with volleyball and decided to pursue that when some of her coaches pointed out that she had the ability to play at the next level. She played professionally around the globe before beginning her coaching career. She joins us to talk about a harrowing story of escaping Peru before the borders closed due to Covid.

Episode 77: Tim Melia - Saving Grace

Tim Melia took a different path to get to the highest level of soccer in the U.S., but once he arrived he has established himself as one of the best goalkeepers in MLS. His specialty is stopping penalty kicks. Worldwide, the average save percentage among goalkeepers on PKs is around 17 percent, while Melia has stopped better than 40 percent. He joins us to talk about how preparation has helped him achieve such an outstanding statistics, and he’ll talk about the song Sporting KC fans sing about him.

Episode 76: Jim Eisenreich - Making the Game Fun Again

Jim Eisenreich was a rising star with the Minnesota Twins in the early 1980s when an affliction he had dealt with since childhood became too much to bear. He took two full seasons away from the game he loved to learn to deal with the effects of Tourette syndrome. After he figured that out, he came back and played 12 more seasons. Now his foundation helps kids who suffer with Tourette’s lead normal lives by providing resources to the families and the educational system. He joins us to talk about his journey that inspired so many people.

Episode 75: Mike Swanson - A Lifelong Love of the Sport

Mike Swanson never played an inning of professional baseball, but he’s played a big role in how generations of fans have come to love and appreciate the game. He grew up around sports, with his mother working for the Kansas City Athletics and later the Chiefs. Preparing for his first year of college, he interned with the Royals and fell in love with the behind-the-scenes aspect of the game. He’s highly competitive—just try approaching him in the press box when things aren’t going well for the team—but his love for the game shines through. He joins us to talk about many of his favorite memories of 43 years in the game.