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Outside the 8 — Behind the Podcast

Hello hello! If you have listened to any episode of Outside the 8, Lacrosse All Stars’ premium women’s lacrosse podcast, you have been graced with the presence of my voice (of which I’ve been told is the “perfect voice for podcasting”)*. I mean that is just what “they” say, but that’s really not the point. It’s 2018 and everyone and their mom either has a podcast, was on a podcast, or has an idea for the podcast so why listen to this one? 

Well, many of you have taken a chance and spent time listening. So, first, thank you for doing so because I’m not just doing this just for me! If I was, you’d hear a lot more sarcasm, pop culture references and celebrity gossip. Not because I care about celebrities all that much, but they are always fun and controversial to talk about. 

All of that aside, I’ve had a chance to reflect a bit on what Outside the 8 is, what it could be, and how much fun and work it’s been to create, produce, release, and promote episodes. None of it happens on its own, and the fun part is I’ve have been able to figure it all out on my own. I am both proud and humbled to make it this far and continue to discover where these conversations lead me. 

Everything really starts as an idea and when it comes to fruition and has even the tiniest impact that is pretty cool. I have been saying from the beginning, ‘Who am I to be talking about women’s lacrosse, I’m just a girl from Idaho?’ No, I didn’t win a national championship,  I didn’t even win that many  games in college or play a whole lot. I was a US Lacrosse All-American and the first lacrosse player out of Idaho to sign a Division I letter of intent, mind you this was 10 years ago and a lot has changed.

My gratitude for the game, certainly hasn’t. I have friends, fellow coaches, people I’ve met across the world and that love and passion for the game is truly a tie that binds. As I’m writing this, I’m about to board a plane to see my best friends from college who I happened to meet on the lacrosse field. This past year we’ve celebrated engagements, weddings and babies.

The heart of Outside the 8 is really sharing stories because every experience is so different, and we are all in the driver’s seat to create our own story and lacrosse journey. I want to not only learn from everyone that I get a chance to sit down with, but I really want to know what they think, given their background and worldview. I want to know what lacrosse or sports in general means them and how the choices, success and adversities have shaped them. I’m either super curious or super nosy, probably a bit of both.

Outside the 8 has created the space to connect, and that’s truly the greatest gift. It doesn’t mean we all have to agree or get along, but it’s an opportunity to share. 

Below you’ll find a breakdown of Episodes 1-11 of Outside the 8, so start listening if you haven’t already! You can find us on your podcast app under “Lacrosse Podcasts by Lacrosse All Stars” and click “Subscribe!” More importantly, let me know what you think. I’ve received messages and emails from listeners, lacrosse dads, players that want to grow the game and women that want to be on the show. It is all inspiring. I encourage you to keep it coming, DM me (@cmbrunelle), tweet me (@cmbrunelle) or email me (cassie@laxallstars.com), I’ll read it!

outside the 8, cassie brunelle

Outside the 8 Episodes:

Episode 1: Probably the silliest of all episodes because it was the first one of Outside the 8. Recorded on 4th of July with two of my former teammates from Saint Mary’s College. We breakdown how we found lacrosse, and each other through our college experiences, and how the sport re-entered our lives post grad. 

Episode 2: Maddy Morrissey is my fellow coach, huge advocate and connector for this podcast, she’s a true “friend of the pod” and you may hear from her again! She was a fierce midfielder at Duke, graduated in 2014 and made her way out west, growing emerging club teams in the Los Angeles area and helping girls pursue playing lacrosse in college.

Episode 3: Taylor Thornton is dynamic, passionate, and real. That was the liveliest of all conversations. She’s from Dallas, led Northwestern to two National Championships, was a Tewaaraton Finalist, and now lives in Los Angeles following her dreams of being an actor. She’s still coaching and playing, most recently for the Baltimore Brave of the WPLL.

Episode 4 and 5: If you want to get schooled on the Native American experience and a breakdown of the Creator’s game, then Trenna Hill’s two part episode is for you. She’s not shy about her struggles and successes as it relates to lacrosse, and we talk a lot about the Native American experience along with what Trenna hopes for the future of the sport.

Episode 6: Want to hear thoughts from a current Division I lacrosse player? Cassidy Doster is in the middle of her senior year at UMass Amherst. With eyes on another conference championship and NCAA bid in the spring, Cassidy spent her summer out in California coaching and having a blast. We talk all about how lacrosse got her to college and how it’s shaping her post grad plans.

Episode 7: My conversation with Lauren Benner was beyond insightful. Lauren was a goalie, she’s from Annapolis and played at UVA.  We get her take on Colorado lacrosse, officiating, rules changes, the importance of youth and high school programs. She also shares the tragic loss of her friend and teammate Yeardley Love, and the important work of the One Love Foundation that is being done in Yeardley’s honor.

Episode 8: Tanner Guarino is an Allstar from Massachusetts. A true hometown hero, she has had a successful college career at UMass-Amherst and now runs Gold Star Lacrosse with her sister-in-law and teammate Kristen Igoe. Tanner shares how she found lacrosse by way of basketball, what she loves about coaching and her recent experience as a WPLL Champion with the New England Command. 

Episode 9: How do sports affect mental health? Well there is definitely a correlation. Lyndsey Muñoz shares her experience and struggles with mental health along with all the ways she’s stayed true to herself in lacrosse and in life. We talk about her experience at Stanford and now coaching club and high school programs in LA while running her own business, LM Lax Training. We also laugh a lot!

Episode 10: This episode is all business in the best of ways. Ashley Gersuk Murphy is CEO of Summit Lacrosse Ventures.  Summit puts on all types of lacrosse events across the country, but most notable is the Lake Placid lacrosse tournament. We talk all about her experience playing boys lacrosse, and her mentality in life and business. Oh, she was also Kelly Amonte Hiller’s first recruit on Northwestern’s team when they renewed the program and eventually led them to four National Championships.

Episode 11: Carly Reed is bubbly, honest, and more than a go getter because she gets it done! Carly was also a national champion at UNC (2016) and then with an interest in fashion and love of TEAM she created On the Line club, apparel for former college athletes. Have you joined her team? We talk all about her college experience, building a business. She was also a WPLL champion with the New England Command.

If you can’t tell, I love gushing about all these fabulous humans, and anyone else I get a chance to sit down with. All positives here. If you have something to share let me know. Keep listening and growing the game!