4 the Health of it!
4 the Health of it!
4 the Health of it! ft Desmond Dixon
On this episode of 4 the Health of it we talk with Desmond Dixon, high school science teacher that has coached multiple sports, about his journey in sports health and fitness from a physical and mental perspective.
Welcome to "4 the Health Of It." I'm your host, Korian "Kpad" Padgett, and this is your number one source for all things sports, health, and fitness related.
Austin:Hold on, coach. What does "4 the Health of It" stand for?
Korian:Good question, Austin. The "4" in "4 the Health of It" stands for our four principles, which are mindset, movement, nutrition, and recovery.
Austin:Okay, cool. Let's do it for the health of it then!
Korian:Welcome to another edition of "4 the Health of It." I'm your host, Korian "Kpad" Padgett. And today I have with me a very special guest, one of my co-workers from the Jim Hill [High School], Coach Desmond Dixon. And as usual, we always have with us Austin Lindsay. Austin, how you doing?
Austin:I'm doing good, coach. How about yourself?
Korian:All right, all right. Coach Dixon, how you doing, sir?
Desmond:I'm doing great, man. Just blessed to be here, man. How y'all doing?
Korian:Good, good, good. Doing great, doing great. Austin, I'm gonna let you take point and I'm gonna let you go ahead and start us off.
Austin:Many of you may not know me and Coach Dixon were actually- well, let me rephrase it. He was my coach at Jim Hill High School, where I played football for a span of two years. So a lot of you may not know that, but that's just a little hint I'd like to drop in. But I would like to start off by saying, Coach Dixon, how did you end up at Jim Hill and what made you become an educator?
Desmond:Man, that's a good question to be honest with you. I stumbled into education. When I say I stumbled, I mean education was not- teaching, that was not one of my biggest goals. But I fell in love with it. You know, once you start doing something for a long period of time, you start to fall in love with it. How I got into it, I started subbing. And I was subbing for a span of two years. And each time I came and I went, I was able to see how the kids embrace me. I'm not saying I was the most popular kid in school or I'm the most popular person or most extroverted person at all, but sometimes when you get embraced just for being yourself as well as helping, it kind of pulls you towards some type of purpose. So when that started happening, I just went into it and tried to figure out how I can get certified, because they want certified teachers. Now, not saying that you have to be certified to be able to teach someone something. You have to be certified to be a teacher, though.
Austin:Right. I can remember times where you were chill, you were chill, Coach Dixon. We'll be in the classroom one day, and then we would go on to the field and and then you would come out all hype. I'm like, "Man, why is he so hype, man? Like, what he been drinking, an energy drink or something?" But that's what I can remember that most about you, Coach Dixon, was just how you bought energy and how you were able to flip in the classroom and someone that could give the talk to us more directly and be someone that can give life decisions and life quotes and things in that manner because you were almost, I wouldn't say our age, but you were one of the youngest teachers in the whole school. So it was like we could relate to you more than we could relate to the older ladies or or the older dominant figure men. We could relate to you, come ask you a question. That was the most fun thing I liked about you was just we could relate to you and you could also bring that energy when it came to game time and field time. You were like one of the most hype coaches. So that's one of the things I just wanted to get out there.
Desmond:Man, I appreciate you telling me that because, like I said, man, everything that happened, it was just like - I'm not the most religious person, but it was just like it seemed to be God's plan because I stumbled across culture. I played football for four years in high school and I played for Jackson State for a bit, but I got hurt. And after I got hurt, I had to make a real, what I call it, a business decision on my body. You know, football is a real physical sport. It's probably the most physical sport out there outside of hockey and boxing. It's a bit like it's something that your body has to have to take. You know, it's not like a regular job where you're just at the computer or teaching where you're just walking around most of the time. You're sacrificing something. And if you can't, if you don't have the mentality to say, "I wanted to put my body on the line every day, every game, every practice," football is gonna be a hard sport for you, regardless of your talent. So that hypeness came because, although I played for four years, I enjoyed it, I loved it. The thing that I loved most about it was the friends that I made. And when you make a bond with your teammates, they become your family, man. And everybody's family dynamic is different, but for me, I do whatever for my family. I put whatever I am able to do. That's how I approached the game with passion. I was really passionate about football. It was an outlet. I'm from Jackson, so sports and all my electors were my outlet to be me. The education part, it came easy, but it wasn't as challenging to where it was overwhelming on me. So I needed an extra thing to push me to my fullest potential, and that came with sports. Because I ran track, and played football and basketball in high school, and I went to stadium track. We went to the playoffs in high school. I went to the playoffs in high school.
Korian:Can you name the high school you attended in Jackson for me?
Desmond:Huh?
Korian:Can you name the high school that you attended in Jackson?
Desmond:Oh, the greatest high school in JPS. Although I work at the greatest high school in JPS , it is also Provine High School.
Austin:Oh nah, man. We gotta throw some "boo"s, some thumbs downs on that.
Desmond:Yes, man. Yes, I went to Provine High School. I'm a full-blown graduate.
Austin:You were a bit of a traitor, coming from Provine. You are switching sides, as they say in the streets.
Desmond:Well, I want to say this. If I switch a sides, Jim Hill needs to do better with security, then. I can't complain. But it really don't matter where you're from or what school you went to after you graduate, because you are just a product of JPS at the end of the day. And when you are a product of JPS, you know how how rough it can be. I'm not even talking about the home life, just going to school, period, sometimes with the different personalities, the different traits, trying to just blend in and as well as coexist with different people. Everybody isn't like you. Some people watch anime. I was one of the anime watchers. I love anime as well as sports. T hat's what bonded me with people, sports. Education, I was able to get with the smart kids, not saying that there's a just a generalized "smart people." I was able to get with the book smart people, basically. And and the crazy thing about it, our culture, you know, hip hop, music, all that helped me get in with other people. So being at school was just a struggle as well as what made me who I am today. And I'm thankful for where I went to because I was able to become who I am. I was able to become laid back in the classroom because a lot of the stuff that y'all do in the classroom, we did it in in our classroom.
Austin:And it was relatable, because you coming from, you know, Provine, that's basically the west side of Jackson. We kids coming from that same area, and you were almost a step older than us, but you were able to relate to us and things and of that matter. So I want to get into another quick question real fast, and that would would be going off what you have said earlier: What would you say has been your greatest impact? Just one word or a couple sentences on that. What would you say has been your greatest impact on the community of West Jackson as an educator /coach?
Desmond:My greatest impact has not been done yet because I'm still alive and I'm still trying to impact.
Austin:Alright, I can agree with that.
Desmond:I like to say I tried to show love and passion. If my kids can see that I love them, I show them what love looks like from a male perspective. If I show them passion on the field and excitement, I showed them this is how you can act when you are free, when you do what you're supposed to do, you can be who you want to be. Like you said, I was chilled in the classroom because I went and got my education. I went and I did my book stuff. I was able to sit in the classroom, sit down, and understand what the teacher was talking about. And after I got out of the classroom, I was able to be myself. Heck, after I got finished with my work, I was able to be myself. When you get done doing what you're supposed to do and be in and extending who you are, you're able to be who you want to be. And that's really the impact I want to give. Because in America, as a black person, you really can't see yourself out there. Like I said, it's many different personalities, different traits, many different people. We all aren't the same. So if I can just show somebody, "Oh, he is a nerd too. Yeah, he's an athlete too. He's a hip hop addict too. He;s a shoe person too. He 's that person too, he's just like me. " Hopefully, you'll grow up to and want to be just like yourself.
Austin:Yeah. Speaking on, what you said about hip hop and things like that, who is your top dog, your go-to goat in your library? Who is your goat in hip-hop, in your opinion?
Desmond:I'm gonna see how good you are at hip hop. I'm gonna use their government name, alright? If y ou're really a hip-hop fan, you're another one talking about. My first one is a guy that ran all the 2000s. I know you wouldn't know about mixtapes like I'm talking about, but if he had a hit mixtape and it was hot, I had it. Yeah, his name is Dwayne Carter.
Austin:Okay, all right, all right. Lil Wayne. You don't play me like that now. Don't play me like that. I 'm part of this culture too, you know, I'm part of this culture too. I didn't agree with that. I cut a lot of my friends, they love Lil Wayne and things like that. We can debate that Lil Wayne discussion as the GOAT, you know, in my opinion. But I'm gonna leave it at that. We're gonna keep it PG- 13. I'm gonna leave it at that.
Korian:So going back to educating. What has been your toughest task?
Desmond:Hold up, hold up, hold up, hold up. I'm also a daddy, too. I'm also a daddy. Hold up.
Korian:Excuse the interruption. It's me, KPad. And I just want to say thank you for tuning in and listening to "4 the Health of It" on whatever streaming service you choose. Be sure to subscribe and give us a good rating. Now, back to the show.
Desmond:So, what's the question, man?
Austin:So, we're gonna include the father situation in this question. You've been a father for how many years now?
Desmond:He is three. I'm about to be a father to a baby girl in January. So three years going on four.
Austin:Congratulations, congratulations. So with being a father /teacher in an overall amount of six years, what has been your toughest task with balancing that in your home and in the schoolhouse? What's been the toughest task, you would say?
Desmond:That's a great question, to be honest with you. I'm gonna be honest with you, Austin, because we have some history together, so I can be honest with you. You know what mental illness is?
Austin:Correct.
Desmond:I have bipolar depression. I just found that out with him when he was born. So the bipolar depression is basically a fluctuation.
Austin:Coach Dixon, I was asking you what was has been your toughest task in the past six years as a dad /educator.
Desmond:Battling my mental illness. It is a real thing. I battled with depression for a minute, even through college. It kind of came upon me after the passing of my father back in high school. So pretty much dealing with his passing, dealing with being grown, becoming a man, and then dealing with becoming a father while trying to become a man still. Because I'm saying every day is about growth and developing. So each time I wake up that's another day to be a different person, basically. So I'm trying to build on myself piece by piece.
Austin:What you are saying that about bipolar disorder and things of that order. I actually have like a few of my family members [with mental illness]. Mental illness is a serious thing, especially in the black community and especially in poverty areas and things like that. So that's a true issue that we definitely have to continue to work on every day, like you said. So, in asking this, as you've been a father, and you just said that you know your father passed in high school. So I'm trying to tap into your early life, early life as in childhood, growing up as a young man. What were some of the things that you key in on from your father and think he's implemented this in my life and I want to give this to my son? Or what are some of the teachings that he taught you, if there are some?
Desmond:My father taught me three things in my life: discipline, focus, and love. Discipline so that you can do things that you want to achieve to be successful. You gotta be able to tell yourself - not have people telling you, but be able to tell yourself to do this, to do that, to eat right, to go to this place, to read that book. You gotta have that type of discipline on yourself. Focus. There are a lot of distractions out here. There are a lot of habits that I have that are distracting when you want to go be able to tune out those type of things. I'm not trying to say family can be distracting, but let's just say y'all trying to build a podcast, and you want this podcast to be the biggest thing ever. You gotta be able to focus directly on what you're trying to build. You're trying to get up off the ground. And he instilled that in me. And love, just being able to love people. You know, a lot of times people confuse love with sex. It's not just about sex. You should be able to say openly, "Man, I love my brother." Because, you know, since people confuse love with sex, they always think, "Oh, if you tell your brother you love him, you're trying to, you know, whoop with him." But in reality, I just want to see you alive. I want to see you prosper, I want to see you happen. I want to see you make a family, have a family, be with your family, stuff like that. He instilled that for me, not just for my people, for everybody. He didn't do it by saying. A lot of things can't just be said, he did it by showing. I think there are a lot of things that are missing in the black community. A lot of people don't have their father or male figure. Because I've heard sometimes people talk about different generations, the older generation this, the younger generation that, and they're just getting combative against each other when we are all in the same place and have to love each other, basically. So yeah, he showed me by just acting on how to love each one, each and everybody.
Austin:Okay, cool, cool. I like that because I like what you touched on, too, for me, my father, he's in my life, but he wasn't a direct man in my household in a sense. So he's taught me a lot of great things too, but he's he's just not in my household where I can just go directly to him. I have to call him and things like that. So it's a lot of us young dudes in the community of West Jackson that don't have a direct outlet to their father where, hey, he's in the household or things of that sort. So when you say things like that, I kind of look at Coach P as a father figure in my life. When you tell me things like that, I look at you as a father figure in my life. I look at all the people that helped me along the road, and I looked at everybody as a father figure. Though my dad is my dad still, I look at other people like you and Coach P who are father figures in my life that have helped me to stay on the right path and things of that nature. So yeah, I just want to say that I'll tie in Coach P right now. Korian, you can come in and talk to Coach Dixon. I'll let you have it. Adult time. Let's go.
Korian:Young Stephen A in the making, for real. Coach Dixon, what what would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far in your six years of teaching?
Desmond:In teaching? Let me tell you this, I'm gonna be honest with you. I'm gonna pretend like Austin isn't hear. Man, my first five years were hard. Like I told you, I started as a sub, and I don't know how y'all know how subs get triggered. It's different, right? It's different than teaching, My biggest problem is was that I was not organized. My daddy talked with discipline, love, and focus. Organization, I had to get somewhere else. I got outlet, but now more organized, and I hate to say it, but it's because of COVID-19. I've become more organized with my time. I actually have my own. You know how sometimes , as a teacher, you have to get a lesson plan and you are scrambling across the internet. This time I literally created my own lesson plan out of my mind, and that's the best part about it. So now when I teach, I'm basically teaching you my thoughts. And if you can't get my thoughts, you're not paying attention to me at all. So that's that's really how I'm delivering in that. My greatest accomplishment is growth.
Korian:It's all about that growth mindset, right? It's definitely all about that growth mindset. Before I move on to my next question, I gotta say, you're not the only one that started off as a sub. I started off as a sub and I subbed for four years at Biloxi High. Four years. I started in August 2012. And literally, like you said, I kind of just stumbled into it. A reason I moved back down to Biloxi, I hadn't even finished my degree yet. All my buddies at college had moved off and they graduated that May. I wasn't graduating until December. So I said, "Man, I'm not staying on campus by myself or being in Hattiesburg by myself." So I went back home for that whole summer. Me and a buddy every day, we just went out job searching. He got hired on at a place in his field. I got hired on with Kelly Services and started subbing. And I reached out to the old principla of Biloxi High. I guess she remembered me. I don't know. All my old teachers were there and whatnot. I did that thing for four years, four years strong. That's how I got into coaching and everything.
Desmond:But you enjoyed the four years though.
Korian:No, no, definitely. It was fun too, man. Like you said, they definitely treat subs different, man. Even though the discipline and whatnot may be different from different districts and whatnot, they definitely treat subs different. Uh yeah, that's all I'm gonna say about that. So Mr. Brown came back to Jim Hill, I don't think you were there his first rent go around, were you?
Desmond:That's when I started subbing, actually. When I first started subbing, he was the principal there. Yeah, I think he left it next year.
Korian:Okay, so what is your "why"?
Desmond:My "why"? Oh, I'm glad you asked me in 2020. Because if you asked me when I first started subbing, it was gonna be because of some money. But now, I've grown, like I said. When I was in college, man, I used to read a lot of books. My favorite book was " The Autobiography of Malcolm X". And I just love how he led people. If you really know Malcoim X, he was a little radical, but I just love the way he incited people with his word. The same way with Martin Luther King. So I want to really be a mixture of them both, and I want to incite people to learn. I don't think we as a country or human beings really know why we need to go to school other than get a degree, get a job, get some money. The real reason we need to educate ourselves is so we can we can combat against mental illness. Because a lot of our problem is miseducation. And we gotta figure out a way t o retire ourselves, realign ourselves with the true reason education exists. So my biggest "why" is to fix the mental slavery that I think a lot of us have.
Korian:Okay, good deal, good deal. Austin, I see you got another question, man. You can coe on and ask it.
Austin:Oh yeah, Coach Dixon, I was gonna ask you, you were talking about bipolar disorder, and just if somebody's watching this, what do you do, or how do you, beat this disorder day in and day out? Or [if] you are in [an] episode, how do you defeat that?
Desmond:Since this is a big topic, I'm gonna try to break it down. When I first found out I had to go find a place to calm myself, basically. So I can learn about what's going on with me. Basically I had to go to the doctor. Go to the doctor and find out what's wrong with [myself] because if you're not feeling right, when something's wrong with your brain, only you can really know what's up. I mean, people can tell you a lot, my mother, my girlfriend - well, who's about to be my wife - she's they told me my mannerism[s] and how I was acting was different. So I had to get checked. And now that I got the right medication and the right type of thing, I meditate. Meditation is key because it helps you hear yourself. I know a lot of people when they meditate, they can't be still or their mind runs, but that's a part of meditation. When you let your mind run, you [are] able to figure out where your body is really running to. Because sometimes we just [are] moving and we don't even know where we're going. But when you meditate, you bet you're able to go within yourself and guide yourself through the day better. So I basically try to get up at 4:30 in the morning. I try to get up at 4 30 in the morning every morning, and I do my little thing that helps me meditate. As far as what to do when I have an episode, I try to stay on my medication, but most of the part I have people around me that can say, "You [are] losing it," then you need to reel it back, you you need to do this. I [have] good people around me. Your support system. You gotta have a good support system, because the wrong thing just happened and you wouldn't even know it. Once you have an episode, you [have] an episode. It [has to] run its course. It's not your fault. It's about to happen, basically. I don't know how to put it.
Austin:Yeah, correct. L ike you said, with a support system, I kind of feel for the people that don't have that support support system as you may have, because it's evident that, some people don't have it as you, so you're a fortunate dude for your support system in that. So, one day we have to go in and change, the people that may not have that support system to uplift those guys or uplift those people.
Desmond:In my opinion, I think if everybody could see themselves within everybody, everybody would have a support system. The community [is] technically supposed to be the support system. You ever seen a guy in the middle of the street just arguing with himself?
Austin:Yeah, right. I mean, I've seen that thousands of times.
Desmond:Are you in fear of your life or his life?
Austin:To be honest, I'm in fear of his life, in my opinion.
Desmond:He himself said something he wasn't supposed to say, he's arguing now. That's basically what happened. And if we as a community [do not] just throw it off as "Oh he's crazy," and try to figure out what [is] really wrong with that guy, we might fix a lot, but it's more of a spirit aspect, man. We can't be there for each other because we're scared. And especially now that we can't during these times, we really don't want to be around each other because we got a whole pandemic virus going on. So I mean for those people that [are] out there, man, I don't I want to say call for help, but as the recent history has shown, even when you call for help, you might put them in more danger. So just watch them. If they [have] a weapon, call for help. But if they [are] just out there wilding and just talking to themselves loud, let them vent. They [are] only arguing with themselves. So it really is not like they gonna harm you. Just don't let them harm themselves.
Austin:Yeah, it's just a battle with from within.
Desmond:Yeah, everything is within because Michael Jackson said himself, to better himself, start with the man in the mirror, and that's what everybody has to do. A lot of people don't think they're suffering from anything because "[have] a strong mental [health]," but everybody has something going on with themselves. Either it's high blood pressure, diabetes, your body is at a dis-ease, that's why they call it a disease. We all suffer for something, and if we all can see that, we all would have a support system. That's why I became a teacher, because I care.
Korian:Say that last line you just said.
Desmond:We all are at a dis-ease because we all got a disease.
Korian:Yeah.
Austin:That's some good knowledge.
Desmond:I told you my favorite rapper was Dwayne Carter. Man, go listen to that man, he's nice. Yeah, he's nice, man.
Korian:Definitely is nice. Hey, but before before we start wrapping it up, we're running a little short on time, coach. We appreciate you coming on.
Desmond:I appreciate y'all having me.
Korian:Definitely, definitely gonna make you a uh regular coming on for the next few coming seasons, however long this lasts us. But before we get you out of here, coach, if you got any social media or anything like that, you want people to reach out to you, or how can they get in contact with you?
Desmond:You can hit me on Facebook. My name is my name, Desmond Dixon. I ain't putting no[thing] fancy. I would say follow me on Instagram, but I'm just a lurker on Instagram. I don't really [do anything], I ain't got no business. So when I come back, if you let me back on the show, I'm gonna have a whole business page and everything, and then I'm gonna shout it out. But for the only thing I want to shout out is the most high, my daddy, even though he ain't here with us, I know you hear me, and my mama. Because I don't think you understand, coach. If it wasn't for her saying, baby, you need to go get a job, you wouldn't even be talking to me right now. So I'm gonna put it up there for my mama and my dad in the most time, man. Just love, man. Love, peace. That's all I'm about.
Korian:All right, that's what's up, man. Appreciate you, coach. Appreciate you all.
Austin:I definitely appreciate you too, Coach P and you Coach Dixon for the knowledge and just the energy you bring and the knowledge you [are] dropping.
Desmond:So appreciate it, man. Appreciate it. Hey, you [are] old enough to vote, man. Make sure you vote, bro.
Austin:I already did. I already did, coach.
Desmond:I gotta take a day off work. But yeah, I gotta get a day. I'll put a day.
Korian:No comment, no comment. This has been "4 the Health of It." I'm your host, Korian "Kpad" Padgett. Also, before I get out of here, one last thing. If you're not following, or if you're not subscribed to this channel, subscribe on iTunes, Spotify, or however you are listening. Also make sure you subscribe on YouTube and follow us on Facebook and Instagram. And lastly, shout out Austin for "Rep Your Side." That's R-E-P Y-O-U-R S-I-D-E. "Rep Your Side."
Austin:The newest sports podcast to come along. Hopefully y'all enjoy it. So appreciate that, Coach P for that too. Yes, sir.
Desmond:Oh man, yeah, man, you growing up good. Hey, thank you, Coach Padgett. Keep the growing man, appreciate it.