BE A BALLER -"Building a lifelong legacy"

Doc West: From an average student to Building a Legacy in Education

• Coach Tim Brown, Uncommon Life • Season 6 • Episode 2

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This episode brings the fire of Doc West’s journey from a C student with setbacks to a four‑degree educator who refuses to let labels define his future. We talk about work ethic over image, the Five P’s—Proper Preparation Prevents Poor Performance—and how mental capacity is trained through small, repeatable habits. From gratitude to morning mantras, Doc shows how purpose rides with you through rain, criticism, and those long days when quitting looks convenient.

We also dig into the power of circles: who’s in the room, who gets your flowers, and who quietly lowers your ceiling. Dream busters are real—sometimes in your feed, sometimes at your table. The move isn’t to argue; it’s to build better rooms. That’s why we spotlight role models and mentors who raise the standard and remind us that accountability is a team sport. Legacy becomes practical when you choose inputs with care—voices, routines, and environments that align with your vision.

If this conversation pushed you, share it with someone who needs a nudge. Subscribe for more real talk on legacy, leave a review to help others find the show, and tell us: what habit are you starting today?

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SPEAKER_01:

Welcome to Be a Baller, where we're building a lifelong legacy for our families, communities, and the world. Your host, Coach Tim Brown, is excited for you to join him on this journey. On each episode, we'll be talking about how to be intentional about building a lasting legacy. We'll be exploring what it means to leave a mark that goes beyond just our lives, but has a positive impact on those around us and even generations to come. So if you're looking for inspiration, guidance, and practical tips on how to build a lasting legacy that makes a difference, then you're in the right place. So grab your earbuds, get comfortable, and let's dive in. It's time to be a baller.

SPEAKER_03:

As we begin today, our uh our keynote speaker is this young man who's dedicated his entire career to students and community. Uh Doc West earned his bachelor's and master's degree from the Ohio State University, and he spent over 30 years throughout Columbus teaching from Windsor Elementary to Afrocentric High School to Independence High School. He's known for his non-nonsense hands-on style, but always making sure that his students cross that graduation stage. These days, Doc travels around the country uh sharing about school culture. He also runs his own ice cream shop, and you'll still see him in buildings. He's still committed to helping students uh to be successful. So today I want to introduce Doc West, who's gonna be our keynote speaker. Let's give him a hand.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, go ahead and let that play for a second. Good morning, good morning, everyone. How y'all doing? Hold up. I came around to everybody's table. Good morning, good morning, how y'all doing? Now y'all know, well, I will come back around to your table again if you don't talk to me. I really um I would like to thank Coach Tim Brown. I call him Pastor Tim because really in this world, we have to start building a team. Can everybody say team? I also use the word accountability. When I came around to everybody's table, I say, take one one note, two notes, three notes. I make sure that I'm accountable. When I'm in schools working with young people, I want to make sure that we're starting to teach them accountability. So I want to ask y'all a few questions. Be real with yourself. Because part of being having a vision plan is being real with yourself. What time do you get up this morning? Every morning. You don't got to answer these. Just think about it. Even on Saturday and Sunday. Do you tell yourself something positive every day, even today? Who is your hero or your role model? A good thing is I didn't even know he was gonna show up today. One of my role models showed up in here this morning. And once again, y'all, I'm gonna say about 3,000 words in the next five or seven minutes. I only want y'all to write down about four or five of them. All right. One I wrote down, I already talked about his accountability. But now I'm talking about role model. Dr. Bob Murphy's in the back. I didn't know this man was gonna show up this morning. That's one of my role models in the back with that gray, with that gray um uh blaze room. Can y'all give Dr. Bob Murphy a round of applause? Wow, Dr. Murphy. I thank you, sir. I never thought I'd be on the stage and say that I thank you. Larry Williams, Larry Williamson from the Ohio State University, Pastor Coach Tim Brown, Reggie Anglin, God rest his soul, my God, my father, and also the bishop of this church, Bishop Clark, is one of my role models. Also, somebody I look up to, I was out there talking, and some of the students said they are from Northland. I tell y'all, I look up somebody in y'all's building. His name is Dr. Johnson. Give Dr. Johnson a round of applause. Dr. Johnson, I respect you. I love you as my brother. Keep doing what you do. That's one thing, y'all. Do y'all hear there's no hate in my voice? Let me look around for a second. Did y'all hear there's no hate in my voice of men who look like me, who are doing well in the community, and we give them their props and their flowers. There are gonna be dream busters. There's gonna be people who tell you you can't do it. Those are not the people I'm putting in my circle. There's somebody right now, young people, in my world who don't believe in me. They're not in my circle. Everybody understand that? I know they're out there. How many of y'all know somebody don't believe in you, but they're out there? Come on, somebody's hand. Come on, somebody's hand. Right? I don't keep them in my circle. I keep Dr. Johnson in my circle. I keep um Dr. Bob Murphy in my circle. If you answer those questions of why, because young people, your daily habits, your daily habits, I'll say something funny. My breath don't stink because I brush my teeth every day. Laugh about it. It's funny. But if I don't keep up with that habit, there's a problem in my mouth. Disagree or agree? If I don't keep up with my mouth, there's a problem. There's another piece on your body I want you to take care of. Is it that mental capacity?

unknown:

Acceptance.

SPEAKER_02:

Your effort and the people you look up to shape your future. Everyone say work ethic. Say it again, work ethic. I look at your work ethic as a principal. I don't look at what you look like, any of that. I'm coming in to your in your classroom. What's your work ethic on a daily basis? Well, now I know I can get this freshman, and I'm talking to those young men back there because I taught you a couple freshmen. Now I'm gonna get you from freshman to senior year off of your work ethic. But let me keep it real with you, young people, on your journey. You're going in, you're you're going to run into obstacles. Let me get down on the knee for a second. You're gonna meet people who call who we say are dream busters. Doc West, you ain't gonna amount to nothing. You ain't gonna do this. What I like to teach young people is how do you get up? How do you become resilient? You're gonna meet people who I once again I call dream busters. Say it with me, dream busters. Y'all ain't saying them loud enough. Dream busters. You know, they on social media, they in the backyard, there's sometimes they're even in our family. And you'll definitely come across non-supporters. Everyone say non-supporters. Man, you ain't gonna be to open up that ice cream shop. Man, you ain't gonna be to do this, you ain't gonna be to do that. Wow. I I'm thankful I got two ears, but I make sure that if you are not talking about being on my team, I'm not listening. Those people tell you you can't do it. They'll whisper, you're not smart enough. They'll laugh at your goals. Anybody ever laughed at your goals? Hey, I'm about to go do this. I only got one person in here talking to me. He only now I got three people talking to me. Nobody in your young circle, because I was getting dogged at your age. Some young lady asked me why I went to school. I went to Mifflin. I told her I was very poor too. But I made sure I changed that poorness. I changed that poorness. Let's talk about a vision plan. Please listen to me right now. Their opinion does not decide your future. Their opinion does not decide your future. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. I'll say those five P's again. The late um Mr. Sam Gresham told them to me back at Afrocentric. Proper preparation prevents poor performance. If I get up and I work out every day, I know I'm gonna get stronger and faster. If I build my mental capacity, I know I will become stronger and smarter. Your future is built by you. You are sitting in that seat. You you're you build it by strengthening your mind. That's called building mental capacity. When people are talking about you get away from it, that's building mental capacity. Some people will sit at that table all day long, Dr. Johnson is that I'm gonna sit here. No, I'm gonna get up and walk away. I don't want to keep hearing negative thoughts about where I'm going in life. You can keep talking it. I'm just gonna get away from it. How many of you will ride a bike from here right now at first church all the way to campus every day to get a free education? How many of you, I want to see your hands raised high. How many of you every day, rain, sleep, snow, or hell, you would get on a bicycle and ride it from here to campus every day? I see about 20 hands, and thank y'all. I asked real questions for this reason. That's what I had to do. And guess what, y'all, while I was riding that bike 20 years ago? People was laughing at me. People were riding by puddles, hitting me with puddles. You riding a bike to college? Ha ha ha. And I didn't quit. I did that for four years. It was building mental toughness. I'ma get somewhere. I'ma get somewhere. I'm just poor right now. I'm going to get somewhere. I'm just poor right now. And I rode that bike. And I rode that bike and I looked out like it was this morning and it was raining. I gotta ride the bike in the rain today. Builds mental toughness. Got to college, my book bag was soaked. So when I talk about that resilience, this means when life knocks you down, you don't stay down. Any of you had a little setback? Let me tell y'all something real. It's your AF15. My family was my setback. And I knew then, okay, I gotta grow up within my family, but then I gotta get away and go and surround myself with people who believe in me. So I need you to be listening to everybody in your circle, whether it's family, friends, cousins, or foes. Are they bigging you up or are they tearing you down? If they're not bigging you up, then just get out of my circle. I'll talk back with you later. You have to get back up. Now let me tell you a little secret. Success is not about being the smartest. That young lady over there, thank you for asking me those questions. She said, Were you an A student this morning? Nope. I was a C student. Didn't I, didn't I, young lady? I told her I'm a C student. You know why I like being a C student? Because it continued making me work hard. Even when I got to college. I became a master student once I got to college. But let me tell you a little bit of things that happened to me along the way, and I ain't gonna be too much longer, but I need y'all to hear some things. Doc West, you ain't gonna amount to nothing. I heard it. I'm 14. I heard it. I didn't quit after I got those four felonies. Did you hear me? I didn't quit after I got those four felonies. I didn't quit when my mom said, You're sorry, you're gonna be like your daddy. I didn't quit when that girl didn't want me. I didn't quit when my boss said I was not worth it. I didn't quit when the counselor at my high school said, You won't make it to be a teacher. I did not quit when that teacher said, You won't amount to nothing, Doc West. Now I'm four college degrees later. You see how you don't listen to people? You see why you don't listen to people? Somebody could have shut me down. And really, y'all, yeah, pat me on the back, but I need y'all to hear it. I need that resilience in you. So that's why I go into schools. That's why uh Coach Tim said he's still in schools. I'm gonna still listen, because I know people are saying negative stuff. That's why I walk around all day listening to what people are saying. Wow, our kids are great. Yeah, that's what we should we should talk about in our school. Oh, our kids aren't nothing. You know what? Let's have a meeting in my office. We can't think about our young people in that capacity. Yeah, we're gonna make mistakes. We're gonna keep moving you forward. Think about your heroes, athletes, leaders, role models, people you admire. They didn't get where they were because life was easy. Life is hard. Say that with me. Life is hard. But I'm gonna bounce back. I'm gonna bounce back. I didn't hear y'all. I'm gonna bounce back at 53. No, you you about 14, 15, 16, 17. I'm 53 and I know how to bounce back. So here's what I challenge y'all as I get off the stage, y'all. Wake up every day with a purpose. I'm gonna smile about it. Wake up every day with a purpose. Count your blessings. Count your blessings. Okay, I'm riding this bike, but you know what? My school's paid for. I didn't want to ride that bike every day, but I counted the blessing in it. My schooling's paid for, so I can make it there. It's raining this morning, my brain's working. My creator, my creator would not have put this task in front of me if I couldn't handle it. Woo! Thank you, God. I don't play with it. Say this with me, please, y'all, as I get off the stage. My vision is mine. My future is mine. I will make it happen. Because you are powerful, you don't have to read this, I'm just saying it back to y'all. You are powerful enough, you are smart enough, and you are strong enough to make your vision a reality. Once again, my vision plan was to make sure that I affected all the young people in our city. I graduated from Mifflin, Mifflin High School in 1990. I pledged I'm gonna change our city. The people I put in front of our young people are gonna believe in them. And you can't even work for me if you don't believe in our young people. I'm real funny about that. Ask anybody who's ever worked for me. If you don't believe in y'all, you can't work for me. Because I need y'all to make it. I know there are those dream busters out there. Today, y'all, that is my time. I hope as you move forward today and through the conferences, that you change your mindset. You believe in your staff. And really, as I go, I'm I have a bunch of my colleagues out here. Miss Brown's over there, Mr. Owens. I saw Miss Brown, uh, you know, my way back friend from OSU days and all that good stuff. Give your teachers and your staff who brought you here today a round of applause. Mr. Baker, who I just met this morning. It's real important because these are the people who care about y'all. Yo, that's my time today. I'm gonna be around still encouraging y'all, chopping it up. But once again, somebody told me I wasn't gonna be nothing and I became something. Thank y'all. Be blessed. Hopefully, that was pre shift.

SPEAKER_03:

Let's give Doc another hand. Let's give Doc another hand for that for that for that inspiring word. Today, today, today, you're gonna continue to be inspired. Uh as part of a we're gonna talk about 21st century careers. I mean, times have change. Times have changed. There's we're living in a different world. But it's a great world. Oh, it's so many opportunities. And so we're gonna talk about those pops, those possibilities and those opportunities for you. So, first on the show, first coming up will be Miss Ashley Logan. Ashley is a chief program officer for I know I can't. Well, I know I can. Uh, and I know I can. It's Central Ohio's only, it's Central Ohio's only college access organization. Ashley has over a decade of experience in college admissions and access. Uh Ashley is passionate about equal equity, opportunity, and making sure every student has tools and confidence to pursue higher education and meaningful careers. Her work is all about helping young people build their futures and in the process their lifelong legacies. Ashie, welcome to the show. This young this next young lady probably doesn't need an introduction. Everybody probably knows her. She's been around Columbus so long, and and I can't keep up with all the all the jobs and titles she's had, you know, but but they've all been about one thing. It's all been about one thing, helping young people. That's all it's been about for her. Her whole life has been that. Uh, she's an education leader, consultant, and strategist over 30 years of experience in transforming leadership, workforce development, and community education. She's the co-founder of Lead with Purpose, a NASI recognized innovator. Uh Coach King has dedicated her life to equity, purpose, and impact. So I want you guys to get ready for this inspiring conversation with Coach King and Ashie Logan. The other thing is that Coach King is also an author. She's written a book. Oh, I found the book now. I got the book, I got the book, I got the book, I got the book. She's an author. And and she's actually has about uh I got about five books over there, and she's gonna sign it, sign it for somebody, and then and somebody's gonna walk out of here with a a book from a published author. Give her a hand, give her a hand as she comes in and says, You got a mic.

SPEAKER_00:

Before you ask your question, Coach, I just want to let everybody know that Miss Logan, when I worked at I Know I Can, was my supervisor. So it's nice to be up here with Miss Logan today. Cool, sir. Well, so I'm Logan.

unknown:

Hello, hello.

SPEAKER_03:

Check one, check two.

SPEAKER_01:

If you've enjoyed this episode, please share it with family and friends. The Be a Baller Podcast is available on all major podcast platforms. This podcast was created by Coach Tim Brown and recorded and edited by the video production class of Worthington Christian High School. Be sure to come back next week as we continue to discuss on how to build a lifelong legacy. Until then, don't forget to be a baller.