A Swing at Golf and Rocking the I-94 Series(Hour 1)

Transcript

A Swing at Golf and Rocking the I-94 Series(Hour 1)

Nite Lite with Pete Schwaba and Greg Bach · Fri Oct 3, 2025

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

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Broadcasting live from the Civic Media Studios in Green Bay, this is Night Light with Peach Wabba.

Your inside source on everything entertainment from Wisconsin to Hollywood.

And now a guy who considers a silver medal, a participation award, Pete Schwabba.

Pete Schwaba

Welcome to Night Light, ladies and gentlemen.

A Friday night a version of the show.

I almost, I almost morphed into an Italian accent there, Conrad.

Well, let's hear it.

A Friday night a version of a night

light.

Pete Schwaba

Please don't do that again.

That was spot on.

Come on, man.

Welcome folks.

I am Pete Schwabba.

This is Night Light.

We are hoping to take you into your weekend tonight with two hours of all-out unabashed, unedited fun.

Well, partially edited.

Lots of stuff going on tonight.

I did it again.

Lots of stuff onto the show tonight.

What's up with you today?

Did you have a Italian meal or something?

Have a lot of pasta?

You know what I think it is?

I think

Pete Schwaba

I had, like you said we were talking about earlier, I had too much caffeine and it's too damn hot out.

I'm just grouchy.

I don't know what it is, but I- Do you have warm coffee on a hot day?

I do.

That's your problem.

Well, I don't know if you need to escalate it like that.

Yeah, I do.

I don't know.

I like hot coffee.

I'll drink a cold coffee, but I prefer the hot.

Well, mine has to be like ice, ice cold.

Pete Schwaba

On a hot day, but what's like what's your temperature cut off?

I mean we talking 60 here 80 or what

all right?

So I'm the opposite way probably I'll drink cold coffee in the winter

Pete Schwaba

even in the winter Wow I think the whole point of coffee is to kind of warm your soul a little bit.

I

think it's for the caffeine Yeah,

Pete Schwaba

but you could do that.

You could take a pill for that.

Well, it's not as

fun or a Red Bull.

It doesn't taste as though Red Bull is you know You remember how you tried Red Bull that coffee and you're like

A little too sweet for

Pete Schwaba

me.

I don't like it.

I don't I don't drink some water and go to bed get some rest and Hydrate there's no point.

There's no reason for anyone to drink Red Bull.

Yeah In college, I drank a lot of Red Bull

Pete Schwaba

really

well, honestly Red Bull trucks would come like every week, you know like or not trucks the little cars that have the Red Bull

Pete Schwaba

thing in the

bag Yeah, and then they'd be like you want a Red Bull

Pete Schwaba

first months free and I'm on my way to

class.

I'm like, yes,

Pete Schwaba

I will

take one

Pete Schwaba

please

And they're free, and that's how they hook you.

It's like a drug dealer.

I mean, I'm just saying.

The Red Bull drug dealer.

That's how I developed a crack habit.

On the way to class.

Hey, what do you got there?

Fun show tonight, folks.

We're going to talk a little.

Golf, a little kids golf, a great program that is happening right here in Northeast Wisconsin.

It's a national organization, but we have a chapter here in N-E-W-I called First Tea.

John Sabo will be here at 6.35.

He is the executive director of the Northeast Wisconsin branch of First Tea.

So we'll talk to John.

They do some really great things for youth, the youth of America.

Won't anybody think of the children well first he is and John will be here at 6 35 and then it is a bar band Friday night 7 35 tonight folks You know the time you know the place and you know the guest Terry bar co-host of max inc radio on WMDX Which you can also hear on the podcast at civic media dot US she will be here She's our Wisconsin music expert and she's featuring Well tonight

We have an artist from Madison.

She's gonna bring us and one from Northeast Wisconsin here who

we

Pete Schwaba

are We've

met.

Pete Schwaba

They're great

on the show.

Pete Schwaba

Maybe not even a

month ago.

They did a live performance to

Pete Schwaba

rocked it.

Yeah, it was

awesome Yeah, it was great.

Pete Schwaba

Love these guys.

So it'll be fun to talk about them again with Terry.

I'm anxious to get Terry's take on them too because

You know Terry brings us so much music.

Yeah over the last two years I think we might have in a couple times we introduced her to someone so that sounds kind of fun It might be it might be the case with a horse green.

Yes, yeah, you know as soon as they were done I texted her I was

Pete Schwaba

like these guys guys

yeah, yeah, and you know They have such a unique sound.

That's why I really like them.

Pete Schwaba

Oh totally.

They're like mixing different like

It's kind of got some funk, it's got some psychedelics, some rocks, some indie roots.

It's just great stuff.

And her second artist tonight, Shikari Desherre, I don't want to say too much.

We'll let

Kathryn Lake

Terry get into all

Pete Schwaba

that.

But they're both great.

So stick around for Barbie and Friday Night, folks, at 7.35.

And I want to get this out of the way because I thought this was a cool thing.

We have a friend who is next door.

at Ryzen Grand Coffee, Jocelyn.

She brings us free coffee once in a while, you know.

And I'm happy to pay for it, because she makes outstanding coffee.

I make it sound like she's bringing us free, because she's giving me two free coffees, to be honest, she hasn't got one.

She hasn't gave me one, so.

Yeah, she could step it up a little bit.

We like them a lot.

They have great gelato, great coffee, and her family is having a kind of a fundraiser this weekend, but anybody is welcome.

It's October 4th, that's tomorrow, at...

1264 Brayden Lane into Peer, Wisconsin, 5-4-1-1-5.

Look it up on the Apple Maps, the Google Maps, or your Atlas, or your Thomas Guide.

It starts at 12 p.m.

until the food is finished and this poster I'm looking at...

is outstanding.

And they're trying to raise money for a family member who needs a lot of money.

They don't have health insurance, and she's got Lyme disease, so I told Jocelyn I would put this out there.

And if you wanna go and have some food, it goes to a good cause, and it just looks outstanding.

If I lived in Green Bay, I would go to this.

I'm not saying it's not worth the hour drive to come back from right now, but on a Saturday.

If it was right after the show, I'd be over there mowing these tacos, because this poster looks amazing.

If I send this to you, can you put it up on the screen?

Yes, I can.

Oh, let's do that.

Jocelyn's worth it, even though she brings me free coffee.

Yeah, it's all right, it's all right.

No, she gives me free water whenever I go over there, so.

Pete Schwaba

No, they're awesome.

She and Abdi, her husband, it's a great business, rising grind, check it out.

But there's the poster, I just shared it.

And if you're around and to appear tomorrow at noon, great food, and really nice people, and it's for a great cause.

So check it out if you're so inclined.

Get this thing here.

I gotta move this from the stream There you go There is there's a poster if you're watching on the stream.

You can check it out.

That food looks amazing

Yeah, that looks tasty.

Pete Schwaba

See now if I'm you a young single guy with an appetite con, huh?

Look at yourself a couple tostadas.

Yeah Sounds pretty good.

I've heard there are gonna be a lot of single people.

I'm just saying I'm not trying to like

I'm not that guy, I'm just saying.

My wife went through that phase when we were like in our 20s, just trying to set everybody up.

I'm like, you gotta don't act out loud.

Sometimes people don't want that.

I had a thing, I was sitting at my porch today, kind of prepping the show, and I realized something about myself.

I think I would rather be attacked by a mountain lion than have just some little thing that flies land on me.

Okay,

Pete Schwaba

they can do no damage even if it tried.

I don't know what happens to me I call it bug spazzing something lands on you and I literally freak out

But what a felt mountain lion lands on you

Pete Schwaba

at least I see it coming You're done.

No, I do that.

I do the thing where I stick my forearm way down its throat so it can't bite me

You know that could uh Mow your arm off right there

Pete Schwaba

it could but it's easy for me to say that because there are very few mountain lions in Marinette, Wisconsin

Never know what a month never know exactly So I got a I got a calm down because it's not really it's like it can't even hurt you or anything No, it was like a fly or some type of horse flyers,

you know the one Okay, when it's like this type of weather Yeah, it's those like swarm of like little tiny bugs

Pete Schwaba

like

the

Pete Schwaba

gnats or the main

accidentally like walk into it

Pete Schwaba

and all of a sudden

they're just all over you

Pete Schwaba

it's horrible

that's

That's that's terrible.

Pete Schwaba

You know what I did about a week and a half ago.

I Walked toward my sliding doors to get out to the porch and I walked through a web, but it was all sticky Oh, and a friend of mine said that's when they have just they like just literally spun the web So you

destroyed the home

Pete Schwaba

I did and I didn't I didn't think about it and then later I think was the next night I look up and there's a spider web huge spider inside my house.

Oh

Pete Schwaba

And I still couldn't, I just wrapped it up and put it outside.

I'm sure it's already moved back in.

You know, I have, I have one, when I lived in Milwaukee, that would be on my car mirror, like the left.

Pete Schwaba

Oh

yeah.

And it just, every morning I'd go out there and there'd be a new.

Pete Schwaba

What is the deal?

Why do they do, I know that happens to my mirror too.

I

think you can get under, you know, get behind that mirror.

Pete Schwaba

Yeah.

And then they like kind of burrow in there.

Pete Schwaba

Creepy.

Yeah, but every morning I'd be like, all right, well, I'm going to wreck your home today.

Pete Schwaba

Your home wrecker.

Hey, let's get to our night like question of the night.

We got a good one.

Here it is.

Let's talk about the question.

OK, question.

Question.

Question.

Pregunta.

Question.

Question.

OK, I have a question.

Questions.

This question.

Domanda.

Question.

Question.

Questions.

Pete Schwaba

What celebrity do people tell you you look like?

Or, what celebrity do you wish you looked like?

What celebrity do people tell you you look like and what celebrity do you want to look like?

855-752-4842-8555-75CIVIC.

You can also text us on the app.

We love getting texts on the app and you can also drop us a stream comment at YouTube, Facebook, or X, or Twitter, or whatever, or Friendster.

Drop us a stream comment.

We will read it on the radio and let's have some fun with this.

I I'll go first And I said this on social media too when I'm in shape I Hear Sean Penn a lot When I'm not in shape I hear Chris Penn his fat brother.

Oh, no It's terrible, but it's like Yeah, I'm one of those people when I put on weight.

I look like a different guy.

It's not even like You wouldn't look at me go is that Pete?

But with a few extra pounds, you go, who is that?

You know, some guys get like, they get a little punch, but their face looks the same.

Nope, not me.

I go full Chris Penn.

I have a picture on of Chris Penn.

Pete Schwaba

Put it up.

Pulled

up.

Do it.

I have it.

Pete Schwaba

Great actor.

I'm just looking at you and going back and forth.

Pete Schwaba

And I'm not talk, I'm not Chris Penn footloose.

This is Chris Penn like, was he in reservoir dogs?

I didn't even know Sean Penn had a brother.

He died in like 06.

Did you have to find the fattest picture of him?

He's a better looking guy than that.

Yeah, but that's honestly, and I've heard when I was younger, I used to hear Michael Douglas a lot.

I'd hear Don Henley.

And none of them I minded, you know, Michael Douglas, a handsome enough guy.

But I was on, they call it the incline in Pittsburgh.

You go up the hill and it's like what the miners used to ride.

So I'd go up the hill to the condo.

I was probably 26 and there were these two girls that were like, you're Michael Douglas.

Are you Michael Douglas?

Why are you in Pittsburgh, Michael Douglas?

I go, Michael Douglas is like 60.

I might look like his younger brother, but honestly, do the math here.

Terrible.

See, there's a lot of nice pictures at Christopher Penn.

You could have picked one, right?

That was really mean.

What did you say?

I said Ryan Gosling.

Oh, I can see that.

I couldn't even joke about it, my God.

I said Ryan Gosling, you know, but, you know, the celebrity I wish I looked like, the rock.

But right now, he looks more like the pebble, so.

Pete Schwaba

Yeah, you'd rather look like the rock than Ryan Gosling.

Yeah.

You could pass for Ryan Gosling right after he was born.

You look like baby Ryan

Gosling.

Pete Schwaba

Those are both good looking guys.

I did

have someone say something really, really mean to me once and

Pete Schwaba

it

hurt my feelings.

It was someone I've never met.

They just texted me, you know, one of the dating apps a while ago.

And it said, you look like someone.

I said, okay, who's that?

And they said, Josh Gad.

And I said, please never text me again.

Pete Schwaba

You know what you should have said, let me ask you this, can Josh Gad bench 250?

You gotta think, you know, own it man and go back out.

You know, Josh Gad has, he's pretty

funny, but.

Oh

Pete Schwaba

yeah, very talented

guy.

I said, all right, it's time to get in shape.

Pete Schwaba

Sometimes you need that wake up call.

The worst I ever heard was Bob Green, who was a columnist for the Tribune and he looked like, well, like Chris Penn's cousin, but.

That's all right.

You're right.

You use that as motivation to get in shape.

So that's our question of the night, folks.

Have fun with it.

What celebrity do people tell you you look like?

What celebrity do you want to look like?

Let us know.

We will read your text on the radio.

When we come back, I'm going to tell you something about Peaky Blinders.

And we'll talk some Cubs and Brewers.

It's Pete Chihuahua and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

Stay up to date on the latest news and information for your local community and Wisconsin by signing up for our free email newsletter.

Visit civicmedia.us slash email to get

Pete Schwaba

started.

I'm going to talk about golf and a great kids program regarding golf at 635 with my first guest, John Sabo.

That's coming up.

He is part of a group, the executive director, I believe, of this area's chapter called First Tea.

John will be here in studio.

That will be fun.

Our question of the night is, what celebrity do people tell you you look like?

What celebrity do you want to look like?

And you know, this is your blank canvas folks.

So make yourself pretty if you want or outrageous or whatever you think.

Let us know what you think about that.

Elon Musk is trying to cancel Netflix apparently.

He has 227 million Twitter ex-followers.

I

Pete Schwaba

saw

that post today.

I redownloaded Twitter today.

Pete Schwaba

Oh really?

Yeah.

Because my friend told me he messaged me on there and he's like, super funny, you gotta download it again.

Wasn't that good?

No, I cannot.

Now you're back on Twitter.

No, I'm just here.

Pete Schwaba

I don't know, I just turned it off.

Don't watch it.

He even has it.

He said they're like trying to indoctrinate kids through their programming.

I mean, there's gotta be a billion shows on Netflix.

Yeah.

If there's a thousand of them that have a gay theme or

honestly...

You could say they're about any streaming platform right now.

Pete Schwaba

Do they not have the right to make those shows?

Could those people not be representing anything?

It's ridiculous.

And he's a trans daughter and most of his kids, by whatever, don't even know him.

I think after you name your kid X, Y, Z, 4, 5,

Pete Schwaba

2,

I think you lose all

Pete Schwaba

rights.

He's right up there with Nick Cannon.

They probably get together and have tea and talk about kid names.

Nick Cannon has made better names than Elon Musk, I'll say that.

Pete Schwaba

They're definitely.

Yeah, that's true.

Yeah, Elon's kid's names are out there.

Are you a Peaky Blinders fan?

I am not.

Pete Schwaba

I actually have never seen it.

I have to be.

I like the first season and I just never went back to it, but I think I am going to start watching it again.

I kind of need a new show and I think I might check that out.

And there's a movie coming out and then two more seasons of a prequel or sequel.

And there's like five seasons of it I haven't watched.

And it's considered, it's in the conversation as one of the best shows.

So I didn't feel that way about it when I watched it.

I liked it, but

I don't know.

All right.

Go ahead.

I was gonna say remember when we did that question where as mediocre shows or sitcoms, you know Yeah, one of them that came up.

It was two broke girls.

I was like,

Pete Schwaba

oh, yeah

Never seen it.

So it's on the Roku.

So I was like, oh, I'll just watch an episode.

I He's so bad that the acting in it is terrible like they try to make a joke and then it stops for a second like

almost like they're looking at the camera like

Pete Schwaba

oh no it's so bad it looked bad and then there was that other show that came out and then Don't Trust the Bee in apartment 23 or something like that then there was another WB show called Zoe Duncan Jack and Jane or something there were all those like there's a whole bunch of like kind of mediocre sitcoms in the 90s and most of them didn't last long and a lot of them they needed content like on

networks like the WB or UPN at the time, they needed content.

But they put out some very mediocre shows.

All right, Con, let's... When I left here last night, I don't know if the Cubs were about to win or had just won, but I know the Cubs pitcher beamed two guys.

Yeah.

Craig, Council left.

After you've been one guy in the ninth, you get him out.

I don't think the guy's not up for it.

Get him out of there.

Council kept him in.

I think it was the same guy being two guys.

Yeah.

And then he yanked him finally and the Cubs held on with you said you were nervous Are you really I mean I know the Cubs won the season series, but it was like by a game and I feel like The Brewers came on strong and I'm saying this is a cup fan the Brewers came on strong They I mean they were the best team in baseball the last half.

Well, yeah Yeah, you know, it's just a it's a rivalry.

So, you know, they're both gonna be coming in just wanting to beat the other team super Super bad,

Pete Schwaba

you know, it is kind of sweet that we have no

Well, you'll watch football anyway, but like the Bears or the Packers aren't playing but instead we get the Cubs and the Brewers And it's gonna be a gorgeous weekend like this is bring on the buy this weekend as far as I'm concerned because you got playoff baseball And you got a beautiful weekend But

Kathryn Lake

folks if

Pete Schwaba

you want to chime in and tell us who you think is gonna win the series My guess is it will lean Brewers, but give us a prediction.

You could do that as well 8 5 5 7 5 2 4 8 4 2

Phone lines are open.

You can also text us on the app or drop us a stream comment.

Let us know who you think is going to win this Highway 94 series.

Is that what you're calling it?

Yeah.

The I-94 series.

You know, I said whoever wins is whatever state wins.

The state that lost can't go

Pete Schwaba

to the other

states.

Can't go to the I-94.

Pete Schwaba

Can't use I-94.

You have to take 41 the whole way.

That's what we're battling for.

Pete Schwaba

Let's get to some of your texts.

Our question, once again, is what celebrity do people tell you you look like or what celebrity do you want to look like?

Edward from the 414 says Eddie Mercury.

I don't think so.

Huge fan, though.

He's got a really unique look.

You know what's funny?

Rami... What's his name?

Rami Manik Manuel.

You know the hometown.

Malik.

Played Freddie Mercury.

In the movie about Queen or about Freddie Mercury.

I don't remember what it's called, but and he put in like fake teeth and I don't even think he needed him like Rami Malik still he has a look that's like that anyway.

I thought that was too much But he looks like Freddie Mercury.

That's a good look at work.

You could do a lot worse than Freddie Mercury Well done John from Columbia County says Kevin Maisie.

Who's that con?

That I'm

Pete Schwaba

gonna go to the Google for that one, buddy

Stand by John.

We'll get confirmation.

I want to know what John looks like.

So if we can find Kevin Maisie, he's an athlete, isn't he?

I honestly can't find.

Is

Pete Schwaba

he a trumpet player?

I put Matsy.

He looks

Pete Schwaba

like a maestro.

Yeah, maestro.

Pete Schwaba

That's very distinguished.

Yeah, I'll take that.

Very high class John from Columbia County.

Thank you, buddy.

Tyler from Wisconsin Rapids.

He's in the 608.

He says the unknown comic from the GONG show.

That was the guy that wore the bag over his head.

Tyler says he's the spitting image.

All right.

Let us know.

Keep those texts coming, folks.

You can let us know who you think is going to win the Cubs Brewer Series.

Have fun with it.

We're going to be talking a little golf next.

It's our last night for the Civic Media.

Go for the green and gold text to win contest, our multi-state contest.

I'll give you the keyword after the news.

at the top of the hour and some more details, too, as we get closer to that.

We are coming right back after the news and talking some golf.

It's Pete Chihuahua in Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio Network.

Welcome back.

I'm Pete Chihuahua.

This is Night Light, a Friday night version, folks.

It's the most fun night of the week, and it's great to have you here, although it is a long way on Monday.

We'll have to count the days so we can get back in the air and talk about the things we'd love to talk about, but in the meantime...

We still got a ways to go here tonight, and we've got two fun guests.

It's a Bar Band Friday night.

Terry Barr will be here at 730 with some great music tonight.

She is out on herself, and I know I say that every week, but I really mean it this week.

She's never let us down.

She's outstanding and fun to talk to.

And right now, I'm very excited to welcome my next guest.

This is the first time he's been on Night Light, and he is the executive director.

of the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of First T, Mr. John Sabo.

Hey, buddy.

Hello, how's it going?

Nice to meet you.

Yeah, thanks for having me.

I saw you golfing out there on Washington Street tonight, and it's

a tough course.

It's a tough course.

The nice thing is if you can hit it straight, the ball goes for a mile.

Pete Schwaba

So it just

keeps bouncing.

Pete Schwaba

I don't know if you know this.

Conrad is an avid golfer.

Yeah, that's true.

He went out yesterday.

I did.

I was freezing yesterday.

It was like 65 out.

Actually, it was beautiful.

I'll say it was beautiful yesterday.

Well, compared to today, it was a little chilly.

But Conrad loves to golf.

You're a big fan of golf.

Let's get to know you a little bit first, John, here, before we jump into first tee.

So first of all, do people tell you you look like a celebrity?

I've

gotten, I look like Elf, for Will Ferrell from the movie, before the long beard.

And the most recent one is I get Yukon Cornelius a lot.

Pete Schwaba

Who is that?

You've got

Cornelius.

From the old animation, Christmas movies.

Yeah.

And the Island of Misfit Toys.

Awesome.

That's

Pete Schwaba

a great one.

So

I've dressed up as that for Christmas parties before and got my buddies to dress up as misfit toys.

So

Pete Schwaba

it's been pretty fun.

That's outstanding.

Well, our mutual friend, Brad, introduced us.

And I know he's a golf fan, so I assume you are too, obviously.

And you sound like you found a really

great gig for someone who loves golf at First Tea.

Tell us first of all a little bit about First Tea.

What does First Tea do and what

is it?

So First Tea what we do is we are part of a national or international organization actually.

So there are three chapters in the state of Wisconsin.

We have one primarily here in the Green Bay area, one in the Milwaukee area and then one in the Madison area.

So what we do is we provide youth development through the game of golf.

So we have a life skills curriculum that basically teaches kids how to handle life's challenges all while teaching them a game they can play their entire life.

So it's a pretty cool gig, like you said.

Yeah, because you get to be on a golf course most days and you get to work with kids.

So it's all about.

Basically teaching we call them our five key commitments stuff like good judgment Collaborating with others Basically, it's all about how do we?

Create good human beings

Kathryn Lake

all

while teaching them something really cool where they they don't necessarily understand it Because I think they're just learning golf, but really they're learning things that they can take them through their entire entire life

Pete Schwaba

Yeah, that's really cool.

And I like what you said about you could play it for the rest of your life.

I remember some of the sports we played as kids, it's like you just stop when you're 18 or even sooner and golf tennis, some of these sports you can play and keep doing them and be active.

That's what I love about golf.

Like I wish I had played golf more when I was younger.

It's a great game.

So what does first tee?

Is it a non-for-profit or how does that

work?

Yeah, we're a non-for-profit.

So what we do is we run

classes throughout the year.

So we were fortunate that a couple of years ago we opened a indoor facility out at Mid Valley Golf Course, our Trinks Learning Center.

So that allows us to offer the programming year round.

So what we do is our busiest time of the year is obviously during the summer.

So right now we're just wrapping up classes.

But we offer essentially how we structure our programming is we do month-long classes.

And it's typically twice a week.

for the month of, let's say June or July.

And then it's all priced affordably so that anyone can do it.

So we never turn anyone down.

We

Kathryn Lake

have

scholarships available for those that can't afford it.

We have equipment available for all kids that need equipment.

And then as we kind of recycle through our equipment, we actually provide that equipment to kids at like a buck of club.

So you can get a full set of clubs.

for like 10 bucks.

Wow.

And then we're really fortunate that we have donors that come in.

I've got gallons of golf balls.

So the kids can come in, get golf balls, never have to worry about paying for golf balls, stuff like that.

And then we also, they get involved through school programs.

So we have another schools that reach out to us.

For instance, Bayview Middle School, often Howard Tuomaco just got done doing a month long golf program with their PE classes.

So we provide training for their PE teachers and then the equipment and they can just kind of run with it.

And then all those kids get exposed to the great game, which is pretty cool.

So how does, how

Pete Schwaba

does it teach?

What, what is it about golf?

the kids take away that they can use their whole life.

To me, playing golf, I'm terrible under pressure.

If there's a big putt, I know I'm going to miss it.

I psych myself up.

What is it, though?

Is it just keeping your cool when you hit a bad shot?

Is it being out in the sun?

What values do you teach the kids through

golf?

There's so many different things with the game of golf that you can relate to real life.

So if you think about a rounded golf,

You're gonna have great shots.

You're gonna have bad shots.

You're gonna go through the gamut of emotions.

So the first thing it kind of teaches kids is how do we handle those emotions?

How do we handle the high highs and the low lows?

And how do we handle it when it can all happen within 15 minutes of each other?

So it's teaching the kids that, okay, those great moments, how do we have them respectfully?

Because we have our competitors with us.

And how do we handle those moments when we're not playing well?

and we have to focus and reset ourselves so that we can not let it affect the rest of our round.

So similar to in life, if we have a bad day, how do we reset, recognize it, and then figure out, okay, how do I change my mindset?

How do I go, that happened?

Now what do I do to move forward so that I can still have a great day?

Pete Schwaba

derail your whole game, which is very similar to life, you know, you make one small mistake, you lose your temper and it snowballs, you know, that's how golf can be.

Exactly.

And with golf, it's a lot of etiquette as well.

So there's no referees, there's it's all self policing.

You call your own penalties, basically.

So it's it's that etiquette, it's that honesty that you are taking with you then when, oh, did I really do that?

Or

did I, you know,

what we talk a lot about is respect.

So that's part of our core curriculum and respecting the golf course, leaving it in a better condition than it was before.

But then how do you take that into your classroom?

How do you respect your siblings?

What do you, how does that work with your parents?

And it's pretty cool because at times,

Well, we typically talk about it during class, we integrate it, and then kids will come back and say, oh, Coach John, Coach John, my parents told me to do this and I did it right away.

Is that a good example of respect?

And it's like, yes, you're respecting your parents by not having them have to ask you 30 times to do something.

So it's those things that are, like I said, we seamlessly integrate them into the instructions.

So the kids are not fully, I would say,

It's not thrown in their face.

Like,

oh, you

have

Kathryn Lake

to

learn this.

It's really, oh, let's go learn golf.

And in the process, you're learning really cool things that are just awesome to do.

That's

Pete Schwaba

so great.

My guess is John Sabo.

He is the executive director of First Tea, the Northeast Wisconsin chapter.

They do great things for kids, teaching them the game of golf and the game of life.

Have you ever thrown a club?

Ooh, yes, I have.

In front of

the

Pete Schwaba

kids.

Not in front of the

kids.

So, yeah, but again, great example.

Okay, I've got to learn to control my emotions, learn how to do it.

And we do it as an example of what not to do on a golf course.

It's a good teaching experience for the kids.

Pete Schwaba

That's excellent.

How old were you when you started playing golf?

I've started playing golf probably around three years old.

I think was the first

Pete Schwaba

time that I

started playing.

So it's been a, been a few years.

Um, pretty much been part of my life the, uh, the entire time I've loved playing.

Um, what's your like a handicap?

What are you?

So right now I'm at about a 4.5.

So good enough to, to stay in trouble and be competitive, but also on any given day could, uh, could have a really high number, which just makes the game even more humbling.

Pete Schwaba

I, you know, I don't know when it happened for me, but I played as a kid and most of the time in Northern Wisconsin, like golf courses that were not that great, you know, they were kind of sandy and hard ground.

And then I played at Chicago public courses where they have the mats and you put the tea in.

So I never have played, but a few years ago, I hadn't golfed in years, a friend of mine and Brad McCarville, our mutual friend was there.

He and our other friend, Tom were in one cart and I was in another cart with another guy, there was four of us.

And the guy I was with, I'm not gonna name him, but was hammered.

And he lined up a shot and hit the shot without like kind of clocking where the other guys were.

John, I'm not kidding.

The ball went between the bars of the cart and their faces.

They almost died.

Then we had a talking to him.

But Brad might not be here.

So I'm glad he made it through that.

Yeah.

I mean, I'm glad too.

Brad's one of

Pete Schwaba

our

top coaches.

We can't lose him.

Pete Schwaba

Is

he one of the coaches?

Yeah.

He's one of our coaches.

He actually volunteers every Tuesday night throughout the summer.

And then he also does it all the way through the winter as well.

So he's our Tuesday night coach.

And he is.

Wonderful with the kids and we are it's a blessing to have him so it was great when he reached out and said hey John I want to get involved I'm like oh you are did

Pete Schwaba

you know him

already I did he went to high school with my mom

Pete Schwaba

oh yeah but he uh no I could see that's good to know because Brad used to have the right to use to calm the Bob Knight of kids golf coaching so I'm glad he worked his stuff out and he did

yeah we keep him under wraps

Pete Schwaba

so

It's

Pete Schwaba

a 4.5 handicap.

Good.

What does that mean?

Yeah, that's great.

4.5 under the par.

That's above par, right?

Pete Schwaba

It's above par, yeah.

Okay.

That's still good.

So it's mid-70s.

I don't listen.

And I'm saying this like, because I'm curious, because like my wife and I are at the age where, you know, both of our kids are mostly out of the house.

It's like, she's like, what are we going to do?

I don't know.

Golf?

So she wants to take up golf now and I'm not that good and I mean she's probably better than me But so one of the two late to learn.

Oh, it's never too late.

Okay One of the best systems that I ever heard was playing with that with a guy and it was awesome.

It was me my dad him and He's just like we asked him like oh, what'd you get?

What'd you get?

He's like, um, I don't really go by score.

I give myself more of a letter grade So I'd say about a C-minus on that one

And it's just

Pete Schwaba

perfect.

It's like, that's just awesome.

It's like, oh.

It's so funny because when I would golf like at my grandma's cottage up in Three Lakes, my dad has a big family and they're kind of big age ranges.

And I had a couple uncles that used to golf barefoot.

They used to have a beer in their hand.

And it was, I mean, you're talking laid back like the 1970s.

Does anybody still golf like that?

Like it seems like the sport has evolved into this sort of.

Elite, elitist.

And I know a lot of golfers don't want to hear that because I don't think all of them are like that.

But you don't see a lot of people casually, you don't see a lot of high tops and tank tops out on the golf courses anymore.

I think courses have reeled it in a little bit, but you definitely still see it.

If you go to some of the courses, you'll still see the barefoot, the tank tops, you know, burning the heater and drinking the beers.

And so it's still out there.

But I would say,

People golf has just gotten more fun.

I think it's it's in the aspect Colvin was great for golf And people just they enjoy it more so

Pete Schwaba

they're trying

yeah, you get to be outside.

Yeah

Pete Schwaba

So how did you get involved with first tea like what were you doing before you did this?

I would imagine there's a full-time job, right?

Yes, this is a full-time job for me.

So what I was doing So I've been involved with our particular chapter

probably on and off for about five, well, more than five years, about 10 years now.

So I started out one of the previous chair for the board reached out to me and asked if I wanted to get involved in volunteer coaching.

So at the time I was working for St.

Norbert College.

So he knew I loved golf.

And so I started volunteering.

And then I eventually worked my way onto the board.

And then I ended up taking a new job up into our county.

So I was kind of a little ways away and I'm like, I need to step down from the board.

I had my first son and it was awesome.

It's a blessing.

And then, you know, I decided to step away for a little bit just to, uh, cause we were kind of far away from family and then.

Got the call, and I'm like, yeah, I'm like, this would be awesome.

No, you're in your dream

Pete Schwaba

gig.

So now I'm in my dream gig.

All right, let's pick up there.

We're going to do a very short break.

We're coming right back with John Sabo from First Tea Northeast, Wisconsin.

This is Pete Schwab and Nightlight on the Civic Media Radio

Network.

Kathryn Lake

You're listening to Civic Media.

Find the latest news, information, and archives of all your favorite shows on the Civic Media website,

civicmedia.us.

Pete Schwaba

Oh man, we're gonna have fun reading these texts.

We're getting more action on the Cubs Brewers than we are on the question of the night, but we'll have fun with all of that.

What is the

score for the Cubs Brewers game right

Pete Schwaba

now?

Tomorrow they start.

Oh, tomorrow.

So yeah, we just ask people for like a prediction, you know, assuming like I'm a Cubs fan, but I'm sorry.

I know a lot of people are gonna be like...

leaning brewers, which is fine.

You know, Conn and I talk about this semi-regularly, but Tom from New Berlin says, Peter, learning golf, you're gonna get frustrated.

Okay, thank you, Tom.

Thanks for the faith.

That is probably the most accurate statement of the night.

Listen, I play Wii golf, and I find that frustrating at some point, but I actually love Wii golf.

Have you ever played?

Yeah, it's a ton of fun.

It's not another good at it, but it's fun.

That's the only I think I'm good at we golf and it would probably end there.

And you talk about COVID like to be out, you know, what a great game to find during COVID because where I live in Marinette, a friend of ours came back, he was living in Oakland at the time and he said, we got to play this game.

It's called soccer golf.

And we all have our own ball.

So it was like COVID friendly, you know, we kick it to a tree.

And John

I am not lying to you.

I cannot believe how frustrated that came.

Like you'll miss like a soccer ball on a tree this big and you'll miss it and it'll drive you bananas just like real

golf.

Oh, yeah.

That's like if you ever get a chance to play a big cup tournament, that the cup is about five times or six times the size of an actual of a standard car.

Pete Schwaba

Oh,

really?

And it is the most frustrating thing in the world because you can't comprehend how hard it is to still miss a putt.

And like, how do you lip out a.

Cup that's

Pete Schwaba

12 inches around like it's just it's frustrating.

That is frustrating.

All right, you guys have some upcoming events I know that you talked about some fundraiser.

You want to tell us about those?

Yeah, we got a couple cool fundraisers that are coming up one right now We're doing a pebble beach raffle.

So what that entitles is it's a hundred dollars a ticket We sell a max of 400 tickets and the winner receives four rounds of golf at pebble beach four rounds of golf at spyglass

and then two three night states at the Spanish end.

So it's pretty cool.

Basically, all you got to do is get yourself out there, pay Uncle Sam because he loves it to get his cut and then just enjoy yourself.

So last year, we only sold 170 tickets.

So your odds were pretty good.

Kathryn Lake

And the winner,

it was actually a group of four guys that went in and all bought.

kind of tickets together.

So that group is heading out there in November, I believe that is the date they took.

So it's

Pete Schwaba

pretty

cool.

Yeah.

Yeah.

It's fortunately for me, it's one of my board members, which was awesome.

And I'm like, you're going to be doing some live streaming and promotion of this

event for

us.

So

Pete Schwaba

enjoy.

Conrad, can you scrape together a hundred bucks?

That sounds like something right up your alley,

right?

Yeah, I would say so.

Perfect.

Yeah,

and then the the other event we have our biggest fundraiser of the year is our soup and suds event that happens January 30th It's at the Oneida casino hotel and it we get the local beer distributors together.

So last year we had about 85 different craft beers and then about 18 restaurants came and Supplied different samples everything from soups.

Obviously it's

soup and suds to sliders to

desserts, um, all sorts of different things.

It's about 50 bucks a ticket.

Pete Schwaba

Oh, that's

not bad.

Yeah.

And it's right at the casino.

So you can come gamble.

We've got a huge silent auction, uh, 50, 50 year Apple.

Um, and it turns out to be an awesome night and we'll have it's, uh, we're working out the details yet, but we'll have stay and play packages, stuff like that.

So you can stay right there at the casino.

Enjoy yourself at the event.

Stay there.

try to win some money.

Hopefully you win some money and you come back and spend it with us.

So two great fundraisers that we're definitely selling tickets.

You can find that information on our website at firsttnew.org.

Pete Schwaba

Outstanding.

That's the voice of John Sabo.

He is the executive director of the Northeast Wisconsin chapter of First T. They've reached over 10 million, or they've had over 10 million participants.

You have actively engaged 20,000 volunteers

And I love that you try to make golf affordable for people who don't have the means because it's not a cheap sport.

Like all sports are getting expensive because you got travel teams and all that stuff.

But yes, golf greens fees not cheap.

So that's nice that you guys make an effort to include everybody too.

Yeah, no, absolutely.

And like I said, we have scholarships available for anyone that we never want to turn anyone away.

So that's the biggest thing.

And one great thing about.

golf that is I think different from team sports or other other sports is the ability to as we talk about I'm a pretty good golfer you're so so but

Kathryn Lake

we

can have a ton of fun together playing

Kathryn Lake

you have the right

attitude whereas if I'm a really good basketball player and you're a really terrible basketball player it's probably not going to be that enjoyable so it brings people together of

all

Pete Schwaba

the

abilities that they can have fun, enjoy it.

So it's pretty cool.

Pete Schwaba

There's only so many times you can get dunked on before you're going to go.

You know what?

This isn't very fun.

All right.

Two quick questions for you before we let you go, John.

It's been really fun.

Thank you for making the drive up from Appleton.

It was great to meet you.

Favorite golfer?

Oh, good question.

I would say Rory McRoy.

I am a huge Rory fan.

I just love what he's done for the game of golf.

And I think he's a ton of fun to watch.

Um, and Scotty, I mean, the top two players in the world.

So it's kind of a no brainer answer, but they're just both, they're both a ton of fun.

And I think they, they are bringing the right attitude and the right demeanor to the game.

Pete Schwaba

Conrad, who is Scotty?

Scottie Shuffler, Scottie Shuffler.

Oh yeah, Scottie Shuffler.

Yeah, absolutely.

The Shuffler Shuffle.

Pete Schwaba

I worked on a comedy show, comedy sports show years ago, and we had John Daly on.

That was a trip.

He was a guest star, and he had a little trouble with his lines, but it was fun.

And last thing, we've got about, I would say a minute, John, favorite golf movie.

I'd have to say there's two.

Obviously the original happy Gilmore is just you got to go there.

I love what they try to do with the second one.

It's entertaining, but you just can't beat the original and probably the legend of Baker Vance.

It's one

of

those.

The golf movie.

It's just a different style.

It's more of the Will Smith, right?

Will Smith, Matt Damon and Charlie.

I can't remember.

I can't pronounce her last name, but just kind of a different twist on golf and they asked what the more the mental side of it and how golf can really bring you back.

There

Pete Schwaba

are

so many good

Pete Schwaba

ones.

Come back before you do that big fundraiser after the first of the year.

I'd love to.

We'll talk again.

This has been fun, John.

Thank you very much.

John Sabo, ladies and gentlemen, check out First Tea.

They do great stuff.

We're coming right back after intermission for Act 2, and I'm going to give you the keyword to our Go For The Greening Old Text to Win Contest.

This is Pete Schwabba in Night Light, a Friday night night light on the Civic Media Radio

Network.

Kathryn Lake

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