On The Ball with Andrew Maraniss

Episode 93: Kelsey Davis

Kelsey Davis, Episocpal priest and co-founder of Christian Athlete Circles, joins the show to discuss her work to provide an inclusive and non-proselytizing resource for college athletes. A former collegiate, national team, and professional soccer player, Davis says "being an athlete is a great gift and a great challenge. In a world centered around the commodification of bodies, high-pressure environments, and ruthless schedules, it is extremely difficult to simultaneously train and perform at a high level while trying to live a life that is centered and intentional with meaningful conversations around your experiences."

Episode 92: Ricky Thrash and Darren Ambrose

Our resident soccer expert Ricky Thrash guest hosts this episode with Vanderbilt women’s soccer coach Darren Ambrose. They discuss the meaning of soccer in Darren’s life, the rise of the women’s soccer program at Vanderbilt, and the state of the global game.

Episode 91: Michael Husain

Filmmaker Michael Husain joins the show to talk about his incredible documentary, The Waiting Game. The film tells the little-known story of a renegade basketball league that inspired today's NBA – and the mostly Black players who have had to fight for decades for fair compensation and recognition. The ABA innovated pro basketball with the 3-point shot and slam dunk contest, and embraced Black culture in ways that the NBA had not yet. And despite the pioneering way the players of the ABA players played basketball, when the two leagues “merged” ABA players were forgotten in a business deal gone bad. The Waiting Game follows a dogged not-for-profit’s pursuit of benefits for former ABA players now struggling to survive. While the NBA generates $10+ billion a year, former ABA athletes struggle to buy life-saving medicines, avoid eviction, and worse. This documentary is about the fight to get them their due.

Episode 90: Danny Funt and Eric VanEpps

Author Danny Funt and Vanderbilt professor Eric VanEpps join the show to discuss the high societal costs of sports betting. Funt is the author of the highly acclaimed new book, “Everybody Loses: The Tumultuous Rise of American Sports Gambling.” The book looks at addiction, predatory marketing tactics, massive lobbying efforts, and the 180-degree shift by sports leagues in their embrace of sports betting. Along with colleague Jackie Silverman, VanEpps is studying how gambling on events makes people more willing to root for antisocial outcomes and the resulting degradation of empathy in society.

Episode 89: Janelly Farias

Janelly Farias, an Emmy Award-winning soccer commentator, came to Vanderbilt to speak to the women’s soccer team and the ‘Fútbol-Soccer: Culture, Gender, and Diaspora’ course taught by Prof. Celso Castilho. A former professional soccer player and Mexican National Team member Janelly is the author of a new memoir, “Surviving Women’s Soccer.” She writes candidly about lifelong mental health struggles, coming out as a lesbian athlete, taking on unjust systems in NCAA & Mexican pro soccer, and a near-death experience on a reality TV show.