I have always had a passion for athletics and sports and have been lucky enough to spend my entire career in this field. I founded DASH Sports in effort to offer well organized, skill-based sports camps for kids. I truly enjoy working with youth athletes every day as well as building a small business.
Q: Please tell us a little bit about your family.
We have 5 kids, 2 dogs and a cat! All our children are involved in sports which keeps us very busy. Destanie is a Freshman at NDSU in the nursing program, Jack is a Junior in high school, he does track and field. Brianna is a 9th grader, Grant is 7th grade, both love to play basketball, and Cole is a 2nd grader who currently loves soccer. Becky and I love to go golfing together in the summer when we get some free time and we’ve spent the last few months remodeling our home. We have two dogs, Mae and Bella, who love the local dog park, and a cat, Collie, who we see for about 5 minutes each day, he likes to keep to himself!
Q: Please tell us about your current, past, or future career. What do you love most about what you do?
I always played sports, ultimately having an opportunity to play football in college, and upon completing my undergrad degree in health and exercise science, I enrolled at St. Cloud State University in their exercise physiology graduate program. I loved spending time in the gym and working out, and more importantly, I had a passion for helping others with their health and fitness. After completing school, I worked for 8 years as a strength and conditioning coach for athletes. At this time, I worked closely with the owner of the company and began to shift my focus more from training athletes to developing the business. I found that I had just as much passion for building and operating a business as working in the gym. I spent the next 10 years as a Business Development and Operation manager for two different youth sports companies in the Twin Cities. In 2021, I founded DASH Sports and have had the opportunity to use all the skills I have developed thus far in my career to build my own company.
Q: What are a couple of your favorite restaurants in our community?
I enjoy Carbone’s for pizza and pull tabs with the family, B-52’s for a beer and burger after a fun round of golf in the summertime, and Barley and Vine for a fancy dinner.
Q: How long have you lived or worked in our community?
I have lived in Lakeville for 3 years and I have worked in the area for 6 years.
Q: Who is the most interesting person you’ve met here in our community?
Bryan Mileski is the most interesting person I’ve met in Lakeville. He lives in Lakeville and owns a local batting cage/baseball training facility, and he is also the founder and owner of the Mid States Poker Tour.
Q: If you could travel anywhere in the world right now, where would it be and why?
Although I love Minnesota, and will never permanently move, right now it is -11 degrees outside, so I would head South, somewhere warm. Florida or Arizona maybe? Anything to take a break from the freezing winter days.
Q: What is one of your favorite movies? TV shows?
My favorite movie is ‘The Count of Monte Cristo’. I always liked it because it is a great ‘comeback’ story. Lately, I have been interested in the ‘Ozark’ series on Netflix. I do enjoy heading out to the movies, although haven’t been able to enjoy that as much as I’d like lately.
Q: What advice would you give to people?
‘Be Who You Are’. This is advice I give to a lot of the young people I coach and work with. Simply put, just be who you are, don’t let others try to change or influence who you are deep inside and be confident and embrace ‘you’.
Q: What is something on your bucket list?
I would really enjoy getting a hole in one on the golf course or shoot a round under 80. Golf is one of the few sports that is incredibly challenging for me, and I really enjoy getting out in the summertime. Crystal Lake golf course in Lakeville is one of my favorites.
Q: What is your go to band when you can’t decide what to listen to?
I love country music, so if you are hanging out with me, that’s probably what’s playing on the speaker.
Q: What current or former local business makes you the most nostalgic about our community?
I don’t have a specific business, but I really enjoy the atmosphere of downtown Lakeville and the older parts of town. I like seeing the older buildings and where the city started.
Q: If you could choose anyone that is alive today and not a relative; with whom would you love to have lunch? Why? And where locally would y’all meet for this lunch?
I would like to have lunch with Jack Black. I think it would be a blast to sit down and chat with him. I have followed his musical career since he first started, and I love all his movies. Any restaurant with surf and turf, I’ll take a medium rare filet and a pound of king crab legs.
Q: What is your favorite thing or something unique about our community?
I love that there are so many parks, lakes, and golf courses around! Summertime is my favorite time to enjoy the city, and we have so many great recreation options to choose from.
Q: Where do you see yourself in 5 to 10 years?
In 5 years, I will still be actively working on continuing to build DASH Sports, likely with other locations in other major metro areas. In 10 years, semi-retired, spending most of my time enjoying my family and most likely still working as a consultant part time to help other small business owners in the sports industry.
Q: (Even for friends or family), what is something interesting that most people don’t know about you?
I like to tell people that I have the worst quarterback rating of all time in college football history. I played running back and my senior year, we ran a half-back pass. I threw an interception, so my lifetime passing stats are 0-1, 1 INT. Not great!
Q: What is the most beautiful place you have ever been?
We took a trip to the Black Hills in SD two summers ago and visited several beautiful areas there. Too many to mention, but I highly recommend that summer vacation for those who haven’t experienced it.
Q: Favorite month? favorite holiday? and best single day on the calendar?
Favorite Month is probably August, it’s the end of summer, weather is nice and hot, and that’s when we usually take our family vacation. Favorite holiday is Christmas, can’t beat having all the family together and getting to see everyone. I love the Christmas atmosphere, the music, the lights…. Best single day of the calendar is January 1st, because it signals the start of a new year, a new beginning, plus there’s usually some really good football games on TV!
Q: What would you rate a 10 out of 10?
Not very many things, I have a tough rating scale. However, I would give King Crab Legs a 10/10, my favorite.
Q: Who inspires you to be better?
I think there’s two things: competition, and my family. I have always had a desire to be the best at what I do, and of course there’s competition in any industry or field, so I thrive off doing my best to be the best. I also strive to be better for my family, I want to be successful so that I can provide for them.
Q: What is one or two of your favorite smells?
Popcorn and Bacon of course
Q: Finally, what 3 words or phrases come to mind when you think of the word HOME?
Love, Family, and Fargo – where I grew up
For more information on DASH Sports – Please visit: https://www.dashsports.us/
