(upbeat instrumental music) - Hi everyone, it's time for "You Oughta Know."

An artist's vision rises from the rubble of a construction site, plus their hard work got them a spot on Team USA.

And a Naamans Little League team swung for the fences at the Junior League World Series.

Thanks so much for joining us.

Summer is wrapping up, and there is so much to catch up on as we get ready to go back to the grind.

But for young athletes, the grind never stops.

(epic instrumental music) - [Andy] Play the game that we play every time we step on the field.

(epic instrumental music) Have confidence in each other, play our game, let's win some ball games.

All right, let's get a team on three, boys, let's go.

Team on three.

One, two, three.

- Team!

- This team of 13 and 14 year olds from Naamans Little League in Wilmington, Delaware is one of six teams in the country to advance to the Junior League World Series in Taylor, Michigan.

So this is a big deal.

- This team is really unique.

We have guys up and down the lineup that contribute, and I think that's one area that sets our team apart from other teams, and I think that's a big part of our winning and being successful.

(upbeat instrumental music) Baseball, it's a game of failure, right?

Nobody bats a thousand, nobody makes every play, but I think there's a confidence that this team has in one another, that if they don't have a great day, somebody behind 'em in the lineup's going to, and I think it takes a lot of pressure off of everyone.

- This is the first time a junior's all-star team has made it to the Junior League World Series in Naamans Little League history.

So I asked Coach Andy Fox how it feels.

- It feels great.

We've been with these kids for so long.

(Andy speaking away from mic) This could be the last time that they're all together, potentially.

You know, we got kids going to different high schools, so the fact that they're able to achieve it this year, it's fantastic.

- [Shirley] But these boys are more than teammates, they're family.

(cheerful music) - We all know each other since we were like eight years old.

So we've been with each other for most of our lives.

So it's pretty fun.

- It's kind of a dream like to go to the World Series and I never thought I'd go but I was very happy and blessed to be here.

- I would say our dedication separates us from everyone.

Like we all have been workhorses, now we're here and it showed off.

- I think we're so successful 'cause of our chemistry and the way we work, and just always having confidence that we're gonna win.

- Everybody being a team, it definitely helps the experience, and nobody's ever mad at each other, really.

- Best part is probably being with all my teammates and winning all these games.

- It's a fun team.

I mean like we wanna win baseball games.

A big part of like why I think we've been so successful is just 'cause we try and have fun as much as we can.

- [Shirley] That's what little league is all about.

And of course, none of this could happen without support from the parents.

- It's a family, you know?

On the sidelines, we're just as much as a team as they are, you know, out there on the field.

- This marks Tim Cruiser's third trip to the World Series.

His two older sons, Mark and Dylan, went to the Senior League World Series in back-to-back years, and now it's Nathan's turn.

- [Andy] Let's go, Cruz.

- I hope they're humbled by it.

I hope they understand and they realize how few people, as far as kids in their age group get to achieve this.

- I'm just gonna remember the fun that we've had.

I want the kids to just understand that no matter the outcome, it's gonna be a memory they're gonna take with them forever, and that's what makes me happy.

- [Team] One, two, three, team!

- The Delaware squad fell short of the championship, ending their amazing run as the third best team in the country.

Great job boys.

Meanwhile, little leagues throughout the Mid-Atlantic region had incredible postseasons.

West Suburban from Johnstown, Pennsylvania went all the way.

They are the 2025 Little League Softball World Series champs.

Congrats girls.

Glenmore Eagle Little League, out of Downingtown, PA, punched its ticket to Williamsport, and MOT Little league out of Middletown, Delaware made it to regionals and they played their hearts out.

Big congrats to all.

Over the summer, several Philly students put their skills to the test too.

They went for the gold in the International Dragon Boat competition in Germany.

(epic instrumental music) - Making the national team was incredible for me.

I just felt an insane connection with my boat and the whole team.

- We started this as just a club to get out on the water and have fun, and to see them make Team USA, and in the end they were racing with the top youth from all over the world.

- I grew to love competing and racing, so I kind of wanted to do that at a national level, and then hopefully meet new people.

- Going to Germany, it was a life changing experience.

- So Dragon Boat team has been open to anyone.

A lot of the students came from our environmental leadership program, but we have kids from all over the city join.

Last year was our first real year as a team.

We had a lot of surprising success.

We were able to do a race in the fall, and at that fall race, they came in second place in the community division, and they lost by like 0.05 seconds to an adult team that actually had some Team USA paddlers in their boat.

So after the race, a bunch of them were saying, "Hey, you know, have you guys thought about trying out for Team USA?"

And we picked the most dedicated students.

We just wanted to see real commitment, and we started in October, working out with them in the park, doing stuff on land, and then we were able to find a rec center in the winter to keep winter workouts going, and they did awesome.

I really thought they would give up and fade out, 'cause we were pushing them to work out like four or five days a week, and honestly, we thought we would never get the money to fly to tryouts.

So we got a donor who donated to support us going to LA.

So the five students and me, we flew out there in March.

They have to do tryouts in a small special boat that they only had been in three times ever.

They showed their hard work, they were asking questions to the Team USA coaches.

They made names for themselves at the camp.

The four kids who made it and got accepted for Team USA were Shwe Tun, Maritza Texis, Joy Chen and Say Htoo.

(epic instrumental music) - We started off just doing it for fun, racing with the local community, and then he flew us to California, where we trained with the actual team, learned what they do, to get their techniques, and also, the same day where we try out if we are even qualified to be in the team.

- Mr.

Adam, he's a really encouraging person.

Every time a barrier was put up in front of us or a challenge we had to endure, he would tell us to apply it to our paddling, especially in this sport where everyone works together, and use that aggression while racing.

- I think it's one of those sports that you can pick it up but it's pretty hard to master.

Germany was amazing.

I was in the U16 standard boat, since I'm 15, and we competed in four races.

So we have the 2K, the 1K, the 200 and the 500.

Mr.

Adam, he told me to breathe, keep it cool, just constant support, wherever I went.

The medal I'm wearing is gold.

This is from the 2K.

I also won three more.

It was an amazing experience, and having all these medals around my neck, it's just... I can't comprehend that.

- So this medal I have here is a gold medal.

I received it from racing the 200 meters in the standard boat.

So standard boat is 20 people.

The 200 meter is the fastest heat.

It's under a minute and it's very, very competitive.

I'll definitely take this trip and this whole experience altogether, and use this to inspire me or encourage me to find a way to succeed.

- I happen to be able to race in the standard boat, which would give me the opportunity to win a medal.

Overall, their experience was really, really great and fun, just to have some people I know helping me throughout the whole journey.

- These are kids who mostly had never left Philly, and so they learned really if they put their minds and bodies to something, it can open up a whole new world to them.

To see they made it international, just makes me so proud of their hard work.

Makes me so grateful for all the support we've got, and how much came together to make this happen.

- These next stories come from WHYY's pathways to media careers interns.

They too spent the summer working hard, on stories like this one, about Philadelphia city rowing, which gives public school students a chance to compete.

(upbeat instrumental music) - [Kera] I just remember feeling very small.

The things we're working with are very large, the oars are very long, but I remember one of my coaches telling me that little people can take big strokes too, - [Myi] Really hit me hard, was my very first race.

We're at the top of the start and I'm looking around and I am just like, I don't see anybody else that looks like me.

This is a little strange.

I'm gonna be here and I'm gonna do the best I can.

My name is Myi Harte.

- My name is Kera McCarthy.

- I am a coach for PCR, as well as a volunteer firefighter in West Conshohocken.

- And I am the varsity women's assistant coach here, and I also work with the middle schoolers in the Summerland Row programs.

We are at the PCR Boatyard on Boathouse Row.

- PCR is Philadelphia City Rowing.

It's a free inner city school program.

- [Kera] We are made up of all public school kids- - That don't have the opportunity for extracurricular activities as rowing or sports.

- We're sometimes viewed poorly because of the reputation that comes with that, and so we kind of just have to, you know, like be on our best game all the time.

- Nine, ten, high knees.

Ready?

Go.

One, two, three.

- A sport is a great outlet for, you know, stress, anxiety, or whether it be going through a hard time of depression.

I feel like having an outlet as a sport does wonders and it shapes people even better.

If you need help or anything like that, let us know and we'll find a way to work with you to get what you need.

Always loved that aspect of PCR.

- Within PCR, it's always been a very diverse program.

We come from all over the city, all different socioeconomic backgrounds, all different ethnicities, races, everything.

But when you're actually in races on the water and seeing other people in other programs and boats, that diversity isn't the same.

- When it comes to the ideal rower, you got someone that's over six feet two probably, and it's mostly a white male.

- Hopefully in like 10, 20, 30 years, we look at rowing and we just see a diverse group of people that know how to row.

Going to a new program at a new university with new people and everything was a very different environment, and I kind of like lost my love for rowing a little bit there.

So I came back to PCR to coach, to find that again, and that's when I kind of really discovered that like PCR makes a really big difference.

And just take your time, so that everybody behind you can follow.

We've had a push in the program towards preparing kids for situations like that.

Because you have been in their shoes, it makes you in a much better position to help them through that.

Isa, come down here, look at the arrow.

- Best strokes of practice.

Next two.

- Watch Gabby.

- [Myi] Great.

- It's very much a safe space, because we all come from different backgrounds, that's kind of what solidifies us.

I also think about how like the kids that are here, aren't here because they're trying to be diverse.

You know, they're here because they're just kids that like the sport and they want to learn how to do it.

They like their friends here, maybe they wanna do it in college and things like that.

Having a pathway there for people that don't have direct lines is an important step towards changing that dynamic.

(upbeat instrumental music) - [Shirley] In this story, the students introduce us to a rare partnership that turns construction waste into objects of art.

- When I was in kindergarten, you had to present about what you wanted to be when you grew up.

I did want to be a trash man or a scientist.

(gentle music) My name is Billy Dufala.

I am co-founder and creative director at RAIR.

There's a lot of fun to be had jumping into dumpsters and looking for materials and making it yours, because it didn't cost no money to do it.

Our mission is to challenge perception of waste culture by providing a platform for artists at the intersection of art and industry.

- To see a stitch or a scar on a sculpture of mine is to see where healing and history coexists.

Making little parts come together to make something stronger, to make something complete, I'm interested in that.

My name's Gabrielle Constantine and I'm a resident here at RAIR.

Someone's whole life is wrapped up in a truckload.

Objects turn from something to nothing in a split second, to be able to utilize the waste that's coming through here and make something out of it, speaks volumes and is exciting and a duty as artists.

- This industry, by nature, is kind of invisible to most folks.

Being able to invite an artist into a construction and demolition waste recycling facility, and give them kind of carte blanche to run amok.

That has an endless amount of opportunity to creatively visualize this thing that's virtually invisible to a much larger public - Being here at this residency, I have access to all of these materials.

I think the act of collecting and seeing potential in certain objects or knowing how I can adjust it to make it shine again is something that's exciting.

I feel connected to people that call themselves craftsmen more than call themselves like visual or fine artists.

My dad had like a butcher shop and I grew up in an Irish pub, so a lot of those spaces really are influential to my practice now.

Wall to wall carpeting is also a really important material for me.

It's something that was a status symbol at one point, that as time has passed, it's matriculated into working class and immigrant households.

They carry generations of stories and time, and like objects have witnessed a lot, and sometimes more than people have.

(gentle music) - Being able to create a platform that supports others, both creatively but beyond just like a studio practice.

I think we're supposed to make people ask questions.

I think that we're supposed to make people look at things differently.

I think we're supposed to inspire, and hopefully, you know, in some ways, innovate, so we can inspire others who might have different skill sets.

I think this place has got so much potential, and I feel like we've scratched the surface, but there's more work to do.

I'm not throwing in the towel anytime soon.

- "Fresh Air" is one of the most well-known radio shows, and we are proud to say it's home is right here at WHYY.

Arts and Culture reporter, Peter Crimmins, and videographer, Emma Lee, look back at 50 years of "Fresh Air."

(upbeat instrumental music) - This year, "Fresh Air" turns 50.

When Terry Gross was hired out of Buffalo, New York in 1975, to come host an afternoon talk show here in Philadelphia, she found herself at the head of a ragtag show on a station that was kind of sleepy.

- So when I came here, WHYY, which was then WUHY, was such a kind of quiet station, mostly classical music, it had a very small listenership.

I thought, "I'm not staying here very long probably," you know?

- Originally, a show called "Fresh Air" launched in 1973.

That show was really loosely structured, so that members of the mostly volunteer staff could sign up to do interviews with whoever they wanted.

- When I came, it's like, I'm gonna be doing the interviews.

You're not gonna be able to just like sign up.

And also, I'm gonna choose the music, and the music is gonna be jazz, blues, folk music, rock and roll, punk rock.

And so a lot of listeners were like, "What?

Punk rock on my radio station?

No way."

I'd get a lot of complaints.

- 50 years and more than 15,000 interviews later, Terry Gross is still in Philadelphia, still at WHYY, and still asking people questions.

- Terry Gross has been the blueprint for everyone who's done this work.

A lot of people, through my addition to the show, have asked me questions like, "There's so much I don't know about Terry Gross.

We listen to these long, intimate conversations with Terry, but I don't know much about Terry."

Actually, we do know a lot about Terry.

We know about how Terry's mind works, because every day, we listen to her have these long form conversations with people, and it's through her questioning, we learn and understand the way she sees the world, how she thinks about the world.

- When I first came to the show, Terry sat down and gave me a little tutorial.

We spent about a half an hour talking about how they do things.

You kind of plan the interview in chapters.

You want to break it into segments because it's gonna be edited.

But she said, "Nothing that I tell you should interfere with you being you.

I mean, you bringing your own best insight, because that's why you're here."

- Over the course of 50 years, Terry Gross has done thousands upon thousands of author interviews, which has had a measurable impact on book sales in places like this, Huxley & Hiro, in downtown Wilmington, Delaware.

So the owner, Claire van den Broek, puts these little tags on the shelves that say, this was heard on NPR, this was heard on "Fresh Air."

- You have the people coming in saying, "Hey, I heard about this great book, I don't know what it's called, but the author sounded great.

They had an interview on NPR," and we're like, "Yes, I know what that book is."

And in many ways, these are the moments that I think booksellers live for, right?

It's that moment that, "Yes, I do know what you're looking for.

I have exactly that right here."

- Terry Gross wrote her own book.

"All I Did Was Ask."

It's a collection of interviews she did for the radio.

It's her only book.

- After that I said, "Never again."

Because it was so time consuming and so hard to do that and a daily show at the same time, that was like insane.

And I don't like, enjoy writing.

I'm fine writing like intros and stuff like that, but tell me like to write a book and it's like, no, I have no... I have no fantasy of writing like a fabulous novel or a great memoir.

Like, no thank you.

(laughs) I'd rather do something else.

Whereas I really love doing radio.

I really love doing interviews.

- 50 years of "Fresh Air" means 50 years of driveway moments, and this is where they're stored.

This is the "Fresh Air" tape archive here at WHYY, and here, this is one of Tonya's favorite moments.

She remembers when she used to be a TV reporter at a station in Seattle.

She would take her lunch in the news van with a cameraman and listen to "Fresh Air" on the radio.

- There is this one particular interview that she did with Al Green, that really stopped us in our tracks.

I mean, I think I remember looking over and we both even had stopped eating.

- [Terry] My guest is soul and gospel singer, Al Green.

He has a new autobiography called, "Take Me to the River."

- So in this interview, Terry asked Al Green about the churches he went to when he was growing up in Arkansas.

But instead, he launches into his whole philosophy of preaching, using the analogy of caring for a sick dog.

- [Al] He wants the can of meat.

See, he don't know he needs the medicine, he know he wants the meat.

So what you do is take the medicine, push it down in the meat, and give the dog what he wants.

So while he eats what he wants, he gets what he needs.

And I'm not sure I'm doing it right.

I'm not sure I'm... I know I'm not perfect.

I have so many flaws and so many thorns in my flesh, so many ups and downs.

Terry, I just... I'm a real person.

I'm a human being.

They write this stuff in the book and I understand that, and it make you seem greater than life, but I'm not.

I'm a sharecropper's son.

- [Terry] Well, tell me about the churches you went to when your father was- - Back to the question.

- [Terry] Yeah, back to the question.

- [Al] (laughs) I love it.

- She allowed Al Green to come to so many insights on his own, and she was deeply listening in a way that allowed for her to step in to weave in that connective tissue.

I learned so much in that interview.

Not only about Al Green, because I'm a huge fan, but also about the art of the interview.

- One of the people Terry had on a lot was Maurice Sendak, the children's book author and writer.

This one's from 1993, the final one was in 2011.

It's one of Dave Davies' favorite moments.

Terry had him on at the time because he had a new book called, "This Pig Wants to Party," and then he died less than a year later.

- Listen- - You know, I have to tell you something.

- Go ahead.

- You are the only person I have ever dealt with in terms of being interviewed or talking to, who brings this out in me.

There is something very unique and special in you, which I so trust.

- Terry's interview with Maurice Sendak was particularly remarkable.

She'd talked to him several times, and his health was failing at the end, and he got quite emotional talking about what his relationship with her had meant.

- [Terry] Well, I'm really glad we got the chance to speak, 'cause when I heard you had a book coming out, I thought, "What a good excuse, (laughs) to call up Maurice Sendak and have a chat."

- [Maurice] Yes.

That's what we always do, isn't it?

- Yeah, it is.

- It's what we've always done.

- It is.

- Thank God we're still around to do it.

- Yes.

- And almost certainly, I'll go before you go, so I won't have to miss you.

- [Terry] Oh.

God, what a- - [Maurice] And I don't know whether I'll do another book or not, I might.

It doesn't matter.

I'm a happy old man, but I will cry my way, all the way to the grave.

- [Terry] (laughs) Well, I'm so glad you have a new book.

I'm really glad we had a chance to talk.

- I am too.

- And I wish you all good things.

- [Maurice] I wish you all good things.

Live your life, live your life, live your life.

- I think the need for a show where we can hear a one-on-one conversation that is deep and introspective, allows our guests to be introspective, is still needed.

It's very much needed.

Like, we need conversation and new ideas in the same way that we need water and sleep and food.

It is a human condition.

It's a human need for us to have that connection.

(upbeat instrumental music) - All right, that's our show.

Thanks so much for watching.

We hope to see you next week.

Goodnight everyone.

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