Texas A&M Aggie Tune Up Tuesday
Eric Casarez on Consistency, Competing, and Podcasting
Tune-Up Tuesday is a weekly series of The Monday Morning Coach, helping all of us to stay motivated past the Monday morning motivational and into Tuesday, when the reality of persistence is more difficult to carry out than the concept itself. The objective is to interview and profile artists, athletes, former athletes, and coaches to offer varying perspectives on how music influences the way we compete, workout, and stay motivated when it’s sometimes difficult.
Eric Casarez is former Grad Student Athlete at Texas A&M University for Track and Cross Country. Before he was donning Texas A&M Aggie maroon, he was wearing Keller Central Charger maroon when he competed against our high school (might I add, kicking a lot of butts along the way).
Now in his post-running career with the Aggies he’s inspiring the next generation of runners and sports lovers with his podcast RickSix. After you read this go check it out.
Without further ado, here’s Eric Casarez!
The Monday Morning Coach: Apple Music or Spotify?
Eric Casarez: Spotify
TMMC: What’s on your “recently played” for your streaming service?
EC: RickSixPodcast
“Everybody works hard, but being successful at [a high] level requires being consistent with everything you do in training and outside of it.” —Eric Casarez
TMMC: What’s a genre of music the people you know might be surprised you’re into?
EC: Indie
TMMC: When preparing for a big meet or event, what’s your go-to song, playlist, album, or genre? And why?
EC: Rap/Alternative/Rock
TMMC: How has your taste in music evolved over the years, and what does that say about your personal growth?
EC: I think just understanding all different types of music and having respect for it allowed me to respect different type of artists.
TMMC: What do you think your taste in music says about you as a runner/competitor?
EC: It keeps me going and inspires me to work harder.
TMMC: What’s an album or song, or who’s an artist, that’s helped you get through a difficult stretch of a season (of life, work, or a sport’s season)?
EC: Lil Baby/Drake/J Cole/Kendrick/Kanye/Polo G
TMMC: If you could collaborate with any musician, living or dead, who would it be and why?
EC: Queen! Being alive during that time would have been crazy to witness.
TMMC: Okay let’s talk about your podcast! What’s it about and how did you get started?
EC: “RickSix” is an all sports related podcast that has been going on since COVID! I started making YouTube videos when younger and eventually used my passion for sports to make a podcast.
TMMC: How has competition over the years helped your motivation in school and for your podcast?
EC: Constantly competing at a high level makes me wonder what comes next and something I can talk about.
TMMC: When it comes to competition, how do you define it and use it as motivation for other areas of your life (like your podcast, school, etc.)?
EC: I just enjoy challenging myself and working hard.
TMMC: What role does music play in your creative process or daily routine?
EC: Just distracts me in a good way and gets me through the day sometimes.
TMMC: Do you use music to help amp you up, or calm you down before a big event?
EC: Amp me up.
TMMC: If you had to create a soundtrack to motivate your younger self, which three songs would need to be on it?
EC: Any old school rap song or classic rock song.
TMMC: Do you have any words of wisdom or advice to high school runners who aspire to run at a competitive university like yourself?
EC: Consistency is the most important thing about being good. Everybody works hard, but being successful at [a high] level requires being consistent with everything you do in training and outside of it.
TMMC: Lastly, how do you “tune-up” your Tuesdays when work, life, or workouts feel monotonous or difficult?
EC: Just stretch,rest and fuel for what the day has to bring.
TMMC: Eric, I really appreciate you taking the time to share a bit about your life, musical tastes, and your podcast. Best of luck to you moving forward!
