The Giving Game

Former NFL kicker and Super Bowl champion Martin Gramatica joins The Giving Game to talk about the Gramatica Family Foundation, which began by building mortgage-free homes for combat-wounded veterans and has since expanded into rehabs, home repairs, and partnerships with organizations like Pinellas Habitat, Operation Finally Home, and Home For Our Troops as full home builds have become harder to fund.

Martin, born in Argentina and raised there until age nine, shares why supporting veterans became personal — a deep gratitude for the freedom and opportunity his adopted country gave his family. He tells the story of Charlie Le...

Former NBA player Gary Forbes joins The Giving Game to talk about The Sole Survivors — a children's multimedia platform he created featuring superhero characters who each live with a different chronic health condition. Gary is one of only three players in NBA history to compete with type 1 diabetes, diagnosed at 19 after his freshman year of college, and he built The Sole Survivors as the project he wished existed for kids like him growing up on X-Men, Thundercats, and Power Rangers.

Gary walks through the comic universe's concept — 102 characters, each representing a different chronic condition, all searching for a cu...

Professional golfer Sergio Garcia joins The Giving Game to talk about the Sergio and Angela Garcia Foundation and its flagship event, FORE Kids ATX — a two-day fundraiser in Austin that's raised over $10 million for local kids and families in just four years.

Sergio walks through the event's three-part format: a gala dinner with live and silent auctions, a "prom-style" celebrity and pro golf day, and a newly added Mahjong tournament. Funds support four organizations: the Center for Child Protection, Dell Children's Medical Center, Experience Camps, and the Agila Foundation — his wife Angela's anti-bullying nonprofit. Sergio and Angela met...

Former MLB outfielder Stephen Piscotty joins The Giving Game to talk about the ALS Cure Project, the nonprofit he co-founded with his father after losing his mother, Gretchen, to ALS in 2018 — during the middle of his professional baseball career.

Stephen walks through what ALS actually does to the body, why so few people understand the disease until it touches their own family, and the devastating combination of staying fully mentally present while slowly losing physical control. He shares what it was like caring for his mother at home through her final months, the perspective her attitude gave th...

This is a special one. Host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Ryan Beckmann, founder of Hero Picks, to announce a major collaboration between their two platforms — and to unpack the story behind an idea that started with a hockey shootout bet and turned into a new way to fundraise for good causes.

Ryan walks through how it all began: his son Tino's terrifying week in the Phoenix Children's ICU, a text from former NHL goalie Eddie Lack that turned into an unlikely friendship, and a charity shootout challenge that snowballed from "let's keep it small" into a so...

Alex Highsmith and his wife Alyssa join The Giving Game for a rare joint interview — one where host Sophie Whitesell openly admits she knows nothing about Alex's NFL career and everything about the couple's foundation. That's exactly the point of this conversation.

Alex and Alyssa pull back the curtain on what it actually takes to run the Alex Highsmith Family Foundation, debunking the assumption that athletes just write checks and let a team handle the rest. Both are hands-on every week — Alex on Tuesday meetings between football commitments, Alyssa deep in the sponsorship and operations side as, in A...

She showed up to a $50,000 boarding school with no shoes — and that moment changed everything.

In this episode of The Giving Game, host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Jennifer George, founder of Girls Basketball Worldwide Foundation, for a wide-ranging, no-sports-talk conversation about basketball as a tool, not an identity. Jennifer shares the origin story behind her foundation, born from her time playing for Jamaica's national women's basketball team and coaching at Montverde Academy, where she watched firsthand how talent alone isn't enough — kids from humble beginnings need real support to make the most of life-changing oppo...

What happens when an MMA fighter stops fighting against people and starts fighting for them?

In this episode of The Giving Game, host Sophie Whitesell sits down with Justin Wren — former MMA fighter, keynote speaker, and founder of Fight for the Forgotten — for a conversation that goes far beyond the cage. True to the show's rules, there's no sports talk here. Instead, Justin opens up about hitting rock bottom with addiction, surviving two suicide attempts, and the sunrise that changed everything.

Justin shares how he was adopted into the Pygmy tribes of the Congo Basin rain...

In this episode, Dr. Hajar Abulfazl shares her inspiring journey from Afghanistan to the US, highlighting how soccer empowers refugee and immigrant youth, especially girls, to build confidence, leadership, and community. Discover how sport can be a tool for healing, advocacy, and social change.

In this episode, Jesse Iwuji shares his journey from Navy officer to race car driver and philanthropist. We explore his charitable work with veterans, kids facing illnesses, and organizations supporting long-term missions, emphasizing the importance of giving back and living with purpose.

Discover the inspiring journey of NFL player and community advocate Laurence Maroney as he shares insights into mental health, the importance of giving back, and how he is transforming his community through his foundation. This episode emphasizes the critical need for mental health support, especially among athletes and youth, and offers practical ways to foster resilience and compassion.

Donate for LM39 Foundation:
https://www.lm39foundation.com/donate-today

What happens when the career you’ve worked your entire life for is taken away in an instant?

In this powerful episode of The Giving Game, former San Francisco Giants pitcher Dave Dravecky shares his journey through cancer, depression, loss, and the mental health struggles that followed. After being diagnosed with cancer in his pitching arm, Dave faced challenges that went far beyond baseball. He opens up about the emotional toll of uncertainty, the impact on his mental health, and the moments when hope felt impossible to find.

Dave also shares ho...

In this episode, Sophia Whitesell interviews Ben Zobrist about his journey through sports, mental health, and his charity Champion Forward. They explore the importance of emotional wellness, authenticity, and redefining success beyond achievements.

Former baseball player, police officer, and Playin Thru host Matt Stone joins The Giving Game for a powerful conversation about mental health, vulnerability, and why so many men suffer in silence.

Having spent years in both baseball and law enforcement, Matt has seen firsthand that some of the strongest people on the outside are often fighting battles nobody else can see. Together, we discuss the challenges of accessing mental health resources, the stigma surrounding asking for help, and why changing the conversation could save lives.

This episode isn’t about sports—it’s...

Former baseball player, police officer, and Playin Thru host Matt Stone joins The Giving Game for a powerful conversation about mental health, vulnerability, and why so many men suffer in silence.

Having spent years in both baseball and law enforcement, Matt has seen firsthand that some of the strongest people on the outside are often fighting battles nobody else can see. Together, we discuss the challenges of accessing mental health resources, the stigma surrounding asking for help, and why changing the conversation could save lives.

This episode isn’t about sports—it’s...

What happens when your entire future changes overnight?

In this episode of The Giving Game, Griffin Pinkow opens up about vision loss, resilience, identity, and why blindness didn’t stop him from building a life centered around purpose and impact. Through The Foreseeable Future Foundation, Griffin is working to create support, awareness, and opportunity for individuals navigating blindness and visual impairment while challenging the way the world views disability altogether.

This conversation is honest, emotional, inspiring, and surprisingly funny at times — not about limitation, but about perspective, adaptability, and refusing to let hardship define your futu...

Main topics:

Isaac’s childhood and early entrepreneurship in Uganda

The transformative power of gratitude and humility

Building a social impact foundation for African children

Overcoming hardship and faith in life’s purpose

The role of love and forgiveness in personal growth

Cultural differences in dating and marriage expectations

The importance of community and mentorship in life and sport

Isaac’s aspirations to inspire worldwide and connect with global golf events

How generosity and intentionality can change destinies

#Ins...

In this episode, Sophie Whitesell interviews Isaac Sekulima, a Ugandan golf influencer turning his difficult childhood into a movement of hope and impact. Isaac shares his journey from selling pancakes on the streets to becoming recognized by the PGA, all driven by a mission to empower African youth through golf and faith.

Main topics:

Isaac’s childhood and early entrepreneurship in Uganda

The transformative power of gratitude and humility

Building a social impact foundation for African children

Overcoming hardship and faith in life’s purpose

The role of l...

Former MLB pitcher Tyson Ross joins The Giving Game to talk about why youth sports are becoming inaccessible for everyday families — and what he’s doing to change that. Tyson opens up about growing up in Oakland, the life-changing impact of community baseball, and how his nonprofit, Loyal to My Soil, is working to bring free camps, equipment, and coaching resources back to underserved communities.

The conversation goes far beyond baseball. Tyson and Sophia talk parenting in the age of screens, raising grounded kids while living around professional sports, balancing competition with fun, and how modern youth spor...

In this powerful and often hilarious episode of The Giving Game, host Sophia Whitesell sits down with Nate Boyer—a former Green Beret, Seattle Seahawks long snapper, filmmaker, and founder of Merging Vets and Players (MVP).What starts with a mix-up about his identity quickly turns into a deep conversation about life after elite environments—whether that’s the military or professional sports. Nate shares how both veterans and athletes struggle with identity and purpose once the “uniform” comes off.He explains how MVP creates a community where former athletes and veterans come together, train, and open up through peer-led “...

What happens when you take sports away from athletes?

You find out who they really are.

Hosted by Sophie, The Giving Game is a one-of-a-kind podcast where athletes step out of the game and into something bigger. No stats. No scores. No surface-level interviews.

Each episode is tied to a real, 7-day fundraising challenge—supporting causes that matter to the guests and giving listeners a chance to be part of something meaningful.

You’ll hear raw conversations, unexpected stories, and a side of athletes the world rarely sees.

This isn’...